WR's continue to battle it out

Jennings and company fight for #2 spot and beyond

"I am comfortable with the playbook, I don't have to keep looking at the thing to see what I have," Jennings said. "As far as routes, I haven't had any mistakes. I am still learning the blocking; I may stay on the corner instead of going down and getting the safety. But as long as you (block) a man, that's what they want."
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Cmon Jennings!

#2 is probably too much to hope for, but I really like Jennings too.

Who do you think will take the #2 spot, Bruce (assuming this is the set roster)?


I dont think fergy will take it. Boreigter wont, i dont think.

Gardner could, I like him as well...with his hurdling antics.

I think Fergy is the favorite if he can stay healthy. I hope Gardner can step up and play to the potential he has flashed at times and gives him a serious run for the spot.

I love Jennings potential and upside. I think he will contribute this season as a 4th receiver and on special teams, but I think expecting him to hold down the number two job as a rookie is setting him up to disappoint.

I like Jennings to be the #3 actually. Gardner I hope shows his full potential. If he does he'll get #2. Fergy has been just a dissapointment so far. He's probably the favorite currently though.

What i like is it seems they have LOTS of possibilities. And the NFL Europe guys arn't even here yet. Hopefully this will give Favre lots of WR's to throw too. Good for roster competition.

Yeah even with the loss of Walker the core as a whole is upgraded. Last year we had Driver, Fergy, and Chatman. This year we have Driver, Fergy, Gardner, Jennings, Rogers, Lucas, and Boerigter.

An interesting trend that has developed back through the Sherman era was that the precieved "weakest" position on the roster would actually end up being a strength. Back when Freeman and Billy boy left, our WR's were expected to be crap. Driver emerged. Then last year our DT's were expected to be a weak point without Hunt. That turned out to be a SOLID unit as a rotation kept the players fresh and ready to play. Then as the season went on, we had no RB, but Gado emerged. He was doing a pretty damn good job of providing the Packers with a running game until he got injured, and for the final two weeks we had no running game.

This year, we have our WR position as a precieved weakpoint of this team. I hope the trend from the past continues, that we have an individual everyone is overlooking step up. I believe it is definitly a possibility.

PS - Keep an eye out for Boerigter, I believe he is a wildcard in all of this, as his talent, height, and speed combine to form an amazing advantage. If he can stay healthy, I expect him to surprise a lot of people.

haha hope your right. I actually think he'll be cut in the final roster cut down. I don't know if they'll be a roster spot for him especially if Lucas emerges.

i don't know if he'll be cut, but my expectations are rock-bottom for this guy. KC let him go for god sakes...they've been looking for talent at the WR spot for what, 10 years now?

Lori Nickel, of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, reports Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers discusses WR Greg Jennings. During the afternoon practice Friday, May 19, Jennings caught a pass from Rodgers at midfield and spun and twirled around would-be tacklers like a running back. Rodgers added, "But the most impressive thing about him is he's fast, but a lot of times fast guys aren't very quick out of their break. He's extremely quick out of his breaks. The first time I saw him on a route, he looked like a veteran, as far as getting out of his break, not telegraphing routes or anything."

Lori Nickel, of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, reports Green Bay Packers WR Ruvell Martin was impressive during practice Friday, May 19.

thats the one thing that perks my ears up about jennings. a lot of guys are fast, alot of guys can catch, but its being quick out of your break, and what you do after you catch the ball...

go jennings!

Remember when STERLING SHARPE retired and everyone doubted the Packer receiving corps?

Didn't a Robert Brooks emerge? Followed by Freeman? then we went and got Beebe, Keith Jackson, and even a malcontent by the name of Andre Rison.

THER IS a trend. As the stars move on or fade, the team jells more and becomes a more solid unit. Walker splitting may have been the best blessing the Packers could have hoped for.

Coach might keep 6 receivers on the roster, so we could be in for a lot of surprises this year. :thumbsup:

That's right. Six receivers.

Your right Porky! There are LOTS of possibilities. I think the WR staff as a whole is LOTS better. I would have LOVED to have Walker in here too, but he wanted out, so what can you do?
I see it as alot of youngins that want to prove themselves. Jennings i think (hope!) will be the next super star for the Pack.

So which recievers make the final roster. I have heard that Ruvell Martin is really impressing the Coaching staff. Lucas shined in NFL Europe.


Right now the WR Roster looks like this

Donald Driver
Marc Boerighter
Rod Gardner
Fergie
Ruvell Martin
Greg Jennings
Cory Rodgers
Calvin Russell
Leo Bookman
Chris Francies
Vince Butler
Chad Lucas


Assuming we keep 6 who will make it. An early guess by me would be

Driver
Fergie
Gardner
Boerichter
Rodgers
Jennings
Ruvell Martin


Hopefully, they can find away to keep a few others by utilizing the Practice Squad,Injured reserve,NFL Europe thing

Good point. I guess the only way I can argue that is by saying his first year, Boerigter had AMAZING numbers, and then went into the dreaded sophmore slump? :-?

Or perhaps Boerigter never recovered from his injury to the point he could have been effective last year. Maybe the Chiefs new scheme didn't suit him that well, as I do remember Boerigter saying something along the lines that the coaches simply stopped including him in plays. All in all, you make a solid point arrow.

Porky, that is definitly a possibility, seeing as I agree that the competition for WR's this year is hot! If Boerigter makes the final cut, I say he can definitly be a dark horse to be in the race to replace Walker. A good thing about this competition is that every WR will have to come prepared to leave it all on the field, and at least a couple of the WR cuts are sure to make their way onto the PS, ensuring the competition and energy level remains high.

Props to Obi1 for adding to my original post about the emergance of WR's after Sharpe. This is what happens when you decide to post a little quicky before you have to go out. Thanks.

The Associated Press reports Green Bay Packers WR Rod Gardner said he chose to sign a short-term deal with the Packers because he wasn't willing to sign other team's longer-term offers that were based on his most recent production. "Not based off last year, at all," Gardner said. "So hopefully things work out early in the season and we commit to something long-term." Gardner hopes to prove himself to the Packers early this season, and then get to work on a deal that keeps him with the team. He considers himself a good complement to No. 1 WR Donald Driver. "I love going deep," Gardner said. "Give me the ball. You can leave the little quick stuff, slants and all that across the middle; you can leave that to (Driver). He loves being inside like that. But me, leave me on that sideline. I'm good." Head coach Mike McCarthy said Gardner looked ready to go Saturday, May 20, after missing Friday's practices, May 19

Gardner sounds like a 1-trick pony there, with his love of (only) the deepb all. That doesnt sound too ..exciting.

I actually expect 6 to be kept.. If I had to guess

Donald Driver
Robert Ferguson
Rod Gardner
Greg Jennings
Cory Rodgers
Chad Lucas

I honestly don't see much in Boerigter. Maybe I'll be wrong. Lucas has progressed a lot and I think he'll at least earn a practice squad spot.

as far as the wide reciever trend goes, i think many recievers came in and all became pretty decent starters.....but during that time only one thing stayed the same. and i think that has as much to do with it as anything

Make no mistake, it hurt big-time to lose Javon Walker, because it has forced everyone else to step up a spot in the rotation. Driver was an excellent #2, and he's a pretty darn good #1, so no huge loss there. It's below Driver that the bottom falls out. If Fergy can get past that gun-shy thing that he's had since the neck injury, he could still be good, but I'm not counting on it. Plus he's injury-prone. I would love to see Gardner move up into that #2 spot. Then Fergy and Jennings could be #'s 3 and 4.

I wonder if there's any chance of Fergy being cut, or if his contract will make that too difficult. I mention this because they might want to cut him rather than demote him to #3 or #4, where he will be overpaid and unhappy. (Only in the wacky world of professional sports do the words "overpaid" and "unhappy" sometimes appear in the same sentence.)