#3- Packers Most Important Player

Who is the 3rd most important player on the Packers this year?


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FrankRizzo

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It's not arguable that Rodgers & Matthews are the 2 most important players for the Packers.

But who's the 3rd most important?
Not best. Important.

In other words, who could we least afford to lose.
We were able to afford losing Finley, Grant, tons of guys in 2010.
Many thought we were screwed when J-Mike went down because he had been Arod's #1 target coming down the stretch in 2009 and in 2010.

But we weren't able to afford losing Nick Collins, and Cullen Jenkins.
Partly because of the position, partly because of how great they were, partly because of who had to fill their shoes, what the depth was behind them.

Best, and Most Important to keep healthy, can be slightly different.

Who do you vote for (look at it this way, if they get hurt, who dooms us most) as our 3rd most important player?

In another thread, someone said LG Josh Sitton. Someone else said WR Randall Cobb. I'll put those 2 in the vote, and the next guys considered indispensable.

Factor in who has to start in their place if they go down. What the drop-off will be.

At WR, we have 3 "great ones", which seems like nice depth.
But if #1 goes down, then #4 has to play a lot as #3, etc.

Also, I am limited on # of options, and am not putting either RB on here because who knows who will be the bell-cow there, plus we won the Super Bowl with Starks & Brandon Jackson as the 2 HBs.
We can win another with either DuJuan Harris, Lacy, Franklin, Green, or Starks again IMO.

I'd love to see your votes now before someone else makes a case for a guy, but go ahead and make your case for a guy if you want, should lead to some good debate.
 
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FrankRizzo

FrankRizzo

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Tilting at windmills after Rodgers and Matthews. All the players listed are pretty much # 3 in my opinion.
I would have voted for Finley in 2010, and been wrong LOL. The answer would have been Collins. Or still Woodson then. Or Jennings. Not Finley.

I like that tilting at windmills line.
 

JBlood

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I'm thinking Perry will be the pass rusher we've been looking for. If we can stop the pass we're well on the way to no. 14.
 

Poppa San

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We barely have one starting quality safety let alone a replacement for him. I went with Burnett. Most of the list has missed games recently or are new. As for the rest their replacement will not be as exposed as his will.
 

PackFanNChiTown

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I voted Bulaga, he's the key to Rodgers having a chance at returning to 2011 form.

Team went 15-1 with that offense, even with the 32nd ranked D. Obviously I think our D will be better this season but the most critical key to success this season, IMHO, is this offense returning from what they were last season to the touchdown-creating juggernaut they were in 2010/2011. The key to that happening is for Aaron to get the protection he had with Clifton/Tauscher.
 

Einstein McFly

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My first thought was Bulaga, but we did okay without him last year. So it's between Raji and Sitton. I'll say Raji. We have such a small line for a 3-4 and if we lose him then Pickett has to play way too much.
 

El Guapo

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I voted Morgan Burnett as well. We have made do at all of those other positions and still have found ways to win. Burnett is the linch pin to that defense. You need a smart veteran directing things back there and I don't think that we have a worthy replacement on the roster.

Raji is a close second but not as many other positions on the defense depend on his play.
 
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I'd put Casey Hayward over Tramon Williams on the list. If I had to pick an important number 3 player, id pick Raji. Simply because the NT is juge for the 3-4. Even though I don't think Raji was that great last year it is a tough position to judge because they dont compile a lot of stats and they get double teamed a lot.
 

ivo610

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Raji or Hayward.

Raji bc of the number of snaps he plays and the lack of depth at the position.

Hayward bc of how bad our secondary would look without him. he is so underrated.

Cobb comes to mind but I think Rodgers could make due without him.
 
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FrankRizzo

FrankRizzo

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How can I put Hayward over Tramon when Tramon is our clear #1 CB on the coaches depth chart, whereas Hayward was the #3 CB?
Shields was above Hayward on the depth chart.
 

ExpatPacker

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It's very difficult to rate a #3. Fact is that all these guys are important to the success of this team next year and if one or more of them play sub-par it's going to have an effect (unless another player steps up). The way I look at it would be to ask, which player would hurt the team most with a poor season?

To that I would probably answer Sitton or Bulaga. We just don't have the depth at OL to compensate for a bad season from one or both of those 2.

We're pretty deep at corner so 1 CB with a subpar seasons won't hurt too bad.

We need good play out of Burnett at S, so I'd rate him up there close to those 2 in importance.

Nick P, Datone, Bish and Raji, again, all matter a lot, but there are others that could step in.

So I'd say:

Bulaga
Sitton
Burnett
 

ivo610

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How can I put Hayward over Tramon when Tramon is our clear #1 CB on the coaches depth chart, whereas Hayward was the #3 CB?
Shields was above Hayward on the depth chart.

I think bc of expectations for next year. Hayward is expected by some to move up on the charts. Shields needs to show up or that move will be parliamentary.
 

El Guapo

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For me to make this evaluation, I looked at depth at the position and how we have coped with losses at that position in the past few seasons. We've done pretty well the past few seasons despite injuries on the O-line, no prime RBs, and have continually lost our ILBs due to injury. We currently have good depth at CB, we've rotated guys at OLB opposite Clay, and always seem to have a platoon at DL. That's essentially what led me to my choice of Burnett at safety.
 

PackFanNChiTown

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My first thought was Bulaga, but we did okay without him last year. So it's between Raji and Sitton. I'll say Raji. We have such a small line for a 3-4 and if we lose him then Pickett has to play way too much.
We did okay without him when he was at RT. Now that he's the LT his role is more important as Newhouse had an open-door policy in regard to getting access to Rodgers, which is one reason he was sacked 51 times.

That simply cannot happen this season IMHO.
 
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FrankRizzo

FrankRizzo

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For me to make this evaluation, I looked at depth at the position and how we have coped with losses at that position in the past few seasons. We've done pretty well the past few seasons despite injuries on the O-line, no prime RBs, and have continually lost our ILBs due to injury. We currently have good depth at CB, we've rotated guys at OLB opposite Clay, and always seem to have a platoon at DL. That's essentially what led me to my choice of Burnett at safety.
I agree with that, and almost chose Burnett, knowing that besides him, we have MD Jennings & Jerron McMillian. And then Sean Richardson.

I went with Cobb instead because I think if we lose him, we'll see our offense start to sputter as nobody can do what he does. Plus if we lose him, we're down to 2 experienced receivers, and that's if Jordy is even healthy.
 

98Redbird

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Honestly, for me, it's Datone. And here's why:

In 10 we had Jenkins... We didn't realize at that time what he meant. We do now. Pass rush can/will make the back end look that much better. I don't care if you have Asomoughahahahahhaah, Revis, Wood, Sanders, Collins, Polomalu on the back end, if you have scrubs rushing the passer, it's going to be an aerial assault. You could have a backend full of Jarrett Bush's with Reggie White, Lawrence Taylor, and whoever else, they will make the back end look like superstars. We NEED passrush.. Look at what the Giants did to us ever year..... BC they had a pass rush. Their back end was NOT that good.

We need Perry and Datone to come up big this year. Yes, Heyward looks like a stud. So does Burnett, and Shields to some extent, but without that pass rush, we will not see it. JMO
 
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FrankRizzo

FrankRizzo

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Honestly, for me, it's Datone. And here's why:

In 10 we had Jenkins... We didn't realize at that time what he meant. We do now. Pass rush can/will make the back end look that much better. I don't care if you have Asomoughahahahahhaah, Revis, Wood, Sanders, Collins, Polomalu on the back end, if you have scrubs rushing the passer, it's going to be an aerial assault. You could have a backend full of Jarrett Bush's with Reggie White, Lawrence Taylor, and whoever else, they will make the back end look like superstars. We NEED passrush.. Look at what the Giants did to us ever year..... BC they had a pass rush. Their back end was NOT that good.

We need Perry and Datone to come up big this year. Yes, Heyward looks like a stud. So does Burnett, and Shields to some extent, but without that pass rush, we will not see it. JMO
I agree both Perry and Datone could blossom into superstuds, which will make this defense as good or better than that 2010 team... as long as the safeties are stable.
 

PikeBadger

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It's not arguable that Rodgers & Matthews are the 2 most important players for the Packers.

But who's the 3rd most important?
Not best. Important.

In other words, who could we least afford to lose.
We were able to afford losing Finley, Grant, tons of guys in 2010.
Many thought we were screwed when J-Mike went down because he had been Arod's #1 target coming down the stretch in 2009 and in 2010.

But we weren't able to afford losing Nick Collins, and Cullen Jenkins.
Partly because of the position, partly because of how great they were, partly because of who had to fill their shoes, what the depth was behind them.

Best, and Most Important to keep healthy, can be slightly different.

Who do you vote for (look at it this way, if they get hurt, who dooms us most) as our 3rd most important player?

In another thread, someone said LG Josh Sitton. Someone else said WR Randall Cobb. I'll put those 2 in the vote, and the next guys considered indispensable.

Factor in who has to start in their place if they go down. What the drop-off will be.

At WR, we have 3 "great ones", which seems like nice depth.
But if #1 goes down, then #4 has to play a lot as #3, etc.

Also, I am limited on # of options, and am not putting either RB on here because who knows who will be the bell-cow there, plus we won the Super Bowl with Starks & Brandon Jackson as the 2 HBs.
We can win another with either DuJuan Harris, Lacy, Franklin, Green, or Starks again IMO.

I'd love to see your votes now before someone else makes a case for a guy, but go ahead and make your case for a guy if you want, should lead to some good debate.


I think if Raji plays consistently hard every down to his capabilities, we'll be in a very good position to win it all again. If we get the usual up and down inconsistent play that he's becoming famous for, it remains to be seen if anyone else on the D-line can become the reasl difference-maker we need to protect the linebackers and secondary. I think the offense will be better than average regardless of how quickly the o-line jells as long as Rodgers doesn't get hurt.
 

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