Big, dynamic receiver is Packers' missing ingredient

[tynimiller]

Here is my take on the WR/TE position for what it is worth (probably around a nickel haha):

Wide Reciever

-Jordy will give us a huge boost on the versatility of our receiving corps in 2016. Jordy if healthy and back to his old ability has the ability to stretch the field better than any other receiver we have. He is fast (Janis is too) but unlike Janis has a refined experience and route running is better. This alone opens up stuff for Cobb and other receivers underneath. Jordy is a huge cog.

-Janis, ah the wonder child of the playoffs. FORCED to finally connect with Rodgers due to injuries we saw the glimpse of why so many are high on him. His top end speed is one of the best not just on our team but in the division...but he isn't refined...however think back to how big one huge play like his hail mary catch can leap his confidence AND instantly charge his and the QB's relationship. IF Janis can keep growing and excelling, we could have a real burner who can go up. Yes he has a lot of IF's around him, but then again he is a cheap option for depth that has "proven" he can excel.

-Adams is to me the wildcard of the bunch...is he just another Boykin, that flares up and than fizzles for us or is he truly going to decide to be great. He has the size, route running ability and appears quick enough for separation on breaks. While not a blazing burner like Janis/Nelson on the outside, he is more than capable....the question though will he grow and will his hands be the hands he was scouted to possess. 2016 to me is the year he either earns a future with us or not...Janis/Abb/Mont/future rookies are going to be nippin his heels and he cannot afford to waiver.

-Cobb, we have him locked up for what seemed a good chunk for both sides and yet this year he well flat out sucked. A lot of that can probably be blamed on that other than back shoulder throws to JJ, Cobb was the real only "threat" on the team that DBs could focus on. Cobb needs that guy to stretch the backfield...that is when he excels in a big way for the style of player he is. I have no worries for Cobb's ability, this season sucked for nearly everyone.

-Abb....good luck trying to cut this guy staff. He seems to be the Cobb alternative and has ZERO fear over the middle. Won't break my heart if he goes, but if he does it will be merely a no room thing.

-Monty...dude has quickness I think perhaps more so than anyone else, he isn't as fast but man could he bust left or right. Curious to see how he recovers and how he grows....if we even have room.

I sadly don't see JJ back, as this team loves pushing and growing youth. I wouldn't be against resigning him as he is a stable sure thing. However, Nelson/Cobb/Adams/Janis or Abb all seem to be a sure lock for the team...and than you have Janis or Abb AND Monty still vying for spots. That is 6...I could easily see 6 being kept...but we shall see. Overall WR though I don't see as big of a need...granted of course if a guy drops in the draft grab him and it is awesome to push out talent with more talent.

TE Breakdown

-Rodgers...what can I say, I like him...however that doesn't mean he is elite or even great. Yes just like Lacy he could gain some by shaving down a touch, but he has proven he can find openings in the Defense (sometimes by them simply not fearing him) and his hands seem great for a young TE in the league. He will not light up defenses but worst case I think we have a solid solid #2 TE...sadly though he is playing as our #1.

-Quarless...any GB fan over the years he has been here has quickly realized Quarless is a workhorse. He doesn't seem as skilled, or as talented but he is a gamer. AR trusts him when he is in and he seems like he will always be affordable for us to keep. I can think of a lot better #2/#3 TE to have around.

-Perillo/Backman....you are a better team if these guys never see the active. Don't dislike them, Perillo even came up big for us this year once...but we need a better #1 which bumps them down and out most likely.

WE need a stud TE. So much can be said by having that large, quick (not fast) TE like Finley was for us prior to his injury woes. Sadly though not sure any will be out there in FA that I'm excited about, and the draft doesn't seem to have any jumping out at me. With the dynamic nature of our WRs forming, this simply is where the focus needs to be....we get a threat at TE and that will make a much larger impact IMO.

My dream off season involves....Eddie losing some weight, competition brought in (FA/Draft) at LT and a Guard position, athletic ILB brought in for competition, we don't waste money on Hayward and we convince Peppers to resign at a fair for both ways.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I sadly don't see JJ back, as this team loves pushing and growing youth. I wouldn't be against resigning him as he is a stable sure thing. However, Nelson/Cobb/Adams/Janis or Abb all seem to be a sure lock for the team...and than you have Janis or Abb AND Monty still vying for spots. That is 6...I could easily see 6 being kept...but we shall see. Overall WR though I don't see as big of a need...granted of course if a guy drops in the draft grab him and it is awesome to push out talent with more talent.

IMO Montgomery is a lock to make the team with Abbrederis, Janis and most likely another draft pick competing for possibly two spots on the team.

My dream off season involves....Eddie losing some weight, competition brought in (FA/Draft) at LT and a Guard position, athletic ILB brought in for competition, we don't waste money on Hayward and we convince Peppers to resign at a fair for both ways.

The Packers need an upgrade at the inside linebacker position, bringing in at least one, two would be even better, above average starters. Just adding players who are capable to compete for a spot won´t get it done this offseason.

 

[tynimiller]

IMO Montgomery is a lock to make the team with Abbrederis, Janis and most likely another draft pick competing for possibly two spots on the team.



The Packers need an upgrade at the inside linebacker position, bringing in at least one, two would be even better, above average starters. Just adding players who are capable to compete for a spot won´t get it done this offseason.

Yeah compete in that statement by me isn't the proper term, I think I was stuck on the compete thing for OL. We need a true #1 TE and a true coverage ability ILB no doubt!

 

[bigbubbatd]

[QUOTE="captainWIMM, post:

The Packers need an upgrade at the inside linebacker position, bringing in at least one, two would be even better, above average starters. Just adding players who are capable to compete for a spot won´t get it done this offseason.[/QUOTE]

I think ryan can be one ilb if the other guys is a good coverage guy. I would love a fa ilb and a rookie for depth.

 

[tynimiller]

[QUOTE="captainWIMM, post:

The Packers need an upgrade at the inside linebacker position, bringing in at least one, two would be even better, above average starters. Just adding players who are capable to compete for a spot won´t get it done this offseason.

I think ryan can be one ilb if the other guys is a good coverage guy. I would love a fa ilb and a rookie for depth.[/QUOTE]

Barrington is as good as Ryan is right now at run stopping. Run stopping ILBs were are set and probably for a while. Ryan/Barrington and shoot even Thomas will always be able to be kept for affordable contract.

 

[ThePerfectBeard]

I'm going to get killed for this, but why do people keep saying Jordy is a burner? Wasn't his 40 time like 4.5? I mean he definitely has deceptive speed and can get behind the defense, but 4.5 is pretty average for a WR. Now if the injury takes any of that speed away, we're back to having a slow receiver core.

I honestly wouldn't mind a day 2 or 3 burner added to the team as long as he has hands. That being said, I think ILB, TE, and OL depth is more important in this draft. All that can change though if we make a move in free agency for an ILB. I'm looking at you Denver!

 

[tynimiller]

I'm going to get killed for this, but why do people keep saying Jordy is a burner? Wasn't his 40 time like 4.5? I mean he definitely has deceptive speed and can get behind the defense, but 4.5 is pretty average for a WR. Now if the injury takes any of that speed away, we're back to having a slow receiver core.

I honestly wouldn't mind a day 2 or 3 burner added to the team as long as he has hands. That being said, I think ILB, TE, and OL depth is more important in this draft. All that can change though if we make a move in free agency for an ILB. I'm looking at you Denver!

Jordy beats teams deep, period. Point A to Point B speed doesn't mean you are a burner it just means you're fast. Janis can beat Jordy in a foot race, but Jordy will beat more teams deep than Janis any day of the week right now.

 

[Half Empty]

http://sportswire.usatoday.com/2014...s-quarterbacks-wide-receivers-johnny-manziel/ 4.30 and 4.44

http://www.nfl.com/combine/profiles/jeff-janis?id=2543750 = 4.42

http://draftnikcentral.com/draft-prospects/player-profile/?player_id=2154 = 4.42

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I think ryan can be one ilb if the other guys is a good coverage guy. I would love a fa ilb and a rookie for depth.

Barrington and Ryan are average inside linebackers at best and I wouldn´t mind replacing them with a better player. I agree the Packers mostly need someone capable of covering RBs and TEs at the position though.

 

[bigbubbatd]

I'm going to get killed for this, but why do people keep saying Jordy is a burner? Wasn't his 40 time like 4.5? I mean he definitely has deceptive speed and can get behind the defense, but 4.5 is pretty average for a WR. Now if the injury takes any of that speed away, we're back to having a slow receiver core.

Listen to how opposing dbs talk about Nelson's speed. They constantly talk about how deceptively fast he is. Also he runs some of the best routes especially his post pattern. He sets it up so well. It is not just speed but it is how you use your speed. He maintains his top speed while making his cuts and still runs very crisp routes. Very few guys can do that

 

[bigbubbatd]

Barrington and Ryan are average inside linebackers at best and I wouldn´t mind replacing them with a better player. I agree the Packers mostly need someone capable of covering RBs and TEs at the position though.

I think ryan can be more than average. Thus was only his second year playing in the middle and while he made mistakes he showe'd me enough to think he could be a solid ilb. Not great but solid

 

[ThePerfectBeard]

Listen to how opposing dbs talk about Nelson's speed. They constantly talk about how deceptively fast he is. Also he runs some of the best routes especially his post pattern. He sets it up so well. It is not just speed but it is how you use your speed. He maintains his top speed while making his cuts and still runs very crisp routes. Very few guys can do that

Right, I know he's a very good route runner and is deceptively fast. Like you said, it's his ability to run his routes at full speed and run them well that gets him open. There's no slow down in or out of his breaks. I just wouldn't say that he's a burner. Guys like Brandin Cooks and Torrey Smith are burners. They are not better receivers by any means, but that's what I'd call a burner.

 

[bigbubbatd]

Right, I know he's a very good route runner and is deceptively fast. Like you said, it's his ability to run his routes at full speed and run them well that gets him open. There's no slow down in or out of his breaks. I just wouldn't say that he's a burner. Guys like Brandin Cooks and Torrey Smith are burners. They are not better receivers by any means, but that's what I'd call a burner.

Well then I don't want a burner not saying you were ******* nelson but I want a good route runner who is fast. Not a one trick pony. The orginal post asked for a dynamic wr amd jordy is that.
Tds - check
Big plays - check
Speed - check

If only he was 2 inches taller people would be OK with him

 

[ThePerfectBeard]

Well then I don't want a burner not saying you were ******* nelson but I want a good route runner who is fast. Not a one trick pony. The orginal post asked for a dynamic wr amd jordy is that.
Tds - check
Big plays - check
Speed - check

If only he was 2 inches taller people would be OK with him

Jordy would be fine even if he was 3 inches shorter. He just has the ability to separate because he can run the full route tree at full speed. Not only is he big, he's quick(different than straight line speed). Quickness is so underrated in the NFL and it's the reason guys like Antonio Brown, Edleman, and John Brown are so successful. They are not big receivers, they just run and cut at full speed while hanging on to the ball.

I think we need size in the middle of the field, but I don't necessarily think we need a giant on the outside. We lack quickness and it was evident when Jordy went down. It really didn't have much to do with his size. Maybe a bit in the redzone, but mostly it was his quickness on the outside that we missed.

We were just not a threat in the middle of the field or deep. That needs to change.

 

[Half Empty]

I think ryan can be more than average. Thus was only his second year playing in the middle and while he made mistakes he showe'd me enough to think he could be a solid ilb. Not great but solid

Visions of AJ danced in his nightmares. Just glad you didn't refer to Ryan as "assignment sure".

 

[tynimiller]

Visions of AJ danced in his nightmares. Just glad you didn't refer to Ryan as "assignment sure".

To be honest for the price and pick, if Ryan does what Hawk did for us and we never expect more he's been worth it. We must get another athletic ILB though to complement.

 

[supermancc0386]

I know it won't happen, but I would love to see Josh Gordon get a fresh start in GB. Great size, speed, skills. At this point, after the suspensions, it seems like he would benefit greatly from being in a locker room with good men and strong leadership, like GB. I'd be making a call. The new Browns regime may be willing to deal him just to distance themselves from the past.

 

[tynimiller]

I know it won't happen, but I would love to see Josh Gordon get a fresh start in GB. Great size, speed, skills. At this point, after the suspensions, it seems like he would benefit greatly from being in a locker room with good men and strong leadership, like GB. I'd be making a call. The new Browns regime may be willing to deal him just to distance themselves from the past.

great....Guion would be asking for him to be his room mate haha!

 

[TJV]

IMO Montgomery is a lock to make the team with Abbrederis, Janis and most likely another draft pick competing for possibly two spots on the team.

IMO Janis is a lock, based upon STs alone. Remember how deep Jarrett Bush was on the DB depth chart and he was retained for his STs prowess alone. Janis can return KOs but he may be most valuable covering punts and KOs. And let's hope McCarthy has learned even if Janis remains an unpolished route runner, he will be a weapon in a limited number of packages designed to use his size/speed. Hell, while we're hoping, let's hope Janis "gets it" and can be used in all the packages.

At ILB, I agree with those who think neither Barrington nor Ryan fulfill the need for an ILB with coverage skills good enough to keep Matthews at OLB. Maybe Ryan's and/or Barrington's coverage skills will significantly improve; maybe Joe Thomas will put on 15 pounds of good weight without losing any speed. But none of that should be counted upon.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

IMO Janis is a lock, based upon STs alone. Remember how deep Jarrett Bush was on the DB depth chart and he was retained for his STs prowess alone. Janis can return KOs but he may be most valuable covering punts and KOs.

True, you´re most likely right about that.

 

[tynimiller]

Janis is like our Jarret Bush reincarnated it seems...albeit early to state such a claim 100%

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

I don't see Nate Palmer or Joe Thomas being on the Packers roster come the start of next season, unless they show dramatic improvement.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

As the season progressed, I continued to like Janis as a gunner on punts, but didn't see a whole lot of special things later on with his kick return duties. Seemed like he just ran straight up the middle of the field and if there was a hole, he made the same yards that others would, no hole...poor return.

 

[OldSchool101]

If Henry is off the board, we HAVE to go ILB.

I agree it's our top Defensive need. It would take much uncertainty away if we can find a moderately priced FA in at least one of these three immediate needs:
ILB, TE, OT
Taking the time necessary to properly develop all 3 positions to play at a high level is only going to prove that while prudence is often crucial in long term planning...It can also get in the way of a being assertive in filling an immediate need.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

It would take much uncertainty away if we can find a moderately priced FA at one of these immediate needs:
ILB, OT, TE
Taking the time necessary to properly develop all 3 positions is only going to prove that while prudence is often crucial in long term planning. It can also get in the way of a being assertive in filling an immediate need.

How about 2 quality FA's filling 2 of those needs and our #1 pick filling the other? Get busy Ted!

This also also assumes we don't have needs at DT and OLB, which we very well could depending on our own FA signings and Peppers.