Chris Havel column: Lambeau will be a proving ground
By Chris Havel August 9, 2006
The Green Bay Packers have a great deal to prove after a 4-12 season.
That doesn't make them a lone wolf among NFL teams entering 2006 after truly substandard seasons.
What does separate the Packers from most also-rans is that individually, as many as 17 of the 22 likely starters have great motivation to prove that they deserve to start and/or are better than public perception and recent performance suggest.
Only book-end offensive tackles Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher, fullback William Henderson, receiver Donald Driver and cornerback Al Harris enter the season with few, if any, question marks or concerns.
That leaves 17 players with good reason to have a Gibraltar-size chip on their shoulder pads, beginning with quarterback Brett Favre and running back Ahman Green. Favre needs to demonstrate that his 29 interceptions were a fluke, and Green that his career is far from over despite sagging statistics and a serious injury.
Robert Ferguson out-dueled Charles Woodson for an arching pass up the right sideline at Tuesday's practice. Ferguson needs to silence his critics with more plays like that, and Woodson needs to show he's worthy as the team's top-priced free agent.
A.J. Hawk needs to prove he is worth the No. 5 overall pick in the draft, and Adbul Hodge needs to prove he was a steal in the third round.
Rookies Daryn Colledge and Jason Spitz need to prove they are capable starting guards.
Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila needs to prove he's an every-down player, and Aaron Kampman needs to prove he's worth the lucrative contract.
Nick Collins needs to avoid the sophomore slump, and Marquand Manuel needs to get on the field.
Bubba Franks needs to prove he's capable of a 60-catch season and getting open downfield, if given the chance.
Scott Wells needs to prove he can handle being the everyday center, and Nick Barnett needs to prove he can force turnovers.
Ryan Pickett, a high-priced free agent, and Kenderick Allen, an underachiever, must prove they can anchor the defensive line.
So which players are the best bets to get it done?
Here goes …
If healthy, Favre and Green should benefit from the new staff and system. History suggests Ferguson won't. Woodson's talent is obvious, as is that he is the second-best corner on the team.
Hawk faces a tall order. Give him time. Hodge was, and is, a steal.
Colledge and Spitz are in the infancy of a long journey. The Packers will bat .500 with rookie guards in '06. Who starts and who struggles is too early to say.
Kampman is going to be worth every penny. KGB, with proper motivation, will be more than an occasional force.
Franks is going to grab a lot of passes and headlines. Collins is too good to slump, and Manuel is too much an unknown to venture a guess.
Wells will be OK, Barnett is going to make plays, and the Pickett-Allen tandem is going to be a pleasant surprise.
All they have to do is prove it.
By Chris Havel August 9, 2006
The Green Bay Packers have a great deal to prove after a 4-12 season.
That doesn't make them a lone wolf among NFL teams entering 2006 after truly substandard seasons.
What does separate the Packers from most also-rans is that individually, as many as 17 of the 22 likely starters have great motivation to prove that they deserve to start and/or are better than public perception and recent performance suggest.
Only book-end offensive tackles Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher, fullback William Henderson, receiver Donald Driver and cornerback Al Harris enter the season with few, if any, question marks or concerns.
That leaves 17 players with good reason to have a Gibraltar-size chip on their shoulder pads, beginning with quarterback Brett Favre and running back Ahman Green. Favre needs to demonstrate that his 29 interceptions were a fluke, and Green that his career is far from over despite sagging statistics and a serious injury.
Robert Ferguson out-dueled Charles Woodson for an arching pass up the right sideline at Tuesday's practice. Ferguson needs to silence his critics with more plays like that, and Woodson needs to show he's worthy as the team's top-priced free agent.
A.J. Hawk needs to prove he is worth the No. 5 overall pick in the draft, and Adbul Hodge needs to prove he was a steal in the third round.
Rookies Daryn Colledge and Jason Spitz need to prove they are capable starting guards.
Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila needs to prove he's an every-down player, and Aaron Kampman needs to prove he's worth the lucrative contract.
Nick Collins needs to avoid the sophomore slump, and Marquand Manuel needs to get on the field.
Bubba Franks needs to prove he's capable of a 60-catch season and getting open downfield, if given the chance.
Scott Wells needs to prove he can handle being the everyday center, and Nick Barnett needs to prove he can force turnovers.
Ryan Pickett, a high-priced free agent, and Kenderick Allen, an underachiever, must prove they can anchor the defensive line.
So which players are the best bets to get it done?
Here goes …
If healthy, Favre and Green should benefit from the new staff and system. History suggests Ferguson won't. Woodson's talent is obvious, as is that he is the second-best corner on the team.
Hawk faces a tall order. Give him time. Hodge was, and is, a steal.
Colledge and Spitz are in the infancy of a long journey. The Packers will bat .500 with rookie guards in '06. Who starts and who struggles is too early to say.
Kampman is going to be worth every penny. KGB, with proper motivation, will be more than an occasional force.
Franks is going to grab a lot of passes and headlines. Collins is too good to slump, and Manuel is too much an unknown to venture a guess.
Wells will be OK, Barnett is going to make plays, and the Pickett-Allen tandem is going to be a pleasant surprise.
All they have to do is prove it.
