Jace Sternberger

[gopkrs]

I don't think there is any doubt that Packers fans WANT Sternberger to become a stud TE, but to date, he has done very little to invoke any confidence that it will happen. He is probably going to be hard pressed to even get on the field to prove himself. What is he, about 4th on the depth chart now or maybe 3rd ahead of Deguara?

I disagree. I think he will get some chances and I think he will hang on to the ball for some more chances. Pretty obvious he has not shown much yet. He has not been targeted much and has missed a bunch of games.

 

[RepStar15]

looked terrible, made 2-3 plays, and I didn't notice him as being on or off the field for 98% of the time he's been here.

Couldn’t agree more. Wildly disappointing first two seasons. I wonder if he will be in jeopardy of losing his spot next year? Dafney (though more similar TE to Degura) was impressive. Seemed to have more value in special teams alone then I have seen from Sternberger at all on the field.

 

[GreenNGold_81]

Happy we have Jace, but he is still a project. Most of these young TE's take 3+ years. Jace has had a tough start with injuries and I think last year's training camp was pretty ***** for developing young players.

 

[Pkrjones]

Happy we have Jace, but he is still a project. Most of these young TE's take 3+ years. Jace has had a tough start with injuries and I think last year's training camp was pretty ***** for developing young players.

With the B.S. about players skipping voluntary workouts (league wide, it seems) think anything will be better in '21, for any of the young guys?

 

[Mondio]

Couldn’t agree more. Wildly disappointing first two seasons. I wonder if he will be in jeopardy of losing his spot next year? Dafney (though more similar TE to Degura) was impressive. Seemed to have more value in special teams alone then I have seen from Sternberger at all on the field.

Dafney made me ask who the heck that guy was. If he picks up where he left off, there’s no way he’s not making impact plays for this team. Didn’t even know he was in the roster and he was crushing people when he got a chance.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Agree on Dafney. I think people are still high on Sterberger because he was a 3rd round pick. Seems like a year or 2 after the rookie season, it really doesn't matter if you were a high pick or an UDFA, produce or walk.

Not saying Jace won't get his chances to prove himself, but he has a lot to prove and the clock is ticking much faster.

 

[GreenNGold_81]

Agree on Dafney. I think people are still high on Sterberger because he was a 3rd round pick. Seems like a year or 2 after the rookie season, it really doesn't matter if you were a high pick or an UDFA, produce or walk.

Not saying Jace won't get his chances to prove himself, but he has a lot to prove and the clock is ticking much faster.

It was a surprise to me they resigned Lewis, because to me those should be Jace's snaps. But I guess he brings more to the table than Tonyan or Jace and is likely a good leader in that TE room.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

What do we think of Jace Sternberger after two seasons?

Sternberger should be considered a disappointment at this point. While he will receive another chance to compete for a roster spot he's in danger of not making the 53 with Lewis, Tonyan, Deguara and Dafney on the team.

It was a surprise to me they resigned Lewis, because to me those should be Jace's snaps. But I guess he brings more to the table than Tonyan or Jace and is likely a good leader in that TE room.

Lewis is a significantly better player than Sternberger, even at this point in his career.

 

[GreenNGold_81]

Lewis is a significantly better player than Sternberger, even at this point in his career.

Obviously, but Jace needs snaps to develop. It's a balance. Clearly, the focus for the team has been to keep the band together and bolster spots in the draft. We'll see how it goes. His blocking ability and leadership would be missed and that's why he's still around.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Obviously, but Jace needs snaps to develop. It's a balance. Clearly, the focus for the team has been to keep the band together and bolster spots in the draft. We'll see how it goes. His blocking ability and leadership would be missed and that's why he's still around.

I agree on this, the more snaps he can get, possibly the better he can get, as well as give the Packers incentive to keep playing him. I think the preseason will be huge for a lot of players, Sternberger being one of them. If he gets hurt or only is average looking and the other 3 TE's left off where they did last season, Jace may not even make the 53, yet get any regular season playing time. No preseason last year really hurt the NFL and developing players, but at least unlike some Sports, they benefited by being able to play a full season.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Obviously, but Jace needs snaps to develop. It's a balance.

Sternberger needs to earn those snaps though. As long as he doesn't there's no reason to play him.

 

[gopkrs]

Sternberger needs to earn those snaps though. As long as he doesn't there's no reason to play him.

"If you gotta have somethin in order to get somethin; how you get the first is still a mystery to me."

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

"If you gotta have somethin in order to get somethin; how you get the first is still a mystery to me."

Earn them through practice and preseason, as well as staying healthy. If the season started today, I doubt Jace plays much. He will get his shot, to earn real game reps, in preseason.

 

[gopkrs]

Earn them through practice and preseason, as well as staying healthy. If the season started today, I doubt Jace plays much. He will get his shot, to earn real game reps, in preseason.

Some people are gamers. Just saying that you can't COMPLETELY go by practice. In many ways evaluation is an art. That is why some coaches are better at it than others.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Some people are gamers. Just saying that you can't COMPLETELY go by practice. In many ways evaluation is an art. That is why some coaches are better at it than others.

I get that, but you would hope that everyone on your roster is a "gamer". Sternberger when he was healthy actually saw more snaps than I would have guessed (202 on offense and 95 on ST). He was also targeted 15 times, higher than I would have guessed as well.

Definitely will be interesting to see how they plan on giving Deguara snaps as well. Tonyan and Lewis I assume will be penciled in as 1-2. They let Lovett go, so Dafney and anyone else that they draft or sign, could be in the mix as well. Depending on how they see Tonyan and his 2022 contract, as well as these other guys, they may draft a TE mid to late rounds as well.

 

[GreenNGold_81]

If Tonyan should get injured, it would be Jace filling that role. Dafney is an unknown with little in the way of investment. Deguara I think fits a different role, but maybe can do this - he's more of an unknown obviously. Lewis is here to block and catch maybe 1-2 targets on average. I can see the value in keeping him around this year, but Jace has to get more opportunity to fulfill his 3rd round draft capital. He's got the most upside on the roster, not named Tonyan, at the position.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

If Tonyan should get injured, it would be Jace filling that role. Dafney is an unknown with little in the way of investment. Deguara I think fits a different role, but maybe can do this - he's more of an unknown obviously. Lewis is here to block and catch maybe 1-2 targets on average. I can see the value in keeping him around this year, but Jace has to get more opportunity to fulfill his 3rd round draft capital. He's got the most upside on the roster, not named Tonyan, at the position.

Most definitely the MLF offense benefits a guy like Sternberger's chances of making the roster, since the TE is heavily used and they carried what 4 on the 53 man roster last season? No doubt if something happens to Tonyan, we will see more of Jace. But as you referred to, each TE has their various rolls in the offense. I think they all have to block well, but also be able to go out and run some routes and get open. Appears the Packers are well equipped with good blocking TE's, so Jace's chances of making the roster and getting more playing time might hinge on his ability to become a productive receiver as well.

Also, at this point, his 3rd year with the Packers, I doubt him being a 3rd rounder has much to do with anything as far as the coaches thought processes of playing him or not. Deguara after all is also a 3rd rounder, but only in his 2nd season and much like Sternberger, his rookie year was almost a washout due to injury.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Some people are gamers. Just saying that you can't COMPLETELY go by practice. In many ways evaluation is an art. That is why some coaches are better at it than others.

Sternberger hasn't done anything to believe he's a gamer though. He will need to perform in practice and preseason to even make the roster.

 

[El Guapo]

Sternberger played 202 snaps in 2020 over 12 games. Rodgers threw him the ball 15 times of which he caught 12 for an average of 1 per game. He dropped 20% of the balls thrown his way.

Tonyan dropped only 12% of the 59 passes thrown his way.
Lewis dropped 41% of the 17 passes thrown his way.

I guess that Sternberger is right in the middle of those two, but he needs to find more ways to get open when he's in the game.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

The only part about Sternberger that that we know for sure is that injuries haven't been kind to him and when he has been healthy, he hasn't really stood out. I think both Tonyan and Lewis, if healthy are locks to make the team and see the most snaps. Lewis isn't a receiving TE, more than he is a well skilled, reliable blocker, who can sneak out and catch a few. So if those 2 don't change, then Sternberger will be competing with Deguara for snaps. I think Deguara might have the nod right now, at least he did in the first game of the season last year. He took 24 snaps, Jace only 12. Deguara was featured heavily in an H-back and move tight end role and did a little bit of everything in an array of multiple-tight end packages against the Vikings that day. I think I remember one play where he took out two Vikings on a block.

 

[lambeaulambo]

tugboat or paddlehands...pick your poison lol

 

[Curly Calhoun]

The only part about Sternberger that that we know for sure is that injuries haven't been kind to him and when he has been healthy, he hasn't really stood out. I think both Tonyan and Lewis, if healthy are locks to make the team and see the most snaps. Lewis isn't a receiving TE, more than he is a well skilled, reliable blocker, who can sneak out and catch a few. So if those 2 don't change, then Sternberger will be competing with Deguara for snaps. I think Deguara might have the nod right now, at least he did in the first game of the season last year. He took 24 snaps, Jace only 12. Deguara was featured heavily in an H-back and move tight end role and did a little bit of everything in an array of multiple-tight end packages against the Vikings that day. I think I remember one play where he took out two Vikings on a block.

Tonyan wasn't a big producer until last season, when it all seemed to fall in place for him. This may or may not happen for Sternberger, but it's too early to write him off.

 

[Sunshinepacker]

With the B.S. about players skipping voluntary workouts (league wide, it seems) think anything will be better in '21, for any of the young guys?

Why is it BS to skip voluntary workouts? Isn't that why they're voluntary, so that players aren't required to go?

 

[Sunshinepacker]

Tight ends take years to develop. It's one of the primary reasons I'm more a fan of signing an underwhelming guy coming off a rookie deal because chances are he'll take a big step on his next contract. Tight ends being even average in the NFL during their first 2-3 years is pretty rare. Anyone considering Sternberger anything close to a bust at this point is either ignoring the extensive history of the position or is just speaking from ignorance.

He was a flat out terrific receiver in college but I wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't a great route runner and that two years of reduced off-season activity have slowed any positive development. Additionally, the Packers receiving group is full of short-to-intermediate targets (which Sternberger is) so it's not like there are tons of opportunities for him until the coaches think he's surpassed either Tonyan or, perhaps, Lazard.

 

[PikeBadger]

Why is it BS to skip voluntary workouts? Isn't that why they're voluntary, so that players aren't required to go?

I’m thinking if you are a borderline player and you fail to volunteer, you do so at considerable risk. If I were GM, I’d strongly consider it a negative.