Jennings vs. Lang and the Dancing King

[TJV]

Michael Rodney who writes the Packer Update site, wrote a piece titled, “Big Extensions Are Coming” a few weeks ago.

 

[bozz_2006]

I think that Lang is more important and less replaceable than a talented WR. Jennings is great, don't get me wrong. He's great. But we're finally at the point where our offensive line is returning to the conversation of the league's elite. That hasn't been the case since the Wahle and Rivera days. We've seen over and over how a great QB can basically make a great WR. We've got tons of talent and plenty of depth at the WR. Jones is Jones. He's a good #3. Jordy is a legitimate 1. Big, strong, fast. Uses his big body to make tough catches. And keeps the chains moving. I look for Cobb to have a breakout year soon. Perhaps this year. We have to keep Lang. Have to. If it's one or the other, we have to keep Lang. And Thompson seems to be of the mindset that WR is not a big-money position. LG is.

 

[SpartaChris]

This goes back to the discussion we had a while ago about our core group of players- Which players are absolutely crucial for us to keep in order to maintain long term success. I love Jennings- I think he's world class and is very good, but I don't know that he's crucial to the success of this particular team. He's not a cornerstone of our offense, so I don't think keeping him is as big a need as keeping a good offensive line player. Our offense is built so that good to very good WR's can have success, and WR's are pretty much a dime a dozen. Finding a good to very good one shouldn't be terribly difficult.

Don't get me wrong, I would love to keep Jennings, and this is in no way meant to convey that I think we should cut or trade him. If we can find a way to make it work long term, then I'm all for it, provided it meshes with our future needs. I know there's an expectation that the salary cap will increase soon, so hopefully that plays into our hands. That said, we paid a lot of money to keep Gurley and Borel on our roster last season, and Cobb should be expected to improve upon his performance in his second year. Plus with the emergence of Nelson, I think Jennings could very well be the odd man out.

 

[bozz_2006]

Agree, Chris. And it sounds so bad saying it, but there's only so much money to go around. He's on a team with a lot of top-tier players, and he plays at a non-premium position. His play may very well have priced him out of a new contract in Green Bay. He deserves big money, but I don't know that GB can afford to be the one to pay it.

 

[Wood Chipper]

I think that Lang is more important and less replaceable than a talented WR. Jennings is great, don't get me wrong. He's great. But we're finally at the point where our offensive line is returning to the conversation of the league's elite. That hasn't been the case since the Wahle and Rivera days. We've seen over and over how a great QB can basically make a great WR. We've got tons of talent and plenty of depth at the WR. Jones is Jones. He's a good #3. Jordy is a legitimate 1. Big, strong, fast. Uses his big body to make tough catches. And keeps the chains moving. I look for Cobb to have a breakout year soon. Perhaps this year. We have to keep Lang. Have to. If it's one or the other, we have to keep Lang. And Thompson seems to be of the mindset that WR is not a big-money position. LG is.

we have also seen how poor receiving can ruin us in the playoffs

 

[bozz_2006]

we have also seen how poor receiving can ruin us in the playoffs

True enough, but in order for those WRs to have the opportunity to drop good passes, the QB needs an opportunity to get the ball to him. Hard to do that with a scrub at LG. And we only have one decent LG, and at least three decent receivers.

 

[Wood Chipper]

True enough, but in order for those WRs to have the opportunity to drop good passes, the QB needs an opportunity to get the ball to him. Hard to do that with a scrub at LG. And we only have one decent LG, and at least three decent receivers.

Idk if I would ditch Jennings. It is a tough call.

 

[Helmets]

Guards are a dime a dozen. We are talking about - argueably one of the top 5 receivers in the game today, who has averaged 65 receptions, 1000 yards and 8 td's a season for six (6) straight years. Is Nelson a #1 with Jennings gone? We got a taste last year - with Jennings out for three weeks, with a monster game against Detroit and a great game against the Bears, but against KC he had two receptions for 29 yds. We got a flash of Cobb last year with a couple of returns and 25 receptions.

Jennings is a core player that the Packers need to do everything they can to keep. They'll find another guard.

 

[bozz_2006]

Guards are a dime a dozen....They'll find another guard.

If that happens I hope it doesn't take 6 or 7 years like it did the last time they had to find one of those "dime a dozen" guards.