Packers fans, how do you feel about the future?

[red4tribe]

I know the Cardinals game was a heartbreaker, and I expected it would take me weeks to get over it. However, I recovered much quicker than I anticipated. Why? Because I feel very optimistic about the Packers future, and I am not a naturally optimistic person.

The Packers have a young team, with firepower on offense and young stars on defense. I think it is clear that this team is a player or two away from being great. A good pass rusher to help Clay Matthews and then maybe a solid offensive lineman and i think this team could be Super Bowl Bound. Rodgers has done far better than I think anyone could have reasonably expected particularly since he was put into such a difficult position. However, he handled the situation very well, and was much more mature than the older Favre.

Is it just me, or do the Packers really have a bright future?

 

[PackersRS]

I have the exact feeling I had after the 93' season.

 

[Mr. StyleZ]

I know the Cardinals game was a heartbreaker, and I expected it would take me weeks to get over it. However, I recovered much quicker than I anticipated. Why? Because I feel very optimistic about the Packers future, and I am not a naturally optimistic person.

The Packers have a young team, with firepower on offense and young stars on defense. I think it is clear that this team is a player or two away from being great. A good pass rusher to help Clay Matthews and then maybe a solid offensive lineman and i think this team could be Super Bowl Bound. Rodgers has done far better than I think anyone could have reasonably expected particularly since he was put into such a difficult position. However, he handled the situation very well, and was much more mature than the older Favre.

Is it just me, or do the Packers really have a bright future?

I agree, but we must put all our faith in Ted Thompson :crosself:

 

[red4tribe]

I have the exact feeling I had after the 93' season.

Unfortunately I would have been 1 1/2 at the time so I was not able to share that feeling. I didn't start watching football until I was 6, in 1998, at the tail end of the Holmgren era.

 

[NYPacker]

I agree, but we must put all our faith in Ted Thompson :crosself:

I believe in TT because here's one of his fans, skip to 3:04

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2NkbEyeIvg]YouTube - Class of the NFC[/ame]

 

[PackersRS]

Unfortunately I would have been 1 1/2 at the time so I was not able to share that feeling. I didn't start watching football until I was 6, in 1998, at the tail end of the Holmgren era.

I myself, though older, only started watching footbal in 89. So I got some of the struggling years, but luckily not many!

Let me tell you something, after that year, the whole Packers' community air completely changed. There was a sense of "everything will be great from now on". I personally wasn't very close to the Packers' community per say, but everytime I talked to one, the sentiment was reciprocal.

Of course, there was still the "Can't we win from those freaking Cowgirls" bump for us to overcome.

But that's another issue.

 

[Forget Favre]

Very hopeful.

Especially if they work on not getting as many of those damn penalties and protect Aaron. Then they should be very good next season.

 

[AllouezPackerFan]

I feel like we are at the start of something special. We have a lot of good young talent at important positions. We have a few areas that need to be addressed, but I trust management to take care of that. I am reminded of how the Pack was around 93/94 when we were a solid team that was one step away from greatness. I think thats where we are right now. The only difference is that we have a quarterback that doesn't make horrible decisions in clutch situations.

Our receiving corps is top notch. Finley is blossoming into one of the best tight ends in the league. Rodgers is amazing. Our O-Line needs a slight improvement but its getting better. Our D-Line is young and very good, same goes for our linebacking crew. Our defensive backfield is a step away from being very good as well. I am very optimistic about the next few years. GO PACK GO!!!! Can't wait for opening week at Lambeau next season.

 

[charlotte]

I think the future is very bright. We have, arguably, one of the best young QB's in the league. There's a base in place with young players that have stepped up so much in the last season.

We are several players away.

Thompson drafts BPA. He's been rather successful with that philosophy so far. Sure there are some clinkers, but overall I feel he's done an admirable job. Sure is better than most of the GM's out there, in my opinion.

The draft will tell us alot. We do need to look at the bookends on offense. Cliffy's done, imho. Love the guy to death, but he's just got too many injury issues now that keep him being a shell of his former self. Tausch is older too, and again, we have to look at his health. If we keep both, we almost have to relegate them to second string at worst. There needs to be draftees that can come in and step into their shoes. Keeping them for leadership and teaching youngsters would be a huge luxury, imho.

Safety is an area that needs to be addressed ASAP. Collins needs to be resigned, and we need another guy there as I think Bigby is turning out to be a bit injury prone. Love him, but if he can't stay on the field, we are in trouble with Martin and Giordano.

A cornerback or two need to be brought in and groomed. I believe Woodson has two years left and he only gets better as he ages. I also believe Al Harris when he says he'll be back and stronger than ever. But here again, he's older and needs to work with someone to take his place. I don;t think Blackmon is the man. Another guy that, love him, but he just can't stay on the field. Williams didn't impress me that much, and please dear God, get rid of Bush once and for all.

Okay...I'm up to seven players and haven't addressed the interior of the offense. If Thompson can get a few guys that are in the Matthews/Raji mold in the draft, the sky's the limit.

One year under the belts of the kids, one more year under the belts of others. Should see improvement,

PLUS, and I think this is just as important, if not moreso, than getting the right guys. Heart....we were so close this year, they had the big come to Jesus meeting after the Tampa game aqnd I think that carries over into 2010.

Should be fun. I really like our chances.

 

[DILLIGAFF]

I think the future looks bright no matter what, we unlike alot of teams have a QB. Just look at the vikings, oh so close and next year they have to pull a QB out of their a**.

We can be a bubble playoff team for years to come, but some key moves and player changes are going to be needed to take this team to the next level. The O-line has got to get better and on defense the inside LB positions need to be upgraded. I think Barnett stays because thats the best we can do and Hawk finds another home to be average. I do not think Chillar is the answer and suprised he got that big contract, but Bishop and Chillar will be better than Hawk.

 

[Forget Favre]

Well they can correct all the mistakes they can by adding or subtracting this or that player. Putting this one here, this one there.
However ALL the other teams will be doing that too.
So I think the key would be working on strategy and flexabillity. Somehow learning to adapt to other teams D and O while the game is going on.
We will not have all the best players in the leauge. I don't know which team does.
But we can work with what we got to be a Super Bowl team to contend with.

 

[Favre3132]

The future of the Green Bay Packers is bright indeed. As we all know, it starts with the QB, and Rodgers will be a star in this league for many years unless injuries take their toll on him. The receiving corps is great with Jennings, Jones, Driver and Finley at TE. Driver has a few good years left in him I believe. At running back, Grant showed some flashes in 2009, but I am still not convinced that he is the answer at RB, but with him and B. Jackson, the running game will be serviceable. My big concern heading into 2010 and the foreseeable for the offense is the offensive line. Rodgers was sacked 50 times in '09, with some of those sacks due to him holding onto the ball too long, but the majority of those sacks were due to the offensive line.

The defense needs just a few more play makers like Matthews, Woodson and Collins. I believe that Capers 3-4 is the way too go, but guys like Kampman, Hawk, Bush and maybe even Bigby need to go or be traded because I do not believe that they fit into the 3-4 scheme. One more good d-linemen would also help to go along with Jolly, Pickett, Jenkins, Raji, and Jones.

Special Teams was a sore spot in 2009, and I believe that the Packers need to replace Shawn Slocum and Curtis Fuller as their Special Team coaches. The kicking game was also a worry all year. By mid-season, if Mason Crosby lined up for a field goal longer than 30 yards, did many people have faith that he would make that kick.

I am not trying to be negative about the Packers. As much as I see that the Packers future is bright, I also see some glaring weaknesses that absolutely must be addressed before this team can win a championship.

What TT does during the offseason concerning the draft and free agency will be huge for 2010 and the future. Will TT begin to sign a few good free agents who can help this team? Who will the Packers target during the draft and will they make a few trades to move up in the draft? We shall see.

With all that being said, yes, I do feel good about the direction the Packers are heading.

 

[PackersRS]

Just one dark spot.

Talking about 93', sadly I believe DD will be this generation's Sterling Sharpe...

 

[red4tribe]

Just one dark spot.

Talking about 93', sadly I believe DD will be this generation's Sterling Sharpe...

Injury ends career or that he will be a player who will miss out on the SB title?

 

[Jess]

Optimistic.

If Ted brings in some players this offseason (BIG if), I can't see why we shouldn't contend for the division and a Super Bowl next year.

 

[GB2009]

The return game sucked after Blackmon went down. However, Blackmon was only good on punt returns. We need a quick guy on kickoffs next year. Nelson takes too long to get to full speed and sucks at making cuts. He looked so stiff like he was looking for contact and hoping to break a few tackles. I think we should put Bush back there... that we he can finally get his hands on the ball and actually Bush is one of the fastest players on the team.

 

[PackersRS]

Injury ends career or that he will be a player who will miss out on the SB title?

The second.

The return game sucked after Blackmon went down. However, Blackmon was only good on punt returns. We need a quick guy on kickoffs next year. Nelson takes too long to get to full speed and sucks at making cuts. He looked so stiff like he was looking for contact and hoping to break a few tackles. I think we should put Bush back there... that we he can finally get his hands on the ball and actually Bush is one of the fastest players on the team.

Blackmon was injury prone in HS, in College, and hasn't had a full season in the pros. We shouldn't count on him.

And Bush should be as far from the ball as possible, every single minute. Actually, he should be as far from Lambeau as possible.

Don't you remember Bush trying to get the muffed PR in OT against the Giants? Do you want THAT handling the ball??

We NEED to get an explosive KR/PR. It's a MUST.

 

[ThinkICare]

Jacoby Ford! You've won a plane ticket to Green Bay!