Preseason NE game - winners and losers

[Pokerbrat2000]

I agree that it's tough to evaluate a player lining up mostly with and against second- or third-stringers but I don't expect any of the three RBs competing for the third spot on the depth chart to get any significant playing time with the first-team offense during the preseason.

I probably should have said "I would like to see" them get some work with the 1st teamers, since you are probably correct in that they may not. I do remember though in past preseasons, younger WR's (and O lineman) being inserted with the first team...maybe it was due to injuries more then evaluation. But IMO.....we know what Lacy and Starks are capable of, give those 3 guys fighting for a potential spot a chance to run with the first team, so the coaching staff can better gauge their abilities.

 

[TJV]

The injury situation would have to become dire for Thompson to go outside.

That's why both captainWIMM and I added that caveat. BTW, Bakhtiari injured his knee either in the Patriot's game or Saturday's practice. If you need to increase your blood pressure this morning consider that Don Barclay took over for Bakhtiari at LT with the ones yesterday. BTW, Josh Walker replaced Barclay with the twos at RT.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Anyone else starting to wonder if we will see Abbrederis take the field again as a Packer? 17 days since his concussion. Really see him as a long shot to even end up on the PS this year.

 

[HardRightEdge]

That's why both captainWIMM and I added that caveat.

And it's going to take more than losing one starter before the Pro Personnel Maytag repairmen even pull up their spreadsheets.

 

[vince]

Consider:

(1) McCarthy recently stated this may be the best group of backup O-Linemen he's had in Green Bay.

(2) Thompson did not turn to a free agency when injuries struck in the past to a weaker starting group.

When Thompson signed Howard Green and McCarthy put him on the field a few days later, the Packers would otherwise have had only 3 healthy D-Linemen on the roster.

The injury situation would have to become dire for Thompson to go outside.

Keep in mind this past game was Barclay's first game action in about a 1 1/2 years. Rust should be expected. Getting accustomed to full-on contact, even without a injury, takes some time. Assuming the knee is reasonably sound, which we're being told it is, I suspect that Barclay will get it together by opening day...for his lead backup job and his next contract.

I hope that's right and I'm no ACL expert. He went down hard more than once when planting and rotating on the leg to protect the edge. He was fine moving forward in the run game and anchoring against bull rushes. That wasn't the case against weak speed moves around the right edge with the big brace on his right knee.

 

[TJV]

Anyone else starting to wonder if we will see Abbrederis take the field again as a Packer? 17 days since his concussion. Really see him as a long shot to even end up on the PS this year.

I don't know the details of the NFL's concussion protocol but this does seem like an unusually long time for his recovery. It reinforces the idea that he probably had more concussions in college than he'll admit to.

 

[HardRightEdge]

I hope that's right and I'm no ACL expert. He went down hard more than once when planting and rotating on the leg to protect the edge. He was fine moving forward in the run game and anchoring against bull rushes. That wasn't the case against weak speed moves around the right edge with the big brace on his right knee.

You can't tell if that's residual damage or lack of confidence in the knee. It will take more time.

 

[Mondio]

Anyone else starting to wonder if we will see Abbrederis take the field again as a Packer? 17 days since his concussion. Really see him as a long shot to even end up on the PS this year.

He needs to get out there quick and make an impression. There is time, but he's not going to get anything by not practicing. Right now because of special teams, I think Janis makes it. I also think he has a lot more upside as a WR than White. I'm not sure there are guys at other positions like TE or FB that deserve a spot really and if Abbrederis or Pinkton make an impression, I could see keeping 6 with the other being retained either thru PS or IR just to take a look next year. I don't think White will make it unless we run out of options with the 3 mentioned above.

 

[vince]

You can't tell if that's residual damage or lack of confidence in the knee. It will take more time.

True. It seems to be a combination of the two actually. Here are s a couple snippets from an article on the subject.

Proprioception may be the most important word in returning from an ACL injury. ... It is the sense of the relative position of neighboring parts of the body and the effort needed to create movement. In other words, it is what allows an athlete to feel like himself again.

The body must redevelop those fibers into the new ACL through repetitive activity.

"When you tear your ACL and you come back, the game is too fast for you,'' Levitz said. "You're used to seeing a guy [on the field] and your whole body goes that way before you think about it. When you tear your ACL, you have to tell your leg to go that way . . . The muscle loses all its memory when you tear an ACL. You've made a baby again. So you have to teach it.''

[Today's ACL surgical technology] is not a guarantee, but it gives players a chance. They might not make the team. They might not ever regain their original form. But they have a chance to do it, which was not afforded to players of an earlier generation.

 

[HardRightEdge]

Don Barclay took over for Bakhtiari at LT with the ones yesterday. BTW, Josh Walker replaced Barclay with the twos at RT.

If the Packers knew Bakhtiari's knee to be serious at this juncture, you can bet it would be Bulaga at LT. Evidently it is not serious enough to be messing with chemistry.

Besides, what are the options at this juncture? A guy who isn't even on a 90 man roster? Wait for cut downs to 75 a scant 6 days before opening day? Or final cut downs 4 days before opening day? No unit depends more on teamwork and chemistry than O-Line, particularly in a zone scheme. Grabbing some marginal guy who could not make a roster and sticking him in this group on short notice is a far dicier proposition than, for example, sticking a vet D-Lineman in off the street.

The time to address O-Line depth was in free agency. It seems like an annual affair that some of us call for a moderately priced, serviceable vet free agent. Having Barclay as the #1 backup at 4 positions coming off an ACL was a calculated (or shall we say questionable?) risk. Even so, going to FA yielded Jeff Saturday, which did not work out so well. In any event, that time has passed.

We can't have it both ways. We can't laud Thompson for squirreling away cap (see prior discussion on the 2017 FA situation) and churning the bottom of the roster with youth and then bemoan the absence of known, serviceable backups.

I doubt the Pro Personnel Maytag repairman won't be pulling up their spreadsheets short of losing 3 of the final 8 O-Lineman to injury, and maybe not even then as the call goes out to the "next man up".

It could be worse...Belichick is fielding 3 rookies on the O-Line and yet another group of sketchy WRs.

 

[HardRightEdge]

True. It seems to be a combination of the two actually. Here are s a couple snippets from an article on the subject.

Surely. I often express caution regarding assumptions that this guy or that guy will be coming back from injury. ACL's have a range of severity. Some guys snap back in the first year back. Some don't regain form until the second year back. Some guys never regain form. Some guys with borderline skills can't stick around with a minor diminishment in athletic ability. And the problem is not reserved to ACLs...there's neck, spine, turf toe, Lisfrac, hip injuries, shoulder injuries, serial hamstring injuries, serial concussions, etc. that can result in protracted or permanent injury or diminishment in athleticism.

We've got 3 more games to see where Barclay may fall on the spectrum.

 

[vince]

We've got 3 more games to see where Barclay may fall on the spectrum.

Agreed. I also agree that, given Thompson's MO, even if not Barclay (remains to be seen), the answer likely lies within the roster. At minimum they'll have every opportunity possible.

Maybe besides Gunter (whom a lot of people liked going in including me), Josh Walker looks like the surprise of camp thus far. He's in the magical top-12 in one-on-one comp's (they always make the roster) and he's held up well wherever they've asked him to play thus far. Plus he goes about 325 with good movement. Someone to keep an eye on for sure.

 

[TJV]

If the Packers knew Bakhtiari's knee to be serious at this juncture, you can bet it would be Bulaga at LT. Evidently it is not serious enough to be messing with chemistry.

I never said otherwise. “If you need to increase your blood pressure this morning…” was a clue I wasn’t hitting the panic button as your post implies. Of course Bulaga is the next man up at LT - that's hardly news. And if Bakhtiari's injury were serious, that would appear in a headline, not in the "notes" section of an article.

As to the other options at this juncture, it’s still not clear what Barclay’s status will be going into the season: He could improve with each preseason game. And again, I’ve posted Thompson is unlikely to sign a vet backup even if Barclay doesn’t improve. But that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be a good idea to do so.

 

[Joe Nor Cal Packer]

Crockett hurt his ankle during minicamp and wasn't able to participate in several practices at the start of camp. The battle for the third spot on the depth chart will be an intriguing one to watch.

Harris played four years at Louisiana-Lafayette and rushed for 3,330 yards on 704 attempts (4.7 avg.). He never ran for 1,000 yards in a season but scored 44 rushing TDs.

Thanks for the update. Out of the three I like Crockett, but he didn't overwhelm Thursday night. It looks like he runs downhill, pads low, which I like. Starks has always seemed to be a "pads high" runner and the result is a very good gain or nothing, just my observation. That's what I saw with Harris too but he had a good night. As you say, that will be an interesting battle, and an important one if for some reason this is Starks' last year.

Lacy looks like he's right where he left off last year. The #2 and maybe #3 backs will get decent reps if they keep Lacy's reps limited, as they should given his running style.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

I wouldn't be completely shocked to hear news that Jared Abbrederis walks away from football. He is a very grounded and intelligent family guy who knows there is life beyond Football. So him taking the same route as his former teammate Chris Borland will not be a surprise. Especially given all the new information on concussions and as many as he has already suffered.