Starting Line up 2014

[Green and Gold]

Projected Starting Lineup

Offense

• QB: Aaron Rodgers- IMO the best QB in the game, please stay healthy.

• RB: Eddie Lacy- I expect bigger things out of him this year, and I get ***** when I think about Lacy playing a full season with Rodgers. I expect his counting numbers to go down, but for him to be more efficient with his touches.

• FB: John Kuhn- He is a solid FB, and is great at picking up 1 yard at the goal-line. He is also solid in pass protection. Can’t do much after that though. Primarily is just a blocking back.

• TEs: Andrew Quarless (unknown really)- Biggest unknown of this season is the TE position. Quarless is solid but unspectacular. Bostick showed signs but is raw, Rodgers has made a splash in mini-camp camp, and Finley still hasn’t ruled out a comeback. Oh, and don’t forget about Colt Lyerla, who is probably the most talented of them all. This is going to be the best competition in training camp for the Packers

• WRs: Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, Jarret Boykin, Davonte Adams- Jordy and Cobb are a very good 1-2 punch. Jordy and Rodgers are IMO the most in-sync QB-WR combo in the NFL. I expect Cobb to have the breakout season that was expected last season before the broken leg. The battle will be for the 3rd WR. Boykin vs Adams. If a TE doesn’t step up watch out for more 4 WR sets this season.

• LT: David Bhaktiari: Put on weight this offseason and earned rave reviews in mini-camp. Performed well under crazy circumstances and started 16 games as a 4th round rookie at LT. All signs point to him improving this season, and I am excited to see him grow.

• LG: Josh Sitton: One of the best in the game

• C: JC Trettor: Coaches ****ing love this guy. He was talked about beating out EDS last season as a rookie until a broken ankle ended his year in training camp. He is the reason we let EDS walk..now go out and prove them right.

• RG: TJ Lang: Lang is the other solid G that makes up one of the best G duos in the NFL.

• RT: Bryan Bulaga: The key to making this line everything that I think it could be is Bulaga. He was playing great at RT before getting hurt 2 seasons ago. If he can continue that, this has a chance to be an elite unit.

Defense

• DL: BJ Raji, Mike Daniels, Datone Jones: We need to improve on the DL this season, and I am interested in what sort of rotations we will use. We need Raji to at least be average. Datone Jones and Mike Daniels are both key. Daniels is more proven but has never been a 3-down lineman. If he can continue his development he has the chance to be a true difference maker. Datone Jones now has had his year to learn a new position. I will give him a break last year, but now it is time to prove yourself Datone. I expect Mike Neal to also play some D-line if Datone isn’t what we expect.

• LB: Julius Peppers, Brad Jones, AJ Hawk, Clay Matthews: Julius Peppers is an improvement if nothing else. We finally have a proven pass rusher to go with Clay. Clay needs to stay healthy, with him healthy we are truly a different defense, especially when it comes to rushing the passer. AJ Hawk is the definition of an average ILB but at least he is consistent. Jones has all the talent in the world, but has never truly put it together, watch out for Jamari Lattimore to take his spot.

• CBs: Sam Shields, Tramon Williams, Casey Hayward- Sam and Traman on the outside with Casey in the slot at Nickel. Casey Hayward was the best slot corner in the game as a rookie by almost any stat you use, if he can resemble that at all this season it will give our entire defense a much needed boost. Sam Shields needs to be more consistent but last season he was on an island with Megatron, and Marshall. He has one of the toughest jobs in the NFL, especially in our system. Tramon at his age is all about staying healthy. When healthy he can still get the job done.

• S: Morgan Burnett, Micah Hyde- Was one of the worst units in the NFL last season. We need to improve. IMO we have 3 guys competing for 2 spots with Hyde, Dix and Burnett. Right now Hyde and Burnett are starting. I don’t think anyone’s job is set though. The way Burnett played last season I could see Dix and Hyde starting with Dix as the ball hawk and Hyde as the sure tackler. It will be great to finally have some competition here, and hopefully we can improve from last season.

• K: Mason Crosby- Had a solid bounce back season, lets be consistent now Mason.

• P: Tim Masthay- The best Ginger punter there is (I think, are there any other gingers?)

• KR/PR: Micah Hyde- This will be a competition between Hyde, Abbrederis, Janis, Harris and anyone else who wants to try their luck. Hyde did well last season but if he is the starter at S I expect Abbrederis to take this.

Go Pack Go!

 

[Green and Gold]

Position Group Strengths and Weaknesses:

Position groups:

• QB- Aaron Rodgers is IMO the best Qb in the NFL. When you have him as a starter you have a chance to beat anyone, anywhere. Our backup situation has improved since last year when we had Seneca Wallace who made me break a 360 controller while not playing xbox for the first ever. Matt Flynn and Scott Tolzien will battle for the backup, but I just can’t see Tolzien beating him out. Flynn is a proven backup who can now and then throw for 6 TDs. Overall, there are not many teams with a better overall QB situation.

• Backfield-With Lacy, Starks, and a healthy Harris we have a deep backfield. Lacy and Rodgers didn’t get a chance to play together much last season so although I expect Lacy’s counting stats to fall, I expect his ypc and efficiency to rise from the 4.1 ypc last season. Kuhn is a proven FB and provides very good blocking in both the running and passing game. Franklin is a tragic story but football wise it should not affect this team too negatively. Again, this is a strength.

• OL- I am excited for this Oline. We have one of the best Guard duos in the NFL, and Bhaktiari should only get better in his 2nd year at LT. RT totally depends on health with Bulaga, he has succeeded before but needs to stay on the field. The real question marks start at Center with JC Trettor, he is a first year center who has never played the position. He will get the first shot at starting. We have the jack of all trades in Barclay for a backup at pretty much every position, and Sherrod as the backup LT, his return from a shattered leg is a great story that gets lost due to his position, I wish him nothing but the best. Overall this should be the best OL the Packers have had for quite some time.

• Pass catchers- The loss of James Jones should hurt, but we have filled the role with Boykin and the Rookies Adams, Abbrederis and Janis. Our WR coach has said that this is the most depth he has ever had, however for the first time in a while we need some unknowns to step up. TE is the big question mark and will be a battle in training camp. One thing that helps with unproven talent is to have Aaron Rodgers throwing them the ball. This should once again be a great passing offense, and overall one of the best offenses in the league.

• DL: I see this as a weakness currently. Mike Daniels is the only proven player we have and he has never played as a 3 down lineman. Raji really has something to prove after being one of the most disruptive DTs in the league in 2010, he has been terrible the last 2 years. D Jones is expected to be starter in his 2nd year and has great potential. I have no idea how we will use Neal and Peppers, both should play the Elephant position and move around quite a bit. They are really keeping what schemes they are going to use under wraps but we have a lot of options with Peppers, Neal, Daniels, and D Jones. All should be able to get after the QB and improve the pass rush this season. There isn’t much depth here with Guion, Worthy, Thornton, and Boyd filling out the rotation. Bottom line is this is a unit with a lot of potential but not a lot of production, if we can bring the best out of them this could be a surprisingly good unit.

• LB- We need Matthews to stay healthy, when he is healthy we have a different defense. He is one of the best defensive players in the NFL when on the field, and adds a lot of versatility by being able to rush the passer, spy a Qb, or even drop into coverage. Hawk is Hawk, by that I mean he is a solid ILB but will never wow you. We need Jones to live up to his athletic ability and contract. Lattimore will compete with him and he could win the job if Jones remains less than impressive, Lattimore just seems to have more fire. Our depth at ILB after that is non-existent in quite a literal sense. Peppers and Neal will both play the elephant position or OLB. Peppers will be an improvement over Perry regardless if he is the difference maker we want him to be or not. With Neal, Perry and Bradford also being able to fill in I expect this to be a deep set of OLB’s and we will need it with the injury history and age of our entire core. This will be an improved unit but one that needs to stay healthy.

• Secondary- Playing in the secondary of an NFC North team is on of the toughest jobs in the NFL. In my opinion we have solid depth at corner with Shields, Williams, and the return of Hayward. Casey Hayward is key, as he was one of the best corners in football as a rookie. If he can return to form he would be a huge “addition” to the secondary. By moving Hyde to Safety the Packers have created some much needed competition with 3 players who look capable of playing the position. Unless Dix can pull an Eric Reid, Safety should still be a weakness since Burnett isn’t anything special. I have a feeling Hyde and Dix could be the starters as we get deeper into the season. Hyde is a sure tackler who seems to always be in the right position, and Dix is a ball hawk, it could be a great combo. Overall I would say the Corners are an above average unit, and the Safeties a below average unit until I am proven otherwise.

• Special Teams: Our special teams last season was just what we need. You just didn’t notice them much. Is Crosby comparable to a kicker like Tucker? Of course not, but as long as he doesn’t screw up like he did 2 years ago that is fine with me. Masthay is consistent at punter. Our return game took a step forward, and it is something we seem to be paying attention to more. Hyde is a solid return man and we have now added Abbrederis to the mix. In an emergency situation we always have Randall Cobb in our back pocket as well. As an overall unit I would say we are about average, and that could swing either way depending on Crosby.

 

[HyponGrey]

Starting Lineup:
QB: Rodgers Duh
RB: Lacy Duh
FB: Kuhn Duh
WR: Nelson,Cobb The only set starters
TE: Quarless Probably, unless Bostick or Rodgers can block
LT: Bakhtiari Added weight(read:anchor), hopefully more skilled hands
LG: Sitton Duh
C: Tretter Another of those guys I hope added anchor. Linsley might as well be named Wells.
RG: Lang If you didn't think "duh" shame on you
RT: Bulaga Another "shame on you" duh
(5WR:Boykin,Cobb,Abbrederis,Nelson,Adams. 2TE:Cobb,Rodgers,Quarless,Nelson)
NT: Raji He SHOULD be a matchup problem here, if he bothers
LDE: Boyd Is as underestimated as Datone Jone is overestimated, we let Pickett and Jolly go for a reason named Boyd
RDE: Daniels Could be Worthy or Guion, but I guarantee you Jones isn't a good enough run stopper (not enough hips)
ROLB: Matthews Will not be switching sides, but may wind up on PUP in which case look for Perry somewhere
LOLB: Peppers Is not starting at DE
SILB: Hawk Uncontested, company man
WILB: Jones I don't think Lattimore is even remotely the player Jones is (which is saying something since Jones is essentially a carrot) though his play style is a better defensive fit
CB: Williams,Shields No other boundary CB are even in the mix
FS: Clinton-Dix Hyde may start, but I have him listed as the Dime CB
SS: Burnett Another "given"
(Nickel DL:Matthews,Raji,Daniels,Peppers. Dime DL:Matthews,Daniels,Jones,Neal. Dime CB: Shields,Hayward,Hyde,Williams)
K: Crosby Will we see the 70yd boot?
P: Masthay Ginger
LS: Goode Your new dad
KR: Harris Could be Janis, it seems awfully similar to the Ross situation where they're looking for Somebody Anybody to step up and take the job from Hyde/Abbrederis
PR: Abbrederis Until concussions force him into retirement with a layover on IR

 

[HyponGrey]

EDIToublePost

 

[HardRightEdge]

Projected Starting Lineup

Offense

• QB: Aaron Rodgers- IMO the best QB in the game, please stay healthy.

• RB: Eddie Lacy- I expect bigger things out of him this year, and I get ***** when I think about Lacy playing a full season with Rodgers. I expect his counting numbers to go down, but for him to be more efficient with his touches.

• FB: John Kuhn- He is a solid FB, and is great at picking up 1 yard at the goal-line. He is also solid in pass protection. Can’t do much after that though. Primarily is just a blocking back.

• TEs: Andrew Quarless (unknown really)- Biggest unknown of this season is the TE position. Quarless is solid but unspectacular. Bostick showed signs but is raw, Rodgers has made a splash in mini-camp camp, and Finley still hasn’t ruled out a comeback. Oh, and don’t forget about Colt Lyerla, who is probably the most talented of them all. This is going to be the best competition in training camp for the Packers

• WRs: Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, Jarret Boykin, Davonte Adams- Jordy and Cobb are a very good 1-2 punch. Jordy and Rodgers are IMO the most in-sync QB-WR combo in the NFL. I expect Cobb to have the breakout season that was expected last season before the broken leg. The battle will be for the 3rd WR. Boykin vs Adams. If a TE doesn’t step up watch out for more 4 WR sets this season.

• LT: David Bhaktiari: Put on weight this offseason and earned rave reviews in mini-camp. Performed well under crazy circumstances and started 16 games as a 4th round rookie at LT. All signs point to him improving this season, and I am excited to see him grow.

• LG: Josh Sitton: One of the best in the game

• C: JC Trettor: Coaches ******* love this guy. He was talked about beating out EDS last season as a rookie until a broken ankle ended his year in training camp. He is the reason we let EDS walk..now go out and prove them right.

• RG: TJ Lang: Lang is the other solid G that makes up one of the best G duos in the NFL.

• RT: Bryan Bulaga: The key to making this line everything that I think it could be is Bulaga. He was playing great at RT before getting hurt 2 seasons ago. If he can continue that, this has a chance to be an elite unit.

Defense

• DL: BJ Raji, Mike Daniels, Datone Jones: We need to improve on the DL this season, and I am interested in what sort of rotations we will use. We need Raji to at least be average. Datone Jones and Mike Daniels are both key. Daniels is more proven but has never been a 3-down lineman. If he can continue his development he has the chance to be a true difference maker. Datone Jones now has had his year to learn a new position. I will give him a break last year, but now it is time to prove yourself Datone. I expect Mike Neal to also play some D-line if Datone isn’t what we expect.

• LB: Julius Peppers, Brad Jones, AJ Hawk, Clay Matthews: Julius Peppers is an improvement if nothing else. We finally have a proven pass rusher to go with Clay. Clay needs to stay healthy, with him healthy we are truly a different defense, especially when it comes to rushing the passer. AJ Hawk is the definition of an average ILB but at least he is consistent. Jones has all the talent in the world, but has never truly put it together, watch out for Jamari Lattimore to take his spot.

• CBs: Sam Shields, Tramon Williams, Casey Hayward- Sam and Traman on the outside with Casey in the slot at Nickel. Casey Hayward was the best slot corner in the game as a rookie by almost any stat you use, if he can resemble that at all this season it will give our entire defense a much needed boost. Sam Shields needs to be more consistent but last season he was on an island with Megatron, and Marshall. He has one of the toughest jobs in the NFL, especially in our system. Tramon at his age is all about staying healthy. When healthy he can still get the job done.

• S: Morgan Burnett, Micah Hyde- Was one of the worst units in the NFL last season. We need to improve. IMO we have 3 guys competing for 2 spots with Hyde, Dix and Burnett. Right now Hyde and Burnett are starting. I don’t think anyone’s job is set though. The way Burnett played last season I could see Dix and Hyde starting with Dix as the ball hawk and Hyde as the sure tackler. It will be great to finally have some competition here, and hopefully we can improve from last season.

• K: Mason Crosby- Had a solid bounce back season, lets be consistent now Mason.

• P: Tim Masthay- The best Ginger punter there is (I think, are there any other gingers?)

• KR/PR: Micah Hyde- This will be a competition between Hyde, Abbrederis, Janis, Harris and anyone else who wants to try their luck. Hyde did well last season but if he is the starter at S I expect Abbrederis to take this.

Go Pack Go!

At this early date I'd say that's about right except I'd go with Rodgers instead of Quarless (who is also not much of a blocker).

 

[rodell330]

Wasn't John Ryan a ginger? He's doing pretty well in Seattle.

 

[AllouezPackerFan]

I think Haha will be starting, and I think Chris Harper will be making a run at #4 WR. Harper looked great in OTA's....but time will tell on that one. Will see how he does in training camp and preseason.

 

[brandon2348]

Starting Lineup:
QB: Rodgers Duh
RB: Lacy Duh
FB: Kuhn Duh
WR: Nelson,Cobb The only set starters
TE: Quarless Probably, unless Bostick or Rodgers can block
LT: Bakhtiari Added weight(read:anchor), hopefully more skilled hands
LG: Sitton Duh
C: Tretter Another of those guys I hope added anchor. Linsley might as well be named Wells.
RG: Lang If you didn't think "duh" shame on you
RT: Bulaga Another "shame on you" duh
(5WR:Boykin,Cobb,Abbrederis,Nelson,Adams. 2TE:Cobb,Rodgers,Quarless,Nelson)
NT: Raji He SHOULD be a matchup problem here, if he bothers
LDE: Boyd Is as underestimated as Datone Jone is overestimated, we let Pickett and Jolly go for a reason named Boyd
RDE: Daniels Could be Worthy or Guion, but I guarantee you Jones isn't a good enough run stopper (not enough hips)
ROLB: Matthews Will not be switching sides, but may wind up on PUP in which case look for Perry somewhere
LOLB: Peppers Is not starting at DE
SILB: Hawk Uncontested, company man
WILB: Jones I don't think Lattimore is even remotely the player Jones is (which is saying something since Jones is essentially a carrot) though his play style is a better defensive fit
CB: Williams,Shields No other boundary CB are even in the mix
FS: Clinton-Dix Hyde may start, but I have him listed as the Dime CB
SS: Burnett Another "given"
(Nickel DL:Matthews,Raji,Daniels,Peppers. Dime DL:Matthews,Daniels,Jones,Neal. Dime CB: Shields,Hayward,Hyde,Williams)
K: Crosby Will we see the 70yd boot?
P: Masthay Ginger
LS: Goode Your new dad
KR: Harris Could be Janis, it seems awfully similar to the Ross situation where they're looking for Somebody Anybody to step up and take the job from Hyde/Abbrederis
PR: Abbrederis Until concussions force him into retirement with a layover on IR

I like it but I think Chris Harper can get in there. He is a big body guy that can create match up problems.

 

[cara murphy]

I believe Rodgers. So long as he keep healthy.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Projected Starting Lineup

Offense

• QB: Aaron Rodgers- IMO the best QB in the game, please stay healthy.

• RB: Eddie Lacy- I expect bigger things out of him this year, and I get ***** when I think about Lacy playing a full season with Rodgers. I expect his counting numbers to go down, but for him to be more efficient with his touches.

• FB: John Kuhn- He is a solid FB, and is great at picking up 1 yard at the goal-line. He is also solid in pass protection. Can’t do much after that though. Primarily is just a blocking back.

• TEs: Andrew Quarless (unknown really)- Biggest unknown of this season is the TE position. Quarless is solid but unspectacular. Bostick showed signs but is raw, Rodgers has made a splash in mini-camp camp, and Finley still hasn’t ruled out a comeback. Oh, and don’t forget about Colt Lyerla, who is probably the most talented of them all. This is going to be the best competition in training camp for the Packers

• WRs: Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, Jarret Boykin, Davonte Adams- Jordy and Cobb are a very good 1-2 punch. Jordy and Rodgers are IMO the most in-sync QB-WR combo in the NFL. I expect Cobb to have the breakout season that was expected last season before the broken leg. The battle will be for the 3rd WR. Boykin vs Adams. If a TE doesn’t step up watch out for more 4 WR sets this season.

• LT: David Bhaktiari: Put on weight this offseason and earned rave reviews in mini-camp. Performed well under crazy circumstances and started 16 games as a 4th round rookie at LT. All signs point to him improving this season, and I am excited to see him grow.

• LG: Josh Sitton: One of the best in the game

• C: JC Trettor: Coaches ******* love this guy. He was talked about beating out EDS last season as a rookie until a broken ankle ended his year in training camp. He is the reason we let EDS walk..now go out and prove them right.

• RG: TJ Lang: Lang is the other solid G that makes up one of the best G duos in the NFL.

• RT: Bryan Bulaga: The key to making this line everything that I think it could be is Bulaga. He was playing great at RT before getting hurt 2 seasons ago. If he can continue that, this has a chance to be an elite unit.

Defense

• DL: BJ Raji, Mike Daniels, Datone Jones: We need to improve on the DL this season, and I am interested in what sort of rotations we will use. We need Raji to at least be average. Datone Jones and Mike Daniels are both key. Daniels is more proven but has never been a 3-down lineman. If he can continue his development he has the chance to be a true difference maker. Datone Jones now has had his year to learn a new position. I will give him a break last year, but now it is time to prove yourself Datone. I expect Mike Neal to also play some D-line if Datone isn’t what we expect.

• LB: Julius Peppers, Brad Jones, AJ Hawk, Clay Matthews: Julius Peppers is an improvement if nothing else. We finally have a proven pass rusher to go with Clay. Clay needs to stay healthy, with him healthy we are truly a different defense, especially when it comes to rushing the passer. AJ Hawk is the definition of an average ILB but at least he is consistent. Jones has all the talent in the world, but has never truly put it together, watch out for Jamari Lattimore to take his spot.

• CBs: Sam Shields, Tramon Williams, Casey Hayward- Sam and Traman on the outside with Casey in the slot at Nickel. Casey Hayward was the best slot corner in the game as a rookie by almost any stat you use, if he can resemble that at all this season it will give our entire defense a much needed boost. Sam Shields needs to be more consistent but last season he was on an island with Megatron, and Marshall. He has one of the toughest jobs in the NFL, especially in our system. Tramon at his age is all about staying healthy. When healthy he can still get the job done.

• S: Morgan Burnett, Micah Hyde- Was one of the worst units in the NFL last season. We need to improve. IMO we have 3 guys competing for 2 spots with Hyde, Dix and Burnett. Right now Hyde and Burnett are starting. I don’t think anyone’s job is set though. The way Burnett played last season I could see Dix and Hyde starting with Dix as the ball hawk and Hyde as the sure tackler. It will be great to finally have some competition here, and hopefully we can improve from last season.

• K: Mason Crosby- Had a solid bounce back season, lets be consistent now Mason.

• P: Tim Masthay- The best Ginger punter there is (I think, are there any other gingers?)

• KR/PR: Micah Hyde- This will be a competition between Hyde, Abbrederis, Janis, Harris and anyone else who wants to try their luck. Hyde did well last season but if he is the starter at S I expect Abbrederis to take this.

Go Pack Go!

Mostly agree with your lineup, although I think Clinton-Dix will be the starter at safety next to Burnett and while Hyde is a decent punt returner he shouldn´t be the primary kickoff returner. The battle at TE should be an intriguing out during camp.

As you tried to predict the starting lineup I could see the Packers getting flagged a lot for lining up with 13 players on offense and 12 on defense.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

• Special Teams: Our special teams last season was just what we need. You just didn’t notice them much. Is Crosby comparable to a kicker like Tucker? Of course not, but as long as he doesn’t screw up like he did 2 years ago that is fine with me. Masthay is consistent at punter. Our return game took a step forward, and it is something we seem to be paying attention to more. Hyde is a solid return man and we have now added Abbrederis to the mix. In an emergency situation we always have Randall Cobb in our back pocket as well. As an overall unit I would say we are about average, and that could swing either way depending on Crosby.

I agree with most of your analysis of the Packers roster, the special teams have to improve big time though. Last season the Packers finished 30th in kickoff return average and 29th in both opponents kickoff and punt return average.

 

[thisisnate]

• RB: Eddie Lacy- I expect bigger things out of him this year, and I get ***** when I think about Lacy playing a full season with Rodgers. I expect his counting numbers to go down, but for him to be more efficient with his touches.

wat...

 

[brandon2348]

Mostly agree with your lineup, although I think Clinton-Dix will be the starter at safety next to Burnett and while Hyde is a decent punt returner he shouldn´t be the primary kickoff returner. The battle at TE should be an intriguing out during camp.

As you tried to predict the starting lineup I could see the Packers getting flagged a lot for lining up with 13 players on offense and 12 on defense.

 

[brandon2348]

I agree with most of your analysis of the Packers roster, the special teams have to improve big time though. Last season the Packers finished 30th in kickoff return average and 29th in both opponents kickoff and punt return average.

I think the fact that the roster will be deeper with talent(avoiding too many injury's) that will be a direct effect on special teams.

 

[SoonerPack]

Projected Starting Lineup

Offense

• QB: Aaron Rodgers- IMO the best QB in the game, please stay healthy.

• RB: Eddie Lacy- I expect bigger things out of him this year, and I get ***** when I think about Lacy playing a full season with Rodgers. I expect his counting numbers to go down, but for him to be more efficient with his touches.

• FB: John Kuhn- He is a solid FB, and is great at picking up 1 yard at the goal-line. He is also solid in pass protection. Can’t do much after that though. Primarily is just a blocking back.

• TEs: Andrew Quarless (unknown really)- Biggest unknown of this season is the TE position. Quarless is solid but unspectacular. Bostick showed signs but is raw, Rodgers has made a splash in mini-camp camp, and Finley still hasn’t ruled out a comeback. Oh, and don’t forget about Colt Lyerla, who is probably the most talented of them all. This is going to be the best competition in training camp for the Packers

• WRs: Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, Jarret Boykin, Davonte Adams- Jordy and Cobb are a very good 1-2 punch. Jordy and Rodgers are IMO the most in-sync QB-WR combo in the NFL. I expect Cobb to have the breakout season that was expected last season before the broken leg. The battle will be for the 3rd WR. Boykin vs Adams. If a TE doesn’t step up watch out for more 4 WR sets this season.

• LT: David Bhaktiari: Put on weight this offseason and earned rave reviews in mini-camp. Performed well under crazy circumstances and started 16 games as a 4th round rookie at LT. All signs point to him improving this season, and I am excited to see him grow.

• LG: Josh Sitton: One of the best in the game

• C: JC Trettor: Coaches ******* love this guy. He was talked about beating out EDS last season as a rookie until a broken ankle ended his year in training camp. He is the reason we let EDS walk..now go out and prove them right.

• RG: TJ Lang: Lang is the other solid G that makes up one of the best G duos in the NFL.

• RT: Bryan Bulaga: The key to making this line everything that I think it could be is Bulaga. He was playing great at RT before getting hurt 2 seasons ago. If he can continue that, this has a chance to be an elite unit.

Defense

• DL: BJ Raji, Mike Daniels, Datone Jones: We need to improve on the DL this season, and I am interested in what sort of rotations we will use. We need Raji to at least be average. Datone Jones and Mike Daniels are both key. Daniels is more proven but has never been a 3-down lineman. If he can continue his development he has the chance to be a true difference maker. Datone Jones now has had his year to learn a new position. I will give him a break last year, but now it is time to prove yourself Datone. I expect Mike Neal to also play some D-line if Datone isn’t what we expect.

• LB: Julius Peppers, Brad Jones, AJ Hawk, Clay Matthews: Julius Peppers is an improvement if nothing else. We finally have a proven pass rusher to go with Clay. Clay needs to stay healthy, with him healthy we are truly a different defense, especially when it comes to rushing the passer. AJ Hawk is the definition of an average ILB but at least he is consistent. Jones has all the talent in the world, but has never truly put it together, watch out for Jamari Lattimore to take his spot.

• CBs: Sam Shields, Tramon Williams, Casey Hayward- Sam and Traman on the outside with Casey in the slot at Nickel. Casey Hayward was the best slot corner in the game as a rookie by almost any stat you use, if he can resemble that at all this season it will give our entire defense a much needed boost. Sam Shields needs to be more consistent but last season he was on an island with Megatron, and Marshall. He has one of the toughest jobs in the NFL, especially in our system. Tramon at his age is all about staying healthy. When healthy he can still get the job done.

• S: Morgan Burnett, Micah Hyde- Was one of the worst units in the NFL last season. We need to improve. IMO we have 3 guys competing for 2 spots with Hyde, Dix and Burnett. Right now Hyde and Burnett are starting. I don’t think anyone’s job is set though. The way Burnett played last season I could see Dix and Hyde starting with Dix as the ball hawk and Hyde as the sure tackler. It will be great to finally have some competition here, and hopefully we can improve from last season.

• K: Mason Crosby- Had a solid bounce back season, lets be consistent now Mason.

• P: Tim Masthay- The best Ginger punter there is (I think, are there any other gingers?)

• KR/PR: Micah Hyde- This will be a competition between Hyde, Abbrederis, Janis, Harris and anyone else who wants to try their luck. Hyde did well last season but if he is the starter at S I expect Abbrederis to take this.

Go Pack Go!

Welcome aboard! I like your list for the most part. I probably could have gone without the ***** reference but that's just me... I am too tired to dial in a full list now but will do so later today. I am most excited about the new guys be it drafted, UDFA or FA's. I am intrigued like hell with guys like Hubbard, Bradford and Lyerla. I am with most everyone here in saying I am not overly thrilled with our current ILB talent but it is what it is. The more I think about it I am hard pressed to think of one team in the league that doesn't have at least one position of alleged weakness. When I look at the squad in total I am impressed and excited at the amount of quality athletes TT has assembled. I think our secondary will be VASTLY improved over last year. The importance of adding a guy like Casey back into the mix can't be overstated. I don't think for a second that his rookie season was a fluke. From day one he was touted as a "student of the game" and the angles he takes shows you that he indeed does watch a ton of film. He is also a highly underrated athlete and I see him having a breakout season which will make letting 38 go at season's end a much easier pill to swallow. We all know that the safety play simply can't get worse than last year. Right?! I mean it wasn't just one thing that plagued this group, it was everything. Missed tackles, blown assignments, dropped picks and the list could go on. I think Morgan sees the writing on the wall and will step his game up this year to at least an acceptable level. I am very interested to see how Hyde's transition goes and I am in the camp that believes it will be damn near seamless. To me, this kid is just a player and while there will be hiccups along the way I believe he will end up being a borderline Pro Bowler. Now with HaHa I am all in. I desperately wanted this kid and was scared that the Saints were gonna grab him when they traded up in front of us. I thought they would pair him with Vaccaro and be set for years at the S position. As we all know they didn't and in my eyes this kid fell in our lap. He is everything I want in a safety and could care less about the whole "he doesn't do one particular thing great" nonsense. He is a play maker with range that can tackle. I am not sure if he starts the year with the 1's but his talent will get him there in pretty short order. His presence and my belief in Hyde could do wonders for Morgan's career. Step up young man or get gone. Plain and simple. OK, I thought I was going to type a few words and come back later but here I am 2 chapters deep. Packer football is just to powerful for me to do a drive by post. Again, I will put my lineup together later...time to move some iron! GPG!!

 

[HyponGrey]

I like it but I think Chris Harper can get in there. He is a big body guy that can create match up problems.

And those guys do well in MM's system. I like Harper; but, as you can see, I went chalk. There's no guarantee he even makes the roster.

 

[brandon2348]

And those guys do well in MM's system. I like Harper; but, as you can see, I went chalk. There's no guarantee he even makes the roster.

I don't know. I am hearing Rodgers and Harper have developed some chemistry. It's going to be as competitive as heck out there which is a good problem. I think some guys are going to get cut that can make other teams. Well see what happens when the pads come on.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I think the fact that the roster will be deeper with talent(avoiding too many injury's) that will a direct effect on special teams.

I agree that injuries factored into the bad performance by some special team units.

 

[TJV]

If number of snaps decides who a “starter” is as opposed to being on the field the first snap from scrimmage, I don’t think Kuhn is a starter. Three WRs, one TE with Lacy in the backfield don’t leave room for him. We don’t have enough evidence for this yet but if I had to guess, I’d guess Richard Rodgers will start at TE. Boykin is probably the third WR, but I don’t think his position is “cemented” like Nelson and Cobb’s. Harper or Adams, just to name two, could end up getting more snaps.

The starters on the OL are obvious if everyone stays healthy. I think the line should be OK but IMO some Packers fans are expecting too much. For example, there’s a good chance Bakhtiari will improve but it’s not a certainty. Obviously OC is a huge question mark as is Sherrod. Barclay is OK as a backup at OT but I don’t have confidence in him as a starter there – hopefully he’ll continue to improve too. Don’t get me wrong, I think the Packers have the makings of an above average OL, but it’s anything but certain IMO.

On defense naming starters makes less sense than on offense – I expect to see a lot of players getting snaps even if everyone is healthy. I have high expectations of Datone too – we read great reports about him in TC last year before he got hurt and I think he’s ideally suited to excel in this defense. I expect Raji to be better this year (not a high bar) at NT. If he doesn’t translate motivation into production this season I don’t think he ever will. I’m anxious to see how they use the elephant position and I expect to see a lot more one-gapping this season. That should translate into a more attacking defense which I think compliments their explosive offense. (BTW, I don’t think we’ll see the D in the opener that we’ll see for most of the season. Just like last year it’ll be much more oriented to stopping the run in the opener.)

Of course I hope Brad Jones steps up his play – I do think injuries affected him more last season than some realize. But if he doesn’t, I hope they don’t hesitate to replace him early. Making the schemes simpler should help Lattimore get more snaps and Barrington too if the starters falter. Like some others, I expect Clinton-Dix to start at safety and I also expect the secondary to be the most improved group on the team. The combination of more pressure on the QB and the depth in the secondary should translate into backing up McCarthy’s assurance that the D will be better. Their biggest challenge may be improving their performance vs. the run. And Matthews being healthy for the entire season would be a huge plus.

If I had to guess today, my guess is Abbrederis will be the primary PR and DuJuan Harris will be the primary KOR. That’ll leave Hyde freer to fulfill the ‘jack of all trades’ role McCarthy expects.

 

[brandon2348]

If number of snaps decides who a “starter” is as opposed to being on the field the first snap from scrimmage, I don’t think Kuhn is a starter. Three WRs, one TE with Lacy in the backfield don’t leave room for him. We don’t have enough evidence for this yet but if I had to guess, I’d guess Richard Rodgers will start at TE. Boykin is probably the third WR, but I don’t think his position is “cemented” like Nelson and Cobb’s. Harper or Adams, just to name two, could end up getting more snaps.

The starters on the OL are obvious if everyone stays healthy. I think the line should be OK but IMO some Packers fans are expecting too much. For example, there’s a good chance Bakhtiari will improve but it’s not a certainty. Obviously OC is a huge question mark as is Sherrod. Barclay is OK as a backup at OT but I don’t have confidence in him as a starter there – hopefully he’ll continue to improve too. Don’t get me wrong, I think the Packers have the makings of an above average OL, but it’s anything but certain IMO.

On defense naming starters makes less sense than on offense – I expect to see a lot of players getting snaps even if everyone is healthy. I have high expectations of Datone too – we read great reports about him in TC last year before he got hurt and I think he’s ideally suited to excel in this defense. I expect Raji to be better this year (not a high bar) at NT. If he doesn’t translate motivation into production this season I don’t think he ever will. I’m anxious to see how they use the elephant position and I expect to see a lot more one-gapping this season. That should translate into a more attacking defense which I think compliments their explosive offense. (BTW, I don’t think we’ll see the D in the opener that we’ll see for most of the season. Just like last year it’ll be much more oriented to stopping the run in the opener.)

Of course I hope Brad Jones steps up his play – I do think injuries affected him more last season than some realize. But if he doesn’t, I hope they don’t hesitate to replace him early. Making the schemes simpler should help Lattimore get more snaps and Barrington too if the starters falter. Like some others, I expect Clinton-Dix to start at safety and I also expect the secondary to be the most improved group on the team. The combination of more pressure on the QB and the depth in the secondary should translate into backing up McCarthy’s assurance that the D will be better. Their biggest challenge may be improving their performance vs. the run. And Matthews being healthy for the entire season would be a huge plus.

If I had to guess today, my guess is Abbrederis will be the primary PR and DuJuan Harris will be the primary KOR. That’ll leave Hyde freer to fulfill the ‘jack of all trades’ role McCarthy expects.

I totally agree about the opener. I don't think you will see the 1-3-7 or the sub-packages Capers will use against other teams. I think they will pack it in against the run and play a lot of man to man forcing Wilson to throw the ball. If Dix is starting it will be an early huge test, as he will have a huge role playing the back end which will have a significant outcome of game defensively. The Seahawk receivers are small but very fast. A lot of pressure for a first game rookie. I suppose that's why he was drafted 21.