The Amari Rodgers Thread

PackAttack12

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I will say it again - the BIGGEST mistake with Amari was the organization continuing to force him to be the punt returner when he clearly showed IMO very uncomfortable mindset with his rookie year...then he confirmed that role wasn't for him this year early on...YET WE KEPT PUTTING HIM BACK THERE.

He showed promise on routes, catching the ball this year on offense...but he ISN'T an NFL returner. The organization RUINED Amari from potentially being something IMO as much as Amari did as well...BOTH are at fault.
If he showed enough promise as an ingredient to the offense, the Packers wouldn’t have released him.

The kid just hasn’t produced. And when you don’t produce AND give the ball away, it’s time to move on.

I hope another team takes a flyer on him and it somehow clicks somewhere.
 

tynimiller

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I think you're giving him too much credit. He returned about 100 punts in college. They weren't asking him to do some foreign task. young guys always have to make their bread on ST's breaking in to the NFL. He's been almost non-existent in the passing game. He's had as many groaners as he's had catches this year.

I think you are missing what I said - he proved he is NOT an NFL returner.
 

tynimiller

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If he showed enough promise as an ingredient to the offense, the Packers wouldn’t have released him.

The kid just hasn’t produced. And when you don’t produce AND give the ball away, it’s time to move on.

I hope another team takes a flyer on him and it somehow clicks somewhere.

Disagree, there came a point where GB had to release him due to their own failings of continuing to put the young man where he clearly didn't belong.

And as I have said, we had to do this move - don't disagree with it, but I will forever say this was not just an Amari issue - the ignorant of the ones that kept asking the young man to return punts time and time and time and time again is part of the failing.
 
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Nixon made a great catch above his head on either the first or one of the he fielded but it was risky to not let it hit the ground.
That scared the crap out of me, it was an awful decision Nixon made. It was already poor conditions (slippery cold) to begin with. That ball was high and had some velocity that likely would've carried into the endzone (especially if he blocks the forward most opponent) and it's a spot at the 20-yard line. More important zero chance of a turnover
 

tynimiller

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That scared the crap out of me, it was an awful decision Nixon made. It was already poor conditions (slippery cold) to begin with. That ball was high and had some velocity that likely would've carried into the endzone (especially if he blocks the forward most opponent) and it's a spot at the 20-yard line. More important zero chance of a turnover

Was a terrible decision, and if it becomes a normal thing Nixon will need removed from back there too.
 

gopkrs

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I think Nixon has a lot more juke in him than Rodgers had. He looks good returning KOs and maybe a good answer for punt returning.
 

Voyageur

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I don't like us returning kick offs. We either have a penalty, or end up being inside the 20. If you make a fair catch in the field of play, or let it go into the end zone, you get it on the 25, and there's no risk of losing it, or being held deep.
 

PackAttack12

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Disagree, there came a point where GB had to release him due to their own failings of continuing to put the young man where he clearly didn't belong.

And as I have said, we had to do this move - don't disagree with it, but I will forever say this was not just an Amari issue - the ignorant of the ones that kept asking the young man to return punts time and time and time and time again is part of the failing.
Either you’re being way too ******* the Packers and not hard enough on Amari for his own short comings, or you are giving a scathing indictment on the Packers not being able to put players in the best spots to succeed.

Because if it’s on the Packers, they are misjudging more than just Amari.
 
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Magooch

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Disagree, there came a point where GB had to release him due to their own failings of continuing to put the young man where he clearly didn't belong.

And as I have said, we had to do this move - don't disagree with it, but I will forever say this was not just an Amari issue - the ignorant of the ones that kept asking the young man to return punts time and time and time and time again is part of the failing.
I think the point is that it doesn't have to be an either-or. Like, we can say the team was wrong to keep putting him out on punt returns (and they were) but that doesn't somehow mean they should have instead been playing him more at WR or giving him more reps there. Being poor in one area doesn't mean we can assume he would've succeeded in another given more reps there.

What is more likely is that he was a bad fit for returning punts in the NFL (as you said) AND a bad fit for playing WR in the NFL. Maybe the team shouldn't have kept trying him out back there on punts (I've said as much too) but that doesn't mean they were in the wrong for not giving him more reps at WR, either. Think the simplest and most likely explanation is that he simply wasn't good enough for either and that's not on the club.
 

tynimiller

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I think the point is that it doesn't have to be an either-or. Like, we can say the team was wrong to keep putting him out on punt returns (and they were) but that doesn't somehow mean they should have instead been playing him more at WR or giving him more reps there. Being poor in one area doesn't mean we can assume he would've succeeded in another given more reps there.

What is more likely is that he was a bad fit for returning punts in the NFL (as you said) AND a bad fit for playing WR in the NFL. Maybe the team shouldn't have kept trying him out back there on punts (I've said as much too) but that doesn't mean they were in the wrong for not giving him more reps at WR, either. Think the simplest and most likely explanation is that he simply wasn't good enough for either and that's not on the club.

I disagree, as a young rookie slot type receiver that is where he has shown progression from last year, into this preseason and even some in season games this year.

Where he has never really shown any kind of progress, hope or future is being that of a returner. I told people the beginning of this year the organization's decision to continue to ask the young man to do something he isn't cut out to be in the NFL is going to destroy and end his time with us in all avenues.

You are right, the above doesn't in any way erase Amari's mistakes which are plenty and still his fault...however he never should have been in the position for many of them to occur.
 

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Yes, I think the Packers failed to make the switch sooner and gave him too many chances. But I don't think anybody failed Amari other than Amari.
 

PackAttack12

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Either you’re being way too ******* the Packers and not hard enough on Amari for his own short comings, or you are giving a scathing indictment on the Packers not being able to put players in the best spots to succeed.

Because if it’s on the Packers, they are misjudging more than just Amari.
Really? “Hard. On.” is bleeped out?

What do you think we are really talking about on here?!?! :whistling:
 

Mondio

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I disagree, as a young rookie slot type receiver that is where he has shown progression from last year, into this preseason and even some in season games this year.

Where he has never really shown any kind of progress, hope or future is being that of a returner. I told people the beginning of this year the organization's decision to continue to ask the young man to do something he isn't cut out to be in the NFL is going to destroy and end his time with us in all avenues.

You are right, the above doesn't in any way erase Amari's mistakes which are plenty and still his fault...however he never should have been in the position for many of them to occur.
why shouldn't he have been? he's a 3rd round slot WR with a pretty extensive collegiate PR background. putting him on punt returns wasn't some Death Knell, it was a golden opportunity. and where were they supposed to play him? WR? why, he can't hang on to it anyway.
 

tynimiller

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why shouldn't he have been? he's a 3rd round slot WR with a pretty extensive collegiate PR background. putting him on punt returns wasn't some Death Knell, it was a golden opportunity. and where were they supposed to play him? WR? why, he can't hang on to it anyway.

I'm not saying what he should have been or what many assumed he could be...I'm talking to the clear indications last year, and confirmed early this year that an NFL punt returner WAS NOT where he should be - yet we kept putting him back there game after game after game.

Returning is a special skillset that isn't just a if you can do this you can do that type thing. Devin Hester was one of the best ever, but could hardly play a lick of WR...

Amari clearly exhibited far less hesitation it appeared when offered offensive snaps as a receiver over when he was returning. You could literally see the doubt in his body returning...that man was done with any chance of returning early this year.
 

Magooch

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I disagree, as a young rookie slot type receiver that is where he has shown progression from last year, into this preseason and even some in season games this year.

Where he has never really shown any kind of progress, hope or future is being that of a returner. I told people the beginning of this year the organization's decision to continue to ask the young man to do something he isn't cut out to be in the NFL is going to destroy and end his time with us in all avenues.

You are right, the above doesn't in any way erase Amari's mistakes which are plenty and still his fault...however he never should have been in the position for many of them to occur.
There's some progression between last year and this year but that's a pretty low bar to clear as he pretty much could only go up from last season.

As before though I'm pretty certain the only reason he got any looks this reason whatsoever is due to injuries elsewhere. Look at the offensive snap counts this season:

Week 1 - 0
Week 2 - 1
Week 3 - 3
Week 4 - 0
Week 5 - 1
Week 6 - 24 (Watkins, Watson out)
Week 7 - 16 (Cobb, Watson out; Watkins limited)
Week 8 - 28 (Cobb, Lazard out, Watson left with injury)
Week 9 - 19 (Cobb out, Doubs left with injury, Watson limited)
Week 10 - 6 (Cobb, Doubs out; Watkins+Watson return)

Progression or not it's pretty clear to me that the team more or less considered him a last-resort option when it comes to WR reps.
 

tynimiller

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There's some progression between last year and this year but that's a pretty low bar to clear as he pretty much could only go up from last season.

As before though I'm pretty certain the only reason he got any looks this reason whatsoever is due to injuries elsewhere. Look at the offensive snap counts this season:

Week 1 - 0
Week 2 - 1
Week 3 - 3
Week 4 - 0
Week 5 - 1
Week 6 - 24 (Watkins, Watson out)
Week 7 - 16 (Cobb, Watson out; Watkins limited)
Week 8 - 28 (Cobb, Lazard out, Watson left with injury)
Week 9 - 19 (Cobb out, Doubs left with injury, Watson limited)
Week 10 - 6 (Cobb, Doubs out; Watkins+Watson return)

Progression or not it's pretty clear to me that the team more or less considered him a last-resort option when it comes to WR reps.

Of course he was not the preferred slot WR, Cobb was and is clearly that. You folks do realize two things can be true at the same time?
 

Magooch

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Of course he was not the preferred slot WR, Cobb was and is clearly that. You folks do realize two things can be true at the same time?
Yeah. Kind of like how I've said he wasn't good enough at PR and simultaneously wasn't good enough to merit any more reps at WR, either.

Virtually everyone would tell you this is the weakest WR room we have had in years. If the only way he's getting snaps on offense is because 32-y.o. Cobb is out, that says enough.

(I'd have to go back and check but I'm pretty sure even when Cobb was out, Lazard was given preference with regards to snaps from the slot)
 

PikeBadger

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Bill Belichick has done it with 2nd rounders.


Edit - Ok, maybe not. I was thinking of 2013 2nd round WR Aaron Dobson but he got 3 seasons before he was released and out of the league.

To be released in the middle of season for football reasons (not arrests, wife beating, etc.) is pretty rare and is evidence of how bad Amari Rodgers is.
The Raiders did it with a 1st rounder before the season started
I don't wish the kid any ill will, but it was past time. This wasn't a mistake or 2. It's been something practically every game going back to the start of last year. It's not like he touches the ball 25 times a game and has a fumble every other week. He touches it like 5 times a week and muffs, bobbles or fumbles it every game. SUnday he almost lost one right away and then lost one and Dallas went on the go ahead score. I'm all for giving guys a chance, but he's had so many already.
Lombardi once said, we are all human, we all make mistakes.......... but if you make too many, you're going to be making them in Philadelphia
 

PikeBadger

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Im still scratching my head trying to figure out trading back up into the 3rd round to select Oren Burks… and that was 2018 lol.
I'm still wondering why Mike Sherman did the exact same thing to draft BJ Sanders.
 

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