| neighborhood https://www.thepackersfanshop.com/Nick-Perry-Jersey , as the Green Bay Packers have made not just one but two coaching changes since last Sunday’s loss to Arizona.In such a week that has left many fans feeling like the organization is spiraling out of control, Green Bay also lost another key player to injured reserve as the season nears a welcome finish. Rather than diving into the endless abyss of coaching rumors, I felt inclined to review three non-staff thoughts for the week, including a final more optimistic one.Have the Packers missed Aaron Ripkowski?Count me as one who thought the Packers could benefit from straying away from keeping a fullback during the final cuts of preseason. However, a part of me is beginning to re-think that notion.I’m not saying that he would have entirely solved the Packers’ special teams woes this season, but Ripkowski appeared in over 46% of Green Bay’s special teams plays in 2017. That level of experience, along with the fact that Ripkowski never logged a special teams penalty in a Packer uniform, may be something the Packers have missed in a year of errors.Offensively, Ripkowski committed just one penalty in three seasons with Green Bay as well and was instrumental as a pass blocker on third downs. Although the Packers have lined up Lance Kendricks in the backfield this season in the H-back role without Ripkowski and have also used Jamaal Williams in pass protection, there’s a possibility that Aaron Rodgers has lacked the comfort in the pocket that players like John Kuhn and Ripkowski have provided over the years. Rodgers and the Packers have had far too many struggles on third down to list Ripkowski as a savior of the offense, but there stands a chance that his role in both the running and passing games on that down has been missed in 2018. For what it is worth, fullback Danny Vitale, who was a promising special teams player in his first two years with Cleveland, was recently promoted to the active roster and had eight special teams snaps last Sunday, as well as three offensively. Under Joe Philbin, will the Packers return to using a fullback more prominently?Not being able to see the full depth of the Packers’ cornerback group has been a disappointmentJaire Alexander is a stud at cornerback and a real bright spot for the Packers moving forward. Josh Jackson has been picked on, but there is still plenty of optimism that he will overcome rookie mistakes and learn from opponent tendencies as he grows. Jackson’s relative inexperience after bursting on to the scene as a junior at Iowa is often forgotten, as is the fact that he was a wide receiver just three years ago as a freshman. These last four games of the season are great opportunities for Jackson to work on his craft and get meaningful regular season snaps alongside Alexander to grow together.But it sure would have been nice to see Alexander and Jackson growing with Kevin King on the field as well. As the Packers’ first picks of each of the past two drafts, Alexander and King have loads of athleticism and potential to contribute to the defense. That they have only played four games together all season is a disappointment. King closing the season on injured reserve for the second consecutive season is not only disappointing but concerning. The King versus TJ Watt debate will likely be an ongoing one, but there’s no doubting that King was a player the Packers needed at that time and still do. Sadly, it’s been a lost season.While Tony Brown looks promising as a cover man after joining the Packers as a former undrafted free agent, the addition of Bashaud Breeland was supposed to be one that gave the Packers extra talent. At the time, Breeland’s signing looked like an absolute steal after signing for one year at just over $740 Davante Adams Jersey ,000 after his three-year, $24 million deal with Carolina was nullified by a failed physical in spring. But by playing just three games for Green Bay since then, Breeland has been a relative non-factor. If the Packers had King and Breeland on the field right now, the Packers’ cornerback crew of the five names listed above might be more of a talking point around the NFL than what it has been.Packers have a chance to beef up their lines with first three picksAs of now, Green Bay is in line for the 10th pick of the first and second rounds in addition to a late-first selection from New Orleans. That provides the Packers with plenty of ammunition to address the outside of both the offensive and defensive lines.On offense, a pair of standout SEC tackles in Greg Little of Ole Miss and Jonah Williams of Alabama could be early first-round targets if they declare for the draft as juniors. Little is no way to describe Greg Little, a 6’6,” 325-pound specimen who is athletic in pass protection and gets to the second level quickly as a run blocker. With NFL coaching on technique, Little could be a quick insert at right tackle with the status of Bryan Bulaga and Jason Spriggs in question. If nothing else, Little would be an insurance option at left tackle while being groomed to eventually take over a starting role.For a team that has lacked impact edge rushing this season, the Packers figure to have options throughout the first and early second rounds if underclassmen declare as expected. Kentucky’s Josh Allen, Florida’s Jachai Polite, Mississippi State’s Montez Sweat, and Florida State’s Brian Burns each would give Green Bay the bendy, speed rushing prospect they have a high demand for. It’s very possible the Packers could grab two defensive linemen/edge rushers with their first two picks and, in that case, don’t count out an interior player like Mississippi State’s Jeffery Simmons, who has the strength, motor, and versatility to be a dynamic multi-faceted defender.Personally, I find this upcoming draft to be exceptionally intriguing. It is not often the Packers have three picks in the top 45 (at least a decent chance of that happening) and the crop of talent available offers many day one starters. The Packers have benefitted from generational stability at quarterback, a stability that stemmed from drafting one in the first round when they had a 35-year-old star at the top of his game.But even though Aaron Rodgers was a clearly defined successor to Brett Favre, Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst downplayed bringing in Missouri quarterback Drew Lock for a pre-draft visit was part of a plan to eventually replace Rodgers.“I think the whole succession plan thing Josh Jones Color Rush Jersey , I think is a little bit overhyped or whatever,” Gutekunst said, via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. “I go back to when I first started and certainly when Ted [Thompson] came back [as GM in 2005], we value that position extremely highly. And I think every year we spent a lot of time on quarterbacks and try to figure out what kind of players those guys are going to be in the NFL. I think it’s really, really important to us because if you don’t have one it’s really tough to win in this league. So, you know, for us it’s just about each and every year trying to decide which of the guys that could potentially be starters in this league and difference maker-type players. And then if you ever have an opportunity to take them sometime in the draft and it’s the best thing for your team I don’t think you can hesitate with that, you know?“Again, we’re lucky to have the best player in the NFL playing that position right now. But at the same time, just like I was talking about before, your needs can change just like that. So, I think it was just doing due diligence. There’s always questions, specifically with those guys, maybe that are a little more thorough and more in depth that you’ve got to get to the bottom of and so we were trying to do that.”The Packers are in a position to invest for the future, since they have a pair of first-round picks (12th and 30th overall).And it would be easier to dismiss bringing in Lock as one of their 30 visitors if they didn’t also try to schedule Duke’s Daniel Jones. But Gutekunst said between medical issues and other considerations, the extra visits could mean many things.“Certainly, there’s a medical part of it,” Gutekunst said. “There was a bunch of guys not at the combine that we needed medical grades on. That’s part of it. A lot of it is just trying to get to know guys a little bit more. There were some unanswered questions that when we came out of the combine or pro days that we didn’t feel like we had answered.“And then sometime there’s just some subterfuge thrown in there as well.”And that’s fine, as they have enough visits to do things just to mess with their opponents. If that’s all they’re doing, of course. |
