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Top 10 Players in 2009: #7 - WR Donald Driver
by Brandon
on Jul 2, 2009 10:00 AM CDT
in Looking Ahead to 2009
5 comments
The first three players listed in the Top 10 for 2009 are guys who need to rebound from injuries and/or ineffectiveness. With the listing of WR Donald Driver, I'm entering into the realm of players who were great last season.
Obviously Driver is an easy pick for the Top 10. He's only missed a couple games in his long career, been to three Pro Bowls, and has been great every season. He was ranked as the 21st best receiver last season by Football Outsiders which is still very productive. He's one of the Packers' greatest receivers of all time.
So what the heck is he doing down at No. 7? He shouldn't be any higher for a couple reasons:
- At age 34, his career is mostly behind him. And with this list I'm looking ahead. The list of receivers who stayed great after age 35 is a short one. And anyone who's fantasy team got killed by the sudden decline of the Colts' WR Marvin Harrison in 2007 knows how quick it can happen.
- If something did happen to him, then the Packers would have other options. WR Greg Jennings has emerged as the No. 1 receiver. To replace Driver as the No. 2, they could call on either promising young WR Jordy Nelson or WR James Jones. Either would be a step down from Driver, but the pass offense could still produce without him.
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Football Is Back - In Canada
by Brandon
on Jul 2, 2009 1:00 AM CDT
in News
3 comments
I'm always surprised to read about the Canadian Football League. I keep thinking the league was something that happened in the 1970s or 1980s and it isn't around anymore, like the USFL or the ABA. Instead, the CFL keeps on ticking. They kicked off the 2009 season with a game on Wednesday night and the Toronto Argos won.
I was surprised to find that there is a CFL section on Yahoo, but not on ESPN, although the Worldwide Leader in Sports still has a section for the defunct Arena Football League.
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The Top 10 Players in 2009: #8 - LT Chad Clifton
by Brandon
on Jul 1, 2009 11:00 AM CDT
in Looking Ahead to 2009
2 comments
Before I get further into the list, and start pointing out some of the players who are obviously the best players on the team, I'm discussing a couple players that might be more important than you think. Yesterday it was RB Ryan Grant, and today it's LT Chad Clifton.
He's been a fixture at left tackle since the middle of his rookie season in 2000. He's been a solid player who arguably had his best season as a pro in 2007 when he made his first and only trip to the Pro Bowl. He entered 2008 as the unquestioned left tackle and one of the better pass blockers in the league.
But 2008 was his worst season. He was listed on the injury report for every game because of his bad knees. He had surgery on both of them this offseason and was held out for all of the OTAs. He started out strong last season; in week, DE Jared Allen didn't record a sack or tackle against him. But for most of the season, he struggled, as I'm sure his knees were bothering him.
Can Clifton rebound? If healthy, he's the most valuable player on the offensive line. But has the 10 year vet still got something left in the tank or will his bad knees keep him from returning to the Pro Bowl? Something else that makes him so valuable is there is no clear alternative. This summer, the coaches took a long look at rookie OL Jamon Meredith at left tackle, but the idea of starting a 5th round rookie at left tackle is scary. This is also a contract year for him; the six year contract he signed in 2003 is in its final year. Hopefully he's got at least one more good year left in him because there are not a lot of other options.
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Detroit Trades S Gerald Alexander for WR Dennis Northcutt
by Brandon
on Jul 1, 2009 1:00 AM CDT
in News
0 comments
This trade was announced last week but finalized on Tuesday. Last week, I didn't think much of it. Detroit has been acquiring a lot of mediocre veteran players this offseason, and WR Dennis Northcutt just added one more. Not that this is a bad thing for Packer fans, but I continue to be unimpressed with the new direction in Detroit. Anyone might be better than Matt Millen, but their new GM Mayhew worked for Millen and he doesn't seem much better.
Over at Pride of Detroit, they liked the move. Northcutt adds depth where they needed depth. The Lions had too many safeties on the roster, so trading S Gerald Alexander opens up some room on the roster. But Alexander was a 2nd round pick that started all 16 games as a rookie in 2007. He lost his starting job in 2008, but they need to rebuild with young player in their mid-20s, not veteran WRs in their 30s.
Meanwhile, Jaguar fans at Big Cat Country are happy with the move too. They get something for a receiver who was going to be released, and the something they got was a young safety who's already started 17 games in his first two seasons. Plus, Jacksonville doesn't have a lot of depth at safety and he immediately becomes a potential starter.
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The Top 10 Players in 2009: #9 - RB Ryan Grant
by Brandon
on Jun 30, 2009 7:00 AM CDT
in Looking Ahead to 2009
4 comments
No. 9 on my Top 10 in 2009 countdown is RB Ryan Grant.
There are several things wrong with including Grant on the Top 10:
- He signed a big contract last season and then immediately injured his hamstring.
- His yards/carry dropped from 5.1 to 3.9.
- Although his carries increased from 188 to 312, his ran for 4 fewer TDs (8 to 4) and had 5 fewer runs over 20 yards (11 to 6).
- His fumbles increased from 1 to 4.
- RB Brandon Jackson ran for 5.5 yards/carry last season and looked like the better back.
All of these points are true, but it doesn't matter because Grant is the guy. As a team the Packers only had 437 carries in 2008, and 312 of them went to Grant. He's the big back that Mike McCarthy prefers, and the other two big backs on the roster (RB DeShawn Wynn and RB Kregg Lumpkin) combined for only 9 carries last season. They are there to provide insurance, not competition. Plus, barring a complete collapse during the preseason, his big contract guarantees that he'll win the job.
I was in love with the guy after his incredible 2007 season, but he fell to earth in 2008. The Packers are counting on him to play better in 2009 because he is the run offense.
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How To Describe LB Brady Poppinga?
"Brady’s a glass eater," Greene said. "He’s a head-buttin’, coconut-buttin’ guy. I like Brady. He’s got a great work ethic."
New linebackers coach Kevin Greene is a quote machine.
3 days ago
Brandon
0 comments
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Ah, the Sweet Taste of Redemption
So it turns out that staying the hell away from Andre Smith was even better than we thought. Three cheers for Raji not being a jerk!
4 days ago
Mitchell_M
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The Top 10 Players in 2009: #10 - DE Cullen Jenkins
by Brandon
on Jun 29, 2009 7:00 AM CDT
in Looking Ahead to 2009
8 comments
Being able to write a top 10 list helps me think about football. Also, it enables me to avoid writing about QB Aaron Rodgers' new girlfriend. It's a win-win situation.
Starting with No. 10 on my Top 10 in 2009 countdown is DE Cullen Jenkins.
He missed the last 12 games in 2008 with a torn pectoral muscle. I expect he's fully recovered, so let's talk about what Jenkins has done over the past couple seasons, when healthy. When he finally broke into the starting lineup at right DE, in place of DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, it was for his run defense. He immediately improved it, although that was a low bar since KGB was generally so awful at stopping the run. In 2008, he was providing a monster pass rush, he had 2.5 sacks in the first 4 games. The 2.5 sacks doesn't even cover it; he was constantly in the backfield and after the QB.
In 2009, the Packers need someone other than LB Aaron Kampman to provide a pass rush, and Jenkins should be the first option. Also, the run defense needs to improve, and he has proven solid in that regard too. But what really makes him so valuable is that there is no one else like him on the team. NT B.J. Raji might be a great pass rusher too, we'll have to wait and see, but as of right now, I'm expecting he'll be primarily an anchor on the line. I don't expect him to be running down the QB. Jenkins is the only one on the DL that should be getting after the QB.
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