Packers 2012 Free Agents: Ryan Grant
by Brandon on Jan 31, 2012 10:00 AM CST
in Green Bay Packers Free Agency
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After a lost 2010 season, Green Bay Packers RB Ryan Grant only missed one game in 2011. An early October match-up against the Broncos.
It was far from his best season with the Packers, but a solid performance from a part-time player. He took a pay cut at the beginning of the season, but I never expected he'd be released. Now his contract is up and he's scheduled to become a free agent. Should the Packers re-sign him?
Pros: If he were to leave, they'd be left with RB James Starks, who's missed a lot of time over his first two NFL seasons. Also, it's a good question whether he can become a reliable starter. RB Alex Green was selected in the third round last year, but he's coming back from a season ending knee injury. Grant finished the 2011 season strong while Starks was out, and he could be a reliable veteran.
Cons: The Packers let a lot of young veterans walk away last season, and the arrival of Alex Green last April seemed to be the beginning of the end for Grant. He'll turn 30 near the end of the 2012 season, and the Packers have preferred youth over experience under GM Ted Thompson.
Verdict: I don't know. At the beginning of the season, I expected this would be his last with the Packers. But the injuries are a concern. They don't really need a veteran presence, but they do need someone they can count on and he's been pretty durable over his career (excepting the 2010 season).
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Draft his replacemnt?
Thats already been done! Grant is gone and we have better alternatives on the roster, including the UDFA Saine. Don’t see any reason to draft his “replacement”. His replacement, a couple of them actually, are already on the roster.
Our Biggest Challenge is how we deal w/ Success!
Saine?
He didn’t really show anything last year. He’s just a guy, and the difference between him and other guys like Dimtri Nance is minimal. Practice squad material.
They don’t have to trade up for Trent Richardson, but they need someone with more upside (and who’s currently healthy) if the other two backs are Starks and Green.
by Brandon on Jan 31, 2012 11:46 AM CST up reply actions 2 recs
I liked what I saw from Saine. It was his first year and he had very limited opportunities but I thought he showed a lot of potential! That said, if a guy falls into their lap in the second round that looks like a game changer I wouldn’t complain if they took him.
The Green Bay Packers...Putting bad coaches out of their misery since 2010
by TrevorR on Jan 31, 2012 12:02 PM CST up reply actions 2 recs
Agreeed, Saine had very limited opportunities- he was an undrafted rookie, who had no offseason and started on the practice squad, but he made it to the active roster and got some playing time. He didn’t have an impact like Starks did last year, but I think he showed good potential and I definitely would want him back next year with a few more opportunities, along with Green. Those touches have to come from somewhere and I see Grant as the possible odd man out, even though I wouldn’t be surprised if he signed another 1 or 2 year deal, because he is a good locker room presence and still has decent value as a veteran running back, although his time is running out and he may want to try and get one last big contract.
by Tracker J Dunn on Jan 31, 2012 3:16 PM CST up reply actions
Speaking of Nance...
I saw that we signed him again when we signed Hill. What is the Packs obsession with this guy? From what I’ve seen of him, there is a lot left to be desired. Any thoughts?
by Weezy685 on Jan 31, 2012 4:45 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
Well, I’d argue he did show something. For him to get touches and snaps as a UDFA is pretty impressive. He did a good job on 3rd downs, and all the coaches praised how smart and assignment sure he was. I think between he and Green, we’ve got a 3rd down back. From there, it comes down to whether or not we think Starks can be the guy. I’d say he definitely can.
Fire Slocum
by packallday555 on Jan 31, 2012 8:12 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
With our offense, isn't all we need a 3rd down back type?
13.
"Skip, once again, stop it; Be an analyst; don't be a douchebag."
I've always been a pretty avid Grant supporter.
He is durable, reliable and although he will never be Adrian Peterson, there are worse backs out there.
We are not a running team but we need strong running backs that can get a few yards and block well when needed and I think Grant is that guy.
Except
Grants not a good blocker, nor a good short yardage runner. He basically gets whats blocked for him and nothing more. Time to move on…
Our Biggest Challenge is how we deal w/ Success!
by Strohman on Jan 31, 2012 10:07 AM CST up reply actions 3 recs
What happens if Starks gets injured again?
And say Green never fully recovers from his knee injury? What if Saine turn out to be just mediocre? All I am saying none of those guys have made it a full season, so we aren’t really sure what they are capable of.
I’m not saying any of those guys are bad, just untested.
by stratefaced on Jan 31, 2012 10:20 AM CST up reply actions
I'm sure THompson will take that gambe. Just like w/ Jenkins.
Can’t play “what if’s” in football. Make the moves that make your team better. Take the what if’s out and move forward! Thompson never looks back, well maybe just a little at the end of a season, then its all forward all the time. Thats how you gotta be if you wanna stay ahead of the competition.
Our Biggest Challenge is how we deal w/ Success!
I agree....
But doesn’t taking a gamble also mean taking a shot a veteran that may seem to have peaked. The Jets did it with LT and he seemed to do ok. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.
I certainly have no clue what TT is thinking for this year, and quite frankly I’m glad I don’t have to make those decisions. But, Grant has been 1 of my favorite players since he came on, mainly because he reminded me of Dorsey Levens (who is my hometown hero). So I guess I have a hard time letting go, but I still think he can be very serviceable.
by stratefaced on Jan 31, 2012 10:47 AM CST up reply actions
For every Tomlinson
There are 10 guys that were brought in for the same purpose. But they didn’t work out… Same w/ Jenkins. Easy to critsize not re-signing him, but for every 30+ yr old that puts up good numbers for another year or 2, there are a dozen Joe Johnsons that failed.
You must be pretty young yet. The Packers are my team, the player come and go. And while I like certain guys more than others, I never get too attached to them. They are commodities that the teams use, not much more…
Our Biggest Challenge is how we deal w/ Success!
I'm 28 so I don't really know if that's classified as young.
But I have watched the Packer since the days of Don Majkowski. It’s hard not to get attached to players you grow up cheering for. Then you grown up and realize football is a business first and foremost. But there must be some players that you hated to see go. Kampman, White, Robert Brooks, Antonio Freeman, Sterling Sharpe (although that was injury related).
As much as we try not to get attached to players, it’s still tough. Eventually you get over it an move on, but that’s part of what makes the game so enjoyable for me. You get to be passionate about something awesome.
And funny you mention Joe Johnson, because that was the name of a former boss of mine. He was a QB that botched a game winning drive for his high school fb team during the championship. Eventually he went all Ray Finkle and became the biggest dick in the world.
by stratefaced on Jan 31, 2012 11:37 AM CST up reply actions
I Loved Ahman Green
And would have loved to see him never leave GB, but at the same time, I fully supported not signing him to a contract similar to the one Houston gave him. He is my favorite Packer, but when he became a FA, i had already moved on cuz I knew he would get a good contract from someone and that he was 30? when he signed the deal. He wasn’t going to be good investment for the Packers just like Grant now. Even tho I don’t think Grant will find any teams interested in him as anything more than a stopgap, vets minimum player.
I’m 46, so I’ve seen players come and go too much to get invested in a player too much.
Our Biggest Challenge is how we deal w/ Success!
That's why I think it's possible Grant may return
Even tho I don’t think Grant will find any teams interested in him as anything more than a stopgap, vets minimum player.
Still less than a 50/50 shot he returns, I’d think.
13.
"Skip, once again, stop it; Be an analyst; don't be a douchebag."
RB is a position where there are plenty of options out there for fillers. Especially when your starter is just average.
The Green Bay Packers...Putting bad coaches out of their misery since 2010
Still tired of our RB's being average... : )
Hoping that isn’t the case in 2012!!!
"SOUTHERN HILLS KENNEL" ~ We Breed The Best Bitches In TEXAS!!!
GO PACK GO!!!
Welcome to the new NFL
If only we had a great back like Adrian Peterson…
checks Min’s record
checks GB’s record
…nah, I think we’re fine.
13.
"Skip, once again, stop it; Be an analyst; don't be a douchebag."
by Wiedmann on Feb 1, 2012 1:54 AM CST up reply actions 3 recs
I wouldn't be against bringing him back as veteran insurance..
has to be at the right price..he’d probably walk.
I love wins. Wins are good for the soul.- Barry Alvarez Sep 25, 2005
We expect to win.- Ted Thompson July 28, 2011
I dunno about drafting a replacement
Since we’ve got Saine and Green, but I think Grant is done. Unless it’s for the right price, I think TT will use his “Over 30” rule when it comes to Grant and unless he goes to the Bears or Vikings, I will still wish him the best of luck.
When life gives ya lemons, shut up and eat your damn lemons.
Brett Favre will lead the Vikings to a Victory in Super Bowl XLVI, Guaranteed! - REVENGE4FAVRE
I was very satisfied with his 2011 season
but I think he’ll be too expensive, so I’ll have to say no
My problem here isn't with Grant but with Starks.
Let’s be honest, Starks did a pretty damn good Brandon Jackson impression at times while dancing in the backfield. He’s a damn hard runner and I like what he can bring to the table moreso than Grant, but I have yet to see it with consistency. Who knows how Saine will develop, he’s basically an unknown at this point and I think that TT has learned his lesson re:HB depth.
Long story short, voted to resign if cost effective.
I already told you! I deal with the god damn receivers so the linebackers don’t have to! I have coverage skills; I’m good at covering people! Can’t you understand that? What the hell is wrong with you people?!
by msc32887 on Jan 31, 2012 11:15 AM CST reply actions 1 recs
I'm sorry
But Grant is done, Starks is a change of pace RB without the mass of a Brandon Jacobs, Seine is Brandon Jackson Lite, and Alex Green has potential coupled with a major knee injury. Not a good roster of RB’s. We need to draft one…either a bruising 250lb third down RB or a shifty speedster with hands that can catch. I would have been fine with UDFA John Clay…or if Ball went pro this year.
we already have a 3rd down back in Kuhn. he may be listed as fb, but he gets most of the touches on short downs and goal lines. As much as i like grant, i just don’t see him a Packer next year.
3rd down back does NOT equal short yardage back. In fact, Kuhn would be the anti 3rd down back. They are usually smaller and shifty and can catch and run with the ball. Kuhn is strictly a goal line back.
The Green Bay Packers...Putting bad coaches out of their misery since 2010
Not w/ the Packers...
3rd down RB for the Packers means a good blocker and usually 215 or so. Good hands and good blocking are the prerequisites for the Packers/McCarthy more than the scatback type.
Our Biggest Challenge is how we deal w/ Success!
This is the truth.
Translation of
Good hands and good blockingGood receivers out of the backfield and good at blitz pickup, because, on third downs, they are usually on the field when the Packers are passing and the whole world knows it .
"Perfection is not attainable,
but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence."
"We're nobody's underdog!"
"We don't play scared!"
Those upstarts in Detroit couldn't beat the Little Sisters of the Poor!
Disagree…you can call it what you want but a third down back is known for their good blocking and receiving abilities. This is why you saw them draft someone like the kid from Hawaii. Just because we lacked that kind of player this year doesn’t mean that it isn’t what they want. Kuhn is a goal line back. Jackson was a third down back.
The Green Bay Packers...Putting bad coaches out of their misery since 2010
THat Hawaii Kid
Green Is 6’ 220! He ain’t no scat back type like Sproles or Bush! He is very much in the same mold as Jackson Only Bigger!
Our Biggest Challenge is how we deal w/ Success!
Let's not forget
That Grant was a practice squad guy from the Giants. I’m not saying that should change his value, but it shows that finding guys for running back can happen anywhere. The RB position should only be looked at with a 2 year outlook because they wear down and get injured all the time. I say if the price is anything more then the minimum the team should pass.
There is nothing wrong with me cheering for players that are former players for my teams. Unless they become a Viking.
by Giant_in_la_area on Jan 31, 2012 1:24 PM CST via mobile reply actions
Pass on Grant... He's been a good Packer, but, time to move on...
But, I don’t think our starting RB is currently on our roster. Starks is serviceable. Saine & Green are totally unknown commodities. I’ll bet TT drafts another one this year, and brings in as many UDFA as possible to find our back for the next couple years… I’m really hoping that someone falls in Ted’s lap in the 2nd or 3rd round that he just can’t pass on the value!
I know I’m in the minority, but, I seriously think that if we had better than just barely serviceable RB’s, our offense would be the better for it.
I’m not saying I want to be a run first team… I’m saying that when we pass 1st to set up the run, we actually have someone that can produce!! I don’t care where TT finds him! 2nd round or UDFA… I do want someone who is a threat when he walks on the field!!
"SOUTHERN HILLS KENNEL" ~ We Breed The Best Bitches In TEXAS!!!
GO PACK GO!!!
true story
earliest I would want to see a RB would be 4th rounder, I’ll shit myself if we don’t get some stud defensive rookies first.
by Tracker J Dunn on Jan 31, 2012 3:23 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
As I've posted on other threads... Think TT will find a way to get something for Matt Flynn...
I figure we’ll use our 1st round pick on either a DE or OLB… If we’re lucky to get another 1st round pick for Flynn, I’d expect to draft defense again… DE or OLB… So, if that were the case, I wouldn’t mind TT drafting a decent RB in the 2nd round! : )
I’ll let TT handle all that, just can’t wait to see who we get! And if anything, we get for Flynn!
"SOUTHERN HILLS KENNEL" ~ We Breed The Best Bitches In TEXAS!!!
GO PACK GO!!!
Agreed.
Go Suns, Packers, Jays, and Huskers!
Read my thoughts on Creighton University athletics at Creightonian.com
I also edit things at Ridiculous Upside. Check it out.
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