:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/photo_images/7396144/20120612_pjc_bs5_080.jpg)
Rookie Spotlight continues forward after stopping with current fan and media favorite, Dezman Moses, and now focuses on a guy with some media love (although not as much) Nic Cooper.
How acquired: Undrafted Free Agent
Chances of making the team: Slim
Reasonable expectations for 2012: Making the Practice Squad. Cooper has a bit of a tough task in front of him. Traditionally the Packers keep 6 players between the FB and TE spot. With the glut of talent at WR, that may shrink for the first time in a while down to 5 in order to keep more WR's. There are four TE's all but guaranteed to make the roster and a FB who made the NFL Top 100 (suck it Percy Harvin and Chris Johnson) and so that makes it a tall order to make the team. Making the PS isn't such a stretch though. Cooper has an interesting upside and may be a long term answer at FB given a couple years to develop.
How he can exceed expectations: Make the team. If by some miracle Cooper can flash enough talent he may, and I do mean nothing more than may here, push a guy like D.J. Williams for a roster spot. Why Williams? Well Cooper is probably not going to block or tackle better than Tom Crabtree or Ryan Taylor. As a result he has to show that he can be a potent weapon from the FB spot. That means pushing for Williams' receiving threat and H-back area. A flawless camp and spectacular preseason performances may make that happen.
Why Packer fans should keep an eye on him: He could be the heir to John Kuhn. Cooper is definitely from the general mold as Kuhn. He's a tailback from a small college program who isn't quite fast enough for a HB role in the NFL. Despite that, he can block, has some speed and can catch the ball. Given some time to develop and learn the protection schemes he could be a younger version of Kuhn in a few years and push for a roster spot.