Wednesday Curds: Packers S Darnell Savage is poised to break out

In his first draft as the Packers’ general manager, Brian Gutekunst nabbed a significant windfall when he traded out of his first selection: a 2019 first-round pick. A future first is one of the most tantalizing of assets. If fans and media members alike tend to get fixated on potential, there’s nothing that will stoke the fires of their interest more than a first round pick in next year’s draft. Such an asset is literally all potential, and all you can do is wait for your turn to pick again.

Via another trade, that pick would turn out to be Maryland safety Darnell Savage Jr., an ultra-athletic defensive back oozing more of that promising word: potential.

After a solid season slowed slightly by injury, Savage stands ready to realize some of that promising potential, and it’s hard to imagine a much better situation in which to do it. His running mates in the secondary include the reliable Adrian Amos, the ascending Jaire Alexander, and Kevin King, who put together his best season as a pro in 2019. Add in a defensive front featuring regular pressure from the Za’Darius and Preston Smith and Kenny Clark, and Savage should be free to maximize his prodigious gifts, this time with a year of experience under his belt.

2020 Packers breakout candidates: S Darnell Savage | Packers Wire

The Packers Wire tabs Savage as one of the most likely breakout candidates on the Packers roster this season, while NFL.com goes even further, naming him the most likely player on the Packers to make his first Pro Bowl.

Packers all-time 53-man roster: Battle at starting quarterback headlines Green Bay’s legendary unit | CBS Sports

Props for even trying this exercise; narrowing down a starting lineup of historic Packers players is hard enough, but Bryan DeArdo goes for the full 53.

Pray for Kabeer, Chapter I: The School Play, the Minister of Defense and the Fall of a Hero | Sports Illustrated

In this multi-part story (part II just dropped this morning), Sports Illustrated digs into Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila’s post-Packers days, and it’s a wild ride.

How it happened: Aaron Rodgers’ top passer rating, before he maxed out | Packers.com

In his continuing look at great performances in Packers history, Mike Spofford looks at what was once Aaron Rodgers’ best game by passer rating before he posted a perfect 158.3 against the Raiders last season.

Bear opens front door, goes into house to look for pizza | UPI

Sounds like an honest mistake.