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2008 Team Report: Green Bay Packers
Quarterbacks
Starter: Aaron RodgersBackup(s): Brian Brohm [R] Starting QB: With QB Brett Favre's retirement, the Packers will hand the ball over to former first-round pick Aaron Rodgers to lead the offense. After two seasons of shaky moments when given an opportunity, Rodgers finally showcased some ability last season in a game against the Dallas Cowboys. He completed 18 of 26 passes for 201 yards in that game and earned some much needed confidence. He will likely have good and bad moments in the upcoming season, but he does have the talent to keep the Packers in the playoff race. Backup QB: The Packers drafted QB Brian Brohm in the second round. The Louisville QB has very good skills and he'll have a chance to compete for the starting job in Green Bay by 2009. He is a smart quarterback who has enough physical talent to become a good NFL quarterback.
Running Backs
Starter: Ryan GrantBackup(s): Brandon Jackson, DeShawn Wynn
Fullback(s): Korey Hall Starting RB: One of the more interesting stories in 2007 was the rise to glory of RB Ryan Grant. He took over as the starting RB in Week 8 and proceeded to rush for 929 yards in the remaining 10 games. He averaged 5.1 yards per carry and at times looked unstoppable pounding the ball between the tackles. At 6-foot-1 and 218 pounds he has the size to pound the ball along with surprising speed and elusiveness, which he showcased a year ago. He is yet another example that teams don't need to spend a high draft pick on a running back in this era. Backup RBs: The Packers are blessed with two decent, young options as the backup running backs. Brandon Jackson was the Packers second-round draft choice in 2007 and had some respectable moments as a rookie. He is very fast with decent skills and he is a nice change-of-pace back. DeShawn Wynn scored four touchdowns in 2007 and brings more of a power game to the Packers backfield. Fullback: Korey Hall is on the field to block and will have minimal fantasy impact this season.
Wide Receivers
Starters: Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, James JonesBackups: Ruvell Martin, Jordy Nelson [R] Starting WRs: Donald Driver enjoyed his fourth straight 1,000-yard receiving season last year but found the end zone only twice. He's never been a prolific touchdown machine but the two touchdowns in 2007 were surprising. For the first time in his career, he'll have to develop chemistry with a new quarterback, and at 33 years old, he has reached the point of his career where the skills will decline. Greg Jennings, on the other hand, is just now entering the prime of his career. In just 13 games last year, he finished with 920 yards and 12 touchdowns. He became the best receiver on the squad and he is still improving. He had 87 receiving yards and a touchdown against the Cowboys when QB Aaron Rodgers was pressed into action. Backup WRs: Second-year WR James Jones had some nice moments as a rookie last season and finished with 676 receiving yards. He is quick and should continue to develop. WR Ruvell Martin has great size at 6-foot-4 and 217 pounds. He caught four touchdowns last season on just 16 receptions. He adds nice depth to the squad. Taken in the second round, Jordy Nelson is an intriguing receiver. He put up great numbers at Kansas State and will have a chance to contribute down the road. He appears to be similar to Brandon Stokley in ability.
Tight Ends
Starters: Donald LeeBackups: Tory Humphrey Donald Lee emerged last season. He had a great season finishing with 48 receptions, 575 receiving yards and six touchdowns, giving the Packers a dependable target across the middle of the field. He will be only 28 this season and should continue to put up good numbers for the next several years.
Place Kicker
Mason Crosby : Crosby was nearly unstoppable from long range during his sophomore and junior seasons at Colorado, and very likely would have been a rare first day draft selection had he come out at that time. He stayed for his senior year, struggled, and fell to the Packers in the sixth round of last year's draft. He proceeded to score 141 points in his rookie year, placing Green Bay atop the kicker scoring rankings. His 79.5% (31 of 39) percentage was low for an NFL kicker, especially in a year when accuracy was up across the board. Crosby still displayed his range, going 3 of 5 from 50+ yards, including a long of 53 yards. On kickoffs he averaged 63.0 yards and had 14 touchbacks, which was very good since many rookies struggle due to the NFL's K-ball.Kick and Punt Returners
Kick Returners: Tramon Williams; Will Blackmon; Jordy Nelson; Vernand Morency; Brandon Jackson; DeShawn Wynn; Shaun Bodiford; Noah Herron; Ruvell Martin CB Will Blackmon returned both kickoffs (22.2 avg.) and punts (8.3 avg.) while at Boston College. Last year he won the return specialist role in preseason, but a broken thumb and then a broken foot eliminated much of his year. In his absence, kickoff returns were primarily handled by CB Tramon Williams (30 returns, 22.8 avg.) and the since released Koren Robinson. Although rookie WR Jordy Nelson did not handle kickoff returns at Kansas State, the Packers will take a long look at him in that regard. Green Bay is planning to typically lineup two players deep, of which Williams will very likely be one with Blackmon or Nelson as early favorites for the second spot. RB Vernand Morency (31 returns, 21.6 avg. in 2006), RB Brandon Jackson, and RB DeShawn Wynn have an outside shot at the second spot. Potential backups include WR Shaun Bodiford (2 returns, 20.5 avg.), RB Noah Herron (5 returns, 16.2 avg. in 2006), and WR Ruvell Martin. Rookies WR Brett Swain and RB Kregg Lumpkin have also been practicing on kickoff returns. Punt Returners: Will Blackmon; Tramon Williams; Charles Woodson; Shaun Bodiford; Greg Jennings; Jordy Nelson When Blackmon became unavailable to handle punt returns, the Packers turned to old reliable, CB Charles Woodson. Once again, he did pretty well for an old guy (33 returns, 8.1 avg.). Tramon Williams made a splash on his six returns, taking one of them 94 yards for a score. When Blackmon returned later in the season, he delivered (8 returns, 13.3 avg., 1 TD) on the promise shown in preseason. Either or both of WR Greg Jennings (5 returns, 5.8 avg. in 2006) and Shaun Bodiford (6 returns, 4.2 avg. in 2006) are potential backups. The wildcard is second round draft pick WR Jordy Nelson. Although he only returned six punts during his career at Kansas State, he took three of those all the way for a TD. That scoring percentage is hard to beat. While kickoff returns typically factor more heavily in into fantasy rankings, the Packers finished 8th in fantasy returns last year on the strength of their punt returns.Offensive Line
Projected Starters: LT Chad Clifton, LG Junius Coston, C Scott Wells, RG Jason Spitz, RT Mark TauscherKey Backups: Tony Moll, Daryn Colledge, Orrin Thompson Commentary coming soon.
Team Defense
Brett Favre got most of the headlines during Green Bay's deep 2007 run, but the defense did its fair share of the work. Led by a solid core of veteran talent, the Packers finished in the top five in scoring defense and a respectable 11th in total yardage. Other than the loss of Corey Williams from the defensive line rotation, Green Bay returns its entire unit intact. Defensive ends Aaron Kampman, Cullen Jenkins and Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila combine with a solid DT group to form a formidable front four that is stout against the run and provides a regularly disruptive pass rush. Nick Barnett and A.J. Hawk are both among the better all-around linebackers in the league, and are capable of contributing sacks and interceptions. The secondary uses a lot of man coverage and is prone to getting beaten deep, but also generates a number of big plays. Another plus is that the Packers NFC North schedule features a number of mistake-prone quarterbacks. They may not show a lot of improvement, but the Packers should remain among the top 10 fantasy defenses this season.Defensive Line
Starters: DE Aaron Kampman, DE Cullen Jenkins, DT Ryan Pickett, DT Johnny JollyBackups: DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, DE Mike Montgomery, DE Jeremy Thompson [R], DT Justin Harrell, DT Colin Cole Starting DL: Aaron Kampman is one of the best two-way defensive ends in the NFL and has racked up 150 tackles and 26 sacks over the last two seasons. Kampman led the NFL in sacks in 2006 with 15. Playing opposite Kampman is Cullen Jenkins, who is coming off a lackluster 2007 season. Jenkins only had one sack last year after a combined 11 sacks in the previous two years. Run stuffing DT Ryan Pickett is one of the better interior linemen in the NFL and he has racked up 323 tackles over the last six seasons. Joining Pickett inside is 3rd year pro Johnny Jolly, who has been plagued with injuries in his first two seasons. Jolly has been impressive in limited duty but has never been a full-time player in his brief time with the Packers. Backup DL: Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, better known as KGB, is no longer playing full time at DE, but he is an important part of the Green Bay defense. Over the last six seasons, KGb has averaged almost six sacks per year and he is one of the best edge rushers in the league. Mike Montgomery provides depth at DE. The Packers are hoping 6th round pick Jeremy Thompson can add depth on the line and develop into a situational pass rusher. DT Justin Harrell was the Packers' top draft pick in 2007 and suffered through an inconsistent and injury plagued rookie season. Colin Cole returns to add depth to the DT spot.
Linebackers
Starters: MLB Nick Barnett, WLB A.J. Hawk, SLB Brady PoppingaBackups: SLB Brandon Chillar, W/MLB Desmond Bishop, MLB Abdul Hodge, OLB Tracy White Starting LBs: MLB Nick Barnett has established himself as one of the premier LBs in the NFL. Barnett has averaged over 120 tackles per year over the last five seasons, adding 12 sacks and nine picks over the same time span. Barnett has also improved in pass defense. Former first round pick A.J. Hawk returns at WLB and hopes to improve on a disappointing 2007 season. Hawk saw a decline in both his tackle and sack numbers and did not create as many big plays as the Packers had hoped for last year. Brady Poppinga starts at SLB and although he doesn't put up big numbers, he is a good fit in the Packers defense. He may face a challenge for his starting spot from former Ram LB Brandon Chillar. Backup LBs: The Packers were concerned about their LB depth last year, so they ventured into the free agent market and signed veteran LB Brandon Chillar. Chillar set career highs last year with 65 tackles and three sacks and adds a much needed veteran backup at LB. Abdul Hodge is finally healthy after battling knee injuries for most of his career, but it remains to be seen if he can live up to the promise the Packers had hoped for when they selected him in the 3rd round of the 2006 draft. Desmond Bishop was impressive last year in the preseason and is currently the primary backup at MLB and WLB. Tracy White is a special teams ace and provides depth at LB.
Defensive Backs
Starters: SS Atari Bigby, FS Nick Collins, CB Al Harris, CB Charles WoodsonBackups: FS Aaron Rouse, CB Jarrett Bush, CB Will Blackmon, CB Tramon Williams, S Tyrone Culver Starting DBs: Atari Bigby came out of nowhere to have a solid season for the Packers. Bigby is a physical presence in the secondary and his pass coverage improved as the season went on. The hard-hitting safety finished the year with 86 tackles and picked off five passes. Nick Collins had an inconsistent 2007 season and may face a battle from Aaron Rouse for his starting free safety spot. Collins missed three games due to a knee injury and saw his numbers fall across the board last year. Charles Woodson has had a couple of big years since joining the Packers in the 2006 season. He has racked up 12 picks over that time. Veteran Al Harris returns at the other CB spot. He has lost a step but is still solid in coverage. Backup DBs: Aaron Rouse was impressive as a rookie in limited time last year and is expected to push Nick Collins for the starting free safety job. Rouse started three games when Collins suffered a knee injury last season. CB Will Blackmon has battled injuries during his two years with the Packers. If he can stay healthy, Blackmon should compete to be the nickel CB as well as a punt returner. Jarrett Bush replaced the injured Charles Woodson late last year. Even though he struggled, he will compete for a backup CB spot. Tramon Williams returned kicks last year and is solid on special teams. Tyrone Culver enters his second year and adds depth to the secondary. Last modified: 2008-06-07 06:23:20
