Bishop Says Hammy 100% Good, Sets High Goal

Yup, assuming you haven't jinxed the whole front 7.

Should be better. Neal was back almost all of last year correct?

Other than the 4 game suspension?

I'm thinking he meant to say Perry back instead of Neal.

Should be much improved. Just stay healthy please!!

I always worry about hamstring injuries. Sometimes they end up worse than knees.

Sounds like the kind of confidence Al Harris had.

Hope I'm wrong.

I agree with anti on this. That's a major injury and he has all kinds of pressure; from the young guys, from the draft day rumors, from the dearth of leadership on the defense, from the fade of the older players on the roster last year (I'd bet TT is none too happy with how much money they spent on Driver, Woodson, and Saturday last season), and from himself. If he makes it through training camp and a game or two of looking good in the regular season I'll feel super confident that he's back, but before he does it I have to admit I'll be apprehensive about him returning to his former level of play...



...let alone becoming the NFL Defensive MVP.

Weird as it sounds and as much as he's appreciated, I'm not sure he's credited enough for the vitality he brings to the defense. IMO, He was the catalyst for the 2010 defense's ascension. The cross blitzes bring the added pepper to the defense and no one has been as good at it as him since Capers arrived.



His mindset can elevate the play of the entire defense, his physicality creates chaos and breaks schemes, but the way he plays is as taxing as it comes. He might be healthy enough to run but not explode and that could make him a completely different player.

The Packers may be the most patient team in the NFL when giving guys a chance to recover properly from injuries, but if he's not up to his own lofty standards you have to wonder how much opportunity they'll give him to return to form once the regular season starts. Saturday literally dragged the entire offense down with him last year. If Bishop isn't getting it done early they may decide to get younger and faster sooner than they would have otherwise.

I also think durability might have more of an impact on the final 53 this year than any in recent memory. I'd think MM and TT are as sick as we are about availability issues. I'm not suggesting 55 won't make the team, but there's a lot of injury uncertainties heading into training camp and they might not all make the cut. Throw in the new big contracts and the Packers might feel the pull to get younger, cheaper, and ahead of the decline of the older guys on the team.

This goes back a long ways, and I know others have seen the article, but Dom's defenses have been notorious for being great initially then declining. Obviously we have seen this ourselves, but it correlates well to the players who have had to play due to injuries.

Whether or not teams have figured out the 3-4 or not is not totally relevant. I almost have to agree with Vic that it's players not plays. As many have insinuated, that our defense is predictable, if we have the players to make the plays, it is not relevant.

I am more than happy to see the new blood and skill in the line up and to enjoy what they produce.

Let the pundits predict what they choose.

I am not worried. Welcome back Bishop!

I am as excited to see what Manning can do in the middle as I am about seeing Bishop back in there.

quote:

Originally posted by DH13:
I am as excited to see what Manning can do in the middle as I am about seeing Bishop back in there.

I have high hopes for Manning too as he had that weird illness which caused him to lose a ton of weight in training camp last year. The Pack will know better what they have in him this year than last.

As for Bishop, let's hope it's not a Mark D'Onofrio situation (2nd round pick of the Pack in 1992) as the way I understand it they both had the same kind of injury. It has been 20 years since that happened so medical advances hopefully allow Bishop to heal better than D'Onofrio ever did as it ruined a promising career in his case.