ESPN: Green Bay Packers have 10th best roster in NFL
One of the reasons the Green Bay Packers were active in free agency was the fact they needed to improve their roster in order to be a Super Bowl contender. And while the Packers still have some work to do, the roster might not be as weak as it was made out to be.
Mike Clay of ESPN released his grades for each NFL team and he determined the Packers have the 10th best roster in the league. Clay gave the Packers an overall grade of 6.8 and they are tied with the Cleveland Browns which has numerous ties to the Packers. It was also determined the Packers have the fifth-best offense in the league but the defense is ranked No. 22.
Clay graded every positional unit for the Packers and there were three positions he considered elite. Here's a look at the Packers' top three positions along with their grade.
Quarterback - 9.2
Offensive line - 9.0
Interior defensive line - 9.5
Aaron Rodgers did not have his best season in 2018, but he was still productive which led to him being named to the Pro Bowl. He recorded 4,442 yards, 25 touchdowns, two interceptions and a passer rating of 97.2 which should be good enough numbers to lead a team to a playoff appearance. However, those weren't good numbers for Rodgers or the Packers as the team finished with a 6-9-1 record and it's the first time since 1991 the team has suffered back-to-back losing seasons. As for Rodgers, he set unwanted career marks with his six wins and 25 touchdown passes. The six wins are tied for the lowest in his career and the 25 touchdowns are the lowest in his career when has played at least 10 games in a season.
The offensive line has been strong for the Packers thanks in large part to left tackle David Bakhtiari who is considered the best left tackle in the league. Last year, NFL players showed their appreciation for him as he was ranked as the 91st best player in NFL Network's Top 100 list which was released in May. This is the first time Bakhtiari has made the top 100 list after putting together a string of quality NFL seasons. Bakhtiari finished the 2017 season with a Pro Football Focus grade of 88.9 which was the best grade for all offensive tackles. That led to him being named to the All-Pro Second Team for the second consecutive season. He is the first Packers offensive tackle since Forrest Gregg to be named to the All-Pro team in consecutive seasons. In 2018, Bakhtiari finished the season with a PFF grade of 88.3 which once again was the best grade for all offensive tackles which led to him being named to the All-Pro First Team.
The interior defensive line is led by 2017 Pro Bowler Mike Daniels and Kenny Clark. In 10 games last season, Daniels posted 18 tackles, one tackle for loss, two sacks and five quarterback hits. According to Pro Football Focus, Daniels has posted 32 total pressures which ranked second on the team at the time behind Clark who had 33. He has a PFF grade of 71.2. He was not able to finish the 2018 season because of an injured foot.
Clark ended the year on injured reserve, but he was able to still put together a very strong season. In 13 games, the UCLA alum recorded 55 tackles, eight tackles for loss, six sacks and three passes defended. Clark had a Pro Bowl-caliber season but only three defensive tackles are selected for the all-star game and he couldn't break through the trio of the Rams' Aaron Donald, the Eagles' Fletcher Cox and the Bears' Akiem Hicks. Clark, however, was named an alternate.
Not sure if I'm drinking this Kool-Aid. After the draft, maybe, depending Gutenheimer does.
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