This Packers Offense...

Rich Rodgers was supposed to be great this year. The coaching staff and Packers beat writers were puking out all kinds of hype about this fat slug. Forget Finley, this guy makes me miss Bubba Franks. That's how bad he is.

What did Finley ever do except yap?

Apparently pressing "play" might disrupt your ignorance.

 

There are a number of players that were supposed to make a major leap this year. 

Dick Rod is one of them, but the same could be said for Duhvante Adams and Casey Heyward.  Linsley and Lacy and Cobb have not played up to their ability either although Lacy has looked much better the last couple of games.

I agree 100% that they need more talent and production out of the TE position.   It's funny - I view Finley like Nick Collins.  Raw talent when he came into the league but had the ability to dominate at times.  The parallel is both guys got hurt and their careers were cut short but they have not yet found a suitable replacement for either.

It's easy to forget how instrumental both guys were in 2009 and 2010 when they made it over the top and won the title.

and the rest of the time? He wasn't that great. Was the potential there? Yes.

We won the Super Bowl without Finley.

Yup, our TE during that run was a rookie named Andrew Quarles. He wasn't very good. 

He could at least block and run faster than a typical NT. 

TE and MLB.  Giant vortexes of suck for this team for quite a while.  When are either* going to be addressed. 

 

*while Clay has been very good, they weakened one position to strengthen another.  Hardly addressed properly.

 

We played a SB without Finley. In 5 games before wrecking his knee that year, he had already racked up 300 yards receiving and caught 21/26 passes thrown to him. He would have had a huge year. So while yes, they won a SB without him I think it's short sighted to say he wasn't a factor in those early games/wins.

 

You have to be blind to watch those '09 highlights and the early 2010 ones and think we've even come close to that production. In 2011 he was good for nearly 800 yards receiving and 8 TD's in just 13 games. In 2012, he was at 667 yards through 14 games. And we all know what happened after that with his neck.

 

That was not potential. That was proven production to which most defenses had no answer for.

 

Richard Rodgers hasn't cracked 300 yards yet and runs in cement. He's at best a RZ threat and that's only because he has all of 20 yards or less to run.

 

 

We have no one nearly as dynamic a player as Finley was at TE, at any position on this team right now. No one.

Holy **** the stupid on this site is spreading like the ****ing Bubonic Plague. 

Great vid, pboi! Yep, he was pretty damn good. Oh, well.

 

BTW look how much thinner Rodgers is in those clips.

 

Phat Aaron.  thx Yoko

Janis!

TE is the most obvious place where you can criticize TT for not using all options to improve the team. Even before Quarless was hurt, to go into a year with Richard Rodgers and Quarless on your team was not the way to optimize success. You might have been able to get away with it if the WRs were outstanding - but minus Nelson they are clearly pedestrian. A guy like Owen Daniels visited GB and then signed with Denver for 3 million guaranteed (3 years, 12 million). There is something to be said for having some veterans how understand how to play in the NFL, especially a position like TE where understanding defensive coverages and finding holes in the zone or beating a linebacker with some moves is often as important as just raw athletic talent. 

 

You could argue that the NFC Championship game implosion last year doesn't happen if they have a quality red zone threat in the form of a receiving TE. They started the scoring by kicking 18 and 19 yard field goals. 

 

TE has been a problem for years and other than bringing a POS person like Lyerla (who came cheap) and drafting a guy that isn't a starting caliber TE, not much has been done. 

 

 

Let's also add "thx Activision" for making Call of Duty Black OPS. Making Eddie Phat n' Adams not to give a schi*. 

 

It's also ironic that Jimmy Graham was available via trade and the Packers have 2 quality starting Centers which is what the Hags sent down to New Orleans (plus the 1st round pick) to get him. I mean yes hind sights 20/20 but it's TT job to evaluate talent and Tretter would be starting for about 80-90% of other NFL teams. I can't imagine TT wasn't aware Graham was being shopped.

 

Another possible what could have been...

Don't you think Tretter at C was a pretty unknown quantity around the league except at 1265? Not much trade oomph there at the time. To get Graham you've had to had given up some pretty high picks.

 

Can't disagree with MP2's post.

We're all aware of Jimmy Graham's numbers this year, right? They're bad if no one wants to look them up. 

 

And and it can't be because he's on a bad team. He's playing on a team that should have beat everyone's benchmark in the Super Bowl 10 months ago. 

 

And I know it's not because Seattle is having a bad year. That's clearly not a realistic  option around these parts. Bad years don't happen. Bad players happen. Or not trading for bad players. 

 

Not having that C that they traded for Jimmy is also a big reason why Seattle is struggling. 

 

 

His stats for receptions and yds would rank 2nd on the Packers and that is with a game manager throwing the ball, not the 2 time MVP,   By the way, I would not have traded a first and a good player for him.

Jimmy Graham can't block, we don't need that in a TE. Also, at the time of the trade Jordy was healthy---our offense was going to be awesome, just like most of last year.

Dick Rodgers has doubled up Jimmys TD total this year. 

 

Which really brings up the question no ones asking and instead just throwing more **** at the wall of failure. 

 

What is it that everyone's wants out of a TE? No need for 6'5" 257 with 4.48 speed answers either. Let's be real specific about who the TE is and when and where he was acquired. 

 

I dont think Rodgers is the **** stain he's being made out to be. The losing is making him out to resemble a **** stain. And he's got company. 

 

Actually Graham has quietly risen to the 7th best TE in the NFL (total yards). Here's the top 7:

 

Rk	Player	Team	Pos	Rec	Yds	Avg	Yds/G	Lng	TD	20+	40+	1st	1st%	FUM
1	Rob Gronkowski	NE	TE	51	843	16.5	84.3	76T	8	15	4	35	68.6	0
2	Greg Olsen	CAR	TE	53	788	14.9	71.6	52	6	16	1	37	69.8	0
3	Gary Barnidge	CLE	TE	48	667	13.9	66.7	40	7	9	1	33	68.8	0
4	Travis Kelce	KC	TE	50	620	12.4	62.0	42T	3	6	1	29	58.0	1
5	Delanie Walker	TEN	TE	53	617	11.6	68.6	61T	3	7	1	31	58.5	0
6	Benjamin Watson	NO	TE	46	551	12.0	55.1	46	3	10	1	27	58.7	1
7	Jimmy Graham	SEA	TE	44	530	12.0	53.0	45	2	10	1	26	59.1	0

 

 

 

He's been terribly used in Seattle and through the first 4-5 games, the guy was barely even targeted was which was ridiculous. It was a bad trade for Seattle because they had no answer behind Max Unger who they gave up. And to Pikes point, having AR throwing to him is not the same as Wilson.

 

As for trade bait, yes I agree that JC Tretter was largely unknown but it's TT's job to convince NO's he was a starting C just in a log jam behind Linsley. But like Vernon Davis, I doubt a call was even made. But it still makes you wonder since NOs could have gotten a 24 year franchise C (Unger will be 30 in April).

 

 

 

We need a legit TE.  We do not have one.  We will not have one when Quarless is back.  

 

If you can't see that, then I don't know what to tell you.    

And we have concrete evidence Clements would have maxed every ounce of brilliance out of Jimmy based on his almost mystical creative wizardry? 

 

What I want is that 2009 TE version of Finley on this field. We have to realize when you look at teams like NE with Gronk, he opens up so much field between the 20's including medium-long range routes in the middle of the field that is currently not even an option for Rodgers. That also in turn opens lanes for Lacy because safeties can't load the box and they aren't daring Rodgers to throw.

 

In 2009-2010, defenses had almost zero answers for Finley. And he in turn then opened so much up for Jennings, Jones,

 

Jordy Nelson burned on go routes and the deep stuff. We all know that. But there's all of that center field Rodgers could be exploiting and he can't because he has zero TE's capable of doing that. My God we're actually longing for Andrew Quarless' return.

 

Think about that.

 

 

Thus far, there are 150 offensive players that have qualified for stats when it comes to receiving. 

 

Richard Rodgers ranks 140th of those 150 players in terms of yards per catch at 7.3.  Only one non-RB ranks lower, Eddie Royal at 6.6.

 

Added this...

 

And, really, the thing we're seeing is we have ZERO downfield threats.  Zero.

 

AR's Yards/Attempt since 2009:

8.2

8.3

9.2

7.8

8.7

8.4

6.9

 

One of these things is not like the other.  A lack of TE hurts.  An absolute lack of ANYONE that threatens ANYONE is the biggest issue.

 

So, the question is this:

1.  Is this season's outlier due to lack of deep threats?

2.  Is this season's outlier due to a different playcaller being ultra conservative?

3.  

Word.

 

Also, while Jordy's rehab is rumored to be light years ahead of where it should be he's also going to be 30 and coming off a major injury. Is TT going to just believe once he returns all is well again? Wouldn't getting another prolific offensive weapon like grabbing a TE high in the draft or getting a veteran FA TE not insure this O in case Jordy just isn't the same player?

 

He's ignored this position and ILB far too long. That has to change with something other than a project.

Wait wait....

 

people actually want Tretter traded for a TE?

 

And our center position would be what right now? Now that the flaming pile of suck called Linsley is injured?

 

Talk about missing the forest for the trees....

If I am not mistaken it was not people it was one poster, delusional yes but only one

 

For fu** sakes.

 

I wish Janis was 25lbs heavier. He'd be an interesting guy at TE. 

 

Theres nothing in next years draft that shows promise. A guy like Troy Niklas in AZ is collecting dust. 2nd round pick out of Notre Dame. Lots of injuries though. 

 

Eat up Jeff. Eat up. 

You're the one who brought up trading a center for Graham. Defend your position.

Also, I'm going to mention now that there is not one player (Graham, Davis, Finley, Jordy, or whoever) that would systematically fix the offense right now. This is bigger than having a #2 player as the starter. It's a systematic breakdown, probably coming from the coaching staff, but also probably an injured QB and WRs playing like their head is on a different planet. 

True that Rusty, plenty of probs, unforeseen by most of us.  

 

My point Rusty was a All Pro TE was available for trade over the summer. An All Pro at a position TT failed to address. For multiple seasons now. Do I think the trade would have happened? No. But just like Owen Daniels, Greshem, L. Kendricks, and then V. Davis just a few weeks ago TT didn't budge and opportunities were there to sign one of these guys. And since he's a draft and develop guy and didn't do that either, than you would look to trades or FA.

 

Now maybe someone like Davis wouldn't have mattered much. But a message would have at least been sent TT was trying to address the issue.

 

What he's drafted at TE is a complete joke.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hunter Henry-Razorbacks. Supposedly the most complete TE going into the 2016 draft.Guy blocks. Has great speed and size. Projected to be a 2nd round pick.

 

 

 

 

Good objective review on him here written today:

 

http://nflmocks.com/2015/11/28...aft-scouting-report/

I don't want a skill position covered in Bielema stink. I'm a Reggie Ragland fan today. Or one of the many, many really good LT in the next draft. 

 

But I digress. We will talk about this again. But not yet. Not yet. 

 

Again, I think something is wrong internally. The offense just flat out fell apart and seemed a bit off even in the six wins to start. They won, but it didn't look smooth. I wonder if there is friction between AR and Clements, and AR and everyone else. His WRs just don't seem to be trying for him, and AR seems like he has a really poor attitude, like something doesn't sit right for him. My guess is he doesn't see eye-to-eye with Clements, and if AR talks to MM my guess is MM is holding the line and won't take back playcalling. 

 

One thing's for sure: we're more than just a good TE away from being a good team right now.