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Gute Loot
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Now that it's mostly set, let's talk about the quality of the roster by position.
Quarterback: A+ Rodgers has a legitimate case as the best QB in the game today and one of the greatest of all time. Behind him, Hundley isn't perfect but seems to be improving and has some athleticism that makes him a bit of a wildcard should he ever get in a game. He may not ever draw the 2nd round pick that fans would love in a trade (though he still might), but he's a lot better than most teams' backups.
Running Back: INC. Even after training camp and preseason, there's really no way to grade this backfield accurately. Montgomery looks tantalizing but still needs to prove he can get it done as the lead back for a full season. Williams showed a good 3rd down skill set, but doesn't look special as a runner. Jones may have something in his explosive and compact frame, but we have to see against more than 2nd/3rd string defenses to find out.
Wide Receiver: A The Packers are about as strong at the top and as deep throughout as anyone in the league. While Nelson might not be the absolute elite player that Antonio Brown or Julio Jones are, he's right in that next tier. Every indication is that Adams has built on his great 2016 season. Cobb, while it's often pointed out that he's overpaid, is about as good as it can get for a WR3. All three players down the depth chart are young and had some encouraging moments in preseason.
Tight End: A- The Packers haven't had a player of Bennett's well-rounded ability level in recent memory. Kendricks is one of the best 2nd TE's in the league. Rodgers is one of the best 3rd TE's in the league. While their starter might not be comparable to the elites like Gronk or Kelce, the quality here down to the 3rd spot is pretty remarkable.
Offensive Line: B The starting unit looks capable of picking up where they left off last year. Taylor seems to have taken another step forward, while every indication is that Evans will be a very strong bridge to whoever the future proves to be at RG. The depth, however, is suspect. Spriggs is talented but unfinished and not ready to play. Barclay is injured. Patrick and McCray are fringe roster guys. Murphy is the only one who seems like he might (note: might) be able to provide adequate play this year if called on. This league is starved for quality OL play, and few teams have a starting lineup as strong at the Packers, but the fact remains that injuries could be very problematic.
Defensive Line: B+ Mike Daniels has looked as beastly as ever this preseason, and it would seem that the young guys have taken steps in the right direction. Clark and Lowry have looked better than they did as rookies by a decent margin. To balance out the youth, Jean-Francois and Dial represent stable, if not spectacular, veteran depth. That they've been so careful to keep Adams off IR (to the point of releasing both Price and Ringo) indicates to me that they're really excited about his potential and ability to help relatively soon. I really like this group and in the scenario that the defense actually improves I would envision it being the heart of that improvement.
Edge: C- Nick Perry and Clay Matthews are fine as starters, but they're high risk when it comes to injuries. Behind them, Fackrell hasn't shown improvement to this point. Brooks is a solid backup and was a wise pickup, but he's aging and shouldn't be viewed as some sort of savior. Odom is a total unknown. Further complicating the problem, this is a spot where, even when healthy, the starters should ideally play about 60-70% of the time. That leaves a lot of snaps to be filled by some questionable players. An injury or two could take this group down in a hurry.
Off-LOS Linebacker: C This group strikes me as the definition of average. Ryan and Martinez are solid enough as MIKE type players. Neither have the range or ball skills you want in coverage, but they can play the run and make secure tackles. Thomas has a bit more of that WILL type of skill set. The total lack of depth here is clearly to be augmented by the safeties.
Cornerback: C- I think the depth here is actually pretty strong-- the issue is that it remains unclear whether there are worthy starters that can hold up against strong competition. A healthy House is an upgrade over what the team had last year after Shields went down, and it looked to me like Rollins and Randall were much better players having gotten past their injuries. However, everyone is still taking turns being nicked up, including rookie Kevin King who, while athletic in the extreme, demonstrated that he's still raw in preseason. Hawkins and Pipkins have some ability and have flashed, but they're still very young and inconsistent. This group's realistic goals for 2017 are health and a climb back up to mediocrity. If they can get to average, the play of the front 7 and safeties could help boost the defense overall into an above average category.
Safety: A They miss out on the "+" as they lack a true elite at the position, but Clinton-Dix is a great second tier safety. Burnett has developed into a really good hybrid player next to him, and Jones looks like a souped up version of the same type of player (albeit in development). Brice has demonstrated some rare abilities for a UDFA type of player, and Marwin Evans would be in the mix for playing time on a lot of clubs. This is a great group that will hopefully cover up some of the sins of the corners.
Special Teams: B+ Kicker Mason Crosby is one of the best. Vogel will have good moments and terrible ones. They will have to deal with the inevitable growing pains. Goode's reliability will help both of them, though you still have to contend with his inability to help much in punt coverage, which is why he wasn't on the roster to start camp. Janis/Davis should be solid options in the return game, and the team also returns many good ST rank and file guys, such as Fackrell and Evans. I don't expect ST to cost the Packers too much in 2017, and it may well be a weapon at times.
Quarterback: A+ Rodgers has a legitimate case as the best QB in the game today and one of the greatest of all time. Behind him, Hundley isn't perfect but seems to be improving and has some athleticism that makes him a bit of a wildcard should he ever get in a game. He may not ever draw the 2nd round pick that fans would love in a trade (though he still might), but he's a lot better than most teams' backups.
Running Back: INC. Even after training camp and preseason, there's really no way to grade this backfield accurately. Montgomery looks tantalizing but still needs to prove he can get it done as the lead back for a full season. Williams showed a good 3rd down skill set, but doesn't look special as a runner. Jones may have something in his explosive and compact frame, but we have to see against more than 2nd/3rd string defenses to find out.
Wide Receiver: A The Packers are about as strong at the top and as deep throughout as anyone in the league. While Nelson might not be the absolute elite player that Antonio Brown or Julio Jones are, he's right in that next tier. Every indication is that Adams has built on his great 2016 season. Cobb, while it's often pointed out that he's overpaid, is about as good as it can get for a WR3. All three players down the depth chart are young and had some encouraging moments in preseason.
Tight End: A- The Packers haven't had a player of Bennett's well-rounded ability level in recent memory. Kendricks is one of the best 2nd TE's in the league. Rodgers is one of the best 3rd TE's in the league. While their starter might not be comparable to the elites like Gronk or Kelce, the quality here down to the 3rd spot is pretty remarkable.
Offensive Line: B The starting unit looks capable of picking up where they left off last year. Taylor seems to have taken another step forward, while every indication is that Evans will be a very strong bridge to whoever the future proves to be at RG. The depth, however, is suspect. Spriggs is talented but unfinished and not ready to play. Barclay is injured. Patrick and McCray are fringe roster guys. Murphy is the only one who seems like he might (note: might) be able to provide adequate play this year if called on. This league is starved for quality OL play, and few teams have a starting lineup as strong at the Packers, but the fact remains that injuries could be very problematic.
Defensive Line: B+ Mike Daniels has looked as beastly as ever this preseason, and it would seem that the young guys have taken steps in the right direction. Clark and Lowry have looked better than they did as rookies by a decent margin. To balance out the youth, Jean-Francois and Dial represent stable, if not spectacular, veteran depth. That they've been so careful to keep Adams off IR (to the point of releasing both Price and Ringo) indicates to me that they're really excited about his potential and ability to help relatively soon. I really like this group and in the scenario that the defense actually improves I would envision it being the heart of that improvement.
Edge: C- Nick Perry and Clay Matthews are fine as starters, but they're high risk when it comes to injuries. Behind them, Fackrell hasn't shown improvement to this point. Brooks is a solid backup and was a wise pickup, but he's aging and shouldn't be viewed as some sort of savior. Odom is a total unknown. Further complicating the problem, this is a spot where, even when healthy, the starters should ideally play about 60-70% of the time. That leaves a lot of snaps to be filled by some questionable players. An injury or two could take this group down in a hurry.
Off-LOS Linebacker: C This group strikes me as the definition of average. Ryan and Martinez are solid enough as MIKE type players. Neither have the range or ball skills you want in coverage, but they can play the run and make secure tackles. Thomas has a bit more of that WILL type of skill set. The total lack of depth here is clearly to be augmented by the safeties.
Cornerback: C- I think the depth here is actually pretty strong-- the issue is that it remains unclear whether there are worthy starters that can hold up against strong competition. A healthy House is an upgrade over what the team had last year after Shields went down, and it looked to me like Rollins and Randall were much better players having gotten past their injuries. However, everyone is still taking turns being nicked up, including rookie Kevin King who, while athletic in the extreme, demonstrated that he's still raw in preseason. Hawkins and Pipkins have some ability and have flashed, but they're still very young and inconsistent. This group's realistic goals for 2017 are health and a climb back up to mediocrity. If they can get to average, the play of the front 7 and safeties could help boost the defense overall into an above average category.
Safety: A They miss out on the "+" as they lack a true elite at the position, but Clinton-Dix is a great second tier safety. Burnett has developed into a really good hybrid player next to him, and Jones looks like a souped up version of the same type of player (albeit in development). Brice has demonstrated some rare abilities for a UDFA type of player, and Marwin Evans would be in the mix for playing time on a lot of clubs. This is a great group that will hopefully cover up some of the sins of the corners.
Special Teams: B+ Kicker Mason Crosby is one of the best. Vogel will have good moments and terrible ones. They will have to deal with the inevitable growing pains. Goode's reliability will help both of them, though you still have to contend with his inability to help much in punt coverage, which is why he wasn't on the roster to start camp. Janis/Davis should be solid options in the return game, and the team also returns many good ST rank and file guys, such as Fackrell and Evans. I don't expect ST to cost the Packers too much in 2017, and it may well be a weapon at times.
