The Amari Rodgers Thread

[Firethorn1001]

There is nothing exciting there. Other WRs have had some plays where you think something is there or could be there, but for Rodgers... nothing. When he runs, just seems like it is running through mud.

I can't believe there isn't another body that they can have return punts or kicks. If I'm the opposing team, I try to get him to return it. Worst case, probably on the 20. Best case, fumble.

 

[Magooch]

Nothing against the guy of course but it's hard for me to see much point in continuing to hold out for him to do something noteworthy (in a positive sense, lol) for us. Offers nothing whatsoever on offense and his ST contributions thus far have not really been enough to merit taking up a roster space IMO. Might as well roll the dice with another option at this point.

 

[Heyjoe4]

Nothing special but Amari Rodgers in 2021 averaged 8.3 yard per return for 2021 and 18.1 on kickoffs.

Thanks for the stats. 8.3 per punt return seems decent. Well, more than I'd expect for him. 18.1 on kickoffs, not good. I don't get why guys try to return the ball even if it's just inside the goal line. That's not a knock on Amari, just KO returners as a whole.

There is nothing exciting there. Other WRs have had some plays where you think something is there or could be there, but for Rodgers... nothing. When he runs, just seems like it is running through mud.

I can't believe there isn't another body that they can have return punts or kicks. If I'm the opposing team, I try to get him to return it. Worst case, probably on the 20. Best case, fumble.

That's a good description of Amari R, unfortunately. He just hasn't made the psychological jump to the NFL, IMO. He still seems afraid when he's on the field. Too bad really because he's a gifted athlete and should be capable of much more.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Different topic but I wanted your input. I was optimistic about the WR group before the season. Not now. I expect Doubs and Watson will get fewer snaps to begin, but they were playing the Bears last night. It seemed like it was all Watkins with a healthy dose of Cobb. Anyway it's shaping up badly. As the schedule gets harder, starting next week, I'm concerned that if Watkins or Cobb went down, we'd have nothing but Lazard - and it remains to be seem if he can be more than a #3, or if he's recovered from his injury. Just curious what you think.

The Packers will need to rely on their running game to open up passing lanes for the receivers. I guess the unit will be fine as long as Jones and Dillon put up a decent amount of yards per carry. I don't believe there's any way the passing offense will excel if an opponent is capable of limiting the impact of the running backs though.

I can't imagine Bisaccia putting up with this. But maybe it's not his decision, which would suck. They pay him a LOT.

I'm convinced Bisaccia is the one deciding who ends up as a punt and kick returner on any given Sunday.

Nothing special but Amari Rodgers in 2021 averaged 8.3 yard per return for 2021 and 18.1 on kickoffs.

While the average on punt returns is actually decent but pet peeve with him has been that he fair caught too many punts which could have possibly been returned for a decent gain.

As a side note, it would have been better to take the touchback on kickoffs instead of averaging 18.1 yards per attempt.

I hoped the reports of his weight loss and increased focus on these very things over the off-season would have paid more dividends. Alas ..........

That's why it's best to not put any stock into reports like that during the offseason.

I don't get why guys try to return the ball even if it's just inside the goal line. That's not a knock on Amari, just KO returners as a whole.

David Duvernay disagrees with your take

 

[Heyjoe4]

The Packers will need to rely on their running game to open up passing lanes for the receivers. I guess the unit will be fine as long as Jones and Dillon put up a decent amount of yards per carry. I don't believe there's any way the passing offense will excel if an opponent is capable of limiting the impact of the running backs though.



I'm convinced Bisaccia is the one deciding who ends up as a punt and kick returner on any given Sunday.



While the average on punt returns is actually decent but pet peeve with him has been that he fair caught too many punts which could have possibly been returned for a decent gain.

As a side note, it would have been better to take the touchback on kickoffs instead of averaging 18.1 yards per attempt.



That's why it's best to not put any stock into reports like that during the offseason.



David Duvernay disagrees with your take

I do agree that Bisaccia is making the STs call. What I don't understand is why they haven't moved on from Rodgers. I know he's only played one season and two games, but I'm not seeing any improvement.

I'll have to look up David Duvernay. I don't know the name.

 

[OldSchool101]

Nothing special but Amari Rodgers in 2021 averaged 8.3 yard per return for 2021 and 18.1 on kickoffs.

Off the top of my head. That’s below way average for a KR and decent at PR.
I still think we could use Watson on KR only at ST. I wouldn’t really want him out there tackling and getting banged up, he’s got a relatively slight frame for 6’4+

 

[Heyjoe4]

Off the top of my head. That’s below way average for a KR and decent at PR.
I still think we could use Watson on KR only at ST. I wouldn’t really want him out there tackling and getting banged up, he’s got a relatively slight frame for 6’4+

Hmmm, Watson as a returner. It might work. It doesn't seem like he has very flexible hips, unusual for a tall, thin guy. He runs a little stiff. It might be first-year jitters. But I'd be fine if they used him for PR and/or KR. Ball security is an issue with him, but he's gotta get over to sometime. Game experience is a good way to find out cause they're going nowhere with Rodgers.

Bisaccia doesn't strike me as a real patient guy.

 

[tynimiller]

Off the top of my head. That’s below way average for a KR and decent at PR.
I still think we could use Watson on KR only at ST. I wouldn’t really want him out there tackling and getting banged up, he’s got a relatively slight frame for 6’4+

Doubs could be an excellent returner but I said a while back IMO neither will be put back there because this team is counting on both of them to be solid WR options as the season progresses - that is much more vital

 

[Heyjoe4]

Doubs could be an excellent returner but I said a while back IMO neither will be put back there because this team is counting on both of them to be solid WR options as the season progresses - that is much more vital

Doubs is a better choice than Watson and anybody is better than Rodgers. OK that's not true. Just seems like it.

Doubs runs well in a crowd, at least in the limited views I've had. He has the instincts of a running back. But yeah, the risk of injury is too high I guess. I do wish he would get more targets on O.

 

[OldSchool101]

Doubs could be an excellent returner but I said a while back IMO neither will be put back there because this team is counting on both of them to be solid WR options as the season progresses - that is much more vital

Im talking about doing both.WR + KR

Several are Touchback and beyond the opening Kick you might have 2-3 per game that are returnable?

I’d rather have a guy who runs a 1.45 10 yard split and he has turbo jets if he sees a hole he’s gone. He’s run a 4.28-4.36 40 yard and nobody on the field is catching him outside of a yard of separation. Raw Speed is a key ingredient at KR, ask Desmond Howard. Plus he’s got a great stiff arm.

In college he had 26 KR for 686 yards and 2 TD. It’s not like he has to learn 75 different route trees. Get him involved on a couple each game. He can still do his Offensive Packages Matt has (unless he scores a 100 yard TD, then I’d rest him)

Give him 2-3 attempts per game and there’s a high likelyhood he scores or breaks some biggies this season. Worst case we start at the 26 (his college average) instead of our 22 or whatever. I thought about injury, but We gotta stop playing scaredy Cat and get our best on that field on every play.

 

[Heyjoe4]

Im talking about doing both.WR + KR

Several are Touchback and beyond the opening Kick you might have 2-3 per game that are returnable?

I’d rather have a guy who runs a 1.45 10 yard split and he has turbo jets if he sees a hole he’s gone. He’s run a 4.28-4.36 40 yard and nobody on the field is catching him outside of a yard of separation. Raw Speed is a key ingredient at KR, ask Desmond Howard. Plus he’s got a great stiff arm.

In college he had 26 KR for 686 yards and 2 TD. It’s not like he has to learn 75 different route trees. Get him involved on a couple each game. He can still do his Offensive Packages Matt has (unless he scores a 100 yard TD, then I’d rest him)

Give him 2-3 attempts per game and there’s a high likelyhood he scores or breaks some biggies this season. Worst case we start at the 27 instead of our 22 or whatever.

I didn't know he had that much college experience as a KR. Yeah I'd use him there, considering how rare returns are now. He would certainly be an upgrade over Rodgers.

 

[tynimiller]

Im talking about doing both.WR + KR

Several are Touchback and beyond the opening Kick you might have 2-3 per game that are returnable?

I’d rather have a guy who runs a 1.45 10 yard split and he has turbo jets if he sees a hole he’s gone. He’s run a 4.28-4.36 40 yard and nobody on the field is catching him outside of a yard of separation. Raw Speed is a key ingredient at KR, ask Desmond Howard. Plus he’s got a great stiff arm.

In college he had 26 KR for 686 yards and 2 TD. It’s not like he has to learn 75 different route trees. Get him involved on a couple each game. He can still do his Offensive Packages Matt has (unless he scores a 100 yard TD, then I’d rest him)

Give him 2-3 attempts per game and there’s a high likelyhood he scores or breaks some biggies this season. Worst case we start at the 26 (his college average) instead of our 22 or whatever.

Eh disagree some but not entirely. Hester was above a 1.51 ten...there is more to returning IMO and Doubs film IMO illustrates more ability of discerning what lane to select than Watson who sees if he can beat the closure of a hole. Doubs anticipates a touch more I guess is what I'm trying to say.

 

[OldSchool101]

Eh disagree some but not entirely. Hester was above a 1.51 ten...there is more to returning IMO and Doubs film IMO illustrates more ability of discerning what lane to select than Watson who sees if he can beat the closure of a hole. Doubs anticipates a touch more I guess is what I'm trying to say.

Christian was a KR at N.D. State. Most people forget, he had nearly 700 yards and 2 TD of production there.

I don’t think I’d put Romeo back there. He seems to me like an earlier riser at WR and better hands for that role. Christian is more a Gadget/Multi-role type player. KR,Reverses,Deep Shots

 

[Heyjoe4]

Eh disagree some but not entirely. Hester was above a 1.51 ten...there is more to returning IMO and Doubs film IMO illustrates more ability of discerning what lane to select than Watson who sees if he can beat the closure of a hole. Doubs anticipates a touch more I guess is what I'm trying to say.

I agree. Nothing about the sport of football relies solely on speed. It certainly helps, but as we saw with Watson against the Vikings, being faster than a defender doesn't work well if the receiver can't catch the ball.

The same with KR. Speed is very useful, but a successful return is a total STs effort. Better if the returner can follow blocks and see ahead to the clear, evade tacklers and then pull away.

For some reason, Amari Rodgers seems to be running in mud and in one direction, straight ahead. Not very effective.....

 

[Heyjoe4]

Christian was a KR at N.D. State. Most people forget, he had nearly 700 yards and 2 TD of production there.

I don’t think I’d put Romeo back there. He seems to me like an earlier riser at WR and better hands for that role. Christian is more a Gadget type player. KR,Reverses,Deep Shots

I hope Watson is more than a gadget player.

 

[Arod2gjdd]

Cut him, bring back Ervin.

 

[Heyjoe4]

Cut him, bring back Ervin.

I agree with cutting him. All he does are returns. not worth a roster spot.

 

[OldSchool101]

I hope Watson is more than a gadget player.

??what??
A gadget player is not an insult.

Is Deeboe Samuel a bad player??

What about Cordarelle Patterson? Was he a bad player in Minnesota or Chicago?

 

[Heyjoe4]

??what??
A gadget player is not an insult.

Is Deeboe Samuel a bad player??

I wouldn't compare Watson to Samuel or Patterson.

 

[Mondio]

I don't consider Deebo a gadget player. He's as complete as they come. He can get tough yards, he can juke you on a route, he's fast, he's strong, great hands.

 

[Heyjoe4]

I don't consider Deebo a gadget player. He's as complete as they come. He can get tough yards, he can juke you on a route, he's fast, he's strong, great hands.

Thanks Mondio, well said. And he's certainly a candidate for first or second team All Pro.

IMO, a gadget player is literally "a jack of all trades, master of none." Taysom Hill comes to mind, although I think he has now converted to a full time TE.

 

[Mondio]

yes, I always consider a gadget player that is good enough at something they'll put in a wrinkle or 2 to give him some situational touches. A guy like Deebo? he's a guy you build an entire gameplan around. From every skill position on the offense basically.

 

[Heyjoe4]

yes, I always consider a gadget player that is good enough at something they'll put in a wrinkle or 2 to give him some situational touches. A guy like Deebo? he's a guy you build an entire gameplan around. From every skill position on the offense basically.

That's a god way to put it. Even more amazing, the guy was drafted as a WR, but he's done the most damage as a RB. That doesn't work well most of the time (Ty Montgomery), but Samuel is a big guy, a strong guy, and a freak athlete. So he can take the hits that come with being a RB.

Now how long he lasts is another question. Most certainly longer than most RBs, probably not as long as true WRs. In the meantime, who cares? The guy can change the outcome of a game.

 

[OldSchool101]

I wouldn't compare Watson to Samuel.

I didn’t. I said he was an example of a gadget player. You can do the research. The internet is at your fingertips ! The world is at your disposal sir!
IThat's a god way to put it. Even more amazing, the guy was drafted as a WR, but he's done the most damage as a RB. That doesn't work well most of the time (Ty Montgomery), but Samuel is a big guy, a strong guy, and a freak athlete. So he can take the hits that come with being a RB.

Now how long he lasts is another question. Most certainly longer than most RBs, probably not as long as true WRs. In the meantime, who cares? The guy can change the outcome of a game.

I’m glad I could allow you to elaborate

 

[OldSchool101]

I don't consider Deebo a gadget player. He's as complete as they come. He can get tough yards, he can juke you on a route, he's fast, he's strong, great hands.

Write Sports illustrated. He was there #1 pick