Cornerback

Captain Munnerlyn really struggled in his first year as a starter. The 5-8 cornerback really belongs in the slot, where he was an above average nickelback before this season. Meanwhile, they struggled to find consistently in that nickelback spot this season, with guys like Darius Butler and RJ Stanford playing there this season. If they can get a new starting cornerback opposite Chris Gamble, who played very well this season, and move Munnerlyn back into the slot, I expect they’ll be much better next season against the pass than the 8.4 YPA they allowed this season, worst in the league.

 Defensive Tackle

The Panthers really sucked against the run in 2010 so they drafted two defensive tackles, Terrell McClain and Sione Fua, in the 3^rd round. However, neither of them were very good this season and they ranked 25^th against the run. They were just 3^rd round picks so I could definitely see them using an early pick on another defensive tackle in the mix.

Safety

Their struggles against the pass didn’t end with their cornerback. Obviously when you rank last in the league against the pass, one position is not solely to blame. Neither of their safeties, Charles Godfrey and Sherrod Martin, were very good. They need a new safety in the mix.

Wide Receiver

Coming into the season, Steve Smith was a 32 year old receiver coming off a season in which he had just 46 catches for 554 yards and 2 touchdowns. He had also demanded a trade. However, looks like all he needed was a new quarterback as he and Cam Newton combined for 79 catches for 1394 yards and 7 touchdowns, making him one of the most productive receivers in the league once more. However, he does turn 33 this offseason and after him, they don’t have a lot of talent at wide receiver. Brandon LaFell is a solid #2 receiver, I guess. Legedu Naanee provides solid depth and David Gettis had a good rookie season before a serious injury ended his 2011 season, but if Steve Smith declines significantly or leaves as a free agent after the 2012 season, they won’t have a very good receiving corps. They should start looking at another young receiver to develop for the future. They drafted Kealoha Pilares in the 5^th round of the 2011 NFL Draft, but he didn’t play anything other than special teams last season.

Offensive Tackle

Jeff Otah is a great right tackle when healthy, but he hasn’t been for two seasons. In his absence, Bryon Bell was awful last season, allowing 7 sacks, 26 pressures, committing 12 penalties, while struggling as a run blocker. With Otah’s health being a question going forward, they need better depth at the position. Otah could also be moved to guard long term.

Outside Linebacker

Injuries to Thomas Davis and Jon Beason really hurt their defense in 2011. Beason should be back in 2012 because he doesn’t have a history of injury problems, but Davis does. In fact, he’s expected to be a cap casualty. They don’t have very good depth on the outside so they probably need one more outside linebacker in the mix. They could resign Dan Connor, a free agent who played well at middle linebacker in Beason’s absence, but he might not be a great fit on the outside.

Free agency priorities

Wide receiver

They didn’t draft a wide receiver until the 5th round. Steve Smith has cleaned out his locker and put his house on the market so can’t be relied on. He’ll probably be traded when doing so is allowed. That leaves them with David Gettis, Brandon LaFell, and Kealoha Pilares, all three of whom have a year of experience or less and weren’t drafted before the 3rd round. I wanted them to take a blue chipper through the draft. Instead, they’ll have to find veterans in free agency. With Cam Newton secured, this is undeniably their biggest need heading into free agency.

Defensive end

Charles Johnson and his 11.5 sacks could be gone as a free agent. Aside from him, they had 19.5 sacks last year. They have young guys in Everette Brown and Greg Hardy who could break out next year, but there are no guarantees there. Either they resign Charles Johnson or they have to find another end who can guaranteed bring the pressure next year.

Tight end

You’d have to be crazy to call signing Jeremy Shockey a fix at tight end. Shockey didn’t even average 40 yards per game with Drew Bress throwing him the ball. Now he’s 30 (31 in August) and has missed a combined 10 games in the last 3 years. How he is going to be a functional tight end with Cam Newton throwing to him. They need to bring someone else in.

Guard

Offensive linemen are tough to find in free agency, but guard was one of their biggest needs heading into the draft and they didn’t address the position until the 6th and 7th rounds (not like they had much choice). 

Quarterback

First and foremost, this team needs a quarterback, whether they are able to take Luck or are forced to settle for someone like Ryan Mallett or Cam Newton, they must take a quarterback. That how teams are built. The 2008 Falcons took Matt Ryan and went from 4-12 to 11-5. The 2008 Ravens took Joe Flacco and went from 5-11 to 11-5. The 2010 Rams took Sam Bradford and went from 1-15 to 7-9. The Jets went from no playoffs in 2009 to 2 straight playoff appearances with Mark Sanchez. The Buccaneers have to be happy with Josh Freeman, who sped up their rebuilding process and got them to 10-6 in 2010. The Lions have a lot of hope for their future with Matt Stafford (if he can stay healthy). The Panthers can follow the same path with a new quarterback.

Drafted Cam Newton (#1) 

Wide Receiver

No matter who has been under center for the last 2 years, they haven’t had anyone to throw to. Steve Smith has fallen off the face of the earth and could be cut this offseason. Neither David Gettis nor Brandon LaFell are consistent. Dwayne Jarrett blows. They need someone for their rookie QB to throw to.

Drafted Kealoha Pilares (#132) 

Defensive End

Other than Charles Johnson surprisingly breaking out for 11.5 sacks, this team only has 19.5 sacks this year. They need a pass rusher opposite him.

Guard

How did this once proud running team average struggle to run the football at times this year? Their interior blocking was among the worst in the league. The line also gave up 50 sacks this year, tied for 2^nd most in the league, roughly one every 9.7 drop backs.

Drafted Zach Williams (#203), Drafted Lee Ziemba (#244) 

Defensive Tackle

In addition to not getting any pass rush from any outside rusher other than Charles Johnson, they couldn’t get any pass rush from the inside of their line.

Drafted Terrell McClain (#65), Drafted Sione Fua (#97) 

Tight End

John Fox hates tight ends. They raped his mother and killed his father when he was young. Hopefully their new coach doesn’t have a problem with them, because tight ends are rookie quarterbacks’ best friends.

Signed Jeremy Shockey 

Offensive Tackle

I don’t know how Jordan Gross made the Pro Bowl. This line gave up 50 sacks and he was it’s left tackle. They also need depth behind Jeff Otah at right tackle. Otah missed the entire season and no one was able to come close to filling his void.

Safety

Not a priority for a team with so many other needs, but their defense needs safety depth after trading Chris Harris back to the Bears before the season.

() FA Rank 

QB Matt Moore

RB DeAngelo Williams (#9) 

When healthy he’s an elite running back. When healthy is the key phrase. He has gotten hurt in each of the last two seasons. 1515 yards and 18 touchdowns on a mere 273 carries in 2008 is his potential though and he’s still relatively young, 28 in April, and relatively fresh, 959 career touches. His career YPC is 5.0, which is insane.

WR David Clowney

TE Dante Rosario

TE Jeff King

C Ryan Kalil (#14)- Franchised

This is the best center in the game. Hands down.

DE Charles Johnson (#15)

Johnson, a 2007 3^rd round pick, finally lived up to his potential in 2010 after Julius Peppers left, with 11.5 sacks. Just in time to leave Carolina. That sound you just heard was a bunch of Panthers fans jumping off a bridge.

DT Derek Landri

DT Nick Hayden

DT Ed Johnson

OLB James Anderson (#37) 

One of the bright spots on Carolina’s 2-14 team, Anderson stepped in with all the injuries at linebacker and had 130 tackles and 3.5 sacks.

OLB Thomas Davis

OLB Jamar Williams

OLB Jordan Senn

CB Richard Marshall

S Marcus Hudson 

Offseason Moves 

Signed Jeremy Shockey 1 year

Draft

WR Justin Blackmon (Oklahoma State)

DT Michael Brockers (LSU)

CB Morris Claiborne (LSU)

DE Quinton Coples (North Carolina)

DT Fletcher Cox (Mississippi State)

WR Michael Floyd (Notre Dame)

CB Stephon Gilmore (South Carolina)

WR Stephen Hill (Georgia Tech)

S George Iloka (Boise State)

OLB Bruce Irvin (West Virginia)

WR A.J. Jenkins (Illinois)

MLB James-Michael Johnson (Nevada)

S Trumaine Johnson (Nevada)

DE Chandler Jones (Syracuse)

MLB Luke Kuechly (Boston College)

G Ronald Leary (Memphis)

S Kelcie McCray (Arkansas State)

DT Dontari Poe (Memphis)

WR Rueben Randle (LSU)

OLB Keenan Robinson (Texas)

G Amini Silatolu (Midwestern State)

DT tackle Jerel Worthy (Michigan State)

WR Kendall Wright (Baylor)

G Kevin Zeitler (Wisconsin)

2010 Record: 2-14

Draft Position: 1

2010 Season Recap: Click Here

Offseason Needs: Click Here

Free Agents/Team Transactions: Click Here

Draft Grades: Click Here

Key Offseason Moves: None

I think this was an unnecessary risk. Everyone knows about Pacman Jones’ character issues, his rough legal past, and the rumors out there that several of his past teammates didn’t like playing with him, so that’s obviously a risk, especially for a team like the Bengals who already have a locker room full of “reclamation projects.”

Also, Pacman Jones was not that productive the last time he was in the NFL and that was over a year ago. I can guarantee you, he would not have been cut by the Cowboys in January 2009 if he was playing well. He only averaged 4.5 yards per punt return and 22.1 yards per kick return (on only 7 returns) and couldn’t crack the starting lineup as a cornerback, as was expected of him. He was a great cornerback and a great athlete in 2005 and 2006, but struggled in 2008 after a year off, and now he’s had another year away from football. Reports out of Cincinnati is that he’s done well in workouts, but I have some doubts about he’ll play on the field. Adjusting to game speed is a tough thing to do after a year off and he’s only played 9 games in the last 3 seasons.

He does have some upside, but I do have my doubts about whether or not he’ll fulfill that upside. Furthermore, he doesn’t fill a need. The Bengals have one of the best cornerbacking duos in the league with Jonathan Joseph and Leon Hall and they drafted a very solid cornerback in Brandon Ghee in the 3^rd round this year. Even if Pacman Jones does pan out in terms of upside, he could have some trouble seeing the field and I don’t think the rumors that he could play safety make much sense either. Safety isn’t a huge need either and Pacman Jones hasn’t played safety in a while, if ever (I’m not familiar with his high school career). I’m not sure that he even fills a need on special teams (where he really struggled last time he played). They have solid punt returners in Quan Cosby and rookie Jordan Shipley as well as a solid kick returner in Bernard Scott.

Overall, I think Pacman Jones has a very slight chance of becoming the player he once was again, I don’t think he fills a major need, and I, obviously, think he could be a risk in terms of character (though I hope he has changed), so I really feel that this is an unnecessary risk, especially for a team like the Bengals with a shotty record character wise in years past. Also, I would like to comment and say that the Bengals are the most predictable team in the NFL. In an offseason where the Raiders didn’t draft on speed alone in the first round, it’s nice to know that the Bengals will always take chances on guys with character issues, Carlos Dunlap in the 2^nd round (DUI, low motor/work ethic), Matt Jones as a free agent (drug arrest), Antonio Bryant as a free agent (bad locker room guy, only plays for contracts), and now Pacman (you know the story).

Grade: C

About packrphan

packrphan is the pen name — or perhaps, cyber name to be more precise — of a writer in Wisconsin who created the blog PackerFansUnited.com back in 2005. Many of his posts have been picked up by other fan blogs and news sites including PackerChatters, Yardbarker, Sportspyder and others.

In real life, packrphan is…well…never mind…not that important in the scheme of things. Just know that he’s been a Packers fan since the day he was born, which is getting to be a long time ago now, if truth be told. His formative years were during the Packers’ Glory Years. Not only did he get accustomed to the Packers winning championships seemingly at will in those days, but those were also the times when Packers’ players would travel in the off-season throughout Wisconsin to play basketball games as both public relations and fundraising events for local charities. packrphan had the chance at those games and other occasions over the years to meet such Packer greats as Ray Nitschke, Willie Davis, Fuzzy Thurston, Willie Wood, Ken Bowman, and others. He has prized autographs from Bart Starr and Vince Lombardi, as well as some of the latest players including Aaron Rodgers and A.J Hawk. Oh, and packrphan is also a proud Green Bay Packers shareholder…which entitles him to nothing other than to say that and to attend the annual shareholders’ meeting each summer.

Besides blogging about his favorite team, packrphan’s friends say that he has turned his leisure time into an art form. He spends his time enjoying life, golfing, traveling, listening to music, reading, and watching far too much sports on TV especially during football season. Although if you were to ask him, packrphan would likely say he doesn’t do enough of any of those things.

packrphan says he’s very excited about the 2010 season for the Packers. Many are predicting the Pack to be in the upcoming Super Bowl. He notes that with an offense as explosive as the Packers that’s certainly a possibility. packrphan’s outlook: “Cautiously optimistic.” Or, in Wisconsin-ese: “Ya, hey der…cripes that’d be great, criminy!”

The PackerFansUnited.com blog is the place for scintillating commentary on all things Packers. That commentary is now proudly shared on footballfanspot.com.

Blog: www.packerfansunited.com

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Go Pack Go!!!

By Packrphan 

In the light of day, the day after the Green Bay Packers victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, a few observations. Nothing original. Just one person’s take on what went down in Philly. 

Special teams played far better than anyone expected. Jordy Nelson had some great returns and the coverage units kept Eagles returner DeSean Jackson in check for the most part. Punter Tim Masthay performed well in his debut. And K Mason Crosby set a team-record with a 56-yard field goal. He was long and accurate. Good to see. May all continue to perform at this level throughout the season.      

Aaron Rodgers had a not-so-great game. He was 19-31 for 188 yards. Yes, he threw a couple TD passes and when he was on he was on. But he started poorly and had two picks, one on a deflection and another on a ball that appeared to sail on him and missed his receiver badly. Chalk it up to an abberation.     

The offensive line…well, Rodgers was under pressure especially early in the game. For a while, the O-line was looking like what we saw early last season. There were instances where our two old tackles indeed looked old. I recall one instance where both Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher got beat on the same play. It seemed as if they picked up their protection in the second half. We can only hope they play at that level the rest of the season.      

The defensive line…coach Mike McCarthy had decided to have only four down lineman active for the game because of the scheme they thought they’d be running against Eagles QB Kevin Kolb; rookies Mike Neal and C.J. Wilson were not available. And that made things especially challenging when a couple things happened: Kolb left the game with a concussion sustained on a tackle by LB Clay Matthews (more on Mr. Matthews in a bit) and Michael Vick and his legs entered the game; and Cullen Jenkins sustained a broken hand on the first defensive series and had to play the balance of the game one-handed after being fitted with a club, and the oft-injured back up DE Justin Harrell sustained a left knee injury blocking on Crosby’s first field goal of 49 yards. So, for a while that meant the entire defensive line consisted of B.J. Raji and Ryan Pickett. The two heavyweights, to their credit, did a fantastic job all things considered. Harrell, by the way, has been placed on the injured reserve list (yes, again) and is done for the year (yes, again). As the TV crew noted during the game, Harrell had only played in 14 games during his prior three years with the team. At what point, a reasonable fan must ask — and has asked before — do you just reach an injury settlement with the young man and move on? Clearly, he’s going to have to be replaced by either a practice squad player, a free agent or trade. (We will leave aside the running discussion as to whether Harrell should have been a #16 draft pick to begin with…and, by the way, the answer is “No!”)      

Linebackers and secondary…Could Clay Matthews possibly do any more than he did yesterday? Man! He appeared to be operating at an entirely different level of speed and power. Fantastic. On the flip side, because of the scheme the Packers planned on running and then had to run with Vick in the game, it turns out that LB A.J. Hawk never played a down from scrimmage. They typically always remove him on passing downs and because the Pack played a nickel/dime defense most of the day, Brandon Chillar, Brad Jones and even undrafted rookie LB Frank Zombo (who had a sack, by the way!) got the reps. Hawk has seemingly disappeared from the defense. Perhaps he could be packaged and traded for either a defensive lineman or a running back (where depth was a concern going into the season and is even more so now…more on that in a minute). The secondary generally held up well. Charles Woodson was, as usual, constantly around the ball. Tramon Williams held up well as did, for the most part, rookies Morgan Burnett and Sam Shields. Shields got turned around and burned on one TD pass and looked very much like a rookie on that play. But all in all, seemed to hold his own for the most part.    

The running game…just when it looked as if that might come around, Ryan Grant left the game with an ankle sprain. Brandon Jackson had some nice runs taking the bulk of the carries after Grant’s departure. And FB/RB John Kuhn had a couple powerful runs, including a TD. Coach McCarthy said in his press conference today that Grant will not play in the upcoming game against the Bills. Jackson will be the featured back with Kuhn as the back up. But for all those fans who wanted the Packers to have more depth at running back, yep, we were right. That doesn’t get us anywhere, but we were right. Will Ted Thompson do anything to address the situation? It would be a surprise if he did. But that’s what makes surprises surprises, right? Let us pray…

Bottom line is that this was a statement game, if there can be such a thing in only the first game of the season. We knew the offense would put up points; not really an area of concern. Yet, this was a game where the offense, particularly Aaron Rodgers, wasn’t especially sharp. They still put up 27 points. The areas that were of concern had to do with the defense and special teams, both of which really helped carry the day yesterday. It’s a good sign.

For now, let’s hope that the injuries to Grant and Jenkins don’t present problems throughout the season. Let’s wish Justin Harrell well, as it’s obvious the young man worked hard to get back on the field despite his injury history. But let’s also hope Ted Thompson makes a few moves to add to the D-line and running back depth before they truly become positions of desperation.

Oh…did I mention that I predicted the actual final score of 27-20? (Yeah, I know…enough already!)

http://www.packerfansunited.com 

By Packrphan 

Installment #3 of the duel between the Green Bay Packers and the Ol’ #4-led Minnesota ViQueens kicks off at 7:20 p.m. tonight at Lambeau Field. The Packers are favored by 3 points — the home field advantage. Temps will be in the mid-50s, great for late October. Showers are expected to taper off. If rain persists, it may turn the event into a running game…which would favor the ‘Queens and RB Adrian Peterson. Especially since the Packers’ running game has basically been put on the back burner of head coach Mike McCarthy’s play calling, despite his protestations to the contrary. One of the keys to this game, though, is really about keeping Peterson contained more so than getting the moribund (look it up!) running game of the Packers going. Keep Peterson in check, as the Pack did in their two games last season, make Ol’ #4 have to throw the ball, get pressure on him — as the Pack did not in their two games last season — and that will go a long way to determining the outcome of this game.

On the flip side, Packers’ QB Aaron Rodgers has to play better than he did against his counterpart in the two meetings of last season. It would help, of course, if his offensive line also protected him better than it did then. ‘Queens DE Jared Allen isn’t the sack machine he was a year ago and tonight is no time for him to begin reprising that role. Chad Clifton and Bryan Bulaga — likely getting the start at tackle again for Mark Tauscher — will have to be on their game. Rodgers, for his part, needs to get rid of the ball more quickly than when these teams last met. Of late, he seems to have reverted a bit to this old habit which could come back to haunt him and the Pack. Let’s hope not. RB Brandon Jackson and whomever else coach McCarthy tosses in to run a few times need to do enough to keep the Minnesota defense honest and out of a constant blitz barrage. Rodgers and his receivers also need to do a much better job of converting third downs. To date, that has been a situation which has contributed directly to the Pack’s three losses. If it’s the same old tune tonight…well, that wouldn’t be good.

The Packers’ defense should get a boost from having linebackers Brandon Chillar and Clay Matthews back in the lineup, along with DE Ryan Pickett. All three are still listed as questionable on the Packers’ injury report, but expectations are that they will see action. Matthews is obviously critical to getting pressure on Favre. And Chillar’s ability to cover over the middle will also play a role in the defense’s success tonight. Pickett’s ability to anchor the end of the line will also be key to helping contain Peterson. The news on the return to practice of CB Al Harris and S Atari Bigby this week was a plus, but no moves were made to make them active as of yet. Newly-acquired S Anthony Smith should see some action today backing up Charlie Peprah.

Special teams? Well…containing Minnesota returner Percy Harvin will be a challenge. And if they don’t that could be the difference between winning and losing this game. Add in the need by punter Tim Masthay to do a much better job than he has done recently in helping the Packers manage the opponents’ starting field position and this is still a major area of concern.

What’s the bottom line? For a lot of reasons, the Packers need to win this game. The season is not done, however, if they don’t. But getting the ‘Queens at Lambeau, with a distracted (we hope) Brett Favre, and with a healthier (relatively speaking) defense, is a plus. If the Packers offense can just put 4 quarters of consistent effort across, the Pack should take this game. But it will be close. Very close, as most of the games between these two teams are.

I’m calling it 24-23 Packers.

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