M
Mark Eckel
Guest
By BOB McGINN
This is the first of a nine-part position-by-position series in which the 67 players on the Green Bay Packers’ 53-man roster and injured-reserve lists at the end of the season are graded. Playing-time percentages are from offense and defense only.
WIDE RECEIVERS (7)
DAVANTE ADAMS (74.1%): Day-in, day-out he was the team’s best player in training camp, and his striking development carried over into what became his finest season. Almost impossible to reroute in the bump zone because of his extremely quick feet and much improved release. Worked inside and outside equally well. Capable of beating elite cornerbacks on the full route tree. Competitive at the ball, makes acrobatic catches and isn’t a bad blocker. Wasn’t great after the catch (4.24-yard average, down from 4.81 last year) and had a team-high eight drops in a team-high 112 targeted throws. Has suffered three concussions in the last 1 ½ seasons, including two this season on illegal hits by linebackers Danny Trevathan of Chicago and Thomas Davis of Carolina. One day before the finale he signed a four-year, $58 million extension to become the fourth highest-paid WR in the league. Grade: B-plus.
GERONIMO ALLISON (32.8%): Suspended for the opener (substance abuse), Allison came back to hold the No. 4 berth all season. In effect, he just treaded water in his second season. Played just two seasons of Division I football (Illinois) and his game still needs tightening. His late fumble in Carolina won’t soon be forgotten. Can make breath-taking catches and has some pizzazz after the catch. Needs work on the little things. Towering possession receiver should benefit from the teaching of a veteran receivers coach like Jim Hostler. Grade: D-plus.
MICHAEL CLARK (7.2%): Project well worth another long look. Former Division I basketball player spent just two seasons on the football team at Marshall, redshirting one. Came on late in training camp and flourished on the practice squad before playing 75 snaps in the last two games. Perhaps was anointed too soon. Dropped two of 14 targets and really wasn’t ready. Has good if not outstanding potential. At this point he’s a screen-slant-takeoff-red zone receiver. Leggy at 6-5 ½, but has 4.53 speed. Grade: D.
RANDALL COBB (70.9%): Made it through an injury-free August and missed just one game (chest) due to injury. Not as dynamic in his seventh season as he once was. Certified tough guy has absorbed heavy punishment over the years. No longer lightning-quick off the line, doesn’t separate as well at the break point and seldom runs away from tacklers in the open field. Still, he didn’t drop a pass until Game 14. Since dropping a record 14 in 2015 he has just six drops in 195 targets the past two years. He led the team in average gain after the catch at 5.5, his best since 2014 and indicative of a player with some juice remaining in his legs. Lined up 39 times in the backfield, including four from “wildcat” formation. He’s worthy of playing time in 2018 but at less than 50% of the $8.6 million base salary in the final year of his contract. Grade: C-plus.
TREVOR DAVIS (9.8%): Added needed weight and strength between years one and two and blossomed into one of the NFL’s leading return specialists. His 12.0-yard average on punts ranked third in the league, the Packers’ best finish since Desmond Howard ran wild to be No. 1 in 1996. Assumed the kickoff job after 5 ½ games and tied for seventh at 22.8. Generally made sound decisions. Handled the ball on 77 returns without a fumble. As the only legitimate burner (4.41) on a slow-as-molasses corps of WRs he should have played much more than 103 snaps from scrimmage. The coaches failed Davis by not getting him on the field for Jordy Nelson. Grade: B-minus.
JEFF JANIS (4.8%): Encountered double-team blocking almost every week as opposing special-teams coaches refused to let Janis beat them. His tackle total of six was a far cry from the 15 he amassed in 2015. Played merely eight snaps from scrimmage in the first 14 games, and almost all of those came on the kneel-down team. Logged 42 in Games 15-16, making one nice reception and dropping a bang-bang post in Detroit that probably was a touchdown. It’s obvious that Mike McCarthy has no use for Janis as a wide receiver. Still, he should be able to carve out a nice niche for himself here or elsewhere because wide receivers with his speed-toughness-tackling ability often last a long time. Grade: C-minus.
JORDY NELSON (77%): Didn’t do anything in training camp, exhibition games or in 806 snaps. The only judgment, at 32 and in his 10th season, is that Nelson has hit the proverbial wall. Lived on his six TD passes from Aaron Rodgers in the first five games to elude scrutiny over his ongoing collapse. Other than a 32-yard “free” play against the unsuspecting Seahawks, his TD passes measured 1, 3, 4, 8 and 10 yards. Never caught another in what was by far his poorest season. Rodgers’ injury was just a convenient excuse. He couldn’t beat press coverage or separate downfield. He also developed a disturbing habit of falling down for little or no reason when the ball arrived. His average gain after the catch of 2.30 was the lowest of his career; on 67.9% of his 53 catches he gained two or fewer yards post-catch. Of all WRs with 25 or more receptions, Nelson ranked third worst in yards per catch at 9.1. Late in the season his hands and blocking deserted him, too. His long catch from Game 6 on was 17 yards. After averaging 20.7 receptions for 20 or more yards in his last three full seasons Nelson had four in 2017. There’s no reason to bring Nelson back for the final year of his contract at $9.25 million base salary. If the Packers think his legs are gone, release him. Grade: D-minus.
The post Final Grades: Wide Receivers appeared first on Bob McGinn Football.
Continue reading...
This is the first of a nine-part position-by-position series in which the 67 players on the Green Bay Packers’ 53-man roster and injured-reserve lists at the end of the season are graded. Playing-time percentages are from offense and defense only.
WIDE RECEIVERS (7)
DAVANTE ADAMS (74.1%): Day-in, day-out he was the team’s best player in training camp, and his striking development carried over into what became his finest season. Almost impossible to reroute in the bump zone because of his extremely quick feet and much improved release. Worked inside and outside equally well. Capable of beating elite cornerbacks on the full route tree. Competitive at the ball, makes acrobatic catches and isn’t a bad blocker. Wasn’t great after the catch (4.24-yard average, down from 4.81 last year) and had a team-high eight drops in a team-high 112 targeted throws. Has suffered three concussions in the last 1 ½ seasons, including two this season on illegal hits by linebackers Danny Trevathan of Chicago and Thomas Davis of Carolina. One day before the finale he signed a four-year, $58 million extension to become the fourth highest-paid WR in the league. Grade: B-plus.
GERONIMO ALLISON (32.8%): Suspended for the opener (substance abuse), Allison came back to hold the No. 4 berth all season. In effect, he just treaded water in his second season. Played just two seasons of Division I football (Illinois) and his game still needs tightening. His late fumble in Carolina won’t soon be forgotten. Can make breath-taking catches and has some pizzazz after the catch. Needs work on the little things. Towering possession receiver should benefit from the teaching of a veteran receivers coach like Jim Hostler. Grade: D-plus.
MICHAEL CLARK (7.2%): Project well worth another long look. Former Division I basketball player spent just two seasons on the football team at Marshall, redshirting one. Came on late in training camp and flourished on the practice squad before playing 75 snaps in the last two games. Perhaps was anointed too soon. Dropped two of 14 targets and really wasn’t ready. Has good if not outstanding potential. At this point he’s a screen-slant-takeoff-red zone receiver. Leggy at 6-5 ½, but has 4.53 speed. Grade: D.
RANDALL COBB (70.9%): Made it through an injury-free August and missed just one game (chest) due to injury. Not as dynamic in his seventh season as he once was. Certified tough guy has absorbed heavy punishment over the years. No longer lightning-quick off the line, doesn’t separate as well at the break point and seldom runs away from tacklers in the open field. Still, he didn’t drop a pass until Game 14. Since dropping a record 14 in 2015 he has just six drops in 195 targets the past two years. He led the team in average gain after the catch at 5.5, his best since 2014 and indicative of a player with some juice remaining in his legs. Lined up 39 times in the backfield, including four from “wildcat” formation. He’s worthy of playing time in 2018 but at less than 50% of the $8.6 million base salary in the final year of his contract. Grade: C-plus.
TREVOR DAVIS (9.8%): Added needed weight and strength between years one and two and blossomed into one of the NFL’s leading return specialists. His 12.0-yard average on punts ranked third in the league, the Packers’ best finish since Desmond Howard ran wild to be No. 1 in 1996. Assumed the kickoff job after 5 ½ games and tied for seventh at 22.8. Generally made sound decisions. Handled the ball on 77 returns without a fumble. As the only legitimate burner (4.41) on a slow-as-molasses corps of WRs he should have played much more than 103 snaps from scrimmage. The coaches failed Davis by not getting him on the field for Jordy Nelson. Grade: B-minus.
JEFF JANIS (4.8%): Encountered double-team blocking almost every week as opposing special-teams coaches refused to let Janis beat them. His tackle total of six was a far cry from the 15 he amassed in 2015. Played merely eight snaps from scrimmage in the first 14 games, and almost all of those came on the kneel-down team. Logged 42 in Games 15-16, making one nice reception and dropping a bang-bang post in Detroit that probably was a touchdown. It’s obvious that Mike McCarthy has no use for Janis as a wide receiver. Still, he should be able to carve out a nice niche for himself here or elsewhere because wide receivers with his speed-toughness-tackling ability often last a long time. Grade: C-minus.
JORDY NELSON (77%): Didn’t do anything in training camp, exhibition games or in 806 snaps. The only judgment, at 32 and in his 10th season, is that Nelson has hit the proverbial wall. Lived on his six TD passes from Aaron Rodgers in the first five games to elude scrutiny over his ongoing collapse. Other than a 32-yard “free” play against the unsuspecting Seahawks, his TD passes measured 1, 3, 4, 8 and 10 yards. Never caught another in what was by far his poorest season. Rodgers’ injury was just a convenient excuse. He couldn’t beat press coverage or separate downfield. He also developed a disturbing habit of falling down for little or no reason when the ball arrived. His average gain after the catch of 2.30 was the lowest of his career; on 67.9% of his 53 catches he gained two or fewer yards post-catch. Of all WRs with 25 or more receptions, Nelson ranked third worst in yards per catch at 9.1. Late in the season his hands and blocking deserted him, too. His long catch from Game 6 on was 17 yards. After averaging 20.7 receptions for 20 or more yards in his last three full seasons Nelson had four in 2017. There’s no reason to bring Nelson back for the final year of his contract at $9.25 million base salary. If the Packers think his legs are gone, release him. Grade: D-minus.
The post Final Grades: Wide Receivers appeared first on Bob McGinn Football.
Continue reading...