M
Mark Eckel
Guest
By BOB McGINN
This is the fifth of a nine-part position-by-position series in which the 67 players on the Green Bay Packers’ 53-man roster and reserve/injured list at the end of the season are graded. Playing-time percentages are from offense and defense only.
RUNNING BACKS (6)
AARON JONES (22.5%): If the Packers knew how good Jones was in August it made no sense to start an inferior running back in Ty Montgomery. Fortunately for the coaches, Montgomery didn’t last long and Jones got 236 snaps to show he was one of the two most explosive players on offense. There are a lot of terrific players among the NFL’s top 50 rushers but only two (Russell Wilson at 6.2, Alvin Kamara at 6.1) posted a better average per carry than Jones’ 5.5. Jones might have threatened 1,000 yards (he finished with 448) were it not for knee sprains in Game 9 and Game 15 that abbreviated his season. Jones is somewhat undersized at 5-9 ½, 208 but plays bigger than that. He’s a slasher who gets to top speed in a hurry and hits the hole going full-bore. He’s no dancer, either. He puts his foot in the ground on zone plays and heads north-south decisively. Of the eight rushes for 20 yards or more by RBs, Jones had six. He played faster than his 4.58. Conversely, of the 12 pressures yielded by RBs, Jones gave up six. That can’t continue. He did impress as a receiver, running routes from the perimeter easily and catching all 14 balls thrown his way. Grade: C-plus.
JOE KERRIDGE (0.3%): When Aaron Ripkowski struggled much of the season the Packers protected themselves at the time and for next season by re-signing Kerridge. In two seasons Kerridge has been on the 53 for 15 games and played a total of 24 snaps. He’s a harder hitter working straight-ahead as a blocker than Ripkowski. In training camp, Kerridge also showed surprising catch radius and soft hands handling check-downs in the flat. At 4.88, Kerridge is considerably slower than Ripkowski (4.74), and that looms large on special teams. However, he’s equally as intelligent (30 on the Wonderlic) and just as athletic. Grade: Incomplete.
DEVANTE MAYS (1.3%): It’s impossible to say where his career might be headed. Some days in August Mays looked to be as talented if not more so than Aaron Jones. At 5-10 ½ and close to 230 his build typifies the modern-day power runner. Yet, the coaches didn’t even put him in a game until Nov. 19. One day after the Packers made Mays the 22nd tailback drafted an NFL personnel director said his team liked Mays’ level of ability a lot but were scared off by what they perceived to be his mental shortcomings. As if on cue, Mays ran the wrong play on his first snap from scrimmage, almost fumbled on the exchange and then did fumble a few steps later. When McCarthy gave him another shot late in that blowout loss against the Ravens, he fumbled again. Banished until the finale, Mays didn’t look comfortable catching three check-downs for no gain. Of course, he had just two receptions at Utah State. Grade: F.
TY MONTGOMERY (26.2%): Mike McCarthy and his offensive coaches were paid well over $10 million this year to know things like if a wide receiver can make a successful conversion to running back, the position he played infrequently in high school and college. They made a costly blunder here. Montgomery looked fine in August when people were playing “thud” football, not tackle football. When the rough stuff started he didn’t last long. At some point in Game 3 Montgomery suffered a wrist injury that led to surgery in early December. There also were damaged ribs and other injuries that knocked him out of several games and completely out of the last 7 ½. At 225 pounds and with a shredded physique, Montgomery looks the part. He just never experienced the years of pounding that NFL RBs need to stand the test of time. His best chance now would be a move back to slot receiver-gadget guy-kickoff returner. He does have superb hands (four drops in 111 targets for career) and open-field run skill. Grade: D.
AARON RIPKOWSKI (17.3%): Ripkowski created a niche for himself in 2016 when injuries gave him extensive snaps in one-back looks by default. That went away this season and so Ripkowski went back to being a one-dimensional fullback, the type of player that Mike McCarthy determined he could function without. Ripkowski is not a fullback that can drop his hips and dig out a linebacker. There aren’t many that can, but in the off-season it can be expected that the Packers will try to replace him. If you’re going to carry a fullback, you need more of a thumper and a better player on special teams. Grade: D.
JAMAAL WILLIAMS (42.3%): The coaches believed in Williams even though his Game 1-8 production was so minimal (11-34). Overly concerned with ball security, he looked to be in a straight-jacket with two arms enveloping the ball. With Jones and Montgomery all but done for the season, Williams opened up his running style when duty called and was a pleasant if not dramatic surprise. In the last eight games he averaged 17.8 carries for 65.3 yards while adding 262 yards in 25 receptions. Almost every college scout said he ran tough at Brigham Young, and he did the same thing in Green Bay. He can find a hole, dip his pads and wear out defensive backs. He brought it down after down. In 178 touches he never fumbled. His deficiencies, however, are fairly well defined. Minimally elusive, he seldom breaks a tackle. With 4.54 speed, he won’t outrun many defenders. In the passing game, his blocking was adequate but his receiving was just so-so. His five drops (in 32 targets, a drop rate of 15.6% second on the team behind Martellus Bennett’s 16.7%) were the most by a RB in Green Bay since Ahman Green dropped eight (63 targets) in 2006. Williams’ zest for contact also was amply evident on special teams in the first two months. Grade: B-minus.
The post Final Grades: Running Backs appeared first on Bob McGinn Football.
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This is the fifth of a nine-part position-by-position series in which the 67 players on the Green Bay Packers’ 53-man roster and reserve/injured list at the end of the season are graded. Playing-time percentages are from offense and defense only.
RUNNING BACKS (6)
AARON JONES (22.5%): If the Packers knew how good Jones was in August it made no sense to start an inferior running back in Ty Montgomery. Fortunately for the coaches, Montgomery didn’t last long and Jones got 236 snaps to show he was one of the two most explosive players on offense. There are a lot of terrific players among the NFL’s top 50 rushers but only two (Russell Wilson at 6.2, Alvin Kamara at 6.1) posted a better average per carry than Jones’ 5.5. Jones might have threatened 1,000 yards (he finished with 448) were it not for knee sprains in Game 9 and Game 15 that abbreviated his season. Jones is somewhat undersized at 5-9 ½, 208 but plays bigger than that. He’s a slasher who gets to top speed in a hurry and hits the hole going full-bore. He’s no dancer, either. He puts his foot in the ground on zone plays and heads north-south decisively. Of the eight rushes for 20 yards or more by RBs, Jones had six. He played faster than his 4.58. Conversely, of the 12 pressures yielded by RBs, Jones gave up six. That can’t continue. He did impress as a receiver, running routes from the perimeter easily and catching all 14 balls thrown his way. Grade: C-plus.
JOE KERRIDGE (0.3%): When Aaron Ripkowski struggled much of the season the Packers protected themselves at the time and for next season by re-signing Kerridge. In two seasons Kerridge has been on the 53 for 15 games and played a total of 24 snaps. He’s a harder hitter working straight-ahead as a blocker than Ripkowski. In training camp, Kerridge also showed surprising catch radius and soft hands handling check-downs in the flat. At 4.88, Kerridge is considerably slower than Ripkowski (4.74), and that looms large on special teams. However, he’s equally as intelligent (30 on the Wonderlic) and just as athletic. Grade: Incomplete.
DEVANTE MAYS (1.3%): It’s impossible to say where his career might be headed. Some days in August Mays looked to be as talented if not more so than Aaron Jones. At 5-10 ½ and close to 230 his build typifies the modern-day power runner. Yet, the coaches didn’t even put him in a game until Nov. 19. One day after the Packers made Mays the 22nd tailback drafted an NFL personnel director said his team liked Mays’ level of ability a lot but were scared off by what they perceived to be his mental shortcomings. As if on cue, Mays ran the wrong play on his first snap from scrimmage, almost fumbled on the exchange and then did fumble a few steps later. When McCarthy gave him another shot late in that blowout loss against the Ravens, he fumbled again. Banished until the finale, Mays didn’t look comfortable catching three check-downs for no gain. Of course, he had just two receptions at Utah State. Grade: F.
TY MONTGOMERY (26.2%): Mike McCarthy and his offensive coaches were paid well over $10 million this year to know things like if a wide receiver can make a successful conversion to running back, the position he played infrequently in high school and college. They made a costly blunder here. Montgomery looked fine in August when people were playing “thud” football, not tackle football. When the rough stuff started he didn’t last long. At some point in Game 3 Montgomery suffered a wrist injury that led to surgery in early December. There also were damaged ribs and other injuries that knocked him out of several games and completely out of the last 7 ½. At 225 pounds and with a shredded physique, Montgomery looks the part. He just never experienced the years of pounding that NFL RBs need to stand the test of time. His best chance now would be a move back to slot receiver-gadget guy-kickoff returner. He does have superb hands (four drops in 111 targets for career) and open-field run skill. Grade: D.
AARON RIPKOWSKI (17.3%): Ripkowski created a niche for himself in 2016 when injuries gave him extensive snaps in one-back looks by default. That went away this season and so Ripkowski went back to being a one-dimensional fullback, the type of player that Mike McCarthy determined he could function without. Ripkowski is not a fullback that can drop his hips and dig out a linebacker. There aren’t many that can, but in the off-season it can be expected that the Packers will try to replace him. If you’re going to carry a fullback, you need more of a thumper and a better player on special teams. Grade: D.
JAMAAL WILLIAMS (42.3%): The coaches believed in Williams even though his Game 1-8 production was so minimal (11-34). Overly concerned with ball security, he looked to be in a straight-jacket with two arms enveloping the ball. With Jones and Montgomery all but done for the season, Williams opened up his running style when duty called and was a pleasant if not dramatic surprise. In the last eight games he averaged 17.8 carries for 65.3 yards while adding 262 yards in 25 receptions. Almost every college scout said he ran tough at Brigham Young, and he did the same thing in Green Bay. He can find a hole, dip his pads and wear out defensive backs. He brought it down after down. In 178 touches he never fumbled. His deficiencies, however, are fairly well defined. Minimally elusive, he seldom breaks a tackle. With 4.54 speed, he won’t outrun many defenders. In the passing game, his blocking was adequate but his receiving was just so-so. His five drops (in 32 targets, a drop rate of 15.6% second on the team behind Martellus Bennett’s 16.7%) were the most by a RB in Green Bay since Ahman Green dropped eight (63 targets) in 2006. Williams’ zest for contact also was amply evident on special teams in the first two months. Grade: B-minus.
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