Ol' Bag of Donuts » Darrelle Revis

Underreported storylines for the 2010 season

admin — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 03:40:48 +0000

Closing in on the final preseason game and many of the similar themes keep coming up: The health of Al Harris; Rodgers to Finley becoming very dangerous; the impact of rookies Burnett and Neal on defense; the TE conundrum; can the special teams improve?, etc.

However, there are plenty of storylines, good and bad, that are being buried. And they all could play large role in how the 2010 season plays out.

Can Clay Matthews avoid a “Sophomore Slump?” – One of the biggest areas of need on this team is the pass rush, but that is not anything new. However, almost everyone (myself included) are expecting great things from Matthews this season, building on his dominating rookie campaign. But I have to play devil’s advocate for a second and throw around the old sports cliche – “sophomore slump.” You hear it all the time in every sport when a rookie has success, like Matthews did. The unfortunate thing is that this does hold true sometimes. If it does and Matthews slumps, where does the pass rush come from? Brad Jones? Brandon Chillar? Brady Poppinga? Frank Zombo? Those names strike fear into not one offensive coordinator in the league. This question has to be asked since Matthews has missed almost all of camp to this point. I don’t think he will suffer a slump with his work ethic and football acumen, but I also thought A.J. Hawk was on the cusp of greatness after a solid rookie season.

The one major downfall of TGIF – Jermichael Finley is a freak. We all know that. The rest of the league knows that. Even my mom who can probably only name a handful of current Packers knows that. He will have a monster season and be a major cog in the Packers pursuit for the Lombardi Trophy. No one is questioning that and Finley has not given any doubt that he will hold up to his end of the deal. Pencil him in as Pro Bowler right now and maybe even an All-Pro. Remember when Antonio Gates exploded onto the scene a few years back? This may be bigger. However, the more success Finley has will create one major problem: What will happen after the 2010 season? Finley is under contract through 2011, but his scheduled to only make $470,000 this year and $550,000 next season. I’m sure that there a few incentives that he will meet, but that still will NOT sit well with Finley. Can’t blame him either, but what kind of situation are we looking at? Mark it down, I guarantee Finley will NOT take the field in any form without a new deal in place after this season. Gates signed a five-year extension this summer worth just over $36 million with $20 million in guarantees. It’s hard to see Finley requesting those numbers, but before last season did you imagine Revis holding out for more money than Asomugha’s ridiculous contract? This will not have much of an affect of this season, as Finley will want to put up the biggest numbers possible. However, he will want to be one of the highest in the league, maybe second only to Gates, so it comes down to whether Thompson pays the man or will TGIF will take his show somewhere else. Enjoy the ride Packer fans.

What will Donald Driver realistically bring to the table? – This is the storyline I hate to bring up, but Driver is 35 years old. Simple as that. He also has been one of the toughest Packers in the decade or two and plays a physical style of football. He’ll also hold every major receiving record in franchise history by the end of the season and will retire as Packer after signing his new deal. But you can’t run from age and Driver’s brand of football may have even accelerated the aging process. There is no doubt Driver will be one of the hardest working players on the team until he hangs up the pads, but can we really expect another 1,000 yard season in him? Probably not, but he may not need to with guys like Jennings and Finley pick up his slack and James Jones and Jordy Nelson continue to emerge. Just don’t be surprised to see a season in the range of 65 receptions for 750 yards and six TD’s instead of the 85-catch, 1,000+ years we are used to. Hate to say it.

Is this the year James Jones breaks out? - After depressing all of you way too much, let’s focus on something positive that hasn’t gotten a whole of coverage so far and that is the play of James Jones. As just mentioned with the aging of Driver, Jones’ play this year could help curb the decline of Double D. Besides Finley and Rodgers, Jones was the other offensive player that really stood out to me during the Colts game. Nelson has gotten a lot of pub during training camp and many have him as the #3 WR, but I still think it is Jones’ job. That is not a knock on Nelson, who has a great training camp, but a praise for Jones, who is holding onto the ball and becoming more consistent. Can you imagine if he can carry this over into the regular season with Driver going over the middle, Jennings doing his thing, Finley causing nightmares and Jones running fly and post routes all game? That is scary.

Speaking of players not getting enough coverage – Quick, name me the best offensive lineman the Packers have right now? Clifton? Maybe, but he is getting older and has health issues. Tauscher? Perhaps, as he was the savior in the second-half of last season, but like Clifton, he isn’t getting any younger. Maybe you say Bulaga? If you go by talent, then yes, but still too young and inexperienced. What about Josh Sitton? Winner, winner chicken dinner. Seriously what does Sitton have to do to get some coverage? I am not suggesting he is an All-Pro or anything like that, but like last year, he has gone about his business, makes plays and continues to get better. I remember when he first appeared in the starting lineup a few years ago I was pretty skeptical and while he struggled at first, but Sitton has developed in perhaps the team’s best and most reliable lineman heading into the 2010 season. Much praise for the former Central Florida product.

The absence of Al Harris will be felt in the first six weeks, but what about Atari Bigby? - We have done our fair share of ripping Bigby this training camp and rightfully so. He went about everything the wrong way and thought he was invaluable to the Packers. I am now throwing Bigby a bone, albeit a very small one (like one of those milkbone dog treats). Morgan Burnett has taken Bigby’s starting job and will do well, but there isn’t much behind him with Will Blackmon sidelined. The reality is that a healthy Bigby could go a long way for this secondary’s depth, especially in blitzing schemes. If there is one thing Bigby can do well is knocking the piss out of opposing players (when he doesn’t get out of position). This team lacks a pass rush outside of Matthews, so Capers will have to think outside of the box again with creative fronts and blitz schemes. When used the right way, having a battering ram like a healthy Bigby could give ol’ Dom another toy to play with. As for depth, Thompson will more than likely make a move in the coming week to bring in another cornerback, safety, or both, so you are not totally vindicated Atari.

Nick Barnett’s potential banner year – The last storyline surrounds the elder statesmen of the Packers defense. Barnett is motivated more than ever this year (i.e. comments about Favre and ‘Super Bowl or Die’ shirts), but will this translate into his breakthrough year that it has seemed to knocking on the door for years now? Barnett has started from Day 1 as a rookie and put together some impressive seasons. He has been a great leader, consistent performer and has earned every dollar of his contract. So, has he had his breakthrough as an NFL linebacker? Absolutely. But I am waiting for him to take his game to the next level of the elite. Not talking about on par with say Patrick Willis, but to a Pro-Bowl level, something hes has not achieved yet in his first seven seasons. If Barnett plays like he did last year, the defense will not take a step back. However, if he puts together a monster season it will help mask some of the other deficiencies and could take the defense to another level. Super Bowl teams are always filled with good players that have career years and Barnett is no different.

-Adam Somers

Thoughts on the first round

admin — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:00:02 +0000

So the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft is officially in the books.

Thursday night really had it all, didn’t it? Suspense, trades, intrigue, trades, gambles, trades - it was all there. Did I mention there were trades?

There was even a romantic interest. And we all know who I’m talking about.

Yep – Mel Kiper, Jr.

ANYWAYS, since Adam did such an excellent job talking about the Green Bay Packers’ selection of Bryan Bulaga – my two cents: LOVE the pick – I will focus my attention on the rest of the first round this morning.

(Quick aside: I’ll be back later today with a look at some possible Friday targets for the Packers.)

Here are five things I loved from the first round:

The Detroit Lions kept it simple, stupid, with the No. 2 pick and took arguably the best player in the draft in defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. Detroit has put an increased emphasis on the lines of scrimmage this offseason – something Lions fans had never seen before – and it should equal more wins in 2010. As Packers fans, we’re going to hate Suh for the next, oh, eight years or so.

The Seattle Seahawks had glaring needs at left tackle and safety heading into this draft. What did they walk out of Thursday night with? Only the draft’s best left tackle (Russell Okung) and second-best safety (Earl Thomas). Both players dropped, through no real fault of their own, and the Seahawks will benefit in the long-term because of it. They still need playmakers on offense, but can address that Friday. John and Pete are off to a great start.
The New York Jets’ selection of cornerback/return ace Kyle Wilson at No. 29. Wilson is a bit undersized, yes, but he’s a dynamic, playmaking corner with exceptional ball skills. With Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie and Wilson as their top three corners, the Jets will be extremely scary to pass on this season. This only furthers my belief that New York is headed for 12 or 13-win territory this year.
Buffalo’s selection of C.J. Spiller at No. 9. Yes, the Bills are loaded at running back, but Marshawn Lynch is a disaster off-the-field and Spiller’s presence now makes him expendable. Spiller was, hands down, the best back in this draft. The Bills still need to sure up their o-line, but once they do, they’ve found their catalyst.
The Raiders’ selection of Rolando McClain at No. 8. He brings great value and fills a need. A smart pick by Crazy Al? Dear Lord – what has the world come to?

Here are five things I, um, didn’t love from the first round:

Denver’s selection of Tim Tebow. Look, I love Tebow’s intangibles. And, unlike many, I think he’s got the potential to turn into a starting NFL quarterback…somewhere, someday. I just don’t think Denver was the right team to take him. Remember, the Broncos were a borderline playoff team last season. With your first round picks – they had two – your goal must be to find players who can get you over the hump. You can go about that by drafting for need or by taking the best player available, but either way, that’s got to be your goal. Does Tebow fill a need? No way. Was Tebow really the best player available at that spot? Not. A. Chance. He might get his shot someday, but I’m starting to think that will happen with someone other than Josh McDaniels as his head coach.
Jacksonville’s selection of Tyson Alualu with the 10th overall pick was a shockingly dumb pick. Alualu was considered, almost universally, to be no better than a late first round pick. D-tackle is a crucial position, yes, but Alualu isn’t nearly the difference maker that Suh or Gerald McCoy (taken by Tampa Bay at No. 3) are. The Jags could have traded down, at least a few spots, and still got him. He could make a difference and prove me wrong. For his sake – and those in the Jacksonville front office – he’d better.
Similar story with San Diego trading up 16 spaces to grab running back Ryan Matthews. To me, this move stinks of “We’re only one player away” and, as I’ve always said, that’s a dangerous mindset to have. Sure, Matthews fills a real need, but did the Chargers have to jump that far? I can’t imagine they did, considering almost everyone had Matthews as a late first round pick. He doesn’t play nose tackle or anywhere in the secondary, last time I checked, and San Diego now has less ammo to address those crucial spots later in the draft.
Speaking of failing to address a crucial position, how ’bout them Cowboys? Someone has told Jerry Jones he has no left tackle at the moment, right? Leave it to Jones to get star-struck and trade up for the flashy, yet troubled, wide receiver (Dez Bryant). I know you can’t always draft for need – and Bryant does bring great value in that spot – but he won’t be able to make any impact if Tony Romo is constantly running for his life. Jerry – don’t go changin’.
Oh Detroit – how you tease us so. While I loved what the Lions did in taking Suh, I really did not like what they did at the end of round one. Is Jahvid Best really worth dropping 28 spots in the fourth round? When you are as bad as the Lions are, I say no way. Sure, they got the player they wanted, but they are now unable to address both o-line and corner – two crucial positions for them – on Friday. Plus, come Saturday, they’ll be waiting 28 picks longer than they would have, originally. All for a small, fast back with a concussion history. Nice.

What about you, gang? What were your thoughts on the first round? As always, comment, baby, comment!

-Chris Lempesis

Other thoughts on the first weekend of free agency

admin — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:00:23 +0000

So far, we at OBOD have covered the hell out of free agency as it relates to the Green Bay Packers and the rest of the NFC North.

(Okay, maybe we haven’t “covered the hell” out of it. But we’ve been good….solid….decent. Yeah, let’s stick with that – decent.)

But what about the rest of the NFL? After all, there has been activity outside of the division and, with it being Monday morning and all, it seems like a good time to expand our horizons and look at some of the other notable moves made. Some of these, of course, have Packers-related repercussions and we’ll mention them, as needed.

Cardinals taking big steps back – After watching Kurt Warner retire awhile back, the Cardinals lost three more key players this past weekend. Arizona finally rid themselves of Anquan Boldin, trading the somewhat malcontent receiver and a fifth round pick this year to the Baltimore Ravens for third and fourth round picks this year. Boldin might have been a pain in the butt, but he’s also an elite talent who is as tough as they come. Steve Breaston is decent, but Boldin he is absolutely not (love this move for the Ravens, by the way, as Boldin finally gives them the big-time wideout they seemingly have never had). Another big loss comes in the form of middle linebacker Karlos Dansby – I remember seeing him do something big a couple of months ago, but I can’t remember what - signing with the Miami Dolphins (five years, $43 million with $22 mil guaranteed). Dansby, while not an elite ‘backer, is very good and was a great fit for that defense. The Cards also lost safety Antrel Rolle to the New York Giants (five years, $37 million with $15 mil guaranteed, more on that in a bit). It’s true that they replaced Rolle by trading a fourth round pick this year and a seventh next year to the New York Jets for safety Kerry Rhodes and that Rhodes is a good player. But Rolle was on the up and knew this scheme. It will take Rhodes time to learn it. Those moves, combined with Matt “Chubby Girls and Beer Bongs” Leinart now at quarterback, lead me to believe the NFC West is an open race. Well, unless you’re the Rams.

The champs also appear to be losing some steam – The New Orleans Saints were dealt a considerable blow on defense as linebacker Scott Fujita signed a three year, $14 million deal with the Cleveland Browns. Fujita, while not a great player, was a very solid presence, both on and off the field. Things could get even worse if safety Darren Sharper bolts for another team (the Miami Dolphins, perhaps?). Sharper is 34, but is coming off of one of his best seasons yet and could still be a very good player for at least another year or two as he is a great fit in Gregg Williams’ scheme. The Saints seem to be making a push to get Sharper back, but they need to do more. If he leaves, that defense isn’t as good and they could go back to where they were a couple of years ago (i.e., a .500 team that wins eight games 45-41 and loses eight games by that same score). Right now, the Cards are definitely not as good as they were last year and the Saints could be heading that way, opening the door for other NFC teams….like maybe the Packers?
Two contracts shed a light on how much the Packers will have to pay Collins and Pickett – If you thought Nick Collins was going to want big-time dough before, you have to think that tenfold now when you see the deal Rolle got – the richest ever for a safety. In two years of playing free safety – he’d been a corner, previously – Rolle recorded 139 tackles, five interceptions, 13 passes defended and 1.5 sacks (with a Pro Bowl appearance in 2009). Collins, over the past two years – playing in two different schemes – recorded 104 tackles, 13 interceptions, 28 passes defended and one sack (with two Pro Bowl appearances). Collins pretty much crushes Rolle in the key playmaking categories and, as a result, you have to think he will want much more than Rolle got. If Rolle is getting an average of over $7 million per, Collins likely will aim for the $8-$10 million-a-year range and, at this point, it’s hard to blame him. Thanks, New York. As for Ryan Pickett, you can now use the contract given to New England’s Vince Wilfork - five years, $40 million with $25 million in guaranteed money - as a barometer of sorts. Age-wise, the two are fairly similar (Pickett turns 31 in October while Wilfork turns 29 in November). And while Pickett is not in the same class as Wilfork, a truly elite 3-4 nose tackle, he’s not that far off and provides great value to Green Bay’s defense. If Wilfork got an average of $8 million per, it’s likely going to take $5 or $6 million on average to lock up Pickett.
Cromartie deal not a slam dunk for the Jets – Many seem to be applauding the New York Jets for trading a third round pick in next year’s draft to San Diego for cornerback Antonio Cromartie. Those people have said that Cromartie’s pairing with Darrelle Revis (the second best corner in the game) gives the Jets the best corner tandem in football. While I disagree with them on that - Charles Woodson and Al Harris/Tramon Williams, anyone? – I’ll stick to the trade in this post. Here’s what Cromartie is: A guy who had one truly amazing season (2007, in which he recorded 10 picks) and two average ones since (five picks of the past two years combined). He’s also still griping about a new contract – even though he’s only been decent as of late – and has fathered seven children in five different states. I know Rex Ryan has a devil-may-care attitude about players with questionable character, just like his old man, but I also know that you don’t see too many Antonio Cromarties on championship teams. So glad the Packers didn’t pursue this guy.
Bad trends building for Big Ben – Okay, so this one doesn’t have anything to do with free agency. But the accusations of sexual assault against Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in Georgia was one of the biggest NFL stories of the weekend. Now I have no idea whether or not the guy is guilty or not. In the end, that’s not up to me to decide, anyways. What I do know, though, is that a nasty trend is forming with him. This is the second time such accusations have been lobbed his way, remember. He beat the criminal charges, stemming from an incident in Nevada awhile back, and he may well beat these. But leaders – true leaders – simply do not put themselves in these spots. Can you ever see Joe Montana allowing himself to be put in such a spot in a million years? Or even a guy like Aaron Rodgers? Not a chance in hell. Sure, he’s won two Super Bowls and he’ll never have to pay for a drink in Pittsburgh again. But if you want to be truly great, Ben, and not be remembered simply as “the guy who kept getting accused of sexual assault”, you must stop allowing yourself to get caught in these situations. Okay, I’ll jump off my soapbox now.

-Chris Lempesis

Rex Ryan, please shut up

admin — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:52:32 +0000

Well, that didn’t take long: The media might not have big-timed Charles Woodson, the defensive player of the year from little Green Bay who beat out New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis, but Jets coach Rex Ryan has already blasted the reporters who voted for Woodson over Revis.

This from Ryan, as quoted by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

“I wasn’t going to comment on it,” Ryan said Tuesday, “but I would like to congratulate the people that voted for Darrelle Revis. These guys obviously really know the game. And you’ve got to look at all the numbers, not just a number about this, or this stat or that stat.

“A number I think is interesting would be eight. And no, that’s not the amount of touchdown passes Green Bay gave up against Arizona. That is the number of touchdown passes we gave up all season. And the biggest reason for that is Darrelle Revis.

“There’s plenty of things to look at. We had the No. 1 defense in the National Football League, by 35 yards a game. We were No. 1 in scoring … basically 187 points is all the defense gave up all season. That might be a consideration for NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

“And it really was for the people that voted for Darrelle Revis. I tip my hat to them because they really know the game. That’s all I’m going to say about it.”

Revis had a great year. There’s no question about it. But when you look at his impact, it just don’t add up to what Woodson did. He had 20 more tackles than Revis, three more interceptions, three more forced fumbles, two more sacks and two more defensive touchdowns. All this while becoming the centerpiece of a defense that was excelling in a new scheme during the second half of the season — or the stretch when Revis faced a slate of teams with bad quarterbacks (hello Tampa Bay, Buffalo and Carolina) and teams that had nothing to play for (that’d be you, Indianapolis and Cincinnati). And oh, by the way, the Colts’ and Bengals’ decision to rest their starters is the only reason the Jets got into the playoffs–and thus the only reason anybody is still listening to what Ryan has to say.

Is Revis a better shutdown corner than Woodson? Quite possibly. Did he have a more complete season, or did he make a greater impact on his team’s improvement? Absolutely not. Even Revis said Woodson deserved the award, and plenty of voters recognized how integral Woodson was in getting the Packers to the playoffs, with defensive coordinator Dom Capers moving him all over the field and using him in a variety of roles.

That sounds like understanding football to me.

Congrats, Wood. And Rex–after you’re done getting thrashed in San Diego this weekend, take a trip up I-5. They’ve got plenty of sour grapes waiting for you in Napa Valley.

–Gene Bosling

Matthews finishes third in defensive ROY vote

admin — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 04:49:02 +0000

Get ready for a long line of postseason awards where Packers players don’t get the credit they should. The first such snub came tonight.

Clay Matthews, the Packers’ revelatory rookie linebacker who’s posted 10 sacks, recovered three fumbles, forced another and made 50 tackles this season, finished third in the voting for the NFL’s defensive rookie of the year. Houston linebacker Brian Cushing, Matthews’ college teammate at USC, won in a landslide, and Buffalo’s Jairus Byrd was second.

The Cushing pick is legitimate–he posted 134 tackles, registered five sacks and picked off four passes, all-around numbers Matthews doesn’t have. The thing that bugs me a little about the result, though, is how few votes Matthews got. It’s a strong defensive rookie of the year field, but with 10 sacks and the transformational effect he’s had on the Packers’ defense, don’t you think he deserves more than three votes?

This won’t be the last time you see a Packers player come up short of an award in the next two weeks, I don’t think. I’ve got a hunch Charles Woodson won’t win defensive player of the year (possibly losing to New Orleans’ Darren Sharper, the Jets’ Darrelle Revis or — in the ultimate injustice — the Vikings’ Jared Allen). And Aaron Rodgers isn’t likely to factor much into the MVP vote. Not with media darlings like Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and Judas in the running.

That isn’t to say those three quarterbacks aren’t deserving (though we at OBOD have serious reservations about the MVP candidacy of a quarterback who signed with a team and helped them improve by two games). Nor is it to say Revis wouldn’t be a good choice for defensive POY. But in a year where the Packers had a handful of standout individual performances, yet only got three Pro Bowlers, it seems like they’re flying too far under the radar. If Woodson doesn’t win, that would be the biggest injustice tossed the Packers’ way.

–Gene Bosling