The flaws of the Green Bay Packers were on full display with the loss of Aaron Rodgers, but it wasn’t all bad news. The Packers possess several strong units and quite a few elite players outside of the starting quarterback, and due to Ted Thompson’s strong roster building, the holes on this ship are quite patchable. The strength of the Packers going forward lies here.
Defensive Line
Kenny Clark was easily one of the five best Packer players this season, and there is a decent case to be made for the second year tackle as the team’s MVP. Clark was a run-stuffing dynamo, destroying double teams and routinely putting opponents on the ground. Clark is a cog in the Capers defense, and his contributions don’t show up in the stat sheets, but they do show up in the stat sheets of inside linebacker Blake Martinez, who led the team with 94 tackles, and Jake Ryan, who chipped in 51 more. Clark rarely surrenders ground, and allows the defenders behind him clear shots at ball carriers and quarterbacks. The fact that he chipped in 4.5 sacks is just icing on the cake.
When healthy, Mike Daniels is as good as any 3-4 defensive end in football as a do everything run-stuffer and pass rusher, while Dean Lowry offers surprising pass-rushing skills of his own. With Quinton Dial playing well in subpackages, the defensive line was the strongest unit on the team in 2017, and should continue to be so going forward.
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Running Back
The jury is still out on the early part of Ted Thompson’s final draft, but he hit it out of the park with two brilliant, complementary late round running backs. Jamaal Williams took over as lead back against Baltimore after injuries sidelined Aaron Jones and Ty Montgomery, and quickly established himself as a premiere power back. Williams numbers don’t blow you away as he averaged just 3.6 yards per carry, but he did serious damage against some impressive defensive fronts, and most importantly, he almost never lost yards. He finished an impressive 12th in DVOA, which does a better job of capturing his true efficiency. Williams was also excellent in pass protection, and for a big back, an outstanding receiver.
Aaron Jones missed some time with injuries, but when he was on the field, only the Saints’ Alvin Kamara was better. Per DVOA, Jones had the second most efficient season on any back, and his ability to do damage between the tackles while also breaking off big runs outside made for the most exciting Packer running game since Ahman Green. The Saints’ thunder and lightning duo of Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara cost them a first and a third round pick. The Packers got almost the same thing for a late fourth and a late fifth.
Davante Adams
Davante Adams had an amazing season that saw him actually kick up his level of play once Rodgers was lost for the season. Adams is a terror with the ball, breaking opposing ankles left and right and dominating on any and all “go-forward” routes, especially the slant. Adams is one of the team’s greatest developmental success stories and it’s a crime that he still doesn’t have a 1000 yard season under his belt, but the fact is the offense wouldn’t function without him, and it was essential that the Packers extend him. Adams is now under contract through 2021, and while the Packer receiving corps needs a talent injection, the number one spot is no longer in question.
Offensive Line
David Bakhtiari is the best left tackle in football. Not bad for a former fourth rounder in charge of the best quarterback in football’s blind side. Bakhtiari is just another in a long line of stud linemen produced by the Packer machine and he should remain a perennial pro bowler. The Packers resigned center Corey Linsley to a team friendly deal, and combined with Lane Taylor, the interior of the line has a solid base to build on. Guard Jahri Evans and right tackle Bryan Bulaga will likely take a step back due to age and injury, but Justin McCray showed some fight when pressed into action, and Jason Spriggs developed nicely. If he can add some additional bulk he has the potential to be very good. Rodgers will be back next year, and he will be well protected.
Corner
You may scoff at this entry, but after a bizarre incident early in the season where he walked out of the stadium, Damarious Randall quietly put together a great second half. Rookie Kevin King was great out of the gate, but eventually succumbed to a shoulder injury. When fully recovered, he should step into the starting role immediately. That leaves Davon House or someone like him as the third corner, and that’s a perfect level for him. The corners take a lot of heat for the Packers, but they actually came along nicely, and with a new defensive coordinator taking over, expect a big step forward next season.
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The Coaching Turnover
I don’t really care for many of the offensive changes the Packers made on the coaching staff, and I still wish they would have landed the Chargers’ Gus Bradley or the Bears’ Vic Fangio on defense, but overall I suspect the staff has improved. Mike Pettine was last seen in the NFL leading the Cleveland Browns to futility, but in retrospect his efforts don’t look that bad. The 2014 Browns boasted the league’s 2nd best pass defense, and while they did decline significantly in 2015, some of that is due to injuries and front office incompetence. Pettine is a Rex Ryan disciple, and while Ryan has been overmatched as a head coach, his defensive philosophy does work.
I’m more skeptical about the offensive changes. Nothing bothers me more than retreads that have history with the team, and Joe Philbin screams of laziness and desperation. It is difficult to bring in a true offensive coordinator since Mike McCarthy does so much of the work himself, but the offense could use an infusion of creativity and this will not provide it. Frank Cignetti, the new Packer quarterback coach, brought in from the Giants, hasn’t shown anything thus far.
I am glad the coaching staff is getting a shakeup, but I would have preferred a total overhaul. McCarthy has unjustly avoided blame, and while he’s essentially on a “prove it” contract at this point, the 2018 Packers will rely on defensive improvement, and the same old offense, to get things done. With a dearth of talent in the offensive skill positions, McCarthy may find this task more difficult than he realizes.
