[tps_title]1. Safety[/tps_title]
Free agents: M.D. Jennings, Chris Banjo
Entering final contract year: Sean Richardson
Well, surprise, surprise. We’re not going to beat this dead horse too much because we’ve spent most of the offseason thus far killing it.
The Green Bay Packers fielded arguably the worst group of safeties in the entire NFL in 2013. Now that’s a feat.
The Packers’ safeties were the only group in the league without an interception. Indicative of how awful they were is none other than Jerron McMillian. He was a fourth-round draft pick in 2012 and started at the beginning of the 2013 season for the injured Morgan Burnett.
He was a liability when he was in the lineup and the Packers released him in early December. No team has bothered to pick him up yet.
Once McMillian was gone, the Packers were left with three undrafted free agents and Burnett. We had a theory — stocking a particular position almost exclusively with undrafted free agents doesn’t work.
The Packers proved that theory correct in 2013.
M.D. Jennings was the weak link of a very weak defense. The other two undrafted guys — Sean Richardson and Chris Banjo — have some potential, but they also have some major limitations.
That leaves Burnett, who signed a shiny new contract last offseason. He rewarded the Packers for that move by having his worst season as a pro. Like Jennings, Burnett was a liability in coverage. Also like Jennings, he missed his share of tackles.
To put is simply, the Packers badly need to upgrade their talent at safety if they’re going to compete with the class of the NFC in 2014.
[tps_footer][/tps_footer]
If you knew nothing about the last 5 seasons of the NFL or the GB Packers & read only this one article, you’d think they were one of the worst teams in the NFL.
Pretty much covers the whole defense here when you mention Safety, ILB & D-Line.
Safety and D-line are no brainers. Anyone with eyes knows the Packers need to improve there.
The Packers could make zero changes at TE and ILB, and I would be completely unconcerned with it. The Packers haven’t really had a “play-making” TE in anything but theory and glimpses all during this run. I would be happy with a TE who could block.
ILB is a much over-ballyhooed position. When the D-line was playing well, those guys played well. When the D-line sucked, they sucked. Such is typically the case with ILBs. AJ Hawk had 117 tackles, 5 sacks, 2 caused fumbles and 1 INT. I don’t know. Sounds like he made some “plays” to me.
Dunno about Boyd overachieving unless you consider him getting playing time some incredible feat. I do like his potential and his hustle (I remember him nearly making the tackle on a run 20-yards down the field and on the side of the field opposite of where he lined up), but let’s be realistic, he was JAG last year.
The only thing those shiny new contracts are going to be good for are ass napkins after the season had. It really is time to get rid of the baggage and bring in guys that can make plays.