Position Evaluation: Quarterbacks and Receivers

I’ve been reading the pap and FAKE NEWS coming out of Green Bay since the end of the season and the restructuring of the front office and have a few observations. First, FAKE NEWS is alive and well with Ted Thompson now behind the curtain running the show instead of being the tired old face of the team like he’s been for the last 13 years.

The pap usually reserved for Larry McCarren and his “happy news reports” has been almost universal, especially in the evaluation of the Ted Thompson’s roster despite the fact the Packers could only beat the Bears, Bucs and Browns when the crutch (Aaron Rodgers) was removed. I’ve seen reports that the Packers will automatically be in the hunt for the Super Bowl once again, despite the fact the Packers haven’t been for many years, Dom Capers’ incompetence accepted. It’s like the old joke, “A man needs surgery on his hand and asks his doctor if he will be able to play the piano after the surgery. The doctors says of course, and he said, that’s funny I couldn’t play the piano before.”

With all of that aside I will evaluated the Packers roster over the next few days starting with the quarterbacks and wide receivers.

QUARTERBACKS: Aaron Rodgers, Brett Hundley, Joe Callahan. Ted Thompson thought this group would be just fine along as Hundley and Callahan didn’t have to play. He was right and he was wrong in not having a contingency plan in case Rodgers, who missed seven games in 2013 with a broken collarbone, would be hurt again and, of course, he was and it was shown that Hundley couldn’t play and Callahan was just on the roster.

Rodgers is still a top-tier quarterback and should be for the final two years of his contract unless he gets hurt again. I hope not more for him than for us Packer Backers. I give him an A+.

Hundley is a not a top-tier quarterback or a top-tier prospect. Head Coach Mike McCarthy got his back up when he said Hundley was his man and he had three years invested him and he would be just fine. Well, he wasn’t and I think there are reasons he wasn’t ready to play when he was called upon.

First, since it seems Hundley was exhibiting the same faults he had at UCLA three years ago (i.e. holding the ball too long, backing up instead of stepping up, lack of accuracy on long balls and lack of touch on short balls) it also seems McCarthy either had not invested three years with him or he was just too stupid to learn anything from the “Quarterback Guru” himself. I think it was more he was the forgotten man along with Callahan, Taysom Hill and Jerod Evans as far as attention is concerned than the other which is what McCarthy insinuates when he said he had too much invested in him to not play him, despite the fact Callahan played better than him in the preseason the past two seasons.

In fact, Hundley, who played very well his rookie camp and preseason without this extra attention from McCarthy, regressed when McCarthy focused all that FAKE NEWS attention on him. He was terrible in the preseason in 2016 and again last year as well as being terrible during his nine game audition during the regular season. I see no upside.

If playing him was more to showcase his talents, so that Ted Thompson could get some good draft picks for him that backfired. Nobody saw anything, except two overtime victories, they would want to trade for. So the Packers are stuck with him unless they cut him. I would cut him, sooner than later. Vinny Testaverde would be better.

Callahan has shown he could drive the offense during his preseason performances, but he is NOT a starting quality quarterback and he should also be cut in order to bring in someone who is.

Jerod Evans. A totally fu****g waste of time and money. He was a project and a major project at that and nothing more. Why in the world would you sign a project when the position needed a player who could play NOW and not in three years. He lasted a short time on the practice squad and was cut before the season ended. Another example of the dementia Thompson was suffering from the last two years was trying to sneak Tysom Hill through waivers when the Saints seem to pick up every quarterback the Packers cut. They earlier had signed Joe Callahan when he cut. Thompson’s moves were bizarre at best and malfeasance at worse.

WIDE RECEIVERS:

Besides having an obsession for tight ends this year Thompson also collected wide receivers. At the end of the season the position was filled by Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, Davante Adams, Geronimo Allison, Trevor Davis, Jeff Janis and Michael Clark on the 53-man roster with DeAngelo Yancy, Colby Pearson and Jake Krumerow on the practice squad. In addition, Max McCaffrey was on and off the practice squad and was finally signed by the 49ers off the Packers practice squad.

Jordy Nelson is 32 years old and is the third highest paid player on the team with a $12,718,750 salary. You have to throw out last season’s statistics because he never meshed with Hundley. The passes thrown to him were near the line of scrimmage and Jordy is better on deep throws down the sideline, which were NOT Hundley’s forte. I would keep him despite the salary because he DOES mesh with Rodgers. However, if there is going to be a purge of the roster of old and expensive (Rodgers excluded) then it’s time for Jordy to move on.

Randall Cobb is 27 years old and the second highest paid player with a $12,718.750 salary. Cobb is strictly a slot receiver for the most part and after having two excellent seasons in 2014 and 2015 the last two seasons have been ordinary at best. Cobb can be good, but McCarthy never seemed to figure out how to use the slot. Maybe the new offensive coordinator Joe Philbin can? I think he can still be useful, but not at the price. Time to cut him unless cutting him costs too much.

Davante Adams is 25 years old and a budding superstar who was the only one who DID mesh with Hundley. He is a keeper.

Geronimo Allison is 24 years old and an intriguing prospect. At times he looked like an up-and-comer. However, McCarthy seemed to bench him after he showed he could contribute. I like him and he’s cheap. The Packers need good and cheap even with Thompson out of the picture (if he really is). I’d keep him.

Jeff Janis is 26 years old and needs to leave or risk never having a career. McCarthy hates him. NUFF SAID. I hope he finds a team and coach who appreciates his talents. I would keep him if McCarthy had been fired, but McCarthy is here as long as he wants to be or he is promoted to Senior Head Coach. I really like him, so cut him please.

Trevor Davis is 24 years old and is the fastest player on the team. However, he hasn’t shown much improvement. The few times he played on the offense and the few times he was thrown to downfield (however, with Hundley doing the throwing that might be why he didn’t show much) he got open mostly. I think I’d keep him one more year hoping new coaching will untap his potential.

Michael Clark is 22 years and according to the LOCAL KISS ASS MEDIA is the best prospect on the team because he is 6-6. I didn’t see any upside from him late in the season. He was slow to start, slow to get into his route and slow after the catch. I guess I’m saying he was slow. He’s also cheap so maybe he gets a chance with the new coaches. I’d keep him or cut him. I really don’t care much about him and like him less knowing the LKAM likes him.

DeAngelo Yancy, Colby Pearson and Jake Krumerow. Yancy was a fifth round draft pick last year who couldn’t make the team (although the position is a bit crowded) and ended up on the practice squad. Pearson was signed to the practice squad late after being invited to the Bears rookie minicamp and not offered a contract. He was picked up by the Packers and cut in camp before being re-signed to the practice squad later in the season. Jake Krumerow was also signed real late to the practice squad. He’s a local kid from Wisconsin-Whitewater and I guess that is why the LKAM talked him up when he was signed. He is 25 years old and spent two years with the Bengals mostly on the practice squad and active for one game in 2016. He was waived injured by the Bengals, picked up by the Patriots for their practice squad and then cut before the Packers signed. These guys are just training camp fodder.

To sum up. The Packers need new backup quarterbacks. They need a veteran backup and a new prospect. I would keep Jordy Nelson, cut Randall Cobb only for cap reasons, keep Davante Adams and hope Trevor Davis develops while also keeping Geronimo Allison and cutting Jeff Janis, Michael Clark, DeAngelo Yancy, Colby Pearson and Jake Krumerow. A new burner is needed here also.