Since the State of the Union address was this past week, and I got a request to do an article on the Redskins, I figured I'd put one together on a Friday instead of going out and having a social life.
Washington is an extremely interesting and exciting team. Their Zone Blocking scheme was run to perfection last year with Alfred Morris and Robert Griffin III, but just how safe is this team from potential cap issues? Due to the penalty levied on the club by commissioner Roger Goodell, the Redskins are currently over the salary cap by just over $3 million. Let's take a look at their free agents first to get an idea of who they're in danger of losing and who they HAVE to make room for.
QB
Rex Grossman
RB
Darrel Young
WR
Brandon Banks
TE
Chris Cooley
Logan Paulson
Fred Davis
OT
Jordan Black
Tyler Polumbus
OG
Kory Lichtensteiger
C
Nick Sundberg
DT/DE
Chris Baker
Kentwan Balmer
Kendrick Golston
LB
Rob Jackson
Bryan Kehl
Chris Wilson
CB
Cedric Griffin
S
Tanard Jackson
Madieu Williams
P
Sav Rocca
Together, that's 97 starts walking out the door. I'd say the biggest ones close to leaving are Kory Lichtensteiger, Tyler Polumbus, Fred Davis, Madieu Williams, and Rob Jackson. So how do the Redskins keep those guys?
1) Cut DeAngelo Hall.
Hall is due to make $7,500,000 this year base with a $500,000 workout bonus. Josh Wilson played well last season and they have some young guys who can step in. There's also a wealth of CB help in the draft this year with possibly 3 CBs going in the 1st round. Unfortunately, the Redskins traded away their 1st rounder to get RGIII, so they'll have to wait until the second round to grab one. It's a risk to start a rookie at CB, but with the vet talent Washington has, it can be done.
This leaves Washington with roughly $5 million. They'll be able to get their rookies under contract, but what about the 5 guys up there? None of them are STARS, so they won't command a huge contract. What other cap wiggling can the Redskins do?
2) Cut Santana Moss
Santana is due a base salary of $4,150,00 with a signing bonus of $1,667,000 and a roster bonus of $350,000. Cutting him will save the Redskins an additional $4,500,000.
Now the Redskins are left with $9,000,000 in cap room. What else can they do?
3) Restructure Trent Williams
As it stands right now, he's counted as about $8,000,000 against the cap. If the redskins can get him to a 5 year, $50,000,000 deal with $15,000,000 guaranteed, they can cut his base salary down to $2,000,000, pay him the $500,000 he's owed from guaranteed money along with $3,000,000 in new signing bonus money. His cap hit would be about $5,500,000, a savings of $2,500,000.
I got Washington into the green by $11,500,000...what would you guys do as GM??
Friday, February 15, 2013
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Giants Cap Woes
The Jets aren't the only local team with salary cap woes. The New York Giants are in deep trouble right now too. Today, the Giants sit at about $2.5 million under the cap, but just a few days ago they had to make some big personnel decisions. So why were the Giants in this position to begin with?
Let's start with dead money. When players are signed to a contract, their signing bonus becomes prorated over the length of their deal, up to 5 years. The signing bonus money is paid up front to the player when they sign the deal. Since the money is paid in full to the player, the signing bonus figure counts regardless of whether or not the player is with the team. Thus, if you cut a player, any money left in the prorated signing bonus gets accelerated to the current cap figure. Before cutting Ahmad Bradshaw, Chris Canty, and Michael Boley, the dead cap for the Giants was actually extremely minimal:
Add in the 3 players who were cut recently:
So now, we can add up the Giants current cap figures with current contracts, add in the dead money, and subtract the $1,000,000 salary cap rollover and we can determine exactly how much money they have to play with:
Total Contracts: $113,574,892
+Total Dead Money: $6,771,306
$120,346,198
Total Cap Hit: $120,346,198
-Total Cap Rollover: $1,000,000
$119,346,198
Net Cap Hit: $119,346,198
-NFL Salary Cap: $121,500,000
$2,153,802
So there we go folks, the Giants currently have just $2,153,802 left in total cap space. Now lets go into why Bradshaw, Canty, and Boley had to go:
Let's start by posting each person's 2013 contract figures and then subtracting their dead money from what their cap hit in 2013 would have been to get a net cap hit figure:
Ahmad Bradshaw:
Base Salary: $3,750,000
Signing Bonus: $1,250,000
Workout Bonus: $250,000
Total Cap Hit: $5,250,000
Net Cap Hit: $2,750,000
Chris Canty:
Base Salary: $6,250,000
Signing Bonus: $1,700,000
Workout Bonus: $250,000
Total Cap Hit: $8,200,000
Net Cap Hit: $6,500,000
Michael Boley:
Base Salary: $4,250,000
Signing Bonus: $1,400,000
Total Cap Hit: $5,650,000
Net Cap Hit: $4,250,000
So in total by cutting those 3 guys, the Giants saved a total of $13,500,000. It's amazing how they're still just $2,153,802 under cap. They're going to be in BIG trouble if they don't make more room. Why? Here's a list of players the Giants are losing to free agency this year...
Brian Witherspoon
Osi Umenyiora
Lawrence Tynes
Justin Tryon
Justin Trattou
Adrian Tracy
Ryan Torain
Keith Rivers
Kenny Phillips
Kregg Lumpkin
Sean Locklear
Domenik Hixon
Victor Cruz
Jim Cordle
David Carr
Stevie Brown
Andre Brown
Kevin Boothe
Chase Blackburn
Rocky Bernard
Martellus Bennett
Travis Beckum
William Beatty
Ramses Barden
As good as the Giants have been at finding players, I'm not sure how the Giants will get themselves out of this mess. A lot of those players are reserve guys, but there are also big names like Osi, Cruz, Tynes, Blackburn, Bennett, Phillips, Brown, Bernard, and Beatty. David Wilson is the only RB left on the roster, they have no serviceable TE on the roster, and the WRs are going to be gutted. Just Ruben Randle and Hakeem "Always Hurt" Nicks left.
Unfortunately, I believe this is going to be a rough rebuilding year for the Giants. The typically level-headed Giants front staff seemingly went all-in trying to get a couple more championships. Unfortunately, it seems like this team is going to be in pretty rough shape.
Let's start with dead money. When players are signed to a contract, their signing bonus becomes prorated over the length of their deal, up to 5 years. The signing bonus money is paid up front to the player when they sign the deal. Since the money is paid in full to the player, the signing bonus figure counts regardless of whether or not the player is with the team. Thus, if you cut a player, any money left in the prorated signing bonus gets accelerated to the current cap figure. Before cutting Ahmad Bradshaw, Chris Canty, and Michael Boley, the dead cap for the Giants was actually extremely minimal:
- Osi Umenyiora-$1,000,000
- Greg Jones-$100,132
- Matt McCants-$66,174
- Martin Parker-$5,000
Add in the 3 players who were cut recently:
- Ahmad Bradshaw-$2,500,000
- Chris Canty-$1,700,000
- Michael Boley-$1,400,000
So now, we can add up the Giants current cap figures with current contracts, add in the dead money, and subtract the $1,000,000 salary cap rollover and we can determine exactly how much money they have to play with:
Total Contracts: $113,574,892
+Total Dead Money: $6,771,306
$120,346,198
Total Cap Hit: $120,346,198
-Total Cap Rollover: $1,000,000
$119,346,198
Net Cap Hit: $119,346,198
-NFL Salary Cap: $121,500,000
$2,153,802
So there we go folks, the Giants currently have just $2,153,802 left in total cap space. Now lets go into why Bradshaw, Canty, and Boley had to go:
Let's start by posting each person's 2013 contract figures and then subtracting their dead money from what their cap hit in 2013 would have been to get a net cap hit figure:
Ahmad Bradshaw:
Base Salary: $3,750,000
Signing Bonus: $1,250,000
Workout Bonus: $250,000
Total Cap Hit: $5,250,000
Net Cap Hit: $2,750,000
Chris Canty:
Base Salary: $6,250,000
Signing Bonus: $1,700,000
Workout Bonus: $250,000
Total Cap Hit: $8,200,000
Net Cap Hit: $6,500,000
Michael Boley:
Base Salary: $4,250,000
Signing Bonus: $1,400,000
Total Cap Hit: $5,650,000
Net Cap Hit: $4,250,000
So in total by cutting those 3 guys, the Giants saved a total of $13,500,000. It's amazing how they're still just $2,153,802 under cap. They're going to be in BIG trouble if they don't make more room. Why? Here's a list of players the Giants are losing to free agency this year...
Brian Witherspoon
Osi Umenyiora
Lawrence Tynes
Justin Tryon
Justin Trattou
Adrian Tracy
Ryan Torain
Keith Rivers
Kenny Phillips
Kregg Lumpkin
Sean Locklear
Domenik Hixon
Victor Cruz
Jim Cordle
David Carr
Stevie Brown
Andre Brown
Kevin Boothe
Chase Blackburn
Rocky Bernard
Martellus Bennett
Travis Beckum
William Beatty
Ramses Barden
As good as the Giants have been at finding players, I'm not sure how the Giants will get themselves out of this mess. A lot of those players are reserve guys, but there are also big names like Osi, Cruz, Tynes, Blackburn, Bennett, Phillips, Brown, Bernard, and Beatty. David Wilson is the only RB left on the roster, they have no serviceable TE on the roster, and the WRs are going to be gutted. Just Ruben Randle and Hakeem "Always Hurt" Nicks left.
Unfortunately, I believe this is going to be a rough rebuilding year for the Giants. The typically level-headed Giants front staff seemingly went all-in trying to get a couple more championships. Unfortunately, it seems like this team is going to be in pretty rough shape.
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Just How Bad Are the Jets' Cap Issues?
I've had fun bashing the Jets in the past, but as I mentioned in my last post, I actually feel bad for their fans. GM Mike Tannenbaum and the rest of the front office have crafted some of the worst contracts in the league. The Jets have just 40 players under contract and are $18 million OVER the cap. I talked about Mark Sanchez last time, but let's go into greater detail about what options the Jets have. Using data gathered from sportrac.com, I've determined that the jets have 4 options for Sanchez:
- Cut Sanchez. This isn't exactly desirable, though. Sanchez has a guaranteed base salary of $8.25 million in 2013. He's also owed $2.5 million for his signing bonus from his rookie contract as well as $6.4 million accelerated from his extension contract's signing bonus. $8.25+$2.5+$6.4=$17,150,000 cap hit in 2013
- Roster Sanchez. Sanchez is owed his $8.25 million base. He's also owed the $2.5 million bonus from his old contract and 1/4 of his signing bonus from his extension, or $1.6 million. He's also owed a $500,000 workout bonus. $8.25+$2.5+$1.6+$500k=$12,850,000 cap hit in 2013
- Declare Sanchez a June 1st cut. How this works is that Sanchez is treated like he's on the roster for 2013 which means that any bonuses he acquired at the time of the cut are counted against the 2013 cap and any bonuses that are in the future come in 2014. Essentially, the Jets would have to pay his $8.25 million base, $2.5 million bonus, and $1.6 million bonus from the proration. The Jets would be off the hook for the $500,000 workout bonus. $4.8 million (3/4 of the extension signing bonus) would be accelerated against the 2014 cap. $8.25+$2.5+$1.6=$12,350,000 cap hit in 2013, plus a $4,800,000 cap hit in 2013
- Trade Sanchez. When a player is given a signing bonus, that money is paid up front. That money is then prorated over the duration of the contract. The team is obligated to pay for that signing bonus regardless of what happens to the player. Sanchez is owed a total of $8.9 million in bonuses if he is traded. This would be the easiest option if it were just $8.9 million the Jets had to worry about. Sanchez, unfortunately, also has a base salary of $8.25 million in 2013 which IS guaranteed. While that money IS transferable, it will be hard to convince another team that a QB who has severely underperformed is worth $8.25 million. The Jets will likely eat some of that money IF, and that's a big if, another team is willing to trade for him. You're looking at anywhere from $4-5 million the Jets would need to eat to trade Sanchez. $8.9+$4-5=$12,900,000-$13,900,000 cap hit in 2013
Given those options, my personal feeling is that the Jets will in fact declare him a June 1st cut. They don't want him on the roster anymore and they NEED cap space. This move will put the Jets $500,000 closer to being under cap, but it leaves them now with 39 players under contract in 2013. Let's look at some more options for the Jets to cut. As I go on and list players, I will show their individual savings in green as well as the total cap room in red.
- Calvin Pace: $5,810,000 base salary, $3,013,333 signing bonus, $2,500,000 roster bons, $500,000 workout bonus. If the Jets cut him, $3,013,333-$5,810,000-$2,500,000-$500,000=$5,796,667 savings, -$12,203,333 cap room if cut.
- Santonio Holmes: $11,000,000 base salary, $1,250,000 signing bonus, $250,000 workout bonus. Contract through 2015. If the Jets cut Holmes, $3,750,000-$11,000,000-$250,000=$7,500,000 savings, -$10,500,000 cap room if cut, -$4,703,333 cap room if Holmes AND Pace are cut.
- Eric Smith: $2,400,000 base salary, $600,000 workout bonus. If the Jets Cut him, -$2,400,000-$600,000=$3,000,000 savings, -$15,000,000 cap room if cut, -$1,703,333 cap room if Holmes, Pace, AND Smith are cut.
- Bart Scott: $6,900,000 base salary, $1,500,000 signing bonus, $250,000 roster bonus. If the Jets cut him, $1,500,000-$250,000-$6,900,000=$5,650,000 savings, -$12,350,000 cap room if cut, +$3,946,667 if Holmes, Pace, Smith, and Scott are cut.
- David Harris: $10,900,000 base salary, $2,000,000 signing bonus, $100,000 roster bonus. Contract through 2014. If the Jets cut Harris, $4,000,000-$10,900,000-$100,000=$7,000,000 savings, -$11,000,000 cap room if cut, +$10,946,667 cap room if Holmes, Pace, Smith, Scott, and Harris are cut.
- Jason Smith: $750,000 base salary, $11,250,000 roster bonus. If the Jets cut Smith, -$750,000-$11,250,000=$12,000,000 savings, -$7,000,000 cap room if cut, +$22,946,667 cap room if Holmes, Pace, Smith, Scott, and Harris are cut.
Unfortunately, I was unable to get data on Tim Tebow's contract, but I would have thrown him in there. If you designate Sanchez a June 1st cut, you can add another $500,000 to that cap number and it would come in at $23,446,667 freed up. The Jets would be down to 33 players under contract, but that leaves $1.1 million PER PLAYER available to get up to 53 guys. As it stands without cutting anybody, the Jets would have -$1,384,615.4 per player to sign the remaining 13 needed to get to 53. The Jets are in for a rude awakening in 2013. They will indeed be a rebuilding team. Rex Ryan will likely be gone as well as Tannenbaum. Say goodbye to the NY Jets you know. Perhaps the Jets sign a FA QB like a Vince Young, trade for Jason Campbell, promote McElroy to QB, or draft a QB. Any way you slice it, though, it's extremely unlikely Sanchez will play football for the Jets again.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Is there really a de-emphasis on running backs?
We always hear about the RB position being forgotten about, but how true is that? I set out writing this article trying to prove that the running game in the NFL is lacking, but evidence shows me that it's not even close to being true. The running game is as strong as ever, the pass has just taken over. Individual TEAMS may abandon the run completely, but as a whole there is NO league trend showing that rushing trends are down. Want proof? Here are the total rushing yards for the NFL for each of the last seasons dating back to 1991:
2011-59,978
2010-58,607
2009-59,739
2008-59,370
2007-56,790
2006-60,061
2005-57,583
2004-59,709
2003-60,341
2002-59,459
2001-55,440
2000-55,829
1999-52,819
1998-54,093
1997-54,260
1996-52,306
1995-51,886
1994-46,710
1993-49,295
1992-49,509
1991-48,237
So wait, the last 4 years are almost 10,000 yards less than the 2011 total? Why is that? Because there were only 28 teams! Still, the totals from 2002 on crush the totals of any era before it, so we're actually in an era of MORE rushing yards instead of less rushing. The difference is HOW the rushing yards are attained. In 2011, we have more of a "running back by committee" rushing attack because of durability issues. QBs are also a HUGE part of rushing totals. QBs racked up 5,955 yards in 2011, that's 10% of the total rushing stats for the league. In 1991, that total was 3,030 or just 6.2%.
There are also less traditional backs now than there were in 1991. 10 backs in 2011 broke 1400 yards from scrimmage compared to just 3 in 1991. All 3 of those backs in 1991 were over 1400 yards rushing while just 1 of the 10 backs in 2011 were over 1400 yards rushing. This demonstrates that backs now are expected to both receive and rush with the football. Rushing has also become more effective. YPC for the league in 2011 was 4.3 compared to 3.9 in 1991. From 1991 to 1999, the YPC number never reached higher than 4.0. From 2000 to 2011, the YPC number never dipped below 4.0 and it only hit 4.0 once. The NFL has shifted gears and has actually become more efficient rushing.
It's easy to slip in to the mindset that the run is dying in the NFL, but that would be a false idea. In 2011, 4.3% of passes went for TDs, the average yards per attempt was 7.2, and the average yards per game was 229.7. In 1999, only 3.7% of passes went for TDs, yards per attempt was 6.9, and yards per game was 199.1. Passing has DEFINITELY increased, but it's an illusion that rushing has decreased as a result. It is true that the running game may look different, it's still a viable option and will be for years to come.
2011-59,978
2010-58,607
2009-59,739
2008-59,370
2007-56,790
2006-60,061
2005-57,583
2004-59,709
2003-60,341
2002-59,459
2001-55,440
2000-55,829
1999-52,819
1998-54,093
1997-54,260
1996-52,306
1995-51,886
1994-46,710
1993-49,295
1992-49,509
1991-48,237
So wait, the last 4 years are almost 10,000 yards less than the 2011 total? Why is that? Because there were only 28 teams! Still, the totals from 2002 on crush the totals of any era before it, so we're actually in an era of MORE rushing yards instead of less rushing. The difference is HOW the rushing yards are attained. In 2011, we have more of a "running back by committee" rushing attack because of durability issues. QBs are also a HUGE part of rushing totals. QBs racked up 5,955 yards in 2011, that's 10% of the total rushing stats for the league. In 1991, that total was 3,030 or just 6.2%.
There are also less traditional backs now than there were in 1991. 10 backs in 2011 broke 1400 yards from scrimmage compared to just 3 in 1991. All 3 of those backs in 1991 were over 1400 yards rushing while just 1 of the 10 backs in 2011 were over 1400 yards rushing. This demonstrates that backs now are expected to both receive and rush with the football. Rushing has also become more effective. YPC for the league in 2011 was 4.3 compared to 3.9 in 1991. From 1991 to 1999, the YPC number never reached higher than 4.0. From 2000 to 2011, the YPC number never dipped below 4.0 and it only hit 4.0 once. The NFL has shifted gears and has actually become more efficient rushing.
It's easy to slip in to the mindset that the run is dying in the NFL, but that would be a false idea. In 2011, 4.3% of passes went for TDs, the average yards per attempt was 7.2, and the average yards per game was 229.7. In 1999, only 3.7% of passes went for TDs, yards per attempt was 6.9, and yards per game was 199.1. Passing has DEFINITELY increased, but it's an illusion that rushing has decreased as a result. It is true that the running game may look different, it's still a viable option and will be for years to come.
Monday, December 10, 2012
Why the Jets Need To Get Rid of Sanchez...but Can't
Unfair or not, part of being a 1st round draft choice gives you the burden of producing immediate success. Typically, a QB taken high is going to a team that is in desperate need of a passer. In 2009, the Jets traded their 1st and 2nd round picks and 3 players to the Browns to move up to number five and snag Mark Sanchez, QB from USC. The Jets were actually a pretty good team with a void at QB. With Brett Favre at QB in 2008, the Jets finished with a 9-7 record and narrowly missed the playoffs. After Favre retired from football (for the 2nd time) the Jets were faced with a hole at QB. With an inexperienced Kellen Clemens as the only QB on the roster, they either had to make a play for a QB or settle on Clemens.
On draft day 2009, Mark Sanchez was riding the hype train all the way to the top of the draft boards. He was ranked as the number two QB that day behind Georgia's Matthew Stafford. However, Mark Sanchez was a huge risk considering he had just 16 college starts. The Jets figured the inexperience was irrelevant and traded up to take him at #5 overall. With $28 million guaranteed in his rookie contract, Sanchez was expected to perform immediately.
His results? Disappointing. It's very true that despite backing into the playoffs his 1st two years, the Jets made it to the AFC title game, but looking at HOW the Jets did it, Sanchez doesn't deserve much credit at all. In 2009, the Jets were the 31st best passing offense. In 2010 they were the 22nd best. The reason the Jets won was clearly because of their #1 rushing and defensive units in 2008 and their #6 and #4 defensive and rushing units in 2010. In those two years Sanchez threw 33 interceptions and fumbled 19 times while scoring just 35 times.
It's easy to get caught up in the hype, however. The Jets were 20-12 over those two years and Sanchez scored 5 4th quarter comeback wins in those 20 wins so the Jets were playing exciting football. Success is the best deodorant. You win a ton of games and make them exciting and people tend to forget about the fact that you threw 4 INTs in a game last week. But the fact of the matter is that the Jets' QB situation is horrendous.
Here are some quick facts about Sanchez:
The biggest issue with Sanchez is that he's not getting better. Fans are comparing Sanchez to Eli's first 4 years and I think that's downright insane. After Eli's first season, he never dipped below 4% in TD %, a mark that Sanchez has only hit once in 4 seasons. They are both sloppy with the ball, but Eli took some HUGE steps forward and he also consistently puts up points. Sanchez has always look just downright bad with some flashes of good thrown in.
The Jets need a change at QB. I don't think it should be Tebow or McElroy. The Jets need new blood on their roster. As Mike Florio from profootballtalk.com pointed out, the Jets had to deactivate McElroy to give Sanchez some confidence. Sanchez is shaken and he's likely not going to recover.
What I find most offensive about the Jets, however, is Mike Tannenbaum. I don't think most fans know just how badly the Jets will suffer because of the horrendous deals he's cut. Currently, the Jets are going to be $20 million OVER the cap in 2013. The Jets front-loaded Sanchez's contract, so 2013 is a very cap heavy year for his contract. The Jets basically gave him a 2 year window to prove himself when he signed his extension in 2012. Unfortunately, after 1 season, he needs to go. If the Jets were to cut Sanchez, his guaranteed bonuses would accelerate to $17.1 million against the 2013 cap. Since his current 2013 cap hit would be $12,853,125, it would add another $4.25 million to the $20 million the Jets are currently over for next year. The Jets could cut Sanchez after June 1st as a "June 1st cut." This would actually save the Jets $500,000 in 2013, but it also pushes $4.8 million to 2014.
Essentially, the issue is that Sanchez can't be cut and no team would trade for him. Tannenbaum basically negotiated a contract that forces the Jets to at least roster Sanchez for one more year. The Jets are going to have to make some serious cuts this year. Guys like Santonio Holmes is definitely gone and David Harris may join him too. The Jets may even do something drastic like trade D'Brickishaw Ferguson. One thing is for certain, the Jets scouting staff and management may be the worst in the league. The contracts they gave are just downright terrible. I actually feel sympathy for Jets fans.
On draft day 2009, Mark Sanchez was riding the hype train all the way to the top of the draft boards. He was ranked as the number two QB that day behind Georgia's Matthew Stafford. However, Mark Sanchez was a huge risk considering he had just 16 college starts. The Jets figured the inexperience was irrelevant and traded up to take him at #5 overall. With $28 million guaranteed in his rookie contract, Sanchez was expected to perform immediately.
His results? Disappointing. It's very true that despite backing into the playoffs his 1st two years, the Jets made it to the AFC title game, but looking at HOW the Jets did it, Sanchez doesn't deserve much credit at all. In 2009, the Jets were the 31st best passing offense. In 2010 they were the 22nd best. The reason the Jets won was clearly because of their #1 rushing and defensive units in 2008 and their #6 and #4 defensive and rushing units in 2010. In those two years Sanchez threw 33 interceptions and fumbled 19 times while scoring just 35 times.
It's easy to get caught up in the hype, however. The Jets were 20-12 over those two years and Sanchez scored 5 4th quarter comeback wins in those 20 wins so the Jets were playing exciting football. Success is the best deodorant. You win a ton of games and make them exciting and people tend to forget about the fact that you threw 4 INTs in a game last week. But the fact of the matter is that the Jets' QB situation is horrendous.
Here are some quick facts about Sanchez:
- 16 of 59 starts had 2+ interceptions or about 27% of his games.
- He has been held without a TD pass in 17 of 59 starts or 29% of his games.
- 39 of 59 starts he has been held under 60% completions.
- 34 of 59 starts he has been held under 7.00 YPA.
- 15 of 59 starts he has been held under 150 yards passing.
- Just 12 of 59 starts have resulted in a 100+QB Rating.
The biggest issue with Sanchez is that he's not getting better. Fans are comparing Sanchez to Eli's first 4 years and I think that's downright insane. After Eli's first season, he never dipped below 4% in TD %, a mark that Sanchez has only hit once in 4 seasons. They are both sloppy with the ball, but Eli took some HUGE steps forward and he also consistently puts up points. Sanchez has always look just downright bad with some flashes of good thrown in.
The Jets need a change at QB. I don't think it should be Tebow or McElroy. The Jets need new blood on their roster. As Mike Florio from profootballtalk.com pointed out, the Jets had to deactivate McElroy to give Sanchez some confidence. Sanchez is shaken and he's likely not going to recover.
What I find most offensive about the Jets, however, is Mike Tannenbaum. I don't think most fans know just how badly the Jets will suffer because of the horrendous deals he's cut. Currently, the Jets are going to be $20 million OVER the cap in 2013. The Jets front-loaded Sanchez's contract, so 2013 is a very cap heavy year for his contract. The Jets basically gave him a 2 year window to prove himself when he signed his extension in 2012. Unfortunately, after 1 season, he needs to go. If the Jets were to cut Sanchez, his guaranteed bonuses would accelerate to $17.1 million against the 2013 cap. Since his current 2013 cap hit would be $12,853,125, it would add another $4.25 million to the $20 million the Jets are currently over for next year. The Jets could cut Sanchez after June 1st as a "June 1st cut." This would actually save the Jets $500,000 in 2013, but it also pushes $4.8 million to 2014.
Essentially, the issue is that Sanchez can't be cut and no team would trade for him. Tannenbaum basically negotiated a contract that forces the Jets to at least roster Sanchez for one more year. The Jets are going to have to make some serious cuts this year. Guys like Santonio Holmes is definitely gone and David Harris may join him too. The Jets may even do something drastic like trade D'Brickishaw Ferguson. One thing is for certain, the Jets scouting staff and management may be the worst in the league. The contracts they gave are just downright terrible. I actually feel sympathy for Jets fans.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
The Packer's Kryptonite: The Wide 9
As a Packer fan, I'm having serious doubts about the remainder of the season. Injuries are mounting, but unlike the 2010 season where guys were able to step up, the 2012 crop is decimated. One of the biggest injuries occurred back in 2011. 1st round pick Derrick Sherrod was finally starting to come into his own as the team's starting LT. Marshall Newhouse was busy getting beat every play and the Packers desperately needed help. Sherrod at 6'5" 321 pounds didn't lack the necessary skillset to play in the NFL, but he was having trouble with scheme. He was starting to get the hang of things when a catastrophic leg injury ended his season last year as well as the entire 2012 season.
Why this particular injury hurts us so badly is because teams have employed the "wide-9" look against us. In football, a defensive lineman's alignment on the offensive lineman is referred to as a "technique." You may hear a defensive linemen during the draft referred to as a, "4-3 3-technique defensive tackle." That is a guy who is lined up on the outside shoulder of the guard. Here's a full list of alignments:
0 tech--head up on the center
1 tech--inside shoulder of guard
2 tech--head up on the guard
3 tech--outside shoulder of guard
4 tech--inside shoulder of tackle
5 tech--head up on the tackle
6 tech--outside shoulder of tackle
7 tech--inside shoulder of tight end
8 tech--head up on tight end
9 tech--outside shoulder of tight end
Wide 9 tech--far outside shoulder of tight end
Bear with me, this is all coming together. The wide-9 is when a defensive player is lined up on the line of scrimmage completely away from the body of the TE or Tackle. Here's an example of the Giants lined up in that formation vs Green Bay in the regular season meeting last year:
Notice how Jason Pierre Paul is lined up outside of Marshall Newhouse in the left of the picture and Mathias Kiwanuka is lined up outside of Bryan Bulaga on the right? That's the wide-9. Marshall Newhouse just cannot compete with this kind of pass rush from elite pass rushers. In the next 5 games, he will have to face:
Jared Allen twice.
Kyle Vanden Bosch.
Kamerion Wimbley.
Julius Peppers.
I can guarantee that ALL of those guys will be lined up in the wide 9 technique frequently. The point of the wide-9 tech is to get your speed rushers upfield in obvious passing situations. It leaves you liable for some inside rushing between the A gaps thus it's not a viable alignment for all situations, but it's key when you get a one dimensional team like Green Bay. The defensive ends shoot for an area about 8 yards deep in the backfield, that's where the QB typically ends his dropback. A good example was from last Sunday's game between the Packers and the Giants. The Packers have the ball at their own 39 so Osi Umenyiora, lined up in the wide 9 tech, is shooting for about the 31 yard line. He gets a great step off the ball as Newhouse is basically flatfooted and barely gets touched. Where does the hit occur? At the 31 yard line as Rodgers is finishing up his dropback.
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/0ap2000000100865/Umenyiora-sack-fumble
This is where Sherrod comes in. The best way to combat the wide-9 is to have an offensive tackle with long arms (35 3/8" for Sherrod) and a quick first step. Sherrod possesses both of those. The way it works in theory is to isolate the defender to the outside. If your lineman is quick enough and can create separation, the defender will rush himself out of the play allowing your QB to step up into a clean pocket and complete the pass.
In a way, the OL was doomed before the season even began. Without Sherrod, the Packers will continue to struggle because Newhouse struggles to get a quick first step and cannot consistently keep rushers outside. Pair this along with the loss of Bryan Bulaga and you have Newhouse at LT and Evan Deitrich-Smith at LG and the left side of the line is a complete and utter liability. With the loss of Cedric Benson, the Packers go into most games with no legitimate rushing threat thus teams can rush 4 men and drop 7 using 2 deep stafeties to take away the big play and the result is a QB who doesn't have more than 2-3 seconds to make a decision in the pocket. And you have the most sacked QB in the NFL, Aaron Rodgers.
I fear that this is too steep of an obstacle to overcome. Most good NFL teams have an elite pass rusher and this problem will be amplified come January if the Packers make the playoffs. I'm hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst. I just hope Rodgers doesn't get hurt before the end of the year.
Why this particular injury hurts us so badly is because teams have employed the "wide-9" look against us. In football, a defensive lineman's alignment on the offensive lineman is referred to as a "technique." You may hear a defensive linemen during the draft referred to as a, "4-3 3-technique defensive tackle." That is a guy who is lined up on the outside shoulder of the guard. Here's a full list of alignments:
0 tech--head up on the center
1 tech--inside shoulder of guard
2 tech--head up on the guard
3 tech--outside shoulder of guard
4 tech--inside shoulder of tackle
5 tech--head up on the tackle
6 tech--outside shoulder of tackle
7 tech--inside shoulder of tight end
8 tech--head up on tight end
9 tech--outside shoulder of tight end
Wide 9 tech--far outside shoulder of tight end
Bear with me, this is all coming together. The wide-9 is when a defensive player is lined up on the line of scrimmage completely away from the body of the TE or Tackle. Here's an example of the Giants lined up in that formation vs Green Bay in the regular season meeting last year:
Jared Allen twice.
Kyle Vanden Bosch.
Kamerion Wimbley.
Julius Peppers.
I can guarantee that ALL of those guys will be lined up in the wide 9 technique frequently. The point of the wide-9 tech is to get your speed rushers upfield in obvious passing situations. It leaves you liable for some inside rushing between the A gaps thus it's not a viable alignment for all situations, but it's key when you get a one dimensional team like Green Bay. The defensive ends shoot for an area about 8 yards deep in the backfield, that's where the QB typically ends his dropback. A good example was from last Sunday's game between the Packers and the Giants. The Packers have the ball at their own 39 so Osi Umenyiora, lined up in the wide 9 tech, is shooting for about the 31 yard line. He gets a great step off the ball as Newhouse is basically flatfooted and barely gets touched. Where does the hit occur? At the 31 yard line as Rodgers is finishing up his dropback.
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/0ap2000000100865/Umenyiora-sack-fumble
This is where Sherrod comes in. The best way to combat the wide-9 is to have an offensive tackle with long arms (35 3/8" for Sherrod) and a quick first step. Sherrod possesses both of those. The way it works in theory is to isolate the defender to the outside. If your lineman is quick enough and can create separation, the defender will rush himself out of the play allowing your QB to step up into a clean pocket and complete the pass.
In a way, the OL was doomed before the season even began. Without Sherrod, the Packers will continue to struggle because Newhouse struggles to get a quick first step and cannot consistently keep rushers outside. Pair this along with the loss of Bryan Bulaga and you have Newhouse at LT and Evan Deitrich-Smith at LG and the left side of the line is a complete and utter liability. With the loss of Cedric Benson, the Packers go into most games with no legitimate rushing threat thus teams can rush 4 men and drop 7 using 2 deep stafeties to take away the big play and the result is a QB who doesn't have more than 2-3 seconds to make a decision in the pocket. And you have the most sacked QB in the NFL, Aaron Rodgers.
I fear that this is too steep of an obstacle to overcome. Most good NFL teams have an elite pass rusher and this problem will be amplified come January if the Packers make the playoffs. I'm hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst. I just hope Rodgers doesn't get hurt before the end of the year.
Monday, November 19, 2012
Grading the Packers Players Individually
Here's a little fun opinion piece I have for the Packers current roster. Enjoy!
Quarterbacks:
Aaron Rodgers
Stats-
Passing: 238/354 67.2% 2,619 yards 27 TD 6 INT 7.4 YPA 107.3 QB rating
Rushing: 36 Att 156 Yards 0 TD 4.6 Y/A
Grade: A-
Rodgers started out extremely slowly but has quickly returned to 2011/2012 MVP form. He's had a couple uncharacteristically bad throws, but he's on pace to have his 3rd sub 10 INT season in 5 years.
Graham Harrell
Stats-
Passing: 0/0 0% 0 yards
Rushing: 1 attempt 0 yards
Grade: F
He would get an incomplete, but he had trouble handling a snap that almost killed the Packers. Lost the ball inside the opponent's 5.
Running Backs:
Cedric Benson
Stats-
Rushing: 71 Att. 248 yards 1 TD 3.5 Y/A
Receiving: 14 Rec 97 yards 0 TD 6.9 Y/R
Grade: B-
Ced's stats don't look amazing, but compare them with the stats of the past couple years of Green Bay rushing and he actually gave life to a dormant aspect of offense.
Alex Green
Stats-
Rushing: 87 Att 272 yards 0 TD 3.1 Y/A
Receiving: 11 Rec 90 yards 0 TD 8.2 Y/R
Grade: C
His stats are similar to Benson's, but Green struggled in pass protection and gaining short yardage. He seemed hesitant at too many points. Most of his yardage came on a 41 yard carry. He averages just 2.7 yards a carry without that run.
James Starks
Stats-
Rushing: 48 Att 154 Yards 0 TD 3.2 Y/A
Receiving: 2 Rec 15 yards 0 TD 7.5 Y/R
Grade: C-
He just escapes a D because of his performance yesterday. He ran hard, but much of the season before that he was a healthy scratch. That's a big fall considering that the 2 backs ahead of him are a 2nd year 3rd round pick coming off of a knee injury and the ancient Ced Benson.
John Kuhn
Stats-
Rushing: 12 Att 38 yards 1 TD 3.2 Y/A
Receiving: 8 Rec 70 yards 0 TD 8.8 Y/R
Grade: B+
Kuhn continues to just be extremely versatile. On offense, he is an excellent blocking fullback and he has good hands as a receiver. He doesn't get the A because he's still not a great short yardage back, but he's getting there.
Johnny White
Stats-
Rushing: 0 Att 0 yards 0 TD 0 Y/A
Grade: INC
Hasn't seen action yet.
Brandon Saine
Stats-
Rushing: 0 Att 0 yards 0 TD 0 Y/A
Grade: INC
He had a productive period in 2011 where he gained 138 yards on 28 touches, but an injury has shelved Saine for the year in 2012.
Tight Ends
Jermichael Finley
Stats-
Receiving: 32 Rec 337 yards 2 TDs 10.5 Y/R
Grade: C-
His lack of production is inexcusable. I'd say more, but I'd get too angry.
Tom Crabtree
Stats-
Receiving: 6 Rec 183 yards 3 TDs 30.5 Y/R
Grade: A
Crabtree was a surprise this season. He was brought in specifically to be a blocking TE, but he's blossomed into a legitimate receiving threat. He's not going to line up every down as a pass catching TE, but he's officially a threat. That gives us some flexibility when we come out in 3 TE/2 RB formations. He's an asset.
DJ Williams
Stats-
Receiving: 4 Rec 37 yards 0 TD 9.3 Y/R
Grade: INC
He hasn't played enough to warrant a grade here. He's pushing for playing time and has the ability, he just needs to put it together.
Andrew Quarless
Stats-
Receiving: 0 Rec 0 yards 0 TD 0 Y/R
Grade: INC
Started the year on PUP list, just starting to practice.
Ryan Taylor
Stats-
Receiving: 0 Rec 0 yards 0 TD 0 Y/R
Grade: B
No stats and a B grade? Yup. Taylor is a special teams beast. He's a big reason why the Packers have a huge return game with Randall Cobb.
Wide Receivers
Randall Cobb
Stats-
Receiving: 54 Rec 574 yards 7 TDs 10.6 Y/R
Rushing: 8 Att 115 yards 0 TD 14.4 Y/A
Punt Returns: 19 Ret 211 yards 1 TD 11.5 Y/R
Kick Returns: 24 Ret 627 yards 0 TD 26.1 Y/R
Grade: A+
Cobb is one of the best players on the Packers and an example of how smart Ted Thompson can be. He's racked up 1,527 all-purpose yards on just 105 touches. This comes out to a whopping 14.5 yards per touch for Cobb. He's scored 8 total TDs and is a huge part for the offensive success the Packers have seen.
Jordy Nelson
Stats-
Receiving: 43 Rec 577 yards 5 TDs 13.4 Y/R
Grade: A
Nelson started out slowly, but he's back to his old ways. His big game came in week 6 when he racked up 122 yards and 3 TDs on 9 receptions. He's been held back with an injury, but he continues to be a big play threat.
James Jones
Stats-
Receiving: 42 Rec 495 yards 8 TDs 11.8 Y/R
Grade: A
Jones hasn't dropped a ball all season. Jones, whose name was synonymous with dropped-passes in Green Bay, has really stepped it up this season and is showing why he's back on track to return to the team in 2013.
Greg Jennings
Stats-
Receiving: 12 Rec 78 yards 1 TD 6.5 Y/R
Grade: INC
Jennings has been his old self this year when healthy...which has been just about never this season. He had surgery and will hopefully be back soon.
Donald Driver
Stats-
Receiving: 8 Rec 77 yards 2 TDs 9.6 Y/R
Grade: C
Driver is getting up there in years, but that hasn't stopped him from making some key grabs. He's been solid for the most part, but he's dropped a couple big catches.
Jarrett Boykin
Stats-
Receiving: 3 Rec 16 yards 0 TD 5.3 Y/R
Grade: INC
Gotten in for a few plays and made a couple key snags. Still young and raw.
Offensive Line
TJ Lang-B
Bryan Bulaga-A
Derrick Sherrod-INC
Josh Sitton-A
Evan Deitrich-Smith-C
Marshall Newhouse-C
Don Barclay-INC
Greg Van Roten-INC
Jeff Saturday-B
(Obviously it'd be boring to talk about who is the best run blocker vs pass blocker. The scores speak for themselves.)
Defensive Line
Jerel Worthy
Stats-
2.0 Sacks 8 Tackles 1 Assist
Grade: C
As a rookie 2nd round pick, I expected a little more production, but I can't hate the guy too much. He has gotten pressure and will only get better.
BJ Raji
Stats-
0.0 Sacks 1 PD 3 Tackles 7 Assists
Grade: D-
Gotta be hard on Raji. Since the Super Bowl run, he's racked up 17 tackles 3 sacks, 3 passes defended, and 1 fumble recovery. Embarrassing.
Ryan Pickett
Stats-
0.0 Sacks 14 Tackles 17 Assists
Grade: B
Pickett has done an awesome job once again of being the thankless clog up the middle. As Raji struggles to maintain any shred of his old self, Pickett has been old reliable. Never amazing but never a liability.
Mike Daniels
Stats-
2.0 Sacks 1 Fumble Recovery 5 Tackles
Grade: C+
As a rookie, Daniels has contributed minimally. He's gotten some pressure in limited action, but has been out of place several times.
CJ Wilson
Stats-
2.5 Sacks 1 Pass Defended 12 Tackles 7 Assists
Grade: C+
He's been unspectacular, but solid. He gets blocked out of plays a lot, but has taken advantage of Clay Matthews taking attention away from him. I think the Packers will be happy when they can replace him, but he's an experienced vet.
Mike Neal
Stats-2.0 Sacks 5 Tackles 1 Assist
Grade: D+
This will only go up if he continues his play. He's coming off a suspension and a couple of seasons where he was injured for the year. The jury is out, but there's no doubt he's talented.
Linebackers
AJ Hawk
Stats-
1.0 sacks 47 Tackles 29 Assists
Grade: B-
AJ Hawk is never going to wow anybody, but man is he just solid. The guy is probably the most fundamentally sound player on defense. No surprises with him, just hard nosed football. In week 11 vs the Lions, he made some huge tackles and was in on a bunch of plays. I'll take that kind of output every week.
DJ Smith
Stats-
2.0 Sacks 4 passes defended 29 tackles 10 assists
Grade: B
DJ Smith has been one of my favorite Ted Thompson draft picks. Dude has racked up 53 tackles in just 9 starts and has been a stud. Unfortunately, Smith is on injured reserve so we'll have to wait for 2013 to see him suit up again.
Clay Matthews
Stats-
9.0 Sacks 1 PD 1 FF 21 Tackles 10 Assists
Grade: A
Clay has been hurt by another hamstring injury that's killed 1.5 games for him so far, but still he's back to his old self. He's a sack machine again and that's huge.
Erik Walden
Stats-
3.0 Sacks 1 INT 3 PD 20 Tackles 12 Assists
Grade: B
Walden has been a stud in limited action. The Packers have a ton of LBs, but due to injuries to DJ Smith, Desmond Bishop, and Nick Perry, many guys have gotten in. Walden's play will be key for the Packer's success.
Brad Jones
Stats-
1.0 Sacks 1 FF 20 Tackles 7 Assists
Grade: C+
Jones has been limited for most of the year buried on the depth chart and moved to a new position. Still, after 2 guys at his position were injured for the year, he hasn't been consistently good in replacement duty.
Desmond Bishop
Stats-
None
Grade: Incomplete
Bishop's injury in preseason has disrupted the defense completely. He's probably the most consistent player on the defense and his absence is easily noticed.
Nick Perry
Stats-
2.0 Sacks 1 PD 13 Tackles 5 Assists
Grade: C-
Perry had a few good flashes-aka the play where Andrew Luck basically died for a minute on the field-but other than that, he really struggled. One key area I noticed Perry struggling in is pass coverage. He was caught flatfooted a few times. He's going to have to dedicate A LOT of time if he wants to be a starter.
Dezman Moses
Stats-
2.0 Sacks 1 PD 1 FF 3 Tackles 3 Assists 1 TD
Grade: B
His high grade for relatively low stats is based off of his high propensity for big plays in limited action. He's been a pretty good special teams player, shown when he hustled to recover a blocked punt for a TD. He had an excellent strip/sack of Matthew Stafford yesterday that prevented the Lions from taking a lead late in the 2nd quarter.
Frank Zombo
Stats-
1 Assist
Grade: INC
Zombo has been a solid player over the years. An injury has kept him out until this past week, but expect him to turn it up as the season goes on.
Robert Francois
Stats-
NONE
Grade: D
He's a good special teamer, hence why he's on the roster still, but he hasn't done very well as a ILB. He's had plenty of chances to move up, but an OLB moved to ILB is taking his spot.
Jamari Lattimore
Stats-
NONE
Grade: INC
Can't break into the lineup aside from special teams play. Has been average there.
Vic So'oto
Stats-
NONE
Grade: INC
He's a pass rush specialist who struggles in all other areas of the game. The Pack hopes to develop him into a starter one day.
Defensive Backs
Morgan Burnett
Stats-
2.0 Sacks 2 PD 1 FF 1 FR 52 Tackles 24 Assists
Grade: C
Burnett has played okay as a FS, but is not the ballhawk he was drafted to be and has been. He racked up 3 INT last year, this year he has had 0. He has been constantly out of position, has poor tackling form, and has let a couple INTs slip through his hands. I admire his hustle, but that's about it.
Tramon Williams
Stats-
2 INTs 10 PD 37 Tackles 8 Assists
Grade: B+
Tramon is improving over his play last year. The shoulder injury seems to be healed and he's back to playing shut down corner. He dominated Brandon Marshall in week 2 and though Calvin Johnson had some big grabs vs him, the Packers definitely played a ton of zone with a safety over the top against Johnson. This changed Williams' style of play. The Pack was trying to avoid the big play. It didn't work largely in part to a couple of poor defensive plays by Burnett and some luck. Williams dominates in press-man coverage.
Charles Woodson
Stats-
1.5 Sacks 1 INT 5 PD 1 FF 25 Tackles 13 Assists
Grade: B
Woodson is aging quickly, yet he amassed those stats in just 7 games at a new position, Strong Safety. He continues to make plays with his instincts/smarts rather than football ability. He's solid for another couple years.
Casey Hayward
Stats-
5 INTs 14 PD 1 FF 24 Tackles 10 Assists
Grade: A+
The rookie out of Vanderbilt has been playing OUTSTANDING football. Sure, he's hit some rookie bumps, but he's made some incredible plays and has good positional awareness. He's in the running for DROY.
MD Jennings
Stats-
1 INT 2 PD 14 Tackles 10 Assists 1 TD
Grade: B
Jennings is still young, but he's made a few key plays. He picked off Matthew Stafford and returned the ball 72 yards for a TD showing return skills as well as awareness when he made the play. He's got a lot of room to improve, but he's started out well.
Sam Shields
Stats-
1 INT 3 PD 1 FR 15 Tackles 2 Assists
Grade: C-
Shields has played poorly since 2010. He can't keep depending on his speed and has to become more fundamentally sound if he enjoys employment.
Davon House
Stats-
1.0 Sacks 3 PD 10 Tackles 5 Assists
Grade: C+
He's been injured but he's shown flashes of good play. I'm a fan.
Jerron McMillian
Stats-
1 INT 5 PD 1 FR 9 Tackles 9 Assists
Grade: C-
He's a rookie, but with some opportunities handed to him early, he hasn't made the best of them all. Still, he's a promising young player who will hopefully develop into a starter one day.
Jarrett Bush
Stats-
1 FR 4 Tackles
Grade: B
This grade is completely based on special teams play. He has been absolutely dominant on special teams.
Sean Richardson
Stats-
1 Assist
Grade: INC
Burried behind 4 other guys.
Special Teams
Tim Masthay
Stats-
48 Punts 2135 yards 1 Blocked 44.5 Y/P
Grade: A
What a wonderful feeling to have an excellent punter. He's made some incredible kicks.
Mason Crosby
Stats-
FGM 11 FGA 18 61.1% 30/30 PAT
Grade: F
What happened, Mason?
Brett Goode
Stats-
NONE
Grade: A
Solid long snapper. No issues and makes some good special teams plays.
My notes-
-Ted Thompson is an AMAZING GM. For a team that went 15-1 last year, you'd think there wouldn't be much need for rookies to play, but that's not the case. Rookies have accounted for: 6 (50%) of all INTs, 2 (66.6666%) of all defensive/ST touchdowns, 8 (24.2%) of all sacks, 2 (33.3333%) of all forced fumbles, and 62 (16%) of all tackles.
-It's sad to see Woodson and Driver drop off. Driver was a rookie in 1999 and got a starting gig in 2002 where he proceeded to snag 7 1,000 yard seasons. He's had basically nothing this year. Woodson has had at least 1 TD every season with the Packers. He's in danger of breaking that streak. He's still being actively used as a pass rusher, though. 1.5 is the lowest number since he recorded 0 in 2007, but it's still a lot for a 36 year old DB. He's racked up 11.5 in 100 games with the Packers along with 38 INTs, 15 Forced fumbles, 6 fumble recoveries, and 10 total TDs
-Aaron Rodgers' last 100 yard runner? October 10th, 2010. Brandon Jackson ran for 115 yards on 10 carries thanks in large part to a 71 yard scamper vs the Washington Redskins. Rodgers has had just 9 (including playoffs) games with a 100 yard rusher.
-Keeping on topic with Aaron Rodgers, Aaron Rodgers is 99th in passing yards, 92nd in pass completions, 113th in pass attempts, tied for 70th in passing TDs, 1st in career passer rating by almost 8 full points, tied for 234th in passes intercepted, 89th in times sacked, 4th in YPA, 1st in % of passes intercepted, 7th in percentage of passes gone for TDs. Those are all-time numbers.
-Active numbers-19th in passing yards, 18th in passes completed, 19th in passes attempted, 15th in passing TDs (the youngest guy ahead of him is Ben Roethlisberger who has 50 more starts but only 23 more passing TDs), 1st in passer rating, tied for 35th in number of passes intercepted, 16th in times sacked, 1st in YPA, 1st in INT%, 1st in TD%.
-Jordy Nelson's 15 TD season in 2011 ranked as the 3rd best effort by a Packer WR. Sterling Sharpe and Don Hutson are the only 2 with better numbers.
-
Quarterbacks:
Aaron Rodgers
Stats-
Passing: 238/354 67.2% 2,619 yards 27 TD 6 INT 7.4 YPA 107.3 QB rating
Rushing: 36 Att 156 Yards 0 TD 4.6 Y/A
Grade: A-
Rodgers started out extremely slowly but has quickly returned to 2011/2012 MVP form. He's had a couple uncharacteristically bad throws, but he's on pace to have his 3rd sub 10 INT season in 5 years.
Graham Harrell
Stats-
Passing: 0/0 0% 0 yards
Rushing: 1 attempt 0 yards
Grade: F
He would get an incomplete, but he had trouble handling a snap that almost killed the Packers. Lost the ball inside the opponent's 5.
Running Backs:
Cedric Benson
Stats-
Rushing: 71 Att. 248 yards 1 TD 3.5 Y/A
Receiving: 14 Rec 97 yards 0 TD 6.9 Y/R
Grade: B-
Ced's stats don't look amazing, but compare them with the stats of the past couple years of Green Bay rushing and he actually gave life to a dormant aspect of offense.
Alex Green
Stats-
Rushing: 87 Att 272 yards 0 TD 3.1 Y/A
Receiving: 11 Rec 90 yards 0 TD 8.2 Y/R
Grade: C
His stats are similar to Benson's, but Green struggled in pass protection and gaining short yardage. He seemed hesitant at too many points. Most of his yardage came on a 41 yard carry. He averages just 2.7 yards a carry without that run.
James Starks
Stats-
Rushing: 48 Att 154 Yards 0 TD 3.2 Y/A
Receiving: 2 Rec 15 yards 0 TD 7.5 Y/R
Grade: C-
He just escapes a D because of his performance yesterday. He ran hard, but much of the season before that he was a healthy scratch. That's a big fall considering that the 2 backs ahead of him are a 2nd year 3rd round pick coming off of a knee injury and the ancient Ced Benson.
John Kuhn
Stats-
Rushing: 12 Att 38 yards 1 TD 3.2 Y/A
Receiving: 8 Rec 70 yards 0 TD 8.8 Y/R
Grade: B+
Kuhn continues to just be extremely versatile. On offense, he is an excellent blocking fullback and he has good hands as a receiver. He doesn't get the A because he's still not a great short yardage back, but he's getting there.
Johnny White
Stats-
Rushing: 0 Att 0 yards 0 TD 0 Y/A
Grade: INC
Hasn't seen action yet.
Brandon Saine
Stats-
Rushing: 0 Att 0 yards 0 TD 0 Y/A
Grade: INC
He had a productive period in 2011 where he gained 138 yards on 28 touches, but an injury has shelved Saine for the year in 2012.
Tight Ends
Jermichael Finley
Stats-
Receiving: 32 Rec 337 yards 2 TDs 10.5 Y/R
Grade: C-
His lack of production is inexcusable. I'd say more, but I'd get too angry.
Tom Crabtree
Stats-
Receiving: 6 Rec 183 yards 3 TDs 30.5 Y/R
Grade: A
Crabtree was a surprise this season. He was brought in specifically to be a blocking TE, but he's blossomed into a legitimate receiving threat. He's not going to line up every down as a pass catching TE, but he's officially a threat. That gives us some flexibility when we come out in 3 TE/2 RB formations. He's an asset.
DJ Williams
Stats-
Receiving: 4 Rec 37 yards 0 TD 9.3 Y/R
Grade: INC
He hasn't played enough to warrant a grade here. He's pushing for playing time and has the ability, he just needs to put it together.
Andrew Quarless
Stats-
Receiving: 0 Rec 0 yards 0 TD 0 Y/R
Grade: INC
Started the year on PUP list, just starting to practice.
Ryan Taylor
Stats-
Receiving: 0 Rec 0 yards 0 TD 0 Y/R
Grade: B
No stats and a B grade? Yup. Taylor is a special teams beast. He's a big reason why the Packers have a huge return game with Randall Cobb.
Wide Receivers
Randall Cobb
Stats-
Receiving: 54 Rec 574 yards 7 TDs 10.6 Y/R
Rushing: 8 Att 115 yards 0 TD 14.4 Y/A
Punt Returns: 19 Ret 211 yards 1 TD 11.5 Y/R
Kick Returns: 24 Ret 627 yards 0 TD 26.1 Y/R
Grade: A+
Cobb is one of the best players on the Packers and an example of how smart Ted Thompson can be. He's racked up 1,527 all-purpose yards on just 105 touches. This comes out to a whopping 14.5 yards per touch for Cobb. He's scored 8 total TDs and is a huge part for the offensive success the Packers have seen.
Jordy Nelson
Stats-
Receiving: 43 Rec 577 yards 5 TDs 13.4 Y/R
Grade: A
Nelson started out slowly, but he's back to his old ways. His big game came in week 6 when he racked up 122 yards and 3 TDs on 9 receptions. He's been held back with an injury, but he continues to be a big play threat.
James Jones
Stats-
Receiving: 42 Rec 495 yards 8 TDs 11.8 Y/R
Grade: A
Jones hasn't dropped a ball all season. Jones, whose name was synonymous with dropped-passes in Green Bay, has really stepped it up this season and is showing why he's back on track to return to the team in 2013.
Greg Jennings
Stats-
Receiving: 12 Rec 78 yards 1 TD 6.5 Y/R
Grade: INC
Jennings has been his old self this year when healthy...which has been just about never this season. He had surgery and will hopefully be back soon.
Donald Driver
Stats-
Receiving: 8 Rec 77 yards 2 TDs 9.6 Y/R
Grade: C
Driver is getting up there in years, but that hasn't stopped him from making some key grabs. He's been solid for the most part, but he's dropped a couple big catches.
Jarrett Boykin
Stats-
Receiving: 3 Rec 16 yards 0 TD 5.3 Y/R
Grade: INC
Gotten in for a few plays and made a couple key snags. Still young and raw.
Offensive Line
TJ Lang-B
Bryan Bulaga-A
Derrick Sherrod-INC
Josh Sitton-A
Evan Deitrich-Smith-C
Marshall Newhouse-C
Don Barclay-INC
Greg Van Roten-INC
Jeff Saturday-B
(Obviously it'd be boring to talk about who is the best run blocker vs pass blocker. The scores speak for themselves.)
Defensive Line
Jerel Worthy
Stats-
2.0 Sacks 8 Tackles 1 Assist
Grade: C
As a rookie 2nd round pick, I expected a little more production, but I can't hate the guy too much. He has gotten pressure and will only get better.
BJ Raji
Stats-
0.0 Sacks 1 PD 3 Tackles 7 Assists
Grade: D-
Gotta be hard on Raji. Since the Super Bowl run, he's racked up 17 tackles 3 sacks, 3 passes defended, and 1 fumble recovery. Embarrassing.
Ryan Pickett
Stats-
0.0 Sacks 14 Tackles 17 Assists
Grade: B
Pickett has done an awesome job once again of being the thankless clog up the middle. As Raji struggles to maintain any shred of his old self, Pickett has been old reliable. Never amazing but never a liability.
Mike Daniels
Stats-
2.0 Sacks 1 Fumble Recovery 5 Tackles
Grade: C+
As a rookie, Daniels has contributed minimally. He's gotten some pressure in limited action, but has been out of place several times.
CJ Wilson
Stats-
2.5 Sacks 1 Pass Defended 12 Tackles 7 Assists
Grade: C+
He's been unspectacular, but solid. He gets blocked out of plays a lot, but has taken advantage of Clay Matthews taking attention away from him. I think the Packers will be happy when they can replace him, but he's an experienced vet.
Mike Neal
Stats-2.0 Sacks 5 Tackles 1 Assist
Grade: D+
This will only go up if he continues his play. He's coming off a suspension and a couple of seasons where he was injured for the year. The jury is out, but there's no doubt he's talented.
Linebackers
AJ Hawk
Stats-
1.0 sacks 47 Tackles 29 Assists
Grade: B-
AJ Hawk is never going to wow anybody, but man is he just solid. The guy is probably the most fundamentally sound player on defense. No surprises with him, just hard nosed football. In week 11 vs the Lions, he made some huge tackles and was in on a bunch of plays. I'll take that kind of output every week.
DJ Smith
Stats-
2.0 Sacks 4 passes defended 29 tackles 10 assists
Grade: B
DJ Smith has been one of my favorite Ted Thompson draft picks. Dude has racked up 53 tackles in just 9 starts and has been a stud. Unfortunately, Smith is on injured reserve so we'll have to wait for 2013 to see him suit up again.
Clay Matthews
Stats-
9.0 Sacks 1 PD 1 FF 21 Tackles 10 Assists
Grade: A
Clay has been hurt by another hamstring injury that's killed 1.5 games for him so far, but still he's back to his old self. He's a sack machine again and that's huge.
Erik Walden
Stats-
3.0 Sacks 1 INT 3 PD 20 Tackles 12 Assists
Grade: B
Walden has been a stud in limited action. The Packers have a ton of LBs, but due to injuries to DJ Smith, Desmond Bishop, and Nick Perry, many guys have gotten in. Walden's play will be key for the Packer's success.
Brad Jones
Stats-
1.0 Sacks 1 FF 20 Tackles 7 Assists
Grade: C+
Jones has been limited for most of the year buried on the depth chart and moved to a new position. Still, after 2 guys at his position were injured for the year, he hasn't been consistently good in replacement duty.
Desmond Bishop
Stats-
None
Grade: Incomplete
Bishop's injury in preseason has disrupted the defense completely. He's probably the most consistent player on the defense and his absence is easily noticed.
Nick Perry
Stats-
2.0 Sacks 1 PD 13 Tackles 5 Assists
Grade: C-
Perry had a few good flashes-aka the play where Andrew Luck basically died for a minute on the field-but other than that, he really struggled. One key area I noticed Perry struggling in is pass coverage. He was caught flatfooted a few times. He's going to have to dedicate A LOT of time if he wants to be a starter.
Dezman Moses
Stats-
2.0 Sacks 1 PD 1 FF 3 Tackles 3 Assists 1 TD
Grade: B
His high grade for relatively low stats is based off of his high propensity for big plays in limited action. He's been a pretty good special teams player, shown when he hustled to recover a blocked punt for a TD. He had an excellent strip/sack of Matthew Stafford yesterday that prevented the Lions from taking a lead late in the 2nd quarter.
Frank Zombo
Stats-
1 Assist
Grade: INC
Zombo has been a solid player over the years. An injury has kept him out until this past week, but expect him to turn it up as the season goes on.
Robert Francois
Stats-
NONE
Grade: D
He's a good special teamer, hence why he's on the roster still, but he hasn't done very well as a ILB. He's had plenty of chances to move up, but an OLB moved to ILB is taking his spot.
Jamari Lattimore
Stats-
NONE
Grade: INC
Can't break into the lineup aside from special teams play. Has been average there.
Vic So'oto
Stats-
NONE
Grade: INC
He's a pass rush specialist who struggles in all other areas of the game. The Pack hopes to develop him into a starter one day.
Defensive Backs
Morgan Burnett
Stats-
2.0 Sacks 2 PD 1 FF 1 FR 52 Tackles 24 Assists
Grade: C
Burnett has played okay as a FS, but is not the ballhawk he was drafted to be and has been. He racked up 3 INT last year, this year he has had 0. He has been constantly out of position, has poor tackling form, and has let a couple INTs slip through his hands. I admire his hustle, but that's about it.
Tramon Williams
Stats-
2 INTs 10 PD 37 Tackles 8 Assists
Grade: B+
Tramon is improving over his play last year. The shoulder injury seems to be healed and he's back to playing shut down corner. He dominated Brandon Marshall in week 2 and though Calvin Johnson had some big grabs vs him, the Packers definitely played a ton of zone with a safety over the top against Johnson. This changed Williams' style of play. The Pack was trying to avoid the big play. It didn't work largely in part to a couple of poor defensive plays by Burnett and some luck. Williams dominates in press-man coverage.
Charles Woodson
Stats-
1.5 Sacks 1 INT 5 PD 1 FF 25 Tackles 13 Assists
Grade: B
Woodson is aging quickly, yet he amassed those stats in just 7 games at a new position, Strong Safety. He continues to make plays with his instincts/smarts rather than football ability. He's solid for another couple years.
Casey Hayward
Stats-
5 INTs 14 PD 1 FF 24 Tackles 10 Assists
Grade: A+
The rookie out of Vanderbilt has been playing OUTSTANDING football. Sure, he's hit some rookie bumps, but he's made some incredible plays and has good positional awareness. He's in the running for DROY.
MD Jennings
Stats-
1 INT 2 PD 14 Tackles 10 Assists 1 TD
Grade: B
Jennings is still young, but he's made a few key plays. He picked off Matthew Stafford and returned the ball 72 yards for a TD showing return skills as well as awareness when he made the play. He's got a lot of room to improve, but he's started out well.
Sam Shields
Stats-
1 INT 3 PD 1 FR 15 Tackles 2 Assists
Grade: C-
Shields has played poorly since 2010. He can't keep depending on his speed and has to become more fundamentally sound if he enjoys employment.
Davon House
Stats-
1.0 Sacks 3 PD 10 Tackles 5 Assists
Grade: C+
He's been injured but he's shown flashes of good play. I'm a fan.
Jerron McMillian
Stats-
1 INT 5 PD 1 FR 9 Tackles 9 Assists
Grade: C-
He's a rookie, but with some opportunities handed to him early, he hasn't made the best of them all. Still, he's a promising young player who will hopefully develop into a starter one day.
Jarrett Bush
Stats-
1 FR 4 Tackles
Grade: B
This grade is completely based on special teams play. He has been absolutely dominant on special teams.
Sean Richardson
Stats-
1 Assist
Grade: INC
Burried behind 4 other guys.
Special Teams
Tim Masthay
Stats-
48 Punts 2135 yards 1 Blocked 44.5 Y/P
Grade: A
What a wonderful feeling to have an excellent punter. He's made some incredible kicks.
Mason Crosby
Stats-
FGM 11 FGA 18 61.1% 30/30 PAT
Grade: F
What happened, Mason?
Brett Goode
Stats-
NONE
Grade: A
Solid long snapper. No issues and makes some good special teams plays.
My notes-
-Ted Thompson is an AMAZING GM. For a team that went 15-1 last year, you'd think there wouldn't be much need for rookies to play, but that's not the case. Rookies have accounted for: 6 (50%) of all INTs, 2 (66.6666%) of all defensive/ST touchdowns, 8 (24.2%) of all sacks, 2 (33.3333%) of all forced fumbles, and 62 (16%) of all tackles.
-It's sad to see Woodson and Driver drop off. Driver was a rookie in 1999 and got a starting gig in 2002 where he proceeded to snag 7 1,000 yard seasons. He's had basically nothing this year. Woodson has had at least 1 TD every season with the Packers. He's in danger of breaking that streak. He's still being actively used as a pass rusher, though. 1.5 is the lowest number since he recorded 0 in 2007, but it's still a lot for a 36 year old DB. He's racked up 11.5 in 100 games with the Packers along with 38 INTs, 15 Forced fumbles, 6 fumble recoveries, and 10 total TDs
-Aaron Rodgers' last 100 yard runner? October 10th, 2010. Brandon Jackson ran for 115 yards on 10 carries thanks in large part to a 71 yard scamper vs the Washington Redskins. Rodgers has had just 9 (including playoffs) games with a 100 yard rusher.
-Keeping on topic with Aaron Rodgers, Aaron Rodgers is 99th in passing yards, 92nd in pass completions, 113th in pass attempts, tied for 70th in passing TDs, 1st in career passer rating by almost 8 full points, tied for 234th in passes intercepted, 89th in times sacked, 4th in YPA, 1st in % of passes intercepted, 7th in percentage of passes gone for TDs. Those are all-time numbers.
-Active numbers-19th in passing yards, 18th in passes completed, 19th in passes attempted, 15th in passing TDs (the youngest guy ahead of him is Ben Roethlisberger who has 50 more starts but only 23 more passing TDs), 1st in passer rating, tied for 35th in number of passes intercepted, 16th in times sacked, 1st in YPA, 1st in INT%, 1st in TD%.
-Jordy Nelson's 15 TD season in 2011 ranked as the 3rd best effort by a Packer WR. Sterling Sharpe and Don Hutson are the only 2 with better numbers.
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