Green Bay Packers Week 10 Mailbag
Let's answer some reader questions as we cover a wide variety of Green Bay Packers' topics.
By Paul_Bretl
As a change of pace this week, we will be doing a mailbag--where I answer several questions about the Green Bay Packers. Thanks to all who chimed in, and if you'd like to see more of these in the future, let me know.
Do you think David Bakhtiari will play on Sunday? - Carlos S.
Wednesday, David Bakhtiari was activated off the PUP list, but before that even happened, on Monday, Matt LaFleur made sure to remind everyone that just because he is on the 53-man roster does not mean that he will suit up Sunday against Seattle.
For the first time this season, Bakhtiari was listed on the injury report on Thursday and was a limited participant. To me, that suggests that he won't be available. Friday's injury report will be the ultimate litmus test--if he is a full participant, the possibility of him playing has certainly increased, but anything less than that, and I wouldn't get my hopes up.
Once Bakhtiar does return, LaFleur and Co. will have a decision to make with Elgton Jenkins. Do they move him to center or back to left guard where he was a Pro Bowler? I'll discuss this further later on.
What's your way-too-early guess at what the WR room looks like in 2022? - Maggie L.
This is a good question and a difficult one. Let's start with what we know for certain, which is that Amari Rodgers will be one of the receivers--after that, there is some guesswork. Along with Rodgers, Randall Cobb is the only WR under contract beyond this season; however, I expect the Packers to choose the $6.8 million in cap savings by cutting him.
Allen Lazard is a restricted free agent, so he will in all likelihood be back, but the real question mark is Davante Adams. The Packers and Adams reportedly shutdown contract talks back over the summer, with Adams wanting to be the highest-paid receiver in football--that title currently lies with DeAndre Hopkins at $27.25 million per year.
When Arizona acquired Hopkins, he had three years left on his current deal and was the ninth highest-paid receiver. The Cardinals would add on a two-year extension worth $54.5 million with $42.5 million of it guaranteed. Hopkins' new average annual value would become the $27.25 million figure, which is $5 million more per year than Julio jones--the second-highest-paid receiver. Ultimately this new deal did a number on the receiver market and has created issues for Green Bay and Adams.
Now, back to the question at hand. If Rodgers is back, we know Adams will be back, but as of right now, my guess is that both are gone. While the Packers won't be in a rebuild by any means, they will be hitting the reset button to a degree, and with there being roster turnover at other positions, Green Bay will choose to utilize that $27.25 million per year on other needs--but that's just a guess, as we all know, while the Packers often don't sign the big name free agent, they do prioritize their own.
So without Adams, I would expect Marquez Valdes-Scantling to be back on a new deal along with Equanimeous St. Brown and Malik Taylor on cheap contracts. There will also be a rookie or two added to the mix and perhaps an inexpensive veteran.
Who is your favorite non-lifer Packer to root for? - Positive Packers
I'm not sure if this player qualifies, but I've always been a huge Eddie Lacy fan and still am to this day. I enjoyed his interviews and really loved the way he played the game. He was effective in both the running and passing games; he would run you over on one play then juke his way around you the next. I enjoyed watching him at Alabama and was thrilled when Green Bay selected him.
Seeing how the defense has turned it around with a similar roster and the same coaches from last season, except Barry, is fixing the ST really as simple as finding the right coach? - Damien W.
Having the right coach is certainly important, as we've seen on the defensive side of the ball--it's not a coincidence that players like Chandon Sullivan and Dean Lowry are playing at a high level while the linebackers -- Joe Barry's background -- are thriving as well.
But Aaron Nagler brought up a good point recently, saying, you get what you emphasize. Throughout training camp, which admittedly is a small portion of the practice time we are able to see, special teams play wasn't a big part of what the Packers spent their time on--and it shows.
My biggest concern with the unit is that throughout the season, we've seen the same issues rear their ugly heads, which either means those problems are being ignored -- I doubt that -- or there's a disconnect between coaches and players.
To answer the question, the right coach certainly plays a big role, but the Packers have had various coordinators over the years, and the unit has still struggled. At some point, improving the play of this unit has to become the focus and not just an afterthought.
What role do you think Jenkins should play once the OL is fully healthy? LG or RT? - Jack L.
Once Bakhtiari and Josh Myers are back, my expectation is that Jenkins will be back home at left guard. Admittedly, I kicked around the idea of having him take over at right tackle for Billy Turner, who would then move to guard, but while Jenkins can play any position, he is at his absolute best at left guard. The same could be said about Turner at right tackle as well, where he has performed much better than what he did at right guard. Turner at right tackle has been one of the unsung heroes of this offense through the first half of the season.
As I alluded to above, the real question for Jenkins is where he plays until Myers returns. If he takes over at center once Bak is back, then my guess is Jon Runyan stays at left guard, and the Packers choose between Lucas Patrick and Royce Newman at right guard. If Jenkins goes back to left guard, Patrick then stays at center, and either Runyan or Newman are the right guard.
As LaFleur often says, it's about putting the best five on the field, and as we've seen, this coaching staff is not afraid to make changes if they have to.
We saw the Chiefs have success with their blitz packages last week, even with Rodgers back, do you think we will see more of this moving forward? - Zach G.
Absolutely. Now, it of course won't be to the extent that we saw in Kansas City because, unlike Jordan Love, Rodgers will make you pay in those situations, but you can bet that teams around the NFL took note.
It wasn't just the sheer number of pass-rushers that the Chiefs sent, but there was quite a bit of confusion among the Green Bay offensive line on who to block. Sometimes you would see two blockers on one rusher, while another ran free, or a blocker on his own with no one to block.
The same way that teams bookmarked the Saints Week 1 performance against Green Bay, the Packers' opponents will do the same with the Kansas City game because it caused mass confusion upfront.
What role would Odell Beckham play in the Packers' offense? - Kirb
Obviously, this question came in before we knew that Beckham was heading to the Rams, but I wanted to briefly discuss his contract, which is paying him $1.25 million with up to $3 million tied to how far the Rams go in the playoffs.
We know that Green Bay reportedly offered Beckham the league minimum, so realistically they may have never even considered paying him $1.25 million, but even if they wanted to, they could not match the structure of this contract from LA.
As Brad Spielberger of PFF would mention, these incentives are tagged with either "likely to be earned" or "unlikely to be earned." If an incentive is likely to be earned and it happens, it will count towards that year's salary cap. An unlikely to be earned incentive will not.
In short, if the Packers had offered Beckham the same exact contract and made it to the Super Bowl, they would have a larger cap hit than the Rams in that same situation. The reason being, Green Bay made it to the NFC Championship Game last season while the Rams did not, so with the Packers, more of Beckham's incentives would be "likely to be earned" and count against the 2021 salary cap.
Again, it's unlikely the Packers were willing to pay him $1.25 million for the rest of the year, and there are other factors as well outside of the cap, but this is another reason that the Beckham didn't end up in Green Bay.
Where does Aaron Jones rank among Packers RBs? Not necessarily who's better, but who has the biggest impact on their respective team? - Tyler N.
Having to cross eras always makes a question like this difficult to answer, but in terms of importance, Jones is certainly near the top of that list. A lot of non-Packer fans may see an offense led by Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams, but when this unit is truly at its best, is when it's going through Aaron Jones and the run game. They say don't pay running backs -- and I absolutely get why -- but Jones does so much more with his ability to move around the formation, his affect on the passing game, and the way he holds his own in pass protection.
When Jones is involved and finding success, it opens up the downfield shots off play-action as well as the rest of the passing game for Rodgers. Overall, the entire offense benefits from Jones' presence--even if he doesn't touch the ball. That's a true impact.
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__________________________
Born and raised in Green Bay, WI and I still call it home. After my family, watching the Packers, sharing my opinions on the team through my writing and interacting with other fans is my greatest passion. You can find me on Twitter at @Paul_Bretl.
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Comments (45)
Coldworld
November 12, 2021 at 11:28 am
My favorite non life packer to root for with another team? Charles Woodson without a doubt.
LambeauPlain
November 12, 2021 at 11:33 am
Reggie, Reggie, Reggie!
Coldworld
November 12, 2021 at 12:25 pm
Close second, but Woodson owns vineyards.
croatpackfan
November 12, 2021 at 02:31 pm
I agree Coldword. I hope you are not in the process of warming...
Coldworld
November 12, 2021 at 04:09 pm
Quaffing maybe!
relleum61
November 12, 2021 at 06:50 pm
You have hit the obvious ones...but Sean Jones, Santana Dotson, Don Beebe and Keith Jackson deserve some love!
LambeauPlain
November 12, 2021 at 11:32 am
Matt frequently says he will put the best available 5 on the OL.
When health returns to the group, I think Bak, Jenks, Myers, Turner and Nijman would be the best group. Nijman has impressed me (and PFF) with his play.
Oppy
November 12, 2021 at 11:45 am
I bet there's a lot of Packers fans out there that are sitting at their keyboards deciding whether or not to share that their favorite ex-Packer to root for was Brett Favre. lol.
My current is Jamaal Williams.
Coldworld
November 12, 2021 at 12:27 pm
It’s hard not to root for Jamaal. Had he stayed and Jones had left, he’d be up there too. Just infectious characters, like Donald Driver, but he’s a lifer like Bart.
kozmo
November 12, 2021 at 11:52 am
They will in full rebuild mode if Rodgers and Adams go..WHO wlll be left? A couple lineman and 2 running backs....and Alexander...thats it....nit much there. And going out and getting a veteran receiver at a bargain price. Who will that be? Its going to get ugly in Green Bay. get ready for the 70's
Coldworld
November 12, 2021 at 12:30 pm
If they keep Rodgers, let alone Adams, one can ask the same question. The answer is more, but the core new question is at QB. All that is certain is that the current position cannot remain: change is coming.
flackcatcher
November 12, 2021 at 01:22 pm
As CW said, change is coming. How much will depend on what the Cap number is next year, Beyond that is nothing but a wild guess. (BUT THAT WON'T STOP ME. heh heh heh... :-)
Patriko
November 12, 2021 at 03:38 pm
or the 80's
Oppy
November 13, 2021 at 07:58 am
Savage, Amos, Alexander, Stokes, Douglass, Sullivan. Ento.
Barnes, hopefully Campbell.
Gary, Maybe Z / preston Smith. Maybe Mercilus.
Clark, Slaton, Heflin, Lowry.
Bakhtiari, Jenkins, Hanson/Meyers, Runyon, Patrick, Nijman, Hopefully Turner.
Tonyun, Dequara, Dafney, Maybe Lewis.
Jones, Dillon, Hill.
Lazard, Rodgers,Malik Taylor. Winfree. Maybe MVS, ESB.. maybe Davante, but I doubt it.
Love. Benkert.
Oppy
November 13, 2021 at 01:20 pm
Look, it's a dislike for a list of the talented Packers Roster.
Someone who claims to be a Packers fan is really only a Rodgers fan.
ricky
November 12, 2021 at 11:53 am
I've been begging for a first-rate ST's coach for years; it hasn't happened. Writing the Packers have tried a lot of coaches and none of them has worked out is disingenuous, at best. It ignores the fact that the Packers look for retreads who will work cheap, and get what they pay for- substandard ST's year after year. Why not try hiring a top-notch coach? What are they saving their money for, because the day has changed from rainy to hurricane level for the ST's.
The question about the most impactful RB for the Packers was interesting. The combo of Taylor/Hornung (and later Pitts) helped usher in the "Glory Years." Ahman Green also was instrumental in giving Favre some help on offense, but he was playing behind an outstanding OL. Dorsey Levens was also a very good runner, but could also catch the ball. The combination of John Brockington and MacArthur Lane (the Bull Elephant backfield) was terrific. Unfortunately, in the playoffs, when Washington stacked the box to stuff the run, Scott Hunter was entirely inadequate to take advantage of the situation.
Coldworld
November 12, 2021 at 12:36 pm
Not having seen Taylor and Hornung, it’s hard to evaluate and the game has changed so much. Their achievements are such it’s hard to overlook them. For me it’s Green, simply due to workload and longevity of impact, but one can make an argument that isn’t something likely in the current game as well. If we look back on Jones’ career and can say that he truly became a real dual threat, then that would mark him out as a different beast. He’s close, but time will tell if he is more than a good catcher for a RB.
CoachDino
November 13, 2021 at 03:20 am
st coach, u may be right, what is the going rate for a top 5 coach? the range of salaries? corelation of coach salary to performance? w/200m in player cost alone and all other costs incurred does afew 100k in saving even make a difference enough to factor in. considering the quality of other coaches the org seems to be more than capable of identify the coach. who were the top st coches avail going in? ive never run across any analysis on it.
CoachDino
November 13, 2021 at 05:19 am
adid a few searches and c didnt find a list of st coordintor salaries. from what i did find its not a big # in the scheme of things. any money "saved" wouldnt make asmidgen of difference on the financials, so the risk vs reward would be an easy decision factor. money isnt the issue. did a quick review of st impact on points. its less than ever ,excluding fg, ko and pr for example dont even avp .5pts per game from tds or fumbles ( excludes fumbled causing to that lead to pts. 2 reasons, cant assume score or wouldnt of scored on next possesio anyway, though amin value could be derived...the second being the low frequency of fumbles and even lower frequency of losing possesion.....on ko most are tbs, hence the 5 yd avg return from best and loss from worst becomes only afew yards, min impact. its blocked and missed fg that impact the most. most of that is on mason, sure th holder laces issue, not coaching, should they of kept scott? no, it happens. imo, and its just speculation, it is a multitude of things, from draft and dev. leading to youth and turnover of the players, to injuries and practice resource allocation....
Thegreatreynoldo
November 14, 2021 at 03:47 am
I found some numbers two years ago or so. IIRC, it looks like good coordinators are in the $1.5M to $2.0M area, but some of the top five guys get more - McDaniels at one point, and some of the top DCs. I don't think ST coordinators get as much as OCs and DCs.
splitpea1
November 12, 2021 at 12:31 pm
The organizational attitude toward special teams needs to change if they want to improve them, both with the coach and the personnel. I get the feeling that the Packers are hesitant to hire a more assertive coach that isn't afraid to offer some "guidance" to the front office when it comes to getting this unit straightened out once and for all.
You can't just throw the bottom half of the roster into the special teams bin, hoping the coach can wave a magic wand over them and voila!, everything is fixed. It takes lots of work and the right combination of players. And right now (and definitely in the future), we need a reliable kick returner, because neither Taylor or Amari is the answer. The FG protection has also taken a huge step backwards, as I don't recall it being this much of a problem in the past.
The Packers might want to go "all in" during the off-season when it comes to finally achieving competency here. We're going to need to be more proficient in all areas if Rodgers and Adams aren't here; you may not want to call it a "rebuild", but the offensive output may certainly be challenged in the short term. So we can't afford to give away points. The good news is that we already seem to be moving in the right direction with the defensive part of the equation.
Coldworld
November 12, 2021 at 01:38 pm
All true, but that doesn’t address the fact that Drayton is clearly out of his depth in a year where the only acceptable goal is to win out. Leaving him in place is not conducive to that objective. For that reason, Mo needs to Go. Do not accept inadequacy this year, whatever the cost (there is no cap implication here).
splitpea1
November 12, 2021 at 01:05 pm
Unless you're confident an interim replacement can wave that magic wand, no. Maybe put Cobb back there to return kicks and hope for the best with the rest....Otherwise, the Packers need to perform an exhaustive search in the off-season for a proven winner to coach, and acquire a couple players who can make a difference....Take your time and do the overhaul the right way (hopefully! and again!)....Crosby may be more than happy to retire after this season with all of the breakdowns....If the Packers haven't made a change yet when things have gotten progressively worse, it probably isn't going to happen this season, anyway.
Coldworld
November 12, 2021 at 01:44 pm
Personally, I see the mistakes being made as indicative of below the required knowledge and experience or struggles with evaluation and personnel choices. Such failings are negative influences on available skill levels. As such, you seek out mere competence as a first step, and you pay to rent it pending a more permanent off season solution. The alternative is to jeopardize the central objective of the season.
If you think Drayton will suddenly get it, that’s one thing, if not, you find a solution to plug the holes as fast as possible. Since it’s clear you do not think Drayton will, a view I share, the only option fir a team wanting to win is to take decisive action now.
splitpea1
November 12, 2021 at 02:18 pm
But who is the replacement and can he fix things that quickly? Are the current players adequate? And is MLF/the front office convinced this is what they should do? The Packers have a habit of hanging on to ST coaches past the bitter end. Remember they canned the head coach before they did the same with Zook.
I say stick it out with Drayton because, a) the players are partially at fault, and, b) the season is about three-quarters over if you count preseason, and I think it's going to take a supernatural act to fix this unit in the short amount of time left.
Coldworld
November 12, 2021 at 04:12 pm
Fair point on who, but I think there are guys in retirement that I’d try to coax out till after the Super Bowl. At this point the imperative is adequacy not a long term answer.
Swisch
November 12, 2021 at 05:52 pm
The special teams are oh so bad that I'd make the replacement during the season, as in right away.
Adequacy would be a big upgrade as of right now, like being able to kick a field goal without an unnerving air of suspense.
I hate to fire coaches, especially during the season, but sometimes it's necessary for the good of the rest of the team, as well as the overall health of the fans.
Unless Gute and MLF really think Drayton is going to turn the special teams around in a hurry, let's make a change this upcoming week.
It seems unlikely that things could get worse than the present level of embarrassment.
P.S. I advocated a change of defensive coordinator during last season. One wonders what might have happened differently in the championship game against the Bucs.
CWolf
November 12, 2021 at 01:05 pm
I don't know if a change at ST coordinator in the middle of the season would help. It might do more harm than good at this point.
Coldworld
November 12, 2021 at 01:45 pm
How out of his depth is Drayton? To me it seems sufficiently so to justify the challenges of getting some hope of improvement. One could also ask how much worse it can get than last week.
LambeauPlain
November 12, 2021 at 05:57 pm
That is to assume more harm is not coming from this ST dumpster fire.
Blocked FGs, horrible return game, lack of assignment discipline, and kick specialists poor technique is all coaching.
A change in coach has a high degree of improvement....at least put out the dumpster fire.
CWolf
November 13, 2021 at 10:16 am
Ok, so... it's the middle of the season. I don't know, but I wonder if a ST coach who could put out the dumpster fire now is somewhere just waiting to be signed. I'd be surprised.
@Coldworld: I thought last year it couldn't get worse. It can always get worse.
gpt999
November 12, 2021 at 12:42 pm
Great comment splitpea! GB has not taken STs seriously since the ST days of Nolan Cromwell back in the mid 90s. In fact, wasn't the MVP of the Packer SB win in 95 Desmond Howard on STs? ST play amounts to 20% of all game snaps. Why allocate poor players to it and inferior coaching?
jannesbjornson
November 12, 2021 at 04:47 pm
Naturally, Wolf doesn't re-sign the guy.
CoachDino
November 13, 2021 at 03:25 am
some good points. if ar leaves those pts need to come from somewhere to min decline.
gpt999
November 12, 2021 at 12:38 pm
Lots to agree / disagree with here.
(1) As per STs, better units HAVE to start with having the right coach in place. Yes, ST "execution" is something beyond the control of the coach as long as its expectations are realistic given the player selection and the scheme. There are just SO MANY holes in GBs ST units that you cannot help but point at the coaching. Player selection for punt returner is a perfect example. Amari Rodgers may be a rookie but he is a dangerous adventure with punt returns. And Mo Drayton loves the guy which, frankly, has shown poor judgement to this point. Joe Barry has turned this defense around through different players and schemes. Mo Drayton has not and it shows.
(2) This is QB centric league and AROD makes up for a lot of the deficiencies in both the overall skill level of his receivers as well play calling from MLF. Without a good QB, this team will most certainly be in a rebuild whether fans want to admit it or not. Love, at best is a work in progress.
(3) Only a blind fool would deny that GB is going to see a lot more blitzes in the future. While the OLine has held up reasonably well before the KC game, it did look overwhelmed against KC. Partly due to the players - partly due to MLF poor play selection and lack of adjustments. Don't put green QBs and second/third string O lineman in 3rd and long situations! That's why we have a good running game, isn't it?
(4) The Beckham question above was not really answered outside the context of salary cap. He might have been able to be enough of a threat to take away some of the double teams that Adams seems to attract. As well, he is still a very skilled WR and frankly, has more receiving upside than a Lazard or MVS. So, yes, he could have contributed to this offense AS LONG AS he didn't become another football distraction off the field...
marpag1
November 12, 2021 at 01:41 pm
"Only a blind fool would deny that GB is going to see a lot more blitzes in the future."
Well, I take that as a personal challenge, sir.
It's not just ARod who is coming back into the lineup, it's Bakhtiari, too. And I think there is a really good chance that Jenkins ends up at center, at least until Meyers returns. The guys who got abused against the Chiefs were Lucas Patrick and Royce Newman. Guaranteed one of those is going to the bench when Bakh gets back. And if Bakh is fit and ready to roll, that will be the best O-line that the Packers have had all year. Sure, teams will keep trying the blitz until you prove that you can beat it, but if ARod is finding his hot reads and Jenkins is... well, Jenkins, I suspect that opposing defenses will pull the plug on blitz heavy game plans in an awful big hurry.
blacke00
November 13, 2021 at 08:04 am
That heavy blitzing was a one trick pony. First, it's a double edge sword. If you know it's coming and plan for it. the defense could be cutting it's own throat. If done it will be done sparingly. I'm not worried the blitz in the fashion the Chiefs did it.
Fubared
November 12, 2021 at 12:44 pm
Just read the Jefferson of the Vikings is a close friend and felloe LSU player who called OBJ and begged him not to go to green bay. He said, the Vikes havent played them yet and we have two games ahead so please stay out of the NFC north. HA So now we know why he turned down the contract we offered.
packer132
November 14, 2021 at 02:27 pm
OBJ signed with the Rams, due mostly to money and that he lives in L.A. He wanted to go to the Rams before going to Cleveland. Packers offered the veteran minimum ($1.1 million- prorated to about $550,000 for rest of year). Rams are paying him $4.2 million of which incentives make up $3 million. I saw that many players talked to him, as did Rodgers, LaFleur, and Adams. Money talks.
croatpackfan
November 12, 2021 at 02:57 pm
So did Davante Adams who is, by Davante words good friend with OBJ. He was trying to bringh him to Packers, but OBJ left that to his manager (by Davante's words).
BAMABADGER
November 12, 2021 at 01:20 pm
Favorite non-lifer Packer - MacArthur Lane.
Handsback
November 12, 2021 at 03:16 pm
I doubt Odell ever had any intention in signing with the Packers unless they had a great offer. I suspect, he wanted to leverage Green Bay against the Rams, and hope he got all he could.
I don't think he's a player that will take the Packers to the SB.
barutanseijin
November 12, 2021 at 07:14 pm
I don't think he'll take anyone to the Super Bowl. He's not that good anymore, and he's injury prone. That said, he could have been a decent role player for the Packers. It seems to me that he'll have a smaller role in the Rams' offense.
joejetson
November 12, 2021 at 08:40 pm
When discussing possible 2022 GB roster scenarios without Rodgers, Adams, etc. it's easy to forget that trading #12 will bring a boatload of high draft picks. So the overall depth of the roster should improve. Love may not be Rodgers, but theoretically the rest of the team should be better, assuming Gute drafts wisely. Teams have won Super Bowls with mediocre QB's. Guys like Trent Dilfer, past prime Peyton Manning, Joe Flacco.
Crankbait
November 13, 2021 at 05:05 am
Fav. non lifer is Jim Lofton.