It’s week 2 of the preseason, and the Green Bay Packers have an important sequence with a joint practice and an exhibition game against the Denver Broncos. After a few weeks of training camp and the preseason opener versus the Cleveland Browns, let’s open our weekly mailbag to talk some Packers.
The safety room is shaping up to be a really promising unit. Xavier McKinney is an established player with the ability to generate big plays, but he is still extremely young at 24. Javon Bullard and Evan Williams are doing everything you could expect from rookies, and I was really high on Williams in the pre-draft process, even though I thought he would go a little later. All of these guys are under contract through 2027, so this has the potential to develop into a dominant group. It's early to tell for sure, but since it's a bet, I'm willing to do it with their potential.
In terms of underperformance, I'm still skeptical about the off-ball linebacker group . Quay Walker is a decent player, but he's much more of a weak-side linebacker than a Mike, which is why I thought they could consider Payton Wilson or Junior Colson instead of Edgerrin Cooper in the draft. Isaiah McDuffie is a reliable and athletic player who can help the team, but his ceiling is limited.
The San Francisco 49ers' defensive schematic philosophy depends on linebacker play, and I'm not sure this group has what it takes to absorb that burden.
I don't think he is a liability, because he is a competent running back who gets what the offensive line gives him. But he doesn't create more than that, and this is a problem in today's NFL where running backs are easily replaced.
It's not even a question of the value of a second-round pick anymore, because he obviously was not worth the draft investment. It's a matter of a roster spot, and while Dillon seems to be a great person, Emanuel Wilson and maybe even Jarveon Howard have shown they can potentially do more with the same circumstances.
Matt LaFleur always tries to protect his players, and we can't blame him. After the Cleveland Browns game, he said the run blocking was a bigger problem than Dillon. But look at the average for each running back: MarShawn Lloyd (8.0), Josh Jacobs (7.0), Jarveon Howard (5.5), Emanuel Wilson (5.2), Ellis Merriweather (3.5), AJ Dillon (0.5). It's year 5, and at some point you are what your numbers and your tape say.
I do not. Brian Gutekunst has been pretty clear about worrying only about his own team. Before the 2020 season, there was a lot of talk about the Packers making changes to face the San Francisco 49ers after that NFCCG, and the general manager said they would just build the best possible roster. After all, the 49ers weren't even good in 2020 because of injuries.
Things change fast in the NFL, but the style of the opposing quarterback can only make you change your gameplan, maybe playing time for some pieces, but not who will or won't make the 53-man roster.
That will be an amazing personal experience. Living in Brazil , it's certainly much harder for me to watch an NFL game, so covering it in the stadium will be unique. But more than the game itself, the opportunity to meet a lot of people who I've known virtually over the years is what excites me the most.
As far as the game, I can't wait to see the new version of this defense under Jeff Hafley. At first glance, it doesn't look like a system built for this new era of football, but I think Matt LaFleur wanted a defensive coordinator with the ability to teach and adapt his scheme to what the roster offers. The Philadelphia Eagles might not be as scary as they were two years ago, but it's still a dangerous offense, with a strong offensive line, great wide receivers, and a dynamic quarterback.
I wrote about this earlier this week, and Cade York is a really intriguing alternative if he doesn't make the Cleveland Browns' roster. He has a high upside, possibly higher than Anders Carlson 's, and the extra year of experience is helpful for a player trying to get a second chance in the league. It's a conundrum, because some kickers take time to develop, but NFL teams can't really wait for that to happen, especially without realistic assurances that a payoff will eventually come.
In general, NFL teams are awful at evaluating these players. That's why I always say "never draft kickers." You have a similar chance at finding a good player with undrafted free agents or a cheap free agent addition.
Besides the names I mentioned in that piece, we could also add rookie Harrison Mevis, whom the Carolina Panthers recently waived.
As you could expect, there isn't many options left in free agency, because it's hard to find competent offensive linemen and NFL teams won't leave them available. At this point, David Bakhtiari and Donovan Smith are probably the best options.
That being said, I don't think the Packers will or need to add anyone — Bakhtiari would actually make some sense , but it's a long shot. Right now, Elgton Jenkins is the best tackle if Rasheed Walker or Zach Tom aren't available, putting Sean Rhyan in at left guard.
There's also a chance the Packers go with Jenkins as the backup left tackle and Jordan Morgan as the backup right tackle, so they don't need to change sides — Jenkins was certainly better at LT than he was at RT throughout his career.
Teams usually don't want to pay for guys they can get for free or have similar options on the roster already, so even though the Packers have a surplus at wide receiver, it's a position that naturally has more capable players around the league.
Offensive line is a different conversation, and Brian Gutekunst has been able to trade Cole Van Lanen, for instance. That's why I think he could get some small return for an experienced player like Royce Newman, even though he hasn't played well in quite some time. But don't overthink this, it would probably be a late-round swap.
Back in May, when the NFL released the schedule, we did our game-by-game predictions and I went with an 11-6 season for the Packers. Nothing significant has happened to change my projection.
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