PPP: Quarterbacks

In 2007, the Green Bay Packers quarterback play exceeded all expectations. Coming into the season, Brett Favre was thought to be on the downside of his career, but proved the pundits wrong, while Aaron Rodgers showed that he could play. Ingle Martin's dismal preseason doomed his hopes of making the roster while Craig Nall came back on board due to Rodgers' injury.

Let's take a look at each quarterback's stats:

Brett Favre
Comp: 356
Att: 535
Yds: 4155
Comp%: 66.3
TD: 28
INT: 15
Long: 82t
Sack: 15
Rating: 95.7

Best game (tough decision): Week 3 vs. San Diego
Comp: 28
Att: 45
Yds: 369
TDs: 3
INT: 0
Comp%: 62.2
Rating: 110.3

Favre had a remarkable year in 2007. No one expected him to have this type of year at the age he had it at. He owns most of the passing record books now and helped the Packers to their first NFC Championship Game appearance since the 1997 season. Favre missed most of the Dallas game with shoulder and elbow injuries but returned the next week, keeping his starts streak intact. The Packers finished 13-3.

Aaron Rodgers
Comp: 20
Att: 28
Yds: 218
Comp%: 71.4
TD: 1
INT: 0
Long: 43
Sack: 3
Rating: 106.0

Best game (easy decision): Week 13 @ Dallas
Comp: 16
Att: 26
Yds: 201
TDs: 1
INT: 0
Comp%: 69.2
Rating: 104.8

Rodgers finally got his first taste of big game action Week 13 at Dallas in front of a national, DirecTV-subscribing audience. Rodgers relieved Favre early in the game and did his best to keep the Packers in the game, pulling them to within three before the Cowboys pulled away. Rodgers, as Favre's heir apparent, has seen much scrutiny in his short career. He showed he could play against Dallas, however, but there are questions about his health, as he pulled his hamstring the next week in practice, causing him to miss most of the rest of the season, and he broke his foot in 2006, ending his campaign early. Rodgers is the future of the Packers.

Craig Nall
Comp: 7
Att: 15
Yds: 88
Comp%: 46.7
TD: 1
INT: 0
Long: 32t
Sack: 1
Rating: 87.6

Best game (easy decision): Week 17 vs. Detroit
Comp: 7
Att: 15
Yds: 88
TDs: 1
INT: 0
Comp%: 46.7
Rating: 87.6

Nall was re-signed by the Packers after Rodgers' hamstring injury. Nall was a Packers backup from 2002-2005. He is not expected to return next season, as he continues his search for a starting job.

2007 Grade: A

2008 Outlook
The outlook for 2008 looks very good for the Packers quarterbacks. Favre is still solid and adjusted well to be being a game manager with Ryan Grant's emergence. His willingness to tutor Rodgers will continue to be a help. Some regression can be expected with Favre's age, while Rodgers showed in 2007 that he could play. I would expect to see more of Rodgers in the second and third quarters of games, and earlier in garbage time. Favre has to retire eventually (I think), but he will be able to produce solidly in 2008. He will not be able to perform at the 2007 level, but I would say somewhere in the neighborhood of 3500 yards and 20 TDs. And Rodgers is waiting in the wings for him, if needed.

2008 Projected Grade: B+

Draft Needs
I personally do not think there are any. I have enough faith in Rodgers that the Packers do not need to draft him. However, I have seen mock drafts with the Packers picking Kentucky quarterback Andre Woodson in the second round. Personally, I think that is too early for the Packers to pick a quarterback. I can see the Packers taking a risk on a small-school quarterback such as Josh Johnson from San Diego or Ricky Santos from New Hampshire, much like they did with Ingle Martin out of Furman a few years back. But if the need is not there, why address it?

Williams franchised; Franks released

On Wednesday, February 20, 2008, the Packers made two significant roster moves. The team placed the franchise tag on defensive tackle Corey Williams after is breakout season, and released veteran tight end Bubba Franks after years of declining play.

The Packers offered Williams a one-year contract tender worth $6.363 million, the average of the league's top five defensive tackles in 2007. Williams is still allowed to talk to other teams, but the Packers reserve the right to match that offer or they receive compensation in draft picks from the other team.

Williams had a career year in 2007, totaling 51 tackles, 32 solo, and tied a career-high with seven sacks. The Packers already have plenty of depth at the defensive tackle position with Ryan Pickett, Justin Harrell, Colin Cole, and Johnny Jolly. Re-signing Williams gives the Packers one of the best interior defensive lines in the NFL.

An era ended Thursday with the departure of Bubba Franks. Franks, a first-round draft choice out of Miami in 2000, spent eight years with the organization. He started 94 of 114 career games, catching 256 catches for 2,300 yards and 32 touchdowns. The 32 touchdowns rank tenth all-time on the team's list.

Franks' performance had declined in recent years and saw his playing time decrese significantly with the emergence of Donald Lee. In 2007, Franks started one of eight games he played in and recorded only 18 catches for 132 yards and three touchdowns. Franks' third year in the league, 2002, was arguably his most successful. He caught a career-high 54 passes for a career-high 442 yards and seven touchdowns, second-most of his career.

Many people see the Packers drafting another tight end in the upcoming draft, but more on that in the tight ends edition of Packer Position Profiles.

Packer Position Profiles: Introduction

PackerNation is proud to announce that it will be your home for Green Bay Packers offseason news with the addition of Packer Position Profiles. Every so I often, I plan to take a look at each of the nine different facets of the Packers as a team, and evaluate their performance in 2007, their projected 2008 performance, and their offseason and potential draft needs.

The positions:
Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
Offensive line
Defensive line
Linebackers
Secondary
Special teams

One of these will be published at least once a week, hopefully before the NFL Draft, and before training camp, I will re-hash the positions to comment on the progress or lack there of.

Check back and every once and a while, and thanks for reading.

Dark horse draft pick?

As Packers fans, what did we learn from Green Bay's 23-20 loss to the New York Giants in the NFC Championship Game?

We learned that Al Harris cannot cover Plaxico Burress. We learned that the Packers need a big physical corner that could keep up with the likes of Burress.

So why would the Packers draft a wide receiver with their first-round pick?

Last year, around this time, Brett Favre was campaigning general manager Ted Thompson to bring in then-Oakland Raiders wide receiver Randy Moss. Rumor has it the Packers could have acquired Moss for as little as a fifth-round pick. The Patriots acquired Moss for a fourth-rounder. Favre was not a happy camper.

But it still worked out for them. Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, and James Jones provided a trio of receivers that ranged from good-to-great skill wise. Jennings had a career year, albeit his second year in the league, while Jones started off fast, but saw a dip in playing time after his two-fumble performance in Week 5 at Chicago. And then Driver was as good as always. Koren Robinson came off suspension later in the year and teamed with Ruvell Martin to round out the "Big 5" wide receiver set, a matchup nightmare for defenses.

However, these five talented wide receivers all have a drawback: size. They range from 5'11" to 6'4", with Jennings being 5'11" and Martin being 6'4". A big wide receiver like Moss, who is listed at 6'5" or 6'6" would have provided a big help against the Giants in the NFC Championship Game. The Packers wide receivers were not made for cold weather. They were made for warm weather where they can move freely and make their cuts easier. A big wide receiver would provide the size needed and jumping ability to destroy defenses, a la Plaxico.

That is why the Packers should draft James Hardy.

Hardy is 6'7" and 220 pounds. That's some serious size right there. As a junior at Indiana last year, he caught 79 passes for 1,125 yards and 16 touchdowns. The 16 touchdowns ranked second in the nation. And he did this all against Big Ten competition, which is regarded as one of the best defensive conferences out there. For his career, Hardy owns the Indiana record books, with 191 receptions, 2,740 yards, and 36 touchdowns. He helped Indiana to a 7-6 record and their first bowl appearance in 14 years in 2007.

In games against some of the best competition in the nation in 2007, Hardy showcased his abilities. In a 38-20 win against Iowa, Hardy caught four passes for 113 yards, including a 48-yarder, and one touchdown. He followed this up three weeks later against Penn State by catching 14 passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns in a losing effort. Later, in an important Big Ten against Northwestern, a 31-28 loss for Indiana, Hardy caught seven passes for 107 yards, and two touchdowns, giving him five multi-touchdown games on the year. He was only kept out of the endzone twice this year, against Wisconsin and Oklahoma State in the Insight Bowl, both losses for Indiana.

Hardy does not come without character issues however. After the 2005 season, Hardy was arrested for domestic battery in Fort Wayne. The charges were dismissed after Hardy went through a diversion program. Hardy's coach at the time, the late Terry Hoeppner, suspended him for two games in the 2006 season because of this. Hardy still seems committed to excellence through all this, as he told the Associated Press, "No matter what I accomplish, I'm never satisfied now. I will continue to work hard no matter what comes my way."

Many sources rate Hardy as a top five receiver in the upcoming draft, including NFL Draft Watch, which has him as the third-best wide receiver, and rising, behind Malcolm Kelly from Oklahoma and DeSean Jackson from California.

So why do the Packers need Hardy?

Well he would provide a large presence in the secondary for the Packers. He would be Favre or Aaron Rodgers' go-to guy in the red zone, providing size and jumping ability. He would also be able to create mismatches across the middle with linebackers and safeties. This might be a huge risk, but it yields high reward.

If you want to see what Hardy could do, Packers fans, watch a replay of Plaxico Burress in the NFC Championship Game against the Packers. The Pack could have a guy like that. The Pack need a guy like that.

Surprise of the Year

Without a doubt, the surprise of the year for the Green Bay Packers in 2007 was running back Ryan Grant. Grant was acquired the week before the season opener against Philadelphia and helped boost a stagnant running game at midseason. Grant was inactive for the Philadelphia game, and through the first six games of 2007, had only six carries for 27 yards and four receptions for 26 yards. However, Grant had his breakout game Week 8 at Denver on Monday Night Football, where he carried the ball 22 times for 104 yards. Grant finished the season with 188 carries for 956 yards and eight touchdowns.

Grant was a virtual unknown after being acquired on September 1 from the New York Giants for an undisclosed draft pick. Grant entered a Packers backfield that was crowded with rookies Brandon Jackson and DeShawn Wynn and veteran Vernand Morency. No one expected Grant to really get an opportunity. However, he seized the starting job after the aforementioned Week 8 game against the Broncos and did not let go of it. Grant proceeded to break the 100-yard marks in Weeks 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16. During the regular season, Grant had a career long touchdown run of 66 yards in Week 16, a 35-7 loss to the Chicago Bears. Grant also set a career high in Week 14 during a 38-7 victory over the Oakland Raiders. Grant rushed for 156 yards and one touchdown on 29 carries.

In Week 10, Grant won FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week after rushing for 119 yards on 19 carries and his first career touchdown, which came on a 30-yard run. He also won the award again during Week 14 against Oakland. Grant carries a streak of six consecutive games with a touchdown into 2008. It is the second longest streak in Packers history behind Paul Hornung's streak of seven games in 1960.
Grant showed up to play in the playoffs as well. In the Divisional round playoff game against Seattle, Grant fumbled twice to put the Packers in a 14-0 hole. However, Packers coach Mike McCarthy stuck with the running game and Grant racked up a Packers playoff record 201 yards on 27 carries and three touchdowns. Grant also had a long run of 43 yards in the winter wonder land. In the NFC Championship Game, Grant was stifled by his former team, gaining only 29 yards on 13 carries.

But is Grant the long-term answer to the Packers running game? In my opinion, only time will tell. Grant was somewhat inconsistent, never rushing for over 100 yards in consecutive games. Also, outside of a few big runs, Grant was ineffective. Against Chicago in Week 16, Grant rushed for 100 yards on 14 carries. However, 90 of those yards came on two carries of 66 and 24, leaving him gaining just 10 yards on 12 carries. If Grant wants to be a number one back, he will have to improve on that. He is doing a good job of taking the pressure off of Brett Favre and the passing game.

Packers Rookie of the Year

Green Bay Packers kicker Mason Crosby was undoubtedly the Packers Rookie of the Year for the 2007 season. Crosby converted 31-of-39 field goals while making all 48 of his extra point attempts. Crosby twice made four field goals in a game and only had one game where he did not have an attempt, and only two games where he did not convert a field goal. Crosby provided a boost to Packers special teams, who were still searching for the kicker to replace Ryan Longwell.

The Packers drafted Crosby in the sixth-round of the 2007 NFL Draft out of Colorado, where he was one of the best kickers in the country. Crosby set the record for longest field goal at sea level without a tee with a 58-yarder against Miami in 2005. He was highly-touted prospect because of his big leg, but there were some questions about his accuracy which caused his stock to drop. The Packers took a risk on him and brought him in to compete with the incumbent Dave Rayner. Crosby then proceeded to kick a 42-yard game winner in his season debut against Philadelphia. That earned him the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week. Crosby also won NFC Special Teams Player of the Month for November. In a game against St. Louis in Week 15, Crosby made four field goal attempts, three PATs, and kicked two touchbacks, earning him Diet Pepsi Rookie of the Week honors.

Crosby won the NFL scoring title, scoring 141 points, and edging second place Randy Moss, who scored 138 points for the Patriots. Crosby also finished third in the NFC and sixth in the NFL with fourteen touchbacks.

Crosby became the seventh rookie, and first since Kevin Butler in 1985, to lead the NFL in scoring. He surpassed Longwell's Packers record for points in a season by ten. Crosby also placed third on the Packers all-time, single-season scoring list, behind Paul Hornung, who scored 176 points in 1960 and 146 in 1961. Crosby established the franchise record for single-season points by a rookie. Crosby also joined Packers kickers Chester Marcol, Chris Jacke, and Longwell as the only rookie kickers to score 100 points in Packers history.

Pack hopes to bring Williams back

In an end of the season interview, Packers coach Mike McCarthy had this to say when asked if wanted to bring Corey Williams back:

We're trying to sign all of our free agents, and I'm hopeful to have Corey back. I thought Corey had a heck of a year. I thought he handled his situation very well. I thought he was professional. And I'm hopeful we can get that worked out for Corey. It'd be great to have him back.

Williams had a great year for the Packers in 2007, finishing ninth on the team in tackles with 51. Thirty-two of them were solo and 19 were assists. Williams also registered seven sacks, third on the team while forcing three fumbles and defending one pass.

Bringing back Williams would be a great move in my opinion. He was the necessary disruptive force up the middle on a successful defense. However, the Packers should not be drawn into a bidding war for him. There is plenty of depth behind him, with Ryan Pickett, Colin Cole, Johnny Jolly, and Justin Harrell. Having Williams back would not hurt the defense, but the Packers should be wary of overpaying for him.

Packers open to Davis returning

When asked about the future of long snapper Rob Davis, Packers coach Mike McCarthy said:

Talked to Rob a little bit yesterday. I will meet with him after the Pro Bowl. But we're definitely open to having Rob back another year.

Davis is the Green & Gold's longest tenured player, after the immortal Brett Favre. Davis has played the third-most games at Lambeau Field in Packers history (84) and needs to play in just ten more home games to surpass William Henderson for second all-time on that list. Davis has also played in 167 straight games in a Packers uniform, third on that all-time list as well. He is tied for seventh on the all-time games played (167) list with Ed West.

The 39-year old Davis just completed his 12^th NFL season out of Shippensburg and was signed through free agency in 1997.

Bringing Davis back would be a great move, although it is unclear whether or not age has caught up to him at all. I say he can make it through one more season.

13 signed to future contracts by Packers

The Green Bay Packers signed 13 players to future contracts. General manager Ted Thompson announced the signings Thursday.

Quarterback Jerry Babb, quarterback Dalton Bell, punter Ryan Dougherty, wide receiver Chris Francies, linebacker Spencer Havner, guard Ryan Keenan, defensive tackle Alfred Malone, tackle Chris Patrick, defensive back Joe Porter, wide receiver Johnny Quinn, guard Cameron Stephenson, tackle Cliff Washburn and running back Corey White were all signed to reserve or future contracts.

Francies, Havner, Keenan, Malone, Porter, Stephenson, Washburn and White were all on the practice squad at the end of last season, while Patrick was on the practice squad injury list. Babb, Dougherty, and Bell were all on the Packers roster or practice squad at some point this season, while Quinn was with the Buffalo Bills practice squad last season.

Lewis leaves Packers

Green Bay Packers defensive quality control coach Eric Lewis has left the Packers to join the University of Louisville coaching staff as secondary coach.

The Packers defense was ranked fifth in total defense in 2007 with 288.5 yards per game. The Packers run defense was ranked fourth, allowing 81.0 yards per game, while the pass defense was just as stingy, allowing 207.5 yards per game, also ranking fourth.

Lewis joins a defense at Louisville which allowed more than 30 points in seven out of 12 games last year and ultimately spelled the preseason Big East favorite's demise.

2007 Offense Ranks

The Green Bay Packers offense in 2007 was one of the best in the NFL. The offense finished No. 2 in the league for the first time since 1983. Head coach Mike McCarthy has led the Packers to two top-ten offensive finishes in his two years as head coach, and their eleventh top-ten finish in the last sixteen years.

The offense put up 435 points, the third highest total in Packers history and the fourth highest in the NFL last year. The 5,931 net yards the Packers gained in 2007 were also the third-most in the Packers illustrious history. Quarterbacks Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers, and Craig Nall combined for 4,334 passing yards, 383 completions, and a 66.3 completion percentage. The 4,334 passing yards is third in team history, the 383 completions tie for first in team history, and the 66.3 completion percentage is highest in team history.

McCarthy inks 5-year deal

The Green Bay Packers have signed head coach Mike McCarthy to a five-year contract that runs through 2012. McCarthy still had one year remaining on his original three-year deal. The new contract is worth approximately $4 million per season.

As the fourteenth head coach in Packers history, McCarthy led the Pack to a franchise record-tying 13 wins this year. The Packers secured a first-round bye in the playoffs after a 13-3 season before losing to the Giants in the NFC Championship Game. McCarthy did not seek additional power regarding player personnel moves.

McCarthy has won 18 of his last 22 games after starting 4-8 in the 2006 season.

General manager Ted Thompson told the Associated Press, "Mike brings tremendous passion, work ethic and structure to his position. These are the traits we saw in him when he was hired, and we're very happy for the success we have had under his guidance."

I am very impressed with this deal. Although I have disagreed with some of McCarthy's playcalling this year, I will not deny he has done a great job. Hopefully he can bring the Lombardi back to its rightful home in Green Bay.

Go Pack, go!

McCarthy wins Motorola NFL Coach of the Year

Packers coach Mike McCarthy was voted Motorola NFL Coach of the Year in an NFL.com poll that received over 501,000 votes. McCarthy beat out Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots, Jack Del Rio of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Joe Gibbs of the Washington Redskins, and Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

In two years, McCarthy has turned the Packers from a 4-12 team the year before his arrival, to an 8-8 team barely missing the playoffs, to a 13-3 No. 2 seed in the NFC. McCarthy led an offense that finished second in the NFL in total yards per game (370.7) and total passing yards per game (270.9) while finishing fourth in total points scored (450). On the other side of the ball, the Packers defense finished tied for sixth in points allowed, allowing only 291 points, while intercepting 19 passes, also tied for sixth. McCarthy led the Packers to their first NFC Championship game since 1998 while tying the Packers franchise record for wins in a season.

McCarthy was Motorola NFL Coach of the Week twice in 2007, in Week 2 and Week 10.

Favre wins FedEx Air Player of the Year

On Wednesday FedEx and the NFL announced that Brett Favre had been voted FedEx Air Player of the Year. The announcement was made at a press conference in Arizona, where Fred Taylor was also named FedEx Ground Player of the Year. The winners were selected through a vote on NFL.com. FedEx is donating $25,000 to Children's Hospital of Wisconsin in honor of Favre's great play.

In what was speculated to be his final season, Favre led the youngest team in the NFL to a No. 2 seed in the NFC with a 13-3 record. Favre completed 356 of 535 passes for a 66.5 completion percentage, while finishing fourth in the league with 4,155 yards. Favre broke John Elway's record for most wins by a quarterback (148), Dan Marino's for most career touchdown passes (420), and Marino's record for most career passing yards (61,361). Favre was nominated for six FedEx Air NFL Player of the Week Awards, winning five times.

Favre beat out Tom Brady of the New England Patriots and Tony Romo of the Dallas Cowboys to win the award.