Monday Musings: Better With Age

I received my second vaccine shot on Apr. 2, and later this week, I’m planning on having dinner with friends for the first time in over a year. Life isn’t back to normal yet, but it’s getting closer. My next goal? Freezing my ass off at Lambeau Field in late November. Anyway, here are more Packers-related thoughts that ran through my head the past few days:

1) Mason Crosby has had two very different careers since being drafted by the Packers in the sixth round in 2007. Before age 30, he was a run-of-the-mill kicker who made 78.7% of his field goals and was seriously challenged for his job on two separate occasions. After age 30, he’s been one of the most accurate kickers in the league. The former Colorado star has connected on 90.3% of his field goals since 2014, including 38 of his last 40. Even at 36 and with a head full of gray hair, Crosby’s not going anywhere any time soon. His short-term future in Green Bay is about as secure as a U.S. Treasury bond. In fact, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him still kicking at Lambeau after his close friend, quarterback Aaron Rodgers, is throwing touchdowns for another team.

2) A picture made the rounds of social media last week, and it got me thinking about just how incredible the Packers’ passing game was last season. In 2011, with receivers Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, James Jones, and Greg Jennings and tight end Jermichael Finley, quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw for 4,643 yards and 45 TDs, and Green Bay led the league in scoring. In 2020, with receivers Davante Adams, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Allen Lazard, and Equanimeous St. Brown and tight end Robert Tonyan, Rodgers threw for 4,299 yards and 48 TDs, and Green Bay led the league in scoring. He capped both seasons by being named MVP. Granted, a superb offensive line and Pro Bowl running back Aaron Jones sure helped a year ago, but it’s still quite a testament to Rodgers, coach Matt LaFleur and all the assistants that so much was accomplished with such an inferior group of receivers.

From left to right, Nelson, Adams, Cobb, and Jones appear to be having a great time together – probably made even better by Jennings not being there.

 

3) The Packers retained all but one of the 16 players who finished last season on the practice squad. Two of the most intriguing are a pair of former Colorado Buffaloes. Cornerback Kabion Ento flashed in the summer of 2019 after being moved from wide receiver, but he hasn’t been able to stay healthy since. He possesses good size (6-1) and showed impressive ball skills in practice. Juwann Winfree is a big wide receiver (6-2, 210) who played eight snaps in two games last season. He didn’t catch a pass, but his physicality as a run blocker had to impress the coaches.[yop_poll id=”6″]

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Michael Rodney

Packers Notes is the creation of Michael Rodney, who has been writing about the Green Bay Packers for over 30 years. His first blog, Packer Update, hit the internet in 2004. Before becoming a public educator, Rodney worked as a journalist for a couple of newspapers in his home state of New Jersey and covered the Philadelphia Eagles for WTXF-TV. He's had numerous articles on the Packers published, and he's been featured on both television and radio over the years.

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Dale
Dale
April 12, 2021 2:15 pm

Great work as always. I read everything you writ, at least once… Sometimes, I read them several times as a frame of reference when reading something else. I try hard to be fair, keep and considerate when reading other websites work. That’s not always possible but I do try.

Outside of Tom Silverstein, Jason Wilde and Ryan Wood there’s not much to get excited about with regards to the coverage of our team. It’s disappointing to have so much coverage, but most of it sucks or tells a person nothing about their team.

I thank you for your dedication to providing us out of state fans updates and/or opinions that can’t be found anywhere else.

I’m hoping that the team moves all over the board, and still comes out with at least 10 drafted rookie’s. In the first, I’m hoping they trade down and obtain a 2nd and 3rd for pick 29. Them take one of their two seconds, they would have if they do indeed make a trade for pick 29. Take the extra second and trade it down for an update extra third and fourth round pick.

This would afford us at least the following haul:

We would then have one second, three thirds, three fourths, two fifths, three sixths and one seventh. This affords us 12 total picks. Hopefully, this would afford us the opportunity to bring in sufficient support for our team.

Also, what’s your take on what is going on with Rodgers?

Thanks, again, for your time and support.

Take care and have a wonderful weekend.

Thomas
Thomas
April 12, 2021 3:11 pm

I have to admit wanting Mason gone after he missed so many kicks during the 2017 season, but it all worked out for the best. His misses sealed Mccarthy’s fate and he’s been almost automatic ever since,

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