How do you know when it’s time to get a hobby? When you find yourself spending hours on a Saturday watching college students run 40 yards in a straight line and bench press 225 pounds. Anyway, here are a few Packers-related thoughts that ran through my mind in the past couple of days:
1) There weren’t a lot of surprises after re-watching all 17 games, but I didn’t realize just how well inside linebacker Isaiah McDuffie played against Dallas in Week 10. With veterans De’Vondre Campbell and Krys Barnes inactive, the 220th overall pick in the 2021 draft logged a career-high 68 snaps and more than held his own. In fact, the former Boston College star was a big reason the Cowboys had only four runs of more than six yards and none longer than 14. On several occasions, McDuffie used his 4.58 speed to chase down Pro Bowler Tony Pollard just before he could turn the corner and explode into the secondary. The 23-year-old also showed decent instincts in coverage. Even though McDuffie plays bigger than his size (6-1, 227) and will take on offensive linemen, he’ll never be a plugger. But if the big guys up front do their job, there’s every reason to believe he could be a more than capable starter in the future.
2) If Aaron Rodgers is going to be traded – still a big if – it makes no sense to restrict talks to only teams in the AFC. Former GM Ted Thompson made that mistake 15 years ago, and it’s one of the reasons all he could get for 11-time Pro Bowler Brett Favre was a conditional fourth-round pick. Who cares if Rodgers plays for the 49ers, Commanders, Bucs, Panthers, or Falcons in 2023? The odds of Jordan Love taking the Packers to the playoffs in his first season as a starter aren’t good, so there’s no reason to be scared of having to face Rodgers after New Year’s. Plus, he hasn’t exactly been Joe Montana in his past three elimination games. Heck, he’s been more like Joe Pisarcik (Google him, Gen Zers). The point is, Green Bay should make the best deal possible. An extra pick or two from a team in the NFC would be worth the slim possibility of having to face Rodgers in the playoffs, and the even slimmer possibility of him playing well in that contest.
3) Brian Gutekunst seemed to indicate a desire to re-sign Mason Crosby when he spoke to local reporters at the NFL Combine last Tuesday. The sixth-year general manager cited offseason knee surgery to excuse the 38-year-old’s poor kickoffs and talked about the challenge of making field goals in Green Bay. But here’s the thing, Crosby’s right leg was already showing signs of weakening as far back as three years ago, and while Lambeau Field might not be the easiest place to strike a ball, it hasn’t been more difficult than other stadiums lately. Since 2019, opponents are 37 for 43 (86%) at Lambeau, which is a slightly higher percentage than the league average during those four seasons. Is there a chance letting Crosby walk could result in a revolving door that would bring back unhappy memories of Eddie Garcia, Curtis Burrow, and Max Zendejas? Sure, but there’s a better chance of finding a quality kicker with a bigger leg and a smaller salary.
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Good take on McDuffie – makes me wonder if his play could help bounce Quay Walker outside more, especially as Gary rounds into shape?
I was surprised Walker wasn’t used more outside late last season. His size, speed, and explosiveness would probably give tackles trouble.
Ouch, Joe Pisarcik, that was brutal but well done.