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liny195
Angemeldet seit:
10.08.2019
Beiträge: 43
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GREEN BAY ***** , Wis. — Going into his first practice as Packers head coach, Matt LaFleur is trying to downplay the past.At least a little bit.“I wanted to make it about these guys,” LaFleur said following Tuesday’s minicamp practice.“When you come to the Green Bay Packers, obviously, you respect the tradition, the history, but, for us and this football team, it’s about making history.More Packers coverage from FOX Sports WisconsinTop Tweets: Wisconsin celebrates Bucks’ winPackers’ Ted Thompson diagnosed with autonomic disorderPackers 2019 undrafted free agent capsulesPackers officially sign Gary, Savage, four other 2019 draft picksFeeling like himself again, Packers’ Madison ready to get back to gridiron“We’ll always pay credit and respect to what’s been done here in the past, but it’s moving forward. And the expectation level is always going to be great in this organization, as it should be, and that’s really the vibe and what I want our guys to focus on.”After eight consecutive playoff berths, the Packers have fallen short of the postseason the past two seasons. After winning two MVP awards and challenging for a third in 2016 while propelling the team to the NFC championship game ***** , quarterback Aaron Rodgers has struggled by his stellar standards.LaFleur has been busy putting his fingerprint on the team. It’s been small but noticeable things, such as painting the hallways and meeting rooms a bright white.“There was a lot of paint involved,” LaFleur joked.And it’s been big things, such as conducting a pre-draft minicamp and teaching a new offensive system.Tuesday’s practice was the first time the team hit the practice field since December.Only a fraction of the playbook has been installed, but Rodgers likes all the big plays he’s seen on video.“I think what every coach will do in this situation — and it happens whether you’re putting in new plays with the same system or when it’s wholesale changes — the clips that we’re seeing of this offense are big plays,” Rodgers said.8<button class="view-gallery">View Gallery</button> Gallery:3-year analysis: Grading the Packers’ 2016 draft class“They’re showing us these plays and Julio (Jones is) running 80 for a touchdown or hitting Santana Moss or DeSean Jackson for big plays. Those are exciting. You look at those and go, ‘Man, this offense is incredible.’ It’s obviously cherry-picked to look as good as possible. The plays look great on the film. It’s going to be incorporating them with the guys that we have and finding who those guys are who run those plays best and putting our best players in position to make an impact in the game.”Rodgers was in a playful mood, fielding questions about “Game of Thrones” and the Milwaukee Bucks — the NBA team for which he is a minority owner. After two difficult seasons for the Packers, LaFleur wants to make things fun again.“I think when you really sit down and think about it, whether you’re coaching in this league or whether you’re playing in this league, you’ve got to feel pretty fortunate that you’re in the position that you’re in,” LaFleur said.“So why not go to work every day and have fun with it? It does not need to be an uptight environment. We can certainly come in, get our work done, and have a ball doing it. Because at the end of the day, it’s about guys playing football ***** , you know? It’s still playing. So, we want to have a blast each and every day.”10<button class="view-gallery">View Gallery</button> Gallery:5-year analysis: Grading the Packers' 2014 draftRodgers compared learning LaFleur’s offense to learning a new language. So, it seems, is LaFleur’s approach to the team’s rich history.“I think the great thing about Matt is it’s been very clear messaging,” Rodgers said. “He’s been great in front of the room. It’s a forward focus. It’s about building today for a better tomorrow. He’s done a great job of talking about how the most important thing is us moving forward together and having a deference and appreciation for the past.“But, you know, it’s not like we haven’t won a Super Bowl in a while, so that’s the goal, and it’s about doing things with this team right now. I mean, it’s Green Bay. The history and tradition of excellence so nobody has a problem with the past or bashing the past or offending anybody from the past. But we want to do something special moving forward.” The Packers didn’t land the all-purpose tight end they sought, but Jace Sternberger offers hope for stability and upside at the position."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections The APC PodcastPackers Film RoomFantasy Football AdviceCDTShareTweetShareShareJace Sternberger offers Packers upside as receiver, needs work as blockerJohn Glaser-USA TODAY SportsMany analysts expected the Green Bay Packers to add a tight end in the 2019 NFL Draft. Though the wait lasted longer than expected, the team did land one of the rookie class’s top prospects at the position, selecting Texas A&M’s Jace Sternberger with the 75th overall pick.Though not nearly as heralded as fellow 2019 draft prospects T.J. Hockenson, Noah Fant and others, Sternberger exceeded all of them as a receiver at the college level ***** , averaging a remarkable 17.3 yards per catch during his final season at Texas A&M. Sternberger totaled 832 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns that year, easily outpacing the production of the tight ends selected ahead of him. Much of Sternberger’s damage came after the catch and defenders generally have a hard time bringing him to the turf. In that sense, Sternberger ranks as perhaps the best pure pass catcher at his position in the draft.Yet unlike some of his fellow rookie tight ends, Sternberger lags behind as an in-line blocker. Texas A&M frequently lined up Sternberger out wide or on the wing, limiting his exposure to pass rushers. He might never develop the blocking skills or functional strength to operate as a Y tight end, a role still unfilled in Matt LaFleur’s offense. And despite Sternberger’s robust receiving totals, he doesn’t run particularly precise routes and will have some trouble releasing at the line of scrimmage early in his career. Accordingly, Sternberger profiles more as a “move” tight end at the NFL level.And that presents an interesting dilemma for the Packers. Jimmy Graham, the team’s high-profile addition last offseason, ostensibly fills that role already. While few tight ends make significant Year 1 impacts, the overlap between Graham and Sternberger’s skill sets could make it difficult for LaFleur to consistently get them both on the field at the same time. Granted, that problem might only last for one season -- Graham’s contract and declining athleticism make him a possible if not likely release candidate next offseason -- but it still could inhibit Sternberger’s development in the short run.Even so, Green Bay spent the previous three offseasons settling for short-term solutions at tight end. Sternberger, even with his faults, offers a shot at stability and upside at the position.
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