Packers 2017 Free Agency: The Good and The Bad

Every year GM Ted Thompson waves good bye to one or two members of the Green Bay Packers who played a significant role in the past. And next year the Packers usually return to the top of the NFC North anyway. There isn't anyone essential that's been lost but they do have to figure out who's going to replace Hyde, Lang and Peppers. In order of the players that they've lost:

TE Jared Cook. Technically he's still a free agent but he's not coming back because the Packers signed Martellus Bennett and Lance Kendricks. Cook transformed their offense when he returned from injury mid-season but so can Bennett who I've gotten used to as an annoying match-up problem when he played for the Bears. I also had some concerns about Cook because of the occasional drop and fumble. Also, Bennett's a real TE while Cook was more like an oversized WR. This is a swap for a better player and a good move.

The impact of Martellus Bennett's signing, opportunity at outside linebacker and more.

Insider Inbox 📬: https://t.co/TiO51ztY68 pic.twitter.com/bSn2AXwzWw

— Green Bay Packers (@packers) March 11, 2017

DB Micah Hyde. I've been a big fan of his but obviously the coaches had some reservations. He was never in the mix to start at corner or safety in four seasons and even when they were falling apart last season at corner, he only played on the outside in the playoffs when the Packers were completely out of options (he did pretty well). It's OK to let a free agent walk if the coaches don't view him as a starter, especially when a deep cornerback draft is on the horizon. Unfortunately I've recently lost some faith in their front office's ability to scout corners (see Randall, Rollins) or know when they should keep a free agent DB (see Casey Hayward).

RG T.J. Lang. He's the loss that hurts the most but I've been bracing for it the minute I saw him being carted off during their playoff loss in Atlanta. The Packers were in the bidding but they didn't match the Lions' price. There were a lot of signs that Lang was soon to be a former Packer. GM Ted Thompson has a long history of letting interior offensive lineman leave in free agency (Wahle, Rivera, Wells, Dietrich-Smith) and you can add the release of Josh Sitton last year too. There are good reasons not to give offensive lineman their third long-term contract once they're over age 30 and none of those departures listed above came back to haunt them. The concern is that they don't have a replacement on hand because they also let JC Tretter leave in free agency. The remaining free agent guards are the sort of older veterans, major injury concerns, or disappointments that the Packers never sign, or might sign on a minimum contract, and none of them could be considered a realistic replacement anyway. This is not a good year to draft a guard either. OL Don Barclay was re-signed on a one-year deal if no one else works out, but I'd have to imagine they'll give second year players Jason Spriggs and Kyle Murphy the first opportunities.

OLB Julius Peppers. He had a great three year run in Green Bay. He's an athletic freak who doesn't seem to have missed a game due to injury since 2007. His stats were down a little but they tried to play him less while also asking him to do more than just rush the passer. Carolina was going to have the hometown pull over him that the Packers couldn't match and it's unrealistic to pay him several million per season when he's not playing starter's snaps. But he can still play for a couple more seasons and he'll be missed. Luckily this is a pretty strong draft for edge rushers.

Two Packers Win NFC Weekly Honors

Packers CB Micah Hyde and QB Aaron Rodgers have been awarded NFC weekly honors.

Hyde, one of the team's returners, has been named the conference's Special Teams Player of the Week, and Rodgers its Offensive Player of the Week. 

Hyde brought a punt back 55 yards for a touchdown in Sunday's first quarter, giving the Packers an early 7-0 lead. Rodgers, meanwhile, completed 17/22 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns, leaving shortly before halftime with a calf injury before surprisingly coming back later. 

The Packers won the game 30-20 over the Lions, clinching for them the NFC North and a first-round bye in the playoffs.

Hyde Confident He'll Play Sunday

Packers Safety Micah Hyde is confident he'll play Sunday, the Green Bay Press-Gazette reports. 

According to the Press-Gazette, Hyde is currently experiencing swelling and soreness after suffering a knee injury in last weekend's game against the Jets, although nothing appears to be that serious.

So, in a move that should help the Pack's return game when they head to Ford Field four days from now, Hyde is expected to be ready for the contest, even if doing so may take a little longer than usual.

Hyde, a second year player out of Iowa, sustained the wound while fielding a routine punt.

Five Key Things To Watch In Camp: Number 2 - Ha Ha Clinton-Dix

Every year, the rookie first round selection is a player to watch in training camp, and this year is no exception. Not only was FS Ha Ha Clinton-Dix generally viewed as the best free safety available in the 2014 draft, but he replaces their worst starter from 2013 (M.D. Jennings).

Hunch is they just want to get Hyde as much S work as possible, and it's still HHCD's to lose. RT @JVince11 How is Hyde vs Clinton-Dix?
— Tyler Dunne (@TyDunne) June 18, 2014

When camp opens, it'll probably be Micah Hyde working with the first team defense, though the reality is that both players will line up a lot next season. The Packers spend a lot of time with five or six defensive backs on the field, and the opportunity will be there for both players. If there was a knock on Clinton-Dix out of college, it was that he isn't a physical tackler, which makes his ball skills and speed better suited in a deep zone. On the other hand, Hyde is great against the run, which would make him a better choice in the slot and playing closer to the line of scrimmage. They need both players at safety for depth, no other safety except those two and Morgan Burnett should feel secure about their roster spots, but they both have different strengths that might be best suited for a particular role.

Because of the high expectations that come from being a first round draft choice, and their need for improvement at the position, everyone will be watching Clinton-Dix.

The New Look 2014 Packers Secondary

It's hard to be bullish on the Packers' secondary after a poor 2013 season, but they could be the best group on defense in 2014.

Which position on the #Packers defense will be the strongest in 2014? Read more: http://t.co/rsSiKgJKAc pic.twitter.com/vaEr2ouWc5
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) July 8, 2014

Mike Spofford is expecting that when the Packers go with six defensive backs (which happens quite often) it will be CBs Tramon Williams, Sam Shields, Casey Hayward, with Safeties Morgan Burnett, Micah Hyde, and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. It would be a surprise to see anything else. It's a new look because while five of the six are returning players, Hayward barely played at all in 2013 while Hyde is expected to take on a different role at safety. Even Burnett might have some different responsibilities depending on how they utilize Hyde.

By itself, the addition of Clinton-Dix is a big improvement, but the addition by subtraction of the two worst offenders last season in pass coverage according to Pro Football Focus (M.D. Jennings and Jerron McMillian) is just as important. The only two players returning who had a negative pass coverage grade in 2013 were Burnett, who's now healthy and should improve playing alongside someone other than Jennings, and Davon House, who's got to prove he belongs after a bad finish in 2013. Even if it doesn't work out with House, finding a better fourth CB during the preseason shouldn't be a tall order.

Coming into the 2013 season, Williams was still struggling with a 2011 shoulder injury, but his old aggressive self re-emerged last November and he ended the season with four INTs over his final eight games. Except for a disappointing 2011 season, Shields has been one of their best in coverage over his first four seasons, and his big contract extension looks reasonable now after a crazy year in free agency. Hayward's absence last season (he only played parts of three games) was a big loss and he appears to be completely healthy again. Those three should be the best group of corners since 2010 when Williams, Shields and Charles Woodson were playing together.

I can see the silver lining on this unit, but they're going to have to prove it on the field.

Packers OTA: First Look at Some of the New Guys

The Packers are finishing up their May OTAs (three days of practice) on Friday. There isn't too much for the fans during these sessions. Any player who's coming off surgery (such as Clay Matthews) is sitting out as a precaution. However, there is something to be learned about who might be the starters.

On ESPN, I saw the coaches working Julius Peppers out at linebacker, having him drop back into pass coverage (he might have never done that before in his career). I've been assuming Peppers will be primarily a lineman and only occasionally a linebacker, but maybe the team is sincere about making him switch to linebacker. Having that added pass rusher as a threat or decoy still seems more valuable to them than the coverage a true linebacker might provide. Micah Hyde got the starting nod at safety while J.C. Tretter was first in line at center. Maybe both Hyde and Tretter will be challenged by rookies (Clinton-Dix in particular), but usually I'd expect the player starting at OTAs to be the starter in Week 1.

One more, of the #Packers RBs, including @Lil_Eazy_Ana_42, tossing medicine balls at OTAs: pic.twitter.com/G1V257Ynj3
— Jason Wilde (@jasonjwilde) May 30, 2014

And medicine ball drills! A classic.

Packers Depth Chart: Defensive Backfield

As much as the Packers knew they needed to upgrade their pass rush (enter Julius Peppers) they've also aggressively targeted players for their defensive backfield, while keeping pretty much the status quo at linebacker (though I do hope they found someone in 4th round LB Carl Bradford).

They did draft two more players who should figure into the defensive back rotation next season, and they have also signed a couple of undrafted free agents who may earn a spot. They'll probably keep eight defensive backs (plus one or two on the practice squad) and here's how it breaks down.

Locks: Sam Shields, Tramon Williams, Casey Hayward, Micah Hyde, Morgan Burnett, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. That's six guys right off the bat, and though Williams could be a salary cap casualty some day, it's probably not going to happen in 2014. There's not a lot of room left on the roster after those locks.

Davon House. He played 472 snaps on defense in 2013 but didn't impress (-4.9 grade in coverage according to Pro Football Focus). He'll miss the cut if he has another poor preseason like he did in 2013.

Jarrett Bush. He's still their special teams' ace and he didn't play much in 2013 until late in the season (plus a game ending INT against the Falcons). I don't know if he'll ever lose his roster spot.

Demetri Goodson. It'll be surprising if their 6th round pick will have a long NFL career, but he's probably going to be a favorite for the practice squad. Without a lot of experience in college, he's probably going to need a longer learning curve in the NFL and they'll probably be patient with him for at least one season.

Chris Banjo and Sean Richardson. So far, they've survived the safety purge of 2013 that's led to the departures of M.D. Jennings and Jerron McMillian, but the Packers have recently signed two more players to compete against them.

Iowa's Tanner Miller. His measurables are just as strong as Clinton-Dix's but the difference between them shows up on game film. Miller played 46 games in college and recorded 7 career INTs, but he also took the blame for allowing some long plays at Iowa. His instincts in the open field might be lacking.

Hawaii's Charles Clay. He's got some speed (4.42 40 time at his Pro Day) but he was a part-time starter (6 in 2013) on a lousy college football team.

They also have three other CBs (Antonio Dennard, Jumal Rolle and Ryan White) who could find themselves on the practice squad after a strong camp, but they probably won't make it past the final cuts. They should get a chance to play this preseason and they'll have to make the most of it.

I'm glad that the Packers have added quantity and quality (Clinton-Dix) to address a major weakness last season. Hopefully the new players will make everyone better and improve this group as a whole in 2014.

Grading The 2013 Safeties For The Packers

Earlier this week, I wrote about their need to add depth at safety in the draft and that position really stands out when you look at the current roster where only three players are listed as safeties.

Who's gone: M.D. Jennings and Jerron McMillian. The one thing that they had in common was that they're both awful against the pass. According to Pro Football Focus, they had the two lowest ratings of all the Packer defenders in pass coverage last season. McMillian, who was released mid-season, was seemingly beaten every time he was targeted, and the coaches must have saw nothing in him that they could fix. Jennings wasn't quite that bad, but he didn't make any plays in coverage (0 INTs) and he sometimes looked lost in coverage. These were moves that had to be made.

The starters: Morgan Burnett and Micah Hyde. Hyde's still listed as a cornerback on the official roster, but everyone's talking like he'll be the starting safety. His rating in pass coverage was only a 0.0 according to Pro Football Focus last season, but that was actually the 2nd highest on the team of all the defensive backs who played over 200 snaps last season (only CB Sam Shields was higher). He was a late round pick for a reason, he doesn't have elite speed or size for the position, but he's a player who can fill the role, which will be a big improvement on last season.

I don't think Burnett's ever going to be a star, he might never make a Pro Bowl, but he was much better in 2012. I'm sure the hope is that he'll return to that form, maybe his early season hamstring injury bothered him throughout 2013, but his improvement next season shouldn't be considered a given.

The other options: Sean Richardson and Chris Banjo. I'm impressed Richardson returned to the field after cervical fusion surgery and he wasn't a liability in his 156 snaps. But that doesn't give me any confidence that he's ready to be considered for a starting job either.

Banjo was impressive during the preseason and he was one of the few DBs with a positive rating in pass coverage from Pro Football Focus (in only 192 snaps) but he does seem to have a Sam Shields-like aversion to playing against the run. Banjo could be in the mix in 2014 as the deep safety on 3rd down, similar to what M.D. Jennings provided in 2012, while Hyde moves closer to the line and/or plays against the slot receiver.

So I can see how the safety position could be as good in 2014 as it was in 2012 (not a high bar to clear) but their depth is paper thin with no Plan B other than Sean Richardson. I can understand why they avoided veterans in free agency (a safety who's lost a step isn't a good option) but they need to add to the position in 2014, whether it be through the draft or converting another cornerback to safety.

Hyde reportedly to be an every-down player for Packers in 2014

Second year Safety Micah Hyde will be an every-down player for the Packers in 2014, NFL.com's Chris Wesseling reports. Last season, Hyde forced two fumbles for the defense, half of the team's total. 

Now while some could see this decision to be a little weird, I have nothing wrong with it. Hyde looked alright last year, so he might as well be given a chance. The team can put him at the position for most of the third preseason game (the one that starters actually play in), and if he's good they can keep him and if he's bad they can just put him at CB again.  

The Packers Need A Safety and Micah Hyde Might Be The Guy

After he was drafted, I thought CB Micah Hyde might play safety for the Green Bay Packers. Instead he spent the entire 2013 season playing cornerback, and probably playing a lot more than the team expected because of the injuries to CB Casey Hayward.

Micah Hyde could minimize #Packers need for a safety. Bigger role expected for second year DB. http://t.co/5xsuyLgt9q
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) February 26, 2014

So the fact that Hyde could play safety is not news to me, and the stats back me up. According to Pro Football Focus, while Hyde earned a neutral grade in pass coverage, he was one of the few Packers who earned a positive grade as a run defender. He won't ever be outstanding in pass coverage because he lacks elite speed, but if he can keep learning through film study and experience, that along with his solid tackling could turn him into a very good safety.

The newsworthy portion is that Mike McCarthy said "I mean Micah's to me a multiple position player. I'd like to see Micah compete to play all three downs on defense, so if there's a personnel group that he has to play safety, yeah that's an option." I hadn't heard anyone from the Packers say that Hyde could be a safety before. When Hayward returns next season, and hopefully CB Sam Shields is re-signed, the Packers might have enough depth at cornerback to move Hyde to safety. He was one of their better DBs last season and he deserves a shot at more playing time.

After Two Preseason Games, The Packers Look All Right

Before the Green Bay Packers next preseason game, when they host the Seahawks on Friday night, I thought I'd take another look back at their win over the Rams.

The starters are playing all right. In two games, the defense hasn't forced any turnovers and the offense hasn't scored a touchdown, but they haven't been outplayed either. The offensive line seems set with Bakhtiari at LT though the coaches are giving Barclay a chance to unseat Newhouse (it hasn't happened yet). S Jerron McMillian has had some trouble with deep coverage, but it must be a little confusing in the secondary when rookie CB Micah Hyde is playing so much alongside inexperience CB Davon House.

The backup offensive and defensive lines dominated the Rams' backups. The backups weren't great when run blocking, which might have been a sign that the backup wide receivers weren't blocking well, but the Rams' pass rush didn't get anywhere near QB B.J. Coleman, which led to his best preseason performance (though too many of his passes were still thrown too high). The only backup lineman without a shot is undrafted rookie Lane Taylor, who picked up two penalties in the second half, including a personal foul for an illegal block.

On the defensive side, it's all about Johnny Jolly, who's making all the plays this preseason like he did in 2009 (hustle plays, tipping passes at the line of scrimmage). I can't make a case that he doesn't deserve to start, considering we haven't seen anything from rookie DE Datone Jones, who's battling an ankle injury, and DE C.J. Wilson hasn't done much.

Who will start at running back against the Seahawks? Despite the strong performance by Eddie Lacy against the Rams, he's still fourth on the official depth chart, and the Packers have started two different backs in two preseason games (Starks and Lacy). With DuJuan Harris back at practice this week, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him get the start. The Seahawks have a great defense, and probably some extra motivation to look good against a possible playoff opponent, so no back might stand out on Friday.

The backup wide receivers are getting a lot of work. With Jordy Nelson out and Randall Cobb out, a lot of passes have been targeted at undrafted rookies Myles White and Tyrone Walker. Walker had made the most of it, until a couple of drops against the Rams, and White seems to be a favorite target for Vince Young and Coleman. However, Jeremy Ross and Jarrett Boykin haven't fallen behind either of them, so White and Walker might only be playing for a spot on the practice squad.

The Cornerbacks Looked Awful Against The Cardinals

The good news for the Green Bay Packers is that the bad game from the corners happened without much from their top three players. CBs Tramon Williams and Casey Hayward are being held out due to injury and only CB Sam Shields played. Shields did allow a completion along the sideline, but it was against WR Larry Fitzgerald so it can be somewhat excused.

Tyler Dunne wrote a piece on rookie CB Micah Hyde, who gave up one of the two touchdown passes while making zero reaction as the ball was in the air. However, he looked better than the other corners behind him on the depth chart. He's now moved ahead of CB Davon House, and Hyde was starting with the first team defense while Williams and Hayward were still out.

The good news for House fans is that he didn't look beyond redemption. He was almost in position but wasn't able to adjust quickly enough as the receivers ran their routes. He hasn't played a lot in his first two seasons due to injury, so his game against the Cardinals looked like a bit of rust. He's still got the potential.

One of my least favorite players, CB Jarrett Bush, played some cornerback and looked better than any of the other players on the roster. He'll make the team because of his special teams play, but he's still in the mix at corner too.

I don't know how any of the corners can make the roster. Loyce Means and James Nixon didn't make plays, and Brandon Smith looked lost. They need every game to prove they deserve a spot ahead of the other more highly regarded players at a deep position.

Preseason Recap: Packers Shutout By Cardinals, 17-0

The Green Bay Packers hadn't been shut out in a preseason game since the dark ages (a.k.a. when Forrest Gregg was the head coach in the 1980s) but that really wasn't a big surprise after they needed to add QB Vince Young to the backup quarterback battle. This game was really a sign that they'd be in trouble if anything happened to QB Aaron Rodgers. The good news is that on Rodgers' only series, he drove them 86 yards before they got stuffed at the one-yard line on 4th down.

The only injury was rookie 1st round DE Datone Jones, but it wasn't clear if his ankle injury was serious.

For Arizona, DB Tyrann Mathieu was deemed impressive but he was the highlight maker from a game without many of them. His sack of QB Graham Harrell was Harrell's fault, he completely ignored a blitzing DB which earned Harrell an exasperated stare from Mike McCarthy. Mathieu's other big play was a 24 yard punt return.

So without focusing on what the team did, here's how some individual players performed.

LT David Bakhtiari. Breathe a sigh of relief: he was solid. He looked a little off-balance on the first drive, his momentum carried him too far forward on one early run play, but he looked nearly perfect thereafter. He certainly looked better than Marshall Newhouse, who was beaten on a speed rush by DE John Abraham which led to a sack-fumble of Harrell.

WR Tyrone Walker. After the first drive, when Rodgers and WR James Jones took a seat, the undrafted rookie out of Illinois State was basically their entire offense. The Packers' backups only generated 137 yards of offense and 41 yards was from Walker. He's looked great in practice, in last weekend's scrimmage, and he did it again in his first game.

The defensive backs. Yes, CB Davon House was burnt early and often, but the guys behind him on the depth chart were awful too. Rookie 5th round CB Micah Hyde gave up a touchdown. The worst play was made by CB Brandon Smith, who was completely fooled on a comeback route and ended up running out of bounds. The good news is that none of these guys are expected to start, and since it was only one game, hopefully they bounce back next week.

The running backs. None of them made plays, but rookie RB Johnathan Franklin looked the best to me (Eddie Lacy was held out due to a hamstring injury). I need to see the rest of the preseason games before deciding.

QB Graham Harrell. It would have been a bad game even if he hadn't fumbled (see above) and telegraphed an easy interception (though WR Jeremy Ross seemed lost on the route). The only good news for him is that B.J. Coleman and Vince Young looked worse, though Young only knew about six plays. This isn't something GM Ted Thompson can fix this year, so the coaches will have to make due with the backup quarterbacks they've got.

DE Johnny Jolly. The defense didn't provide much of a pass rush, but Jolly got loose in the backfield on a couple plays. He looked almost as good as ever, despite the nearly four year absence from football. He's still got to prove himself over the remaining preseason games, however, after the first game, he looks like he should be part of the defensive line rotation.

2013 NFL Draft: Rounds 4-7 Packer Selections on Defense

I wrote about the five offensive players drafted by the Green Bay Packers on Saturday in an earlier post, and this one is about the four defensive players selected in rounds 4-7. There were 11 draft picks in all, and that doesn't even include all the undrafted free agents, with a slight six to five advantage to the offense after a defensive heavy 2012 draft.

5th round, Iowa CB Micah Hyde. He's listed as a cornerback, but he looks like a safety for the Packers.  He recorded 78 tackles and 14 pass defenses as a senior, so he seems like a player who's used to playing closer to the line of scrimmage and someone with good ball skills. The knock on him is that he looks better suited for zone coverage, which would make him a better fit for the Packers at safety instead of trying to run with receivers along the sidelines as a press corner. He'll help his cause if he can produce on special teams in kick and punt coverage.

5th round, Mississippi State DE Josh Boyd. He's a strong (32 bench press reps), high-energy guy who's not big enough to be a nose tackle on a 3-4 defense but doesn't have enough of a pass rush to be a highly regarded 4-3 tackle prospect. He should be able to hold up fine as a 3-4 DE for the Packers and he looks to be similar to DE C.J. Wilson. He doesn't really fill a need, but provides depth. The defensive line needs to get better next season, so if he can emerge in training camp, he could beat out another lineman for a roster spot. He might be a candidate for the practice squad, if he can slip through waivers.

6th round, Illinois State OLB Nate Palmer. Every year, the Packers are looking for a college DE to convert to OLB, and this year it's Nate Palmer. He also started a thing by being a player from Illinois State, and then the Packers went and signed a couple undrafted free agents from there too. There are a couple linebacker spots available to replace Erik Walden, D.J. Smith, and Frank Zombo, so this might be a good opportunity for him. He impressed scouts at his pro day, but I'm not sure about a guy who couldn't get playing time at Illinois so he decided to transfer to Illinois State.

7th round, South Florida ILB Sam Barrington. I had to dig a little to find out more about him, at first I thought he was an outside LB prospect, but instead he looks like someone who will play inside after watching his college highlight video. He's a solid tackler who can blitz up the middle and drop back in pass coverage. He seems a little undersized to me, but he may look just fine once he puts on a Packer uniform. As I mentioned with Palmer above, there are some roster spots available at linebacker, so Green Bay could be a good team for him.

Overall, GM Ted Thompson adds more depth to a young defensive group that was re-loaded last April, so these players are going to have to stand out because there might not be enough roster spots for them. But the Packers could use another defensive back and they never can have enough linebackers. It's not obvious what the Packers got with these players, so we'll have to wait and see how they play in the preseason.