The Packers desperately need Ryan Grant to play as well this season as he did late in 2007, but that possibility seems less likely by the day. Not only has the young running back missed virtually all of training camp with a strained hamstring, but even more alarmingly, he hasn’t faced live competition since the NFC championship game against the Giants in January. That’s because Grant chose to sit out the offseason minicamps and OTAs while his agent and the team negotiated a long-term contract. “Sure he got his money, but at what cost?” asked a scout for another team. “He missed a golden opportunity to improve during the spring and now the summer has turned into just as big of a waste of time. This isn’t a recipe for success – especially against defenses that will be less concerned about Green Bay’s passing game and more focused on stopping the run in 2008.”
Here are the scout’s other areas of concern heading into Friday night’s third preseason game against the Denver Broncos:
OFFENSIVE LINE: “The tackles are solid, but the interior has been a huge problem all summer. I don’t understand why [coach] Mike McCarthy insists on moving those guys around. Is it really necessary to slide Jason Spitz over to center when Scott Wells gets dinged? Why not just let Junius Coston fill in during practice and the exhibition games? It’s awfully easy to criticize Spitz and Daryn Colledge, but I’ve never seen young offensive linemen jerked around in such a way. This looks like a weakness heading into the season, and that’s a shame because I honestly believe that the talent level is more than adequate.”
DEFENSIVE LINE: “This was the deepest position on the team a year ago, and now the Packers have to rely heavily on a journeyman like Colin Cole. Even worse, the coaches are desperate enough to give mediocre ends Michael Montgomery and Jason Hunter snaps at tackle in the nickel package. That’s because Justin Harrell can’t stay healthy and Cullen Jenkins and Johnny Jolly are having disappointing summers. Even with Ryan Pickett and Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila back in the lineup, this position won’t be a strength in ‘08 unless Jenkins and Jolly step it up.”
QUARTERBACK: “I don’t have a problem with the starter. Aaron Rodgers will be fine as long as his teammates start blocking and catching for him. He certainly wasn’t great against San Francisco, but I’m not sure Johnny Unitas would’ve stood much of a chance on that night. The problem is with the two rookie backups. Neither Brian Brohm nor Matt Flynn is anywhere close to being ready to play at this level. It didn’t really matter who the No. 2 quarterback was when Brett Favre was around, but the odds are that it will matter now – especially if Rodgers keeps getting knocked on his ass. This football team is too talented not to have a veteran ready to step in if need be.”
CORNERBACK: “Charles Woodson looks terrific, but I’m a little concerned about his partner. Al Harris struggled down the stretch last season and he’s been bothered by a sore back for almost a year now. And even if Harris can squeeze another solid year out of his 33-year-old body, is Tramon Williams capable of holding up as the nickel back? He’s looked good during the spring and summer, but then again, so did Jarrett Bush a year ago. When a defense has two stud corners, the No. 3 guy is going to have a constant target on his back. And if Williams isn’t up to the task, opposing quarterbacks will find him all day long.”
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