Brandon Saine » Packer Update

Fake Game Has Real Implications

Posted by Michael Rodney at 9:39 am 6 Responses »

Aug 302012

Undrafted rookie offensive lineman Don Barclay is closing in on a roster spot

The Green Bay Packers will conclude the exhibition season tonight against the Chiefs. There’s little reason for the starters to play or for fans to watch. But if you do decide to spend three hours in front of the tube or in the stadium, here are 10 players to keep an eye on. Tonight’s game could be their Super Bowl.

OL DON BARCLAY - The coaching staff seems to think he can function at tackle – even though most scouts projected him solely as an inside player. The more he can do, the better his chances to stick on the final roster.

WR DIONDRE BOREL - Thompson probably doesn’t want to give up on Borel just yet, but the former quarterback is running out of time to prove his worth. He needs to make some plays on offense and/or special teams.

TE BRANDON BOSTICK - Started training camp as the longest of long shots, but he’s made some athletic plays, and just as importantly, he’s been accountable. A spot on the practice squad is a real possibility.

DE LAWRENCE GUY - He’s improved a bit each week, but he’s still no better than seventh or eighth in the pecking order. He’ll need to really stand out if he wants to avoid a trip to the practice squad.

QB GRAHAM HARRELL – His spot on the roster is probably secure, but a poor performance could force GM Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy to do what they don’t want to do – explore other options.

LB TERRELL MANNING - Thompson very rarely gives up on draft picks this soon, but Manning has been as quiet as a mouse all summer. He needs to make some noise to ensure he’ll still be around on the weekend.

S JERRON McMILLIAN - A mistake-free game should earn him the nickel/dime safety position. A mental mistake or two could open the door for M.D. Jennings to reclaim the job he was handed in the spring.

RB BRANDON SAINE – He needs to force Thompson to either dump projected starter James Starks or carry a fourth running back. He can do that by running hard, catching a few passes and protecting well.

CB SAM SHIELDS - He’s looked better lately, but he’s not close to where he was at the end of the ’10 season. The coaches are looking for a reason to play him over Bush at right corner. He needs to give them one.

OL REGGIE WELLS – With Evan Dietrich-Smith expected to back up at center and both guard positions, Wells needs to prove that he could play tackle in an emergency. He should get that chance tonight.

Packers Are Loaded With Young Talent

Posted by Michael Rodney at 11:50 am 2 Responses »

Aug 052012

Running back Brandon Saine will be difficult to keep off the field this season

GREEN BAY- My sojourn to Titletown is over, but not before I had a chance to attend practice on Thursday and the scrimmage on Friday night. Here are three under-the-radar players who impressed me:

1) BRANDON SAINE- A few years ago, Jim Tressel called his star player “as good as a receiver as any running back in America.” The disgraced former Ohio State coach wasn’t lying for once. Saine is very skilled out of the backfield. He has soft hands and he reacts naturally to throws. He was also the most dependable pass protector among all the backs I watched the past two practices. He’s going to get plenty of snaps this season. In fact, if he had better natural running skills, he might never leave the field.

2) JAMARI LATTIMORE – More than a few people scoffed last summer when I wrote that this young man was a better player than Vic So’oto. That opinion is no longer debatable. While So’oto is sinking down the depth chart at outside linebacker, Lattimore is thriving on the inside. A year ago, his terrific speed and explosiveness were often negated by athletic offensive tackles who outweighed him by as much as 100 pounds, but those same attributes will cause interior linemen fits. He’s not ready just yet, but don’t be surprised if he’s competing with D.J. Smith for A.J. Hawk’s starting position a year from now.

3) JERRON MCMILLIAN – M.D. Jennings is receiving a lot of attention because he’s currently one of the two safeties on the field in sub-packages, but I’m not sure how long that’s going to last. McMillian will be the better player; it’s only a matter of time. The fourth-round pick from Maine is extremely raw, but he’s much more talented than Jennings. He’s bigger, faster and stronger. He also appears to be smart, coachable and hardworking. Once he stops thinking and just starts reacting, he’s going to get on the field. Whether that happens in the next few months or not until the 2013 season is the only question.

Starks Needs To Stay On The Field

Posted by Michael Rodney at 10:31 am 5 Responses »

Jul 062012

Packer Update will highlight one key position every few days between now and the start of training camp. Today’s post focuses on the running backs.

Under pressure: Much was expected of James Starks after he exploded onto the scene in the 2010 playoffs. Unfortunately, injuries limited him to only 133 carries last season. Injuries have been an issue with Starks for the past three years. He missed his senior season in college with a shoulder, the first nine games of his rookie season in the NFL with a hamstring and three full games and parts of four others last season with an ankle. The Packers still believe in Starks’ talent, but unless he can stay on the field, the team will almost certainly have a new starting halfback in 2013.

Breakout candidate: Head coach Mike McCarthy was just getting ready to incorporate Alex Green into the offense when the rookie tore his ACL in week 7. His rehabilitation is going well and it’s likely he’ll be ready to practice on a limited basis when training camp begins. If healthy, Green has a chance to be an exciting change-of-pace back and a weapon out of the backfield on third down. He catches the ball effortlessly and he can make people miss in the open field. How much he contributes this season will be determined by his knee and his ability to pass protect.

Key role player: The emergence of rookie Brandon Saine last season is one of the reasons GM Ted Thompson has shown little interest in re-signing Ryan Grant. The former Ohio State star was promoted from the practice squad in early November, and while he touched the ball only 28 times from scrimmage in eight games, he nevertheless impressed the coaches with his consistency. Saine catches everything and he’s rarely out of position when it comes to picking up the blitz. He probably doesn’t have the run skills to be a starter in the NFL, but he should be a useful role player for years. Older fans can think of him as a more talented Herman Fontenot.

Rookie watch: Thompson didn’t draft a running back in April, but he did sign 3 intriguing rookie free agents. Marc Tyler‘s off-the-field problems and slow 40 kept him from being drafted, but he does have talent. Duane Bennett isn’t as talented, but he was far more productive in college. Fullback Nic Cooper took most of the snaps in place of John Kuhn (knee) at last month’s minicamp. If the Packers once again decide to begin the season with only four running backs, there almost certainly won’t be any room for a new face on the 53-man roster. That means Tyler, Bennett and Cooper will likely be fighting for spots on the practice squad.

Best depth-chart battle: Starks struggles at times to pick up the blitz, so the coaches would like to replace him on third down. Green and Saine both have the ability to fill that role. A healthy Green will probably get first crack, but Saine is too dependable to count out. He just might wind up being the best man for the job.

Notes: Big Extensions Are Coming

Posted by Michael Rodney at 10:05 am 13 Responses »

May 072012

Rodgers will likely receive a huge extension this year

Rodgers' next contract could be the biggest in league history

The Packers will likely spend close to $200 million in the next 12 months to extend quarterback Aaron Rodgers and linebacker Clay Matthews. That’s why the team is being very careful with its money this offseason. While GM Ted Thompson would love to keep ascending offensive lineman T.J. Lang and Pro Bowl wide receiver Greg Jennings – both scheduled to become unrestricted free agents in 2013 – he may have to let them go. Jennings is obviously more of a priority, but his asking price figures to start at around $12 million a year. That might be too rich for the Packers – especially if Jordy Nelson proves himself capable of being a legitimate No. 1 receiver and Randall Cobb develops into a consistent offensive threat in his second season.

Safety Sean Richardson was one of the most sought-after undrafted rookies. Fourteen teams tried to sign the former Vanderbilt standout, but he chose the Packers. A lack of depth at the position, as well as Green Bay’s reputation for treating UDFAs fairly obviously played a part in his decision. Richardson looks like a first-round pick. He’s big (6’2, 216), fast (4.49) and strong (22 reps). Unfortunately, he didn’t play like a first-round pick in college. Or even a seventh-round pick. These “looks like Tarzan, plays like Jane” types almost never make it in the National Football League, but there’s no harm in taking a look at him in training camp. His best chance to make the final 53-man roster is to excel on special teams. His size and straight-line speed should serve him very well in this capacity, but some experts question whether he has the requisite toughness.

Thompson didn’t close the door on re-signing Ryan Grant until he was confident that Alex Green would be fully recovered from his ACL surgery by the start of training camp. Head coach Mike McCarthy was so impressed by Green’s development last season that he was prepared to make the rookie a big part of the offense heading into the playoffs. Unfortunately, the torn ACL put an end to those plans. The one good thing that came from the injury was the emergence of Brandon Saine. The former Ohio State star showed soft hands and the ability to pass protect. He also ran harder than he ever did in college. The Packers feel good enough about these three young backs to move on from Grant.

Some cynics suggest Eliot Wolf‘s rapid ascent up the organizational ladder has as much to do with Thompson’s loyalty to Ron Wolf as it does with his ability to judge talent, but there’s a problem with that theory. In the past 12 months, two other teams have tried to hire the 30-year-old. Philadelphia came calling in May 2011 and Oakland made inquiries just a few months ago. In each case, Thompson promoted Wolf in order to keep him. It remains to be seen what happens the next time a team calls. Besides offering him more money and/or the promise of replacing Thompson, there’s really nothing else the Packers can do to keep Wolf. He’s risen as high as he can go in the front office.

Joe Philbin recently admitted to the Miami media that he played only a small role in the development of Rodgers. He wasn’t being modest, he was being truthful. As offensive coordinator, Philbin spent very little time with the reigning league MVP during practices. Don’t expect former quarterbacks coach and new offensive coordinator Tom Clements to be quite as hands off. With unproven vet Graham Harrell, ex-AFLer Nick Hill and seventh-round draft choice B.J. Coleman vying for the backup job, new quarterbacks coach Ben McAdoo will need all the help he can get.

PACKERS MAKE A SAINE SIGNING

Posted by Michael Rodney at 9:34 am 2 Responses »

Jul 292011

Former Buckeye is a terrific receiver out of the backfield

With so much happening over the past 72 hours, it was very easy to overlook the signing of undrafted free agent Brandon Saine. But it would be a mistake to lump the former Ohio State star in with most of the other 15 rookies who joined the Packers on Monday night and Tuesday. The speedy 22-year-old is far more than just a camp body – especially for a team like Green Bay that loves to utilize its running backs in the passing game.

Saine was one of the finest receiving backs in April’s draft. He caught 55 passes (23 last season) for the Buckeyes, who used him all over the field in order to create mismatches along the outside. He has extremely soft hands, reacts naturally to throws and shows decent run-after-catch ability. He also takes care of the ball and has some experience returning kicks.

Have you noticed I’ve yet to mention anything about Saine’s running skills? There’s a reason. That’s the weakest part of his game – which is definitely a problem for a “running” back. Despite weighing almost 220 pounds, he lacks physicality and does way too much tiptoeing. He also runs upright (seemingly a prerequisite for all of Green Bay’s backs these days), is straight-linish and very tight-hipped. This exposes his frame to numerous big hits and helps to explain why he battled injuries throughout his career in Columbus. He’ll also need to improve as blocker. He has the size and the intelligence to be adept at picking up blitzes, but he seemed indifferent to getting his hands dirty at Ohio State.

Saine wouldn’t appeal to most teams, but there could be a place for him in Green Bay – either on the practice squad or perhaps even the active roster. Fellow rookie Alex Green is a good receiver, but he’s not as effective as Saine when split out. And since coach Mike McCarthy loves to throw the ball out of creative formations, it’s scary to think what he could do with this type of unique weapon. More than one scout has compared Saine to Dexter McCluster, the Kansas City Chiefs’ second-round pick in 2010. So why was one drafted so high and the other not drafted at all? Because McCluster was a much more productive player in college and he’s far more explosive on returns.

Like all the undrafted free agents, Saine will be handicapped by not having an offseason to strengthen his body and learn the pro game. But unlike most of the undrafted free agents, he has one unique trait that sets him apart from all the veterans on the roster. Former Ohio State coach Jim Tressel called Saine “as good as a receiver as any running back in America.” That’s exactly why he’ll have a fighting chance this summer.

(Here’s an example of Saine’s receiving prowess – 1:40 into the video)