Going to Miami
Green Bay has one of the best records in the entire league, but it won’t seem like that when the Pro Bowl rosters are announced on Tuesday. The 10-5 Packers figure to have no more than three representatives in the all-star game that will be played in Miami on the Sunday before the Super Bowl. So is this a sign of disrespect? No, not really. “Green Bay has a lot of players enjoying good to very good seasons, but not many are performing at a Pro Bowl-level,” opined a former scout. “And that kind of fits with [GM] Ted Thompson’s philosophy on building a team. He’s not enamored with superstars or big names. He prefers a roster filled with good players and quality people. And while that may not make the Packers all that popular on Tuesday, it could serve them very well in the weeks to come.”
We asked the scout to predict which players will get an invite to the Pro Bowl, which players won’t but should and which young players are on the verge:
LOCK
CB Charles Woodson: “He’ll start for the NFC. Not only is he a lock for the Pro Bowl, but he should be one of the favorites for Defensive Player of the Year. No corner does more for his team. He lines up at multiple positions and excels at all of them. Plus, his overall statistics are eye-popping. He’s really revived his career in Green Bay and Canton now looks like a definite possibility.”
VERY GOOD CHANCE
QB Aaron Rodgers: “He should be a lock, but you never know when it comes to this position and the Pro Bowl. Only Drew Brees has had a better season in the NFC. Anyone who thinks Brett Favre is more deserving either works for ESPN or doesn’t watch much football. He’s already one of the top 7 or 8 quarterbacks in the league and he could move into the top-5 by next season.”
PRETTY GOOD CHANCE
FS Nick Collins: “He went a year ago and he’s been just as good this season. He deserves to go, but the competition at his position is very stiff. Darren Sharper is a lock and Adrian Wilson is extremely popular with NFC players and coaches. That leaves only one spot. He should get it, but you never know.”
SLIGHT CHANCE
RB Ryan Grant: “He’s third in the conference in rushing and fourth in yards per game, so he has a chance. But I don’t think most players and coaches consider him as good as guys like DeAngelo Williams, Frank Gore or even Jonathan Stewart. He has the numbers to go, but he probably won’t get the votes.”
NO CHANCE, BUT DESERVING
DEs Johnny Jolly and Cullen Jenkins: “Jolly has played the run as well as any defensive end in the league. Jenkins is solid at the point of attack and far more productive as a pass rusher than most players at his position. They won’t go because they don’t have the statistics, but they’re playing at that level.”
SOMEDAY SOON
OLB Clay Matthews: “He should get some consideration, but it’s tough for any rookie to make the Pro Bowl – especially one who didn’t even start until the fifth game of the season. With his talent and work ethic, this may wind up being one of the few Pro Bowls he doesn’t play in over the course of his career.”
TE Jermichael Finley: “He’d have a chance if he didn’t miss four games during the middle of the season. He has the potential to be more than a perrenial Pro Bowl tight end; he has the potential to be the best tight end in the league. Few players have his combination of size, soft hands and athleticism.”
OG Josh Sitton: “He’s quietly developed into one of the best young interior linemen in the NFL. He’s not a great athlete, but he moves well enough to make all the necessary blocks. He’s also strong and nasty. It took Marco Rivera a while to be appreciated. It could be a similar story for this right guard.”
Remember all the people who criticized GM Ted Thompson for signing Aaron Rodgers to a six-year, $65 million extension after only seven career starts? Well, according to one agent, the Pro Bowl quarterback would command at least $30 million more if negotiations were held today….. Of Green Bay’s eight restricted free agents, fullback John Kuhn is the most likely to be wearing a different uniform next season. The former Shippensburg star could look to sign with a team that will offer him a better chance to play (i.e., less competition). The Packers already have Korey Hall and promising second-year man Quinn Johnson at the position….. Defensive lineman B.J. Raji will be asked to drop a few pounds between now and the start of training camp. That’s because the coaches believe that last year’s top draft pick will be more effective as a nickel pass rusher at a lighter weight. He played at 335 as a rookie….. We have no idea what Thompson thinks of Antonio Cromartie, but we’ve been told that his counterpart in San Diego, A.J. Smith, would have little interest in trading the former Pro Bowl corner for Ryan Grant. While the Chargers are definitely in the market for a back, Smith wants that player to be closer to 25 than 30. Grant turns 28 in December.