M.D. Jennings » Packer Update

No Secondary For Old Corners

Posted by Michael Rodney at 10:33 am 6 Responses »

Dec 272012

The Packers have played very well on defense without injured safety Charles Woodson

Packers have played very well on defense without injured star Charles Woodson

Charles Woodson keeps wanting to return, and the Packers keep telling him to wait. If possible, they’d probably like him to wait until about the middle of February. That’s because the pass defense has been markedly better since the future Hall of Famer left Lambeau Field on Oct. 21 with his right arm in a sling.

Granted, the Packers have faced some pretty crappy quarterbacks since then. Blaine Gabbert, John Skelton, Christian Ponder and Jake Locker made some decisions and threw some passes that would make a junior in high school cringe. But it’s not about the opposition. It’s about the young defensive backs on the Packers who have gotten a chance to play while Woodson and his broken collarbone healed.

Rookie Casey Hayward replaced him in the nickel and has played well enough to be ranked as the second-best corner in the league by Pro Football Focus. After a shaky start, fellow freshman Jerron McMillian has continued to improve as a slot corner in the dime. And M.D. Jennings has done a solid job at safety. He doesn’t support the run as well as Woody, but he has a bit more range and a lot less inclination to freelance.

Former Giants GM George Young once said that “football is a young man’s game.” He was 100% right. There’s a reason why there are so few players over 35 in the NFL. Mike McCarthy benched one geezer (Jeff Saturday) last week, but I can’t imagine him or Dom Capers doing the same thing to Woodson. So the best we can hope for is that the coaches use some common sense and limit his role if and when he returns.

Weaknesses Exposed In Loss To Niners

Posted by Michael Rodney at 11:05 am 7 Responses »

Sep 112012

Starting nickel safety M.D. Jennings struggled in the opener against the 49ers

Anyone surprised that the Packers couldn’t stop quarterback Alex Smith and the 49ers’ offense either doesn’t read this blog or didn’t pay enough attention during the month of August. No team has more holes in its nickel and dime packages than Green Bay, and every one of them was exposed on Sunday afternoon.

Starting right cornerback (I still can’t believe I’m writing that) Jarrett Bush deserves no blame for what happened. He actually performed as well as could be expected – and that’s the problem. The career special teamer has no business playing – let alone starting – on defense. I thought it was a joke when Bush opened training camp atop the depth chart. Six weeks later, the only peope laughing are opposing quarterbacks.

I’m no expert, but it took me all of three practices to see that M.D. Jennings wasn’t ready to start in the sub-packages. And yet, there he was, lining up opposite Morgan Burnett in the nickel and dime. To the surprise of nobody (except the coaches), he was a liability. Jennings lacks experience, and he doesn’t have the physical skills to compensate. Jerron McMillian eventually replaced him, and the rookie from Maine figures to keep the job. Whether that translates to improved play at the position remains to be seen.

I’m not sure anything can be done to fix things at this late date, but coordinator Dom Capers needs to try something. I would start Sam Shields at right corner and insert McMillian and fellow rookie Casey Hayward in the dime. Will that help? I’m not sure, but it can’t hurt. Of course, what the defense really needs is a fierce pass rush. That means young players like defensive end Jerel Worthy and outside linebacker Nick Perry have to win more one on one battles than they did four days ago against San Francisco.

Packers Have Problems In Secondary

Posted by Michael Rodney at 2:59 am 8 Responses »

Aug 232012

Veteran Jarrett Bush is still atop the depth chart at right cornerback

The regular season begins for the Green Bay Packers in less than three weeks, and as of right now, special teams star Jarrett Bush will be the starting right cornerback and either M.D. Jennings, Jerron McMillian or Anthony Levine will be the starting safety in sub-packages. That should scare the living hell out of every fan, and it should cause sleepless nights for defensive coordinator Dom Capers and his staff.

As of now, the Packers aren’t as good at either position as they were a year ago, and they were pretty lousy at both positions a year ago. Young Sam Shields regressed badly in his second season at right corner and veteran Charlie Peprah struggled enough against the pass to lose his roster spot late last month.

The Packers have tried desperately to replace Bush since the first week of August, but an injury to Davon House and the uneven play of second round draft pick Casey Hayward has left the seven-year veteran with the ball skills of a blind juggler back atop the depth chart less than three weeks before the opener.

Jennings began camp as a starter in sub-packages, but I was unimpressed after watching him earlier in the month. It’s beginning to look as if the coaches feel the same way. McMillian and Levine have taken quite a few snaps with the starters in recent days, as Capers looks to find an answer opposite Morgan Burnett.

Sometimes a position remains unsettled in late August because all the competitors are playing so well that making a decision is extremely difficult. Unfortunately for Green Bay, that’s not what’s happening at right cornerback and nickel safety. The only reason decisions still haven’t been made is because none of the competitors have played well enough this summer to earn the positions. That’s a big problem.

3 Questions For Tonight’s Game

Posted by Michael Rodney at 2:26 pm 4 Responses »

Aug 162012

Safety M.D. Jennings (right) struggled in last week’s preseason opener

The Packers play their second preseason game tonight. Here are 3 questions to ponder while you watch:

1) Can M.D. Jennings be a competent starter at safety in the sub-packages?

The former undrafted free agent from Arkansas State was a great story last summer, but it’s one thing to make a 53-man roster and a whole other thing to play 70 to 80 percent of the defensive snaps for a Super Bowl contender. Jennings didn’t impress me at practice a few weeks ago and he struggled in the preseason opener against San Diego last Thursday night. He’s a pretty good athlete, but he still looks unsure of himself on the field. The “Doctor” may simply need more time to learn to read complex NFL offenses. Unfortunately, he has less than a month before Randy Moss and the rest of the 49ers come to town.

2) Can anyone jump up and grab the potential sixth wide receiver spot?

Diondre Borel (3 receptions for 19 yards) played last week while Tori Gurley nursed an injury. The roles are reversed tonight. Borel is out with a groin, so Gurley now gets his chance to put some distance between the two young wide receivers. The former South Carolina star enjoyed a very strong week of practice, but his work on Ray Nitschke Field has never been an issue. Now it’s time for Gurley to make some big catches against a team in a different colored jersey. Through 12 practices and three weeks of camp, no young receiver has forced his way onto the final roster. Tonight is Gurley’s chance to do just that.

3) Can newly signed veteran offensive lineman Reggie Wells still play?

The Packers best backup offensive lineman is Evan Dietrich-Smith. Enough said. The situation would look a lot better if Wells proves there’s something left in his aging body. I watched him last August at Eagles’ training camp, and he wasn’t overly impressive. The 31-year-old didn’t bend very easily or play with much power. The Packers are working him mostly at the tackle positions, but he’s better suited for guard. That said, when struggling seventh-round pick Andrew Datko and journeyman Herb Taylor are currently sitting third and fourth on the depth chart, it won’t take all that much for Wells to improve the situation.

Notes On A Preseason Game

Posted by Michael Rodney at 1:35 pm 14 Responses »

Aug 102012

Backup quarterback Graham Harrell directed two scoring drives

The title of this post pays homage to Notes On a Scandal – one of the most underrated movies in recent years (in fact, I should’ve watched it again rather than waste three hours of my life on whatever that mess was on ESPN last night). Anyway, here are five thoughts from Green Bay’s 21-13 loss to San Diego:

1) Graham Harrell is exactly what I thought he was a few months ago. He’s an intelligent and gutsy quarterback who’ll need 15 to 20 plays to move the ball 80 yards down the field. That doesn’t happen very often in the National Football League. His arm strength is improved from a year ago, but it’s still below-average. Quarterbacks without a big arm need to be extremely accurate, and Harrell is simply not a pinpoint passer. He misses too many open targets. Could the Packers win games in the regular season with the former Texas Tech star under center? Put it this way – pray to God we never have to find out.

2) The defensive line is markedly better than it was a year ago. Not only did the team draft a pair of talented players at the position (Jerel Worthy and Mike Daniels), but veterans Phillip Merling, Daniel Muir and Anthony Hargrove have been coming on in recent days. The Packers ended last season with two and a half legitimate NFL defensive linemen on the roster (C.J. Wilson was the half). That number has now been more than doubled. Is this the new Fearsome ~~Foursome~~ Threesome? Of course not, but it’s a group that should put at least some pressure on the quarterback and make life a lot easier on the linebackers.

3) Nick Perry is going to get at least eight sacks from his left outside linebacker position. With the talented rookie on one side and perennial Pro Bowler Clay Matthews on the other, opposing QBs are going to be the meat in a lot of Southern Cal sandwiches this season. Perry still has plenty to learn about playing with his hand off the ground, but his power is becoming more and more obvious by the week. He knocked Bryan Bulaga on his ass in practice the other day and he made life difficult at times for Jeromey Clary last night. The guess here is that the really good right tackles will handle Perry this season, but fortunately, there aren’t very many of them on the schedule – or in the league for that matter.

4) The Packers need newly signed Reggie Wells to find the fountain of youth because there isn’t a quality third guard on the roster. Big Ray Dominguez might be that guy, but he’s been out for a few weeks with a badly sprained ankle. Did you notice Evan Dietrich-Smith took all of his snaps at center last night? That’s because he’s been struggling at guard in practice and the coaches are desperately looking for a young player to step up. Sampson Genus, Tommie Draheim, Don Barclay and Greg Van Roten have received plenty of snaps this summer, but none of the four is ready for the majors leagues just yet.

5) As I wrote a few weeks ago, there isn’t a legitimate second safety on the roster. M.D. Jennings has taken all the snaps in the sub-packages for months, but he’s still late to react on even the most basic routes. I’m not saying the second-year player won’t improve over time, but this defense – already with plenty of questions at other positions – can’t afford to wait. Dom Capers needs to find a safety he can rely on, and short of bringing back Charlie Peprah (yikes), moving Jarrett Bush from corner makes the most sense. The 8-year vet can’t play with his back to the receiver, but he’s OK when things unfold in front of him.

Packers Lose More Than A Game

Posted by Michael Rodney at 2:00 am 13 Responses »

Aug 102012

Starting inside linebacker Desmond Bishop suffered a knee injury in last night’s game

For a game that meant absolutely nothing on the night it was played, Thursday’s loss to the Chargers could have huge implications down the road for Green Bay. That’s because starting inside linebacker Desmond Bishop and ascending cornerback Davon House both hobbled off the field with potentially significant injuries.

Bishop hurt his right knee and possibly his hamstring attempting to tackle running back Ronnie Brown in the first quarter. After the game, Mike McCarthy was understandably concerned. “Desmond’s injury didn’t look very good,” admitted the coach. Hopefully we’ll get some good news but it’s up in the air.” D.J. Smith, who started three games for Bishop last season, would once again replace him in the lineup.

House suffered a shoulder injury while playing on special teams. Prior to getting hurt, the former New Mexico State star was one of the few Packers enjoying a good game. He tackled crisply and covered effectively. House was well on his way to winning the starting job at right cornerback. If he’s out for an extended period of time, Jarrett Bush would be the likely starter when Randy Moss and the 49ers come to town.

While there were no other injuries to the defense, there is one other pretty big concern from last night. M.D. Jennings had a rough game. Projected to play opposite Morgan Burnett in sub-packages, the second-year safety didn’t look ready for prime time. He was slow to recognize routes – something I also noticed at practice a few days ago. Jerron McMillian has better skills and a higher ceiling than Jennings, but he also struggled. The rookie took poor angles and missed a pair of tackles in the open field.

Big Opportunity for Bigger Safety

Posted by Michael Rodney at 1:47 pm 1 Response »

Jul 272012

The Packers defensive coaches wanted M.D. Jennings to gain at least 10 pounds during the offseason. Mission accomplished. The young safety, who played at under 190 as a rookie, reported to training camp on Wednesday morning at 197.

Jennings was clearly the third-best safety on the roster last summer behind Nick Collins and Morgan Burnett. He was always around the ball and he seemed to make at least one eye-opening play on a daily basis. Still, he never seriously challenged a struggling Charlie Peprah during the season. That’s because he wasn’t big or strong enough to compete against NFL receivers.

After spending the past six months in the weight room, size and strength should no longer be a major issue. Of course, that in itself doesn’t guarantee success. Jennings still has two more things he must overcome – neither of which he could do anything about during the offseason. He played against a lower level of competition in the Sun Belt Conference and he ran consistently in the 4.5s prior to the 2011 draft.

Jennings is now big enough for the NFL; We’ll soon find out whether the NFL is too big for him. With Peprah no longer in the picture (he was released on Wednesday), Jennings will line up against much more talented offensive players on a daily basis. He’ll quickly find out that working against Aaron Rodgers and Jermichael Finley is a whole lot different than taking on Graham Harrell and Tom Crabtree.

Jennings took snaps with the starters throughout the offseason, and from all reports, he more than held his own. But now the pads go on and the intensity goes up. The former Arkansas State star has done everything he could to be ready for this day. Now it’s time to find out whether all that hard work is going to pay off.

Is Safety The New Outside Linebacker?

Posted by Michael Rodney at 10:49 am 7 Responses »

Jul 192012

General manager Ted Thompson hasn’t done many things wrong since being hired by the Green Bay Packers in 2005, but waiting too long to acquire a stud outside linebacker to pair with perennial Pro Bowler Clay Matthews was a definite mistake. While the defense managed to perform well in 2010 with Brad Jones, Erik Walden and Frank Zombo taking turns in the starting lineup, that was unlikely to last – and it didn’t. Playing without a high-quality linebacker opposite Matthews obviously isn’t the only reason the defense is coming off an awful season (a league-record 5,237 passing yards allowed), but it was a major part of the problem.

Thompson finally addressed the problem by drafting Nick Perry in April, and while there’s no guarantee that the former USC star is going to find success in the NFL, at least he has the potential to be a difference maker. The same can’t be said of any of the players who started opposite Matthews in 2010 and 1011. That brings me to the point of this post. I feel the same way about the safety position opposite Morgan Burnett going into this season as I felt about the outside linebacker position opposite Matthews going into the past two seasons. I see it as a potentially big problem – a potentially big problem that Thompson hasn’t done nearly enough to fix.

Besides not having a second pass rusher, the other thing that killed the defense last season was the loss of Nick Collins in week 2. Slow-footed journeyman Charlie Peprah started the final 14 games, and while he amassed 94 tackles and 5 interceptions, he also missed 12 tackles, gave up 4.5 touchdowns and was exploited by clever, and some not so clever, offensive coordinators on a weekly basis. The defense survived with Peprah in the starting lineup for 12 games in 2010, but that’s only because the pass rush was fierce and Collins was lined up on the opposite side of the field.

Thompson needed to do more in the offseason than draft Jerron McMillian in the fourth round. The former Maine star might become a solid starter in the NFL, but the odds of that happening this season aren’t very good. The odds are better that either Peprah, M.D. Jennings or Anthony Levine will open the season opposite Burnett. Look, I realize that the coaches seem to like the two former undrafted free agents and I know this organization is all about developing young players, but I can’t help think of Walden, Jones and Zombo when I think of Peprah, Jennings and Levine.

If I were Thompson, I would’ve signed a veteran in the offseason. Sean Jones would’ve made sense as an inexpensive free agent. Heck, I’d take the currently unemployed Jim Leonhard (if healthy) over Peprah as well. But that’s probably not going to happen. So can the defense get back on track with substandard play at one of the safety positions? It could, but only if the pass rush improves greatly and Burnett plays better than he did a year ago. Otherwise, the last line of defense figures to be just as big an albatross this season as the right outside linebacker was in 2011.

Which Soph Will Step Up For Pack?

Posted by Michael Rodney at 11:39 am 18 Responses »

Apr 092012

Smith is one of a number of young players who could step up next season

Smith is one of a number of second-year players that could step up for the Packers in 2012

A couple of things absolutely must happen if the Packers are going to improve on defense in 2012. One, general manager Ted Thompson must come up with an impact player in this month’s draft. And two, B.J. Raji and Tramon Williams must bounce back from disappointing seasons. Another thing that would really help – but isn’t as essential or as likely – is for one or two of last year’s little-used rookies to become contributors.

It’s impossible to know in early April whether the draft will produce another Clay Matthews or whether Raji and Williams will return to their 2010 form, but after re-watching all four preseason games from last season, it isn’t impossible to take a crack at predicting which second-year players might be ready to make a name for themselves. So with no further adieu, here are my top five young defenders to watch:

1) D.J. SMITH – Last year’s sixth-round pick started three games at inside linebacker and there was little, if any, dropoff at the position. The former Appalachian State star proved to be a breath of fresh air on a defensive unit that stunk to high heaven in 2011. Along with solid production (27 total tackles, 1 interception and 1 pass defensed), he brought quickness, physicality and energy to an otherwise slowish, soft and sluggish unit. Of course, Smith was far from perfect. He missed some assignments and he over pursued the ball too often. Still, he did enough good things to make many fans and members of media question why A.J. Hawk and his bloated base salary ($4.7M) are still around.

2) JAMARI LATTIMORE – Fellow rookie Vic So’oto got all the headlines last summer, but I liked Lattimore better from day one. The undrafted free agent from Middle Tennessee State was too small (6’2, 230) to be used at outside linebacker as a rookie, but he did enough good things to stick around on the 53-man roster all season. With a frame that probably won’t be able to carry more than 240 pounds, it wasn’t a shock to hear coach Mike McCarthy mention the possibility of giving Lattimore a look inside during the upcoming mini-camps and OTAs. His size wouldn’t be quite as big (pardon the pun) an issue there and he’d certainly be better in coverage than any of the returning vets.

3) LAWRENCE GUY - It’s easy to forget that last year’s second seventh-round pick is still on the team. That’s because the former Arizona State star suffered a concussion early in camp and was never heard from again. Guy looks the part of a 3-4 end, and he played like a legitimate prospect as a sophomore. He showed enough strength to hold the point against the run and enough quickness to be disruptive as a pass rusher. But he really struggled as a junior and then shocked everybody by coming out early. Because of the lack of depth at this position, he’ll be given every opportunity to make the team. Whether he’s still around in the fall will depend on which Guy shows up in the summer.

4) M.D. JENNINGS – Even diehard fans were surprised when the undrafted free agent from Arkansas State made the 53-man roster, but they shouldn’t have been. Jennings made plays on a daily basis in practice and he was always around the ball in the preseason games. He never challenged a struggling Charlie Peprah for playing time at safety because he lacked the size and strength needed to play from scrimmage at this level. The coaches would like him to report to training camp at between 195 and 200 pounds after finishing last season under 190. Jennings has a chance to overcome his lack of size and his small college background because he has very good insticts and a real feel for the game.

5) BRANDIAN ROSS - While Davon House figures to go into training camp ahead of Ross on the depth chart, I wouldn’t be shocked if the undrafted free agent from Youngstown St. outplays him – just like he did last summer. House is bigger and faster, but Ross was far more physical and competitive during padded practices and preseason games. And while the 24-year-old wasn’t ready for the big leagues as a rookie, he might be ready after spending over four months on the practice squad and participating in a full offseason of mini-camps and OTAs. In order to take the step, Ross will have to do a better job of anticipating and breaking on throws because he lacks top closing speed.

I left So’oto and House off this list because I have serious reservations about both players. So’oto is tight in his movements. He’s not fluid dropping into coverage, does not change directions smoothly and struggles to break down in space. These are major problems for an OLB in a 3-4. House may look like Al Harris, but he didn’t play like him last summer. He was too passive. He wasn’t aggressive in run support and he didn’t attack the ball in the air. That said, he does have enough physical ability to compete at this level. Whether he’s willing to pay the price remains to be seen.

McCarthy often talks about how the biggest jump a player makes is from year one to year two. Raji, tight end Jermichael Finley, guard Josh Sitton and tackle Marshall Newhouse are prime examples. But they were all draft choices. I can’t remember the last undrafted player to make such a leap. So it’s probably asking an awful lot to expect Lattimore, Jennings and/or Ross to go from rookie benchwarmer to sophomore contributor. But it can happen, and why not be positive in early April? Heck, in early April, even the Cubbies have a chance to win the World Series.