Ryan Grant » Packer Update

Don’t Take Ryan For Granted

Posted by Michael Rodney at 5:06 pm 5 Responses »

Dec 052012

The Packers re-signed Ryan Grant after yet another running back got injured

The Packers finally re-signed Ryan Grant, but only after losing a third running back to injury. You can’t blame GM Ted Thompson for not wanting to bring back the fifth-leading rusher in team history. After all, Grant turns 30 in a few days and he hasn’t had a truly productive season since 2009. It was clearly time to move on. But now, with James Starks joining Cedric Benson and Brandon Saine in the running back wing of the infirmary, it’s clearly time to go back. And believe it or not, I’m kind of excited to see what happens next.

Grant doesn’t have much life left in his legs, but the Packers aren’t asking him to run a marathon. He just needs to be able to run the final few miles. The former Notre Dame standout keeps himself in great condition and he possesses the one thing that gives him a fighting chance against younger and faster defenders – fresh legs. Grant has played in only 1 game this season, and that was nearly eight weeks ago.

Alex Green will be the No. 1 running back on Sunday, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him relinquish that role (again) in the very near future. It’s easy to forget that Grant ran for 276 yards in the final five games of last season, and he averaged a healthy 5.5 yards per carry. That’s over 2 yards per carry better than what Green’s been able to accomplish through the first 12 games of this season. Cynics argued that Grant’s success came against defenses that didn’t give a crap about stopping the run. Those cynics were 100 percent right. But guess what, defenses still don’t give a crap about stopping the run.

Grant no longer has the power or the speed to be his own blocker or to pull away from DBs in the open field, but he still has the vision and the patience to hit holes as they open (or at least he did 10 months ago). While that may not sound like much, it’s something Green has struggled with all season. Look, I’m not saying Grant will have the same impact down the stretch this season that Starks had two years ago, but you never know. I honestly think this move has a chance to pay off. Just how much remains to be seen.

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 Likely To Re-sign Grant

Posted by Michael Rodney at 10:00 pm 7 Responses »

Mar 122012

Veteran running back wants to return to Green Bay

Veteran running back wants to return to the Packers

Ryan Grant is one of seven Packers set to become a free agent Tuesday, and of that group, the veteran running back might be the easiest to re-sign. That’s because the former 1,200 yard rusher wants to return and the team apparently wants him back.

“It’s definitely an option, and there’s definitely a good chance,” Grant said during an appearance on Green and Gold Today. “Green Bay said that they want me back, and it’s just a matter of whether or not we can come to terms on something. I would love to come back. I think everyone knows that that’s my ideal situation.” The fact that there figures to be a very limited market for his services should turn Grant’s hope into a reality.

I think the world of Grant, but let’s be perfectly honest, what team is going to offer him a decent contract at this point in his career? The former Notre Dame star turns 30 in December and he’s two years removed from his last truly productive season. After posting a career-high 1.253 yards in ’09, Grant missed all but one game in 2010 after tearing ligaments in his ankle and then plodded through a pedestrian 2011. Yes, he finished relatively strong, but 559 yards is still 559 yards. And a 4.2 average isn’t going to excite too many people either.

While a few teams may show some mild interest in Grant, it’s very hard to imagine any GM – including Ted Thompson – offering him a contract for longer than a year or two. The New Jersey native took advantage of the Summer of Favre to sign a surprisingly big deal in 2008. Without a similar circus surrounding these negotiations, Grant will have to settle for what he’s honestly worth. That probably equates to about $2 million a year plus incentives.

I can certainly see the logic in re-signing Grant to a modest short-term contract. He still has some tread left on the tires, and the Packers aren’t exactly deep at running back. James Starks hasn’t enjoyed a healthy season since his junior year in college, Alex Green is rehabbing a torn ACL and Brandon Saine only carried the ball 18 times in 2011 after being signed as a non-drafted free agent out of Ohio State. Nevertheless, I’d still let Grant go. I just don’t believe in holding on to clearly descending veterans (that’s why I’d also dump Donald Driver and Chad Clifton).

Familiar Faces May Not Be Back

Posted by Michael Rodney at 5:30 pm 3 Responses »

Jan 162012

Clifton doesn't figure to return to Packers

Clifton doesn't figure to return to the Packers in 2012

The Packers cleaned out their lockers today, and for some veterans, it’ll be the last time they step foot into Lambeau Field as a member of the home team. Here’s a look at seven players who figure to be elsewhere when training camps open in late July.

Chad Clifton: Thompson took a gamble by re-signing the veteran left tackle to a three-year contract worth just under $20 million in April 2010. The Packers were hoping to get two good seasons out of the former Tennessee star; they got one. But considering Clifton played a major role in bringing the Lombardi Trophy home last February, you’d have to say the gamble paid off. Now it’s time to cut the cord. Thompson can’t afford to pay the oft-injured 35-year-old over $5.5 million, and with talented youngsters Marshall Newhouse and Derek Sherrod waiting in the wings, he doesn’t have to.

Matt Flynn: The best backup quarterback in the league will be starting for some team in 2012. It’ll be tough to watch him just walk away as a free agent, but it’s very unlikely that GM Ted Thompson will be able to tag and trade the former LSU star. With so many ex-Packer executives and coaches scattered throughout the league, there should be plenty of interest in Flynn. Three-year veteran Graham Harrell figures to go into training camp as the backup to Aaron Rodgers, but he’ll almost certainly be challenged by a rookie selected in April’s draft.

Ryan Grant: While the former 1,200 yard rusher finished the season impressively, he’s 29 and not the same player he was a few years ago. There’s always a chance Grant could be re-signed to a modest contract (there won’t be much interest in him during free agency), but it probably makes more sense for the Packers to just move on. James Starks, Alex Green and Brandon Saine are all younger, more athletic and more versatile than Grant. There’s also a decent chance Thompson will draft a player at this position.

Howard Green: The journeyman played surprisingly well down the stretch in 2010, but his second season in Green Bay didn’t go nearly as well. The 33-year-old reported to camp overweight and he was never able to reclaim his role in the defensive line rotation. Considering how poorly the backups at this position played all season, that tells you something. Thompson figures to add a couple of young defensive linemen in the coming months, so it’ll be out with the old and in with the new.

Pat Lee: The Packers know he’s not much of a corner, so if he’s re-signed, it’ll be because of his fine work covering kicks this season. But the guess here is that Thompson would rather keep Jarrett Bush, who’s slightly better on both defense and special teams. There’s a chance Lee could return if Bush doesn’t, but the Packers are probably better off replacing him on the roster with a young player who has a chance to develop at cornerback.The former second-round draft choice hasn’t been able to leapfrog Bush on the depth chart since arriving in 2008. That says it all.

Erik Walden: We now know why three teams cut this player before Thompson signed him off the street in November 2010. The 26-year-old made a splash upon first joining the Packers, but that was with the benefit of both fresh legs and anonymity. Without those two advantages, the former Middle Tennessee State star proved to be nothing more than a decent backup linebacker masquerading as a starter. No player fell from grace as precipitously as Walden in 2011 and his fortunes don’t figure to improve any time soon. In fact, he may find himself an unwanted free agent thanks to his recent arrest.

Donald Driver: I wrote about DD’s future with the Packers, or lack thereof, yesterday.

LATTIMORE’S LIGHT BUT EXPLOSIVE

Posted by Michael Rodney at 11:33 am 6 Responses »

Aug 252011

Rookie outside linebacker looks more like a safety

With Frank Zombo almost certain to miss at least the first few games of the regular season, the Packers might be forced to keep an extra outside linebacker on the 53-man roster. That wouldn’t be good news for players vying to be the No. 5 tight end or the No. 6 corner, but it would be great news for Jamari Lattimore and Vic So’oto – a pair of undrafted free agents who are currently battling to be fifth on the depth chart behind Clay Matthews, Erik Walden, Zombo and Brad Jones. It’s difficult to tell which rookie the coaches prefer, but I formed my own opinion after watching both players at practice last week and then in the game against Arizona.

If I had to choose between the two, I’d go with Lattimore. While So’oto might be the better all-around linebacker right now, Lattimore should be an instant dynamo on special teams. And while he’s too small (230 pounds) to beat quality offensive tackles off the edge, he might be able to provide an occasional spark blitzing from an inside position. The former Middle Tennessee State star doesn’t have great 40 speed (4.65 at pro day), but he plays fast, and more importantly, he’s very quick and surprisingly explosive for his size.

EASY TO ROOT FOR RYAN

I’d like to see James Starks supplant Ryan Grant as Green Bay’s No. 1 running back this season. Starks is the younger, shiftier and much more versatile player. That said, I’m glad Grant accepted a pay cut and will remain with the team. He’s always been one of my favorite players. That’s because his story is impossible not to admire. The New Jersey native, who was plagued by injuries at Notre Dame, wasn’t drafted in 2006. He suffered a serious injury while a member of the Giants’ practice squad. He was traded to the Pack in September 2007 for a sixth-round pick – a price some considered too high at the time. All the 28-year-old has done since arriving in Green Bay is rush for 3,457 yards and score 24 TDs. And that doesn’t include his record-setting 212-yard postseason performance against Seattle in January 2008.

WEST’S GOOD, BUT NOT UNIQUE

After the Big 5, Chastin West has clearly been the next best wide receiver in training camp. But if GM Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy decide to keep a sixth player at the position, I’m not so sure West would be the choice. That’s because he doesn’t really add anything different to the group. The former Fresno State star has good size and above-average quickness, but so do Jordy Nelson and James Jones. It might make more sense to keep a young receiver who offers a unique trait. That could be Tori Gurley’s height or Shaky Smithson’s return skills or even Diondre Borel’s athleticism. Would it be fair to keep a lesser performing player over West? Of course not, but like life, the NFL isn’t always fair.

UP-AND-COMING ASSISTANT

While many fans continue to gripe about the performance of offensive line coach James Campen and special teams coordinator Shawn Slocum, the impressive work of one of their colleagues has gone largely unnoticed. And it shouldn’t. Ben McAdoo, who worked with McCarthy in both New Orleans and San Francisco and has been in charge of the tight ends since coming to Green Bay in 2006, has done one heck of a job. Under his tutelage, Jermichael Finley has developed into a budding star, Spencer Havner made the very difficult transition from defense look rather easy and a street free agent (Tom Crabtree) and a rookie (Andrew Quarless) played major roles in the team’s march to its fourth Super Bowl.

PLAYING COLTS A WASTE OF TIME

Unless a team needs a boost an artificial boost in confidence, it’s hard to imagine wanting to play the Colts in August. Indy has won only 4 of its last 29 exhibition games – and most of those losses came with quarterback Peyton Manning taking at least some snaps. Without the future Hall of Famer, the Colts have been even more inept than usual this summer. Indy has been outscored 49-13 by St. Louis and Washington – not exactly two of the league’s élite teams. McCarthy plans on using his starters for perhaps as long as the entire first half, but I don’t see the point. The starters get tested every day in practice more than they figure to get tested Friday. And at least in practice, the odds of getting hurt aren’t as high.

PACKERS DON’T NEED $6M BACK

Posted by Michael Rodney at 10:37 am 15 Responses »

Jul 282011

Veteran back is one of the highest-paid players on team

The Packers should dump Ryan Grant. There I wrote it, and believe me, it wasn’t easy. The veteran running back is one of my favorite players. He’s a high-character person, a tough and dependable football player, and most importantly, a Jersey boy. But with the team tight against the newly re-instituted salary cap, there’s simply no good reason to pay the former Notre Dame star almost $6 million.

Green Bay won the Super Bowl without Grant. And that was with the pedestrian Brandon Jackson and the even more pedestrian John Kuhn splitting carries during the regular season and rookie James Starks, who wasn’t even on the active roster until late November, getting the bulk of the opportunities in the playoffs. Even minus Grant, the Packers figure to be in better shape at running back entering 2011. Starks should be much improved after going through his first training camp and third-round draft choice Alex Green has a chance to be a very effective change-of-pace back. Plus, with the money saved by getting rid of Grant, the team could re-sign Jackson. This would give the offense a veteran safety net just in case.

Not only would the offense survive without Grant, it could be significantly better if general manager Ted Thompson takes some of that money and puts it toward re-signing wide receiver James Jones. Look, the Packers have been and always will be a passing offense as long as Mike McCarthy is calling the plays. Sure you have to hand the ball off occasionally to keep a defense honest, but if any team doesn’t need to be spending big money at the running back position, it’s the Packers. When Aaron Rodgers is your quarterback and Greg Jennings, Jermichael Finley, Donald Driver, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and potentially Jones are your receivers, you’re doing the defense a favor every time you choose not to throw.

Grant won’t have much value to other teams because he’s coming off a season-ending injury, he’s getting old for a running back and he’s making a lot of money. Ironically, those are my strongest arguments for why his current team shouldn’t want him either. If there wasn’t a cap, I’d be all for hanging on to Grant for one more season. He’s a quality player and the type of person you’d want around young and impressionable backs like Starks and Green. But the cap is a reality and it forces teams to make difficult but necessary decisions. This would be one of those difficult but necessary decisions.

BIG DECISIONS AHEAD IN 2012

Posted by Michael Rodney at 9:19 am 8 Responses »

Jul 222011

Nelson has formed a strong connection with Rodgers

With free agency in 2011 still a few days away (let’s hope), I hadn’t thought too much about free agency in 2012 until I read something in Pro Football Weekly. Dan Arkush wrote the following: “While Ted Thompson is no doubt having a difficult time these days deciding whether or not to re-sign free agents such as wide receiver James Jones, left guard Daryn Colledge and running back Brandon Jackson, among others, it could seem like a walk in the park compared to the challenging free-agent decisions the Packers’ general manager might be forced to consider next offseason. Heading the list of potential Packers free agents in 2012 are two key offensive weapons — tight end Jermichael Finley, who, by all accounts, is anticipating a sizable raise, and running back Ryan Grant, who suffered a season-ending right ankle injury in Week One last season.”

I started to do some digging after reading this blurb. Besides Finley and Grant, the other potential key free agents are quarterback Matt Flynn, wide receiver Jordy Nelson, guard Josh Sitton and center Scott Wells. Arkush labeled this a potential headache for Thompson. I can understand why he sees it that way, but I don’t agree. I think Thompson already has an idea of what he wants to do with each one of those players, and barring unforeseen circumstances, I think he’ll continue to follow the same blueprint that has served him so well since coming back to Green Bay six years ago. That means Grant, Flynn and Wells are probably on the way out, while Finley, Sitton and Nelson will likely be re-signed.

Grant turns 29 later this season in a league where very few running backs remain productive after the age of 30. That doesn’t bode well for his chances of receiving a long-term offer from the Packers. The odds will become even longer if James Starks picks up where he left off in the playoffs and third-round draft pick Alex Green flashes potential as a rookie. Flynn wants to be a starter, so he’ll almost certainly look to find a better situation. Thompson would obviously love to re-sign him, but that seems very unlikely. Wells has the best chance to return, but like Grant, his age is working against him. Thompson has extended only a handful of players (Donald Driver, Chad Clifton, Mark Tauscher, Ryan Pickett and Charles Woodson) over 30 since taking over as GM in 2005. Plus, the coaching staff seems to really like Nick McDonald’s potential.

It’s easy to devalue Finley’s importance considering the Packers won the Super Bowl without him, but the 24-year-old is without question one of the most uniquely talented offensive players in the league. And while the Lombardi Trophy managed to come home with Andrew Quarless, Donald Lee and Tom Crabtree splitting time at tight end, the journey probably would’ve been a lot smoother with Finley in the lineup. For example, it’s hard to imagine the Bears’ Cover-2 defense holding the Green Bay offense to a combined 31 points in two January games if the former Texas star was creating matchup problems all over the field. And here’s one more reason I expect a healthy Finley to be re-signed – when’s the last time Thompson let one of his really good young players get away?

The answer to that question is Mike Wahle, a 28-year-old Pro Bowl caliber guard whom Thompson made only a tepid attempt to re-sign in 2005. Does that bode poorly for Sitton? Perhaps. I was told on the day Thompson was hired by the Packers that he didn’t place a particularly high value on offensive guards and safeties. That seemed true when he let Wahle and Darren Sharper go, but he went against that supposed philosophy by giving Nick Collins $23 million. Would he be willing to break the bank again for Sitton? I wouldn’t have thought so a few years ago, but that was before Aaron Rodgers suffered a pair of concussions and the likes of defensive tackle Ndamukong Sue and Nick Fairley moved into the division.

With James Jones likely to leave as a free agent in the next few weeks, Donald Driver nearing the end of a long and distinguished career and Greg Jennings’ under contract only through the 2012 season, the Packers are in no position to let Nelson get away. The former Kansas State star emerged as a legitimate No. 2 receiver late last season and he, along with Randall Cobb, will be part of the next generation of quality receivers in Green Bay. How much it will cost to re-sign Nelson will be determined by how well he plays in 2011, but it’s almost impossible to imagine him no being re-signed. In fact, look for him to get done sometime during the season. The fact that he’s formed a bond with Rodgers can’t be minimized either.