Even though the Green Bay Packers came close to upsetting the still-undefeated Los Angeles Rams on Sunday
Marwin Evans Jersey White , the performance left many wondering whether Aaron Rodgers and company can turn around their season. That skepticism
manifested in SB Nation’s weekly NFL power rankings with Green Bay falling
towards the very middle of the pack, No. 15 overall.”The Packers took a two-spot
dive this week after losing to the Rams. You can’t really fault a team for
losing to the Rams, but the Packers (much like the Vikings) don’t have an
impressive win as their victories came over the Bears (by one), the Bills, and
the 49ers.”Meanwhile, the Chicago Bears have taken the top spot in the NFC
North, both in terms of the official standings and the power rankings (No. 8).
The Minnesota Vikings fell to 13th after their lost to the New Orleans Saints.
Meanwhile, the Detroit Lions continue to bring up the rear at No. 20.Faith in
the Packers appears stronger elsewhere on the internet. ESPN, USA Today, and
Yahoo Sports all ranked them 11th while NFL.com slotted them in at No. 13. The
veteran cornerback signed to bring stability to a struggling cornerback room
before moving to safety. He may not have a future at either position in Green
Bay."When the Green Bay Packers signed Tramon Williams last offseason, the
company line was he was there to play ball, not to be a de facto coach. After
making multiple subsequent moves to solidify the cornerback room
http://www.packerslockerroom.com/authentic-oren-burks-jersey , Green Bay shuffled Williams to safety where he never quite impacted the game the
way many thought he could. Free agency offers myriad safety options and a cache
of high draft picks give Brian Gutekunst a host of chances to bolster that spot
in 2019 and beyond. Where does that leave Williams? He can’t cost the Packers
more than $6 million to coach. Cutting the popular veteran wouldn’t be easy.
He’s well liked among fans and his work ethic provides an outstanding example
for a young group of cornerbacks, but cutting him would result in just $1.2
million in dead cap, freeing up over $5.1 million in space this spring. That
could be enough for someone like Bashaud Breeland who, at this stage in his
career, is a much more impactful player, and nearly a decade younger. For that
price, the Packers would likely prefer Breeland to be out there as insurance for
Kevin King’s inevitable injuries or Josh Jackson’s potential struggles. Assuming
he’d accept a contract of that size, Breeland offers much more bang for the
buck. If Williams isn’t going to be a preferred rotation player at cornerback,
what about safety? Ibraheim Campbell is an unrestricted free agent, Kentrell
Brice is an RFA, Raven Greene is a former UDFA, and Natrell Jamerson was a
late-season waiver claim
Vince Biegel Jersey White , which leaves just Josh Jones at the position with any kind of real pedigree or experience.Campbell showed well in a brief
stint last season and could be an intriguing tender option, while Brice should
be an automatic pass. Keeping Tramon Williams may legitimately be the best
option at safety for the Packers in 2019. At the very least, he’ll be popular
among fans for simply not being Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. Or maybe he’s not even the
best corner-to-safety possibility. Moving Tony Brown, a physical corner who
acquitted himself better than expected in 2018, to safety — where he could play
deep, in the slot, and all over the field — offers a low-risk, high-reward
possibility. Brown’s success at corner and Jackson’s relative struggles may also
open the door for a position switch some have been suggesting since Jackson got
to training camp last offseason. His zone background, instincts, and ball skills
would be well suited to safety, while mitigating any issues his lack of deep
speed presents as a cornerback. More importantly, they’re potential long-term
options at safety
Womens Demetri Goodson Jersey , freeing the Packers up to make a shorter term bet in free agency for example. The risk of moving Brown in particular is
essentially nothing, especially if Breeland returns to the team. Moving a former
second-round pick simply represents a riskier allocation of resources, but if
Jackson is willing, it could be the best thing for him. There’s a middle ground
where the Packers do both these things. Keep Williams for insurance, let him
start the year, and with as often as Pettine plays three safeties, Williams’
presence won’t keep the safety-in-waiting from the field. This, however,
precludes an upgrade which the Packers need. Josh Jones, the one returning
safety likely to be solidly in the mix, works best as a box player coming
downhill, or in man coverage. When he has to play deep half or deep
middle
http://www.packerslockerroom.com/authentic-davon-house-jersey , he can be slow to read-and-react. Think of him as an overhang defender, as the
extra safety when they go to the big nickel. Green Bay still needs two other
guys. Between a loaded free agent class of safeties and a versatile draft class,
the Packers can almost certainly find an immediate upgrade as well as a
long-term one if they so choose. It wouldn’t take paying Earl Thomas $12 million
or even someone like Adrian Amos $8-10 million. Tre Boston got just $1.5 million
last year and would have easily been an improvement over Williams. He’s
available once again. Future rookies like Nasir Adderley and Chauncey
Gardner-Johnson offer speedy, ball-hawking coverage ability deep and in the
slot. Johnathan Abram and Deionte Thompson are heat-seeking missiles who are
athletic enough to be assets in coverage, while Taylor Rapp is a jack knife the
Packers could put anywhere on the field. If the Packers have short-term options
better than Williams, particularly when it comes to spending the $5 million
saved by cutting him, as well as a plethora of paths to long-term options, what
value does Williams truly bring? He was signed to bring steadiness to a
cornerback room that now has a future star and a culture-setter of its own in
Jaire Alexander. Green Bay moved him to safety because Ha Ha Clinton-Dix was
unreliable. An entire offseason could lead them to conclude there are other
players on the roster who could fill that void more spectacularly than Williams,
leaving him as a player without a position to play. Maybe new defensive backs
coach Jason Simmons needs help. There’s no salary cap on coaches.
