Packers – 2007 Early Look and Wishes

Well, the season ended up being a lot better than though for the Packers.  Sure, they didn’t beat any really talented teams (aside from maybe the Bears in a meaningless game).  They did beat most of the teams they were supposed to beat.  They also put up a reasonable fight (for at least a half) against tough teams like the Saints, Eagles and Seahawks.

For next season, the offense will probably be the biggest question.  There is hope, though.  The offensive line wasn’t great, but got better with time.  The unit will stay in tact and should only get better, whether via free agency or simply experience.  Vernand Morency looked really good.  He is quick, good at seeing/hitting gaps and really understands how to use cutback lanes.  Ahman Green may be back.  He had a fairly productive year, but is aging.  I couldn’t see the Packers (or any team) investing a long-term deal in him, but he certainly won’t be signed as cheaply as he was this year.  There’s also potential through free agency, with a guy like Michael Turner out there.  Plus, you never know how far Adrian Peterson could slip in the draft after missing most of the year.  The wide receivers were horreble most of the season, but there is hope there as well.  Koren Robinson will be back next year.  Ruvell Martin looked like he could be a decent #3 option.  Hopefully Greg Jennings will continue to improve.  He mainly lacked consistency and seemed to be injured most of the 2nd half of the year.  Bubba Franks won’t likely return, whether he is traded on the cheap of just cut.  David Martin finally looked like he was developing as a receiver this year, and might be worth resigning.

The defense actually looks like they are going in the right direction.  Woodson and Harris are one of the better duos of shutdown corners in the league.  The defensive line improved a ton when KGB started playing limited downs.  Who knows what will happen with Kabeer over the offseason… he’s rather expensive for a 3rd down pass rusher.  As long as Nick Barnett doesn’t freak out and demand a huge contract, the linebackers should be solid.  Actually, it might be better if we try and trade Barnett.  He continually misses open field tackles and brings shame to the team every time he jumps and screams after making a routine tackle.  The safeties are still a liability… but got better when they stopped playing coverage rolls and mainly played the run or deep zones.  Manuel is still horribly slow, but we can always look for other options.

Anyway, with one of the higher chunks of available cap space and one of the lower number of free agents… the future looks bright for the Packers.  They could easily make a playoff run next year.  Depending on how aggressive Thompson wants to get, they could maybe go deep in the playoffs.  Who knows.  Why not make a push as long as Favre is willing to come back?