The Green Bay Packers will open up their preseason with a game against the New England Patriots on Thursday, August 13th. One of the Packers’ most exciting wins in 2014 came against the Patriots in late November. This time around rather than a must-win against a top contender, it will be experimentation time; the start of a period during which coach Mike McCarthy and GM Ted Thompson can evaluate the team, and start to piece together an eventual starting lineup. Here are four positions to keep an eye on during the Green Bay Packers Preseason opener on Thursday.
Tight End
This is the biggest question mark for the Green Bay Packers offense this offseason. The Packers are stacked at just about every other position, but neither Andrew Quarless nor 2014 third-round pick Richard Rodgers is a top tier starter. Quarless is a decent all around tight end, and while Rodgers has shown capable hands and a knack for getting open, he’s a poor blocker, and runs notably slow for the position.
Quarless, who was arrested for a firearm related offense earlier this summer, and lost an infant daughter at the end of last month, will not give up his starting spot easily. Rodgers showed flashes of greatness at times in 2014, but he will have a tough time overtaking Quarless. Tight end is a weak link in the league’s best offense, but neither Quarless nor Rodgers is a wasted uniform, and watching the two compete for the top spot in the next few weeks will be interesting.
Quarterback
There is no position battle for the starting job, for those of you just starting to follow the Packers. Honestly, there likely won’t be a conflict when it comes to the number two job, but fifth round pick Brett Hundley and undrafted Matt Blanchard are both hungry to show they belong in the NFL.
Hundley, who posted great numbers for three years with UCLA, has struggled in training camp. Many have suggested that his athleticism vastly outweighs his actual skill to be a NFL caliber quarterback, but proponents argue his raw talent can make him a great asset if he is developed properly.
It has been hinted at that Aaron Rodgers will see some time in Thursday night’s game. Furthermore, Scott Tolzien, the probable number two this year, will almost surely see the most time against the Patriots, but there is a chance that fans will see three quarterbacks throughout the course of the game.
Linebacker
I won’t differentiate here between outside and inside, because both positions have questions to be answered. Three of the four starting linebackers have been all but set in stone. Those three are Sam Barrington, Clay Matthews, and Julius Peppers. What is unclear however, is whether Matthews will play inside or outside. He has proven that he can do both, and may well have to do both throughout the season. This opens up de facto starting jobs wherever he isn’t lined up in any potential game.
On the inside, 2015 fourth-round pick Jake Ryan, will compete with 2013 selection Nate Palmer, and 2014 fourth-round pick Carl Bradford. There is also speculation that Andy Mulumba, an unsigned player from 2013, could step to inside linebacker, despite having played much of his career on the outside. It should be noted that Ryan, Mulumba, and Palmer have all sustained serious knee injuries in the last two years.
Looking to the outside linebacker position, there are also several players for whom to watch. Mike Neal has been a regular contributor as a defensive end/outside linebacker for the last three seasons, with at least 4.5 sacks each year since 2012. Jayrone Elliott, Nick Perry and again, Andy Mulumba are also outside linebackers to watch. Elliott had a great preseason last year, racking up five sacks, but during the regular season he saw the field on special teams. Nick Perry has underachieved as Green Bay’s first-round pick from 2012, and is currently in the last year of his four year rookie deal, and he has missed a few days recently with a minor injury.
In summation, there are plenty of names to throw around in terms of linebackers, but it will take the upcoming preseason games to figure out who wants to start when the regular season is upon us.
Cornerback
So far the story has been that Sam Shields and Casey Hayward will start this season. Hayward has looked great during his playing time so far in his career but he has suffered some injuries. The real problem is, however, who can the Packers rely on after Shields and Hayward?
There was some discussion of having corner-turned-safety Micah Hyde split time between nickel corner and third safety. Beyond Hyde however, the situation looks precarious. 2015 first-round pick Damarious Randall is adjusting well to the cornerback position having played free safety in college. He did, however, miss practice early in the week due to a minor groin injury.
Second round selection Quinten Rollins, who played basketball for most of his college career, is another option at cornerback. In his single year playing college football at Miami (Ohio), he was named MAC Defensive Player of the Year. He too has improved throughout camp, but he missed a couple of days due to a minor hamstring injury.
Further down the depth chart there are names such as Demetri Goodson, (who has also been on and off the field with some discomfort), and Tay Glover-Wright. Both are long shots, but it will be interesting to see if they can contribute against the Patriots.
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