A Week at Packers Training Camp
This has been an interesting week for the Packers. The big events in the past week include general manager Ted Thompson signing a renewed contract, Jordy Nelson signing a major contract extension, news of Eddie Lacy’s receiving skills being increased, and Micah Hyde continually impressing coaches in the defensive backfield.
Ted Thompson
Some people are unaware of what the GM’s job actually is. In a nutshell, the general manager is in charge of who gets signed, with regard to coaches and players, who gets drafted, and of course, how much each person gets paid. While Ted Thompson has his critics, he is one of the best general managers in the league today. The only way to truly evaluate an NFL general manager is to look at their team’s record. Although his first few years were very rocky to say the least, he inherited a losing team and turned them into the team that won the Super Bowl back in 2011 (for the 2010 season). In 2011, the team went 15-1. 2012 wasn’t much of a year, but in 2013, with some of their best players injured, Green Bay still won the division. The bottom line here is that Ted Thompson has built a winning team. Now that their defensive woes have (hopefully) been solved, 2014 should be great and one of the key figures to thank is Ted Thompson.
Jordy Nelson
Jordy Nelson, one of the most chronically underpaid wide receivers in the NFL, is now being paid in accordance to his worth. His new contract will pay him close to $10 million per year, which is far more in tune with his eight touchdowns and well over 1000 yards last season. Now that he is the unquestioned first receiver of the team, it was essential for him to be paid as such. Some may argue that Jordy Nelson’s contract is risky as he will be turning thirty later this year, but this is not the case. If a receiver whose sole skills are speed and agility reaches thirty, his skills generally start to deteriorate at that point. Jordy Nelson’s most essential skills in terms of his receiving game are his route running, his hands and his cohesion with the team. His speed may dip in two or three years, but it will not affect his productivity as much as critics may say. A four-year contract to a 29-year-old receiver like Jordy Nelson is a great deal.
Eddie Lacy
While Eddie Lacy is widely known as a power back, his speed should never be ignored. Recall that his 40-yard dash time has been clocked in the low 4.4s. That’s great speed for a running back who can run over linebackers. Rumors from training camp indicate that Lacy has had his receiving skills increased. This is a great move by the Packers because developing Lacy and Starks into possible dual-threat running backs adds another couple of potential targets for Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers is a skilled enough quarterback that he can essentially throw to any receivers that are open, so more targets equals more productivity. Reports from training camp also show that he has nicknamed himself “Moss,” in reference to the former receiver. Let’s hope we can all shout that name as he catches touchdown passes against the Seahawks just over a month from now.
Micah Hyde
The news at the strong safety position has been interesting. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix has played well according to his coaches, but these same coaches seem almost mystified at the adaptability and sheer football intelligence of Micah Hyde. Thus far, Hyde looks like he will be the starting safety alongside Morgan Burnett when the season opens up. Hyde played roughly 40% of all defensive snaps last year and if his performance in training camp continues to impress coaches McCarthy and Capers, don’t be surprised if he makes a big impact on the Packers’ defense this year.
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