NFL team previews — NFC Central
By Bob McGinn
As published in print Aug. 21, 2000
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Packers QB
Brett Favre
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Training camp couldn’t have gone much worse than it did for Mike Sherman, the
rather anonymous new head coach of the Green Bay Packers.
QB Brett Favre, the unquestioned leader and best player on the team, was sidelined with
tendinitis in his right elbow that threatened to bother him into the regular season.
Dorsey Levens, the running back Sherman planned to feature much more than the previous
staff did, needed arthroscopic knee surgery for relief from patellar tendinitis and
remained questionable for opening day.
Corey Bradford, a legitimate deep threat as the No. 3 wide receiver, suffered a broken
leg in the second exhibition game while covering a kickoff in the fourth quarter.
To Sherman’s credit, he didn’t attempt to cop an excuse.
"I think I’ll be measured on how I handle injuries," Sherman said.
"I feel confident that our expectations can remain the same. I don’t care.
We’ll find a way to get it done. I think the Green Bay Packers have always rallied to
challenges, and this is no different than any other challenge."
A year ago the Packers flopped to 8-8, and head coach Ray Rhodes lost his job. General
manager Ron Wolf, who hired Sherman, is hoping to instill discipline in a franchise that
has lost some of its edge and luster since Mike Holmgren departed for Seattle in January
of 1999.
Sherman, the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator in ’99, is using a pure version
of the West Coast offense. On defense, he’s using new coordinator Ed Donatell’s
version of the Broncos’ scheme. The Packers have an opportunity to be prolific on
offense. Whether they can stop anyone remains to be seen.
Top of page
| Quarterbacks |
Grade A |
| Favre began training camp hoping to erase memories of a
season in which he ranked a shocking 25th in passer rating at 74.7. He ended it just
hoping that his "tennis elbow" would permit him to function on opening day. Tom
Rossley, the new offensive coordinator, has junked the shotgun. He has impressed upon
Favre the importance of staying with the progression-read concept of the offense. Rossley
has also worked hard to improve Favre’s mechanics. Favre can beat any opponent any
day because of his remarkable grit and play-making ability. He just can’t take as
many chances with the ball. Matt Hasselbeck had a great training camp and is one of the
better backups in the NFL. Wolf says he wouldn’t accept anything less than a No. 1
pick in a trade. With Aaron Brooks traded to New Orleans for a No. 3 pick, Danny Wuerffel
will probably stick as the third-stringer. Top of page |
| Running backs |
Grade B |
| Levens had so much pain in his left knee that he insisted
doctors scope him. They found inflamed scar tissue and removed it in a 15-minute
procedure. Levens is a 230-pound back with well-above-average speed, superb hands and
more-than-adequate blocking ability. Whether he’ll be ready for the opener remains in
question. The Packers were pleased as punch to have former Seahawk Ahman Green in reserve.
However, Green suffered damage to the medial collateral ligament in his right knee vs.
Denver, and he might not be ready for the opener either. Green can fly, and his run vision
has been better than advertised. FB William Henderson is a solid blocker and receiver, but
he is a virtual non-factor as a rusher. Rookie RB Rondell Mealey looked to be a keeper
until he blew out his knee late in the preseason opener. Top of page |
| Receivers |
Grade B+ |
| Flanker Antonio Freeman appears to have put his mediocre 1999
season behind him by reporting in tip-top shape and practicing hard on a daily basis. The
Packers are throwing more slants and intermediate routes and fewer long balls, and that
better suits Freeman’s talents. He is the craftiest of route runners and hasn’t
dropped many balls in camp. Split end Bill Schroeder is a threat because of his size and
speed, but he isn’t dependable as a third-down receiver inside. With Bradford
unavailable for about the first month of the season, the No. 3 job will go to rookie
Charles Lee or holdover Donald Driver. Lee is a big man with surprising ability to
separate and an excellent feel for the passing game. The Packers used the 14th overall
pick in the draft on Bubba Franks, whom they intend to use extensively in double-TE sets
with Tyrone Davis. Franks is a huge target with good speed, but he drops too many passes
and has problems staying focused. Rossley, formerly the Chiefs’ QB coach, wants to
use Davis the way Kansas City uses Tony Gonzalez, who caught 11 TD passes last season.
Davis has had his best camp in Green Bay after a lousy ’99 campaign as Mark
Chmura’s replacement. Top of page |
| Offensive linemen |
Grade B+ |
| This is one of the two strongest units on the roster.
Everyone is back from last year, including position coach Larry Beightol. Late in camp,
veteran C Frank Winters was still ahead of Mike Flanagan, although Beightol has referred
to Flanagan as the team’s sixth-best lineman. ORT Earl Dotson sat out the first four
weeks of camp after his post-operative back flared up. Even though Dotson is probably the
unit’s top player, the offense functioned just fine in his absence with rookie Mark
Tauscher at right tackle. Beightol calls Tauscher, a seventh-round pick from Wisconsin,
the biggest surprise he’s had in 16 years of coaching NFL lines. ORG Marco Rivera
isn’t the most graceful athlete, but the Packers maintain he has become a competent
starter. Rivera held off a trio of solid backup guards in camp — Joe Andruzzi, Craig
Heimburger and Raleigh McKenzie. The move of Ross Verba from left tackle to left guard
went off without a major hitch. Less impressive was the play of Mike Wahle, the new
starter at left tackle. Rookie Chad Clifton was expected to challenged Wahle, but that
hasn’t materialized. Top
of page |
| Defensive linemen |
Grade C- |
| This was a major question mark late in camp because no one
really had stepped up. DE Vonnie Holliday hasn’t played to his ’98 rookie level,
partly because of Reggie White’s absence. Another player looking to bounce back from
an off year is DT Santana Dotson. He’s healthy now, but the Packers absolutely,
positively need him to make more plays than he has. The "elephant" end in
Donatell’s scheme was John Thierry for much of camp, but he practices better than he
plays. On passing downs, the Packers plan to use Thierry at one end and former Bronco
David Bowens or rookie Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila at the other. Bowens might be too small to
hold up on early downs, but for much of camp he was the team’s best pass rusher.
Gbaja-Biamila gives great effort. Russell Maryland probably will split time at nose tackle
with Steve Warren, a rookie who can be disruptive. The Packers moved Billy Lyon from
tackle to end and Cletidus Hunt from end to tackle. Top of page |
| Linebackers |
Grade D- |
| The Packers began camp as the only team in the NFL with three
original free agents as starters: strong-side LB Anthony Harris, MLB Bernardo Harris and
weak-side LB Jude Waddy. Anthony Harris lost his job quickly to Na’il Diggs, the Ohio
State rookie who can run and cover but is often soft at the point of attack. Bernardo
Harris has nice size and good speed, can play the pass or run and should flourish in a
one-gap system. Weak-side LB Brian Williams, who had his finest season in ’99,
isn’t expected back until September because of surgery last November for a torn
patellar tendon. Waddy, who bulked up 12 pounds to 230 without losing much speed, lost his
job to Nate Wayne, acquired from the Broncos for a fifth-round draft choice. Not only is
he familiar with Donatell’s scheme, but scouts say Wayne is more instinctive than
Waddy, who had trouble thinking on his feet. Former Rams MLB Mike Morton is the top
reserve. Top of page |
| Defensive backs |
Grade B- |
| Donatell will use an eight-man front with either SS LeRoy
Butler or FS Darren Sharper at the line of scrimmage on early downs. That will put
pressure on CBs Tyrone Williams and Mike McKenzie to hold up in extensive man-to-man
coverage. Butler reported in excellent shape and had an injury-free camp. Sharper made
more plays on the ball in camp than anyone else, but he has always played better in the
preseason than the regular season. The Packers need Butler to regain his playmaking form
and Sharper to turn his potential into production. McKenzie is a tough, physical,
competitive corner with a bright future. Williams generally plays his way into shape in
camp. He isn’t much of a hitter, but he can play bump and run without having to
cheat. Tod McBride won the No. 3 CB job. He is a physical specimen with outstanding speed.
Second-year man Antuan Edwards is the nickel back. Top of page |
| Special teams |
Grade C- |
| Sherman has placed tremendous emphasis here. Zealous
assistant Frank Novak replaced Steve Ortmayer and has impressed just about everyone with
his non-stop enthusiasm. PK Ryan Longwell doesn’t own a powerful leg, but he ranks
among the top 10-12 kickers in accuracy. Josh Bidwell, back from a bout with testicular
cancer, had a better camp than in ’99. LS Rob Davis is excellent. The return game is
in a state of flux. Green was to return kickoffs, and Sharper was handed the punt-return
job when rookie Joey Jamison, a fifth-round pick, was so bad that Wolf waived him two days
after the exhibition opener. Top of page |
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