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Andrew Quarless

1) Introduction: When the Packers drafted Quarless in the fifth round of the 2010 draft, few thought his impact on the following season would be as profound as it ending up being. At the moment when Jermichael Finley tore up his knee in Week 5 at Washington, Quarless had exactly 12 career professional snaps. From that point on, Quarless played over 500 for a Packers team that ended up winning the Super Bowl.

2) Profile:

Andrew Christopher Quarless

Position: TE
Height: 6-4
Weight: 252 lbs.
AGE: 23

Career Stats

3) Expectations coming into the season: Some saw a mini-Finley in Quarless when he came out of Penn State, but there were never the flashes of elite athleticism from Quarless in 2010 like Finley showed during his rookie season. After an injury in camp and the drafting of both D.J. Williams and Ryan Taylor, a number of people thought that Quarless might not make the final roster. He made the 53, but expectations for the second-year tight end were low.  Read more... (436 words + 1 image, estimated 1:45 mins reading time)

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DJ Smith

1) Introduction: Disregarded as he lacked the prototypical height of a inside linebacker, DJ Smith did however become the leading tackler in NCAA Division I FCS with 525 career tackles and was part of the famous Michigan vs. Appalachian State game in 2007.  Smith was drafted in the 6^thround by with much confusion, as many fans couldn’t understand why the Packers had drafted a short inside linebacker in one of the Packers deepest positions.

2) Profile:

D.J. Smith

Position: ILB
Height: 5-11
Weight: 239 lbs.
AGE: 22
Career Stats

3) Expectations coming into the season for that player: Next to nothing; due to his tackling acumen and position, Smith figured to see most of his time on special teams.  Furthermore, Desmond Bishop and AJ Hawk had both received sizable contracts during the offseason so there was little chance in upsetting the starter for playing time.  Finally, due to the responsibilities of the inside linebackers to call and shift plays, Smith seemed destined to ride the bench this season while learning his position.  Read more... (468 words + 1 image, estimated 1:52 mins reading time)

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Robert Francois

1) Introduction: In a little bit of trivia, Robert Francois has the ignoble distinction of being the player cut on the Minnesota Vikings roster in 2009 to make room for one Brett Lorenzo Favre (so the Packers won twice with that transaction it seems).  Other than that, Francois has been relatively quiet while being buried behind bigger names like AJ Hawk, Desmond Bishop, Nick Barnett and Brandon Chillar.  But with Chillar and Barnett no longer on the team, Francois became a primary backup to AJ Hawk.

2) Profile:

Robert Francois

Position: ILB
Height: 6-2
Weight: 255 lbs.
AGE: 26
Career Stats

3) Expectations coming into the season for that player: Next to nothing; over his career with the Packers, Francois had started 1 game and recorded 3 tackles, all of which came on special teams.

4) Player’s highlights/low-lights: Highlights include stepping up during a 2-week stretch when AJ Hawk was hurt and managing to record an acrobatic interception in both of them as well as posting 13 tackles. Lowlights included pretty much any time Francois wasn’t the starter as he made only 2 special teams tackles and didn’t see any time on the field.  Read more... (333 words + 1 image, estimated 1:20 mins reading time)

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James Starks

1) Introduction: Many dubbed Starks the savior of the Packers’ backfield after injuries hit that unit hard to begin 2010. Amidst unreasonable expectations, Starks eventually came off the PUP list and rushed for a respectable 73 yards in his NFL debut against the 49ers. The Packers then relied on Starks during the postseason to give them the balance they had been missing all season, and the rookie from Buffalo responded with a postseason-high 315 rushing yards, including 123 yards in the Wild Card round against the Eagles.

2) Profile:

James Darcell Starks

Position: RB

Height: 6-2
Weight: 218 lbs.
Age: 25

Career Stats

3) Expectations coming into the season: Despite Starks’ postseason numbers and the explosiveness he showed in the 2011 preseason, the Packers were dead-set on committing to a two-back system with both Starks and a fully-healed Ryan Grant. Without the initial possibility of full-time carries, like he saw during the 2010-11 playoffs, expectations for Starks were tempered. Still, most foresaw Starks taking hold of the position at some time during the season.  Read more... (552 words + 1 image, estimated 2:12 mins reading time)

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Brandon Saine

1) Introduction: After an up-and-down career at Ohio State, Saine signed with the Packers as undrafted free agent on July 28. During the 2011 preseason, no skill player saw more touches than Saine (25; 19 rushes for 51 yards, six receptions for 36). A big back that fits the positional mold of Ted Thompson, Saine was retained on the Packers 8-man practice squad to start the 2011 season.

2) Profile:

Brandon Croft Saine

Position: RB
Height: 5-11
Weight: 220 lbs.
AGE: 23

Career Stats

3) Expectations coming into the season: Expectations are never high for a player who starts the season on the practice squad. With both Ryan Grant and James Starks healthy, and third-round pick Alex Green showing a capacity to contribute on third downs and special teams, Saine looked destined to spend the 2011 season on the Packers’ practice squad.

4) Player’s highlights/low-lights: Injury spawned him a chance. Saine was promoted off the practice squad on Oct. 31 following a season-ending knee injury to Green against Minnesota in Week 8. Saine didn’t get many opportunities (just 75 snaps) in the nine games he was active but did show an ability to both break tackles (team-high 2.7 yards after contact) and catch the football (10 receptions, no drops). His highest carry totals came against New York (six for 16 yards) and Detroit in Week 17 (eight for 28).  Read more... (399 words + 1 image, estimated 1:36 mins reading time)

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Ryan Grant

1) Introduction: After back-to-back 1,200-yard rushing seasons, Grant came into the 2010 season as the Packers’ unquestioned No. 1 running back. Just halfway into the first game in Philadelphia, all that changed. An ankle injury cost him the entire season — although Grant said he could have came back in the postseason had he not been placed on IR — and he’s fought for playing time ever since.

 

2) Profile:

Ryan Brett Grant

Position: RB
Height: 6-1
Weight: 222 lbs.
AGE: 29

Career Stats

3) Expectations coming into the season: There was talk in camp that Grant could potentially be a cap cut, but he re-structured his deal to lower his base salary and cap number. From there, Grant was all but guaranteed a spot on the final roster. Packers coach Mike McCarthy made it clear early on that no back was going to get 25 carries a game, instead opting for a more modern style of two backs that split the workload. Grant and James Starks were the backs who figured into that equation.  Read more... (560 words + 1 image, estimated 2:14 mins reading time)

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C.J. Wilson

1) Introduction: Wilson is another Packers defensive lineman that was just another guy in 2011. It’s tough to distinguish Wilson from Jarius Wynn, Howard Green and Mike Neal because nobody in the grou did much of anything to stand out.

2) Profile:

Clifford James Wilson

Position: DE
Height: 6-3
Weight: 290 lbs.
AGE: 24

Career Stats

3) Expectations coming into the season: Capable backup. Wilson was expected to fill in if a starter got injured and give regulars like B.J. Raji and Ryan Pickett a breather when needed. Wilson ended up getting some starts later in the season when Wynn’s production fell off.

4) Player’s highlights/low-lights: Like the rest of the Packers D-linemen, Wilson could not pressure the quarterback. According to Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Wilson averaged one pressure every 113.4 snaps. Yikes. I can’t think of many individual plays that stand out as highlights for Wilson, but if he moved into a starting role, he must have been doing something right.

5) Player’s contribution to the overall team success: Every team needs role players and Wilson was definitely a role player this season. Unfortunately, the D-Line had plenty of role players and needed someone to step up. Wilson has the athleticism to be more than a role player, but we’ll see if he ever elevates above the status of a role player.  Read more... (311 words + 1 image, estimated 1:15 mins reading time)

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