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2011 Packers Yearbook:  Most Valuable Player (not named Aaron Rodgers or Clay Matthews))

(Be sure to place your vote in the poll below.)

Adam: Greg Jennings. This one would be more obvious if Jennings didn’t get hurt, but he gets the nod because of how powerful the Packers passing game was.

Al: I can’t pick on anyone on offense besides Rodgers, sooooooo, I’ll go with  Ryan Pickett. In the two games that Pickett missed, the Packers gave up 344 rushing yards. Playing the majority of the time in a two-man front, Pickett is just an immovable force on the line of scrimmage. Dom Capers always says his defensive philosophy starts with stopping the run, so that makes Pickett my choice. My second choice would be Desmond Bishop, for similar reasons.

Chad: It’s hard to compare offense to defense, but since the defensive unit was so bad this year, I think I’ll have to go with an offensive player. That being said, I can’t get past the performance that Jordy Nelson had this season. True, Greg Jennings is the better receiver, yet Nelson was putting up numbers all year. I can’t fault Jennings for the injury, but it’s hard to dismiss how well Nelson filled in for him and consistently delivered. And according to ProFootballFocus, Jordy was second only to Victor Cruz in yards per route run among wide receivers.  Read more... (568 words, estimated 2:16 mins reading time)

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2011 Packers Yearbook: Most photogenic

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Adam: Donald Driver. People will always love the smile.

Al: Clay Matthews. It’s all about the hair and image. So Cal Clay can give you multiple looks, tied back in a pony tail for public  appearances, loose and flowing when he’s just chilling around town. Whatever he does with it, he takes a hell of a  picture and the women love him.

Chad: It’s hard to get past the charisma of Donald Driver. From his pearly whites to his shiny bald head and diamond earrings, there’s no bad angle one could find with a camera. (Okay, floating back down to Earth now . . .)

Kris:  Aaron Rodgers.  That s**t-eating grin of his cracks me up every time whether it is part of a photo bomb endeavor or just on TV.

Michael: Greg Jennings. While Rodgers has more fame and Driver has the unbeatable smile, Jennings shines in front a camera. You can almost see his personality bursting through. Although not the level of Driver’s, Jennings also has a pretty notable smile.  Read more... (304 words + 1 image, estimated 1:13 mins reading time)

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2011 Packers Yearbook: Most likely to become a Packers coach

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Adam: Jarrett Bush. I could see Bush as a future special teams coach. On the field, Bush is obnoxious, passionate and a little goofy — the perfect recipe for a future in coaching special teams.

Al: If he was still around, I would pick Mark Tauscher. I always think offensive line when it comes to who would make a good coach,  and of the current packers group, Jeff Saturday is the logical choice. But I don’t feel like being logical today, so I’m thinking out of the box here and saying Nick Collins. Collins may soon find out his playing career is over, yet is probably not ready to let go of the game. there’s only one solution: become a coach.

Chad: Call me crazy, but I think A.J. Hawk could fit the bill. The Packers don’t seem to want to get rid of him, and he’s been more of a cerebral player than a physical one. Maybe they’ll offer him a coaching position as an alternative to cutting him in the future . . .  Read more... (521 words, estimated 2:05 mins reading time)

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2011 Packers Yearbook: Most Frustrating Player

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Adam: Tramon Williams. It was very frustrating watching Williams go from a top-tier CB to a complete mess. Hopefully a better pass rush and a fully-healed shoulder gets him back on track in 2012.

Al: So many candidates… I’ll stay away from the obvious choice (cough… Finley… cough…) and go with Charlie Peprah. The Packers won a Super Bowl with Charlie Peprah at safety. Last season, he was a disaster. Made mistake after mistake and gave up one big play after another. Obviously, without Nick Collins around for guidance, he was just lost back there…

Chad: Jermichael Finley, hands down. (Pun intended.) This year we saw the drops bug move from James Jones to Finley, and boy was it frustrating to watch. Finley is a dominant player and such a threat to defenses that seeing him consistently drop passes was gut-wrenching. Here’s hoping this problem goes away with a fresh year and a fresh contract.  Read more... (540 words, estimated 2:10 mins reading time)

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Possibly the worst photoshop job on a NFL player ever

So who thinks Matt Flynn should have been franchised now?  I will be the first to admit that in my heart, I desperately wanted Flynn to be tagged and traded, and maybe while I’m dreaming some idiot team like the Raiders would offer a first rounder.  My head of course said otherwise, sure the potential reward is high, but so was the risk; what would happen if the Packers were stuck with a $14 million guaranteed check?

In the end, general manager Ted Thompson was right in letting Flynn go without a fight and Flynn signed a very conservative 3-year $26 million deal with $10 million guaranteed with the Seattle Seahawks.  More money that you or I will probably make in a lifetime, but loose change in comparison to the 5-year $90 million contract Peyton Manning just signed, or even the 5-year $60 million contract that Kevin Kolb signed last year.

My question is why fan perception of a player so different from a NFL GM?  Even the media, which presumably has a better idea of what NFL GMs are thinking are still more like fans when it comes to predicting player value (although this might have to do with the fact that the media caters to fans and not to NFL GMs, so they could be deliberately doing this).  Answer, the endowment effect.  Read more... (832 words + 1 image, estimated 3:20 mins reading time)

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2011 Packers Yearbook: Most Underrated Player

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Adam: Scott Wells. I think readers of this site understand how good Wells was last season, but I doubt the average fan sees it. Yeah, he’s not the greatest run blocker, but he’s superb in pass protection and excels as the quarterback of the offensive line.

Al: Brad Jones. Jones is not Mr. Dynamic. He’s not going to give you a huge pass rush boost from ROLB, but of all the knuckleheads the Packers trotted out at that position last season, he is easily the most consistent and reliable. He became a forgotten man last year, as the Packers tried desperately to catch pass rush lightning in a bottle with Walden, Zombo, Latttimore and So ‘oto, but in the end, they came back to Jones as the Packers realized what they had given up. Now the Packers’ coaches are talking up Jones as an important player for next season  Read more... (660 words, estimated 2:38 mins reading time)

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2011 Packers Yearbook: Player You Would Cut Right Now (If You Were Ted Thompson)

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Adam: Ray Dominguez. Hey, the Packers were 15-1. Why would I want to cut any of the regulars that contributed to a great season. I’ll cut Dominguez because he was signed late and never played.

Al: Chad Clifton. Cliffy’s been a solid performer and a good soldier, but he’s been fighting a breaking-down body for a few years now. Counting on him would be a huge mistake and the Packers could use the cap room and roster spot. It’s time for Newhouse and/or Sherrod to claim the job.

Chad: Sadly, I would have to release Donald Driver. We’ve all been through this discussion multiple times now, so it’s no shock to say that he’s in his waning years and would just be taking up a roster spot from a younger player on the rise. I would make the move now instead of in training camp so that Driver has the ability to sign and get comfortable with a new team.
 Read more... (638 words, estimated 2:33 mins reading time)

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