AllGreenBayPackers.Com

1) Introduction: In the first game of his NFL career last season, Randall Cobb burst onto the scene with two touchdowns against the New Orleans Saints. He proved to be a dynamic kick returner with seemingly limitless potential. But with wide receiver being one of the Packers’ deepest positions, it was unknown just how many opportunities Cobb would get to prove his worth.

2) Profile:

Randall Ladonald Cobb II

• Age: 22
• Born: 08/22/1990, in Maryville, TN
• Height: 5’10″
• Weight: 192
• College: Kentucky
• Rookie Year: 2011
• NFL Experience: 2 years

 Career stats and more:

3) Expectations coming into the season: Last summer, Cobb was clearly behind Jennings and Nelson in the pecking order at wide receiver. But it became evident early in training camp that the Packers had big plans for the second-year player. Cobb lined up inside, outside and even in the backfield, in hopes of getting him into the open field more often. But still, playing behind Jennings

4) Player’s highlights/low-lights: Cobb led the team with 80 catches and 954 receiving yards this season and likely would have surpassed 1,000 if he hadn’t missed the Packers’ week 17 game at Minnesota. He caught at least six passes in eight out of the 15 games he played, with his biggest game coming at Minnesota in week 15. Against the Bears, Cobb racked up 115 yards on six catches, helping the Packers win the NFC North title. His least effective game of the season was in week three at Seattle, in which he caught just one pass for a one-yard loss.  Read more... (431 words + 1 image, estimated 1:43 mins reading time)

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1) Introduction: General manager Ted Thompson always seems to find hidden gems after the draft. And wide receiver Jarrett Boykin is certainly that. With a handful of starting-caliber wide receivers already on the roster, the undrafted rookie cracked the team’s 53-man roster after an impressive preseason. It’s easy to see why he wasn’t selected in the draft, as he ran a 4.72 forty at the combine, but Boykin certainly impressed the coaching staff enough in training camp to make the final roster. Oh yeah, and here’s a reminder that the Jacksonville Jaguars — yes, those Jaguars — cut Boykin on May 7, only to see him crack the Packers’ roster a few months later.

2) Profile:

Jarrett Boykin

• Age: 23
• Born: 11/04/1989, in Chattanooga, TN
• Height: 6’2″
• Weight: 218
• College: Virginia Tech
• Rookie Year: 2012
• NFL Experience: 0 years

 Career stats and more:

3) Expectations coming into the season: Not much was expected from Boykin coming into the season. He was the undrafted rookie playing behind emerging talents Randall, James Jones and Jordy Nelson, as well as Pro Bowl players Greg Jennings and Donald Driver. It was a crowded receiving corps, and Boykin was an afterthought.

4) Player’s highlights/low-lights: Boykin caught five passes for 27 yards in the regular season. But the biggest catch of his rookie season was in the regular-season finale against the Minnesota Vikings. Trailing by seven points and facing a fourth-and-one late in the fourth quater, Rodgers hit Boykin for seven yards and a first down. A.J. Jefferson was called for pass interference, but the Packers declined the penalty. It was the first eye-catching play of Boykin’s NFL career.  Read more... (392 words + 1 image, estimated 1:34 mins reading time)

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1) Introduction: Coming into the season, James Jones was perhaps the least talked-about wide receiver on the roster. Donald Driver, 37, returned for a 14th season, Randall Cobb was on the verge of becoming one of the team’s top playmakers, Jordy Nelson was coming off the best season of his career, and Greg Jennings was still the clear-cut No. 1 receiver. But injuries caused Jennings, Nelson and Cobb to miss a combined 13 games, leading to Jones having the best season of his six-year career.

2) Profile:

James Deandre Jones

• Age: 28
• Born: 03/31/1984, in San Jose, CA
• Height: 6’1″
• Weight: 208
• College: San Jose State
• Rookie Year: 2007
• NFL Experience: 6 years

 Career stats and more:

3) Expectations coming into the season: Not much was expected from Jones before the season. He was clearly behind Jennings and Nelson in the pecking order, and Randall Cobb was as impressive as anyone on the roster during training camp. Jones wasn’t expected to be anything more than the team’s No. 3 receiver.

4) Player’s highlights/low-lights: Jones led the NFL with 14 touchdown receptions this season, so the 2012 season as a whole was basically a personal highlight reel. In a three-game stretch between Sep. 30 and Oct. 14, Jones had two touchdown catches in each game. His best individual game of the season was probably week 15 in Chicago, in which Jones caught three touchdowns. His worst game of the season was against the New York Giants, when the Packers were blown out, and Jones was held without a catch.  Read more... (424 words + 1 image, estimated 1:42 mins reading time)

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1) Introduction: Jordy Nelson entered the 2012 season coming off his best season as a professional. Nelson played a key role in the Packers’ 15-1 season a year ago, catching 68 passes for 1,263 yards and 15 touchdowns. And after an impressive showing this summer at training camp, it looked like Nelson was poised to build upon his breakout year in 2013.

2) Profile:

Jordan Raymond Nelson

• Age: 27
• Born: 05/31/1985, in Manhattan, KS
• Height: 6’3″
• Weight: 217
• College: Kansas State
• Rookie Year: 2008
• NFL Experience: 5 years

 Career stats and more:

3) Expectations coming into the season: Because he played so well last season, most expected Nelson to have another stellar season in 2013. Dating back to the Packers’ Super Bowl run in the 2010 season, Nelson had been among the league’s most productive wide receivers. Anything short of a Pro Bowl-caliber season in 2012 would be a disappointment.

4) Player’s highlights/low-lights: The highlight of Nelson’s 2012 season was a two-game stretch in weeks six and seven. Against the Houston Texans and St. Louis Rams, Nelson caught a total of 17 passes for 243 yards and four touchdowns — that’s an average of 8.5 catches, 121.5 yards and two touchdowns per game. In the other ten games Nelson appeared in, he caught 32 balls for 502 yards and three touchdowns — an average of 3.2 catches, 50.2 yards and 0.3 touchdowns per game.  Read more... (393 words + 1 image, estimated 1:34 mins reading time)

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1) Introduction: For Greg Jennings, the 2012 season was the last year remaining on his contract. After suffering a groin injury in the season opener against the San Francisco 49ers, Jennings struggled to return to form, which opened the door for Randall Cobb and James Jones to emerge within the offense. But later in the season, Jennings finally returned to the Pro Bowl form Packers fans have grown accustomed to.

2) Profile:

Gregory Jennings Jr.

• Age: 29
• Born: 09/21/1983, in Kalamazoo , MI
• Height: 5’11″
• Weight: 198
• College: Western Michigan
• Rookie Year: 2006
• NFL Experience: 7 years

 Career stats and more:

3) Expectations coming into the season: Entering the 2012 season, expectations for Greg Jennings were extremely high. After all, Jennings had at least 920 receiving yards in his previous five seasons. But after suffering a groin injury in the season opener against the 49ers, his season took a turn for the worse.

4) Player’s highlights/low-lights: Injuries clearly hampered Jennings throughout the season. He failed to surpass 46 receiving yards in a single game until week 17 at Minnesota, in which he caught a season-high eight passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns. The team’s three-game stretch to finish the season was clearly the highlight of his season. Including the two playoff games, Jennings averaged six catches for 78.3 yards over the team’s final three games. Consider everything prior to be “low-lights” of his 2012 season.  Read more... (369 words + 1 image, estimated 1:29 mins reading time)

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1) Introduction: Kuhn was picked up by the Pittsburgh Steelers after he went undrafted in the 2006 NFL Draft. The Packers signed him in 2007, and he’s since become one of the league’s more versatile fullbacks in Green Bay. Fans love to chant “Kuuuuuhn,” and the coaching staff loves calling his number on third-and-short. Fresh off his first Pro Bowl selection in 2011, Kuhn figured to have great year in 2012.

2) Profile:

John Allen Kuhn

• Age: 30
• Born: 09/09/1982, in Dover, PA
• Height: 6’0″
• Weight: 250
• College: Shippensburg
• Rookie Year: 2006
• NFL Experience: 7 years

 Career stats and more:

3) Expectations coming into the season: As a versatile fullback and the team’s short-yardage specialist, Kuhn is clearly a fan favorite in Green Bay. He’s a terrific pass protector and a hard runner, capable of moving the pile in short-yardage situations. Kuhn had six total touchdowns in 2010 and 2011, and the Packers hoped for similar production in 2012.

4) Player’s highlights/low-lights:  Kuhn’s best game of the season came against the Minnesota Vikings in the wild card round of the playoffs. He gained just four yards on three carries but scored two touchdowns on just five touches. The lowlight of Kuhn’s season was when he was inactive for two straight games—first against the Jacksonville Jaguars and then against the Arizona Cardinals. Also, the handoff to Kuhn from the shotgun didn’t work so well on one yard-to-go situations, either.  Read more... (391 words + 1 image, estimated 1:34 mins reading time)

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(1) Introduction: Packers TE Tom Crabtree is an old school tight end. You’re more likely to see him blocking along the line than running routes, but the past two seasons Crabtree has focused on improving his pass-catching abilities. A legend on Twitter, Crabtree looked to have his strongest season in 2012 before heading into restricted free agency.

Packers Tight End Tom Crabtree

(2) Profile:

Thomas Lewis Crabtree

• Age: 27
• Born: 11/04/1985, in Carroll, OH
• Height: 6’4”
• Weight: 245
• College: Miami (OH)
• Rookie Year: 2009
• NFL Experience: 4 years

Career Stats and more:

3) Expectations coming into the season: With Andrew Quarless likely to be out for the majority of the 2012 seasons thanks to a knee injury, Crabtree became the team’s primary backup tight end.  He was expected to contribute as an extra blocker and on special teams and occasionally in the passing game.  Crabtree was expected to do the dirty work tight ends sometimes have to do and comfortably made the 2012 roster.

4) Player’s highlights/low-lights: If the Packers were playing on national television, Crabtree somehow found a way to make a big play.  Perhaps the most stunning was a 27 yard touchdown by Crabtree on a fake field goal in Week 2 against the Chicago Bears.  Crabtree found the end zone in front of a national audience again against the Houston Texans with a 48-yard touchdown.  His longest of the year came on a 72-yard touchdown against the Cardinals when Rodgers found him over the middle. As for lowlights, he did miss two games with injuries and was at times part of a line that gave up 51 sacks of Aaron Rodgers.  Read more... (435 words + 1 image, estimated 1:44 mins reading time)

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