Packers WR Corps Overrated? (1 Viewer)

[nlgb1]

Ive been trying to get this group some hype for years now, and now that they have finally got it, im not sure i agree anymore

I have Jennings as a top 5 WR (1.fitz 2.aj 3.calvin 4+5 tossup greg or roddy) but Driver had a HUGE dropoff this year, and Nelson and Jones are simply not that good.

I would agree with all this hype as "best receivers in the NFL" if Finley were around, but with him injured id say they are simply in the top third of the league.

thoughts?

 

[dgreen]

This happens every year after the SB. It eventually dies down and things go back to being normal.

 

[Eric Stratton]

How many teams can line up with 4-5 WRs to spread the offense like the Packers can? Not too many.

 

[FavreAndAwayAnIdiot]

How many teams can line up with 4-5 WRs to spread the offense like the Packers can? Not too many.

As a Packer fan, I believe this WR corps is a bit overrated, actually. Jennings is a mid-range WR1, they have no legitimate WR2 anymore, but what makes them good is they have three WR3's. Now next year you make Driver a WR4 (who now has the dropsies included with his waning speed) and then also lose Jones, who I doubt they're going to (or at least they shouldn't) pay starter money as a guy who drops every third ball thrown to him. But add Finley back, along with Jennings(WR1), Nelson/Driver (WR3a/WR3b), and you're still looking for another playmaking guy to step up to be a WR2 via draft or FA.If I could dream, I'd turn the tables on the Vikings, who love to sign ex-Packers as an F-you to them. Sidney Rice.

 

[Shawnky]

Jennings isn't a top 5 WR, sorry. I'd like to think that Colston is top 5, but that's not reality. They're both really good WRs with top flight QBs......nothing more.

 

[Chicago Hooligan]

Yeah they really need Randy Moss.

 

[Kitrick Taylor]

I think some of you are really selling Jennings short. He just continues to get better and better.

Not many can match his last 3 seasons.

76/1265/12

68/1113/4

80/1292/9

That averages:

75/1223/8 which is nearly identical to Roddy White's 85/1246/8 over the same period.

 

[coolnerd]

As a unit they are not. Nelson/Jones at the 3/4 are just better than what all but one or two other teams do at those spots. Lots of places either would be WR2 and a couple stinko offenses they might be the number 1.

 

[bcr8f]

How many teams can line up with 4-5 WRs to spread the offense like the Packers can? Not too many.

Yeah and Finley is the #1 when healthy.

 

[Sultans]

The Packers receivers are overrated no doubt. Rodgers is underrated however if that i possible. Rodgers can make anyone look good just like Manning. Jennings is like Reggie Wayne. There are plenty of receivers that would have similar success or more of paired with a QB as accurate as either.

 

[CrossEyed]

They're an average group of receivers catching passes from a very good QB.

If they were great the SB would have been a blowout.

 

[DropKick]

Ive been trying to get this group some hype for years now, and now that they have finally got it, im not sure i agree anymoreI have Jennings as a top 5 WR (1.fitz 2.aj 3.calvin 4+5 tossup greg or roddy) but Driver had a HUGE dropoff this year, and Nelson and Jones are simply not that good. I would agree with all this hype as "best receivers in the NFL" if Finley were around, but with him injured id say they are simply in the top third of the league.thoughts?

Agree they're over hyped in the wake of the SB. I have Jennings a little lower than you. Driver's decline is expected for a guy in his mid 30's. Jones and Nelson have a lot in common. Both have come up big at times but suffered from bad drops. Not bad for 3rd and 4th receivers. Not sure if one (more likely Nelson) moves up to the #2. Jones is a free agent, no? One would think he wants a pay day. Finley's return is an obvious boost. But... a good QB can make the receiver look pretty good. Witness Peyton Manning this past season.

 

[Chest Rockwell]

They're an average group of receivers catching passes from a very good QB.If they were great the SB would have been a blowout.

If Pittsburgh had a great QB, the Steelers would've won the Super Bowl.

 

[Dought Man]

Jennings made some really nice catches there in the SB. The TD catch over the middle where he got LEVELED and hung on to a fingertip grab. 3rd and 10......that was bigtime. He has a tremendous run through the playoffs in general. How many WR's have had better total numbers in 4 playoff games in one year?

I think GJ is awesome. He can be my WR1 anyday. I'd put him at 6th best in the NFL right now.

 

[JetMaxx]

They strike me as a bunch of talented players with shortcomings that clearly demonstrate how the collection of their parts is greater than their individual sum. A lot of talent that individually doesn't always put it on the field, but with a master at the helm someone is always put in a position to produce.

 

[Clinton]

Ive been trying to get this group some hype for years now, and now that they have finally got it, im not sure i agree anymoreI have Jennings as a top 5 WR (1.fitz 2.aj 3.calvin 4+5 tossup greg or roddy) but Driver had a HUGE dropoff this year, and Nelson and Jones are simply not that good. I would agree with all this hype as "best receivers in the NFL" if Finley were around, but with him injured id say they are simply in the top third of the league.thoughts?

I disagree with almost all of it. You're overrating Jennings and you're underrating the rest. Jennings is more in the 7-11 window of receivers, and Jordy and James are much better than most team's 3rd and 4th receivers. Driver may have lost a step but he's still reliable. They get Finley back and their top notch.

 

[CrossEyed]

They're an average group of receivers catching passes from a very good QB.If they were great the SB would have been a blowout.

If Pittsburgh had a great QB, the Steelers would've won the Super Bowl.

Why are you acting like I'm making excuses? The Packers were the better team. Rodgers was great. His receivers (specifically Nelson and Jones) dropped 4 or 5 passes.

 

[griff321]

Ive been trying to get this group some hype for years now, and now that they have finally got it, im not sure i agree anymoreI have Jennings as a top 5 WR (1.fitz 2.aj 3.calvin 4+5 tossup greg or roddy) but Driver had a HUGE dropoff this year, and Nelson and Jones are simply not that good. I would agree with all this hype as "best receivers in the NFL" if Finley were around, but with him injured id say they are simply in the top third of the league.thoughts?

I disagree with almost all of it. You're overrating Jennings and you're underrating the rest. Jennings is more in the 7-11 window of receivers, and Jordy and James are much better than most team's 3rd and 4th receivers. Driver may have lost a step but he's still reliable. They get Finley back and their top notch.

They really need that Welker like possession receiver to compliment Jennings to make him shine. Driver seems to have vacated that role and Nelson/Jones don't have the hands to be the solid role players.You'd think a full year of Finley would open up Jennings a lot more then the others.

 

[ookook]

I believe it is easy to recall dropped passes, but they happen all the time. It is "negative saliency".

Nelson had 9 catches for 140 yards and a TD. I believe he could be a mid-range WR2 on many teams right now and could easily adapt to a Welker role if asked. Someone asked me how I could say he had a great game when he dropped two passes (only one of which I thought he "should" have caught).

Jennings was remarkable but not part of the gameplan except in the red zone or on big plays. Otherwise, they picked at the weaker CBs. And his numbers have been quite good when he gets the targets (and were before Rodgers).

Jones shows flashes of brilliance, especially when they don't hit him in the chest.

Driver is Driver.

So although the Top 2 WRs may not be among the 5 best tandems in the league, as a squad of 4 they are among the best 5 squads in the league.

 

[ookook]

Nelson doesn't have the hands? Seriously?

Maybe I am looking at it wrong, but I only count about 22 WRs, RBs, or TEs with better receiving %. How many above him are WRs? Notice that Welker's name does not appear.

This is the negative saliency of which I speak.

Felix Jones 94.1

Jason Snelling 86.8

LeSean McCoy 84.5

Brandon Jackson 83.9

Reggie Bush 81.2

Ahmad Bradshaw 81

Austin Collie 80.6

Peyton Hillis 79.2

Darren Sproles 78.7

Ronnie Brown 78.6

Arian Foster 78.6

Chris Johnson 78.6

Ray Rice 78.1

Maurice Jones-Drew 77.3

Knowshon Moreno 77.1

Darren McFadden 77

Antonio Gates 76.9

Danny Woodhead 75.5

Steven Jackson 74.2

Brandon Stokley 74.1

Matt Forte 73.6

Bo Scaife 73.5

Jason Witten 73.4

Jordy Nelson 73.1

 

[meatwad1]

Here is a dirty little secret for you...wide receivers are a dime a dozen. They get a ton of hype because they are flashy, but really...look at the teams with great qbs and it does not matter one lick who they put back there. Case in point, manning who makes new guys look great every year, also do not forget the job Rivers did this year either, or Brees, or Brady, or Bradford....sure having a great wr is pretty valuable, but is never worth overpaying because you can always replace them. the Packers wry are good, but AR is the straw that stirs that drink, it probably would not matter who they put back there so long as they were able to run accurate routes.

 

[Carolina Hustler]

How many teams can line up with 4-5 WRs to spread the offense like the Packers can? Not too many.

Yeah and Finley is the #1 when healthy.

Second time I've read someone here say this. Please explain....

 

[Chicago Hooligan]

That offense doesn't need a Wes Welker. Welker can't play to the outside - all the GB guys can. Which is why they can line up Jennings in the slot and destroy people.

 

[sho nuff]

Some interesting commentary.

I think the extent of Driver's demise is being a bit overplayed here.

Jennings is a great WR...whether he is top 5 or just out of it is pretty trivial IMO.

Nelson can be a decent #2 IMO. Jones could be if he could get the drops down...but Im not sure I expect him back.

I don't think this WR corps is overrated. As a group they present a lot of matchup problems. Part of it is due to having a great QB who can get the ball to him...but part of it is the WRs themselves and how they are all interchangable as to where they can line up and play in the offense.

 

[Inspiration]

Nelson doesn't have the hands? Seriously?Maybe I am looking at it wrong, but I only count about 22 WRs, RBs, or TEs with better receiving %. How many above him are WRs? Notice that Welker's name does not appear.This is the negative saliency of which I speak.Felix Jones 94.1Jason Snelling 86.8LeSean McCoy 84.5Brandon Jackson 83.9Reggie Bush 81.2Ahmad Bradshaw 81Austin Collie 80.6Peyton Hillis 79.2Darren Sproles 78.7Ronnie Brown 78.6Arian Foster 78.6Chris Johnson 78.6Ray Rice 78.1Maurice Jones-Drew 77.3Knowshon Moreno 77.1Darren McFadden 77Antonio Gates 76.9Danny Woodhead 75.5Steven Jackson 74.2Brandon Stokley 74.1Matt Forte 73.6Bo Scaife 73.5Jason Witten 73.4Jordy Nelson 73.1

% of targets caught ≠ hands

 

[The Westin]

They really need that Welker like possession receiver to compliment Jennings to make him shine. Driver seems to have vacated that role and Nelson/Jones don't have the hands to be the solid role players.You'd think a full year of Finley would open up Jennings a lot more then the others.

I hope GB learned from this year. The offense was better when Finley went out... at least that's my opinion. That's not a knock on Finley. But the offense seemed too focused on getting him the ball, when in fact there are a bunch of other good weapons available as well. I think Rodgers got a bit of tunnel vision with Finley early in the year.Hopefully GB utilizes a balanced attack next season instead of forcing the ball to Finley. If they do that, that offense will be better than this year.

 

[Man in the yellow hat]

They really need that Welker like possession receiver to compliment Jennings to make him shine. Driver seems to have vacated that role and Nelson/Jones don't have the hands to be the solid role players.You'd think a full year of Finley would open up Jennings a lot more then the others.

I hope GB learned from this year. The offense was better when Finley went out... at least that's my opinion. That's not a knock on Finley. But the offense seemed too focused on getting him the ball, when in fact there are a bunch of other good weapons available as well. I think Rodgers got a bit of tunnel vision with Finley early in the year.Hopefully GB utilizes a balanced attack next season instead of forcing the ball to Finley. If they do that, that offense will be better than this year.

This is a good point.However, I'll also say we'll never really know what kind of flow they would've got into, because Finley was hurt so early in the season. Whe Finley went down, they struggled to recalibrate the offense. I think that his loss was very understated. They spent the entire off season game planning the offense to include Finley, and when they lost him, they had to really rethink the scheme. It took them a bit to find it after that.It's hard to say what would've happened if Finley stayed healthy, but I have to think they would've got into some kind of flow with him, just as they did without him.

 

[Kitrick Taylor]

They really need that Welker like possession receiver to compliment Jennings to make him shine. Driver seems to have vacated that role and Nelson/Jones don't have the hands to be the solid role players.You'd think a full year of Finley would open up Jennings a lot more then the others.

I hope GB learned from this year. The offense was better when Finley went out... at least that's my opinion. That's not a knock on Finley. But the offense seemed too focused on getting him the ball, when in fact there are a bunch of other good weapons available as well. I think Rodgers got a bit of tunnel vision with Finley early in the year.Hopefully GB utilizes a balanced attack next season instead of forcing the ball to Finley. If they do that, that offense will be better than this year.

This is a good point.However, I'll also say we'll never really know what kind of flow they would've got into, because Finley was hurt so early in the season. Whe Finley went down, they struggled to recalibrate the offense. I think that his loss was very understated. They spent the entire off season game planning the offense to include Finley, and when they lost him, they had to really rethink the scheme. It took them a bit to find it after that.It's hard to say what would've happened if Finley stayed healthy, but I have to think they would've got into some kind of flow with him, just as they did without him.

While I'd agree they tried to force it to Finley a bit much early on, one has to keep in mind he does have the best hands on the team, and is an extremely difficult matchup.

 

[Man in the yellow hat]

They really need that Welker like possession receiver to compliment Jennings to make him shine. Driver seems to have vacated that role and Nelson/Jones don't have the hands to be the solid role players.You'd think a full year of Finley would open up Jennings a lot more then the others.

I hope GB learned from this year. The offense was better when Finley went out... at least that's my opinion. That's not a knock on Finley. But the offense seemed too focused on getting him the ball, when in fact there are a bunch of other good weapons available as well. I think Rodgers got a bit of tunnel vision with Finley early in the year.Hopefully GB utilizes a balanced attack next season instead of forcing the ball to Finley. If they do that, that offense will be better than this year.

This is a good point.However, I'll also say we'll never really know what kind of flow they would've got into, because Finley was hurt so early in the season. Whe Finley went down, they struggled to recalibrate the offense. I think that his loss was very understated. They spent the entire off season game planning the offense to include Finley, and when they lost him, they had to really rethink the scheme. It took them a bit to find it after that.It's hard to say what would've happened if Finley stayed healthy, but I have to think they would've got into some kind of flow with him, just as they did without him.

While I'd agree they tried to force it to Finley a bit much early on, one has to keep in mind he does have the best hands on the team, and is an extremely difficult matchup.

No doubt. He was the one guy on that roster that could go get a jump ball.

 

[Abraham]

I'm sure this has been discussed, but Nelson's "big" super bowl could have been about 60 yards better had he caught a couple catchable balls that came his way.

 

[ookook]

I'm sure this has been discussed, but Nelson's "big" super bowl could have been about 60 yards better had he caught a couple catchable balls that came his way.

And Rodgers could have had the best SB of all time if he had...nevermind. Every receiver I have ever watched has dropped passes. Contrary to popular belief right after the SB, Nelson does not drop many and he continues to improve at the position. Jones, on the other hand, has a bit of a problem and at this point I am not sure it can be corrected. But I still like him as a WR3 on an NFL team. He makes some absolutely great catches...and misses clutch easy ones. In general, I thought the TV heads' comments on GB WRs "dropped" passes overstated. If they had spent that much time on Ben's bad passes, maybe the myth that he is a great QB would die among the public's opinion. But nobody talks about when a CB falls down or a QB floats one high the way they do WRs dropping a pass.

 

[Abraham]

I'm sure this has been discussed, but Nelson's "big" super bowl could have been about 60 yards better had he caught a couple catchable balls that came his way.

And Rodgers could have had the best SB of all time if he had...nevermind. Every receiver I have ever watched has dropped passes. Contrary to popular belief right after the SB, Nelson does not drop many and he continues to improve at the position. Jones, on the other hand, has a bit of a problem and at this point I am not sure it can be corrected. But I still like him as a WR3 on an NFL team. He makes some absolutely great catches...and misses clutch easy ones. In general, I thought the TV heads' comments on GB WRs "dropped" passes overstated. If they had spent that much time on Ben's bad passes, maybe the myth that he is a great QB would die among the public's opinion. But nobody talks about when a CB falls down or a QB floats one high the way they do WRs dropping a pass.

Good points, and fair. But if Green Bay loses the game I think that Nelson's inability to catch a couple VERY easy balls would have been a story.

 

[griff321]

So what's the consensus the chicken or the egg?