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Potential Good News For The Packers (1 Viewer)

packersfan

Footballguy
This would be a great shot in the arm for the Packers. The team is very high on him and it's my hope he'll displace the pedestrian (at best) Robert Ferguson as the team's No. 3 WR.From KFFL:Packers | Murphy claims he will return next seasonWed, 28 Dec 2005 20:21:13 -0800Jeff Fedotin, of Packers.com, reports Green Bay Packers WR Terrence Murphy (neck) said he will definitely be healthy enough to return to action for the 2006 season. Murphy has not resumed running, but has taken part in an intense weightlifting program at the Packers' facility.

 
I think murphy will be the #2 WR in GB by the end of next year. #1 if Walker isn't there.
Driver's a pretty darn good WR so I don't see Murphy making that big of a jump. But Ferguson needs to be replaced and if Murphy's as good as the coaching staff believes he should take over the No. 3 role -- assuming Walker is healthy with Driver being the No. 2.
 
I didn't see much good from Murphy when I did see him play, a little bit but... ya guys remember Walker held out before getting hurt? They gift wrapped a spot at WR for him and all he had to do was take it but he never made it above Antonio Chatman on the depth chart. I googled his name and depth chart and can't find any site listing him higher than 4th. You guys mention Fergie....he wasn't even up that far yet. He hadn't beaten out Chatman for his spot. While maybe a wasted exercise in that teams just have a backup for each starting spot it's still bears mentioning IMO.IIRC most people thought the only reason they drafted him was to nudge Walker into coming back from his holdout or NOT holdout etc. I wouldn't be surprised if they trade him. Why announce his injury news in week 17? He's not gonna play and I certainly expected him to play in 06, didn't you? I'm thinking to let other teams know he's OK for trading purposes. I guess we'll see.Edit to add 5 catches for 36 yards in 05.

 
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I didn't know that his return was in question.I like him long-term, but he's raw and likely won't be much of a factor next year.

 
I didn't see much good from Murphy when I did see him play, a little bit but... ya guys remember Walker held out before getting hurt? They gift wrapped a spot at WR for him and all he had to do was take it but he never made it above Antonio Chatman on the depth chart.

I googled his name and depth chart and can't find any site listing him higher than 4th. You guys mention Fergie....he wasn't even up that far yet. He hadn't beaten out Chatman for his spot. While maybe a wasted exercise in that teams just have a backup for each starting spot it's still bears mentioning IMO.

IIRC most people thought the only reason they drafted him was to nudge Walker into coming back from his holdout or NOT holdout etc. I wouldn't be surprised if they trade him. Why announce his injury news in week 17? He's not gonna play and I certainly expected him to play in 06, didn't you? I'm thinking to let other teams know he's OK for trading purposes. I guess we'll see.

Edit to add 5 catches for 36 yards in 05.
He was a rookie who got hurt and was learning a complicated offense that many WRs who have played in it say it takes at least three seasons to really figure out. The coaching staff is very high on his talent and if he's half as good as they think he is, he should replace Ferguson as the team's No. 3 WR if healthy next season and eventually become a starter.And yes hamstring, anytime a team can bring back a potentially talented skill position player to the mix that constitutes as good news.

 
There is more to this than the fact Murphy thinks he can return.

http://www.jsonline.com/packer/news/dec05/381102.asp

Green Bay Packers rookie wide receiver Terrence Murphy said Wednesday that examinations for a bruised spinal cord he suffered Oct. 3 revealed that he has spinal stenosis, or a narrowing of the spinal canal, the same condition that caused Milwaukee Bucks guard T.J. Ford to miss a season and a half.

Murphy, who suffered numbness in his arms and legs and was taken off the field on a stretcher after taking a hit from Carolina safety Thomas Davis, has seen four specialists, including Robert Watkins, the Los Angeles doctor who performed surgery on Ford last year.

Neither Murphy nor the Packers have received all the information they need to determine whether it is safe for him to play football again. Murphy was put on season-ending injured reserve on Oct. 6 and said he is still not fully recovered.

"I'm not 100% but I'm feeling good," Murphy said.

Murphy played at Texas A&M and Ford at Texas, and the two are acquaintances. The Packers' second-round pick said he has tried to reach Ford to discuss the injury, but the two have not been able to connect.

Murphy has been able to lift weights and said he has regained the weight he lost after being inactive for a long period. He said he has not resumed running.

Once Murphy receives all the reports from the specialists he has seen, he and the Packers' medical staff will discuss them. Murphy said he was pretty confident that he would be able to play again, but the decision won't be made until he and the team agree the risk factor is minimal.

"I'm very confident that I can come back bigger, stronger, faster than ever in 2006," Murphy said.

Because Murphy has had one spinal incident, the Packers probably will be extremely cautious in their decision-making process. There are varying degrees of stenosis and it's unclear whether the Packers will receive a consensus from the specialists on whether to clear Murphy.

Murphy said his condition is in his neck, but he was uncertain of how it compared to Ford's injury or anyone else's. In order to play again, Ford underwent surgery to fuse two of his cervical vertebrae.

"I don't want to do that," Murphy said. "If it comes down to that I just might (quit). It's not 100% that would help me come back."

There are other forms of surgery to correct the condition, but Murphy said it was too soon to know whether they would apply to him. He said he never had a spinal injury in college and had no idea he had the condition.

 
...so they've got that going for 'em.I read that Donald Driver was posturing for a contract extension a couple of weeks ago.I don't envision good things for the Pack. Both starting WRs are gonna be looking for more coin - and they know their meal ticket is about to retire.What's the contract status on Ahman Green and the Closer Cr@pper's (Davenport)?

 
...so they've got that going for 'em.
He was a second-round pick and a lot of scouts really liked him coming out of college. He got hurt early and never got a chance to really show much but the opportunity will be there and again, if he's half as good as the coaches think then he's going to make an impact. And yes that's a real positive.
I read that Donald Driver was posturing for a contract extension a couple of weeks ago.
Yup, but given how he's been a model citizen I don't expect that to become an issue. He's handling things the right way.
I don't envision good things for the Pack. Both starting WRs are gonna be looking for more coin - and they know their meal ticket is about to retire.
Life after Favre will not be easy. It's foolish to assume otherwise. The Packers, though, have a lot of cap room for next season so they will be in a position to do some things both internally as well as bringing in outside talent if Thompson is smart.
What's the contract status on Ahman Green and the Closer Cr@pper's (Davenport)?
Both are free agents. Given the market, I would be surprised if either one got a big deal although Green obviously stands a better chance to get one. My preference would be to let both of them go but if the market is really low for Green I wouldn't be opposed to bringing him back on a one- or two-year deal and have him split time with Gado or another RB next season.
 
I didn't see much good from Murphy when I did see him play, a little bit but... ya guys remember Walker held out before getting hurt? They gift wrapped a spot at WR for him and all he had to do was take it but he never made it above Antonio Chatman on the depth chart.

I googled his name and depth chart and can't find any site listing him higher than 4th. You guys mention Fergie....he wasn't even up that far yet. He hadn't beaten out Chatman for his spot. While maybe a wasted exercise in that teams just have a backup for each starting spot it's still bears mentioning IMO.

IIRC most people thought the only reason they drafted him was to nudge Walker into coming back from his holdout or NOT holdout etc. I wouldn't be surprised if they trade him. Why announce his injury news in week 17? He's not gonna play and I certainly expected him to play in 06, didn't you? I'm thinking to let other teams know he's OK for trading purposes. I guess we'll see.

Edit to add 5 catches for 36 yards in 05.
While he may not have shown up on a depth chart above four, he was penciled in as the #3 WR after Walker was injured, and was playing that role in the game in which he was injured. The scenario was this: He hurt his knee in preseason, which set him back. That's why he wasn't immediately in the #3 role.After Walker went down, they started working Murphy into a bigger role, though his knee wasn't 100%. Then he was almost decapitated on a kickoff return.

And that's the first time I've heard that the drafting of Murphy was somehow a nudge for Walker to return? I don't follow that. WR was/is a need. That's even more clear now that we know Ferguson will never amount to anything, and Chatman is, well, 5' 8".

Bottom line, we don't know much about Murphy, other than the coaching staff is high on him, and is a very polished young receiver. This is a pretty serious injury and condition, which makes me wonder about his future.

I also think Rod Gardner has a real opportunity here, and showed well for himself in his first game last week.

 
I think Gardner was a good 'insurance policy pickup' by the Packers. ...and while some people may scoff at Murphy's return as being 'good news', when you've had the train wreck season that the Pack have had, ANY GOOD NEWS should be embraced.Trust me, as a long suffering Bears fan, I can relate.

 
So going into next year, what would be the depth chart, assuming everyone comes back?#1 J. Walker#2 D. Driver#3 T. Murphy#4 R. Ferguson#5 A. ChatmanChatman seemed to put up good numbers these last few games. Why is that? Opportunity? Talent? Wouldn't Chatman be higher than Murphy at this point, simply because he's produced? Just curious. I've seen Chatman, Murphy, and Fergie on dynasty waiver wires and I'm just wondering which one(s), if any, are worth the gamble, especially if Favre retires.

 
So going into next year, what would be the depth chart, assuming everyone comes back?

#1 J. Walker

#2 D. Driver

#3 T. Murphy

#4 R. Ferguson

#5 A. Chatman

Chatman seemed to put up good numbers these last few games. Why is that? Opportunity? Talent? Wouldn't Chatman be higher than Murphy at this point, simply because he's produced? Just curious. I've seen Chatman, Murphy, and Fergie on dynasty waiver wires and I'm just wondering which one(s), if any, are worth the gamble, especially if Favre retires.
They signed Rod Gardner.
 
So going into next year, what would be the depth chart, assuming everyone comes back?

#1 J. Walker

#2 D. Driver

#3 T. Murphy

#4 R. Ferguson

#5 A. Chatman

Chatman seemed to put up good numbers these last few games.  Why is that?  Opportunity?  Talent?  Wouldn't Chatman be higher than Murphy at this point, simply because he's produced?  Just curious.  I've seen Chatman, Murphy, and Fergie on dynasty waiver wires and I'm just wondering which one(s), if any, are worth the gamble, especially if Favre retires.
Chatman's a FA. I think we've seen about the best we can expect out of him this season. Which isn't bad, but he just doesn't strike me as much of a play maker. I haven't been all that impressed with him, and I'd be surprised if Green Bay pays him what he thinks he's worth. If he sticks cheap as a punt returner, so be it. But as a WR, I'm just not all that impressed.I'd list them this way now:

Walker

Driver

Ferguson

Gardner (I'm assuming they sign him over Chatman)

Murphy

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews...ts/13496730.htm

Chatman, who will be a restricted free agent at the end of this season, just hopes he's not the odd man out March 3, when the free-agency frenzy begins.

As Chatman is about to wrap up his most successful season in his three-year NFL career, (45 catches, 516 yards, 11.5 per catch average) his agent perceives a total lack of credit for his client's achievements.

What gets me is all these articles are saying, `There's only one offensive weapon on this team and its Donald Driver,''' said Mark Mersel. ``That's ridiculous.''

Chatman, along with the rest of the Packers, had Monday and Tuesday off and was not available for comment.

Chatman has scored three touchdowns this year and is ranked 29th in the NFC in receptions, though he began the year as the fourth receiver. He led the Packers in receiving against Cincinnati with eight catches for 97 yards. When Walker and Murphy were lost for the season, Ferguson battled injuries as well, and Driver found himself double- and triple-teamed, Chatman would often be the security blanket receiver, open and available for a first down.

Besides filling in as the No. 3 or No. 2 receiver next to Driver, Chatman has also returned 42 punts. His 9.2 average is ninth in the NFL. Against the Bears, he ripped off an 85-yard return for a touchdown, the longest in the NFL this season. His position coach said he has excellent judgment on when to fair catch and when to let a punt go.

``He's done a great job this year,'' special teams coach John Bonamego said. ``The guy makes great decisions. He catches the ball with a lot of confidence. He's had at least two long returns called back because of penalties. I'm behind the guy, I really am, I think he's a good player.''

Chatman is also tough, playing through finger and hand injuries this season.

His one liability apparently is his size. He is generously listed at 5-foot-9 and 183 pounds. Rossley said Chatman gets the most out what he's got in stature, talent and ability, and praised him for working more at his craft.

 
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Murphy is not out of the woods yet and still could be out of football. This is based on todays article on jsonline. Stenosis has caused others to hang it up. He showed promise before the injury, and as a packer fan I sure hope he comes back next year. Losing a 2nd round prospect to career ending injury is a kick in the crotch.

 
Next question is, should the Packer medical staff have caught this during a physical? Or, is this something that wouldn't be detected until an injury occurs? Just curious.

 
Next question is, should the Packer medical staff have caught this during a physical? Or, is this something that wouldn't be detected until an injury occurs? Just curious.
It's my impression that it's either undetectable or (more likely) not checked. The chance of someone having stenosis is so low that they don't bother testing for it.
 
I'd list them this way now:WalkerDriverFergusonGardner (I'm assuming they sign him over Chatman)Murphy
Provided Murphy can play next year I would expect it to look like this:WalkerDriverGardnerMurphyFergusonAnd Gardner has the talent to supplant Driver as the #2 and possibly even challenge Walker for the #1. He just has to get his head in the game.
 
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I was impressed with the way Murphy was growing into his role before he got hurt. With Walker being hurt, Driver getting older, and Ferguson just being soft, there's certainly an opportunity there. As far as Chatman goes, I'm a little upset that he returned that punt for a touchdown after years of mediocrity at best because he might have saved his job for next year with that play. We seriously need an upgrade over Chatman's incessant fair catches at punt returner (and at kickoff returner), but, who knows, maybe he'll turn the corner after finally bringing one back. As far as Chatman as a receiver, he's got a lot of heart, but he has no size and limited talent, and it's tough to be a good NFL receiver without those things. He shouldn't be more than a #5 or #4 receiver at most. I will reserve judgment on Gardner until I see him play in this offense for more than one week, though he had a better first week than most receivers who just get thrown in the mix like that.

 
even prior to the injury murphy was waste of a 2nd round pick.
Please explain. You think another second round defensive player would have put this team over the top? How about a second round offensive lineman? A tight end?It should be pretty clear that there were more holes to fill on this team than we all thought, and the second round can only do so much for you.

It's obvious now that the staff knew their limitations at WR, as Ferguson has proven he stinks, and Chatman is not an NFL WR. Murphy was a decent pick.

 
even prior to the injury murphy was waste of a 2nd round pick.
Given how most of the draft forecasts I saw had Murphy regarded as a second-round pick and given how he was going to a team that needed WR depth (Thompson obviously knew Walker was going to pull his holdout stunt and the bottom line with Ferguson is he's not a very good WR), the pick was clearly a good one by Thompson. It's just unfortunate that Murphy got hurt twice and never got a chance to take advantage of the opportunity he was going to be given.
 
Packers beat writer Cliff Cristl had a somewhat different take on Murphy in his blog entry yesterday:

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 28, 2005, 1:35 p.m.Murphy's future in doubtMike Sherman talked Wednesday about how Terrence Murphy looked ready to make an impact before suffering a neck injury in the fourth game at Carolina. Now, there appears to be some question whether Murphy, a wide receiver drafted in the second round, will play again.As he sat in his locker Wednesday, Murphy said his future was in "God's hands." Murphy said he still wasn't running and still wasn't 100%, although he said he had started to lift weights. Murphy said he was in the process of visiting the top five specialists in the country who treat injuries such as his.
 
I appreciate all the updates - this is the kind of guy it's tough to find news about in the offseason.

 
I appreciate all the updates - this is the kind of guy it's tough to find news about in the offseason.
I'll echo this thanks. I may have to just cut the guy from my dynasty roster. May be too many question marks. That's a pretty serious thing for a football player.
 

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