Jones couldn’t be a useful player in the t
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#1: Jones couldn’t be a useful player in the t Autor: elaine95,
Poslato: Pet Okt 25, 2019 3:40 am
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A third-year breakout from Fackrell last season was an unexpected blessing and Green Bay has a number of players looking to take a similar path this year." />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesAcme Packing Company homepageHorizontal - WhiteAcme Packing Companya Green Bay Packers communityFollow Acme Packing Company online:Follow Acme Packing Company on TwitterFollow Acme Packing Company on FacebookFollow Acme Packing Company on InstagramLog in or sign upLog InSign UpSite searchSearchSearchAcme Packing Company main menuFanpostsFanshotsSectionsPackersOddsAboutMastheadCommunity GuidelinesStubHubMoreAll 321 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections The APC PodcastPackers Film RoomFantasy Football AdviceFackrell last season was an unexpected blessing and Green Bay has a number of players looking to take a similar path this year.CDTShare this storyShare this on FacebookShare this on TwitterShareAll sharing optionsShareAll sharing options for:Packers have several defensive third-year pros trying to make a Kyler Fackrell-like leap in 2019TwitterFacebookRedditPocketFlipboardEmailPhoto by Jonathan Daniel/Getty ImagesOne would have to meticulously look up and down the Green Bay Packers’ 53-man roster from a year ago to find a player more written off and cast aside than Kyler Fackrell was by the local media and fan base. The Utah State grad entered his third season having accumulated just five sacks in his first two years after being selected in the third round in 2016. Whether it was failing to live up to his draft status or his actual play on the field Billy Turner Jersey , Fackrell was the Twitter whipping boy and almost a surprise keep at the end of last year’s training camp. But the jokes ended up being returned during the season as Fackrell notched 10.5 sacks to lead the team; meanwhile, no one else finished with more than six. While the 2018 season was abysmal in many regards, Fackrell’s emergence as a contributor was a pleasant surprise.Green Bay currently has ten third-year players on the roster this spring, including several faces that are in a Fackrell-like position of having limited time to prove themselves. Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams should be expected to take a jump forward in carries and production in Matt LaFleur’s system in 2019, but here are a few names on the defensive side of the ball who will have opportunities to exceed their humble expectations.Montravius AdamsQuestions about the security of Adams’ roster spot have been raised by this author before, but the former Auburn defensive lineman is in a similar position heading into the season as Fackrell was just a year ago. Another former third-round pick who has yet to live up to his billing, Adams has collected just 22 tackles and 1.5 sacks over 23 appearances for the Packers. Like Fackrell, Adams’ potential to be a true rotational piece has become an afterthought, especially with the addition of Kingsley Keke. Talent and depth was a problem at the edge last season, which helped Fackrell earn playing time. That’s not necessarily the case with the defensive line at this juncture. That could lead to tight numbers at the position on the final roster and limited snap counts. However, increased competition can sometimes breed increased motivation.NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein once interestingly summed up Adams in his 2017 draft profile.Can Adams re-gain that passion and effort consistently in his third season to find his once-high ceiling?Josh JonesOutside of a jersey number change this offseason, the news surrounding Jones has been focused on his assumed replacements, veteran Adrian Amos and rookie Darnell Savage. The visions of Jones’ role in the Packers’ defense are still blurry. Is he a linebacker or a safety? Is he both? Either way, his inconsistencies in coverage and as a tackler taking angles have stunted his growth at each position. While training camp and preseason games are not the best barometer for a rookie’s potential during the regular season, Jones was a hot name during his first summer in Green Bay. His size, speed, and athleticism was unique to the defense at the time and his college tape revealed a player who was unafraid to hit ballcarriers. So far, fans have not seen that type of enforcer at the pro level. With just one interception and no forced fumbles through 29 games Adrian Amos Jersey , Jones enters a make-or-break season for the Packers. But positional competition and depth could not only push Jones improve, but take some of the pressure off of him. The tools are still there for Jones to make the leap and a second year with Mike Pettine might allow Jones to make those necessary adjustments. Kevin KingBetween King’s injury history, the early draft choices of Jaire Alexander and Josh Jackson last season, and the undrafted find of Tony Brown, it can be easy to forget about the former 33rd overall pick from the 2017 NFL Draft. With just 15 games played in two seasons and one interception, King is still a ways away from even getting fingertips on his professional ceiling. And while he can certainly still reach those heights, time is ticking for a player who finally posted his first interception and Pro Football Focus elite game ranking in his 12th career game.With extra reliability anticipated from the Packers’ new safeties, perhaps King will be able to have more opportunities to take risks in playing the ball with his lengthy arms and frame. Consistency comes with experience and experience comes with good health. If King can stay on the field for 16 games next season, there might be a new outlook on his ability to be a difference maker. After all, he matched up fairly well one-on-one against the NFL’s top receivers as a rookie. King is a sneaky under-the-radar pick to become a key component of the Packers’ defense in 2019. For one game, the Green Bay Packers appeared to have a superstar. Once again, Ted Thompson had hit on a second-round steal. Josh Jones was everywhere in Week 3 for the Packers last season, blowing up plays, coming downhill to make tackles, and destroying the Cincinnati Bengals off the edge on safety blitzes. But injuries to Morgan Burnett forced Jones out of position. And even once Burnett returned, it was the veteran playing Dom Capers’ Nitro position, not the better-suited Jones. Rookie issues with reads and man coverage were to be expected, especially for a player with a skill set that should put him more near the action Jimmy Graham Jersey , not patrolling the deep middle. Mike Pettine was supposed to come in and change that, putting Jones back where he belonged. This was, after all, a player Green Bay drafted and immediately said would play dime linebacker for the Packers. It was a tacit acknowledgement that the North Carolina State star safety should be in the box, coming downhill. Offseason work, mini-camps, and training camp came and went but Jones was running behind not only Kentrell Brice but undrafted free agent Jermaine Whitehead, who has actually turned into a nice player for Pettine’s defense as a versatile overhang defender. Where did things go so wrong for a player who was second on this team in snaps among defensive backs last season? Was it assignment problems? Was he not reading and reacting well enough? It’s difficult to speculate too much having not watched him in practice or been privy to his assignments play to play. When Pettine was asked about his safety group before the season, Jones’ name didn’t even come up. It’s clear the Packers viewed him as a limited player, someone belonging in the box.Okay, great. But when the season once again came around, the safeties struggled. No sign of Jones. The inside linebackers looked slow and out of position without Oren Burks. Jones remained stuck to the bench. Frustrations came out in a recent interview Jones gave where he said he wanted to work for his paycheck. Why would the team draft him in the second round if he wasn’t going to play? It seems obvious that a player with his athletic traits should have a place on this team. Special teams mistakes could be holding him back. Jones did play nearly 37% of special teams snaps last season. That’s seen as an essential piece of how he contributes on this team. But if that’s what’s holding him back from playing more, it’s the type of old school coaching mentality that has plagued Mike McCarthy over the years. Jones should be on the field over players like Antonio Morrison and Korey Toomer (!), the latter of whom has inexplicably getting snaps at times ahead of both Burks and Jones. The simple answer may just be Jones isn’t very good. Practice could be bearing that out. But given what we’ve seen from some of the players in the Packers defense, it’s hard to believe Jones couldn’t be a useful player in the three-safety looks Pettine loves. Every time Kentrell Brice misses another tackle, the cameras should zoom in on Josh Jones as he looks longingly into the distance, his thousand-yard stare saying all it needs to say. Frankly, this should be a question at every Mike McCarthy and Mike Pettine press conference. The next time Brian Gutekunst takes the podium Muhammad Wilkerson Jersey , he should be getting at least one Josh Jones question as well. This is a physically gifted player with legitimate draft pedigree who played major snaps for the Packers just a season ago. And he flashed playmaking ability. Why has he fallen so far? This is a question worth asking, and it’s something for which this coaching staff and front office must answer for. Because if he isn’t eventually going to be given an opportunity, it makes Green Bay’s faith in its own players look faulty. Eric Reid, Kenny Vaccaro, Tre Boston, and other safety options were available in free agency. It’s possible the Packers traded their best safety to the Browns for a backup quarterback. (I understand talent wasn’t the reason for that trade, but still.) If they aren’t willing to give Jones a shot, there’s no way Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, in the final year of his deal, and two undrafted free agents — neither of whom have ever shown anything to suggest they’re quality starters — could have been enough. This is a simple calculation: if Josh Jones really isn’t good, then that shines an even brighter line on the team’s inaction at improving the safety position in the offseason and up to when Reid signed just a few weeks ago with the Panthers. And if Jones is good, or at least can be, why is he not getting opportunities? Either way, the Packers got this all wrong.
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