Packers' Player Grades and Future: Quarterbacks & Specialists
This will be a frequent edition of Lowe and Outside, as I am going to be reviewing each and every player on the Green Bay Packers, along with viewing the future and seeing what adjustments (if any) are necessary. Today, I am going to be doing the easiest positions to do for the Packers, the quarterbacks and specialists, and with that here are the grades for those players.
QUARTERBACKS
Aaron Rodgers: A
I would give Aaron an A+ if he played the way he did during the last ten games for the entire season, as there were a few bad ones against Dallas in Lambeau and the road game in Minnesota. Aaron will be a top five MVP candidate once again, and should be in the running for the next MVP award as well.
Brett Hundley: B
In the glimpses we saw Brett Hundley through the 2016 season, he was relatively solid and gives every reason to believe he can be a quality backup for Aaron Rodgers. Hopefully, his services will never be needed in the next five years plus, but you never know, so it's always good to have a backup like him around. He gets a "B" because he did his job as he was supposed to.
Joe Callahan: Incomplete
Why did I give Joe Callahan an incomplete when I gave Hundley a B? Partially it is because Joe Callahan was either on the practice squad or not even on the roster for a good portion of the season, and partially because third string quarterbacks are players that only the Bears use. And, whenever Callahan was on the active roster, he was among the seven inactives.
The future looks to be the same for the quarterback position in the Packers, and that shouldn't be surprising to anybody and is a very, very good thing. As long as Aaron Rodgers is healthy, he is a lock as a starter and proved his "slump" was just that this season. It is all about making sure there is a backup plan just in case, and with Hundley and Callahan, the Packers seem set there too. Don't expect GM Ted Thompson to select a quarterback in the draft, and to only bring in maybe one more fresh body for training camp purposes.
SPECIALISTS
Kicker Mason Crosby: A-
I didn't realize Mason Crosby missed three extra points this year, but comparing that to other teams, it is still really good. He also only missed four field goals (one blocked), and we all know how well he did in that Dallas game in the playoffs. His long was 53 yards during the regular season, and hit from 56 in Dallas. He also did miss a crucial early field goal in the NFC Championship, but overall another great season from the best kicker in the NFL.
Punter Jacob Schum: B-
Let's not forget that cutting Tim Masthay was the right move, and finding a quality punter is hard. That said, Schum overall had a nice season in his first year in Green Bay and is still a young punter. He had 56 punts with an average of 44 yards, 19 of them were inside the 20, and had a long of 65 yards. Not bad, but the best stat of all might be that none of his punts were returned for touchdowns, which is the most important part of that unit. He'll be the punter going forward.
Long Snapper Brett Goode: A
I don't remember any bad snaps from Goode, so as far as I'm concerned he did his job and did it great. The kicking unit for field goals was also virtually flawless, and a lot of people don't realize how important the snap and hold are for that, which is Goode's job too. Goode will be here as long as he is healthy.
This is the easiest group to figure out, along with quarterbacks, as Crosby and Goode are among the best at their respective positions. Both have been here forever, and I'd expect five more years of each at least. As far as Schum goes, expect Ted Thompson to bring in another punter just for kicks (get it?) but unless he brings back Jon Ryan expect Schum to keep his job. Don't expect any competition for Crosby or Goode, either.
