Railbird Central : Brandon Jackson

Three tweets Oct. 12, 2009

Brian Carriveau — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 01:53:10 GMT

I'll be providing at least three thoughts about the Green Bay Packers per day on Twitter. Here what I'm tweeting about:

1. If Breno Giacomini couldn't crack the 45 man active gameday roster before Mark Tauscher, how's he ever going to do it now? #Packers #NFL

2. I'm surprised that Jordy Nelson will be the punt returner. I'd have thought they'd give Tramon Williams a chance if he had some preparation.

3. The #Packers should be buoyed by the potential returns of both Brandon Jackson and Atari Bigby. They could use them. #NFL

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Three tweets 10.12.09

Brian Carriveau — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:12:11 GMT

I'll be providing at least three thoughts about the Green Bay Packers per day on Twitter. Here what I'm tweeting about:

1. Here's a thought: Do you think Aaron Rouse would have played as poorly as Derrick Martin did at safety against the Vikings? #Packers #NFL

2. This season has been the first time I've really questioned Mike McCarthy's coaching. But it's not too late to redeem himself. #Packers #NFL

3. If running back Brandon Jackson doesn't come back by this upcoming week, I'd question why he wasn't put on injured reserve. #Packers #NFL

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Three tweets 9.18.09

Brian Carriveau — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 23:31:50 GMT

I'll be providing three thoughts about the Green Bay Packers per day on Twitter. Here what I'm tweeting about:

1. With Brandon Jackson out, don't ever expect John Kuhn to be inactive on game days. He can play in one back sets in a pinch. #Packers #NFL

2. Daryn Colledge will play without a doubt on Sunday. The #Packers are just smartly resting him.

3. Question: If the #Packers had to make one roster cut to make room for a Mark Tauscher or a Jon Runyan, who would they cut?

Join the craze. Click here to follow Railbird Central on Twitter. And share your thoughts in the comments. Based upon the replies so far, it looks like Evan Dietrich-Smith gets the axe.

Packers get healthy and happy

Brian Carriveau — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 21:59:27 GMT

The rash of injuries by the Green Bay Packers in the run-up to last week's Family Night scrimmage was disappointing. Many players wouldn't be participating, which is even more discouraging given the need for players to both prove themselves and prepare for the upcoming season.

However, good news came in the middle of this week when several players returned to practice after having sat out several practices.

The running backs received perhaps the biggest boost when Brandon Jackson returned to action on Tuesday, and DeShawn Wynn did likewise on Thursday.

Had the Family Night scrimmage taken place, the Packers would have been down to only Ryan Grant, Kregg Lumpkin and Tyrell Sutton at the halfback position.

Three running backs are plenty for the regular season, but it's time to see what guys like Jackson and Wynn can do in a more prominent role.

Wynn, although he's had a good training camp, he's not a lock for the roster and needs to prove himself during games. It's good to see that tonight will be the beginning of such a campaign.

Also on the offensive side of the football, wide receiver also returned to practice this week after sitting out a couple practices.

The defensive line received a boost when Johnny Jolly returned from a sprained ankle. According to camp reports, he showed very few if any ill effects in his return on Thursday.

In addition, a newly signed B.J. Raji may not play tonight, but with a healthy Raji and Jolly, the Packers have much more depth at the position than they did just three days ago.

As far as the linebackers go, two big pieces of the 3-4 puzzle remain out with Clay Matthews and Jeremy Thompson. But the Packers did a good job disguising their lack of depth.

By having two-way player Spencer Havner practice at outside linebacker and signing Stryker Sulak to the team, the Packers at least have a little more depth. Havner and Sulak aren't going to provide the impact that either Matthews or Thompson may have, but at least they provide a stopgap solution until the injured duo return to the field.

At least compared to one week ago, things are looking up.

Best & worst case scenarios for the Packers running backs

Brian Carriveau — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 16:10:00 GMT

We continue our third annual best and worst case scenarios for every player on the Green Bay Packers roster. Today we analyze the running backs. Make sure to come back tomorrow when we take a look at the specialists.

Ryan Grant

Best case scenario: If Grant can gain 1,200 yards after missing part of training camp and then being hampered, just imagine what he can do if he benefits from an entire training camp and is fully healthy. In '09 Grant is going to improve his yards per carry back to 2007 levels and over the course of 16 games, somewhere in the realm of 1,500 yards rushing is not out of the question. One of the best downhill runners in the NFL, Grant shows a little more speed and elusiveness than he did in '08. Grant makes his first Pro Bowl of his career.
Worst case scenario: There may be no other person on the roster with a ceiling as high and a floor as low as Grant. When Grant can't gain back the explosiveness he showed in '07, the Packers start to go with running backs that can. No longer is one big contract going to be an excuse for Grant to get carries. He just doesn't have the big play ability of guys like Brandon Jackson or DeShawn Wynn. As the season wears on, Grant starts to lose carries to the guys currently behind him on the depth chart. He might be the best short yardage ball carrier on the team, but that doesn't make him the best overall running back.

Brandon Jackson

Best case scenario: Jackson's 5.5 yards per carry last season was no fluke. When he continues to bust longer runs than Grant, Jackson starts to find more playing time. He won't average 5.5 yards again, but that was a small sample size compared to the increase in carries he gets in '09. Jackson becomes the most complete back on the roster, a guy who can carry the load, catch passes and help out in pass blocking too. Now in his third year, he really busts out and shows why the Packers made him a second round draft choice.
Worst case scenario: Those 5.5 yards per carry were a fluke. Jackson is losing ground to guys like Wynn and Kregg Lumpkin who appear to be better suited for the third down back role Jackson had previously held. He makes the team, but by the end of the season, it starts to become clear that he's only the third best running back on the team at best.

DeShawn Wynn

Best case scenario: Wynn picks up where he left off when he ran for over 100-yards in last year's season finale. He followed that up with one of the best training camps of any player on the Packers, and his role on the team seemingly increases every day. He's one of the best preseasons in the entire NFL by a running back, and he starts to play a bigger part in the Packers running game during the regular season. He has the second most yards rushing on the team by the end of the year, and his emergence proves that Jackson's job with the team may be coming to an end.
Worst case scenario: Even though he's had one heck of a training camp, Wynn can climb no higher on the depth chart than third. He gets the occassional carry during the regular season, but his performance is dwarfed by that of Grant and Jackson. Wynn shows just enough to prove he might be worth keeping around, but he seems destined to be a career backup.

Kregg Lumpkin

Best case scenario: Just like a year ago, the Packers keep Lumpkin on their 53-man roster because of his upside. He's makes it out of training camp completely healthy and impresses during the preseason once again. He shows that he's just as good catching passes out of the backfield as he is carrying the ball. He makes the team as their third down back shows that he has a future in the NFL.
Worst case scenario: Lumpkin shows some promise, but he's cut in a numbers game. The Packers just can't afford to keep him on their roster with Grant, Jackson and Wynn all ahead of him. It's possible they'll ask Lumpkin to be on the practice squad, but he has other competition for that job in Tyrell Sutton. The UFL might be where Lumpkin will have to head.

Tyrell Sutton

Best case scenario: Sutton gets a ton of playing time in the second half of all the preseason games and impresses with the chances he gets. He's everything you want in a third down back and can even tote the football a little bit too. Unfortunately, there's too many guys ahead of him currently, but he's asked to be a member of the practice squad. He's only an injury away from making the team, and he definitely has a chance of making it in 2010.
Worst case scenario: The NFL overwhelms Sutton. When he gets a chance to play, he looks like a fish out of water. He's got some natural athleticism, but this isn't college anymore. He's not assignment sure, he can't block elite NFL pass rushers and during the preseason it seems like every one of his carries goes for only one or two yards. He's cut and not asked to be on the practice squad.

Korey Hall

Best case scenario: Despite threats coming in two directions, Hall hangs onto his job as the starting fullback for the Packers. Putting on weight has helped him become a better lead blocker, and he is without a doubt the best pass-catching fullback on the team. Those factors plus another year's experience lead to him having his best season as a professional yet. He even chips in with at least three touchdowns this season.
Worst case scenario: Hall plays sparingly on offense. He comes in once in a while in those inverted wishbone situations or when the Packers need a fullback to catch a pass, but that's about it. He just isn't the punishing blocker that the Packers have in either John Kuhn or Quinn Johnson. Hall makes the team because he's a good special teams player and he provides depth at fullback, but that's about all he'll ever be.

John Kuhn

Best case scenario: Most people thought Kuhn's job would be lost when the Packers drafted Johnson, but that was before Johnson struggled so mightily during training camp. Because the team just can't trust Johnson, Kuhn hangs onto his roster spot on the Packers. He's a devestating lead blocker and helps springs Grant on some 30-plus yard runs back like he did in '07. And he's an integral part of special teams once again.
Worst case scenario: Just like people predicted, Kuhn loses his roster spot to Johnson. Maybe Kuhn is more steady than Johnson is at this point in his career, but Kuhn just doesn't have the upside. There's no way the Packers are going to keep three fullbacks on the 53-man roster, so Kuhn is out of a job.

Quinn Johnson

Best case scenario: Maybe Johnson struggled learning his assignments during training camp and maybe he's not the type of player that's going to touch the football a whole lot, but he's great at what he does best. And that's flattening defenders. Because Johnson is such a bulldozer of a player, he earns his spot on the team. The more the season wears on, the more of a role Johnson plays on the team. By season's end, Johnson is the Packers' starting fullback. He makes the NFL's all-rookie team.
Worst case scenario: Wow, what a bust of a draft pick! Johnson becomes the highest draft choices in the entire NFL to be cut. Maybe he's good at blocking, but the Packers can't trust him on the field yet. At all. He's a physical specimen, but he just can't pick up more complicated NFL offenses. The Packers decide he's worth developing on the practice squad, though.