Worst RB/TE talent in the NFL?

[LUKE23]

I was thinking about this today, looking at our skill position players. WR's should be productive enough to get it done, even though we don't have any gamebreakers. If Robison can give us anything, we should be a solid 3 deep, and that's if Clowney/Jones don't step up.

But man, RB and TE is a fricking mess right now. Franks is declining by the day and all of our RB's are bottom of the barrel players without great speed. I'm not that high on Jackson either. Are there any teams that have worse overall talent at these two positions?

Like Duderino said, I am extremely worried about our offense next year, especially in the red zone when it gets tigther for guys like Driver and Jennings. Very worried.

[Ayt]

I'm pretty confident in Bubba bouncing back from an atrocious year, our O-line blocking much better in the running game with an offseason of workouts, and redzone being more productive with a healthy Jennings (and to a much lesser extent Fergy) and the addition of K-Rob. Maybe Ruvell can turn himself into a weapon inside the 20 as well.

I also think a lot of people are really sleeping on Morency. In my view he was a better RB than Green last season so I see no reason he couldn't be very productive as a starter with Jackson and Herron backing him up.

[Wade-A-Holic]

I also think Bubba will bounce back and become a relevant target again (mainly in the red zone). Hopefully he'll bounce back in Geoff Jenkins fashion

Honestly, the big play ability and red zone offense ALL falls on the shoulders of the offensive line (mainly the interior of the line). This line needs to allow the Packers to send the extra guy out while still offering Favre the protection he received last season. In the red zone, let's face it: Jerome Bettis and Mike Alstott in their respective primes weren't punching it in on the goal line behind the pathetic push the middle of the line got last season. Ideally, Spitz and Colledge get a lot stronger after having a year in an NFL training program. Then, hopefully the line as a whole ties up loose ends and becomes a more efficient, cohesive unit in both the run and pass game. Morency demonstrated the explosion to break off huge runs when there was a hole to run through. I've seen the same from Brandon Jackson. I really think we have a solid tandem of runners with those two guys.

[bigkurty]

Holy Crap, it's Wade-A-Holic. What did you come out of retirement? I never see you on here anymore. Let me guess, you got a gf, had a kid, or got a new job and that is why you don't post as much as you used to.

[DelaneyRudd]

San Diego



OK, we lack the name power, but these are system positions for this team. Bubba won't return to the probowl, but he wont be in the bottom half of TEs either. RB is the bigger problem, and all we can do is hope some unknown makes a name for himself.

[deep throat]

TE is a major problem- They are really lacking here. Bubba isn't going to be any faster - Lee has been nothing - the draft pick was an after thought- (he is slow and weak).

When you couple this with the fact that they don't have much in the way of a WR that can stretch the field on a regular basis - teams will play them tight. How quickly people forget, doesn't anyone remember people saying how they couldn't get separation.

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RB- I like the complementary traits Jackson/Morency have. You have speed back and a guy who can get you a consistent 3-6 yards. A nice mix, but unproven.

Yes- on paper this is one of the worst TE and RB units in the NFL. That goes without question.

[El Duderino]

One problems with our tight ends go beyond meager production,they put zero fear into a defense.Because our TE's can't get deep to save their lives,no defense has to protect the deep middle from that position.This allows safties to focus more on the wide recievers because there is no worry a Packer tight end can run a deep seam pattern.

One reason i wanted Moss if he can actually still run is,it's someone to draw saftey attention even if Moss wasn't the main target in the route.Teams right now can to easily jump the Packers shorter routes because our tight ends can't run and while Driver/Jennings are by no means sloths,they aren't huge home run threats.

As for the running backs,until we see how good Jackson ends up being,it's hard to say.One thing is sure,can't be averaging 3.9ypc again.How good the OLine performs could be as important as who carries the ball most.

[Ayt]

Jenning big play ability is underrated in my mind.

In games 2-4 alone, he had 8 grabs of 20+ yards including 2 of 40+, a 46 yard TD against St. Louis and the 75 yarder against Detroit. He had those two TD's, plus a 22 yard TD against NO.

Then he got injured. The rest of the year he had only 2 20+ yard grabs (25 yards, 26 yarder) and had no TD's.

It really is too bad he got hurt because I think he had a chance to have a very special year. Sterling Sharpe holds the record for most grabs as a rookie at 55. I think Jennings would have topped that easily had he stayed healthy since he finished with 45 anyway and he likely would have topped 1,000 yards as well.

[captain_cheapseats]

On paper, yes, the RB situation is worst in the NFL. But there are a handful of teams that would happily take teh Bubba over their current TE.

[eagle13]

So questions begs to be asked - should we have paid Dolphin $ to keep David Martin - not sure how much that was - don't think it was huge dollars. He easily was the fastest and best TE we had and showed he could run M3 sets out of backfield that Franks and others could not handle. Negative is he has never stayed healthy for a full season. But last year was his best. Maybe he was finally putting it together?

TT was right to pass on FAs this year except he tends to sign his own. Should we have resigned Martin. What do you guys think?

[paulpressey25]

I'm glad we let Martin go.....he was too erratic......

We still need that 'big' target guy that can go 10 yards over the middle, catch Favre's bailout throw, and then run another 5-10 yards with it....the Mark Bavaro type. Nobody has filled that role since Chewy left.

[Profound23]

Yeah I would say one of the worst, if not the worst.

[deep throat]

On paper, yes, the RB situation is worst in the NFL. But there are a handful of teams that would happily take teh Bubba over their current TE.

Who? Names? I think he could be a complementary piece on some teams, but that's it. Bubba was slow, but he is slower and no longer consistent catching the ball (hasn't been for two years).

[LUKE23]

Bubba has no speed and his hands are declining by the second. He is not a good TE option at this point.