Poll: Which young player?

[LarryHarris]

Both Finley and Raji will have to keep their heads on straight, seems like a tall order for both, I voted for Clay because he is a madman out there and seems to only think about football... he also has a great football pedigree...

[MikeIsGood]

Matthews is #4 in ESPN's rookie rankings and Raji is #10. 2 of the top 10 rookies ain't bad.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4724418

DeAndre Levy sighting.

[Wade-A-Holic]

Both Finley and Raji will have to keep their heads on straight, seems like a tall order for both

Based on what? Finley had a rough start but he learned his lesson and nobody in the organization has had a negative word to say about him since. Raji has been a pro from day one, and it was pretty much shown that his "character issues" were blown way out of proportion during the draft process. If anything, Matthews has been mentioned as the one who might get out of line because he's extremely cocky.

[PkrsBcksGphsMqt]

Clay Matthews was the NFC defensive player of the week. Woodson had the honor last week.

http://www.packers.com/news/releases/2009/12/09/3/

Quarterback KURT WARNER of the Arizona Cardinals, rookie linebacker CLAY MATTHEWS of the Green Bay Packers and punt returner DOMENIK HIXON of the New York Giants are the NFC Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week for games played the 13th week of the 2009 season (December 3, 6-7), the NFL announced today.

DEFENSE: LB CLAY MATTHEWS, GREEN BAY PACKERS
• Matthews had six tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble in the Packers' 27-14 win over Baltimore.
• His six tackles were a career-high and his two sacks tied his career-best set in Week 6.
• In the first quarter, after the Packers took a 3-0 lead, Matthews thwarted a Baltimore drive by forcing a fumble at the Green Bay 17-yard line, which was recovered by safety NICK COLLINS.
• Matthews has seven sacks this season, tied with Washington's BRIAN ORAKPO for the most by a rookie.
• In his rookie season from USC, this is Matthews' first career Player of the Week Award.
• Matthew's father, CLAY MATTHEWS, was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week twice in his career with the Cleveland Browns (Week 12, 1984 and Week 9, 1991). They are the first father and son to win Player of the Week Awards.
• This is the second consecutive week that a Packer has been honored on defense. Cornerback CHARLES WOODSON was the NFC Defensive Player of Week 12.

2009 NFC DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Week 1: DE Justin Tuck, New York Giants
Week 2: LB Chad Greenway, Minnesota
Week 3: LB Lance Briggs, Chicago
Week 4: S Darren Sharper, New Orleans
Week 5: CB D. Rodgers-Cromartie, Arizona
Week 6: S Thomas DeCoud, Atlanta
Week 7: S Adrian Wilson, Arizona
Week 8: DE Julius Peppers, Carolina
Week 9: DT Anthony Hargrove, New Orleans
Week 10: CB Charles Woodson, Green Bay
Week 11: LB Michael Boley, New York Giants
Week 12: CB Charles Woodson, Green Bay
Week 13: LB Clay Matthews, Green Bay

[SpReEfOrAlL]

I guess i am in the minority here. but I think Nick Collins is already top 5 at his position. Dude is may favorite packer though. So I am biased.

[Loco4Roko]

i voted for raji. i think after pickett leaves this year. hopefully he doesnt but i honestly believe he will. i think once that happens that raji will be the anchor for the defense and shut down the run game for a good 10 years or so. i think they all will be good but raji will have the biggest impact.

[A Diddy2231]

I might have to agree with Collins!! I think Collins has a chance to be even better than the Trinity Killer...also like the rookie safety from Buffalo

[Wade-A-Holic]

i voted for raji. i think after pickett leaves this year. hopefully he doesnt but i honestly believe he will. i think once that happens that raji will be the anchor for the defense and shut down the run game for a good 10 years or so. i think they all will be good but raji will have the biggest impact.

If next year is uncapped, I think that really increases the probability that Pickett will be back.

[SpReEfOrAlL]

I might have to agree with Collins!! I think Collins has a chance to be even better than the Trinity Killer...also like the rookie safety from Buffalo

Not even possible!

[Rockmaninoff]

Props to Ted for an apparently great draft. Brad Jones looks to be a keeper as well.

I vote Raji, because he has one of the best celebrations ever. I'm going to start incorporating it into my life at random points.

[LarryHarris]

I guess i am in the minority here. but I think Nick Collins is already top 5 at his position. Dude is may favorite packer though. So I am biased.

Really? If so that is more because there aren't that many great players at his position. People say that he has a nose for the ball, and maybe that is true, I just don't think his football IQ is that high. I also don't trust his work ethic. Obviously, he is the best the Packers have at his position, I'm not advocating getting rid of him. I'm just not nearly as high on him...

Little fact, maybe this is why I am not that high on him, I guess LeRoy Butler was pissed when they gave his number away. Apparently, he complained and someone from the Packers contacted him and told him that they see big things for Collins and he reminds them of Butler. At the time Butler told this story, he seemed pretty happy about. For my vote, Collins isn't half the player Butler was...

Even as I heard the story, I was hopeful, but still somewhat nonplussed by this... Guess I just haven't been able to shed this feeling...

[Wade-A-Holic]

I guess i am in the minority here. but I think Nick Collins is already top 5 at his position. Dude is may favorite packer though. So I am biased.

Really? If so that is more because there aren't that many great players at his position. People say that he has a nose for the ball, and maybe that is true, I just don't think his football IQ is that high. I also don't trust his work ethic. Obviously, he is the best the Packers have at his position, I'm not advocating getting rid of him. I'm just not nearly as high on him...

Little fact, maybe this is why I am not that high on him, I guess LeRoy Butler was pissed when they gave his number away. Apparently, he complained and someone from the Packers contacted him and told him that they see big things for Collins and he reminds them of Butler. At the time Butler told this story, he seemed pretty happy about. For my vote, Collins isn't half the player Butler was...

Even as I heard the story, I was hopeful, but still somewhat nonplussed by this... Guess I just haven't been able to shed this feeling...

I've personally heard Butler gush about how good Collins has gotten, going back to last season. Collins might not be top 5 if all the safeties in the league are healthy, but he's damn good... And you don't get as many interceptions as Collins does if you have a low football IQ. In fact, you don't play safety in this defense at all if you have a low football IQ.

[LarryHarris]

I totally disagree. Getting INTs isn't, in my opinion, an indicator of football IQ. The INTs Nick gets are generally in coverage and he is good at going after them. A lot of this is instinct and doesn't indicate smarts...

[Newz]

I think the Packers are second in the NFL in takeaways (Behind the Saints I believe) and Nick Collins is a big reason why.

I'm a fan, he is a legit Pro Bowl safety.

[Wade-A-Holic]

I totally disagree. Getting INTs isn't, in my opinion, an indicator of football IQ. The INTs Nick gets are generally in coverage and he is good at going after them. A lot of this is instinct and doesn't indicate smarts...

How does it not? Even if most of his picks are in coverage (which I disagree with. I think more than half of them over the past two seasons have been when he's playing center field and reading the QB), that still means he's picking up the right guy in coverage and making great plays on the ball. If he didn't have those qualities, he wouldn't be making the plays.

After being mediocre and struggling his first couple seasons in the league (most had written him off before last season), how did he magically develop those instincts if he doesn't have the work ethic or the football smarts?

[El Duderino]

I guess i am in the minority here. but I think Nick Collins is already top 5 at his position. Dude is may favorite packer though. So I am biased.

I don't know if Collins is the best of the players in this poll, but for right now at least, i think Collins is the guy that the team could least afford to lose to injury. Between Collins high skill level, the higher importance of safeties in pro football today, and the poor depth behind Collins, i think only Woodson is more important to the defense than Collins is. If he got hurt and had to be replaced by say Martin, that's a terrifying thought.

[LUKE23]

Raji is a bad ass:

Raji doesn't think it will take him long to get in the flow.

"To be quite honest, after the first series of the game it's going to be just like any other position," said Raji, who has been limited by a left ankle sprain himself. "Because, obviously, I haven't been playing. I'm responsible for two gaps in most cases so the first series I'm going to have to feel out and (Bears center Olin) Kreutz is a veteran. After the first series, I'll be fine.

"I mean, defensive end, defensive tackle, it's football, it's reaction. You can only react to what you see, you know?"

Raji (6-foot-2, 337 pounds) doesn't feel he'll be at a disadvantage against the 32-year-old Kreutz (6-2, 292), who is a six-time Pro Bowler but hasn't been since 2006.

"It's nothing physical, it's all technical," Raji said. "I'm stronger than the guy. I mean, that's not really talking (smack); he's just fast. That's not his game, really, strength. He's more trying to out-leverage you, get around you. Once I get the feel of that then the game will come a lot easier.

"It's not going to take me a whole (game) to get used to him moving. Football's football. He's not going to change the way he plays because there's a new nose on him. He's going to play the way he's been playing. So what I watch on film, it's probably going to help me out the most, really."

Raji, for one, doesn't expect the run defense to suffer if he's on the nose.

"No, we shouldn't take a step back," Raji said. "Never."

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/79023337.html

[Newz]

Raji is a bad ass