Packer Injuries

[CheezWizHed]

Seems like the topic is continues to pop up each year. MM keeps trying to "fix" it, but we tend to be heavily injured each year. There are freak things, but a LOT of hamstring injuries that pop up also.

 

Mediocrity on behalf of Capers and the D is still our biggest problem, but injuries is a close second. Seems like we get derailed every year by it.

[pacopete4]

Yeah that injuries sure have become an annoyance to watching Packers seasons play out. Just feels like every year its a pretty big handful of players that get hurt and usually miss large chunks or the full season. We need to look at our training staff and/or who we are targeting for players.

[MrTPlush]

Honestly injuries are a bigger issue so far. We have major players injured right now on each side of the ball. Never underestimate the effect of a trash OL.

[adambr2]

Yeah it's not so much the number of injuries right now as who they are to. Daniels and Perry are our 2 best defenders. Both starting tackles being nicked up is really tough. Easier to hide a guard than a tackle.

[homer]

I would only blame the training staff if I knew how they compared to the rest of the league.

[jerichoholicninja]

I would only blame the training staff if I knew how they compared to the rest of the league.

 

I would guess there's nothing a training staff can do to prevent injuries in football.

[FVBrewerFan]

I would only blame the training staff if I knew how they compared to the rest of the league.

 

I would guess there's nothing a training staff can do to prevent injuries in football.

 

Well sure there is. For concussions or broken bones, no. But soft tissue injuries, absolutely. But as Homer said, impossible to know if Packers staff is any better or worse than other teams. Guys like Bulaga and Cobb are predictable. Oddly enough, Matthews has played 3 full games and counting.

[CheezWizHed]

Certainly depends on the injuries. We certainly seem to have a share of hamstrings. A few years back, someone did an analysis that showed we were in the top 10 each year. But I'm not sure where that is.

 

It just frustrating because we seem to be beating ourselves constantly.

[DHonks]

Guys are bigger, faster, and stronger than ever before. Every play the forces of impact are like getting hit by a moving car.

 

One thing I’ve long argued the NFL needs is improved roster flexibility. Forget the 53-man roster, 46-man gameday roster, and practice squad. Teams need a 65-man roster with 50-man game day roster. There should also be a shorter term DL instead of IR. If a guy will miss 3 weeks, a team should be able to DL him and add someone else to the roster without ending his season (the rules have gotten better here with 2 guys now able to come off IR). With concussion rules, painkiller abuse, and waiting to properly rehab injuries, the NFL is currently encouraging players to lie about injuries to remain in the lineups. The Packers were among several teams with more guys OUT than inactive spots, resulting in playing a few players shorter than opponents.

[pacopete4]

I think some of those rules are in place to give guys opportunities to get on teams that will actually play them rather than being stashed on a roster all season and possibly never being activated. Not saying I disagree with you on your thinking but I believe that was the intended purpose.

[CheezWizHed]

They expanded the PS a few years ago, I think that was a nod to having a deeper "bench" while still allowing someone else to nab them to the 53-man squad.

 

But I think eliminating the 45 man active list (all 53 active) and having a shorter DL with more returning players would help. I don't think we need more than a 53 man roster.

[bjkrautk]

Kyle Murphy was just added to IR this morning. The Packers have signed a replacement Tackle off the Cardinals' practice squad.

 

Why do the injuries have to happen at the thinnest position on the roster?

[docduany]

What the frick?!! Come the heck on. Frustrating.

[FVBrewerFan]

Kyle Murphy was just added to IR this morning. The Packers have signed a replacement Tackle off the Cardinals' practice squad.

 

Why do the injuries have to happen at the thinnest position on the roster?

 

Long snapper is a thinner position than OT. Oh wait, he may injured too.

[Fear The Chorizo]

Getting Bakhtiari back at LT will do a world of good for the OL - the Packers can do what they want to offensively if they only need to help a backup RT...with both tackles being turnstyles the past few weeks, it restricts how many backs and tight ends can actually get out in pass patterns.

 

IMO, the Packers' O is at its best when they roll with 1 RB and a combination of 1-2 TE and 2-3 WR - then sending at least 4 of them out in pass patterns. Bennett's biggest strength as a TE for this team is actually his ability to run block. Those groupings can stay on the field, can both run and pass, and can keep opposing defenses from substituting.

 

Injury-wise, I feel like the Packers are among the most cautious in the league when it comes to getting players back on the field, particularly with soft tissue strains and pulls. Seems like they'd rather roll with a backup at 100% health compared to putting a starter in at 85%...not sure whether that's the best way to approach things if there's a significant drop-off in talent at some positions. And it seems like they need to IR guys more frequently than other teams because certain position groupings get hammered and leave them with no healthy bodies to play (see DB's last year, OL/Tackles this year so far).

 

I 100% agree that the NFL needs to change gameday roster rules - have a 53 man gameday active roster, keep the current practice squad roster rules as-is, and increase the # of IR-designated to return from 2 to 4 players.

[PeaveyFury]

Both starting tackles have been listed as doubtful. I'd imagine another rought night for Aaron sack-wise.

 

You just hope that this doesn't get the franchise QB hurt. I really can't believe that signing a (still) FA like Greco and sliding Taylor out wouldn't be better than throwing a guy off the Cardinals practice squad in on 2 days practice with the team.

[superfly]

Both starting tackles have been listed as doubtful. I'd imagine another rought night for Aaron sack-wise.

 

You just hope that this doesn't get the franchise QB hurt. I really can't believe that signing a (still) FA like Greco and sliding Taylor out wouldn't be better than throwing a guy off the Cardinals practice squad in on 2 days practice with the team.

 

TT and his terrible ability to draft OL has seriously compromised Rodgers over the years. Thank god the man has escapability that few have because he should be David Carr'd by now. It's inexcusable.

[adambr2]

Both starting tackles have been listed as doubtful. I'd imagine another rought night for Aaron sack-wise.

 

You just hope that this doesn't get the franchise QB hurt. I really can't believe that signing a (still) FA like Greco and sliding Taylor out wouldn't be better than throwing a guy off the Cardinals practice squad in on 2 days practice with the team.

 

TT and his terrible ability to draft OL has seriously compromised Rodgers over the years. Thank god the man has escapability that few have because he should be David Carr'd by now. It's inexcusable.

 

Seriously? He has two franchise tackles in Bahktiari and Bulaga and he drafted both of them. Not his fault that not only are they hurt but so are their replacements.

 

TT is not a perfect GM by any means but he doesn't have a terrible ability to draft OL. Yeah Spriggs looks like a bad pick but Bahktiari, Bulaga, Linsley, Tretter, Sitton, Lang and others over the years have been very good ones. When healthy this was one of the best lines in football the last couple years.

[LouisEly]

What is terrible about TT is his long-standing belief that guards and interior OL are replaceable. The only time he has ever drafted one before the fourth round was in 2006 when they were in dire straits and drafted Colledge and Spitz. Letting Lang walk a year after cutting Sitton without investing a reasonably high draft pick in the position is not smart.

 

No one could predict having your top five OTs go down with injury.

 

As for Spriggs, people wanted to run Allen Barbre out of town in 2009. Eight years later, he's still in the league.

[homer]

What is terrible about TT is his long-standing belief that guards and interior OL are replaceable. The only time he has ever drafted one before the fourth round was in 2006 when they were in dire straits and drafted Colledge and Spitz. Letting Lang walk a year after cutting Sitton without investing a reasonably high draft pick in the position is not smart.

 

No one could predict having your top five OTs go down with injury.

 

As for Spriggs, people wanted to run Allen Barbre out of town in 2009. Eight years later, he's still in the league.

 

He said guards were replaceable and them immediately replaced the ones he had with Sitton and Lang. Then he replaced those guys with Taylor and Evans. Sitton has been hurt as much as he's played since they cut him. They made a big offer to Lang but Detroit offered more. I really don't see the interior of the line as a problem.

[PeaveyFury]

Agreed with homer. There are a couple of odd takes here- other than the very start of TT's tenure, our interior lineman have been completely replacable in multiple instances. I can't think of a time since the initial failure to replace Wahle and Rivera that center or either guard position was of concern at all.

 

And one of TT's greatest strengths has been finding linemen in the draft. Yes, there have been some high-profile misses like Sherrod, but his knack of finding all-pro caliber linemen in the middle rounds, and to consistently field a well above-average group of starting offensive linemen has been one of the major reasons for the team's sustained success.

 

The issues have arisen due to depth, and that's a valid and fair criticism. When we've had issues, it's been because our third or fourth tackle hasn't been able to stand in competently when LT or RT have been banged up like last year or 2015. Multiple starter injuries have been devastating.

 

This year is just crazy, though. I don't know a team in the league that wouldn't be struggling if they were also starting their 6th and 7th-string OTs at the same time. Honestly, last night's performance by the line is somewhat remarkable in that light.

[Brewer Fever]

It's amazing the ways irrational fans cast blame. I actually saw a fan blame TT for not keeping enough o-linemen on the 53 man roster coming out of camp. They kept 10!

[OnTheBlack]

Yeah it's not so much the number of injuries right now as who they are to. Daniels and Perry are our 2 best defenders. Both starting tackles being nicked up is really tough. Easier to hide a guard than a tackle.

 

 

And given who is injured, I think it's hard to blame the training staff. Mike Daniels and Bahktari are two of the toughest, most durable guys on the team...and are both out. Probably our 2nd and 3rd most important players.

 

 

What the injuries really show IMO is how good Rodgers is being able to carry the Packers while missing so many key players.

[OnTheBlack]

What is terrible about TT is his long-standing belief that guards and interior OL are replaceable. The only time he has ever drafted one before the fourth round was in 2006 when they were in dire straits and drafted Colledge and Spitz. Letting Lang walk a year after cutting Sitton without investing a reasonably high draft pick in the position is not smart.

 

No one could predict having your top five OTs go down with injury.

 

As for Spriggs, people wanted to run Allen Barbre out of town in 2009. Eight years later, he's still in the league.

 

He said guards were replaceable and them immediately replaced the ones he had with Sitton and Lang. Then he replaced those guys with Taylor and Evans. Sitton has been hurt as much as he's played since they cut him. They made a big offer to Lang but Detroit offered more. I really don't see the interior of the line as a problem.

 

This made me laugh. He did...you're absolutely right. And I'll be the first to admit I was pretty adamant last year when we cut Sitton we made a huge mistake. But...TT was right.

 

When you look at the players he's drafted for this OL, it's pretty impressive. Bahktari, Sitton, Lang, Tretter, Linsley, Bulaga...and there are several others.

 

The only thing I wish TT would do is be more aggressive in adding talent outside the draft..which in fairness he did this year.

 

Even the best teams need to be lucky as well as good. Hopefully this year all the guys who are banged up will come back and contribute. I think that Bye week is perfect for us. We're gonna have to scramble at times, but getting Bulaga, Bahktari, Daniels back to 100 pct after the bye could really catapult us down the stretch.

[Fear The Chorizo]

The injury bug seems to hit the Packers at specific position groupings from year to year. Last year it was the DBs, two years ago it was the OLBs. This year it appears to be the OL. With how NFL rosters are limited in numbers, I don't see how one can blame TT or any GM for not having multiple sets of starting quality players at every position - there's just no room or budget to carry those kind of numbers at certain positions. Any NFL team would struggle to get sacks if their starting and key backup pass rushers get injured. Any NFL team would struggle in the passing game if 75% of their starting nickle defensive backfield all were injured for chunks of a season. No NFL team would expect their QB to take non-stop 7 step drops with 3rd string tackles and guards playing out of position at LT due to injuries.

 

Getting Bahktari and Daniels back healthy is critical to this Packer team winning a title. They are probably the 2nd and 3rd-most important players on this roster behind Rodgers.