Always Room For Improvement
By Aaron Nagler on Jun 25, 2009 with 19 Comments
When I did my series on Aaron Rodgers earlier this offseason (1, 2, 3) about what I felt were the biggest things he needed to work on heading into 2009, I caught some grief from some of my fellow bloggers about going after guys who weren’t perceived as ‘part of the problem’. (Indeed, the series came on the heels of my apparently blasphemous post declaring Aaron Kampman overrated as a pass rusher. You’d have thought I called Mother Teresa a fraud.) People accused me of being unrealistic and overly critical.
So it was with great interest that I read, yes, Rob Demovsky’s piece over at PackersNews.com regarding quarterbacks coach Tom Clements’ list of 10 things he’s asked Aaron Rodgers to work on over the course of the offseason. I found this of particular interest:
Clements came up with his list after watching every snap Rodgers took last season. He wouldn’t say how high footwork was on that list, but Rodgers indicated it was a significant part of their offseason work.
“It was on the list,” Clements said. “He had a tendency on a certain type of pass he threw to not use the proper footwork, so we worked on that.
As I wrote in Part 1:
You’ve no doubt heard many a color commentator on television talk about the 3, 5 and 7 step drop. (What they sometimes forget to mention is the fact that the receivers’ patterns are timed to the number of steps the quarterback takes) Rodgers did quite well on his 3 and 7 step drops, but his internal clock on the 5 step drops definitely needs speeding up.
This is just one thing, but as Rodgers indicates, it seems to be a primary focus, which is encouraging.
I only point this out to illustrate the point that, no matter how much a player achieves on the field, no matter how big a star he becomes, he should ALWAYS be looking for ways to improve. Bill Walsh asked his players to strive for perfection. That drive, that determination to improve, to get better, is what will propel players like Rodgers to become champions which, of course, is the whole point.
Filed Under: Aaron Kampman • Aaron Rodgers
technically.. Mother Teresa did question her faith before her death. Just sayin…
Don’t get me started….
I’ve always been a big fan of Tom Clements both as a coach and a player.
One thing he can pass on to Rogers is the ability to play the position in cold weather. It doesn’t get colder then Winnipeg.
I like how Rodgers said that they added more 4 and 5 WR sets earlier on in the playbook this year.
Perfection, I like Perfection.
I’m still very critical about those posts. I’d rather see where the bad and average players on our roster should improve to make us SB material than where our star players should improve to be pro bowlers more often…
Believe me, Rodgers improving will have a hell of a lot more to do with the Packers getting to the Super Bowl than anything Charlie Peprah or Michael Montgomery could possibly do to improve.
Don’t get me wrong. Rodgers isn’t ready. Not even close. But IMO, Rodgers and, say, Faneca and Aaron Smith would be a better team than Drew Brees with Spitz and Jolly… Good players on all positions is better than a couple of Great players with ok players…
Rainman,
The day (day after?) Favre announced his “retirement”, Rogers went dog sledding in Alaska. Probably kind of chilly the first week of March.
Here we go again !!
Aaron,
You just happened to mention two that probably won’t even be on the final roster. (Peprah & Montgomery)
Let’s choose Hawk & Grant as the two examples of players needing to step it up. If both played at a higher level in 2009, GB would be a much improved team regardless of what improvement AR makes from 2008 to 2009.
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If AR puts up another 28-13-4000+ season in 2009, he’ll have done his part. The other 21 positional players will have to step it up to push GB into a SB. Even though QB is on most teams the most critical position, he still is only one player. AR doesn’t block, tackle, catch passes or run with the ball (for the most part).
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You’re falling for the media hype that places too much on the QB. All you have to do is examine all the great QBs in NFL history that had trouble winning even half their games.
“You’re falling for the media hype that places too much on the QB.”
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Wow – you really need to talk to regular reader and commenter ‘Keith’ who accuses me of hating quarterbacks…
To follow up. All these QBs were pro-bowlers multiple times in their careers. Some are in the HOF. They were/are at least good if not great QBs.
The records are regular season.
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N. Snead 52-99, S. Jurgensen 69-73, D. Fouts 86-84, B. Esiason 80-93, J. Brodie 74-77, D. Bledsoe 98-95, W. Moon 102-101, J. Namath 62-63, F. Tarkenton 124-109, A. Manning 35-101, K. Anderson 91-81, T. Aikman 94-71, D. Brees 55-51.
None of which are Aaron Rodgers. Look, I understand what you’re saying, but I guess I’m having trouble figuring out the point. I broke down what I thought were the three biggest deficiencies in Rodgers’ game, on my own blog, and you are unhappy I haven’t done the same kind of breakdown for Grant, Hawk and like players. Is that it? Because I’m pretty sure I’ve covered both Hawk and Grant’s short-comings several times. Perhaps not…
WoodyG got it right. Aaron, the point is with Rodgers and Kampman as they are, we can win the SB. With Spitz and Jolly, or Hawk and Grant, we probably cannot. Instead of posting what are the bright sides of our team that can improve, I would like to see the weakness of our team being dissected… BTW NOT a pretty beret.
P.S. I’m okay with the posts about Rodgers, though. It was actually very insightful. The Kampman post, on the other hand…
We’ll have to agree to disagree on this one. Role-players are interchangable. If your young top players don’t continue to improve, you’re dead in the water. I’ve written more than most about Grant’s limitations. He’s not a special back. That’s mostly a position where you either have it or you don’t. That’s why you see so many rookies able to step in and start at the position. Hawk’s problems were mostly physical last year. But even at full strength, he’s nothing more than a solid player. But Rodgers and Jennings, these guys have plenty left to improve on, even as good as they are. That’s how you become an elite player and you need elite players to win championships.
I love Rodgers. Believe it or not, I loved Mother Theresa, too. But the point is valid: it’s just too early for beatification.
Friends, let the Devil’s Advocate do his work. And let him be a little proud of his work, when it’s clear he’s predicted exactly what the coaches are making Rodgers work on.
Aaron, I find profound meaning in your Rodgers-Theresa analogy. I think it can set a proper mood this coming season. I may just buy matching icons for my wall in time for Week 1. Whaddya think?
Do you think Rodgers’ jock straps have any healing properties? It’s never too early to start collecting relics…
Aaron,
I wasn’t really talking about your blogging choices or disagreeing with your analysis of AR. I happen to agree that AR has room to improve & that GB will improve as AR improves. My point was that AR’s improvement may not be enough (ever) for GB to see the SB again. My own opinion is that GB is set at QB for years with AR but GB needs to have some non-elite positional players step-up for GB to be serious SB contenders.
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I have no problems with your subject matter.
You dared to criticize Lord Rodgers…
Don’t you understand that God Almight (TT) personally selected the annointed one (AROD) to replace the Devil himself, (Brett Favre), and though shalt not take his name in vain..
Never mind that young Aaron has happy feet, cannot read defenses well, and holds on to the ball too long. Never mind, that he’s a Tedford protege that plays it safe, and not to win. These things are NOT to be questioned. Don’t you understand that these deficiencies in Aaron’s game ARE BRETT FAVRE’s FAULT?
Favre is the Devil. Lord TT can NOT be questioned, and neither can young Aaron..
What is wrong with you..?
You should know that!