Packers 53-Man Roster is Filled with Athletic Upside
By AndyHerman
When Brian Gutekunst officially took over for Ted Thompson, we all wondered exactly how the roster would take shape under a new general manager. For years Ted Thompson stuck to the same tried and true roster building process that he used from day one.
Thompson’s philosophy was steeped in the draft and develop process and it was rare when he would choose a top tier NFL free agent over a cheaper, younger alternative who was available at a fraction of the cost. Of course Thompson would from time to time take chances, evidenced by signing Martellus Bennett a season ago; but overall Thompson stuck to his tendencies.
It didn’t take long to realize that Brian Gutekunst was going to run the team in a much different manner than his predecessor.
Whether it was trading Damarious Randall for DeShone Kizer, signing Jimmy Graham, Muhammad Wilkerson, and Tramon Williams, or drafting a group of fast, athletic players in the draft; Brian Gutekunst showed that he was willing to use a different playbook than Ted Thompson. Gutekunst was even willing to make a significant offer to the Raiders for the services of Khalil Mack. The trade didn’t go through, but Gutekunst remains aggressive and steadfast in finding ways to upgrade the team through a variety of avenues.
When all was said and done and the final 53 man roster took shape, Green Bay was left with an impressive roster that was chalk full of elite athletes and high end athletic traits. We started to see this when Gutekunst fielded a draft class that outside of Cole Madison was filled with elite athletes:
In a draft that should shock absolutely no one, the #Packers selected NINE elite #RAS players, and only one that was below 5.00. pic.twitter.com/ly8XeKChxt
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 28, 2018
If you aren’t familiar with RAS you can quickly catch yourself up here: https://relativeathleticscores.com/ Basically RAS gives you an easy to understand numerical measurement that compares players athletically to the players at their individual position. When you take a look at the Packers’ RAS scores, you see a 53 man roster made up of impressive athletes.
There were five players on the active roster that did not have RAS scores available (Tim Boyle, Mike Daniels, James Crawford, Mason Crosby, and JK Scott). Besides those five players Green Bay had 18/49 score at a 9.0 or better which really puts them in elite status. Even more impressive is that 40 of the 49 players graded out as above average (5.0 or better). This means only 9/49 were below average athletically and only 4/49 had a score of below 4.40. All-in-all it’s a ridiculously athletic team.
Here is the breakdown:
Athletic Freaks (9.75+)
1st play of the game, one on one in the open field vs. Zeke Elliott. @King_kevvoo sets the tone right out of the gate. pic.twitter.com/ja4IWUTo25
— Andy Herman (@SconnieSports) October 13, 2017
Kevin King – 9.95
Equanimeous St. brown – 9.92
Darius Jackson – 9.88
Korey Toomer – 9.83
Jason Spriggs – 9.79
Elite Athletes (9.0-9.74)
Week 3 in preseason last year. Aaron Jones already showing that special ability. He knew exactly where that cutback lane was going to be. He has that special feel and 6th sense as a back to just know where things are opening up. pic.twitter.com/jIbQ2EK6Pu
— Andy Herman (@SconnieSports) May 17, 2018
Jimmy Graham – 9.71
Oren Burks – 9.67
Clay Matthews – 9.58
Jaire Alexander – 9.45
Josh Jackson – 9.42
Nick Perry – 9.37
Aaron Jones – 9.23
MVS – 9.20
Josh Jones – 9.14
Trevor Davis – 9.12
Corey Linsley – 9.07
Hunter Bradley – 9.00
Gifted Athletes (8.0-8.99)
Lowry explodes off the line and splits two Buccaneers to force Rodgers back inside. pic.twitter.com/8iBX9ajaTo
— Andy Herman (@SconnieSports) December 9, 2017
Robert Tonyan – 8.83
Dean Lowry – 8.58
J’Mon Moore – 8.27
Great Athletes (7.0-7.99)
I forgot how fun this run was from 2016 when Montgomery was still just learning the position.
88 still has a bright future as a RB in Green Bay. pic.twitter.com/X4oO0e4u28
— Andy Herman (@SconnieSports) January 24, 2018
Lance Kendricks – 7.92
Kentrell Brice – 7.84
Ty Montgomery – 7.77
Muhammad Wilkerson – 7.72
Montravius Adams – 7.65
Kenny Clark – 7.55
Byron Bell – 7.54
Marcedes Lewis – 7.36
Davon House – 7.09
Tramon Williams – 7.06
Above Average Athletes (5.5-6.99)
Nicely done by Blake Martinez. Stack, shed, make the tackle. pic.twitter.com/M0UeT31Y4k
— Andy Herman (@SconnieSports) September 27, 2017
Kyler Fackrell – 6.97
Bryan Bulaga – 6.76
Davante Adams – 6.47
David Bakhtiari – 6.43
Blake Martinez – 6.41
Aaron Rodgers – 6.17
Alex Light – 5.98
Average Athletes (4.5-5.49)
Check out this little hidden gem from Reggie Gilbert two preseasons ago. A little hesitation move followed by the bend around the corner and he just barely misses a sack. The more you watch Gilbert the more he finds ways to impress. pic.twitter.com/f35fWyA4uS
— Andy Herman (@SconnieSports) May 24, 2018
Jermaine Whitehead – 5.29
Justin McCray – 5.05
Deshone Kizer – 4.90
Reggie Gilbert – 4.60
HaHa Clinton-Dix – 4.55
Raven Greene – 4.54
Below Average Athletes (3.0-4.49)
3rd and 5. Cobb vs. Sherman. Such an intricate route by Cobb to convert against one of the best in the game. pic.twitter.com/ywfi7rfpMv
— Andy Herman (@SconnieSports) September 13, 2017
Jamaal Williams – 4.43
Lane Taylor – 3.43
Randall Cobb – 3.00
Bad Athletes (1.0-2.99)
This is so good from Geronimo Allison on 3rd down. Beautiful route, takes the punishment and holds on for a big 1st down. pic.twitter.com/1YbIrQhGbX
— Andy Herman (@SconnieSports) September 6, 2017
Geronimo Allison – 2.80
Yikes (0.00-0.99)
Antonio Morrison – 0.28
Welcome to Green Bay, Antonio Morriso
pic.twitter.com/KyzX4BDVSf— IKE Packers (@IKE_Packers) August 26, 2018
Not Available
Tim Boyle
Mike Daniels
James Crawford
Mason Crosby
JK Scott
Even if you look at the practice squad, you will find yourself another list of incredibly impressive athletes:
Practice Squad
Nice job by Donnerson of closing the back door. His athleticism plays. He just needs time. pic.twitter.com/1YJZEL5H5F
— Andy Herman (@SconnieSports) August 31, 2018
Kendall Donnerson – 9.98
James Looney – 9.77
Tony Brown – 9.17
Joel Bouagnon – 8.84
Tyler Lancaster – 8.54
Marwin Evans – 8.08
Austin Davis – 8.04
Joe Kerridge – 7.07
Adam Pankey – 7.04
Greer Martini – 5.97
All in all it’s very easy to see how Gutekunst has built his team with players who possess above average athletic profiles. Of course that doesn’t mean that high athleticism turns into amazing players; in fact the group with the best set of players listed above is probably the “above average” group which includes Aaron Rodgers, David Bakhtiari, Bryan Bulaga, Davante Adams, and Blake Martinez.
What it does mean is that Green Bay should have the overall athleticism to compete with any team in the league and that they will likely be aggressive moving forward in acquiring talent who fit these high athletic thresholds. Brian Gutekunst has firmly placed his stamp on this franchise in very short order; and it’s a breath of fresh air as we head into the upcoming season.
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__________________________
Andy is a graduate of UW-Oshkosh and owns & operates the Pack-A-Day Podcast. Andy has taken multiple courses in NFL scouting and is an Editor for Packer Report. Andy grew up in Green Bay and is a lifelong season ticket holder - follow him on Twitter @AndyHermanNFL!
__________________________
Comments (27)
hodge555
September 07, 2018 at 01:24 pm
I found 3 of them :-)
Austin Davis = 8.04 (listed under C)
Tyler Lancaster = 8.54 (listed under DT)
Greer Martini = 5.97 (listed under LB)
and not to do him a disservice Antonio Morrison would by 2018 be classed as 0.47 and similarly Geronimo Alison is up to 3.12.
AndyHerman
September 07, 2018 at 01:24 pm
Updated, thanks!
GBfaninMn
September 07, 2018 at 01:22 pm
This scoring system holds no water for me. Scoring 9.58 for CM3 and 3.00 for Cobb!? Can't wait until real football starts so we have some actual stats to base our opinion on.
AndyHerman
September 07, 2018 at 01:28 pm
GBfan,
1) The scoring is based on how they tested athletically during the combine; and is based on position. Comparing Cobb & Clay Matthews doesn't really work here.
2) As I mentioned in the article, it doesn't mean that because you tested well athletically that you are going to be a better player. The "freak athletes" aren't exactly a who's who of all-pro players.
3) The numbers are statistically averaged based on raw athletic data, whether it "holds water" for you or not has no barring on whether or not it's legitimate testing data that can be used. It's a measurement to show overall athleticism, position by position, and the bigger picture here is that it's quite obvious that this is a trend that's increasing with Gutekunst in charge.
Bure9620
September 07, 2018 at 02:19 pm
Agreed, if I am not mistaken Vince Biegel had very high testing RAS as well, simlar to Cliff Avril and several other OLBs. Still for the life of me do not understand the infatuation with Fackrell
GBfaninMn
September 07, 2018 at 03:48 pm
Sorry forgot to use sarcastic font. Just looking forward to some more interesting stats. Like w's in the win column.
Turophile
September 08, 2018 at 03:31 am
To be fair to Ted Thompson, the strong pursuit of the most athletic players did start under his guidance.
No way of knowing how important Gutekunst's input was then (or Wolf, or Highsmith, for that matter).
They sure are headed down that road at the moment though, drafting players which (as a group) are at least in the top 5 highest RAS scores in the NFL (and often higher). Al Davis's ghost smiles down from above (or maybe up from below).
While pursuing the most athletic players will net some failures (Amichia) or disappointments so far (Josh Jones), it is a good building base, even when you sometimes miss out on a less athletic guy, who just gets it done, regardless.
As well as the RAS site, I'd also recommend the MockDraftable Spiderweb site.
PS. Loved The clip of the hit by Kevin King. Keep those shoulders strong, KK.
Oppy
September 08, 2018 at 06:10 am
For what it’s worth, the RAS site link in the article has another link to a breakdown of what teams value RAS/athleticism more than others. While the information is limited ( it only covers ‘16 and ‘17 drafts) it shows the packers drafting highly athletic players in both years- top ten in the league by their metrics. It is fair to say that 2016 was a Ted Thompson draft.
Qoojo
September 07, 2018 at 01:57 pm
If I remember correctly, Jamal Reynolds was athletically gifted too. I think TT eventually valued production over being a pure athlete. Thus the packers evolved into a somewhat "slow" team.
HarlanHuckleby
September 07, 2018 at 03:43 pm
I always thought it would be interesting, although very difficult, to see an athletic rating of NFL players compared to the general population. The interesting part would not be the obvious (e.g. WRs and corners are really fast) but the athletic traits of these players outside the confines of their position (how much faster most O-linemen or stronger punters are than the average Joe).
johngalt
September 07, 2018 at 05:06 pm
That 1st vid is the one that wrecked King's shoulder. Hopefull he's back to normal
Oppy
September 07, 2018 at 05:37 pm
The most important point that I feel we as fans should take away from this break down..
Being a great athlete who plays football does not necessarily make you a great football player.
No question, fielding an athletic team has its merits. However, just because a WR isn't a track star, or a LB doesn't have elite change of direct skills, doesn't mean they aren't great football players or that a player with better measurables is going to out-perform them.
Playing football is a skill unto itself. It's best to judge the player on his play/production, rather than on what his combine results show he is/isn't.
Springer
September 08, 2018 at 03:15 am
There is a demonstrable correlation between athleticism and NFL success (as defined) in the RAS site posted. Of course production and play matter when evaluating talent, but I would contend there have been as many busts of players that were "good football players" as "good athletes". This approach could help find value within the draft.
Oppy
September 08, 2018 at 06:06 am
Generally speaking, I trust professional talent evaluators (NFL Scouts) to weigh a player’s football IQ and demonstrated ability to play the game with technique and skill, and also factor In their athleticism as well. My comment is directed moreso at us mere fans, who occasionally see a late round draft pick or undrafted free agent with dazzling, jump-off-the-page metrics, and immediately assume they are an instant upgrade over another player who, while not having the measurables, may be a wholly better football player and more productive on the field.
Coldworld
September 08, 2018 at 07:44 am
To be a great football player one needs to have two things other than athleticism, desire and instincts.
IF one can find these together in an individual in combination with excellent athleticism then one has a potential star.
The above is hardly new wisdom: been known for years. Equally well known is that many hyper athletes never make good footballers. The difficult scouting task is looking beyond the physical alone.
What athleticism does bring is a higher potential upside and, significantly, improves the ability of marginal players to make up for mistakes, raising the floor standard as well as helping significantly with special teams, where pure athleticism is more of a prime determinant.
Not going to look at the different sites particular metrics either, but their fit to the role a player is expected to play is critical. May explain some additional peripheral discrepancies between performance and rating.
JonathanSpader
September 07, 2018 at 06:01 pm
Gute has definately SPARQed my interest with his draft.
PatrickGB
September 07, 2018 at 06:55 pm
Good job. I love the work put into these articles you do. It’s more than just commentary fluff and opinions. I love it. And as a fan I need stuff like this to confirm what I already seen and give insights into what I am unsure about.
P.S. it also confirms the work that players with lower scores put into each and every practice and game.
Packer_Fan
September 07, 2018 at 07:50 pm
Time to play and stop talking. Actually, I couldn't read the article. I don't put much faith in these metrics. Football lQ, playing with emotion, film study, talent, how players play as a team and how the scheme fits the players talents are all the things that are important. So no, this article doesn't mean much to me. However speed is one metric that can help if the player puts a few other things together.
Since'61
September 07, 2018 at 08:34 pm
It may not mean much to you but without athletic ability the players would not be able to do any of the things you mentioned that do matter to you like actually playing. Thanks, Since '61
Coldworld
September 08, 2018 at 07:53 am
Athleticism alone is no guarantee. Football skills without athleticism are at best likely to produce marginal players. However, beware misleading scores. These sites lock in bad testing days (illness/injury).
If it was this easy we wouldn’t need personnel evaluation. What one needs is a blend, and athleticism need not be the prime element. Lose sight of that and you end up like the Raiders in the Naughts.
Chuck Farley
September 07, 2018 at 08:13 pm
I don't think this is a talented, skilled or speedy team. We will learn a lot sunday.
Since'61
September 07, 2018 at 08:35 pm
We already know that you are a Vikings troll so what else do we need to learn? Thanks, Since '61
Samson
September 07, 2018 at 09:03 pm
I like Gute. (he's not TT)
But, the WIN-LOSE record at the end of season 2018 is really the only numbers that count.
Skip greenBayless
September 07, 2018 at 11:56 pm
Just guessing that Tim Boyle would probably be listed in the athletic freaks or gifted athletes categories.
JonathanSpader
September 08, 2018 at 11:06 am
https://m.herosports.com/nfl-draft/fcs-combine-quarterbacks-top-marks-20...
These are Boyle's combine #s.
Skip greenBayless
September 08, 2018 at 01:17 pm
Thanks Spader. Yep, just as I thought, pretty athletic on all drills.
Packer Dave
September 08, 2018 at 08:29 am
Nice breakdown Andrew. I think we'll finally see some of this athleticism from our receivers this year, and the days of sluggish CB play may be over as well. Defensively, I hope we can track with speed in the middle.
I know our OL is here to pass block for AR, but I wish we had some real road graders. Great LB cores will make this team one dimensional still.