2008 Outlook: Can the Packers be better than last year?

One of the guys I’m really excited about this year is Allen Barbre, he's not only our best athlete along the offensive line but he's one of the best athletes on our roster. He has unbelievable athletic ability and the coaches love him, I know because they speak so highly of him every time someone mentions his name. I look for him to be named the starter at LG and I think he's going to play very well. I think Spitz and Barbre will give us that consistency inside we've been looking for since Mike Wahle and Marco Rivera were here.

It's such a luxury to have Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher making sure no one gets to Aaron Rodgers. They're the best Tackle tandem in the NFL and when everybody talks about Jared Allen making a huge impact this year, they forget we have Chad Clifton. Our offensive line is, in my opinion, the best pass blocking line in the league. Scott Wells is super solid in the middle and I love the potential of Barbre and Spitz.

Our Offensive Line is going to make Rodger's job a whole lot easier this year and they should give him plenty of time to find our playmakers. You can't say that we're a bad run blocking unit but I think Clifton and Tauscher just had a hard time adjusting to the new Zone-Blocking Scheme. The success we will have this season will have a lot to do with the play of our offensive line, which just so happens to be one of the best units in the league.

Wide Receivers and Tight Ends

I love what Ted Thompson has done with the Wide Receiver group and the potential they possess is crazy. Greg Jennings showed last year that he is as dangerous as any Wide Receiver in the league with the ball in his hands. He reminds me so much in Marvin Harrison with his ability to get open, he makes cornerbacks look silly and a phenomenal route runner with soft hands. The sky is the limit for Jennings and I expect even better things for him this year as he grows as a WR. While our Offense doesn't have a "#1" WR, Jennings is the best one on our roster.

Driver's birth certificate may tell you he's 33 but he has the physique and fit level of a 23 year old. He's a WR that will be able to stick around for a while because of the unbelievable shape keeps himself in and his immense passion for the game of football. Driver is still super reliable and should be in line for his 5th straight 1,000 yard season.

James Jones is a guy who I have loved since Day 1 and I feel like an idiot for ever booing this pick. I love James Jones and I think he's going to be a fantastic receiver for us now and in the future. He's such a reliable WR and he's stronger than any DB in the NFL, I don't want this to sound like a broken record but he reminds me so much of Sterling Sharpe. The fact that he got visibly stronger and made major strides in the weight room this year(according to the coaches) is bad news for the rest of the NFL because he was already strong as an Ox. I expect Jones to wreak havoc in the slot and I think he's really going to break out this year.

The fact that our WR group should be better than last year is a tribute to how good Ted Thompson has been at drafting Wide Receivers. Jordy Nelson is the newest addition and the kid just reeks of potential, especially when you consider the fact that he's only been playing Wide Receiver for 3 years. He's got great size at 6-3 220 lbs and will be a matchup nightmare for opposing corners; I mean what #4 Cornerback is out there that can match up with this kid? I think Mccarthy is going to be very creative in the way he uses Jordy this year and we'll see him involved in a lot of trick plays like reverses, WR options, and he'll probably be our return man this year as well.

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