SB Nation - Eric Lair

Packers Injury News: 18 Players Expected Out vs. Browns

Evan "Tex" Western — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 17:18:24 -0000

With 17 players missing practice yesterday, the Packers will obviously be a bit shorthanded during their second preseason game this Thursday against the Cleveland Browns. Here is a rundown of the players that are likely to miss that game due to injury, along with some details of their injuries and possible timetables for return:

TE Jermichael Finley - quadriceps injury
Injured in practice August 6th
Expects to return for Packers' third preseason game @ Cincinnati Bengals

WR Greg Jennings - concussion
Injured in family night scrimmage, August 3rd
No timeline for his return

ILB Desmond Bishop - hamstring
Injured preseason week 1 @ Chargers
Expected to miss much, if not all of the season

CB Davon House - dislocated shoulder
Injured preseason week 1 @ Chargers
Expected to miss 2-3 weeks

CB Sam Shields - elbow
Injured in practice August 6th
Hopes to return to practice in about a week

Click the jump for a list of the remaining Packers who will not play on Thursday due to injury.

T Derek Sherrod - broken leg
Injured Week 15 (2011) @ Chiefs, on Physically Unable to Perform list
No firm timetable for his return

TE Andrew Quarless - knee
Injured Week 16 (2011) @ Giants, on PUP list
Hopes to return for Week 1

RB James Starks - turf toe
Injured preseason Week 1
Week-to-week, according to Mike McCarthy

RB Brandon Saine - hamstring
Injured in practice around August 7
Hoping to return in about a week

RB Du'ane Bennett - knee
Injured in practice around August 7

FB John Kuhn - ankle
Injured in practice August 13

WR Diondre Borel - groin
Injured in preseason Week 1 @ Chargers

WR Shaky Smithson - ankle
Injured in preseason Week 1 @ Chargers

OLB Frank Zombo - hamstring
On PUP list

G Ray Dominguez - high ankle sprain
Injured in practice August 2

DT Johnny Jones - knee
On PUP list

FB Jon Hoese - hamstring
No timetable for return

TE Eric Lair - knee
Placed on Injured Reserve

Thanks to the Green-Bay Press-Gazette and JSOnline for their injury trackers during training camp.

Green Bay Packers Pre-Training Camp Grades: TE

Evan "Tex" Western — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 21:30:05 -0000

We finish our grading of the offensive skill positions (with apologies to John Kuhn) with the Tight Ends. See our report cards for the quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers for reference.

There's an unquestioned starter at the tight end position. After that, it drops off to the backups, who fall into vastly different roles. Our confidence in the backups is assessed accordingly.

Starter: Jermichael Finley

Backup all-around tight end: Andrew Quarless

Depth tight end/H-back: D.J. Williams

Depth blocking tight ends: Tom Crabtree, Ryan Taylor

Practice squad fodder: Brandon Bostick, Eric Lair

Confidence in starter - High, with slight hesitation: Finley is capable of being a game-changing tight end, a matchup nightmare, and an impressive blocker. He expects a Gronk-like season out of himself this year, and I for one hope that his chemistry problems with Aaron Rodgers will be solved with a full slate of OTAs, mini-camp, and training camp. However, we can't quite shake the slight worry that he can't live up to his full potential, as he drops balls a bit too often and can tend to disappear for an entire game from time to time.

Confidence in backup - Very low: In this case, I'm referring to Quarless only. I don't think he'll be recovered enough to play until the second half of the season at the earliest, and if I were a betting man, I'd have to put my money on him being out for all of 2012.

Confidence in depth - Above average: These players' skills are matched up perfectly with their roles. Williams won't be asked to shoulder a lot of the load in the passing game, but can contribute from time to time; Crabtree and Taylor are very good blockers who are also very good on special teams. It's highly unlikely that any of them will shock the world during training camp, but that's not why they're on the roster. They'll perform well without a whole lot of potential for excelling beyond their roles. The young depth guys are just that - practice bodies who are long-term projects.

Final grade- B: The starter is capable of being one of the best tight ends in the league; we're just not sure if he can put it all together and live up to the hype. The backups, while not flashy, get the job done, aside from one whose injury makes him a major question mark. That gives a positive grade, though one that won't really impress your parents all that much.

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Green Bay Packers 2012 Roster Projection: TE

Devin Shanley — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 15:19:17 -0000

So far the roster projections haven't been too controversial. Tight end might not be as cut and dry as those positions were around the fan base, but what the Packers actually do is pretty straight forward as well. This is currently en vogue position in the NFL with the rise of Jimmy Graham and the shirtless wonder: Rob Gronkowski. The Packers have also liked this position for the last few years filling the position with guys who can block, catch, and play special teams. So for as much people would like to keep 7-8 WR's and watch the offense come in waves, look for the team to keep 4 TE's around in order to help round out other areas of the team.

Starter: Jermichael Finley - People hate on him but I just don't get it. He was a bit stiff last year, but I will give him a pass on that considering the injury he was recovering from. Expect more in 2012.

Job Security: Ironclad - There is a contingent of Packer Nation that would be happy to be rid of him but a talent like this guy isn't just discarded....at least not by a smart team looking to win another Super Bowl.

Backup: D.J. Williams, Tom Crabtree, and Ryan Taylor - Each guy here has a role and a niche to fill on the offense and on the team. Crabtree and Taylor are blockers and special teams guys, Williams is there to create mismatches similar to Finley.

Job security: Strong - I would be surprised if these guys don't all make it week 1. The main question I have is about Williams. Quarless can do everything he can do, and probably better, so if Williams doesn't make some serious strides in camp then it's his job on the line when Quarless returns.

Practice Squad or PUP: Andrew Quarless - Another some what divisive figure among Packer fans, due to his checked history at Penn St. Despite this I thought I saw him rounding into a pretty good TE last year until the injury cut short his season. From the sound of it so far he's not ready to go and should land on the PUP. IR could also be in the cards as well. The future is bright for Quarless, but it may take the whole year to heal up from this particular knee condition.

Cut: Brandon Bostwick and Eric Lair - Lair could also end up on the PS depending on his training camp showing.

Roster spots left: 43

Green Bay Packers Training Camp Battles: End of a Tight End?

Devin Shanley — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 18:50:36 -0000

It's been running joke that the current leadership of the Green Bay Packers have enjoyed collecting talent at the Tight End spot. This came to a head last year when the Packers kept 5 TE's on the roster after drafting two TE's (Ryan Taylor and D.J. Williams), having a promising young talent in Jermichael Finely and a second promising receiving TE drafted the year before (Andrew Quarless) and then another guy hanging around as a part of the core special teams squad and blocking well (Tom Crabtree). Through out the year Finley stayed healthy and put up a generally acceptable year, Taylor became the blocking / special teams player he was expected to be, Crabtree stayed the same guy he always was as a blocker and special teams player as well, D.J. Williams did next to nothing catching two passes and not really contributing on special teams, and Quarless got injured after looking like things were coming together for him.

This year all of those guys return in some way shape or form and the Packer brought in a couple undrafted rookies as well. Unlike last year though, it's doubtful that the Packers keep all five of these guys again due to pressure coming from other positions. Probably the most notable issue is the glut of talent at WR, but the volume of players on the DL and OT positions also make keeping 5 TE's around unlikely.

What makes this camp battle unique though is the fact that the final decision may not be felt at the normal cut down time period. Quarless looks to be still recovering from his injury and so is probably fated to start the year on the PUP. As a result, all of the players from last year will probably be on the roster again at the start of the year. Don't let this fool you into thinking that jobs aren't on the line though. Guys like Crabtree and Williams will need to show that they can be contributors early and often in training camp. These guys will need to produce in the preseason as well. The reps and balls getting thrown their way will probably not come too often in the regular season, so any impression made in training camp will carry over until week six with Quarless will be reactivated.

So let's meet our contenders for any open TE roster spots....

The Survivor: Tom Crabtree

Biggest reason he will make the team: He knows his role. I don't know what to tell you for why Tom Crabtree is still a member of the Green Bay Packers. Right now he is one of those guys who works hard, found a niche, does it reasonably well, and just holds on. My hats off to him for this because the guy is living the dream...and seems like a pretty cool guy. If Crabtree can stay an important special team player and improve his blocking a bit then there is no reason why he shouldn't stay on the roster.

Biggest reason he won't make the team: Ryan Taylor does his job better. Can anyone tell me the difference between Crabtree and Taylor? I mean besides the number on their jersey and the fact that Crabtree is the one that looks like a sterotypical henchman in a comic book movie. They both do the same thing and I'm not sure the the Packers need them both. They might...you need only so many skill players and the Packers have plenty, some more blockers might be good. Then again, if I had a choice between Crabtree and Gurley or Hargrove I would probably chose against Crabtree.

Tom Crabtree's Stunt Double: Ryan Taylor

Biggest reason he will make the team: He knows his role...and was drafted to fill it. If the choice comes down between Crabtree and Taylor then Taylor probably has the edge. He probably has a slightly larger ceiling than Crabtree and was drafted to basically do the job that Crabtree was already doing.

Biggest reason he won't make the team: Tom Crabtree does the job better. Potential is all well and good, but when it comes down to a nitty gritty job like blocking and special teams teams care more about performance than how good a player you may become. Whoever does the job better will win.

The Man of Mystery: D.J. Williams

Biggest reason why he will make the team: He becomes who he is supposed to be. Williams was an interesting draft pick last year. One of the most productive TE's in the nation. He looked like a dynamic option for the offense at either a traditional TE or a more hybrid H-back role that Kuhn seems to do often. Unfortunately he didn't take the league by storm. Now I don't hold that against him, it's unreasonable to expect a 5th round draft choice to be a contender for rookie of the year. Heck, Finley himself was awful his first year too. So was Quarless. Williams gets a pass for last year.

Biggest reason why he won't make the team: He stayed who he was last year. Sure last year he gets a pass. Then again, if he doesn't show something this year in camp he won't have a job long. Quarless looks to be coming back this year and he is going to need a roster spot when he does come back. Williams not a special teams guy, he's not known as a good blocker, that means he has to show that he can catch and make things happen. The best chance for him to do that is in camp because once the season starts it's going to be too late.

The Rookies: Brandon Bostick and Eric Lair

Biggest reason why one will make the team: A miracle. Stranger things have happened. I honestly don't know much about either of these two, but right now it looks like these guys are going to be competing against two guys who are good in heavy sets and special teams and two guys who are receiving threats. That doesn't leave much room, but stranger things have happened. A big play here, a key block there, and suddenly these guys are folk heroes with a fan base pining for their roster spot. Vic So'oto, Sam Shields, Frank Zombo, Spencer Havner, and Tom Crabtree made it on to the roster in a similar fashion.

Biggest reason why neither will make the team: Reality. These are two undrafted guys competing for a spot on an already overloaded position group. It looks like all the niches have been filled....sometimes twice over. Stranger things have happened though.

The Final Twist: Nic Cooper

Recently Kevin predicted who is going to make it at FB. He didn't think think Cooper would make the team, and that makes sense. However, Cooper is an awful lot like John Kuhn. Both played tailback in small programs. Both don't have the top speed to really be a tailback in the NFL, but they do have the toughness and ball skills to do all sorts of things. If the Packers are intrigued by Cooper then it may not be a total shock for them to keep two FB. This would probably come at the expense of a TE since the Packers have had a habit of keeping around 5-6 total FB's and TE's the last few years. Cooper may the reason the Packers keep only one of the combination of Crabtree and Taylor, or his ball skills could make Williams expendable until Quarless returns.

Poll

What do you think is mostly likely to happen, assuming the Packers keep four TE's this year?

Jermichael Finely is cut

46 votes

Andrew Quarless is put on IR

695 votes

Tom Crabtree is cut

229 votes

Ryan Taylor is cut

209 votes

D.J. Williams is cut

306 votes

1485 votes | Poll has closed

An Early Look at the 2012 Gopher Football Team

GopherNation — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:00:03 -0000

When you end the season on a high note it is natural to start looking ahead to next season with renewed home and optimism (at least it is natural for me). So why wait till spring football or July positional previews to start looking at the 2012 Gopher football team?

The Offense

Based on Kill's history of rebuilding at Southern Illinois and Northern Illinois typically there is a fairly dramatic increase in offensive production from year 1 to year 2. At Southern offensive rushing went up 70% from year 1 to year 2 and scoring went up 146%! I'm not expecting those kind of improvements next year but that is pretty remarkable. At Northern he went up 14% in rushing and nearly 16% in scoring. Assuming the modest NIU improvements that would put us about 5th in the Big Ten in rushing but still lagging around 9th or 10th in scoring.

My guess here is that rushing improves by around 12% putting us at about 180 yards rushing per game. Passing will also improve just because of the maturation and improvement from Gray to about 180 yards passing per game. And scoring will improve by quite a bit more. We may only score about 25 points per game next year but that would be about a 30% improvement over this year! That should be enough to win 2 or 3 more games, obviously depending on schedule, and it should make us more competitive in all of our games.

Quarterback

Gone: nobody
Returning: MarQueis Gray finally established himself as the unquestionable starter and will be returning to lead the Gophers in his senior season. Max Shortell was good for a true freshman and will certainly be a reliable back-up in 2012. This is a position of strength for the Gophers this year and Gray will certainly be the one garnering most of the headlines heading into the fall.
Incoming: Philip Nelson is arguably the prize of the 2012 recruiting class. Most believe he will redshirt this coming fall and then have every opportunity to compete with Shortell in the fall of 2013 to be the starter. The assumption is that Nelson is a better for Kill's offense than Shortell because of being a bit more athletic. But that decision won't have to be made by us for 18 months or so.
2012: This is Gray's team with Shortell backing him up. Having some consistency at QB will be incredibly valuable for this team. Gray's comfort with the offense seemed to come through beginning with the Iowa game and hopefully the playbook can now be expanded in his senior year.

Running Back

Gone: Duane Bennett was a 2,126 yard rusher for his career with 22 total touchdowns. Duane was incredibly valuable as a leader on this team and as a guy who made plays on special teams. Bennett was a well-liked guy on the team and will be missed but his production as a back was never dominant.
Returning: Donnell Kirkwood is a bowling ball who rumbles forward and occasionally knocks defenders on their butts. He does not project to earn the bulk of the carries left behind by Bennett's graduation, but Kirkwood is a hard runner who gets some tough yards. David Cobb was a true freshman who was injured or buried on the depth chart for most of the season. Also does not figure to be a featured back in the 2012 offense but he may surprise if healthy and has a good spring.
Incoming: Roderick Williams Jr is a back out of Lewisville, Texas who may be the feature back as a true freshman. Williams Jr rushed for just under 750 yards and 8 TDs as a senior on a team that went 2-8. James Gillum is a JUCO back coming into the program who figures to be a third-down type back. Gillum finished his JUCO season with nearly 1,300 yards and 16 TDs.
2012: Who gets the majority of the carries in 2012 is probably the biggest question mark facing the offense. Any one of the four backs mentioned could conceivably be the feature back. I'm not worried in the sense that we are screwed and void of any talent, but I really am not that worried because Gray will be leading the team in rushing next year. I don't anticipate that we will have any game-breakers, defenses will be focusing on Gray, but hopefully an improved offensive line will open up some holes that any capable back can run through to keep defenses honest.

Wide Receiver

Gone: Da'Jon McKnight is the only receiver not returning next year. Clearly he was our most talented and dynamic receiver, and had a very good year considering he was a throw-in recruit to try and land the rest of the Skyline-4. McKnight didn't play any football before his JR year of high school and now will likely have a shot at making an NFL roster. Many think his SR year was a bit disappointing but he did improve on his receptions and yards from his breakout JR season. McKnight will be missed.
Returning: Brandon Green, Devin Crawford-Tufts, Malcolm Moulton and Marcus Jones are all returning but Green is led this group in receptions last year with just 15. Green was consistent last year getting a catch or two every game except the NDSU game and scored a nice touchdown in the USC game. His problem has always been getting separation from defenders but he is a solid possession guy who is reliable though not a game-breaker. DCT's coming out party didn't happen until the Iowa game. The speedy freshmen showed some promise in the 2nd half of the year. Moulton looked pretty good at times during the year and seemed to have a knack for getting open. Unfortunately he also had a knack for dropping balls, correct that and he could be a real weapon next year. Jones is a perfect slot receiver for this offense. He is a dynamic player who unfortunately was injured for the last 5 games of the year.
Incoming: Isaac Fruechte is a JUCO transfer coming in with three years of eligibility. He is a big receiver (6-3, 220) who seems to be quite excited to start his Gopher career. Jamel Harbison is an incoming freshman who is still being hotly pursued inspite of his comittment to Minnesota. Some believe Harbison is one of the best kids in the incoming class.
2012: We are returning four guys who saw significant action this past year. Moulton and Green played virtually every game. Crawford-Tufts and Jones were true freshmen who were a certainly a part of the the offensive game plan. McKnight's 51 receptions are a lot to fill but I expect to see an increased role for DCT and if Moulton can shake the dropsies I think he'll have a bigger season too. Jones has a role as the slot guy and returner, if healthy he should have around 25 receptions. Overall this is a solid group that has a couple guys with potential to be more impact players.

Tight Ends

Gone: Eric Lair and Collin McGarry were solid tight ends for the Gophers this year. Lair's offensive production was less than anticipated but he was a good player. McGarry wasn't expected to contribute much at all but his 16 catches and 2 TDs were more than expected. He too was solid and both will be missed.
Returning: John Rabe will be the lone senior TE next year. Rabe's claim to fame is that half of his catches are for TDs. If he could just up his production from four catches on the season that might be a significant ratio. The Iowa native should see more snaps next year as a solid blocker and receiving TE. Drew Goodger was the true freshman who moved from DE to TE. Goodger had 2 catches last year and should see his role increase in 2012.
Incoming: Maxx Williams is the Waconia kid who figures to have a shot at playing time as a freshman. He has decent size at 6-4 and 225 lbs and he'll bring some athleticism. Williams played some QB, TE, WR, S, MLB, P and K for Waconia. Samad Hinds is a tall, athletic kid who will need to add some bulk before he becomes a pass-catching TE threat in the Big Ten.
2012: Rabe, Goodger and Williams are the guys expected to see time on the field as the Gopher TEs next year.

Offensive Line

Gone: Ryan Wynn, Chris Bunders and Ryan Orton. The senior trio struggled early in the season but eventually, after some juggling & jiggering they started to play pretty well. Bunders enjoyed the best season of the group after he moved to RT to replace the injured Jimmy Gjere. All three played a lot over their four years and you always notice when you lose three seniors along the OL. None were dominant but their leadership and experience will be missed.
Returning: Fortunately we return a lot along the line. Ed Olson will be entering his third year starting at LT. He will need to take some steps forward but he has been pretty good in his young career. Tommy Olson will be the starter at LG after starting there as a true freshman and performing well. RG was filled this year by Zac Epping when Bunders moved to tackle. The redshirt freshman got some valuable experience and is the presumed starter for 2012. Josh Campion missed the year due to injury but I'm guessing he'll be in the mix to start at G or maybe even C. Sophomore, Zach Mottla also got a lot of snaps at C when Wynn was injured. And finally Jimmy Gjere started the year as the starting RT before concussion issues derailed his freshman year.
Incoming: Jonah Pirsig is a big tackle from Blue Earth who chose the Gophers over offers from most of the Big Ten and Auburn. He is 6-9 and 300 lbs so he has the size to compete right away, but should benefit from redshirting and adding strength. Isaac Hayes projects to be an inside lineman. He too could be a very good lineman for the Gophers but will likely need a redshirt year.
2012: We have a lot returning and should have a lot of depth. We have four kids coming off their redshirt year to go along with several who saw playing time in 2011. Both tackle spots and LG are set for 2012 (and 2013). Center and RG are going to be up for grabs but there will be no shortage of competition for those starting spots. I expect to see this unit to make big strides next year and become a relative strength.

The Defense

The defense certainly improved throughout the 2011 season. Particularly the pass rush and run defense became more reliable. Most of the increase in sack numbers came from the LBs but the defensive line did a better job of at least getting pressure on the opposing QB. The secondary was still an issue but I think we saw some progress from a couple guys and it is obvious that a major focus with the 2012 recruiting class is to bring in a couple DBs who can contribute right away. The defense was giving up an average of 35.8 points per game through their first seven games. They finished the final five games allowing just 26.4. That is not a dominant number but it is certainly more manageable than 35+. I do not expect a dramatic defensive improvement next year, I just expect to see more similar numbers to what we saw in the final five games which should bring our overall numbers down a bit from the 2011 totals.

Defensive End

Gone: nobody
Returning: Michael Amaefula, Ben Perry, D.L. Wilhite, Kendal Gregory-McGhee and Matt Garin saw basically all of the snaps at end this past year and they all return. Down the stretch it was the true freshman Amaefula and the redshirt freshman Perry who were the starters with Wilhite getting a lot of snaps in the rotation. Those three combined for 5.5 sacks and 48 tackles. KDM and Garin also contributed plenty with each having 1.5 sacks.
Incoming: Alex Keith a 6-5 end out of Missouri who had offers from Northern Iowa and Missouri State with some interest from a few Big 12 schools. Expect a redshirt year for Keith.
2012: With everyone returning and Thieran Cockran coming off his redshirt year this group should at the very least be stable. Their production certainly increased as the year went on and the freshmen improved quite a bit to give us a young tandem. Amaefula came out of nowhere to be starting as a true freshman. Ben Perry, you may remember, came out of a Texas powerhouse yet saw little to no recruitment out of high school and was starting this year after redshirting last. Those two supplanted the two presumed starters of Garin and Wilhite. Very nice surprises and hopefully all of these guys continue to develop for next fall.

Defensive Tackle

Gone: Anthony Jacobs and Brandon Kirksey were both solid big men in the middle. They were easily our two most productive defensive linemen. I am concerned that we are graduating them but I am much more concerned that we have very little returning to replace them.
Returning: Ra'Shede Hageman is the one guy that gives me a little bit of comfort heading into 2012. Shede finished the season strong and looks to finally be on the path to being a productive and reliable starter on a Big Ten defense. Eric Jacques was also in the rotation this past year and he is the most likely guy to be starting unless one of the ends moves inside.
Incoming: I highly doubt that the coaching staff is finished recruiting this position. I fully expect that a JUCO tackle will make his way to the Gopher commitment list before this class is finished. In addition to the potential addition we are also bringing in Jordan Hinojosa from Miami and Scott Epke from Texas.
2012: This is going to be a dangerously thin and potentially very weak unit in 2012. I really was pleased with Hageman by the end of the season. He was a guy who seemed to be floundering for most of his Gopher career and now appears to be flourishing. He is a physical specimen and I think he will have a big year in 2012. After that it is time for someone to step up. As mentioned a JUCO player will likely be brought in, but who knows if that player will be starter material or not. Jacques got some time this past year and maybe with an offseason to prepare he'll be legit. This is an area of question on the D.

Linebacker

Gone: Gary Tinsley who finished his Gopher career with 198 tackles, 6.5 sacks and 1 INT. He had a solid senior season and two years as the starting MLB. I am happy that we are only losing one linebacker but Tinsley was pretty good replacing Lee Campbell after the 2009 season.
Returning: Keanon Cooper and Mike Rallis return at both OLB positions. Brendan Beal has been with the team for two years and has yet to play a snap but he will be returning from injury and hopefully will anchor the MLB position. Cooper is one of the guys on defense who really seemed to improve as the year went along. He is the fastest guy on the team and has accumulated some decent career numbers heading into his senior season (188 tackles, 2.5 sacks and 13 TFLs). Rallis was a surprise starter last year as a sophomore and has been very solid. Beal was formerly a big-time Florida recruit who some thought might challenge Tinsley to be the starter this year, but a knee injury kept him off the field for all 12 weeks. Spencer Reeves and Aaron Hill also saw significant playing time this year. Lamonte Edwards, Dwayne Mitchell, Brent Singleton, Quinn Bauducco, Jephte Matilus and Peter Westerhause are all going to be Sophs or redshirt freshmen who have a chance to get themselves into the LB rotation.
Incoming: Josh Ballesteros, Brian Nicholson, Drew Davis and Jack Lynn are all currently committed to the Gophers. Those four guys, plus possibly another one still considering the Gophers, plus six FR or SO listed above means we have a ton of young linebackers. I would be shocked if any of the four or five incoming freshman do anything other than redshirt next year.
2012: As mentioned we have a ton of young linebackers. This and QB might be the only positions that I have very little concern with now or in the near future. This position has some talented, experienced guys who will be relied upon in 2012 (Cooper, Rallis, Hill, Beal, Reeves) and several young guys who will have time to develop strength and learn the position. This was the strength of the 2011 D and I anticipate it will be a strength in 2012 as well. We aren't LB-U, I'm just not concerned that this unit will be a weakness.

Cornerback

Gone: Johnny Johnson and very likely Troy Stoudermire. Stoudermire was our best corner over the last two seasons but unfortunately spent nearly 8 games of his senior season sidelined with a broken arm. There is slim hope that he will be granted a medical hardship waiver and be he'll be back for the 2012 season. That would be awesome news but he did technically participate in 5 games so this one might be a tough sell to the NCAA.
Returning: Brock Vereen and Kyle Henderson were our starting corners for most of the year and will both be returning. Michael Carter saw significant action sometimes and was MIA others but he the former 4-star corner will also be returning. Cedric Thopmson saw some action as a true freshman, Tyrone Bouie will be s sophomore and Steven Montgomery will be ready to play after redshirting this year.
Incoming: Dinero Moss and Eric Murray are currently the only two incoming freshmen and hopefully they will both be able to redshirt. Jeremy Baltazar and Briean Boddy are incoming JUCO corners, I would not at all be surprised to see another corner commit to the Gophers in the near future.
2012: This is an area of great concern. This is a unit lacking in overall talent and depth. Returning our starters and primary backup is a good thing, but this unit still needs a talent upgrade. If Stoudermire is able to return I feel much better about this group for 2012 and then have the same concerns again in 2013. Stoudermire and Vereen starting with Henderson and Carter and Thompson backing them up would be OK. Maybe Baltazar will come in and make an immediate impact for two years, that would be a huge blessing for this defense.

Safety

Gone: Kim Royston is maybe the biggest loss of this ~~graduating class~~ class of players with eligibility expiring. He led the team in tackles and made some big plays, we were fortunate that he was granted that rare 6th year. Christyn Lewis is also graduating and he was a starter at FS for most of the year. Lewis frustrated Gopher fans with missed tackles and guys getting behind him or by him for big plays. There had to be other options right? Well apparently not, but we'll find out in 2012. Shady Solomon will also be graduating.
Returning: Kenny Watkins and James Manuel were two Brewster recruits who received lot of August praise as true freshmen. Neither has played their way onto the field yet but they will likely be relied upon in 2012. Manuel played in 10 games this year earning 11 tackles.
Incoming: Nick Rallis is currently the only safety commit but this is another area that may get a shot in the arm from the JUCO ranks. I do not expect that he will be contributing as a true freshman, even if this is a thin unit.
2012: This one could get ugly. I am trusting that the staff has something figured out for next year, or at the very least another offseason for Watkins and Manuel will put them in position to be solid contributors next season. There is also the possibility that this position gets one of the corners to move over and earn a starting spot. Possibly Thompson or Montgomery, but I'm just speculating.

I am not expecting that 2012 is going to be the big turn around year where we leap from 3 wins to 8, but I do think this team is in position to be better than the one that started the 2011 season. Not making any win predictions yet, but this team will be better. Areas of strength will be QB, LB, OL and I believe DE and getting Stoudermire back for another year would be a huge shot in the arm for the defense.

Should be a fun year with Gray as a senior leading the team.

Revisiting the 2011 Minnesota Golden Gophers

Husker Mike — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 11:00:59 -0000

Let's just lay it on the line: Minnesota has really struggled on the field this season. The Gophers rank last in the Big Ten in scoring (both offense and defense), and no better than ninth in any statistical category. The Gophers best game this season might have been the season opener against USC. In Los Angeles, the Gophers second-half comeback came up short in a 19-17 loss. Since then, the bottom fell out. New Mexico State and 1-AA North Dakota State beat Minnesota in Minneapolis, and both Michigan and Purdue took the Gophers behind the woodshed.

Starting quarterback MarQueis Gray suffered a turf toe injury in the Gophers only victory against Miami, and missed the next two games. He split time against Purdue two weeks ago, and claims to be fully recovered after the bye week. But injury problems linger at running back, where only leading rusher Duane Bennett is healthy. Backup Donnell Kirkwood has been nursing a hamstring injury all season, and now freshmen David Cobb and Devon Wright are "real questionable" after also suffering hamstring injuries. Lamonte Edwards moved from running back to linebacker in fall practice, but is now practicing some at running back in case he's needed on offense. Of course, that leaves a hole on defense, as Edwards started at outside linebacker against Purdue.

As the season has spiraled out of control, you hear rumblings about the depth of the Gophers' problems, stemming back to the previous coaching staff. Kind of reminds me of the stories that came out of Lincoln three years ago. Is it a coincidence that Kevin Cosgrove was part of both staffs? Hard to say, but it's clear that Minnesota is having a tough time putting it all together. What will a bye week do for that? Will they rally together at home - or completely tank it? Things are rather rough, as University President Dr. Eric Kaler issued the dreaded "vote of confidence." After the jump, our summer preview of the Golden Gophers.

Tom Osborne probably summed it up best when Nebraska's inaugural Big Ten schedule was released, featuring games against at Wisconsin, Michigan, and Penn State along with home games against Ohio State, Michigan State, and Iowa: "Whoa!" Nebraska's only opponent that failed to make a bowl game in 2010: Minnesota. I'm sure many Husker fans were looking forward to a mid-season breather against the Gophers this season. Even more importantly, get a chance to see Nebraska's worst defensive coordinator of the past fifty or more years on the other sideline.

But our old friend Kevin Cosgrove was fired, along with the rest of the coaching staff after a miserable 3-9 season. Cosgrove is now defensive coordinator at Akron, which should delight offensive coordinators throughout the MAC. So rather than the Huskers exploiting the patented Cosgrove bend-and-break defense on October 22nd, it will be Frank Solich's Ohio Bobcats instead.

New Gopher head coach Jerry Kill brought along much of his coaching staff from Northern Illinois. Offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover has been with Kill for ten years, following him from Southern Illinois to Northern Illinois then Minnesota. Defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys has coached with Kill since 1995, and has been Kill's defensive coordinator the last twelve years. Northern Illinois went 11-3 last season, defeating Minnesota 34-23, and earning their third straight bowl game appearance.

By all accounts, Minnesota is ready to let MarQueis Gray play quarterback full-time now that Adam Weber's eligibility is over. Since Gray was too good of an athlete to keep on the bench, he's played mostly receiver but frequently took snaps as a Wildcat quarterback. Last season, he completed just 2 of 8 passes, but rushed for 110 yards on 23 carries. He was the Gophers' second leading receiver, catching 42 passes for 587 yards and 5 touchdowns. If Gray struggles, they probably will turn to 6'3" redshirt freshman Tom Parish, who passed up sophomore Moses Alipate in the spring game. Alipate is a pure dropback passer, who's weight has ballooned up to 281 pounds at last report.

Senior running back Duane Bennett started last season as the top back, rushing for 294 yards in the first two games. He sprained his ankle, and the injury bothered him the rest of the season. Bennett suffered an ACL injury in 2008 which limited his production in 2008 and 2009. Senior DeLeon Eskridge was the Gophers leading rusher last season, rushing for 698 yards and seven touchdowns, though with only a 3.6 yard per carry average. Look out for redshirt freshman Lamonte Edwards, who might emerge as the season progresses.

Senior Da'Jon McKnight is the Gophers leading returning receiver, catching 48 passes for 750 yards and ten touchdowns last season. Junior Brandon Green suffered a knee injury last season and was awarded a medical hardship. He started five games in 2009, catching 21 passes for 293 yards and a touchdown. JuCo transfer Ge'Shun Harris could come in and be a steady possession receiver with his 6'3" frame. Tight end Eric Lair caught 39 passes last season for 526 yards last season.

On the offensive line, the Gophers return two starters, both on the left side. Senior guard Ed Bunders has started every game the last two seasons, and sophomore tackle Ed Olson started 8 games as a redshirt freshman. Senior guard Ryan Orton was a spot starter on the line last season and should slide into the right guard position. All eyes are on redshirt freshman Jimmy Gjere, who turned down Wisconsin and Iowa to play for the Gophers.

On defense, the Gophers return eight starters, though they likely will need to be retrained on how to play defense. How long did it take the Blackshirts to shake off Kevin Cosgrove again? Three starters return up front from a group that struggled to stop the run or rush the passer. Senior Anthony Jacobs is the third leading returning tackler, though he's moving from defensive end inside to tackle. Junor defensive end D.L. Wilhite needs to rebound into the form that earned him all-Big Ten freshman honors in 2009.

All three starting linebackers from last season return. Senior Gary Tinsley led the Gophers with 90 tackles last season despite a nagging hamstring injury that hampered him all season long. Juniors Mike Rallis and Keanon Cooper also return, but one of those is likely to lose their starting spot to sophomore Brendan Beal, who transferred from Florida. Beal was a Parade All-American, but didn't want to bide his time in Gainsville. At 6'3" and 245 pounds, look for him to find a home at middle linebacker.

In the secondary, the Gophers return three starters...most importantly, free safety Kim Royston. Royston started his career at WIsconsin, then transferred to Minnesota for the 2009 season. Last season, a broken leg kept him on the sideline all season long, and the NCAA awarded him a sixth season of eligibility. Senior cornerback Troy Stoudermire moved from receiver to cornerback during last season and started the final six games of 2010. He was a quick study, and proved to be a solid hitter when tackling. He'll also return kickoffs, averaging 27.2 yards a return.

Minnesota showed some signs of life late in the season, upsetting Illinois and Iowa who probably were looking past the Gophers. Jerry Kill has been a winner every where he's been...but it'll take time to dig Minnesota out of this hole.

Poll

Summer Prediction for Gophers vs. Huskers

32%

Minnesota pulls off the stunning upset.

108 votes

54%

The Huskers win, but the Gophers keep it close

184 votes

13%

Remember 1983, when Nebraska won 84-13? Yikes.

45 votes

337 votes | Poll has closed

Poll

Your prediction for Huskers vs. Gophers

Minnesota pulls it all together and pulls off the stunning upset.

5 votes

Minnesota starts bouncing back, but it's not nearly enough. Huskers win.

39 votes

It's 1983 all over again. PETA files a complaint for Gopher abuse.

80 votes

124 votes | Poll has closed

2011 Purdue Football: Minnesota Golden Gophers (with An SBNation Survey)

BoilerTMill — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 16:27:53 -0000

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With that out of the way, we now look forward to Minnesota because we can only look forward. I know I have taken some flak for still believing something can be salvaged from this season, but I have to. Otherwise, there is little point in being a Purdue fan right now.

Fortuantely, we get Minnesota at home this week. The Golden Gophers might be a worse team than Rice and Middle Tennessee State, so it has to be a win. I don't think anyone thinks that beating Minnesota at home is impossible. In fact, I think more people are concerned about the health of Robbie Hummel. Remember, he had his first tear at Minnesota and second when the Gophers came to town last year. Therefore, the mission of the weekend is not to win a football game, but to protect from sabotage. Some tips if you're a student:

Please clear Robbie's path if you see him walking on campus. It is early fall, so there is bound to be leaves and branches.
Gophers are excellent tunnelers, so inspect the grass for any unusual tunnels.
Last year Rob got hurt at the first practice, which is still a week away. Be wary of any Gopher like anuimals near the nearly completed Mackey complex.
Protect Robbie's computer if he starts transferring files via the Gopher protocol.
Gopher towns can quickly take over large areas and have been known to disrupt fiber-optic cables, so be aware. They could take down the entire school network.

So yes, the primary focus of the weekend is to protect Robbie from the Varmint Cong. As far as football, this could get ugly. Both teams looked awful last weekend, but at least we scored. As bad as we have been, we haven't been as bad as Minnesota.

Quarterbacks:

So was yesterday a bit of a mutiny? Robert Marve spoke his mind on Twitter about being told he was playing outside the system. He later came back and hopped on the team bandwagon:

@RMarve 9: People r looking way to much into things. Reread what I first said. I'm all in and these players r very close together!!!

I like Caleb TerBush and what he has done for us, but I agree with many others that Marve is the player that gives us the best chance of salvaging something from this year. He needs to be on the field. If playing outside of the system makes us less predictable on offense that's a good thing, but the coaching staff doesn't understand that. It means we get more double QB madness this weekend with TerBush starting.

On the other side the Gophers have their own controversy. Max Shortell earned the start last week and it mattered little. He's 24 of 50 for 300 yards, two scores, and two picks so far. Of course, MarQueis Gray, and Indianapolis native, was the previous starter, but he has been ineffective as a passer. Gray has thrown for 521 yards, three scores, and three picks. The Gophers complete less than 50% of their passes, while we're closer to 60%. Advantage: Purdue

Running Backs:

So far Minnesota's ground game has most been Gray running around, with 351 yards rushing. Duane Bennett is next, but the running back has only 197 yards rushing in five games. Once again, we have a major advantage on the ground with Ralph Bolden, Akeem Hunt, Akeem Shavers, and others. The Gophers give up 156 yards per game on the ground and as long as you take out Gray, they don't run well. Clearly, this is an edge we have based solely on the different options we have and their production when we have given them the ball. Unfortunately, we likely won't take advantage of it. Advantage: Purdue

Wide Receivers:

The Gophers have Da'Jon McKnight, and that's about it. Their stats aren't as skewed as a few eyars ago when they had Eric Decker doing all their catching, but McKnight has 22 catches for 291 yards and a score, while the next best receiver is Malcolm Moulton with 11 catches for 150 yards. Eric Lair and Marcus Jones have over 100 yards receiving, but the gopher passing game is ineffective when the quarterbacks can't get the receivers the ball. We've had a nice balance between Antavian Edison, Justin Siller,a nd O.J. Ross. Edison has been our best big play threat (especially since we refuse to give the ball to Bolden). Waynelle Gravesande and Gary Bush have been solid, consistent performers, while I still like Crosby Wright. I give us the edge based solely on our number of options. Advantage: Purdue

Offensive Line:

This will be a battle of who sucks more. The Gophers have given up 14 sacks and we have given up 11. Ryan Orton and Ryan Wynn will have to guard the interior of the line against Bruce Gaston and Kawann Short. We're getting what little pass rush we do get from the interior. One of our biggest mysteries is why Ken Plue is still on triple secret probation. He's possibly our best linesman, but his absence has made our line struggle with all the necessary shifting of positions. Maybe Plue is Hummel's personal bodyguard? Advantage: Even

Defensive Line:

Neither team has had much of a pass rush. In fact, I doubt either team could put pressure on an Old Country Buffet during a senior's early bird special. D.L. Wilhite has one of just two sacks in five games for Minnesota. Purdue has four sacks, led by Robert Maci with two. A major shortcoming of this Purdue team has been the lack of a pass rush. It is safe to say we desperately miss Ryan Kerrigan. Advantage: Even

Linebackers:

Joe Holland and Will Lucas are very active against the run and can get into the backfield. As I have said all year, we're good on the edges, but awful up the middle. Minnesota's linebackers haven't been doing as much tackling as its secondary, which is the sign of a bad team. Mike Rallis has 27 stops, but starters Gary Tinsley and Keanon Cooper are still behind their secondary in tackles. They don't get into the backfield as much as Lucas and Holland, so we're slightly better. Slight advantage: Purdue

Secondary:

I thought that Ricardo Allen could handle Michael Floyd last week or at least challenge him. I was wrong. Unfortuantely, we never tried to adjust when that became evident. I'd rather attribute it to Floyd just being that good. Both guys are excellent, but Floyd is just better. Josh Johnson also dropped a sure interception and long return that could have greatly chanpart of Minnesota's trouble probably comes from the fact that Jerry Kill has missed nearly two weeks of practice while undergoing treatment for seizures. ged the game. In the end, out safeties were exposed even more than usual. Kim Royston and Brock Vereen are their leading tacklers, while Troy Stoudermire has two of their three interceptions. This should be an interesting matchup because they have had an awful passing game, but we have given up way too much over the middle. In return, they have been absolutely shredded by teams (1,300+ yards and 11 touchdowns) and our passing game has been much better than theirs. Advantage: Purdue

Special Teams:

Cody Webster is officially the best punter in the nation, leading with a 48.7 yard average and seven downed inside the 20. 14 of our 22 total punts have been downed inside the 20, and given their offensive struggles that is a huge edge. Carson Wiggs has struggled a bit since the block at Rice, but his range is a lot better than Chris Hawthorne. On returns, Gravesande has been effective on punts and Ross on kickoffs. Bennett has returned one punt for 30 yards and a score for them, but that is their only return of note. Stoudermire is merely average on kick returns, and they get lots of practice at them since they give up so many points. Advantage: Purdue

Coaching:

Part of Minnesota's struggles may come from the fact that their coach has missed nearly two weeks of practice while battling seizures. My own feelings toward Coach Hope have been made clear. He has failed to prepare us for any team not named Southeast Missouri State and refuses to take advantage of an opposing team's weaknesses or of our strengths. He continues to insist on this insane two quarterback system while refusing to give the ball to Bolden, our best offensive threat. Defensively, we have zero pass rush (our strength for years) and the middle of the field is still a gaping hole.

Basically, it is very sad that a team has a coaching advantage when said better coach is battling major health issues. Advantage: Minnesota

Final Analysis:

This has to be a win, right? We've been bad, but Minnesota was so bad that the Daily Gopher wrote about shutting down the program, then had to post a retraction when too many people believed it. If we play to our strengths and their weaknesses we should have little trouble, but that's what we thought against MTSU and Rice. That likely means a close game.

Minnesota has shown nothing that alludes to a Big Ten victory. Their lone win was the result of a dropped fourth down pass in the end zone against Miami (OH). They have failed to stop an FCS team and one of the worst FBS teams in the country. They did absolutely nothing against Michigan last week, and based on what we have seen so far, the loser of this game is likely the worst team in the Big Ten. If that is us, coach Hope should be fired immediately.

At leas with a win we can lay claim to first place in the Division.

Purdue 31, Minnesota 21