Stay ConnectedA Packers podcast committed helping you become a smarter fan. Former WTMJ newscaster Jon Meerdink goes beyond the headlines in Blue 58, bringing you a unique, upbeat perspective on everything Green Bay Packers.
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Copyright: © The Power Sweep, 2021
A new collective bargaining agreement seems to be all but done. Let’s take a look at how it could affect the playoffs. Then, we take your questions about the state of the Packers’ roster before free agency begins.
New CBA could mean expanded playoffs (00:54)
We’re not fans of expanding the playoffs in general, but this could be the best solution for a bad idea.
Listener questions about free agency (8:11)
You've asked a few questions about the Packers' free agency plans. We try to answer them before free agency begins.
How should the Packers allocate their resources? (20:35)
The Packers have limited cap space and eight draft picks to use this year. How should they spend their resources?
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We take a look at two resource-heavy position groups: offensive line and defensive back. The Packers have worked to stabilize these groups for a long time. Did that work finally pay off in 2019?
Packers offensive line holds steady in 2019 (00:35)
The Packers’ offensive line could be their most consistent position group top to bottom. But there were questions in 2019, and they’ll only get bigger moving forward.
Packers defensive have a solid 2019, but uncertain future (20:57)
The Packers’ defensive backfield finally felt like it reached the point Ted Thompson was trying to build to for most of the latter half of his tenure. But that status may be short-lived, as age and free agency may soon take their toll.
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The Packers had one really good wide receiver in 2019 and one potential superstar on the defensive line. Let’s dive into these position groups as our recap continues.
Should the Packers trade for OJ Howard? (00:31)
A listener floats another idea for fixing the Packers' tight ends.
Davante Adams and nobody else at WR (3:13)
The Packers wide receivers weren't very good as a group in 2019, with the notable exception of Davante Adams.
Get Kenny Clark some help on the defensive line! (21:12)
The Packers seem like they are one piece away on the defensive line. Again.
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We’ve arrived at the Packers’ EDGE rushers and tight ends in our positional reviews. Both positions featured pretty big spending...but only one delivered big results.
Packers hire an interesting QC coach (00:23)
Matt LaFleur made a bit of a nontraditional hire for his offensive quality control coach. Learn more about
Further reading: Long days, big dreams: The grind of a quality-control coach
EDGE spending pays off in 2019 (3:36)
EDGE rushers Za’Darius and Preston Smith led a reformed group in 2019.
Point Three (16:06)
The Packers tight ends were basically a nonfactor in 2019. How do they change that for 2020?
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Aaron Jones had a phenomenal 2019, but what about the rest of the Packers’ running backs. Then, Blake Martinez was pretty much Blake Martinez in 2019. Is there hope of replacing him in free agency?
Packers top end RBs deliver in 2019 (3:40)
Aaron Jones finally got a chance to really show what he could do in 2019, and he delivered big time. But how did the rest of the Packers’ running backs fare?
Blake Martinez & Co. leave much to be desired (16:02)
My feelings on Blake Martinez are pretty well known, but is he the exception or the rule in the Packers’ linebacker corps? And who, if anyone, could you turn to in free agency as a replacement?
Further reading: Tackles Don’t Matter: Evaluating Run Defense Through Statistics
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We start our position-by-position look back at the 2019 season, and where better to start than with the quarterbacks? So here we go: 45 minutes on Tim Boyle. Also Shawn Mennenga should be fired.
Evaluating the Packers quarterbacks (1:59)
Manny Wilkins was never active. Tim Boyle got mop-up duty. But Aaron Rodgers provided some big moments — and raised some even bigger questions.
Evaluating the Packers’ special teamers (21:29)
Three parts of the Packers’ special teams performance in 2019 really merit further consideration: the field goal kicking, the punting, and the punt returning. In two of those situations, Shawn Mennenga was a big factor — and not for the better.
Further reading: Packers' JK Scott works to get his mojo back after tinkering leads to inconsistency
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Brian Gutekunst has been on the job in Green Bay for two years and in 2019, we saw the culmination of a lot of his work so far. How’s he been doing? Let’s talk about that.
No moves happen in a vacuum (00:57)
As we evaluate Brian Gutekunst's moves, it's always good to remember that no move is an island; these things don't just happen. You need look no further than the complicated legacy of Ted Thompson for proof.
Further reading: Ted Thompson's Legacy Still Looms Large in Green Bay
Brian Gutekunst's offseason moves (3:33)
Gutekunst made a bunch of moves in the offseason, and in this section of the podcast, that's what we talk about. Not every description has to be profound.
How did Brian Gutekunst allocate his draft resources? (10:29)
The draft is the NFL's ultimate example of opportunity cost: if you take one player with a pick, you can't use that same pick on another player. As a result, we can evaluate every pick as a question of resource allocation. So how did Brian Gutekunst do?
Further reading: Should We Be Concerned About Rashan Gary's Lack of Production at Michigan?
Brian Gutekunst's in-season roster moves (25:08)
More than his predecessor, Brian Gutekunst has shown a willingness to make in-season roster tweaks. How did those pan out this year?
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Let’s talk coaches! The Packers have a new one. Let’s meet Jerry Gray, then talk about the two most important coaches on the Packers: Matt LaFleur and Mike Pettine.
Packers hire Jerry Gray (0:25)
The Packers have added a new defensive backs coach, bringing in longtime NFL assistant Jerry Gray.
Further reading:
Packers hire former Vikings DB coach Jerry Gray to coach secondary in 2020, per reports
How should we evaluate NFL coaches? (2:20)
The entire NFL turns on the idea that we can correctly evaluate coaching performance. Is that true? And if so, how do we do it?
Further reading:
Was Matt LaFleur's rookie season any good? (11:34)
Matt LaFleur was hired to fix Mike McCarthy’s broken offense. Did it work?
Was Mike Pettine's coaching better in 2019 or did they just have better players? (20:32)
Mike Pettine’s defense was generally better in 2019. Was that due to Pettine or just having better players?
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Buy a T-Shirt or Sweatshirt - Look good while supporting The Power Sweep.
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The Packers won’t need to find a new defensive coordinator this offseason. Mike Pettine will return. Let’s talk about why it might be a good idea. Then, let’s talk a little bit about how I’m wrong a lot.
Mike Pettine is coming back (0:22)
Matt LaFleur put a quick end to any drama, announcing Mike Pettine would return after a brief period of evaluation. What do we make of this?
My predictions were very bad (4:03)
Blue 58 made a bunch of predictions in 2019. Were they good? No.
Further reading: 19 Predictions for the 2019 Packers
SUPPORT BLUE 58
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We’re officially in the offseason, folks. Let’s get the lay of the land before diving into the top priority: decisions on pending free agents. But first, some final thoughts on the NFC Championship.
Two last thoughts from the NFC Championship (0:25)
After a little reflection, let’s put the debacle in San Francisco behind us. But first, two final parting thoughts.
The months ahead for Brian Gutekunst (8:20)
After working behind the scenes for months, Brian Gutekunst comes into the spotlight. Here’s a look ahead at his calendar.
What will the Packers do with their 13 unrestricted free agents? (14:37)
Priority #1 for Gutekunst and the Packers front office is making decisions on their 13 unrestricted free agents.
SUPPORT BLUE 58
Donate to our Patreon - $1 per month offsets our podcast hosting costs.
Buy a T-Shirt or Sweatshirt - Look good while supporting The Power Sweep.
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Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/blue-58.
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