Before free agency officially opens on March 11th, we'll be combing through the Packers roster position by position to see what changes may need to come if the Lombardi trophy is to come home next year.
First up, quarterbacks.
Players Under Contract: Aaron Rodgers, Scott Tolzien
The Packers have the luxury of having one of the NFL's elite heading up this position, and Rodgers lengthy contract extension from last offseason ensures he'll be a Packer for a while. Rodgers is a proven winner and a true game changer, with the perhaps the best accuracy in the NFL. While he is in the prime of his career and eager to bounce back from a great start to the 2013 campaign that was derailed by injury, expect nothing but great production from number 12.
The only other quarterback currently under contract for 2014 is Scott Tolzien. The University of Wisconsin product was thrust from practice squad player to starting quarterback in a matter of days last year when injuries struck Rodgers and backup Seneca Wallace. While he showed flashes of potential in his ability to throw downfield, he struggled mightily in his decision-making and threw a number of bad interceptions that resulted in a 1-5 TD-INT ratio in his 3 games last season. Although his struggles were understandable given it was his first time playing in the regular season, he needs more polish before the Packers can count on him as a solid backup QB.
Free Agents: Seneca Wallace (unrestricted), Matt Flynn (unrestricted)
Seneca Wallace was a last minute signing last offseason to cover up a glaring hole at backup quarterback. Nice thought, but after he suffered a groin injury during his first drive as a starter, he was put on the IR and was never heard from again. That said, it would've been interesting to see how he and the Rodgers-less Pack would've fared had he stayed healthy.
After Wallace went down and Tolzien struggled, enter Matt Flynn to save the day. Although it wasn't pretty at times, Flynn kept the Packers in the playoff race by successfully executing Mike McCarthy's system and executing two big comebacks for the team against Atlanta and Dallas. While Flynn turned out to be a failed starter outside of Green Bay, he seems to really understand McCarthy's offense
My Tips for Ted:
As the Packers enter the offseason, they should have one goal for the offseason at the quarterback position: re-sign Matt Flynn. He has proven that he understands and can successfully run McCarthy's system after both of his stints in Green Bay and after failed stops in Seattle, Oakland, and Buffalo, it is safe to say that he belongs in Green Bay. While Tolzien is being groomed as the backup of the future, Flynn can be the reliable backup that Thompson did not have going into last season.
Grade: A
With Aaron Rodgers under center, the sky's the limit in 2014. Stabilizing the backup to Rodgers will only strengthen this position.
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