We are wrapping up the Green Bay Packers season with a grading of the offense/defense/special teams of the 2013 season. I will also choose an MVP for both sides of the ball.
QuarterbackAaron Rodgers - This is easily the toughest grade to make because you look at it from only about half of the season and if we do, Rodgers did not really have a great season. Let's be honest, he plays out the full season, he might be a fringe Pro Bowler but he did not have a stellar season before he got hurt. You could argue based off the Minnesota game, Rodgers found his stroke again and on his way to make his run, but no one will know that answer, thanks to a collarbone. Although at the end of the day, Rodgers made a case for being the most valuable player every year with his performance in the final game of the season. GRADE B+
Matt Flynn - If you look at 'season-savers', Flynn is one of them for a couple of games. Coming in against Minnesota pulling the team back in the fourth quarter to force a tie and then once again, a comeback against Dallas that will be remembered forever. But there are some lowlights including the whole Detroit game, and generally most of the Pittsburgh game as well. Flynn had such a bad year with other teams, and somewhat redeemed himself with the Packers. GRADE B
Scott Tolzien - The whole idea of Wisconsin Badgers' former quarterback coming in to save Green Bay was too much of a narrative. He made some plays against Philadelphia and one nifty spin move into the end zone against Minnesota, but truthfully, he did not doing anything amazing for Green Bay. GRADE C-
Seneca Wallace - Nothing real exciting here except for a story when I was in Iowa for a wedding in mid-September. Sunday riding an elevator to breakfast after one of the biggest blackouts since age 21 weary as all get out, possibly still drunk. A conversation starts with an old man about football in Iowa and Green Bay. He goes 'Y'all have one of our boys up there.' Being a dumbass, I assumed he was a Hawkeye fan and asked who? (Forgetting Mike Daniels) and he said 'Seneca Wallace' Completely forgot he held a roster spot back then, oh wrong of me to think of him like that. GRADE D-
Running BackEddie Lacy - What a year for Lacy. He played really well all season as a rookie, and got better as the year progressed. If there is one player, I wanted to see further in the postseason was Lacy. He seemed to get stronger as the year moved on. He battled through an ankle injury, asthma and a early season concussion to be likely the Rookie of the Year on the offensive side of the ball. This might be a little hyperbolic and a little over-the-top but I think Green Bay has two MVP contenders in the next three years in Rodgers and Lacy. He is my MVP for the season without question. GRADE A
James Starks - I never realized it until FOX Sports Peter Schrager pointed out Lacy and Starks are a ton like Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw plus they happen to wear the same numbers. I would be fascinated to see another year of Starks with Lacy because I think they can be a formidable duo, but he will get a near starter money whether it be from Cleveland, New York Jets or any other team needing to upgrade at running back. Not to mention, Johnathan Franklin can be the change of pace back. Really nice year for Starks when people thought he might not make the roster in August. GRADE B+
Wide Receiver
Jordy Nelson - Strange year for Jordy. One of the things I expected to be a narrative by Fall of 2014 is how much Rodgers needs Jordy and vice versa. Without Rodgers, Nelson had 504 yards with only one touchdown. With Rodgers, Nelson had 810 yards with seven touchdowns. Now this amounted to a career season for Nelson going over 1,300 yards for the year becoming the true number one for this team. He finished seventh in Packers history for receiving yards in the year. Nelson is rounding right into his prime and that's a scary thought. GRADE A-
James Jones - Football is weird. Jones had 15 touchdowns last season, and this year, three. He did have over 800 yards, and it was very quiet. He only had two games with over 100 yards of receiving, and it occurred in the first six weeks of the season. A fine year for Jones, but nothing really eye-opening. I do not expect Jones back next year. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel did report he played the last two games with broken ribs which is impressive. Loaded wide receiver draft coupled with the play of Jarrett Boykin. I stuck behind him and like him a lot yet I really have no idea how he comes back next year. GRADE B-
Randall Cobb - Tough year for Randy. It is not truly slump as Matt Elam broke his goddamn leg. And let's not forget he had probably one of the most memorable catches in Green Bay's history. That will vault him a couple grades higher for Cobb this season but this season will probably be looked at as a blip on the radar with one major moment involved. GRADE C+
Jarrett Boykin - What is truly weird is I looked at Boykin's numbers, and I would think he would be right around what Jones did for the year, but that is not accurate. Granted, this could have something to do with Boykin not seeing time until the Baltimore game due to injuries. He had his coming out party against Cleveland with a touchdown and over 100 yards. Three out of the next four games Boykin would have at least 85 yards of receiving. It is truly exciting to see what will happen with him next season. Future is bright. GRADE B+
Tight End
Andrew Quarless - At the beginning of the year, I said 'Quarless is the guy you should be booing instead of Jermichael Finley, he drops the balls, not J-Mike.' After Finley's injury, Quarless did not really step up into the offense until Rodgers went down. He did not have a multiple touchdown game nor a 100 yard game yet he played well against Atlanta and Dallas becoming more reliable as a tight end. He could come back and compete with a rookie tight end because they could really get a game-changer at that position early on. GRADE C+
Jermichael Finley - I am not going to give J-Mike a grade, but I wanted to type a few words saying it was awesome to watch him play with the Packers. I enjoyed being an unabashed defender of him, and I will return to my post if he comes back to the team although I highly doubt he will return. With modern medicine the way it is, I would not doubt Finley comes back and helps out a team next season whether it be Green Bay or not.
Offensive Line
David Bakhtiari - It is really hard to ask a fourth-round draft pick to play left tackle for Green Bay where he needs to protect arguably the best quarterback's blindside. Bakhtiari took some rookie lumps, but in reality, the future looks really bright for him. He handled Jared Allen twice, and did adequately against some of the other greats on the defensive line. The higher grade is due to what Green Bay asked him to do this season. Most people do not understand how hard this was for him. GRADE A-
Josh Sitton - I might get mad about his social media antics at times, but Sitton had a hell of year along with the others inside. Sitton helped bring back the Packers rushing attack. I honestly think he is a better run blocker than pass blocker, and that has not been known until this year. Although when it all said and done, he is a top five offensive guard plus making the smooth transition to the left side helps his grade as well. GRADE B+
Evan Dietrich-Smith - I do not know what to make of EDS. I am not sure he is a great offensive lineman, but I do not think he is average. Somewhere in-between would fit EDS perfectly. He is not the best at anything yet he gets the job, night in and night out. He gets away with a lot of shit, and that's important when you are an inside man. Dietrich-Smith needs a new contract, and he might be the second-most important to return besides Sam Shields. It is tough to find centers to combine with great quarterbacks. If Rodgers wants EDS, the organization will keep him. GRADE B
T.J. Lang - I feel like he will probably get skewered for an average season because of who played right tackle next to him. As an offensive line, sometimes the guy next to you can limit what you did this season or what people thought of you. I felt like Lang had a close to Pro Bowl year honestly. He did just as much as Sitton to push the line and make things happen inside. Lang will be a solid right guard for years to come. GRADE B+
Don Barclay - I think next year will be better for Barclay. He is the lone lowlight on this offensive line. He will be perfect for the Marshall Newhouse role when Bryan Bulaga comes back into the fold next season. Barclay had too many moments where he got exposed leading to the pocket collapsing. Additionally, he did not do as much on the stretch/toss runs with Lacy/Starks. GRADE C
Marshall Newhouse - I hope I never have to watch this man play football again for my team. GRADE F
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