Green returns to Green Bay, but does he have anything left? Matt Bowen
What does Ahman Green have left to offer for the Packers?
That seems to be the question of the day after Green Bay decided to bring back the 32-year old veteran for another tour of action up north. This isn’t the same Ahman Green that I used to play with back in the early 2000’s, a guy that ran with such force and power, high knees and a running style that looked similar to Walter Payton.
No, Green is now like most other running backs in his 30’s. He struggles to stay healthy, and in the offseason he waits for a phone call that never comes. But, Green Bay must have seen something when he worked out for the team recently, and because of that he is now on the practice field wearing a Packers uniform for the second time.
APAhman Green is back with the Packers. How much does the veteran have left in the tank?
Still, why now and why bring him in when we all know that Ryan Grant is the feature back behind an offensive line that is fighting it out with Chicago for the biggest disappointment as a unit for ’09?
From my perspective, this is pretty simple if we are just talking about football. Forget age and forget injuries for a moment—because I don’t see how that is going to factor in the game plan for Green, if there is one.
I would expect Green Bay to dress him this Sunday, and after that, we can’t really be sure how much he will see the field. It won’t be on special teams, and the only way I can see Green getting meaningful minutes is in the Packers’ red zone package, or a carry or two throughout the course of the game if Grant gets dinged up.
I don’t see a package solely created for Green because this team already has enough offensive weapons to score points; that would be a waste of practice time. Instead, use him where you need him most—on the goal line. Green can still run with power—that shouldn’t be questioned. He just can’t do it for an entire game.
Yes, he was a great receiver out of the backfield in his prime, but from my vantage point, you don’t take the ball out of Grant’s hands for a recently signed veteran.
I can understand the talk about this move because Green still has a name that people recognize, but the bottom line is that there is really no risk here for the Packers. If they can get him on the field, great. If not, then cut him loose next week if you have to.
The Packers aren’t tied to Green with any sort of contract, so the risk here is almost nothing. If he can still play, you keep him. If he can’t, then move on. At this point, this probably is the same Ahman Green we saw in Houston when he started to break down. That is just the reality of how this league can wear down running backs.
Sure, I loved watching Ahman run back in the day and despised going against him in camp, but this move should just be called what it is—a chance to see if there is something left.
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Forgot to mention, the game I was referring to was last week's game against Detroit.
Knowing protections, a system, not just where to go, how to get there in order to maximize you catch chances and yards after. Someone the Qb can find a comfort zone with.
Matt - this is a good move for the Pack for a number of reasons. As Prof7 mentions, Green was always darn good in the passing game and truth be told, that's something Grant has always struggled with. I like Grant but he's not good at catching and he's horrible at pass protection. Grant has also always struggled with short yardage situations - something Green has always excelled at, no matter how the O-line was performing.
The bonus here is that the Packers still have another route if Green doesn't pan out - they've still got Lumpy on the practice squad so as you mentioned, this is literally a zero risk proposition. The player Green replaces on the roster was going to IR anyways (Wynn had knee surgery this morning for those who hadn't heard).
Bottom line is we're talking about third string RB here - Green is a veteran that already knows the system and is a good fit for specific situations. It's a win-win regardless of what happens - if he's got some gas left in the tank, he's in a situation where it can be put to good use, if he doesn't he gets to retire as a Packer like he originally planned and the team moves on to Lumpkin as they planned going into the season.
Scott is correct on this. Green Bay desperately needs a back to throw screens and swing passes to in order to counter the pressure on Aaron Rodgers. Grant isn't that player because of his stone hands and lack of fluid hips. Brandon Jackson should be that player, but can't get healthy.
So, the Packers know Green can catch the ball and even in his 30s will be more fluid than Grant. So, I see him in 3rd down passing situations and I agree also as a short yardage runner. He always had an ability to run hard and find the right hole on short yardage.
As pointed out in the article, Green Bay fans can't expect the burst and break away speed Ahman had in his prior time with the Pack. He may not be Adrian Peterson, but Green Bay fans know Ahman Green gained a lot of yards for Brett Favre in the passing game and took a lot of pressure off Favre with his running and pass blocking. Favre would be a better man to give Ahman is due in the AP comments. That he didn't is no surprise either.
The question is what forced Ted Thompson out of his comfort zone, blindly committed to young players that he signed at the expense of depth on the team. Was this a Thompson decision alone, a request from McCartney or did Mark Murphy finally lose his patience and told Thompson to get the depth situation resolved asap.
I agree. I see him on the field in the red zone. He can still blast a hole and get the two or three critical yards. Grant has no burst.
@ SUBDUDE - relax dude. Ahman Green never was AP so your little Favre bash is as pathetic as your post. Another bitter Packer fan - what a surprise.
Not only do I share the first name and last initial with Scott M. I also share his opinion, spot on my friend.
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Oct 21, 2009
04:56 PM
Matt,
I've been thinking about this move since it was announced. My theory is that Green will slowly be worked....as you mentioned....in the red zone, but more importantly, I think he'll become their third down back because he can pick up the blitz and he cn run the screen plays.
I specifically remember seeing McCarthy's reaction on TV when Grant dropped a 5 yard pass from Rodgers while they were trying to set up a screen pass in the second half of the game. If you look at the tape, Grant would have gained at least 10-15 yards on that play. He had 4 blockers in front of him and no defenders within 5 yards. McCarthy knows the O-line can't stop the rush. So the only other way to slow them down is to make them pay for the blitz with dump-offs and screen plays. That means they NEED a RB who can execute those plays.
That's my theory, and I'm guessing I'm not far off.