Three Questions 1. If Rodgers goes down, will the Packers be more prepared to replace him this time? The importance of the backup quarterback position was put on full display by the Packers last season. When Matt Flynn is an obviously better option than your other backups, that doesn’t say good things about your quarterback depth. Flynn was miscast as starter material when he went to Seattle and Oakland, but he’s a capable backup and should provide some stability if anything happens to Rodgers. 2. Is Ha Ha Clinton-Dix ready to bolster the secondary? As a safety who played in a lot of big games for the Alabama Crimson Tide, Clinton-Dix has plenty of experience playing under pressure. However, Alabama safeties are no sure thing, as the early-career struggles of Mark Barron have shown. Clinton-Dix’s career won’t necessarily go the same way, but as a rookie tasked with supporting a struggling group of cornerbacks, it seems inevitable that Clinton-Dix will have a rough time in his first season. 3. Will the defense get enough stops to win big games? Having a great offense is enough to make the playoffs, but winning against the best teams in the league takes strong play on both sides of the ball. With the return of Matthews and the addition of Peppers, Green Bay’s defense is almost certain to improve. However, there are still far too many holes in this defense to have faith in their ability to beat powerhouses like Seattle and San Francisco. defensive line. The biggest problem on Green Bay’s defense was in their secondary. The foursome of Tramon Williams, Sam Shields, Morgan Burnett, and M.D. Jennings struggled mightily to defend the pass last season. To address this deficiency, the Packers spent their first round pick on safety Ha Ha Clinton- Dix from Alabama. Clinton-Dix is expected to start right away but will have to play at a high level quickly to prevent this unit from being one of the worst pass defense groups in the NFL again. Expect improvement out of Green Bay’s defense overall due to Peppers’ arrival and the return of a healthy Matthews. However, the secondary remains a weak spot and it seems likely the Packers will once again have to be a team that wins shootouts against its opponents. Defensive Player to Watch Even at 34 years old, Julius Peppers is a player who is so talented that coaches can put him just about anywhere and he’ll be productive. Even so, having Peppers, an edge rusher with 118.5 career sacks, playing defensive tackle is a classic case of a man playing out of position. Unfortunately, that’s where Peppers ended up for much of the 2013 season after injuries decimated Chicago’s defensive line. Now Peppers has arrived in Green Bay and will be expected to play as a pass-rushing outside linebacker opposite Matthews. The prospect of Matthews and Peppers crashing in on the quarterback from both sides should strike fear in the hearts of opposing offenses. With Green Bay’s secondary a work in progress, the Packers will need that pass rush to get to the quarterback quickly. Look for Peppers to excel in what should be a natural role for him. TEAM ROSTER PACKERS DEPTH CHART OFFENSE QB Aaron Rodgers Matt Flynn RB Eddie Lacy James Starks WR Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb Jarrett Boykin, Davante Adams TE Andrew Quarless Brandon Bostick FB John Kuhn Ina Liaina LT David Bakhtiari Derek Sherrod LG Josh Sitton Don Barclay C J.C. Tretter Corey Linsley DEFENSE RG T.J. Lang Lane Taylor RT Bryan Bulaga Don Barclay DE Mike Daniels, Julius Peppers Jerel Worthy, Josh Boyd NT B.J. Raji Letroy Guion OLB Clay Matthews, Nick Perry Carl Bradford, Andy Mulumba ILB A.J. Hawk, Brad Jones Jamari Lattimore, Sam Barrington CB Tramon Williams, Sam Shields Micah Hyde, Casey Hayward S Morgan Burnett, Ha’Sean Clinton-Dix Chris Banjo, Sean Richardson SPECIAL TEAMS K Mason Crosby P Tim Masthay KR Micah Hyde
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