Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Who Is Jordy Nelson?

Greetings, G-Force.

My wife & I just went for a Road Trip. We met friends & family in New Orleans to hit up Jazz Fest. Michael Franti does wonders for an individuals spirit. A* & I prefer to drive to this sort of thing. That way, you get to see more. And the dogs can come. Have you ever been through Mobile, AL? Have you ever eaten Crawfish in Gulfport, MS? Have you ever stopped in Kiln, MS? Maybe this would not interest you, but for me & my wife, these things brought tremendous joy.

I found it ironic that during the 1st Packers team gathering in the post-Favre era, I just happened to be in Kiln, MS where I met Deanna Favre's cousin. He was a bartender at the Broke Spoke. A* and I passed through for a pint and a picture of the Brett Favre statue. The buzz was real.

It was nice to return to Miami and know that there was a plethora of reading material at my disposal. At this stage, I've read almost none of it, but it's there for when I find the time. With that being said, Jordy Nelson has garnered enhanced interest for me.

Jordy Nelson will bring an upgrade to our offense. I believe he will do so this year. I'm confident that he will make an impact this year even if he catches only 30-35 balls. Nelson will be an option on 3rd down. He'll catch the ball in traffic. He'll fight for yardage.

Nelson will not start. He may not even play in our 3-wide sets. Regardless, he'll be on the field. And when the ball is thrown his way, he'll catch it.

I've compared his height and frame to superstar WR's. I did not do this because I believe he will be them rather I did such to give an idea of his size. What intrigues me is that when you look at Nelson, you see a guy that has a lot of room to grow. When he enters the Packers weight training program, this kids body is going to grow. While he's 217 lbs, he's still got fairly thin arms.

With Nelson, I expect consistency. Consistency from Day 1. I expect him to pick up the offense. I expect him to run his routes with precision. I expect him to perform each day and to improve mightily along the way.

In his senior year, Nelson had 122 catches. He also broke a number of Kansas State receiving records. Throughout the year, he was continuously a performer. Each game. He played against strong competition and in every game he had over 80 yards. Only once was he held below 90 and that was against San Jose St. Take a look:

Week 1 vs Auburn: Nelson had 9 catches for 90 yards.
Week 2 vs San Jose St: Nelson had 6 catches for 82 yards.
Week 3 vs Missouri State: Nelson had 15 catches for 209 yards and 1 TD.
Week 4 vs Texas: Nelson caught 12 balls for 116 yards and 1 TD.
Week 5 vs Kansas: Nelson lit up Aqib Talib for 10 catches and 137 yards. He also added a TD.
Week 6 vs Colorado: Nelson was held to 93 yards on 4 catches.
Week 7 vs Oklahoma State: Nelson lit up the pitch to the tune of 12 catches for 176 yards and 3 TD's.
Week 8 vs Baylor: Nelson added 8 catches for 105 yards and 1 TD.
Week 9 vs Iowa State: Nelson caught 14 balls for 214 yards and 1 TD.
Week 10 vs Nebraska: Nelson had 9 catches for 125 yards and 1 TD.
Week 11 vs Missouri: Nelson was limited to 94 yards and 1 TD on 8 catches.
Week 12 vs Fresno State: Nelson had 15 catches for 165 yards and 1 TD.

Oh, and don't be alarmed to see Nelson throw the football this year. He also chipped in by throwing the football last year.

True to his last name, Nelson was a "Man's Man."

In college, Nelson was a performer. I expected him to be around much later than when the Packers drafted him. I was surprised that he was our pick at that stage, but I'm happy to have him. He's a small town guy who seems to relish the opportunity to play in the NFL's smallest market. With that, I say, hey Jordy, let's enjoy the ride of your career together. I'll make trips to Tampa Bay and J'ville to see you play on the road this year. A* & I will travel by car. That way, we'll be able to see more. And, hopefully, it'll be highlighted by seeing you in the end zone.

Carry On,

Talkin' S-Mac.

2 comments:

Stack said...

Guy,

Great take. Glad the trip was good to you. Without going anywhere, I too have taken a breather. In the lead up to the draft, there was information abound, and I pored over much of it. I believe one of my mocks had Patrick Lee coming to 1265 in the second round...just sayin'...

Anyway, I'm excited about Nelson also, and I too agree that he is an instant upgrade to our offense. That's not to overstate his impact this coming year, but I think he does come on as WR #4 this year. This thought occurred to me a while ago. And I was out running the Field Club trail, thinking of the Pack of course, and being a progressive thinker, the next question dawned on me naturally as I was attempting to run off all the bacon...

What does this mean for the WR corps?

Now, if you watch NFL Network, you'll know that Adam Schefter stole a bit of my thunder yesterday, but it doesn't take an insider to look at the crowd at the position, particularly the moves on draft day, and wonder who is on the way out.

At the end of the year last season, I thought Koren Robinson looked pretty rough. But he was out of football due to the suspension and he was TT's guy, so I could understand the investment. You knew he was tight with Favre, who was pulling for him to overcome the same addictions with which he had struggled. I figured, Okay, next season will be better, he was Pro-Bowl caliber return man once before right?

Then number 4 hung it up.

Now I'm forced to wonder. We have a number of guys who can return kicks and we have a new starting QB. I have to wonder if that doesn't shorten K-Rob's audition to the preseason.

I bet we'll keep 6. Four are locks.
Double D, Greg, JJ, and Jordy.

Of the remaining, I have to assume that they will be counted on to play a role on special teams, because the four guys that I just mentioned, with the possible exception of Nelson, will not be playing on those units.

I have to think that Swain is going to be given the best opportunity to make the team. You've got to think if any of the Bodifords, Francies, or Quinns of this world were worthy of a roster spot, TT would not have spent a pick, even a 7th on a WR.

I see DD, Greg, JJ, Jordy, and Swain. That leaves 7 guys for one spot. I like what I've read about Rod Harper and Jake Allen. I've seen Taj Smith, though I haven't watched him. I don't know enough about any of these guys to say who might be best in that final position, but I do think we've seen the best of the guys who were on our roster over the last year.

Grammy said...

http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?videoId=3384666&n8pe6c=2&categoryId=3313263&brand=null

Watch the 'Chris Paul pays tribute to his Grandfather' video.