Green Bay Packers

Green Bay Packers: End-of-year stock up, stock down report

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 2:42 p.m. ET

Fansided, Ralph Mancini/FanSided via Lombardi Ave

The 2016-17 season had more twists and turns than your garden-variety water slide for those that consistently lived and died on every down while viewing the Green Bay Packers in a year that will be remembered for a ton of frustrating moments in the months of Sept, Oct and Nov followed by eight weeks of exhilarating offensive fireworks thanks in large part to Titletown’s living legend and future Hall-of-Famer Aaron Rodgers.

The NFC Championship, however, reminded us that our quarterback still lacks the type of supporting cast that can bring back the Lombardi Trophy to its rightful place.

In most years, Super Bowl winning teams don’t get to the promised land without fielding a solid defense…an area that the Packers’ front office must renovate both in the draft and free agency.

And while many rabid Cheeseheads were starting to feel as if their team was on the verge of something special, Sunday’s 42-21 blowout loss to the Falcons was a sobering reminder that riding the coattails of No. 12 will get you to the dance, but that alone won’t send you home with any trophies.

The secondary and linebacker corps are in varying states of disrepair while the defensive line could certainly benefit from added depth.

The end-of-year stock report will hopefully specify the individuals that are poised to lead the Packers back to the levels of greatness we last witnessed six years ago (yes, time goes by so fast) along with shining a spotlight on the players that constantly let us down.

Here is a summary and analysis of the weekly Stock-Up, Stock Down reviews published throughout the season on Lombardi Ave.

Watch your step, as we embark the Packers’ time machine and bring it back to the present.

* ( )= amount of Stock-Up or Stock-Down listings

Stock Up Champs

Aaron Rodgers (11): No shock here that Rodgers was the recipient of the most Stock-Up mentions. He began the season much like the same inconsistent and gun-shy player we saw for long stretches of 2015 only to turn things around and finish like a true champ.

His nadir moment came in a demoralizing loss to the Cowboys in Week 6, but the Packers’ triggerman began slowly digging his way out of his doldrums with outstanding performances against Chicago and Atlanta.

A couple of things that worked against Rodgers were the loss of his work-horse running back Eddie Lacy and the fact that Jordy Nelson needed to work himself back into form after missing an entire season with a torn ACL.

Another factor that hindered the offense in general was an eight-week absence on the part of Jared Cook, who missed time with a high ankle sprain.

The first-year Packer was a handful for opposing defenses whether he was lined up wide or in the slot, where he would often be matched up with a smaller safety that lacked the downfield speed to stay with Cook down the seam or the athletic ability to shadow him out of his breaks.

Outside of his outings versus Minnesota (Week 2), Dallas and Indianapolis, Rodgers was exceptional and even MVP worthy.

He threw 319 passes without getting picked off during the “run-the-table” eight-game winning streak and finished with a 40:7 touchdown-to-interception ratio in the regular season.

But what was just as noteworthy was how the 33-year-old kept that winning streak going while battling hamstring and calf injuries at one point.

His 2016-17 season won’t soon be forgotten by his loyal supporters.

David Bakhtiari (9): The man known as “Bakh” was a pillar of granite on the left side by consistently getting low in his stance and almost effortlessly steering the opposing pass rusher outside of the pocket by moving and bending with his man .

He was his quarterback’s force field that played a major role in affording Rodgers up to nine seconds at times to find an open receiver.

Bakhtiari’s worst game was a snowy home matchup versus Houston in which the fourth-year lineman struggled against Whitney Mercilus, who is one of the league’s quickest edge defenders off the snap.

The former first-round pick has earned every penny of his bonus money he pocketed in signing his recent extension and looks to be a Top-5 left tackle over the next few years barring serious injury.

Davante Adams (8): After a rocky start, the Fresno State product got back on his feet and delivered the breakout year we’ve all been hoping for since arriving to Titletown as a second-round pick in 2014.

Adams’ first two games had several Packers’ diehards tearing their hair out due to his penchant for letting well-thrown passes drop right through his hands.

But despite his struggles, Rodgers kept looking for No. 17, who was much improved in his route running.

It wouldn’t be long before Adams was routinely on the receiving end of several touchdowns and would end up trailing only Nelson in that category with 12 and came up only three yards shy of gaining 1,000.

The 24-year-old’s sudden movements and ability to change directions make him a big-play artist that Rodgers will continue to lean on.

He just needs to continue securing the balls that need to be caught.

Ty Montgomery (8): If the Lacy injury had one silver lining, it was the fact that it allowed the coaching staff to fully take advantage of Montgomery’s varied skill set, as the 216-pound dynamo left no doubt over who should be getting the lion’s share of touches in the Packers’ backfield.

His signature game was a Week 15 performance against Chicago that saw the hybrid player rush for 162 yards and two touchdowns.

The college wide receiver proved to be quick learner by almost immediately picking up the nuances of his new position by demonstrating impressive cutback ability and the willingness to run through contact to go along with his natural speed.

Montgomery became so adept running through defenders that he ended the regular season by averaging 5.1 yards after contact and thus breaking Michael Turner’s single-season record as a San Diego Charger in 2006.

Look for Green Bay to re-sign Lacy in an effort to allow the Alabama slammer to share carries with the Stanford spark plug, whose only major area of weakness remains his pass blocking.

Jordy Nelson (7): You would be hard pressed to find a more deserving NFL Comeback Player of the Year candidate than Nelson, who not only went over 1,000 yards for the fourth time in his nine-year career, but led all receivers in touchdowns with 14.

It didn’t take all that long for the 31-year-old to get back in the swing of things after his year off and not seeing any action in the preseason.

Nelson was Rodgers’ most reliable target throughout the year, as the perfect timing and chemistry between the two was clearly evident on routes where No. 87 would find a hole in the zone, quickly turn back to his quarterback and make the easy catch.

The Kansas-born wideout was versatile in the way he would make plays from the slot or come down with contested catches along the sideline.

He also gets credit for suiting up with broken ribs in the NFC Championship.

Nelson may be getting up there in years, but he has yet to show any real signs of decline and should continue to be Rodgers’ go-to guy in 2017.

Mike Daniels (6): You always know what you’re getting from Daniels, who has to be the strongest man on the team considering how most offensive lineman cannot handle the former Big-Ten standout one-on-one.

His game is all about power and leverage, but he was often the only lineman getting any push at the line of scrimmage and would see opponents either double teaming him or running in the other direction.

The continued development of players, such as Kenny Clark and Dean Lowry along with the addition of one or two more interior lineman should make things easier for Daniels going forward.

Nick Perry (6): The power rusher finally played up to his first-round status over the course of an entire season by leading the team with 11 sacks despite playing part of the year with a large and rather cumbersome club on his left hand.

Perry was a more explosive player in 2016, but his elevated level of performance was also due to the fact that he did a much better job of diagnosing plays allowing him to disrupt the opposing backfield with greater frequency.

The ex-USC Trojan did this without much help from fellow outside rusher Clay Matthews and stands to receive a generous contract for his efforts, as he’s about to become a free agent.

The Packers will likely try to lock up Perry before he hits the market…but at what cost?

Jared Cook (5): Fans had to wait for Cook to deliver the type of production the offense has been missing for years now at the tight end position due to a Week 3 high ankle sprain that kept the eight-year veteran on the shelf for two months.

But when he came back, the pass-catching tight end established himself as a huge target for Rodgers that was able to beat safeties straight down the field, use his large frame to shield defenders on post-up routes or create separation by making sharp breaks on out patterns.

Cook saw his role grow later in the year with Rodgers increasingly looking is way in the end zone.

His quarterback has already stated that he wants to see his 6-foot-5 weapon back in a Packers’ uniform next season, which indicates that the front office will probably make it a priority to re-sign Cook before he gets a chance to test the free-agent waters.

Julius Peppers (5): The 15-year veteran was the “quiet storm” in 2016, who contributed his share of two or three splash plays on an almost weekly basis despite seeing his snaps reduced.

Whether he did it lined up inside or on the edge, Peppers still showed the ability to beat blockers with his length, strength and burst around the edge.

The 37-year-old trailed only Perry with 7.5 sacks and looks primed to continue playing given how he’s been able to avoid serious injuries throughout his storied career.

Will the Packers want him back in 2017 or go with a younger option? Stay tuned.

Blake Martinez (5): The rookie fourth-round pick had his share of ups and downs, but produced sporadic, but reassuring moments of great play.

His Week 7 performance versus the Bears was arguably his best game of the year in which he showcased his instincts and lateral range to find the ball carrier.

He led the team with seven tackles along with demonstrating great awareness in recording his first-ever interception off a Morgan Burnett deflection.

The future looks bright for Martinez.

Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (5): Overall, HCD had a solid season in which he led the team with five interceptions by using his combination of aggressiveness and sharp instincts to make plays on the ball.

Dix found himself often playing deep due to injuries in the secondary that forced him to serve as backup in case Damarious Randall would lose his man (as frequently was the case) down the field.

Morgan Burnett (5): The versatile Burnett was the glue of the defense that served as a vocal presence and also led by example.

In addition to pacing the team with 111 tackles, Burnett played a variety of roles including inside linebacker where he aggressively made downhill plays in run support while also covering tight ends on pass plays.

The pride of East Point, GA played at 100 mph and covered up for a lot of deficiencies.

Stock Down Chumps

Damarious Randall (6): One could write a book on how badly Randall regressed in his second season and it all began in Week 2, where he allowed Stefon Diggs to run rings around him to the tune of nine catches for 182 yards and a touchdown.

In that game and several others, the 2015 first-round pick (yep, this one’s on you, Ted) afforded his opponent excessive cushion to make easy grabs and have the room to tack on additional yards.

Randall’s utter lack of physicality saw him fail to jam receivers at the line of scrimmage and also shy away from making tackles especially when he was surrounded by other teammates who did the dirty work.

The second-year corner was atrocious in run support as well by too often getting caught inside on plays where the running back bounced to the outside for sizeable gains.

By the end of the year, it appeared that Randall was playing with no confidence.

One has to wonder what kind of work was the young defensive back putting in during the week since he seemed clueless out there more times than not.

Should we start to call the coaches into question? I would love to sit down with cornerbacks coach Joe Whitt to find out why Randall has become such a mess in terms of his overall technique and lack of awareness.

Some are already beginning to compare Randall to Packers’ all-time first-round bust Ahmad Carroll.

Quinten Rollins (6): The one-time college basketball player may want to consider heading back to the hardwood after delivering a pitiful performance in his second year as an NFL pro.

Rollins happens to be a fine athlete with the ability to run and jump, but has no idea how to read a route and anticipate what his opponents are about to execute.

He struggles both on the outside and against quick, sudden receivers in the slot.

Even more alarming were the occasions when the former point guard appeared to strolling in the park with action taking place around him.

Rollins and Randall ranked 88th and 112th respectively in pass coverage, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF).

Micah Hyde (6): To his credit, the fourth-year Packer was able to right himself after an abysmal start and put together a respectable finish to his 2016 campaign.

All six of his Stock Down mentions took place before Week 13 which means Hyde didn’t deliver a high level of play for much of the year.

On the plus side, the 26-year-old played was durable enough to play in every game and line up at safety and as both a slot and boundary cornerback when needed.

He really turned it on in the last three weeks of the regular season by making a game-saving pass deflection on Alshon Jeffery versus the Bears in the end zone and coming up with an interception off a Matthew Stafford throw intended for Golden Tate in the end zone versus the Lions.

Hyde was an even better punt returner by fearlessly attacking whatever small hole he could find to gain valuable yardage in the effort of helping the offense gain favorable field position.

The problem with this jack-of-all-trades contributor is that he lacks the size, speed and overall athletic ability to match up with some of the better running backs and tight ends in the league.

Hyde’s range isn’t special either, as he often ran to spots a tick too late when the ball was thrown in his immediate vicinity.

The Packers have to decide whether to re-up Hyde who is about to become a free agent.

I would say it would be smart to bring him back at a reasonable cost since he is very useful, but should ideally be used as a backup and/or rotational piece.

Letroy Guion (6): The 322-pound interior lineman has ability, but struggles with his technique which opponents increasingly took advantage of as the season wore on by gashing the Packers’ line up the middle.

Guion’s tendency to play high allowed opposing blockers to turn him sideways. The big man’s ineffectiveness in run support was clearly evident in games against the Bears and Lions in which Jordan Howard and Zach Zenner put up considerable yardage between the tackles.

In his defense, Guion might have been playing too many snaps in some games. In the previously-referenced win over the Bears, No. 98 was on the field for 45 snaps—a high number for a man his size that’s been in the league for nine years.

Clay Matthews (5): Shoulder and hamstring injuries reduced this once feared edge rusher to an average and oftentimes nondescript performer that had one tackle or less in nine games in 2016.

The fact of the matter is that Matthews will be 31 at the start of next season and those injuries won’t be going away, which will necessitate reducing his snaps and increasing the role of Kyler Fackrell and possibly others.

“The Claymaker” can still take advantage of situations where he’s matched up against poor offensive tackles (see Vikings’ game versus T.J. Clemmings), but his declining health prevents him from being that constant tone-setting beast that offenses have to account for on every down.

Five sacks for a player who is pulling in his kind of salary is an embarrassing number. Don’t be shocked if the front office tries to convince him to accept a pay cut.

Ladarius Gunter (5): The former undrafted free agent is a limited player that played a lot this year and was even counted on to cover the other teams’ top receivers.

And while Gunter did well in spots by using his long arms and physical style, his lack of long speed was exposed more times than not.

The effort was there with Gunter, but the results—unfortunately—were not.