Scout's Takes: Green Bay Packers
Underrated: Damarious Randall
Randall is a juco transfer who went to Arizona State and played safety. Give credit to [Packers general manager] Ted Thompson and his scouts for seeing what they saw in Randall to make him a first-round pick and move him to cornerback, a position he never played before, because Randall was a Day One starter in 2015. He had some rough patches, but for a rookie he held his own, and now he's poised to come into his second year and show what he can really do. He has shown great ball skills and the ability to challenge receivers and has great hands, which might be a product of his baseball background. He's a really talented young corner.
Overrated: Randall Cobb
It was eye-opening last season when Jordy Nelson went down last and the attention turned to Randall Cobb. He just couldn't win 1-on-1. The Packers’ offense was much more manageable for defenses than they have been in recent years because they didn’t have the presence of a downfield threat.
Second Nature: Why NFL coaches are so prone to clock management blunders
Extra Point
[Defensive coordinator] Dom Capers takes a lot of criticism for giving up a couple more points than his defense used to. But people need to realize that teams prepare for a game against the Packers feeling a lot of pressure to put points on the board because they know they are going to come in bunches from Aaron Rodgers. To think Dom Capers just fell off the turnip truck and somehow forgot how to coach football is highly incorrect. He's among the best defensive minds in our game, and he does a heck of a job. It's almost like having the presence of a great quarterback like Aaron Rodgers is a gift and a curse. We'd all love to have him, but it puts more pressure on everyone else.
