Rank the Roster 2020: #11

[Waldo]

Rank The Roster: 2020 Edition

1. Aaron Rodgers (48%)[--]
2. Za'Darius Smith (70%)[+5]
3. Aaron Jones (43%)[+3]
4. Davante Adams (45%)[--]
5. David Bakhtiari (59%)[-3]
6. Kenny Clark (100%)[-3]
7. Jaire Alexander (74%)[-2]
8. Preston Smith (58%)[+5]
9. Elgton Jenkins (75%)[+15]
10. Kevin King (47%)[+4]
11. Current

Percent of vote the winner got will be in parenthesis, position change vs. 2019 will be in brackets.

Here's how this works:

Each day there is a new thread/poll, starting at #1, on down to whereever we get. The whole point of this exercise is to have something to talk about in the lean news months to carry us to camp. Each poll will be open for voting for 24 hours. New threads will only be created on weekdays. Ties will cause a runoff poll.

Simply voting is not enough!

Post why you voted for who you did and provide a player to add to the next poll (every poll will be a list of 10 guys, a new player is added to the list each day).

Here's the thing. There is no criteria. This is an exercise to foster discussion therefore there are no clear criteria for ranking. Who is better right now? Who will have the best season? Who was better last year? Sort of a combo of them all? Do you take positional value into account? It really doesn't matter.

Previous Years:
Rank the Roster: 2014-2019

[TheGreenMan]

I'll go with Amos here, then Linsley. Both of them are valuable pieces to our team, but Amos was finally a bright spot in the defense in a position that has struggled for years.

[YoHoChecko]

I'll go with Amos here, then Linsley. Both of them are valuable pieces to our team, but Amos was finally a bright spot in the defense in a position that has struggled for years.

I think I'm the same, but subject to change my next vote if a strong case is made.

[NCF]

Amos, then Linsley.

[Labrev]

Linsley and Amos both are pretty much the same thing at their positions but C is more valuable than SS if you ask me -- protecting the QB, creating running lanes, and making 'line calls -vs- tackling and coverage (and SS coverage duties tend to be the least daunting of all of the secondary). I'm oversimplifying a bit, but not that much.

So yeah, Linsley, then Amos.

[Yoop]

80 tackles, 5 I think PD's, a pick, a FF, did he have a sack? I liked Burnett, always felt he was under appreciated, saying that I think Amos has faster reaction time and there fore better in coverage, very solid player who should be even better his 2nd season in Pettines defense.

[go pak go]

I voted Amos too. He was absolutely tremendous week 1 vs Chicago and Week 10 vs Carolina. But I also really hope Amos is not the best safety on our team this year because of the jump from Savage.

[Packfntk]

Amos, Savage, Linsley in that order.

[Waldo]

I'll go with Amos here, then Linsley. Both of them are valuable pieces to our team, but Amos was finally a bright spot in the defense in a position that has struggled for years.

I think I'm the same, but subject to change my next vote if a strong case is made.

Same. I was a weak Amos last round, but I favored Amos' consistency over King's upside.

But I absolutely could be swayed (esp to Linsley or the new LB) if a case can be made. I just don't know OL play outside of elite OL play (what I see in Jenkins) and horrid OL play (Turner way too much...), and really don't know anything about the new LB other than he's had injury issues.

[go pak go]

Does anybody remember how Lucas Patrick filled in for Linsley against Detroit week 17?

[BF004]

Wow, as much as I was impressed with the top 5, even top 10, kind of looking scary after 13-15.

Already gunna be talking Lazard, Wagner, Funchess, Sternberger. Those guys shouldn’t be top 25 if not top 30. Wouldn’t be surprised if two of those 4 don’t even make the final roster.

[Waldo]

Wow, as much as I was impressed with the top 5, even top 10, kind of looking scary after 13-15.

Already gunna be talking Lazard, Wagner, Funchess, Sternberger. Those guys shouldn’t be top 25 if not top 30. Wouldn’t be surprised if two of those 4 don’t even make the final roster.

Yes there is a bit of a talent cliff. Or rather a PROVEN talent cliff. There's a lot of upside in 15-25 range, but none of it has flashed on the field more than glimpses.

Its part of the deal with a new HC and GM, heavy churn in the low end starters and below. Lets just hope we have some swimmers and not too many sinkers.

You know, guys like Sternberger are absolutely key. Yet we know next to nothing about him. At least the staff knows a whole lot more.

[TheSkeptic]

Amos should have gone before Jenkins and King but his time has come.

Next up Linsley

Then I will have to think.

[Drj820]

Wow, as much as I was impressed with the top 5, even top 10, kind of looking scary after 13-15.

Already gunna be talking Lazard, Wagner, Funchess, Sternberger. Those guys shouldn’t be top 25 if not top 30. Wouldn’t be surprised if two of those 4 don’t even make the final roster.

Yes there is a bit of a talent cliff. Or rather a PROVEN talent cliff. There's a lot of upside in 15-25 range, but none of it has flashed on the field more than glimpses.

Its part of the deal with a new HC and GM, heavy churn in the low end starters and below. Lets just hope we have some swimmers and not too many sinkers.

You know, guys like Sternberger are absolutely key. Yet we know next to nothing about him. At least the staff knows a whole lot more.

Agree that 15-25 isnt known trash, its just unknown either way. I would just say that the heavy churn doesnt just happen because there is a new gm and coach, it happens because it is needed! The last coach and gm probably would have lasted longer if that part of the roster was more solid. They probably lost their jobs bc that section of the roster was so weak.

We do always talk about how we have the cornerstones of a championship team...QB, WR, RB, LT, OLB, CB1 etc, i would agree. I would just say that most championship teams have a little more proven depth in the 15-25 range. For us to win at that level our cornerstones will have to pull more weight than other teams cornerstones, or our unknowns are going to have to impress. All things that could happen.

[NCF]

Already gunna be talking Lazard, Wagner, Funchess, Sternberger. Those guys shouldn’t be top 25 if not top 30. Wouldn’t be surprised if two of those 4 don’t even make the final roster.

Really? I would be shocked beyond belief. Those are four absolute roster locks. Wagner is a few years removed from being the highest paid RT in football. I think most agree he is a slight drop-off from Bulaga, but this is still a good football player. Lazard and Funchess both figure to be in the top-3 in the WR group depending on if MVS takes a huge step and Sternberger has already been gifted the starting TE job without even stepping on the field in Year 2. That is a solid group and DEFINITELY belongs in the range you mentioned.

[Pckfn23]

We do always talk about how we have the cornerstones of a championship team...QB, WR, RB, LT, OLB, CB1 etc, i would agree. I would just say that most championship teams have a little more proven depth in the 15-25 range.

This is interesting. For some time now we heard (not saying from you) that we didn't have enough blues (whatever that means) to win! Now we look to have enough blues and reds to win it all, but don'e have enough proven talent in the quality starter tier. Just interesting to me.

Do most championship teams have more proven depth than we have going into 2020? Personally, I would suspect that they are probably right where we are now with unproven talent at 15-25 and that talent steps up.

[NCF]

Already gunna be talking Lazard, Wagner, Funchess, Sternberger. Those guys shouldn’t be top 25 if not top 30. Wouldn’t be surprised if two of those 4 don’t even make the final roster.

Really? I would be shocked beyond belief. Those are four absolute roster locks. Wagner is a few years removed from being the highest paid RT in football. I think most agree he is a slight drop-off from Bulaga, but this is still a good football player. Lazard and Funchess both figure to be in the top-3 in the WR group depending on if MVS takes a huge step and Sternberger has already been gifted the starting TE job without even stepping on the field in Year 2. That is a solid group and DEFINITELY belongs in the range you mentioned.

This is from 2019. It doesn't look much different to me. High upside, unproven players and declining and or maxed out vets. Team building 101, isn't that what this tier has to be?

15. Jimmy Graham (36%)[-8]
16. Darnell Savage (50%)[R]
17. Marquez Valdes-Scantling (57%)[+29]
18. Billy Turner (45%)[FA]
19. Equanimeous St. Brown (35%)[+26]
20. Rashan Gary (62%)[R]
21. Josh Jackson (41%)[+7]
22. Dean Lowry (30%)[+3]
23. Jamaal Williams (41%)[+3]
24. Elgton Jenkins (57%)[R]
25. Tramon Williams (50%)[-7]
26. Geronimo Allison (62%)[+16]
27. Kyler Fackrell (52%)[+16]
28. Lane Taylor (50%)[-11]
29. Oren Burks (38%)[+4]
30. Trevor Davis (53%)[+11]

[BF004]

Well I would say a lot of us think we overachieved last year, and at the time, I would say that seemed like a promising lot. I felt better about that lot last year than I do about this lot.

I am like the last person to be a Debbie Downer about our team, but there is going to be a lot of guys we are going to be relying on that I really just don’t think have it.

Kind of hope we maybe still add some people before the season begins.

[YoHoChecko]

Already gunna be talking Lazard, Wagner, Funchess, Sternberger. Those guys shouldn’t be top 25 if not top 30. Wouldn’t be surprised if two of those 4 don’t even make the final roster.

So let's just say that, basically, we have 24 starters. I know we have 22 starters, but I like to allow for a sub defense. Like the slot corner is a starter just as much as third DL, ya know? The second TE as much as the 3rd WR.

So when you have a guy like Lazard or Funchess, each have high likelihood of landing in the top 3 WRs, of course they should be in the top 25. Wagner, the starting RT? Yeah, absolutely. He's the starter; he's going to be top 25.

At some point, it's about who is going to be on the field.

IF you have unproven starters (like Sternberger) or guys who you have had their time on the field and you don't think "have it" like Lazard or Funchess, that makes for the debate of--do we have depth there? DO we have other guys, for instance do you feel better about EQSB at 19 last year than you do about him being viable competition for Lazard and Funchess? If Sternberger doesn't develop, don't we also have Tonyan as a viable alternative?

I dunno, it's just difficult for me to look at last year's 15-30 and feel much differently than I will about this year's 15-30. Last year we put plenty of unknowns in there: Jackson and EQSB hadn't really shown it on the field as rookies. Gary, Jenkins, and Savage were rookies. Oren Burks hadn't even shown flashes.

This year we have all of those same guys and (aside from the rookies) they've been pushed further down the list in most cases, either because we've been shown to be wrong (Burks has still shown nothing, Jackson has still shown nothing.

But EQSB still has the exact same upside he had this time last year; a broken ankle with a full year to heal doesn't change anyone's evaluation. Chandon Sullivan has shown himself to be a better player than Jackson at this juncture, so he'll probably make the list in this phase. Gary will probably be ranked similarly but is basically still unknown with high upside. Dean Lowrey, Jamaal Williams, and Billy Turner are all exactly the same as they were last year (though hope for Turner may have elevated his vote a little; most seemed to recognize we were getting an average starter not an upgrade).

Just seems like we have a pretty similar mix and better depth, but the current presumed starters in some of these competitions. I still expect this team to be a little better than last year's with a slightly worse record (11-5), maybe. The team efficiency advanced metrics, though, will improve. And we'll still be in the playoffs with a shot at the thing.

[Drj820]

This is interesting. For some time now we heard (not saying from you) that we didn't have enough blues (whatever that means) to win! Now we look to have enough blues and reds to win it all, but don'e have enough proven talent in the quality starter tier. Just interesting to me.

When i wrote that i was specifically remembering "some" people talking about how we are talented, we have plenty of talent, and most teams dont have the foundation we have of QB, WR, RB, CB, LT etc.

That might not be everyone's sentiment in the past. I was just acknowledging that those spots are covered pretty well. But i think even with those spots covered well, we have some big time weaknesses that are more to make up for than other typical SB teams.