Profiling the standout players of Packers’ preseason
By Brady Busha
A profiling of some interesting players in the 2019 preseason for the Green Bay Packers.
The past nine months at 1265 Lombardi Avenue have been turbulent, to say the least. A team icon faded from view, a longtime target for Aaron Rodgers departed, the first head coaching change in 12 years swiftly occurred and ushered in a new era in Green Bay.
Matt LaFleur’s direction as a first-time head coach will be crucial in defining the twilight years of Aaron Rodgers’ career, paired up with fellow first-timer in his respective position as General Manager, Brian Gutekunst. The former has brought some excitement in the locker room with the direction the offense is going, and the latter has brought about some buzz by drafting and signing big names this past offseason, and releasing a few as well.
With the resolution of 2018’s clean-up, and the infusion of fresh talent, there’s a lot to comb over in how this coming season will be impacted by both newcomers and returning players. Here are a few of the more impressive players that deserve a closer look as the preseason draws to a close.
Raven Greene
An undrafted free agency pickup out of James Madison University in 2018, Greene showed some good football IQ when he did have the opportunity to be on the field. This was on display for the first time in Week 10 at Lambeau against Miami, when he both sacked Brock Osweiler on defense and later took a fake punt 26 yards upfield to gain a first down, setting up a field goal.
His performance on special teams helped him work into defensive looks on occasion, until an ankle injury put him on IR in December.
As a safety that has been on the field in every preseason game this year, Greene has been impressive. His aggressive tackling and solid coverage skills have brought some credence to the move to cut former second-round pick Josh Jones, as the Packers must have been confident in Greene’s skills to let Jones go.
Greene has the opportunity to play in the Packers’ defense as they introduce two new free agent acquisitions, Za’Darius and Preston Smith, and highly touted first-round pick Rashan Gary. With the additional signing of former Bears safety Adrian Amos and the drafting of Darnell Savage, Jr., Greene is under no pressure to be an immediate impact player, so his audition to make the roster is a bit less impactful than others, but still exciting to watch.
It’s a foregone conclusion that Greene will make this roster, being that he is a returning player in Mike Pettine’s defense, his instincts are still clearly sharp this preseason, and his special teams impact will surely be felt in Shawn Mennenga’s new system. The question is whether Packers fans will see him mixed in with the defense as a safety, a dime linebacker, or another special role.