Top 3 tropes from Packers OTAs
Top 3 tropes from Packers OTAs
Ah, you smell that? Fresh-cut grass. Gym shorts. Beat reporters baking under the summer sun. It’s trope season, baby.
Player X is looking to make a big jump in year two. Newly acquired player X looks “as advertised.”
The Packers recently concluded their offseason team activities, and the content monster demands sacrifice. So here’s a quick hit of the top three tropes reported on during the Packers OTAs.
“Player X is in the best shape of his life.”
This year’s “best shape of his life” candidate is none other than the mayor of Door County, running back AJ Dillon. The thing is, Dillon — at least at a glance — actually does appear to be in the best shape of his life. The guy looks absolutely ripped.
Now, will being utterly yoked up suddenly make AJ Dillon a better running back? The pragmatist in me is tempted to say “probably not,” but the pessimist in me thinks it’s closer to “definitely not.”
“Player X saw a specialist to address a nagging issue”
Wide receiver Christian Watson’s chronic hamstring issues have definitely put a damper on what has otherwise been a good to very good start to his young career. But fear not — he’s seen a specialist!
All sarcasm aside (sorry, I can’t help it), dedicating some time this offseason to addressing this issue was a no-brainer. Specialists pinpointed a muscle imbalance between Watson’s two legs as the culprit, and while having a diagnosis and a recovery protocol is all good news, fans shouldn’t expect an instant panacea. It’s possible Watson’s issues go all the way back to early college or even high school, so restoring balance and solving the issue (insofar as it can actually be “solved”) is going to take time.
“Players are loving new coordinator X”
Now here’s a classic trope. The ‘64 Mustang of tropes. The “Let it Bleed” of tropes. Look, I wanted Joe Barry gone just as much as the next fan. I’m also excited about what Jeff Haffley’s new defense could look like. But let’s be real, every outgoing coordinator is going to catch strays, and every incoming coordinator is going to receive praise. The former was fired for a reason. The latter was hired for a reason. It’s a tale as old as time.
Quay Walker is reportedly loving the new scheme, which he says is “putting us in the right position,” which feels like a stretch given what OTA’s actually entail. I won’t begrudge him his optimism, though. What do we want him to say? He doesn’t like the new scheme? The new coach smells weird?