Nothing that Donald Lee has done in his first extended opportunity to become a starting tight end in the National Football League has disappointed the Green Bay Packers.
Some scouts might not think Green Bay has even one desirable tight end. But when the Packers' coaches sit around each night evaluating what they do have, not one has advocated going to general manager Ted Thompson begging for another tight end.
"Not at all," offensive coordinator Joe Philbin said at midweek. "I think Bubba's going to have a better year and I think Donald Lee will be pretty solid."
Ever since Bubba Franks displaced Tyrone Davis four games into his rookie season of 2000, the starting job has been his alone. But after letting David Martin go to Miami in March as an unrestricted free agent, coach Mike McCarthy decided to give the speedier Lee a legitimate chance to unseat Franks.
Lee has taken most of the turns with the No. 1 offense in the first two weeks of training camp. He has provided more vertical stretch than Franks although his blocking isn't as good.
"Donald's maybe not quite as instinctive against specific coverages as David Martin was but I think he's as productive," Philbin said. "Dave was a little smoother and very smart. This guy (Lee) may not do it exactly as you draw it up but he has a little bit of a knack for getting open and catching the ball."
Although Martin played wide receiver at Tennessee and joined Green Bay in '02 with a 40-yard dash in the range of 4.6 seconds, strength coach Rock Gullickson maintained that Lee was faster than Martin. Philbin said Lee played as fast as Martin.
Lee ran 4.72 coming out of Mississippi State in 2003 but showed tremendous athletic traits with a 39-inch vertical jump and 10-foot broad jump. The knocks on Lee were his ability to learn and to sustain blocks.
After two seasons backing up Randy McMichael with the Dolphins, Lee was signed by Green Bay on the eve of the '05 season and wound up catching 33 passes for the injured and ineffective Franks. His playing time dipped from 35% to 21% last year, and his productivity waned as well.
According to Gullickson, Lee spent longer days in the facility during the off-season than any other player. He succeeded in improving his lower-body strength, because he was too easily tossed aside as a blocker in the past.
"Is he a guy that you'd love to have single-block a defensive end 30 times a game?" Philbin said. "Your answer probably would be no. But for what we do, a zone-blocking scheme, I think he'll be fine."
The 251-pound Lee doesn't catch the ball as naturally as Franks. Unlike Franks, he is hesitant to catch the ball in his hands away from his body for fear of drops. But Philbin says Lee's catching has become more consistent.
At this point, Philbin said the competition between Lee and Franks would be too close to call. Both will play, often based on which of them runs a particular play better.
"I think Bubba's moved better," Philbin said. "I look at those guys as interchangeable right now. It's pretty even."
Martin basically has been injury-free this summer and clearly is the Dolphins' starter over Justin Peelle.
The leader in the two-man battle for Martin's roster berth is free agent Zac Alcorn. The second-year man from Black Hills State doesn't block as well as Lee but might catch the ball better than Lee, Franks and Clark Harris, a seventh-round draft choice from Rutgers.
"At times, (Alcorn) looks very fluid and smooth in shells," Philbin said. "He just needs to get used to playing with his pads better. Right now, he's not where we want him to be."
Harris has missed considerable practice time with an ankle injury. He has been a disappointment.
exactly, I think that favre not retiring two seasons ago is just a misuse of position, the dude didn't do much to change their ways, rodgers could have sucked for two years if he wanted and then grew with young guys like jennings and jackson, favre is a jerk for staying too long, even if he wants the most TD's ever, peyton is just going to break it again. There I said it!!!
exactly, I think that favre not retiring two seasons ago is just a misuse of position, the dude didn't do much to change their ways, rodgers could have sucked for two years if he wanted and then grew with young guys like jennings and jackson, favre is a jerk for staying too long, even if he wants the most TD's ever, peyton is just going to break it again. There I said it!!!
We don't want Rodgers to suck for two years. Hell, I don't want Rodgers at all. I think Favre honestly believes he's helping the team by staying, and while that is debatable, we're not going to win anything with Thompson's outright refusal to build a winning team, and that goes regardless of who is under center. So let Favre get his records, no matter what Peyton does. we're not getting any worse by having him.
i think you are, rodgers is three years behind, if favre sailed off two seasons ago, they could have had rodgers in there for the last two teams that didn't do much anyway and could have been coming into his own just in time with the young WR and RB, but that didn't happen, and once Rodgers or another QB develop once favre does retire, the rest of the team will have out grown him, JMO
i think you are, rodgers is three years behind, if favre sailed off two seasons ago, they could have had rodgers in there for the last two teams that didn't do much anyway and could have been coming into his own just in time with the young WR and RB, but that didn't happen, and once Rodgers or another QB develop once favre does retire, the rest of the team will have out grown him, JMO
One of two things will happen. The first option is that Rodgers will be exactly the bust I've predicted him to be, and we'll sign a veteran QB with the necessary experience. The second, is that he'll live up to his first round status and take lessons learned from Favre and come out and tear it up. I don't see the team outgrowing him though. He's practiced with the first team once a week for two years. Did LT outgrow Rivers?
does that mean the Packers are going to have to eventually bench him if he really becomes a liability with all the fumbles and interceptions, how much leeway do you give Favre.
Breakthrough opportunity
Breakthrough opportunity
Linear Mode
