All preseason we've been keeping an eye on the tight end position in Green Bay. Would they bring back Jermichael Finley, or go with one of the no-names on their roster. The season starts for the Packers two weeks from last night, and it looks like it will be a Rodgers out of Cal at both quarterback and tight end.
Third-rounder Richard Rodgers, who's more wide receiver than tight end, has been competing with Brandon Bostick for that receiving role, with Andrew Quarless the primary blocking tight end. Well, Bostick suffered a "slight fracture of the fibula in his right leg" last week, and won't be ready for the start of the season.
The article suggests a best-case scenario for Bostick is playing in the second or third game, but that seems wildly optimistic. Slight fracture of the fibula can also be called a broken leg. The article says Bostick could be sidelined into October, and notes that it was a fractured fibula that caused Randall Cobb to miss most of last season. This fracture isn't as severe, but let's be realistic. Broken bones, particularly weight-bearing ones, need to fully heal. Bostick is going to miss substantial time, and Rodgers will apparently be the starter.
Rodgers has been working with the starters anyway, so the Bostick injury just cements a depth chart which may have already been decided. But he's caught only 1 pass in the first two preseason games. Quarless, in contrast, has 4 receptions for 58 yards, though he's been playing more with the reserves.
It doesn't look like you can select Rodgers with any notion of comparable numbers to what Jermichael Finley would have been capable of. The primary beneficiary here might be Jarrett Boykin; probably the receivers will catch more passes.
But it might be worthwhile to toss a last-round pick at Rodgers and see what happens; see if the team throws to him a little bit more when the regular-season starts. There's potential there while working with one of the league's elite quarterbacks.
--Andy Richardson