Biggest surprise player?

J-Mike88 · 12-05-2010, 04:53 PM

This will be a tough one because we've had a lot of pleasant surprises, really.

Which of these guys has been the biggest surprise to you this year, 3/4th of the way thru the season.

Tramon Williams blossoming into a Pro Bowl corner right before our eyes
Charlie Peprah all of a sudden playing like a solid NFL starting safety
Frank Zombo coming out of nowhere and holding down his anchor
Sam Shields coming out of nowhere and being a solid nickelback for us
Desmond Bishop showing the naysayers that he really was ready for action other than just in August
Chad Clifton not only staying healthy so far, but shutting down some great pass rushers

cvv84 · 12-05-2010, 04:59 PM

Tough one but I went with Trammon. He really stepped up this year into a top tier CB. I figured he'd be a descent long term starter for us but he's been playing at an elite level this season. He looks like Woodson did last year.

#2 would go to Shields. He outplayed our younger vets and is developing like Trammon did a few years back.

#3 is Peprah. After bouncing around to a few teams and in his 2nd stint as a Packer he's shown to be a capable starter.

#4 for me is Zombo. Yes he's played well but I think alot of that is because of Matthews on the other side. Impressive none the less.

#5 is Bishop. Everyone knew he had talent and he also looked like an ideal fit for the 3-4. Slowed down as of late but still playing well.

#6 Clifton. Thats his job and he's been doing since his rookie year. I expect him to play at this level every week. If not then you shouldn't be a starter in this league.

J-Mike88 · 12-05-2010, 06:03 PM

Tramon
Shields
Zombo
Jenkins

All guys went undrafted.
Pretty nice finds by Thompson or some scout.

drowe · 12-06-2010, 03:55 PM

It has to be Shields for me. He was signed for return skills. Didn't think he'd see the field as a CB, despite it being his listed position. And now he's a solid nickelback. never woulda guessed.

Zombo found the field due to injuries and racks up stats due to Clay taking up blockers. No huge surprise there.

Tramon has shown flashes for a couple years. Now, he's just putting it all together.

I didn't have the highest hopes on Clifton...but, the fact that he's put together another solid year can't be a huge shock.

Bishop has shown the skills too. the fact that he's playing well in a month that isn't August is surprising, but it's not like we haven't seen it before.

I still say Peprah is being overrated this year.

umphrey · 12-06-2010, 04:05 PM

It's easily Tramon.

Shields is a surprise but he's still just a nickel back and he's been burned a few times.
Peprah got the job by default and he isn't that good in coverage. Good against the run. Also it's not hard when you're assignment is basically helping out Charles Woodson or Tramon Williams and Nick Collins gets the harder one every time.
Bishop has been known to be a good thumper LB for awhile and plenty of people thought he should start instead of Hawk, or that he was at least starter caliber.
Zombo still hasn't impressed me any more than Brad Jones, Chillar, or Poppinga, he's just the last focus of the offense.
Most people thought Clifton would be good as long as he was healthy. He's never been a super athletic guy. He has a great punch move with his arms and excellent footwork. It's just surprising that his knees haven't given out.

Tramon as a top 5 corner? I believe that is completely true. He's adapted some of the ball skills Woodson has. It really showed in the Jets game where they both got interceptions that looked exactly the same. Last year most people (me included) thought he was an excellent nickel and good returner but that we should try to find someone else to play LCB and RCB. It's almost unbelievable that he's one of the most desirable defenders in the game right now being so good, experienced, athletic, and under (what I consider) a bargain contract for awhile.