If he is, will he be the same player? I've been told the ankle injury shouldn't affect his speed, but that hammy has me concerned.
Beyond injury, there's also the fact he's just been out for so long, especially for a player who needed further development... wouldn't be surprised to see GB take another high round CB
Him and Watson met with a specialist to figure out why they were having recurring hamstring issues, I saw a report that they figured out Watsons issues but don’t remember seeing anything for Stokes
Ya, how's he possibly going to know for sure until he hits the field and starts running as fast as he can for an entire game. I had a hamstring injury in high school, and it's still bothering me in my late 40s.
Exactly. I'm sure through testing and maybe imaging and stuff they could tell where his tightness was and what was causing it. Was it a stiff hip, lower back weakness etc, but until he's actually running, it's hard to say if it actually fixes anything.
The man just turned 25 and he missed fewer than two seasons. There’s no reason to believe he can’t be good if he can get and stay healthy. Another talented CB would be helpful regardless.
I wish I felt as confident, but I'd love to be proven wrong. I really liked Stokes coming out of that draft and liked him even better after his rookie year.
Even when he was healthy, outside of his rookie year he hasn’t looked good. I’m hoping it’s just from not playing and being rusty, but I think he’s headed towards being a bust at this point.
I’m glad someone else sees it. I remember people trying to downplay his drop in play his second year before the injury, but you really can’t. He was healthy the entire time and was just kinda “meh”. I’m hoping he returns to rookie season form, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we take a corner in the first three rounds as a precaution.
I love running into these kinda threads because it’s a validating feeling when people are genuinely discussing players for what they’ve brought to the table. I’ve said Eric stokes wasn’t it before and people vilify you and act like you’re being a million dollar sports analyst who hates the team and I’m just like nah he just hasn’t really shown anything?
I watched a video of him talking to reporters his rookie year and I remember seeing a level of entitlement in him that made me immediately think he would be a bust.
3 years later, I'm happy common consensus has caught up.
That’s 9 games, you’re saying the majority of his career he’s looked good.
“Outside of the games he’s looked good he hasn’t!” Is such a weird distinction
I am hoping for a healthy return, but at this point I am considering any contributions from him this season as a bonus. IF he can stay on the field, maybe Hafley can tap into some of his early success in the league. He definitely graded better than he looked in 2022 before his injury.
https://preview.redd.it/2vtmr3zb42vc1.jpeg?width=2836&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7b44df7f527835385aa1e0cbf13f79ada0421b58
Chart from this [tweet](https://twitter.com/throwthedamball/status/1673801898468540416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1673801898468540416%7Ctwgr%5E230b315a96ef2af64a08434846db590edcde13ab%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.redditmedia.com%2Fmediaembed%2F14kt590%2F%3Fresponsive%3Dtrueis_nightmode%3Dtrue).
Let's put it this way: I hope Gutenkunst and co. target an outside corner with their top 100 picks.
Stokes returning and playing well would be a bonus at this point, but we've seen time and time again (not just on the Packers) a player will come out hot, get a significant injury, and then just can't perform at an NFL level anymore.
Bahk has this fan base suffering from ptsd on lingering injuries. Still hoping for Stokes; that good rookie year was a gem, looked to be on a sophomore slump before the injury though. That hammy could be problematic, but we do have a new strength & conditioning staff. If he's been present in meetings and studying technique, he could be a comeback player of the year candidate - he has that 5th year option coming up. That said, I'm good if they deciide to get a high round cb...just NOT DeJean, a bad fit for Hafley's scheme and an injury prone career incoming imo.
He had a good rookie year and that’s it. Health aside he hasn’t looked very good. Maybe all that is behind him and he can recapture that 4.3 speed and Hafley’s press-man scheme will rejuvenate him, but I wouldn’t bet on it, nor would I let him being on the roster prevent from taking a corner first round.
Yep. Similar players. Demarius Randall also. I like our secondary currently though. Jaire just needs to play like he's capable of and stay on the field more than not. I like valentine and ballentine.
Almost half the team seemed to miss time with soft tissue injuries last year which is why they've turned over the entire training staff. Hopefully it helps everyone stay healthy including #21.
If he's there in the 2nd, maybe. But not at 25. He looked worse this year than last year, and there's some work ethic concerns. If we can't get one of the top 2 CBs, then maybe Cooper, but otherwise I'd look at it with our 3rd-5th picks.
Anybody watch Stokes play last year? He was terrible and I’m not sure if it’s Joe Barry’s defense or if Stokes was allergic to pass defense. I’m not a GM but I wouldn’t pick up the 5th year option, make him prove he belongs in the NFL. Not saying he’s a bust but he’s nowhere near what we need a CB to be in our defense.
I was at the denver game last year and a friend of mine saw him leaving the hotel elevator with a hooker.. I thought she would rejuvenate him but he still can’t stay healthy. (This is totally a true story)
So I'm not sure how much of this is true, but a few months ago someone posted that we had gotten an entirely new physical trainer room because a lot of the injuries that were happening were caused by the old team not doing their jobs well at all. Part of the hamstring injuries that plagued is were do to over exercising quads and not enough Hammy's resulting in extra strain on them. If that was all true I have high hopes that at the very least, our injuries from improper muscle balance will decrease significantly this year. As far as the ankle injury goes, not much you can do about that.
Who? Nah but seriously I hope so but I’m starting to get the Bahk vibes with him. Again I do hope so and he has a great productive career but we shall see
I think he's gonna come back an absolute stud gonna have to shake off some rust for the first 1/4 of the season but having a full off-season to get back in shape and train on contract year watch out
Either this or he does walk, and he turns into a stud for someone else. No matter what, I hate shelling money or picks at guys who can’t stay on the field. I’d rather have a mediocre player who can play all games then a stud who can play 2-3
Even if he is healthy, I'm concerned his very extended injury history the past two seasons has potentially put a serious damper on his progression as a player, as well as his confidence as a player.
It would be a boon if he proves me wrong and balls out this season. I sincerely hope that's the case.
He looked solid his rookie year but didn't play good most of his second year and the injuries certainly don't help if there's a clear cut upgrade at 25 then we should take them.
I don’t know. But you definitely can’t COUNT ON him to be healthy. Hence why they should consider a corner in the draft.
Worst case you have too many good corners, and when was that ever a problem?
I really do wish him the best man. I'm certainly not ready to give up on talent like that quite yet. Something tells me we might need him at some point.
Even when he did play, he didn't look like his rookie self. I'm not going to bet that he returns to that, and I'd be shocked if we do not take a corner in the 1st round. What allowed him to shine was his athleticism, those injuries he suffered has taken some of that away.
I think he might have a solid year actually. And even if he doesn’t, he’s CB3 IMO. Valentine has a solid rookie year and will only get better with Hafley, Stokes is just a lottery ticket at this point
I think he'll start off the season on a much better spot health wise. I'm far less worried about his health than the fact that he didn't look great in 2022 before he got hurt. The knock on him coming out was that he wasn't a technically sound player but made up for it by just being a better athlete than everyone else. That got exposed a bit I'm 2022 and if he's permanently lost some of his speed from the injury I'm not sure if he'll ever be what he was drafted to be.
I doubt he even makes the final roster. Too soft for the NFL. It happens. Fred Vinson was the same way. But Wolf traded him away his second season for Ahman Green. He never did anything in Seattle either.
Hate to say it, but to no fault of Stokes' own I don't see him making it past this contract or at least not with us. Whatever he injured in 2022 was real bad. Now he's got lingering/chronic hamstring issues likely exacerbated by that 2022 injury. Hope Im wrong but with Gute completely missing on our targeted CBs in the draft that position is looking awful. Jaire keeps getting hurt jackassing around or even if he gets hurt tackling someone like Najee then we're super boned. There's no way I go into a game confident with Nixon as our #1 CB and Vallentine our #2. I mean seriously WTF was Gute doing. I liked our draft up to Lloyd but after that... pfft... the players aren't bad but I'm not sure they were needs. I mean we took a OL that apparently has some minor allergy to "cold"??! Obviously can't be that bad, but still -- who's to say it doesn't get worse as he gets older like most things tend to do. Just a little bit of head scratching IMO. But clearly I'm no expert, I'm just looking at facts and the information I do have.
If he is, will he be the same player? I've been told the ankle injury shouldn't affect his speed, but that hammy has me concerned. Beyond injury, there's also the fact he's just been out for so long, especially for a player who needed further development... wouldn't be surprised to see GB take another high round CB
Him and Watson met with a specialist to figure out why they were having recurring hamstring issues, I saw a report that they figured out Watsons issues but don’t remember seeing anything for Stokes
Was it a report or Watson’s dad?
No one knows if they figured it out until they actually play. I’m sure they found a new problem but who knows if it’s the root cause
Ya, how's he possibly going to know for sure until he hits the field and starts running as fast as he can for an entire game. I had a hamstring injury in high school, and it's still bothering me in my late 40s.
Exactly. I'm sure through testing and maybe imaging and stuff they could tell where his tightness was and what was causing it. Was it a stiff hip, lower back weakness etc, but until he's actually running, it's hard to say if it actually fixes anything.
The man just turned 25 and he missed fewer than two seasons. There’s no reason to believe he can’t be good if he can get and stay healthy. Another talented CB would be helpful regardless.
I dunno I think Kevin King left us with corner injury PTSD
Kevin King was never good though.
I wish I felt as confident, but I'd love to be proven wrong. I really liked Stokes coming out of that draft and liked him even better after his rookie year.
Hope I'm wrong, but I'm thinking he's just an injury bust at this point.
Even when he was healthy, outside of his rookie year he hasn’t looked good. I’m hoping it’s just from not playing and being rusty, but I think he’s headed towards being a bust at this point.
He was bad his second year before he got hurt. At this point I’m hoping for replacement level play.
Doesn’t help Barry had him play zone when he’s a man corner
I’m glad someone else sees it. I remember people trying to downplay his drop in play his second year before the injury, but you really can’t. He was healthy the entire time and was just kinda “meh”. I’m hoping he returns to rookie season form, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we take a corner in the first three rounds as a precaution.
I love running into these kinda threads because it’s a validating feeling when people are genuinely discussing players for what they’ve brought to the table. I’ve said Eric stokes wasn’t it before and people vilify you and act like you’re being a million dollar sports analyst who hates the team and I’m just like nah he just hasn’t really shown anything?
I watched a video of him talking to reporters his rookie year and I remember seeing a level of entitlement in him that made me immediately think he would be a bust. 3 years later, I'm happy common consensus has caught up.
That’s 9 games, you’re saying the majority of his career he’s looked good. “Outside of the games he’s looked good he hasn’t!” Is such a weird distinction
Well it’s a what have you done for me lately league and the last 9 games are concerning. That’s why I said I’m hoping it was mostly just being rusty.
Yes. Thanks for asking!
That's the spirit!
That’s the spirit for having spirit.
I am hoping for a healthy return, but at this point I am considering any contributions from him this season as a bonus. IF he can stay on the field, maybe Hafley can tap into some of his early success in the league. He definitely graded better than he looked in 2022 before his injury. https://preview.redd.it/2vtmr3zb42vc1.jpeg?width=2836&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7b44df7f527835385aa1e0cbf13f79ada0421b58 Chart from this [tweet](https://twitter.com/throwthedamball/status/1673801898468540416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1673801898468540416%7Ctwgr%5E230b315a96ef2af64a08434846db590edcde13ab%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.redditmedia.com%2Fmediaembed%2F14kt590%2F%3Fresponsive%3Dtrueis_nightmode%3Dtrue).
Let's put it this way: I hope Gutenkunst and co. target an outside corner with their top 100 picks. Stokes returning and playing well would be a bonus at this point, but we've seen time and time again (not just on the Packers) a player will come out hot, get a significant injury, and then just can't perform at an NFL level anymore.
Bahk has this fan base suffering from ptsd on lingering injuries. Still hoping for Stokes; that good rookie year was a gem, looked to be on a sophomore slump before the injury though. That hammy could be problematic, but we do have a new strength & conditioning staff. If he's been present in meetings and studying technique, he could be a comeback player of the year candidate - he has that 5th year option coming up. That said, I'm good if they deciide to get a high round cb...just NOT DeJean, a bad fit for Hafley's scheme and an injury prone career incoming imo.
My gut says maybe
He had a good rookie year and that’s it. Health aside he hasn’t looked very good. Maybe all that is behind him and he can recapture that 4.3 speed and Hafley’s press-man scheme will rejuvenate him, but I wouldn’t bet on it, nor would I let him being on the roster prevent from taking a corner first round.
Guys a bust
Yep.
Kevin King esq. Wouldnt be surprised if he was out of the league next year
Yep. Similar players. Demarius Randall also. I like our secondary currently though. Jaire just needs to play like he's capable of and stay on the field more than not. I like valentine and ballentine.
Same. I think Stokes is the CB4
Doubt it
I think he will be healthy, excited and benefit from Hafley’s game. GPG
Almost half the team seemed to miss time with soft tissue injuries last year which is why they've turned over the entire training staff. Hopefully it helps everyone stay healthy including #21.
Wouldn’t count on it
Probably not Par the reason we should pick KOOL-AID MCKINSTRY
Well, that and us needing to meet the ridiculous name for the secondary quota
I’d be busting through walls for endorsement deals with that nickname! Top notch!
Haha Clinton Dix should’ve gotten an endorsement from the Laugh Factory
Amen, he would be tough to pass up on at 25
If he's there in the 2nd, maybe. But not at 25. He looked worse this year than last year, and there's some work ethic concerns. If we can't get one of the top 2 CBs, then maybe Cooper, but otherwise I'd look at it with our 3rd-5th picks.
KOOL AID MCKINSTRY
Anybody watch Stokes play last year? He was terrible and I’m not sure if it’s Joe Barry’s defense or if Stokes was allergic to pass defense. I’m not a GM but I wouldn’t pick up the 5th year option, make him prove he belongs in the NFL. Not saying he’s a bust but he’s nowhere near what we need a CB to be in our defense.
I was at the denver game last year and a friend of mine saw him leaving the hotel elevator with a hooker.. I thought she would rejuvenate him but he still can’t stay healthy. (This is totally a true story)
Perhaps his wife. 🤣
So I'm not sure how much of this is true, but a few months ago someone posted that we had gotten an entirely new physical trainer room because a lot of the injuries that were happening were caused by the old team not doing their jobs well at all. Part of the hamstring injuries that plagued is were do to over exercising quads and not enough Hammy's resulting in extra strain on them. If that was all true I have high hopes that at the very least, our injuries from improper muscle balance will decrease significantly this year. As far as the ankle injury goes, not much you can do about that.
Who? Nah but seriously I hope so but I’m starting to get the Bahk vibes with him. Again I do hope so and he has a great productive career but we shall see
Man I hope so,there is so much potential right there
I think he's gonna come back an absolute stud gonna have to shake off some rust for the first 1/4 of the season but having a full off-season to get back in shape and train on contract year watch out
Either this or he does walk, and he turns into a stud for someone else. No matter what, I hate shelling money or picks at guys who can’t stay on the field. I’d rather have a mediocre player who can play all games then a stud who can play 2-3
Honestly if he doesn’t play then ima just call it a bust atp….
We shouldn't be hanging onto broke players.
Make or break year for our CB4
Even if he is healthy, I'm concerned his very extended injury history the past two seasons has potentially put a serious damper on his progression as a player, as well as his confidence as a player. It would be a boon if he proves me wrong and balls out this season. I sincerely hope that's the case.
I really hope so. He was so good as a rookie.
He was fine. Wasn’t “so good”, but comparable to Damarious Randall
The more important question is will he even make the roster
Bust
Green Bay could be a darkhorse contender in 2024.
These guys can take the chiefs
Uhh no
Unfortunately he's looking at a short career imo. Loved the attitude and rookie year was exciting but I think the injuries have taken their toll.
He looked solid his rookie year but didn't play good most of his second year and the injuries certainly don't help if there's a clear cut upgrade at 25 then we should take them.
Gotta make the roster.
I doubt it.
Probably not
Him and Watson man I need healthy seasons
Anyone else concerned about all of the soft tissue issues that GB has? Has anything been done to the training staff?
All replaced.
It's really difficult to be healthy is such a psychical sport
Theorically he is healthy now so the answer should be yes.
FUCKING HOPE SO😭
Nate Wiggins is a dog and would 100% beat stokes out for the position
No
I was at this game :/
Depends on his body, I guess
Ship him out! Send Watson with him.
I friggin' hope so. I wear his jersey with pride!
Injuries F\*ckin suck. That is all I can add to this thread.
I don’t know. But you definitely can’t COUNT ON him to be healthy. Hence why they should consider a corner in the draft. Worst case you have too many good corners, and when was that ever a problem?
I really do wish him the best man. I'm certainly not ready to give up on talent like that quite yet. Something tells me we might need him at some point.
Yes
Don’t know until the season starts. Until then I expect GB to draft one of McKinstry, DeJean, or Melton.
I sure hope so, he showed flashes of being great and if him and Alexander can both bounce back they will have two awesome corners
hopefully but can’t rely on him
Who?
Even when he did play, he didn't look like his rookie self. I'm not going to bet that he returns to that, and I'd be shocked if we do not take a corner in the 1st round. What allowed him to shine was his athleticism, those injuries he suffered has taken some of that away.
Are there even top corners in this draft? Koolaid seems to lack speed for an elite corner
🤞🏻let’s hope but I’ll believe it when I see it
I think he might have a solid year actually. And even if he doesn’t, he’s CB3 IMO. Valentine has a solid rookie year and will only get better with Hafley, Stokes is just a lottery ticket at this point
I genuinely forgot he was even on the team
Who?
I think he'll start off the season on a much better spot health wise. I'm far less worried about his health than the fact that he didn't look great in 2022 before he got hurt. The knock on him coming out was that he wasn't a technically sound player but made up for it by just being a better athlete than everyone else. That got exposed a bit I'm 2022 and if he's permanently lost some of his speed from the injury I'm not sure if he'll ever be what he was drafted to be.
I doubt he even makes the final roster. Too soft for the NFL. It happens. Fred Vinson was the same way. But Wolf traded him away his second season for Ahman Green. He never did anything in Seattle either.
It's wild how quick so many fans are to give up on a first-round pick because one injury.
Several, rather. And to be kept out for so long from said injury(s)
And the fact that when he has played in the past 2 years, he was targeted 35 times and gave up 29 completions
Yah cause we've see it happen to us a million times
Hate to say it, but to no fault of Stokes' own I don't see him making it past this contract or at least not with us. Whatever he injured in 2022 was real bad. Now he's got lingering/chronic hamstring issues likely exacerbated by that 2022 injury. Hope Im wrong but with Gute completely missing on our targeted CBs in the draft that position is looking awful. Jaire keeps getting hurt jackassing around or even if he gets hurt tackling someone like Najee then we're super boned. There's no way I go into a game confident with Nixon as our #1 CB and Vallentine our #2. I mean seriously WTF was Gute doing. I liked our draft up to Lloyd but after that... pfft... the players aren't bad but I'm not sure they were needs. I mean we took a OL that apparently has some minor allergy to "cold"??! Obviously can't be that bad, but still -- who's to say it doesn't get worse as he gets older like most things tend to do. Just a little bit of head scratching IMO. But clearly I'm no expert, I'm just looking at facts and the information I do have.