This is a blog primarily dedicated to sports, but I will also talk about what is on my mind once in awhile. Also, two of my good friends, Paul and Alex, have an MLB blog. You guys should all go check it out at http://715sports.blogspot.com/
We are more than halfway through the season and the Green Bay Packers are 7-2, but still the team has a few holes it needs to fill. Here is my second Packers mock of the season...
1) Marvin Wilson, DT, Florida State (previous: Jaylen Twyman)
The Packers desperately need a defensive lineman. Green Bay is 22nd in the league in yards per carry allowed and allowed Dalvin Cook to run all over them in a loss a few weeks ago. They need another big lineman in the worst way, especially to help free up Kenny Clark, who is constantly being double teamed. Kingsley Keke has not developed as much as they would have liked. Dean Lowry and Tyler Lancaster are not starter worthy. Wilson was one of the top recruits coming out of high school and has been a star for the Seminoles. In his career, he has 15 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks. He would be a great fit next to Clark.
2) Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State (previous: Terrace Marshall)
Olave is a beast for Ohio State, and the Packers desperately need another target for Aaron Rodgers. With Allen Lazard out, the Packers passing attack has hit a bit of a wall. The Packers have wanted to upgrade the position, but they have their price. Last season, they tried to trade for Robbie Anderson. During the 2020 draft, they tried to trade up in the second for a receiver, but did not have a fourth round pick due to the Jordan Love trade. Finally, they tried to sign Emmanuel Sanders as a free agent this past offseason. He would rather play in a big city in warmer weather, so he signed with the Saints. He is a big play guy for the Buckeyes, having averaged more than 16 yards per reception in all three seasons. Olave has caught 19 touchdowns in his career, including 12 in 2019.
3) Asante Samuel, Jr., CB, Florida State (previous: Cole Van Lanen)
I am old. I vividly remember his dad playing with the Patriots, Eagles and Falcons. Kevin King is a free agent and he spends a lot of time on the injury report. With all the money being thrown at extensions for cornerbacks this offseason, it makes it less and less likely King is brought back, especially since they will need to re-sign Jaire Alexander to a monster deal in a few years. They could take one earlier than the fourth, but I have them waiting because I think they like the development of Josh Jackson and Ka’dar Hollman, not to mention they have Chandon Sullivan in the slot, who is a very solid corner. You can never have too many good corners, though. Samuel already has three interceptions this season and six passes defensed. He could fit right in with Jaire, Jackson, Ka'dar and Chandon.
4) Cole Van Lanen, OT, Wisconsin (previous: Tariq Castro-Fields)
Even with David Bakhtiari just signing an extension, the green & gold has a stop-gap at right tackle right now with Rick Wagner and Billy Turner. Van Lanen could be the future at right tackle for Green Bay. Wisconsin has put in some good offensive linemen the past 10 years with Travis Frederick, Ryan Ramczyk, Kevin Zeitler, among others. The Badgers lineman led college football with a 90.4 grade from Pro Football Focus last season. He is a member of the Outland Trophy watch list and could be a finalist when all is said and done. Van Lanen is off to a great start this season, so he could go higher than this.
5) Janarius Robinson, EDGE, Florida State (previous: Isaiahh Loudermilk)
Preston Smith has not been great this year, especially considering the money he gets paid. Rashan Gary out-produces Preston when he is on the field. The Packers could use another pass rusher if Preston is cut loose. Regardless, if he comes back, you can always use more pass rushers. He has three sacks on the year after having three sacks last season.
6) James Empey, C, BYU (previous: Kobie Whiteside)
Corey Linsley is a free agent and Empey would be a solid pick who could fight with last year's pick Jake Hansen for the starting center spot if Linsley. The Packers have always had luck finding offensive line gems in the later rounds.
7) Deslin Alexandre, DL, Pittsburgh (previous: David Anenih)
One way to try to fix your most glaring need is to draft multiple bodies at the position. I think Dean Lowry is a candidate to be let go, so the Packers could go with a few defensive linemen to help both the the starting line and reserves.
Here is my very first NFL mock draft of the season. It will be interesting to see the quarterbacks changing teams. If the Giants/Jets get No. 1, who will trade for Sam Darnold or Daniel Jones? Who will take a chance of Dwayne Haskins? Anyway, here it is:
1. New York Giants: Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson
2. Atlanta Falcons: Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon
3. New York Jets: Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State
4. Los Angeles Chargers: Patrick Surtain, Jr., CB, Alabama
5. Washington Snyders: Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State
6. Jacksonville Jaguars: Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State
7. Minnesota Vikings: Wyatt Davis, IOL, Ohio State
The Packers are off to a fast start during the 2020 NFL season, winning the first four with three by double digits. The offense has racked up 152 points in the four games (38 points per game). However, it is never too early to look at the 2021 NFL Draft. Green Bay will likely receive three compensatory selections, as they lost Blake Martinez, Bryan Bulaga and Kyler Fackrell. Green Bay has re-signed Kenny Clark, but still has a number of other potential free agents to try to sign, namely All-Pro offensive tackle David Bakhtiari, running back Aaron Jones and cornerback Kevin King. Here is my first Packers mock draft:
1. Jaylen Twyman, DT, Pittsburgh
In my eyes, the Packers have one glaring weakness: the defensive line. Green Bay smartly re-signed Kenny Clark this offseason, but while Kingsley Keke has made a jump, Tyler Lancaster and Dean Lowry are not starting caliber players. They are good enough to have on the roster, but I don’t want them receiving a majority of the snaps. Twyman hails from the same university that gave us Aaron Donald. As a sophomore, he tallied 41 tackles, a team-high 12 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks. Those numbers actually resemble the ones Donald put up during his sophomore season with the Panthers. He would fit right in with the Packers, along side Clark and Keke and possibly turn a weakness into a strength.
2. Terrace Marshall, WR, LSU
The Packers have wanted to upgrade the position, but they have their price. Last season, they tried to trade for Robbie Anderson. During the 2020 draft, they tried to trade up in the second for a receiver, but did not have a fourth round pick due to the Jordan Love trade. Once their target was drafted, they stopped trying. I still am guessing their target was Chase Claypool. Finally, they tried to sign Emmanuel Sanders as a free agent this past offseason. He would rather play in a big city in warmer weather, so he signed with the Saints. So the Packers have tried to upgrade the wide receiver position. If the Packers take a receiver, it would probably be early because I just don’t see late round guys coming in and beating out MVS or EQ for significant playing time. Marshall could be that guy, though. Marshall is a touchdown machine for the Tigers. Since the start of the 2019 season, he has caught 67 passes, with a whopping 20 going for touchdowns. Even without top overall pick Joe Burrow and other great LSU receivers Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase taking pressure off him, he still has caught 21 passes for 424 yards and seven scores. He would come right in and form a tremendous trio at receiver with Davante Adams and Allen Lazard. Just what the rest of the NFL needs: an even more deadly Aaron Rodgers.
3. Cole Van Lanen, OT, Wisconsin
I mentioned above that All-Pro offensive tackle David Bakhtiari is a free agent. While I do think the Packers will re-sign 69 to a long-term deal, the green & gold has a stop-gap at right tackle right now with Rick Wagner and Billy Turner. Van Lanen could be the future at right tackle for Green Bay. Wisconsin has put in some good offensive linemen the past 10 years with Travis Frederick, Ryan Ramczyk, Kevin Zeitler, among others. The Badgers lineman led college football with a 90.4 grade from Pro Football Focus last season. He is a member of the Outland Trophy watch list and could be a finalist when all is said and done. The Badgers begin next Friday, so it will be interesting to see in CVL can improve his stock with a successful senior campaign.
4. Tariq Castro-Fields, CB, Penn State
I mentioned earlier that Kevin King is a free agent, and with all the money being thrown at extensions for cornerbacks this offseason, it makes it less and less likely King is brought back, especially since they will need to re-sign Jaire Alexander to a monster deal in a few years. They could take one earlier than the fourth, but I have them waiting because I think they like the development of Josh Jackson and Ka’dar Hollman, not to mention they have Chandon Sullivan in the slot, who is a very solid corner. You can never have too many good corners, though. This should be a deep draft at cornerback and Castro-Fields needs to be more consistent. If he can find more consistency, he could be a steal in the draft.
5. Isaiahh Loudermilk, DE, Wisconsin
The Packers very easily could take multiple defensive linemen in this draft class. Loudermilk is extremely talented, but one of his major problems has been staying healthy. As a sophomore, he missed the first few games and was not 100 percent the rest of the season. When healthy as a junior in 2019, he recorded three sacks, five passes defensed and two forced fumbles en route to being named Honorable Mention All-Big Ten. He hasn’t developed into a great pass rusher, but he has to become a good one. He has a knack for batting down passes due to his 6-7 frame.
6. Kobie Whiteside, DT, Missouri
One way to try to fix your most glaring need is to draft multiple bodies at the position. I think Dean Lowry is a candidate to be let go, so the Packers could go with three defensive linemen to help both the the starting line and reserves. Whiteside tallied a nice 78.8 pass-rush grade in 2019, which was 18th out of 182 Power 5 interior defensive linemen. He is a terrific nose tackle, who could be a steal at this spot.
7. David Anenih, EDGE, Houston
Anenih has improved each year for the Cougars. He sacked opposing quarterbacks twice as a freshman, four times as a sophomore, five as a junior and already has two in two games as a senior. You can never have enough edge rushers and a seventh round pick is worth it as a lottery ticket to use on a pass rusher.
It is time for the last of my All-Decade teams, the Northwestern State football team. There were a lot of talented players who came through Natchitoches this past decade, some of whom made it to the NFL. There were several records broken this past decade and those players most likely made their way onto this team.
If you break virtually every single school passing record in program history, you have to be the starter on this team, right? Passing yards in a season, career passing care and career passing touchdowns are just a few of the 18 records Shelton broke during his two seasons in Natchitoches. Eppler was honorable mention All-Southland as a junior when he threw for 2,639 yards and 26 touchdowns. His best game came that year when he broke program records for both passing yards (474) and passing touchdowns (6) in a thrilling 49-48 win at Lamar.
Before Eppler came along, Zach Adkins had many of the school's passing records. He threw for at least four touchdowns on four occasions, including five in 2014 against Nicholls. Adkins had the top two seasons for passing completions and yards in a season until Eppler broke them in 2019. One record he still does have, though (albeit tied with Shelton), is 28 passing touchdowns in a season. Brad Henderson started in the early part of the decade and did a solid job. His 14 passing touchdowns in 2012 is the sixth most in school history and his 12 in 2011 rank tied for ninth. Both seasons rank in the top 10 in school history for passing yards in a season and he led the team in rushing in 2012.
Running Backs: De'Mard Llorens, Chris Jones, Garrett Atzenweiler
Llorens was a sold running back for the Demons, rushing for 2,381 yards in his career, which is 10th in school history. His 24 touchdowns is fifth in school history. He had 11 touchdowns as a junior, which is tied for the sixth most in a single season. Llorens also had a monster performance against Nicholls in 2015, scoring four touchdowns, which is tied for the most in school history. In 2016, his 871 yards led the conference and he was named First Team All-Southland.
Chris Jones was a big-play threat, as evidenced by his 90-yard touchdown run at Sam Houston State in 2017. He averaged more than six yards per carry in two of his three seasons with the Demons. Atzenweiler led the Demons in rushing in 2013 and 2014, averaging 4.5 yards per carry both seasons. In 2014, he scored 10 touchdowns.
Wide Receivers: Jazz Ferguson, Ed Eagan, Jaylen Watson, Quan Shorts, Bobby Chan-Chan, Louis Hollier Jr.
There was not anything Jazz Ferguson did not do in his one year at Northwestern State. He shattered the season record for yards (1,117) and receiving touchdowns (13). His season was so impressive that he ranks fifth all-time in career touchdown receptions. His 66 receptions ranked second at the time of graduation. He was so dominant that near the goal line, offensive coordinator Brad Smiley always threw the fade because he knew no one would out jump or out muscle Jazz for the football. It was really a thrill to be able to watch him for the one season. The other starter on the All-Decade team is Ed Eagan. Before Quan Shorts had 100 catches in 2019, Eagan held the record with 73 in 2014. Ed's 177 total receptions is tops in Demons history and his 908 yards receiving in that season is fourth in program history. Eagan is the receiving yards leader with 1,228 and is tied with Jazz for career touchdown receptions with 13.
Jaylen Watson was fantastic in his two seasons with the Demons. Jaylen's 14 touchdown receptions rank fourth in the NSU record books, including 10 as a senior, which is third. His 761 receiving yards in 2018 ranks seventh. Watson was really good making him and Jazz one of the top receiving duos in the country in 2018. Quan was the No. 3 guy in that 2018 season and made the most of his opportunity as the lead guy in 2019. His 100 receptions in 2019 obliterated the previous record for catches in a season, held by Eagan with 73. His 994 yards and 11 receiving touchdowns ranked second.
Bobby Chan-Chan was a solid wide receiver for NSU. He was a big play waiting to happen. In his best season in 2016, he caught 32 passes for 614 yards and six scores, despite the Demons being a running team. His 19.19 yards per catch ranks fifth in school history (min. 30 rec.). Hollier was another good Demons receiver, ranking 13th in program history for receiving yards (1,448) and fifth in receptions (114). His best season came in 2016 when he caught 38 balls for 637 yards and seven touchdowns. The seven scores is ranked sixth in program history.
Tight Ends: Justin Aldredge, Corey Simmons, David Fitzwater
Justin Aldredge was an easy choice for the starting tight end on this team. He was one of the best at the position in school history, hauling in 86 passes for 1,131 yards and 10 scores. As a senior, he caught 39 passes for 514 yards, earning him second team FCS All-American honors and second team All-Louisiana honors in addition to being named First Team All-Southland Conference. His solid season as a junior earned him Second Team All-Southland Conference honors.
Corey Simmons took over for Aldredge after his graduation and played well. Simmons led the team in receiving touchdowns in 2012 and scored three more touchdowns as a senior in 2014. David Fitzwater came over and played well in 2019. He had 187 yards receiving and his lone touchdown came at Death Valley against eventual champion LSU that cut it to a 17-14 deficit in the second quarter. Fitzwater led the team with 68 receiving yards in the game.
Offensive Tackles: Pace Murphy, Michael Booker, Larry Calcote, Zach Case
When you make the NFL, you deserve a spot on this team and Pace Murphy did just that. In his final two seasons with the Demons, he was named to the Second Team All-Southland Conference and All-Louisiana. He graded as the best offensive lineman when he helped Zach Adkins broke several quarterback records. While Michael Booker only played one year this past decade, he was a really good offensive lineman for the Demons. As a senior in 2010, he was named First Team All-Southland and First Team All-Louisiana.
Larry Calcote was a really solid offensive tackle for NSU. He had a nice career with the Demons. In 2011, he was named Second Team All-Southland. Zach Case played everywhere along the NSU offensive line, but I have him playing at tackle on this team. He was named Second Team All-Southland Conference selection.
Offensive Guards: Chris Zirkle, Terrance Boyd, Frank Boudreaux, Jonathan Hubbard
The award list for Chris Zirkle is a lengthy one. He was named Honorable Mention All-Southland as a sophomore in 2016 when the Demons ranked second in the conference in rushing yards per game during league play. In 2017, he was named First Team All-Louisiana and Second Team All-Southland. Blocking for a record-setting quarterback in Shelton Eppler, he was once again named First Team All-Southland as a senior in 2019. Terrance Boyd was another good guard for NSU. In 2015, he had a solid year for the Demons, earning Honorable Mention All-Southland. In 2016, he helped pave the way for De'Mard Llorens to be named First Team All-Southland.
Frank Boudreaux was a three-year starter for the Demons at guard and was a steady presence for NSU. He was on the line along with Zirkle in 2016 when the Demons ranked second in the conference in rushing yards per game during league play. He was named Honorable Mention All-Southland as a senior. Jonathan Hubbard is still competing for a roster spot with the NFL's Miami Dolphins. That alone makes him worthy of being on the team. He was a main starter the last two years and started half the games in 2017. His best game as a senior was against Southeastern Louisiana when he graded at 82 percent.
Centers: Warren Jones, Cameron Hussey
Warren Jones was a two-year starter after transferring in and he was named Second Team All-Southland in 2013. The previous season he was named Honorable Mention All-Southland. He played outstanding his two seasons as a Demons.
Cameron Hussey started the final season and a half, including 2016 earning a Second Team All-Southland selection. In 2016 when the Demons ranked second in the conference in rushing yards per game during league play, and helping De'Mard Llorens earn a First Team All-Southland Conference selection.
This is a good group of defensive linemen for NSU. JaMarcus Marshall's 8.5 sacks in 2013 ranks seventh in school history, while Obi Iheoma brought down opposing quarterbacks eight times in both 2017 and 2018, which is tied for eighth in Demons history. While Iheoma only played two seasons in Natchitoches, his 16 sacks are fifth all-time. Marshall's 12 sacks are 10th.
There are plenty of All-Southland players on the list, as current defensive line coach LeDell Love was named Second Team All-Southland in 2010, and Ricky Isaac and Lesley Deamer also received conference honors. That list didn't even include Deon Simon, who was drafted in the seventh round in the 2015 NFL Draft.
Outside Linebackers: Marion Chapman, Pat Black, Lyn Clark, Peyton Guidry
Marion Chapman was named First Team All-Southland in 2014, making 134 tackles and leading the Demons in sacks with 4.5. In a win against Sam Houston State that season, he registered 20 tackles. Pat Black was named Second Team All-Southland in 2013 after being named honorable mention in 2012. In that 2012 season, he finished the season with a career-high 15 tackles against rival Stephen F. Austin.
Lyn Clark led the team in sacks in 2016 with 3.5 sacks and added five more in 2017. He had 37 tackles in both 2016 and 2017. He had seven tackles for loss as a senior and forced and recovered two fumbles. Peyton Guidry led the Demons in tackles with 85 in 2017 and was second on the team with nine tackles for loss. He was second on the team in 2016 as well with 5.5 tackles for loss.
Middle Linebackers: Derek Rose, Ja'Quay Pough
Derek Rose was a great Northwestern State middle linebacker and he had a long list of honors. He was a three-time All-Southland Conference selection, including a First Team selection in 2010 and 2012. In 2010, he had 138 tackles and in 2012, he made 100 tackles. He led the Demons in tackles all three of those years. As a senior, he was second in both tackles for loss (7) and pass break-ups (4). Rose was an All-Louisiana First Team in 2010 and All-Louisiana Second Team in 2011. Also in 2011, he was a Buck Buchanan Award finalist and was named an Associated Press FCS All-American Third Team. So, yeah, he was pretty good.
In his lone season in the decade for the Demons, Ja'Quay Pough was a monster. He had 109 tackles and six tackles for loss, including three sacks. He also led the team with three forced fumbles and added a fumble recovery. For his efforts, he was selected Third Team All-Southland. He could make an appearance in the next decade as well.
Defensive Backs: Imoan Claiborne, Jamaal White, Adam Jones, Cortez Paige, Hayden Bourgeois, Shemar Bartholomew, Austin Balthazor, Ike Warren
The defensive backfield is littered with All-Conference performers. Imoan Claiborne and Hayden Bourgeois were First Team All-Southland selections in 2014 and 2018, respectively. Claiborne was second on the team with four interceptions in 2014 and led the team in both pass break-ups (7) and fumble recoveries (3). Claiborne was selected Second Team All-Southland in 2013 when he finished with two picks and four pass break-ups. In 2018, Bourgeois picked off five passes, including two in the home opener against Grambling, and recovered two fumbles. Hayden scored just before halftime on one of his interceptions against Sam Houston State. His seven combined takeaways (fumble recoveries and interceptions) are ninth in program history. Adam Jones was named Second Team All-Conference in 2014, picking off a team-high five passes and was tied for the best on the team with 5.5 tackles for loss. In 2015, Jones scored on a 95-yard fumble return against Lamar, which is a program-record for the longest fumble return. Jamaal White was named Second Team All-Southland Conference three times. In all those three years, he led the team in interceptions, including picking off a pair against FBS school SMU in 2011.
Shemar Bartholomew wasn't expected to play much as a freshman, but injuries pressed him into action, and he responded with two interceptions in his second game against Sam Houston State. He carried on the momentum gained from his freshman season into his sophomore season in 2019 when he was named Third Team All-Southland Conference. He likes playing against SHSU because he returned a pick 95 yards to the house in the thrilling 31-28 win in Hunstville. Cortez Paige was named Second Team All-Southland in 2012 when he picked off three passes and added 4.5 tackles for loss. He led the team with 12 pass break-ups in 2011. In his first season with Northwestern State, Austin Balthazor was named Honorable Mention All-Southland when he was second on the team in tackles with 63. He had 64 tackles in 2017 and added four pass break-ups, which was third on the team. Finally, Ike Warren led the team in interceptions in 2016 and 2017. He also added nine pass break-ups in 2017. In 2016, he led the team in interceptions (3) and tied for the lead in pass break-ups (4) despite only playing in four contests.
Kicker: Chris Moore
Chris Moore was a terrific kicker for the Demons. In 2014, he kicked the game-winning field goal to knock off Louisiana Tech. He improved his accuracy all three years with NSU, which was capped off by an impressive senior season in which he went 16-of-19 (84.2 percent) and drilled a career-long 52-yard field goal at Mississippi State. In that final season, he also made both of his field goals from beyond 50 yards.
Punter: Parker Pastorello
Parker Pastorello was the punter for three years for the Demons and plaued well. In 2019, he had a career-high 41 yards per punt. Pastorello improved every year in his career and is the first punter to be have average 40+ yards per punt in back-to-back years since Mark Holmes in 1999 and 2000. He is more than deserving of being named the punter for the All-Decade team.
Return Specialist: Ed Eagan
There is really no other choice to be the return specialist than Ed Eagan, as he makes the All-Decade team at a second position. Eagan led the team is kickoff and punt returns from 2013-15. In 2015, he was named First Team All-Southland Conference as a return specialist and 2014, he was named to the second team. He holds the Demons record for career and single season kickoff return average and he has multiple return touchdowns in his career.
NSU Offensive Player of the Decade: Jazz Ferguson NSU Defensive Player of the Decade: Derek Rose NSU Coach of the Decade: Jay Thomas
The Green Bay Packers were consistently one of the top teams in the NFL over the past decade. Green Bay began the decade by hoisting the Lombardi Trophy and made the playoffs eight times in the decade, winning the division six times. With all that success, there have been some great players to come through Green Bay. Here is the All-Decade 53-man roster:
Quarterbacks: Aaron Rodgers, Matt Flynn
I think it is obvious who the quarterbacks should be for the All-Decade team. Aaron Rodgers won multiple MVP awards and was named to the All-Decade NFL team. Despite breaking his collarbone twice, Rodgers led the Packers to the playoffs eight times during the decade, including a victory in Super Bowl XLV against Pittsburgh. His accuracy his off the charts and arm strength is incredible. Rodgers threw for more than 4,000 yards on six occasions throughout the decade and five of the six seasons he played all 16 games. He had one of the best seasons a quarterback has ever had in 2011, throwing for a career-high 4,643 and 45 touchdowns to only six interceptions, despite sitting out the last game of the season. During the decade, he threw 305 touchdowns to only 63 interceptions, a touchdown to interception ratio of 4.84:1. Insane. First-ballot Hall of Famer. There was obviously no other choice for the starter.
The backup choice was easy too. Matt Flynn showed he could handle the NFL with two performances. In 2010, he filled in for Rodgers, who suffered a concussion at Detroit the previous week, against the best team in the NFL on the road. Despite the loss, the former LSU standout threw for 251 yards and three touchdowns. The next year, he threw for 480 yards and six scores, including the game-winner to Jermichael Finley with 1:13 left, in a 45-41 victory over the Lions on the last game of the regular season. He cemented his place in Packers lore with a comeback victory at Dallas, rallying Green Bay from a 26-3 deficit to win at the Cowboys. Without that comeback, Rodgers doesn't get the opportunity to throw the winner to Randall Cobb in the 2013 finale and get the team into the playoffs.
Running Backs: Aaron Jones, Eddie Lacy, James Starks
The top two are obvious choices. Ever since his rookie season, Jones has showed flashes. He put it all together in 2019, leading the league in touchdowns with 19 and rushing for nearly 1,000 yards and have nearly 600 more through the air. Jones is on his way to big things with the Packers. In his three seasons, he has rushed for 2,260 yards and added 702 more as a receiver. If he and the Packers can hammer out an extension, Jones could be in store for several more monster seasons in front of him.
People like to tease Eddie Lacy due to his weight, but in his first few years, he balled out with the Packers. As a rookie, Lacy rushed more nearly 1,200 yards and 11 touchdowns en route to becoming the first Packers running back to be named to the Pro Bowl since John Brockington in the early 1970s. Lacy followed that up with another fantastic season in 2014, rushing for 1,139 and nine touchdowns and adding 427 more through the air and four more scores. His career tailed off after those two years, but those two fantastic seasons have more than earned him a spot on the All-Decade team. As a late-round rookie, it took James Starks awhile to break in. But when he did, he really made an impact. In the playoffs following the 2010 season, Starks ran for 123 yards on 23 carries, helping the Packers to a 21-16 victory at Philadelphia. In the four games en route to a Super Bowl win, Starks ran for 315 yards. He even ran for 52 yards on just 11 carries against a great Pittsburgh defense in the Super Bowl. Despite never being the workhorse back, he ran for 2,506 yards and 4.1 yards per carry in his seven seasons in Titletown.
Fullback: John Kuhn
John Kuhn was a tremendous fullback for the Packers and a fan favorite. He was the lead blocker for Eddie Lacy in his best years, but his best block came in the 2013 regular season finale. On the deciding fourth down play, Kuhn came over to block an unblocked Julius Peppers, letting Aaron Rodgers escape outside the pocket. Rodgers launched the game-winning touchdown to Randall Cobb, but Kuhn made that possible by blocking Peppers on the edge. He was a three-time Pro Bowler during the decade, made First Team All-Pro in 2014 and Second Team All-Pro in 2011.
Wide Receivers: Davante Adams, Jordy Nelson, Greg Jennings, James Jones, Randall Cobb, Donald Driver
I decided to go with six wide receivers since all were massive parts of the offense throughout the decade. Davante Adams had a nice rookie season in 2014, followed by a rough sophomore campaign which was plagued by drops. Since then, he has been the key to the Packers receiving core. Over the past four seasons, Adams has averaged 86 catches, 1,066 yards and 10 touchdowns per season. His 1,386 receiving yards in 2018 was sixth in Packers history for a season and his 111 receptions ranked second. He will likely be on the next All-Decade team as well. Jordy was also incredible, finishing with nearly 8,000 receiving yards in his Packers career and over 7,000 in the decade. Nelson came on at the end of 2010 with 124 yards in a week 16 win against New York and a 140-yard effort in the Super Bowl XLV win. He followed that up with 1,263 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2011. He had 1,000 receiving yards on four occasions and had double digit touchdown receptions in three seasons. The guy was a monster. He made the Pro Bowl and the All-Pro team in 2014.
Greg Jennings and Donald Driver only played three seasons in Green Bay this past decade, but in Jennings' case, he put the team on his back. Jennings had Pro Bowl seasons in 2010 and 2011, averaging nearly 1,100 yards and 10.5 touchdowns in those two seasons. His two touchdowns in the Super Bowl will always be memorable to Packers fans. He left following the 2012 season to join the rival Vikings, but that does not take away what he accomplished in Green Bay. Driver was on his last legs at the start of the decade, but he still deserved to be on the team. He had a little more than 1,000 yards receiving in the decade, but he made some big plays. In 2010, he made an incredible play, breaking a number of tackles on his way to the end zone for a 61-yard score against San Francisco.
The versatile Randall Cobb burst onto the scene as a rookie with a touchdown reception and kickoff return for a touchdown in the 42-34 win against New Orleans. In his second year, he caught 80 passes for 954 yards and eight scores. His best season came in 2014 when he grabbed 91 balls for 1,287 yards and scored 12 touchdowns, all career highs. That earned him a trip to the Pro Bowl. Cobb was a terrific slot guy for the Packers and had 5,524 receiving yards for the Packers during his eight years in Titletown. Finally, James Jones was extremely productive during his time with the franchise. While he never had a 1,000-yard season, he never was below 635 yards either. His specialty was catching touchdowns. In 2012, the San Jose State product scored 14 touchdowns. He caught 37 touchdowns in his five seasons in the decade and came back to help save the Green Bay passing attack in 2015 after Jordy Nelson was lost with a torn ACL. Jones had nearly 900 yards receiving and eight touchdowns. Jones was a really solid player who deserves this recognition.
Tight Ends: Jermichael Finley, Jared Cook, Richard Rodgers
Jermichael Finley had a good career with the Packers, but unfortunately, it was cut short due to injury, and the team had trouble looking for his replacement the rest of the decade. In the four years he played in the decade, Finley had more than 2,000 yards receiving and 14 touchdowns. All that was done as a secondary option to the likes of Jordy and Jennings. Jermichael was a really good player who would have had a great career had he not had it cut short due to injury.
Jared Cook only played one season in Green Bay, and even he missed several games in that season. He only had 377 yards receiving in 10 games in the regular season, but came alive in the playoffs with 218 yards in the three games. He had six receptions and 103 yards and a score in the upset at Dallas, including the long reception late in the game that set up the game-winning field goal by Mason Crosby. Like Cook, Richard Rodgers will always be remembered for one play. Rodgers had 1,166 yards receiving in his four-year Packers career, but will always be remembered for his Hail Mary reception to beat Detroit in 2015. He was a steady contributor and earned the third string tight end nod.
Offensive Tackles: David Bakhtiari, Bryan Bulaga, Marshall Newhouse, Daryn Colledge
The starters are obvious, as Bryan Bulaga played the entire decade as the right tackle for the Packers, while David Bakhtiari started from day one, beginning in 2013. DBak has started 106 games in those seven years, protecting Aaron Rodgers' blind side. He has earned two Pro Bowl appearances (and should be more), as well as earning First Team All-Pro in 2018 and Second Team All-Pro in 2016, 2017 and 2019. A few more great years and Bakhtiari will be headed to Canton. Bryan Bulaga was one of the best right tackles in the NFL when healthy. Bulaga started Super Bowl XLV as a rookie and has been an anchor along the right side of the offensive line throughout the decade.
After those two, it was tough to choose reserves. While Daryn Colledge was mostly a guard in the NFL, I decided to put him at tackle here since he could play it like he did in college, and quite frankly, there were much better options at guard than tackle for this team. Like Bulaga, Colledge started the Packers Super Bowl win. He only played one year in Green Bay during the decade, but he was a solid offensive lineman with the Packers. Marshall Newhouse started 31 games in his three seasons with Green Bay. He played decent at times and would be a decent depth option at tackle on this team.
Offensive Guards: Josh Sitton, T.J. Lang, J.C. Tretter, Elgton Jenkins
There were some really good choices for the guard position for this past decade. Josh Sitton and T.J. Lang are the clear-cut starters add were the main guys throughout the first portion of the decade. Sitton was a starter when the Packers beat the Steelers in Super Bowl XLV and made the Pro Bowl four times, including three times in his six years with the Packers in the decade. He was named First Team All-Pro in 2014 and Second Team All-Pro in 2013 and 2015. Lang was a star as well and him and Sitton were teammates from 2009-2015. Lang made the Pro Bowl in his final season in Green Bay and the pairing were arguably the top pair of guards in the NFL during their time together.
JC Tretter only started 10 games for Green Bay in his four seasons with Titletown, but he was always ready when called upon. He filled in admirably for Corey Linsley at center in 2016, which helped him get paid on the open market by the Cleveland Browns. Elgton Jenkins has only played one year with the Packers, but he had such a great season that he deserved to be on this list. He had such a terrific year that he was named to the Pro Football Writer's Association's All-Rookie team. There is a good chance he will also be named to the next All-Decade team as well.
Centers: Scott Wells, Corey Linsley
Scott Wells and Corey Linsley are the obvious choices at the center position. Wells was the starter for the Packers on the Super Bowl team of 2010 and followed that up with a Pro Bowl appearance the following year. In his two years during the decade with Green Bay, he started all 32 games and was the leader of the offensive line.
A few seasons after Wells left for St. Louis, Corey Linsley was drafted by Green Bay. He was expected to be the backup to JC Tretter, but an injury to Tretter moved Linsley to the starting position and he hasn't looked back. Since drafted in 2014, he has played in and started 86 games at center for the Green & Gold. He has been a huge part of the offensive line since the day he was drafted and deserves to be on this team.
Defensive Line: Mike Daniels, Kenny Clark, B.J. Raji, Ryan Pickett, Johnny Jolly, Letroy Guion
It was a difficult decision to pick out how many defensive linemen were to make this team. Mike Daniels. Mike Daniels was a wall up front for the Green Bay defense for several years. He came on in his second season. Despite only starting one game, Daniels had 6.5 sacks. That was the first year of five consecutive seasons with at least four sacks, even though he was defensive lineman in a 3-4 defense. In 2017, he made the Pro Bowl when he registered five sacks and 10 tackles for loss. Kenny Clark and B.J. Raji round out the starters. Everybody knows Raji from his mammoth pick six at Chicago in the NFC Championship, but he was a really good player as well. He started at least 14 games five times in his seven years in the NFL. B.J. made the Pro Bowl in 2011, but his best year was probably 2010. Raji recorded 6.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss and nine quarterback hits. For his career, he had 11 sacks and 24 tackles for loss. Clark is still ascending, but he has been a beast so far in his four-year career. After being a rotational player as a rookie, he has been a starter his last three years. In those three years, he has 16.5 sacks and 24 tackles for loss and the numbers don't even tell all of the story. Clark will be a monster in the league for years and I am willing to bet he will make an appearance on the next All-Decade team as well.
The backups were a little tougher to choose. Ryan Pickett was a sure thing. He was a starter on the Super Bowl team and was in on one of the key plays of the big game, helping knock the ball loose from Rashad Mendenhall, helping the Packers win their 13th championship. He was a steady presence along the Packers defensive line throughout his time in Titletown. Despite missing time for violating the league's substance abuse policy, he came back for a year in 2013 and was solid. He played in 13 games and recorded 21 tackles, with six of them being for loss. He also forced a fumble. Letroy Guion came over from Minnesota and made an impact. He was a starter in two of his three seasons with the Packers. Letroy was solid up front, helping the team become a good run defense. He also added 3.5 sacks and eight tackles for loss in 2014.
EDGEs: Clay Matthews, Za'Darius Smith, Julius Peppers, Nick Perry, Mike Neal
Green Bay has certainly been blessed with some terrific pass rushers The Claymaker was one of the best pass rushers in franchise history and has the Packers record for most sacks in team history with 91.5. Matthews had four double digit sack seasons in his first six years, including his first two. Clay had 61 sacks in his first six seasons before his production started declining. However, he showed his versatility when moving to inside linebacker the second half of 2014 with the Packers struggling on defense. Clay had an incredible Green Bay career and earns a spot on this team. The other starter has only played one year in Green Bay, but it was so impressive that it earns him a starting nod on this All-Decade team. After playing well in limited snaps in Baltimore, Za'Darius Smith came over in free agency and was a huge difference maker for the Packers pass rush. Smith's 13.5 sacks are tied for the fifth-most in franchise history for a single season and helped lead the Green & Gold to the NFC Championship game. He also had 17 tackles for loss and a whopping 37 quarterback hits. He was given a massive deal in free agency, but lived up to it and more.
Julius Peppers only played three years in Green Bay, but in his short time, he racked up 25 sacks and earned a spot in the 2015 Pro Bowl. In 2014, he sacked opposing quarterbacks seven times, recorded two pick sixes and recovered three fumbles. Ha and Clay formed one of the best pass rushing duos in the league. Nick Perry did not come into his own until his fifth year in the league when he recorded 11 sacks, 12 tackles for loss and 16 quarterback hits. He followed that up with seven sacks in 2017. Those were his only two real productive years, but they were good enough to make the All-Decade team. Mike Neal was a consistent pass rusher, recording 19 sacks in his career, having between four and five his final four seasons. Neal wasn't great, but he was solid and earns the final EDGE rusher spot on this team.
Inside Linebackers: Blake Martinez, Desmond Bishop, A.J. Hawk, Brad Jones
The Packers haven't really valued the position in recent years, but there have still been solid players at the position. Tackling machine Blake Martinez has been one of the leading tacklers in the NFL the past three years, averaging 148 tackles per season. Blake was never an incredible linebacker for Green Bay, but he was a solid one, for sure. He would be starting with Desmond Bishop, who was a solid one in the first half of the decade. In his two years starting, he tallied 218 tackles, eight sacks and 13 tackles for loss. He even had eight passes defensed in 2010, including picking off a Brett Favre pass and taking it back to the house. He started in Super Bowl XLV.
Like Bishop, Hawk was also on the Super Bowl-winning team. Hawk started at least 13 games in his five seasons in the decade. He made at least 100 tackles three times and intercepted three passes in 2010, including a big interception off Favre in the 28-24 victory against Minnesota. A.J. also had 10 sacks in those five seasons and 31 tackles for loss. Brad Jones was a steady contributor with his best seasons coming in 2012 and 2013. In those seasons, he 161 tackles and 15 tackles for loss. He had five passes defensed in 2012.
Cornerbacks: Charles Woodson, Tramon Williams, Sam Shields, Damarious Randall, Jaire Alexander, Casey Hayward
I was originally going to have just five on the team, but all six are worthy of inclusion, without question. The No. 1 cornerback is Charles Woodson. His best years in the decade came in 2010 and 2011, earning a Pro Bowl nod each season. In those two season, he picked off a combined nine passes, returning two of them for scores. He was a do-it-all corner: a great coverage man, tackler (205 tackles in the three seasons), seven forced fumbles, 5.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss and 11 quarterback hits. Wood helped the Packers hoist the Lombardi Trophy in 2011. He is a Packers legend. On the other side of the All-Decade defense is Tramon Williams. His run of interceptions in the playoffs helped Green Bay hoist the Lombardi. His pick six at the end of the half against Atlanta turned the game from a close one into a rout. Tramon's pick of Matt Ryan the possession earlier turned the game around in the Packers favor. He also ended the Wild Card game, picking off Michael Vick. Williams earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2010 when he intercepted a career-high six passes. In his seven seasons with the Packers over the decade, he intercepted 20 passes. Without Tramon, Green Bay does not have its fourth Super Bowl victory.
Sam Shields was a hit immediately. The undrafted free agent rookie made his biggest impact in the NFC Championship game, picking off two passes, including the dagger to finish off the Bears late in the game. His blitz of Caleb Hanie also caused the Bears quarterback to rush his throw, which was picked off and returned for a score. Over his Packers career, he intercepted 18 passes, including a career-high four in both 2011 and 2014, earning a Pro Bowl nod in the latter year. Despite his differences with the coaching staff, Damarious Randall made plays in his Packers career, especially early on. As a rookie, he picked off three passes, including returning one for a score at Oakland. He also made a key pick six in a comeback win at Dallas in 2017. He made plays, and was playing some of his best football down the stretch in 2017.
Jaire Alexander has only played a few years, but he is quickly turning into one of the better cornerbacks in the NFL. Many teams don't even bother throwing his way any more, but he still managed to intercept three passes. Jaire is also not shy about sticking his nose in as well, making plays tackling as well. Casey Hayward was a solid cornerback for Green Bay, especially as a rookie when he intercepted six passes. However, he never was the same in Green Bay. He was picking it back up in his final two seasons with the Green & Gold. Hayward scored twice in 2014, on a pick six vs. Chicago and a fumble return vs. Philadelphia. He was a good player with the Packers who turned into a great one with the Chargers.
Safeties: Nick Collins, Micah Hyde, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Morgan Burnett
Nick Collins barely played more than one year in the decade, which was a shame. He still deserves to be on this team. Unfortunately, his career came to an end in early 2011 at Carolina, which ended a possible Hall of Fame career. With four interceptions, he made the Pro Bowl in 2010, and that does not even count the biggest play of his career: a pick six in the Super Bowl against Pittsburgh. He also added a pair of fumble recoveries, with one of them going for a score. It is just a shame he had a career-ending injury early in 2011. Micah Hyde makes the team in two spots. The first one is at safety. Hyde was a solid player for the Packers and was playing his best toward the end of 2016. He had eight interceptions combined in his final three seasons and made a great play for a pick in the upset over Dallas in the 2016 Divisional Round.
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix was a playmaker for the team. His tackling and tackling angles sometimes lacked, but he was a ballhawk in the secondary. In his 4+ seasons in Green Bay, he tallied 14 interceptions. In 2016, he had five picks, earning him a Pro Bowl selection. Morgan Burnett didn't do a whole lot flashy, but he was solid at everything. He made nine interceptions with the Packers, including a career-high three in 2011. He preferred to stick his nose in, though. On three occasions he made at least 100 tackles and in two others he had 93 and 96. Burnett was a solid safety for the Packers and is a worthy inclusion on this list.
Long Snapper: Brett Goode
Brett Goode was the long snapper throughout almost the entire decade and there should be no other player even considered for this spot. The fact that he was a long snapper for 10 years means he was pretty darn good at his job.
Kicker: Mason Crosby
Obviously Mason is the winner here because he was the only kicker the Packers had this decade. Crosby had a few rough years in there, especially in 2012 when he hit just 21-of-33 field goals, including badly missing a potential game-tying field goal against Indianapolis, and missing four field goals and an extra point in Detroit in 2018. Ever since that game, he has gone 41-of-45 in the field goal department. His biggest kicks came in the 2016 Divisional Round against Dallas. Mason drilled two 50+-yard field goals in the closing minutes, including a 51-yard field goal as time expired to send Green Bay into the NFC Championship game. Crosby has had a great career in Titletown and is the franchise's all-time leading scorer.
Punter: Tim Masthay
Tim Masthay was the punter was half the decade and was the punter for the Packers when they won the Super Bowl in February 2011. He averaged 44.2 yards per punt in his six-year career with the Packers. In 2011, he set franchise records for gross and net punting averages for a season with a 45.6 gross and 38.6 net yard average. Masthay was a solid punter for the Packers and deserves this spot as the All-Decade punter.
Kick Returner: Randall Cobb
Randall Cobb was a great return man for the Packers. In his first game with the team, he returned a kick 108 yards for a touchdown in a 42-34 victory against New Orleans. He averaged 27.7 yards per kick return as a rookie and 25.4 yards per return. Cobb's long kick return for a touchdown is the last time it has happened.
Punt Returner: Micah Hyde
Micah Hyde was easily the best punt returner for the Packers this past decade, and ever since he left, the team has been looking for a competent punt returner. Green Bay had five punt return scores in the decade: two by Randall Cobb and three by Hyde. Micah had two in 2014 and nearly 16 yards per punt return. His last one was the opening score against Detroit that helped Green Bay clinch the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs. He also returned one in 2013 at Minnesota and he averaged more than 12 yards per punt return that season. For his Packers career, he averaged a shade under 10 yards per punt return. The Packers would love to have that type of production right about now.
Head Coach: Mike McCarthy Player of the Decade: Aaron Rodgers
For most of the decade, the Minnesota Twins were a dumpster fire of a franchise. Minnesota only had two winning seasons from 2011-2018 and one playoff appearance where they fell to the New York Yankees in the Wild Card game. Their two best seasons sandwiched those seasons, but still were unable to win a playoff game and were swept by those same Yankees both years. However, the Twins have still had some really good players. Here is the Twins All-Decade team:
Catchers: Mitch Garver, Kurt Suzuki
It was tough to choose the catchers, especially since the best catcher in the decade was also the best first baseman. I went with Mitch Garver as the starter. Since coming up with the Twins, he has been outstanding. In his first full season, he had a solid campaign, hitting .268 with an OPS of .749. However, in his second full season in 2019, he was a force in the lineup. GarvSauce clobbered 31 homers and drove in 67 RBI, helping lead the Twins to 101 wins. He didn't have the plate appearances to qualify among the league leaders in OPS, but if he did, his .995 OPS would have ranked seventh in all of baseball and tops among catchers. His stellar 2019 season earned him a Silver Slugger award. We may see him in the next decade's All-Decade team as well.
Mitch Garver has not yet been to an All-Star team, which is something Kurt Suzuki did when he was a member of the Twins. He batted a career-best .288 in 2014 when he was an All-Star with Minnesota. His 61 RBI that season was a career-best before he drove in 63 this past year when he won a World Series with the Washington Nationals. In his three years, he had a batting average of .263 and drove in 160 runs. In 2015, he was the starting catcher on the team that nearly made the playoffs.
First Baseman: Joe Mauer
While I could have chosen Joey Sideburns for catcher, I decided to put him at first base. There aren't many players who could make a seamless transition from catcher to another position, but Mauer did it well, and should have received a Gold Glove at first base. While his numbers dipped a bit after he changed positions due to injuries, he still put up solid numbers. His best offensive season while at first was 2017. He hit .305 and had an OPS of .801, leading the Twins to the playoffs for the first time since 2010. Defensively, he was one of the best in the bigs at multiple positions, which is not easy to do. He could very easily be the starting first baseman and catcher on this All-Decade team.
Second Basemen: Brian Dozier
Brian Dozier was a main player and one of the biggest attractions during some rough years. He is the main reason people went to the ballpark in the rough 103-loss season in 2016 when he crushed 42 homers. Doz followed that up with 34 in 2017 when he helped lead the Twins to the Wild Card game, where he led off the game with a bomb. He made the All-Star team in 2015 and hit a homer in the AL's 6-3 win. However, arguably his biggest moment happened in the series before that All-Star break. With Minnesota trailing 6-1 heading to the ninth, Minnesota fought back and Dozier hit a walk-off home run to beat Detroit 8-6. There were really no other options for this choice. He was a terrific player for the team and a fan favorite as well.
Shortstops: Jorge Polanco, Eduardo Escobar
This was a pretty easy choice to have both Jorge Polanco and Eduardo Escobar make the All-Decade team as the shortstops. Over the last few years, Polanco has morphed into one of the better shortstops in the league and actually started the All-Star game for the American League and picked up a single in two at-bats. Last season, Jorge had a .295 batting average and .841 on-base percentage, hitting 22 homers, which nearly doubled his output from his career up to last season. He had his best season across the board in 2019 and may only get better.
After coming over in a trade from division rival Chicago, Escobar was more of a singles hitter. But over the last few years, he has morphed into a player who can hit for power. After hitting just nine homers in his first 258 games, he hit double digits in homers in four of his final five seasons with the Twins. That includes hitting 15 in 2018 before being shipped to Arizona at the trade deadline. He hit a combined 44 in 2017 and 18 and was adored by Twins Territory. He definitely deserves a spot on the All-Decade team.
Third Basemen: Miguel Sano, Eduardo Nunez
Miguel Sano was in the running for All-Decade Player of the Year. He was a highly ranked prospect who dominated in the minors and came up in 2015 and hit 18 bombs in just 80 games. Miggy has been criticized for his swing and miss issues, but when he does connect, the ball goes far. He hit one of the biggest homers of the season last year when he launched a grand slam against Cleveland to basically end the AL Central race. In years he has played at least 100 games, he has hit at least 25 homers. That includes last year when he played 105 games and hit 34 gopher balls. In his five-year career so far, he has hit 118 homers. If he can lose a bit of swing and miss in his game, he will be an incredible player. He will be in Minnesota for the foreseeable future with the contract he just signed in the offseason.
Eduardo Nunez was a solid player for Minnesota during his 2+ years in the Twin Cities. In 2016, he was the Twins representative in the All-Star game. That year, he hit .296 with Minnesota before being dealt to San Francisco at the deadline. Overall, he hit .280 with the team with 20 homers. He was good defensively and could play all over the field, which makes him a perfect fit to be on this team as the utility player.
Outfielders: Eddie Rosario, Denard Span, Max Kepler, Josh Willingham
It was tough to pick out the outfielders. I decided to go with Rosario, Span and Kepler with Willingham off the bench. Eddie began his career in great style with a homer in his very first at-bat in the big leagues. As a rookie, he hit 13 bombs and 15 triples. He turned those triples into homers in his third season. In the last three seasons, he has averaged nearly 28 home runs and he is coming off a 32-homer, 109 RBI season. Eddie also has a knack for the big hit. In 2018, he hit a walk-off homer against Cleveland to cap off a three home run performance. In 2017, he hit a monster walk off homer against San Diego as the first of two consecutive walk-off homer games for the Twins. Denard Span was a very solid player manning center field for several years. In his final season, he hit .283 for Minnesota and had 17 stolen bases. Max Kepler has hit at least 17 homers in his last four seasons, but he turned it on in 2019. Max hit a whopping 36 homers and drove in 90 runs. Kepler also had an OPS of .855. He could be on next decade's list, as he recently signed a contract to keep in a Twins uni for the foreseeable future.
For the reserve, I put Josh Willingham on the team. He played fewer than three seasons with the team, but he made a significant impact, especially in his first season. In 2012, he crushed 35 homers and drove in 110 runs for an OPS of a career-best .890. Willingham also hit 30 doubles in the season and earned a Silver Slugger award. His performance went downhill in a Minnesota uniform after that, but that 2012 season was so good that it earned him a spot on this team.
Designated Hitter: Nelson Cruz
Jim Thome was in consideration, but the year Nelson Cruz had in 2019 was hard to overlook. Cruz hit 41 bombs and had 108 runs batted in, the latter of which is tied for the second-moat in his career. His incredible season was good enough for him to finish ninth in the AL MVP voting. His performance earned him the Silver Slugger. His .311 batting average is the best since 2010 and his 1.031 OPS is the best of his Hall of Fame career. The OPS was the fourth highest in baseball and second in the American League and his 41 bombs were tied for third in the American League. His one year in Minnesota was so great that he absolutely earned the All-Decade team for the Twins. The season he had was remarkable.
Starting Pitchers: Jose Berrios, Ervin Santana, Jake Odorizzi, Kyle Gibson, Phil Hughes
This is not the strongest unit in the league or the strength on this team. Berrios is the clear No. 1 starter. He struggled his rookie year, but his numbers have improved every season since. He tied a career-high with 14 wins in 2019 and recorded a 3.68 ERA, earning his second consecutive All-Star appearance. Berrios is only 26, so his numbers should improve and it would not shock me if he became an ace. After Berrios, it was tough to decide who would be on this list. Ervin Santana and Jake Odorizzi deserve the next two spots due to their All-Star appearance. Erv had a forgettable final stint in Minnesota, but he was very solid his first three seasons with the Twins, especially his third one. In his All-Star season of 2017, he went 16-8 with a 3.28 ERA and finished seventh in the All-Star voting. His previous season was good as well, finishing with a 3.38 ERA despite a 7-11 record. Santana finished his Twins career with a 30-25 record and a respectable 3.68 ERA. Odorizzi came over in a trade from Tampa Bay and after an average first season, he had a tremendous second season. Like Erv, Odorizzi made an All-Star appearance and had a very nice season, going 15-7 with a 3.51 ERA. He was the No. 2 starter in the playoff series against the Yankees.
Kyle Gibson had a steady, consistent career with Minnesota. His best season came in 2018 when he went 10-13 with a solid 3.62 ERA. Over his career, the former first rounder was 67-68 with a 4.52 ERA. He was the main part of some rotten rotations in the early-to-mid part of the decade. Phil Hughes spent 4+ years in Minnesota and started out with a bang. He shut down his former team, the New York Yankees, and went 16-10 with a 3.52 ERA and an impressive 1.13 WHIP. Unfortunately, it went downhill from there, but his first season with the Twins made him worthy of being on the All-Decade team. With the Twins, he went 32-29 with a 4.43 ERA.
Relief Pitchers: Taylor Rogers, Glen Perkins, Ryan Pressly, Trevor May, Jesse Crain, Brandon Kintzler, Fernando Rodney
The relievers won't be too bad, as many of these have made an All-Star team or in Taylor Rogers' case, should have made one. Rogers saved the Twins bullpen last year. For the first four months, the bullpen was atrocious. He was the only reliever who was consistently good. He quite a few times had to come in for two-inning saves. He has improved his ERA in all four of his seasons and finished with a 2.61 ERA as the Twins closer last season. For a five-year stretch, he was a very good reliever. In three of those seasons, he made the All-Star team, and closed out the 2014 All-Star game at Target Field. Outside of a few years, Ryan Pressly was a tremendous set-up man for the Twins after picking him up in the Rule 5 Draft.
It is a good mix of players who were closers and middle relief/set-up men. Fernando Rodney was the last choice on this list, but even he had a solid season for the Twins before being traded to Oakland. Brandon Kintzler turned around his career in Minnesota and made an All-Star team. I think the relievers would be pretty good.
Manager of the Decade: Rocco Baldelli Player of the Decade: Joe Mauer
