Tuesday Cheese Curds: Can Reggie Gilbert

cure the Packers’ pass rush woes? One of the biggest question marks surrounding the 2018 Green Bay Packers both before and after the NFL Draft was what they would do to address the need of a strong pass rush. Behind Clay Matthews and Nick Perry Kyler Fackrell Jersey , there were not many options heading into organized team activities (OTAs) and training camp.However since camp began roughly a month ago, a third choice has begun to emerge and its a name only those who closely follow the team would know.That name is Reggie Gilbert.A 2016 undrafted free agent out of Arizona, Gilbert spent most of the past two seasons on the Packers’ practice squad. It was there he began to get coaches’ attention and has him now as a near lock to make the 53-man roster.It was unknown when or even if Gilbert would get his shot, but thanks to players like Vince Biegel struggling to stay healthy and then underperforming when they were Gilbert has taken full advantage of his chances this preseason.His big hit and forced fumble on Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph gave fans just a taste of what he could be capable of.Could the Packers have found a diamond in the rough two seasons ago? Time will tell, but he’s got fans excited and that’s more than you could say about the Green Bay pass rush the last few years.Read more on Gilbert plus why Jamaal Williams is ticked off in today’s cheese curds.Reggie Gilbert gives Packers potential for potent pass-rush rotation—PackersNews.comCan you really go wrong with a guy whose name is the first names of two Super Bowl XXXI champions?Packers offensive line continues to adjust through the preseason—Packers.comWhat will the Week 1 starting offensive line look like? The answer to that is still in motion.Injuries, Judd’s retirement have Packers ‘a little thin at running back’—FOX SportsEverything should still shake out for Week 1 but could there once again be an injury problem in the offensive backfield?Jamaal Williams says he’ll retaliate for dirty hits by picking—ESPNThe second year running back is none too happy about the way his ankle got injured against the Steelers and made it clear he plans to fight fire with fire if he’s hit in a dirty manner.Packers rookie WR J’Mon Moore acknowledges he’s in a funk—Packers WireIf Moore needs any encouragement on how to overcome the drops, he just has to look at Davante Adams’ career. Remember when people wanted Jeff Janis over him? That was cute. Matt LaFleur is stepping into an interesting situation in his first gig as a head coach.The new Green Bay Packers boss (well, not official as we write this Davante Adams Jersey White , but soon enough), inherits one of the best quarterbacks in the game (when healthy) in Aaron Rodgers, a Pro Bowl receiver in Davante Adams and a young, up-and-coming defense.More Packers coverage from FOX Sports WisconsinPackers at Bears to open 2019 scheduleTop Tweets: Brewers make hilarious ‘Mean Girls’ parody videoMatthews signs with Rams after 10 years with PackersPackers re-sign tight end Marcedes LewisTop Tweets: Nikola Mirotic loves being a Milwaukee BuckBut also a Packers team which has missed the postseason the past two seasons and fan base hungry for a return and not thrilled at the prospect of a third straight year without a rooting interest in the playoffs (that is, beyond rooting against Chicago or Minnesota).To do so, LaFleur will be going against Packers history.No first-year Green Bay head coach has led the team to the playoffs in his initial year at the helm. As in ever. Not Curly Lambeau. Not Vince Lombardi. Not Mike Holmgren. No one.Interestingly, only five had a better record in his first season with the Packers than the previous season, and two of those just meant getting three and four wins that initial year. However Clay Matthews Jersey White , each of the past two Green Bay head coaches did improve the team’s record in his first year.PACKERS HEAD COACHES, FIRST YEARCOACHYEARPREV1ST YROVERALLPLAYOFFSCurly Lambeau1921n/a3-2-1209-104-218*Gene Ronzani19502-103-914-31-10Lisle Blackbourn19542-9-14-817-310Ray McLean19584-81-10-11-10-10Vince Lombardi19591-10-17-589-29-46Phil Bengston19689-4-16-7-120-21-10Dan Devine19716-84-8-225-27-41Bart Starr19756-84-1052-76-31Forrest Gregg19848-88-825-37-10Lindy Infante19885-9-14-1224-400Mike Holmgren19929-79-775-376Ray Rhodes199911-58-88-80Mike Sherman20008-89-757-394Mike McCarthy20064-128-8125-77-29* – Includes championships won before there was a playoff systemOf course, none of this means LaFleur can’t lead the Packers to the playoffs in 2019. A look around at the current NFL coaches shows that while it’s not common for a first-year head coach to lead his team to the postseason, it isn’t like it’s never happened.Two coaches who were in their first year this season led their team to the playoffs. The same in 2017. Others have led their team to the playoffs in subsequent seasons (probably one reason they are still head coaches in the NFL; we aren’t including those fired after the 2018 season).Keep in mind that, of course, circumstances can help or hurt a first-year coach. For example, Drew Brees joined the Saints in 2006 and Andrew Luck was healthy in 2018 after missing all of the previous season, while on the flip side Jon Gruden and the Raiders dealt away some key players this year.But — and good news here Aaron Ripkowski Jersey , Packers fans — generally speaking teams improved in the first year under the active head coaches. OK, not Bill Belichick, but we think things have still turned out pretty well for New England.CURRENT NFL HEAD COACHES, FIRST YEAR WITH TEAMCOACHTEAMYEARPREV1ST YRBill BelichickPatriots20009-7*8-8Sean PaytonSaints20063-1310-6*Mike TomlinSteelers20078-810-6*John HarbaughRavens20085-1111-5*Pete CarrollSeahawks20105-117-9Jason Garrett**Cowboys20116-108-8Ron RiveraPanthers20112-146-10Andy ReidChiefs20132-1411-5*Bll O’BrienTexans20142-149-7Jay GrudenRedskins20143-134-12Mike ZimmerVikings20145-10-17-9Dan QuinnFalcons20156-108-8Doug PedersonEagles20167-97-9Sean McDermottBills20177-99-7*Doug Marrone***Jaguars20173-1310-6*Anthony LynnChargers20175-119-7Sean McVayRams20174-1211-5*Kyle Shanahan49ers20172-146-10Frank ReichColts20184-1210-6*Mike VrabelTitans20189-7*9-7Jon GrudenRaiders20186-104-12Pat ShurmurGiants20183-135-11Matt NagyBears20185-1112-4*Matt PatriciaLions20189-76-10* — Made playoffs** — Garrett took over as interim coach midway through the 2010 season and went 5-3. He had the interim tag taken away after the season.*** — Marrone took over in the final two games of the 2016 season and went 1-1. He had the interim tag taken away after the season.