Tag: Danny Etling

Bryce Underwood’s commitment solidifies LSU atop the QB market

Bryce Underwood’s commitment solidifies LSU’s spot atop the QB market

Not that long ago, LSU was stuck in quarterback purgatory.

Throughout the [autotag]Les Miles[/autotag] era, LSU was stacked on defense and loaded up on skill position players. But that QB spot, it was tricky.

After [autotag]JaMarcus Russell[/autotag] was the best quarterback in the conference in 2006 and [autotag]Matt Flynn[/autotag] led LSU to a national title in 2007, Miles struggled to find a signal caller that moved the needle.

Sure, guys like [autotag]Jarrett Lee[/autotag] and [autotag]Jordan Jefferson[/autotag] won a lot of games and in another era, they would have made perfectly adequate QBs, but the sport began to change.

As the sport grew more and more friendly to offense, you needed a professional quarterback. That doesn’t mean you needed [autotag]Cam Newton[/autotag], but at least someone like AJ McCarron, who was a Heisman finalist and remains in the NFL today.

LSU didn’t have that. Zach Mettenberger’s 2013 campaign was a step up, but it became an outlier. In 2014, LSU sat dead last in the SEC in passing yards and completion percentage. The passing attack remained near the bottom in 2015 too.

In 2016, it got a little better with [autotag]Danny Etling[/autotag], but LSU was still in the bottom half of the conference in passing yards and completion percentage while getting shut out in the Alabama game.

Miles was fired after four games in 2016. [autotag]Ed Orgeron[/autotag] took over and he knew the deal. He had to find LSU a quarterback.

Well, he did just that. [autotag]Joe Burrow[/autotag] transferred in and went on to win 25 games, a national title, and a Heisman trophy.

For the first time in years, LSU had a game-changer at quarterback. The narrative was flipped.

Burrow left and even as LSU struggled as a team in 2020 and 2021, the passing attack did alright.

Then [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] arrived with [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] in 2022. All Daniels did was become one of the most dynamic players in the country, helping LSU upset Alabama in 2022 and winning a Heisman in 2023 with a historically productive season.

That brings us to the present, where LSU just got even richer at the QB position. QB [autotag]Bryce Underwood[/autotag], the top player in the 2025 class, committed to LSU last Saturday.

It’s the first time in this era LSU’s landed a quarterback like Underwood. LSU’s signed some legit blue-chips, including [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag], but this is the first time LSU’s landed the guy. I’m talking about someone with the hype of Trevor Lawrence or Justin Fields.

Five years ago, LSU wasn’t even competing for these types. The true five-star QBs were all going to Alabama and Clemson, places with a track record of legit offenses.

With Underwood’s pledge, LSU’s 2025 class includes the top quarterback, wide receiver and running back. When recruits think of LSU now, they think of offense.

With Nussmeier on deck for 2024, the trend should continue. Offensive coordinator [autotag]Mike Denbrock[/autotag] is gone, but LSU’s staff remains well-positioned with assistants [autotag]Joe Sloan[/autotag], [autotag]Cortez Hankton[/autotag], [autotag]Frank Wilson[/autotag] and [autotag]Brad Davis[/autotag].

That’s what Underwood is buying in on. Recruits now see a program that’s developed two Heisman quarterbacks in the last five years.

LSU is out of quarterback purgatory, and perhaps there’s no bigger signal of that than Underwood’s commitment.

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Should LSU add a transfer quarterback in 2024?

Should LSU look at adding another QB in the transfer portal?

It’s that time of year again.

Soon, the transfer season will be in full-swing as the college football regular season winds down and the postseason begins.

As usual, the portal is set to be overflowing with quarterbacks. The nature of the position means you only have room to play one, making opportunities scarce for some quarterbacks.

LSU’s had success with transfer QBs in recent years. Between [autotag]Joe Burrow[/autotag] and [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag], LSU’s found two all-time great QBs through transfers.

Throw [autotag]Zach Mettenberger[/autotag] and [autotag]Danny Etling[/autotag] in there, and LSU’s four most productive QBs in the last 15 years were all transfers.

It’s been a while since LSU’s found sustained success with a QB recruited from high school, but there’s plenty of optimism surrounding [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] next year.

That begs the question: Should LSU look in the portal?

Nussmeier’s shown flashes, but a first-year starter is a first-year starter. You don’t know what you have until you see it.

LSU was set to enter 2022 with a couple of talented options at the QB spot, and that didn’t stop this staff from recruiting Daniels.

This situation is different, obviously. [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag], [autotag]Mike Denbrock[/autotag] and [autotag]Joe Sloan[/autotag] have worked with Nussmeier for two years now. They know a lot more about him than they did about the available options when they first got here.

The assumption is that Nussmeier will coast to QB1 next year. He’s waited three years for this, electing not to transfer when he surely had options out there.

That could make it difficult to land a proven QB when there are schools out there that can promise a starting job. LSU would likely struggle to land a big name, such as Grayson McCall or DJ Uiagalelei.

But LSU could use another veteran signal-caller on this roster. After Nussmeier, it’s [autotag]Rickie Collins[/autotag] with 2024 commit [autotag]Colin Hurley[/autotag] set to arrive too.

Hurley, who already reclassified a sign a year earlier, won’t be ready to play QB in the SEC next year, and LSU has no idea what it has in Collins yet.

If the Tigers can find a veteran with some experience, but with two to three years of eligibility remaining, Kelly and staff should pursue.

That allows LSU to land a guy that doesn’t need to start right away in 2024 but can push Nussmeier or be an option in 2025.

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Packers release QB Danny Etling from 90-man roster

The Packers released quarterback Danny Etling from the 90-man roster on Monday.

The Green Bay Packers released quarterback Danny Etling from the 90-man roster on Sunday, leaving the backup battle behind Jordan Love between fifth-round pick Sean Clifford and USFL MVP Alex McGough at this point of training camp.

Coach Matt LaFleur stressed the challenge of giving reps to four different quarterbacks. Etling became the odd man out following Saturday night’s “Family Night” practice at Lambeau Field.

Etling, 29, returned to the Packers in January of 2022. He spent the entire 2022 season as the No. 3 quarterback on the practice squad behind Aaron Rodgers and Love.

Clifford, a rookie out of Penn State, has impressed during training camp. The Packers also like the physical tools of McGough, a 2018 draft pick who revived his career in the USFL over the last two seasons.

The guess here is LaFleur and the Packers wanted to go into next week’s joint practice and preseason game in Cincinnati with only three quarterbacks on the roster, and McGough’s potential beat out Etling’s experience for the third spot.

Despite being a rookie, Clifford must now be viewed as the favorite to backup Love entering the 2023 season. In 2008, the Packers used seventh-round pick Matt Flynn as the primary backup behind Rodgers, then a first-year starter.

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Finding a backup quarterback now added to Packers’ offseason to-do list

Who will back up Jordan Love in 2023? The Packers only have Love and Danny Etling on the roster. Expect the team to add one or two more in the coming months.

Aaron Rodgers has declared that he’s ready to join the New York Jets, although we don’t know when a trade between the Jets and the Green Bay Packers is expected to take place. Once official, adding a veteran backup quarterback to the roster will become another item on Brian Gutekunst’s offseason to-do list.

Without Rodgers, the only quarterbacks on the Packers roster right now are Jordan Love and Danny Etling. From a pure numbers standpoint, Green Bay will want at least three quarterbacks on the roster for OTAs, mini-camp, and training camp, and potentially even four. With 90 players on the roster and preseason games to be played, there are a lot of reps to go around, which is why depth is needed.

In addition to just needing more arms, there is also value in having experience on the practice field, in the film room, and on the sidelines during games as Love navigates his first season as a starter. In no way is this veteran backup in Green Bay to compete with Love or even to push him if things are rough – rather, he will be another resource or extra pair of eyes for Love to lean on if needed. Let’s give him a few months to be the guy in Green Bay before making him answer questions about who else is in the quarterback room.

Since the NFL’s legal tampering period opened on Monday, 15 quarterbacks have already agreed to new contracts, several of which are earning $4-plus million per year, with the high-end of the non-Derek Carr and Jimmy Garoppolo deals being at $10 million for Jacoby Brissett.

In no way should the Packers be spending $4 million or more on the quarterback position. For one, the limited cap space that they do have can be better prioritized elsewhere, and two, given that they are looking specifically for a backup, they should be spending not much more than the league minimum. Cooper Rush, Marcus Mariota, Tim Boyle, Drew Lock, and Gardner Minshew are a few of the names still available that could fit what the Packers are looking for.

In addition to adding a veteran in free agency, I also expect the Packers to add to the quarterback position in the draft with one of their 10 selections. Maybe Gutekunst proves me wrong again, but my guess is that this would be a Day 3 pick, meant to build the depth of the position rather than spending an early-round pick on a quarterback and adding competition for Love in his first year as a starter.

Although there are differences between Gutekunst and his predecessor Ted Thompson, there are similarities as well, and it’s worth keeping in mind that back in 2008, Rodgers’ first year as a starter, Thompson spent a second-round pick on Brian Brohm and a seventh-round pick on Matt Flynn. That isn’t to say Gutekunst will take the same approach, but this isn’t uncharted waters for the Packers as an organization either.

This offseason, we know that the Packers have to add to their quarterback room. At a minimum, it’s an undrafted rookie signing or two. But more realistically, they’ll either bring in a free agent, spend a draft pick on the position, or both.

The best performance from every starting LSU quarterback this century

From Josh Booty to Jayden Daniels, here’s every LSU signal-caller from this century’s shining moment.

The story of LSU quarterback play this century has been something more resembling a Shakespeare play than a group of football players.

You have all the pieces for a great story. You have your superstar talents, like [autotag]Joe Burrow[/autotag] and [autotag]JaMarcus Russell[/autotag]. You have the guys that were late-round picks but still won titles, like [autotag]Matt Flynn[/autotag] and [autotag]Matt Mauck[/autotag].

You have [autotag]Jordan Jefferson[/autotag] and [autotag]Jarrett Lee[/autotag], two guys who won a lot but caught a lot of flack from fans. Don’t forget signal callers like [autotag]Zach Mettenberger[/autotag], [autotag]Danny Etling[/autotag] and [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] — veteran transfers who proved to be critical additions.

And that’s not even the end of it.

Here, we’re looking at the best game from every LSU starting quarterback this century. Let’s not waste any more time and jump right in, beginning in the year 2000.

5 LSU players who would have benefitted the most in a modern offense

Here are five players whose talents could have been better utilized at LSU just a few years later.

For years, LSU fans were stuck watching a dreary and outdated offense. It’s what eventually led to [autotag]Les Miles[/autotag]’ firing at LSU as the Tigers fell behind on the offensive side of the ball.

Miles just wanted to turn around and hand it off. There wasn’t much creativity, either. When the Tigers did have successful passing attacks under Miles, like in 2013, it was a scheme that relied on talented receivers winning their routes.

When it worked, it worked. There were times LSU was able to overpower teams and run the ball at will.

When it was paired with an elite defense and fantastic starting field position, it was fine too. LSU didn’t have a prolific passing attack in 2011 and Miles’ group still managed to win the SEC.

But the sport caught up with them, and it got tiring. LSU had too much talent to be doing that on offense and it wasn’t going to work in the SEC.

We know the story. Miles was fired, [autotag]Ed Orgeron[/autotag] was hired and he brought a modern offense to LSU. Plenty of players in the Miles era could have benefitted from a similar attack.

Here are five players that would have had more success had they arrived at LSU just a little later.

Packers signing QB Danny Etling to practice squad

Danny Etling, who performed well during the preseason, will return on the practice squad as the Packers’ No. 3 quarterback.

Quarterback Danny Etling cleared waivers on Wednesday, so the Green Bay Packers are bringing him back on the 16-player practice squad, according to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic.

The Packers released Etling as a part of final cuts on Tuesday.

Etling, who completed 22 passes and rushed for a 51-yard touchdown during the preseason, will return as the No. 3 quarterback behind Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love.

Rodgers has compared Etling (6-3, 228) to former Packers backup Scott Tolzien and praised his athleticism, work ethic and attention to detail.

Etling, 28, was originally a seventh-round draft pick of the New England Patriots in 2018. His NFL journey has been a bit of a rollercoaster; the Packers are his seventh team.

Green Bay first signed Etling to the practice squad as a COVID-19 replacement in December of last year. He returned on a futures deal in January.

Etling played sparingly but performed well during the preseason, completing almost 78 percent of his passes and finishing with a passer rating of 122.3. His touchdown run against the Saints – on a read-option keeper – helped clinch the Packers’ only win of the preseason schedule.

Keep track of all the Packers’ practice squad signings here.

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Packers releasing quarterback Danny Etling during final cuts

The Packers are releasing QB Danny Etling, who could eventually return as the No. 3 option on the practice squad.

The Green Bay Packers released quarterback Danny Etling during final roster cutdowns on Tuesday, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Etling completed 17 of 22 passes for 220 yards and a touchdown over three preseason games. He also rushed seven times for 73 yards, including a 51-yard touchdown during the Packers’ win over the New Orleans Saints.

The release is not a surprise. The Packers will keep four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers and 2020 first-round pick Jordan Love on the roster as the only two quarterbacks, but it’s certainly possible Etling will return to Green Bay as the No. 3 quarterback on the practice squad.

Rodgers has compared Etling to former Packers backup Scott Tolzien, noting his athleticism and work ethic.

Etling created one of the memorable moments of the 2022 preseason when he took a read option off the right end and sprinted into the end zone while Rodgers was talking him up on the sidelines during the Packers TV Network broadcast. The score helped clinch the Packers’ win over the Saints.

Track all of the Packers’ roster cuts on Tuesday here.

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WATCH: Former Tigers quarterback scores on a long touchdown run

Danny Etling showed off his legs against the Saints.

It wasn’t all that long ago that [autotag]Danny Etling[/autotag] was making plays like this in purple and gold. During a Green Bay Packers preseason game against the New Orleans Saints, Etling got to show off his speed as he takes a read option 51-yards to the house.

Etling was the starting quarterback for LSU for two seasons in which he played in 24 games finishing with a record of 16-7 while throwing for 4,586 yards, 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He had a completion percentage of 60% for his college career.

He has bounced around multiple NFL teams during his short tenure. He’s made stops at New England, Atlanta, Seattle, Minnesota, Jacksonville, and Green Bay so far. Hopefully, he can stay with the Packers for a while.

They could be looking for a new quarterback in the not-so-distant future as Aaron Rodgers could be entering the final stretch of his career. Etling was drafted in the seventh round of the 2018 draft by the New England Patriots as a backup for Tom Brady.

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New Orleans Saints vs. Green Bay Packers game recap: Everything we know

New Orleans Saints vs. Green Bay Packers game recap: Everything we know, via @RossJacksonNOLA:

The New Orleans Saints came up short against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field, losing their second preseason game by a final score of 20-10. There weren’t many minutes played by the starters, with second-year quarterback Ian Book leading the offense for most of the evening without his best playmakers in the lineup. Still, we learned a lot with many position battles playing out in each phase of the game on offense, defense, and special teams. Here’s everything you need to know: