At first glance Youth Ty Summers Jersey , sizing up players from two separate sports may seem like comparing apples to oranges. But in the case of former Milwaukee Brewer Jonathan Schoop and current Green Bay Packers tight end Jimmy Graham, the two former stars draw interesting similarities.Both players are former All-Pros/All-Stars who have come up incredibly short of expectations during their brief season stints with their respective Wisconsin squads. For Schoop, it was a .202 batting average and .577 OPS, paired with a strikeout-to-walk ratio of almost 6:1 over about a quarter of a season. His lack of power also was a minus for a team seeking run production at the time of his acquisition. For Graham, the numbers on paper are not nearly as bad with 581 yards and 11.9 yards-per-reception. However, the lack of production in the red zone with only a couple of touchdowns and a year-long inability to get on page with Aaron Rodgers is the kicker. Graham’s drops over the past few weeks — or at least missing on catchable passes that should have been made by a player earning his salary — have shown a player that is just a shade of his former self. Graham’s steady decline in athleticism and gaining separation from defenders also is noticeable.Though the sample size of Graham’s fit in Green Bay will be greater than that of Schoop’s to Milwaukee, the offensive shortcomings of both players have put each of their teams in tough offseason predicaments.The Milwaukee Brewers had to make a difficult decision to part ways with Schoop after being on the hook for an estimated $10 million in arbitration with one year left of team control. Despite the hefty prospect trade price the Brewers made to acquire Schoop, General Manager David Stearns decided Schoop’s production simply did not justify the anticipated contract, even on a one-year basis. Milwaukee cut its losses by non-tendering Schoop and is in the process of moving on and trying to find a better fit at second base.Green Bay signed Jimmy Graham to a three-year deal that, like Schoop White Ty Summers Jersey , will pay him around $10 million annually. However, unlike the Schoop situation, a sure-fire fill-in is not right around the corner for the Packers. The Brewers have top prospect Keston Hiura, but there really is not a replacement for Graham unless the Packers see Robert Tonyan as a long-term developmental piece. Reserves Marcedes Lewis and Lance Kendricks also appear to be headed for free agency, making the tight end position a priority for re-shaping in the offseason regardless of a Graham return. Rob Demovsky of ESPN recently broke down the financial ramifications if Graham is released following the season.While the Packers surely could move on from Graham, over $7 million in dead money is a lot to eat up for Green Bay. Green Bay could be better served to give Graham another offseason with Rodgers and build chemistry for 2019 before cutting him loose in 2020. That option would free up the final $8 million of Graham’s contract and give Green Bay the chance to see their plunge in free agency fully play out. Like Schoop, the Packers would be betting on a one-year improvement and a get-me-over until the team’s next tight end can be drafted or signed. While the cash-strapped Brewers ultimately chose to seek a quality replacement at a lower risk and cost, the Packers will have plenty of money to play with in spring with their number of expiring contracts. Giving Graham a second chance is feasible.Unfortunately, both the Packers and Brewers have struck out more than they have hit home runs with Graham and Schoop. Making matters worse is that the players that were seemingly upgraded with both acquisitions — Jordy Nelson and Jonathan Villar — arguably would have brought more production, as neither Graham or Schoop looked fully comfortable in their new roles. The Brewers avoided spending money to move on without Schoop Davante Adams Jersey , but the Packers would still have to absorb a cap hit with Graham.But after a disappointing year, it may be time for the Packers to build their new offense without a disappointing contract, taking a roster-building lesson from the Brewers. Against the Bears, it was the first few drives. The next week, it was the final few for the Vikings. On a sloppy day in Washington, it was the entire first half. Mike Pettine’s defense has given up 10-0 runs, 14-0 runs, and 14-3 runs at various points this season. Alex Smith and Co. hit up the Green Bay Packers’ defense for 28 in the first half. Kirk Cousins hung 22 on Pettine’s crew in just the fourth quarter. Even Mitch Trubisky got 10 straight to open the season.On those drives, the Green Bay defense looked discombobulated and undisciplined. Missed tackles and missed assignments marked long scoring drives kept alive by key penalties and key conversions. What makes this even more maddening for fans is the rest of the game, this unit looks ferocious.After that 10-play Ray Nitschke Jersey White , 86-yard drive to open the Bears season, Chicago managed just 210 total yards in 56 plays after that. That’s 3.75 yards per play and dominating defense. But that’s against Mitch Trubisky, hardly a high bar right?Before the third quarter drive that ended in fourth-quarter touchdown for the Vikings in Week 2, Green Bay held Minnesota to 147 yards in 36 plays and just the lone touchdown. That’s barely four yards per play. After that, they gave up 191 yards on 20 plays and three touchdowns plus the two-point conversion to tie. And against Alex Smith in Week 3 the defense allowed 336 yards in 34 first-half plays, giving up 28 points. In the second half, the Packers defense gave up just 50 yards on 21 plays, with 3 points coming off a short field following Randall Cobb’s fumble. Defensively, the Packers have played two dominant second halves and one dominant first half. Jay Gruden was protecting a lead and may not have been as aggressive, up double digits against the Packers Aaron Rodgers Jersey White , but if that’s true he’s a bad history student. We’ve seen what Rodgers can do. It’s still up to the defense to make those plays and they did. It’s worth mentioning that the Vikings’ offensive explosion correlates directly to the loss of Kevin King with injury. Davon House got torched on the 75-yard touchdown to Stefon Diggs and generally struggled against Washington with bad penalties and poor technique. His injury could be a blessing in disguise for the Packers, who now bring in Bashaud Breeland — one of the prized cornerback free agents this offseason — to add stability to the cornerback room. Breeland would be an upgrade over House in any circumstance, but getting him for cheap just when this team needs depth could provide the ideal shot in the arm for Mike Pettine’s group.But they have to do better on early downs and in the red zone. When the Packers blitz, they’re highly effective, but they’re saving that mostly for third-and-obvious passing situations. According to The Athletic’s Ben Fennell the Packers have the second-most effective blitz package in football this season, giving up a 31.2 quarterback rating with two picks, two sacks, and no touchdowns. On the other hand, when teams are driving it and getting in scoring position, they’re too often finding paydirt. This was a common problem for the Packers last season under Dom Capers when they were the worst situational group in the league. Quarterbacks inside the 30 are 16/20 with 4 TDs and 0 INTs for a 135.8 rating Womens Ray Nitschke Jersey , second-worst in football. Part of that comes from a lack of top-tier talent in their primes. Clay Matthews isn’t a field-tilter and Nick Perry runs too hot and cold. While Jaire Alexander and Josh Jackson could be stars in the future, they’re not ready to put a defense on their back and there are too many holes right now in communication and execution when defending the goal line. Situational defense should improve as the defense works more in unison, but they also need some of these young players to grow into playmakers. Kevin King must stay healthy, with his impact on this defense so evident. There may not be a way to hide the obvious deficiencies of Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Kentrell Brice, but Pettine will have to find a way. This defense has flashed brilliance and utter incompetence. If this defense can just replace the latter with mere competence, it should be good enough to give Aaron Rodgers and this offense plenty of chances to score enough to win.