Assessing the Draft

Draft weekend is over and another Ted Thompson draft class will join the Green Bay Packers for their upcoming mini-camps in the near future. Before the draft I didn't think any starters could be drafted since we went 13-3 last season with legitimate starters on both sides of the ball. This draft provided us with depth at several positions which is the best we could have hoped for. There weren't many sexy picks but we got some good football players, which is what is important to Thompson.

2nd Round
WR Jordy Nelson was a 1st team All-American at WR last year for Kansas State with 122 receptions for 1,606 yards (13.2 avg) and eleven touchdowns. All I gotta say is he is good after the catch and gives us more options for our Big 5 set and is another weapon for Rodgers to utilize as he picks apart defenses in the mid-to-short range this year. We now have 6 legitimate WR's so Ruvell Martin might be on his way out.

QB Brian Brohm was considered a mid-to-high 1st rounder going into the fall and still has great skills and intangibles. His only weakness is his arm strength but fits the West Coast offense very well and was brought in as an insurance policy for Rodgers in case he gets hurt. If Rodgers falters or gets hurt during these next two years as he tries to become our next franchise QB then we can fall back on Brohm, and you can never have too much talent at QB.

CB Patrick Lee from Auburn was a starter this last year and made 2nd team All-SEC and most improved at his position in the SEC. He is a physical corner who should come in and challenge for the nickel job in training camp. He Has good size at 6'0 200lbs and ran a 4.41 forty at the combine so he is not deficient in the athleticism area and with a couple seasons backing up Woodson/Harris should be able to start with some experience as a reserve.

3rd Round
TE Jermichael Finley was a target for the Packers since the combine at Teddy T got his man. He is an athletic underclassman who made 1st team All Big 12 last season with 45 receptions for 575 yards. Didn't run that fast with a late 4.7 forty time but plays fast. He will come in as a quality backup to Donald Lee and let Mike McCarthy utilize a two-TE formation this season successfully. Could be a possible starter after Lee in a couple seasons.

Rest of Draft
DE Jeremy Thompson gives us more depth at DE and if he is good enough could play on 3rd downs with Jenkins moving into tackle. OG Josh Sitton is said to possibly push for playing time this year and seems to be another guard to look at. OT Breno Giacomini joins Brohm from Louisville and provides some talent behind Tauscher and Clifton. QB Matt Flynn won the title this past year with LSU but is a longshot to make the roster as a 2nd rookie QB. WR Brett Swain made plays at SDSU but is best suited for the practice squat along with Flynn.

OVERALL
We obviously won't know the true value of these players for another 3 to 4 years but it looks as thought Thompson added quality depth with this class and looked for football players and not pure athletes with potential. I wouldnt be surprised to see the first 7 picks make the opening day roster and most contribute this season.

Biggest Impacts this Year
CB Lee and TE Finley seem poised to contribute the most this year with WR Nelson probably catching at least 20 passes and maybe returning some kicks. Brohm won't play this year unless two QB's go down and Thompson will be a marginal backup that gets rotated in a couple times a game.

News and Rumors

ESPN is reporting Daunte Culpepper visited with the Packers as a possible backup to Aaron Rodgers. I dont' like this possibility since he is not an experienced West Coast QB and has had several attitude problems over the years. I hope we don't sign him and think it would be one of our worse options.

Other News

• The Vikings completed a trade for DE Jarred Allen from KC for their 1st and two 3rd round picks... Great Deal for the Vikes who now possess a top 5 D-Line with a pass rush threat, Allen was held to a 1/2 sack against GB last year but will be a load agaisnt our OTs the next few years.
• Pac-man to big D creates a greater chance for a top-tier CB to be available at #30 for the Packers if they choose to go that direction.
• Miami's Jason Taylor is also said to be available, a team with a late pick in #1 can attain his services while MIA would probably look at a QB (Flacco, Brohm) or DE (Groves)

I will give my Draft projection for the Packers before the Draft next time.

Schedule Released

The NFL released the schedule of each team and the Packers are still in the national spotlight after losing Brett Favre and coming off their dominant season last year that ended as runner-ups in the NFC.

WEEK 1 = MNF opener of the season against the Vikings @ Lambeau Field on ESPN

• Great way to start the season against the hated Vikings at home.
• We get to see what Aaron Rodgers can do in primetime in the first game w/o Favre under center.
• The Defense we'll have its name cut out for 'em with AD (Peterson) going against our dominant front 7.

WEEK 3 = Home game against the Cowboys, and rematch of last years duel in Dallas.

• Rodgers hopefully can continue where he left off against Big D and hopefully we can get the win we didn't last year
• Sunday Night Football on NBC

WEEK 12 = Play Saints in NO on MNF

• The past 2 NFC runner-ups play against each other
• This game could go a long way towards playoff seeding, and establishing if we are legit.

WEEK 16 = MNF @ CHI

• The Rivalry takes the national stage as these two teams battle it out on a cold night in CHI
• The Bears might be respectable this year, but this game might end Grossman's career in a Bear's uniform, hopefully not though haha.

Position Analysis: Defense

I am continuing my position analysis of the Green Bay Packers and shifting to the defensive side of the ball in today's blog. The Packers defense ranked among the league's best last year. Top 5 in total, rushing, and passing yards, and 7th in scoring. Defensive coordinator Bob Sanders used pressure from the D-line to help the scondary very well, and linebackers were also among the league's best. Here are my evaluations and possible draft prospects we might be looking at.



DEFENSIVE ENDS

Aaron Kampman again played like an all-pro with 12 sacks and was also very good against the run, a rare combo nowadays. KGB added 10 sacks while coming off the bench and is still a dominating pass-rusher now that he is again a situational player. Cullen Jenkins didn't have the season we expected but was still solid and should be better this season due to his talent. Not too much depth behind these three which is why we will probably looking at a DE in the middle rounds unless one slips to us early on. Possibilities include:

• Quentin Groves (AUB) - Some view him as a 3-4 OLB due to his size (6'3", 259) and speed (4.59 forty). Has some durability issues that will cost him his first round talent. Off-field issues may sway Ted Thompson away from him, but if he fell to us in the 2nd round he'd be hard to pass up as a rusher off the bench.


• Jason Jones (E. Mich) - Small school prospect with great size (6'5", 273) that would allow him to play on the inside also, a nice feature that the packers utilize in their D-linemen. Finished his career with 50 tackles for loss so he knows how to get to the backfield. Is said to have good mechanics and would be a great addition in the third round I think.


• Kendall Langford (Hampton) - Another small school prospect with solid athleticism and a solid career (66 TFL & 25 sacks). Is another big guy (6'5", 287) that could play either DE or DT in the pros and would be a nice project player available to us in the fourth round.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE

Ryan Pickett is a big force up the middle and normally commands a double-team, and is a good run stuffer. He frees up the other DT to make plays which is what Corey Williams used to get a 36 million dollar contract. Corey Williams will be missed but is very replaceable. Last year's first rounder Justin Harrell will need to take a big step this year and should now that he's fully recovered from his shoulder injury sustained during his senior year at Tennesse. I expect him to become a force up the middle with Pickett giving him one-on-one matchups this year. Colin Cole and Johnny Jole are solid role players and are valuable because of how often we rotate our DT's. but some more talent is needed due to the questions at DT, some possibilities include:

• DRE Moore (Maryland) - Has the size Thompson looks for (6'4", 305) and is said to have a mean steak with good strength. Still raw since he started playing football as a senior in HS but blossomed this past fall (63 tackles (8.5 for losses), six sacks, two forced fumbles). A developmental player that should be available in the fourth round.


• Frank Okam (Tex) - A big boy (6'4", 347) that needs to lose some pounds and become more consistent. Once viewed as a 1st rounder but too many things have dropped his stock and now will last until the 5th round probably. Could be a nice substitute for Pickett to keep a run stuffer in the game and if he got his act together could eventually replace Pickett down the road.

LINEBACKERS

Nick Barnett is amazing and had another Pro-Bowl calliber year, would go more often but doesn't get the national recognition he deserves. AJ Hawk is still developing but shows the athleticism and instincts that provoked Thompson to take him at #5 two years ago, and is a great complement to Barnett and helps form one of the top 1-2 punches at LB in the league. Brady Poppinga was OK at SLB, but the addition of Brandon Chillar creates competetion and upgrades that position very well. Last year's draftee Desmond Bishop helped on special teams and is a solid backup. Thompson probably will not draft a LB this year because of previous additions.

CORNERBACKS

Al Harris made the Pro bowl but wore down and got beat mentally down the stretch against Owens and Burress. Charles Woodson played through pain last year and still made many game-changing plays. These two give the packers a great advantage because they excel in the scheme's man coverage. Backups Tramon Williams, Jarret Bush, and Will blacmon seemed to progress as the season went on, with Williams and Blackmon helping out the return game immensly. But this is the position that seems to be targeted in mock drafts that the Packers will address in round 1, so the possibilities there include:

• Brandon Flowers (VT) - Comfortable in man coverage which would be very nice to have in a 3rd corner and possible starter down the road. Regarded as a solid but sometimes inconsistent tackler, and intercepted 5 passes last year so he has solid instincts. Overall would be a nice pick at the end of the first round (#30).
• Antoine Cason (ARZ) - Good size (6'0", 191) and speed (4.45), but is said to be best suited as a zone corner, not what the packers ask of their CBs. Great senior year (71 tackles (four for losses), two forced fumbles, five interceptions (two of which he returned for TDs) and 14 pass breakups) makes him a hot commodity and a nice possible addition at #30.

Aquib Talib tested positive for marijuana 3 times at Kansas and Thompson has probably dropped him off his board. Most likely there will be a few corners taken before we pick so we must be open to the best possible player at #30.

SAFTIES

Atari Bigby became the starter as SS in Week 1 and never gave it up. Bigby delivered bone-jarring hits and became a decent pass defender towards the end of the season, he has put the STRONG back in Strong safety in Green Bay and has turned into a fan favorite. Nick Collins didn't make huge strides last year, and some competition would be good at the Free Safety position. Aaron Rouse played sparingly in his rookie season, but seemed to be a good athlete and has great potential if he studies the game properly. Some possibilities here are:

• Kenny Phillips (Miami) - Shows decent instincts when in a zone and has good athleticism (4.48 forty and 19 reps at 225). Comes from a great lineage of Miami safeties, and plays the game with a mean-streak at times. Could potentially surpass Collins on the depth chart in a year or two.

Overall a good defense that just needs some more depth at certain positions and we'll be just fine. I expect a few defensive selections on draft weekend that will help us create more competition and provide more young depth.

Position Analysis

POSITION ANALYSIS
The Draft is less than a month away and the Packers are looking over their roster and potential players to take to upgrade the team. With not much done in Free Agency Ted Thompson is again looking for players to mold to help build a winning team. I am going to look over all the Packers positions with my next two Blogs: Starting with the offense today and Defense/Special Teams on my next one. I will offer Draft prospects the Packers may be looking at and when they will be targeting certain positions. Ted Thompson is a big believer in value so that will weigh heavily when the Packers are Drafting.

OFFENSE

QB: With Brett Favre retiring Aaron Rodgers is now the starter with the team looking for a West Coast knowledgable veteran to back him up in case he gets injured, and to help him continue to learn how to run the West Coast offense efficiently. But the Packers must have a plan B in case Rodgers doesn't pan out or becomes injury-prone as a starter. The team will most likely not use a draft choice on a QB before the 3rd or 4th Round of the Draft. Potential draftees include

• John David Booty (USC) - Already knows the West Coast and comes from a QB factory in USC, but is not an elite prospect due to consistency issues and not the biggest arm. Would be nice in the 3rd round.
• Andre Woodson (UK) - Once seen as a first-rounder, stock is plummeting. Would be worth a 4th/5th round pick
• Kevin O Connell (SD State) - A good physical developmental prospect that would be taken in the 6th or 7th round as a third stringer if we acquire a solid veteran before the draft. High potential if he pans out, but very raw and played aginst lesser competition

RB: Ryan Grant was second in the NFL in rushing yardage the last 8 games of the season behind LT and saved the Packers running game. Grant is the starter and looks like a gem found by Thompson. Last year's 2nd rounder Brandon Jackson was injured and didn't show much while playing despite running behind zone-blocking at Nebraska. DeShawn Wynn looked nice before getting injured. Vernan Morency was a OK 3rd down back but is nothing special, but a solid contributor as a backup. I don't see us drafting a RB besides maybe at the end due to last year's picks and Ryan Grant's emergence as the starter.

WR: Donald Driver made the Pro-Bowl and Greg Jennings caught 12 TD's with rookie James Jones being an awesome 3rd WR besides for the first Bears game. Koren Robinson found a niche in the Big 5 formation as a slot receiver and Ruvell Martin might be the best 5th receiver in the league. I only see the packers drafting a WR if they can return, which isn't a huge need either.

TE: Donald Lee emerged as a quality starter at TE with 12 yards/rec and 6 TD's. He's can stretch the field better than Bubba but needs to improbe his blocking. There is no quality backup so I expect us to take one and possibly fairly high. Potentials include:

• Fred Davis (USC) - could slip to us in the 2nd round and provide a nice complement to Lee. Finished with 62 receptions for 881 yards (14.2 average) and eight touchdowns, not bad at all. If we got Booty also they already would have a connection to work off.
• Jermichael Finley (Tex) - Emerged during his senior year as a good-pass catcher with good potential. Would provide nice value in the 3rd or4th round.

OT: Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher again formed one of the better bookend tackle tandems in the league, but both are at least 30. Tackles in the NFL seem to be able to play at a high level past 30 more than most positions so I don't see a huge need here. Tony Moll is a solid backup but probably not a starter, Allen Barbe has good potential and could become a starter down the road. Not great depth here, possibilities include:

• Sam Baker (USC) - another USC product that could help us in the second round, was once seen as a bonafide 1st rounder but stock's slipped recently. Played in over 50 games at USC but not an ideal zone-blocker due to weakness in leverage. Probably will be gone.
• Carl Nicks (Neb) - Zone-blocking system at Nebraska would help if GB drafted him, but has issues on and off the field Thompson would probably see as a big negative, since he's high on charecter. Possible second day pick is value is there.
• Anthony Collins (Kan) - AP 1st team All-American last year that is a developmental prospect that Packers could look at with their second 2nd round pick or in the 3rd.

OG: Mike McCarthy rotated several gaurds at both starting positions last year with Daryn Colledge and Jason Spitz getting most of the starts. Their play was up and down but got better towards the end of the season with Ryan Grant's emergence. Both are entering contract years and their futures in Green Bay both will probably go past next season, but some talent behind them jsut in case wouldn't be a bad idea after the 4th round, but not a real need with 4 young and talented guards on the roster.
OC: Scott Wells is the starter with Jason Spitz as his backup in case of injury. Wells is a talented young center that looks to be a Pro-bowl caliber player within a year or two due to work ethic and skill set. I don't see a Center on the Packer's draft board unless they play guard also.

As you can see there are only several positions the Packers will most likely be looking at on offense going towards the draft. In my next blog I will go over the defense, where I see more attention being paid to during the draft as several positions could use some youth or increase in competition.

Rumor

There is a rumor swirling around that the Packers are trying to trade for either A.J. Feeley or J.P. Losman to back up Aaron Rodgers in his first year as the starting QB. As long as the back know the West Coast offense well to help Aaron would be the most important thing for me, along with being a quality backup since Rodgers has had some medical conerns in his young career.

Packers Offseason so far

The End of an Era



As we all know Brett Favre has retired from the Green Bay Packers after 16 years of leading the team. Two superbowl appearances, One World Championship, the ONLY Three-time MVP in NFL history, all-time leader in wins and TD's thrown, and longest starting streak ever by a QB are only some of his accomplishments that we will all miss. But he was the funnest player I have and ever will watch play the game of football. The playground celebrations after the TD's, the constant jawing with Warren Sapp, and the emotion he displayed were wonderful to watch. I am happy though that he could walk away from the game still standing and on his own terms. The entire NFL will miss him under center on Sundays, even our NFC North rivals will miss the competition he brought. Congratulations Brett on an amazing Career and thank you for what you have done for the Franchise, no words will ever fully emphasize the love the fans had for you. So long #4!


That being said I firmly believe Aaron Rodgers will be a winner at QB for the Packers. The Dallas game showed us what he is capable of, and that is short passes with good accuracy. He won't provide as many longballs as Favre, but with the veterans around him he just needs to let the game come to him and make smart decisions.



Free Agency

Ted Thompson builds through the draft and is a very smart man who knows not to overspend in Free Agency, something Mike Sherman the GM failed at miserably. After the 13-3 campaign there are not a lot of holes to fill on the team.

• I like the signing of Brandon Chillar (SLB) form the Rams : He brings competition to Brady Poppinga to get the best out of both players, is still young at 25, and only signed for 2 years so we can see what he can do.


• I LOVE the Corey Williams trade to Cleveland for a 2nd Round pick. Now Cleveland overpaid for a player who didn't start until last season. Although he could rush the passer we always rotate our D-line and have depth behind him including last year's #1 in Justin Harrell, whom I have confidence in. Also getting Ted Thompson another 2nd rounder is not a bad thing at all.


• Letting go Bubba Franks shows confidence in the emerging Donald Lee, and we can now draft a backup who is young and can be molded by the coaching staff.

A pretty quiet offseason but nonetheless a good one so far in my opinion, not too much needed to be done, but my next blog will focus on Position analysis and potential needs going into the draft. I will also try to find Packers rumors floating around the media and post them to see what people think. Until then just remember the NFL team with most world championships is the GREEN BAY PACKERS with 12!