The Packer Backer

Packers switching up D

2009-01-19T17:18:00.001-08:00

The hiring of Dom Capers is very significant to what team will be playing at Lambeau on Sundays. Our new defensive coordinator is bringing his 3-4 defense with him. This means...

The Packers can now fit all 4 linebackers on the field. With Nick Barnett and AJ Hawk manning the middle flanked by Brandon Chillar and Brady Poppinga(who played in a 3-4 at BYU).
Don't be suprised if Aaron Kampman makes the move to rush LBer at times.
Pickett and Jenkins are perfect big bodies for the front of the defense.
We can draft a good player at #9 to help the transition to the 3-4 defense such as Everette Brown of Florida State, Brian Orakpo of Texas, or Aaron Maybin of PSU.
The scheme is designed to put pressure on the pocket so the linebacking play will be critical.

I am excited about the possibilities this scheme change gives us. I think this could go extremely right or completely wrong. Time will tell, but in the spirit of change I like this move because the Pittsburgh Steelers play it so well and it gets them to the Super Bowl, this guy could build a great unit.

It's Capers!

2009-01-19T09:24:00.000-08:00

Dom Capers has accepted the defensive coordinator position on Mike McCarthey's staff. The former Texans coach and recently Patriots secondary coach is very experienced and should be a solid addition.

Peppers wants to explore free agency

2009-01-16T23:20:00.000-08:00

Carolina Peppers has stated he would like to eplore other options outside Carolina. This was a possibility suggested by me after they blew up in the playoffs. THIS IS A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY FOR TED THOMPSON! Julius Peppers paired with Aaron Kampan with Ryan Pickett and a healthy Cullen Jenkins could be one of the league's best. With Peppers we could be Super Bowl contenders with a few other moves. He has the potential to have a Reggie White Impact all-over again in Green Bay, which Thompson should emphasize when he courts him on signing with the Packers. This is a once-in-a-decade chance to land an elite Defensive End who excels against both the pass and run. I hope my dreams turn into a reality.

Looking at the draft

2009-01-16T07:51:00.001-08:00

Picking at #9
With USC QB Mark Sanchez declaring for the draft, the packers could gain a very favorable position picking at # 9. Its assumed Detroit will take either Sanchez or Stafford at #1 to start the rebuilding process. If the other QB makes it past KC he could slip all the way to #10 where the 49ers certainly wouldn't pass on a franchise QB to replace the retreads they have. This means teams needing a QB might try to trade with the Packers to leapfrog the 49ers, or maybe the 49ers would swap picks with us and we could pick up a 3rd or 4th rounder in return. Either way it's an interesting scenario that could play out.

Team Needs
DL - Our defensive line needs to be upgraded this offseason through free agency or the draft.
OT - With Tauscher possibly done as a Packers and Clifton on the wrong side of 30 the Packers will probably look at a offensive tackle if the right one is available in the first few rounds.
S - Nick Collins should be resigned but Bigby and Rouse can be replaced relatively easily, probably in the second round at earliest.
P - No need to pull a Mike Sherman and draft a punter in the 3rd round, but taking a punter in the seventh round would probably get us an upgrade.

Possibilities at #9
Ted Thompson almost always goes the BPA route, but this year he may be forced to trade down or reach at #9 to stabalize the glaring defensive line problem. Some talented underclassmen have returned to school which hurts the Packers, but we should be able to get a starting-caliber player inside the top-10.

DE/OLB Aaron Maybin (PSU)
DE Brian Orakpo (TEX)
DE Everette Brown (FSU)
DT B.J. Rajii (BC)
DE Michael Johnson (GT)
CB Malcolm Jenkins (OSU)
OT Jason Smith (BU)

These are possibilities right now, but I am skeptical of really light DE's who are under 270 because they can easily bust like Jamal Reynolds did for us ten years ago. I'm just hoping whoever we get ends up panning out, and not be a bust and never on the field like Justin Harrel.

Greg Williams to Saints!

2009-01-15T10:27:00.000-08:00

Greg Williams will not be joining Mike McCarthy's staff after signing on to be the New Orleans Saints Defensive coordinator. McCarthy has lost out on the top two targets to replace Bob Sanders, and he will now have to replace him with either LB coach Winston Moss or one of the other candidates available. This is very disappointing considering a high quality coordinator could help propel this team to the next level with a few additions on defense. The next defensive coordinator will ave a big impact on McCarthy's future so he better get it right after missing out on two quality experienced coaches in the past week.

Quick Huddle

With so many underclassmen such as Oklahoma DT Gerald McCoy and Ole Miss DE Greg Hardy returning to school the Packers chance of landing a top-flight D linemen is diminishing, which could force Ted Thompson to trade down or select the best player available no matter the position.
With the Panthers exiting early in playoffs despite coming in with Super Bowl aspirations DE Julius Peppers may give more thought to exploring the free agent market, and if he does Ted Thompson would be wise to make a very strong effort to acquire a guy who could make our defense one of the best in the league.
There are internet rumors going around that Al Harris is on his way out. Doubtful. Tramon Williams did play well this year, but do you honestly think Ted Thompson is gonna split on of the best CB tandems on the league? Come on

NOLAN TO DENVER!

2009-01-12T09:08:00.000-08:00

Mike Nolan is apparently headed to Denver to become the Broncos' Defensive coordinator under new head coach 32 year-old Josh McDaniels. The Packers have missed out on their first choice and presumed next D coordinator in Nolan. Greg Willians now is the top choice with the possibility of McCarthy waiting to interview Eagles secondary coach Sean McDermott, who has become a hot name to be promoted. He would bring aggresive schemes with him, which seems to be a priority for the next defensive coach of the Packers. McCarthy might now be pressured to go hard after Williams to secure the position with the best available coach.

D GETS A FACELIFT, SANDERS OUT!

2009-01-05T21:02:00.001-08:00

Mike McCarthy fired defensive coordinator Bob Sanders and all of his defensive assistants except LB coach/assistant head coach Winston Moss. Sanders' D coughed up late leads in many of the close games and was a key reason for the firing. Moss is a leading candidate to replace Sanders, but there are several experienced coaches available this offseason that might be a better option to obtain the highest quality coach. I hope whoever takes over the defense emphasizes playing to the players' strengths and is aggresive getting to the quaterback. Obviously we did not have enough quality on the line this year and no one besides Aaron Kampman got to the quartback. If we bring in more talent via free agency or the draft or both, and gain a starter next to Pickett at DT or a DE so we can move Cullen Jenkins inside the new coach will the right personelle to have a chance to succeed. Ted Thompson has to acquire talent on the D line no matter what!

QUICK HUDDLE

The new assistant coaches will be very important to the success of the defense, so watch what happens
Greg Jennings say he's 99.9% positive he won't hold out for a new contract, hopefully Thomposon realizes how valuable he is and signs him quickly.
ProFootballWeekly says Mark Tauscher likely will not return and his successor at RT would be last year's 4th round pick Breno Giacomini.

Off-season priorities

2008-12-31T06:29:00.000-08:00

This is an important off-season for Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy coming off a disappointing 6-10 season. There were a lot of bright spots on the team but they lost 7 of their 10 games by 4 points or less, which shows they're close and could make a playoff run next year with a few good moves and better luck with injuries. With Cullen Jenkins and Nick Barnett healthy next year the defense gets a boost automatically, and Aaron Rodgers having a year of starting under his belt can only lead to better play next year hopefully. The Packers pick 9th this year and gained the #84 pick from the Jets in the Favre deal. With 4 picks in the top 84 and plenty of cap room there are plenty of opportunities to address important situations. With that here are my top off-season priorities.

Re-sign Greg Jennings and Nick Collins to long-term contracts. Jennings has a year left on his rookie deal and will get paid like Berrian with the past two seasons totaling over 2400 yards and 24 TD's. Collins made the Pro-Bowl while intercepting 7 passes and finally reaching the potential that got him drafted in the 2nd round 4 years ago. These two guys are young cornerstones on the team, and Nick Collins is a unrestricted free agent so hopefully we sign him quickly while not overpaying him.
FIX THE DEFENSIVE LINE!!!!!!!!!! This is really Priority 1B technically because this is our biggest weakness on the team. Jenkins was out for the year after week 4, KGB was released mid-season because of his bad knee, and Justin Harrell never can get healthy. Kampman was a beast again this year providing our only consistent pass rush. Johnny Jolly was solid but not spectacular but still faces legal charges in Houston so is not a sure thing. Colin Cole is a backup at DT, and Jeremy Thompson is still raw but could develop down the road. We must bring back Ryan Pickett because he is still and effective clog up the middle. The Packers have two routes to fix the D-line, the Draft or Free Agency: Free agents include Albert Haynesworth and Julius Peppers, neither appears likely to leave their current team but are available. Peppers would be an awesome addition if we could WOO him to come to Green Bay and our next possible Reggie White. Cullen Jenkins could move back to DT where he excelled to start his career. Just imagine Aaron Kampman on one side with Peppers on the other with Pickett and Jenkins up the middle! Ahh to dream though. The Packers could pick a DT or DE in the 1st round if they think he could make an immediate impact and BE HEALTHY unlike another 1st round DT we took (ahem!).
Find a way to improve the offensive line. Tauscher is a free agent and might not be back next season. Thompson has to decide if the trio of Colledge, Wells, and Spitz is good enough up the middle, and if Clifton is still our best option at LT. I believe if the right veteran can be signed we should bring in more experience to help gel that line to give Rodgers and Grant more opportunities.
Find a upgrade over Bigby at Strong Safety. Bigby was hurt almost the entire season and had a nice season last year btu is short and has limitations despite being very opportunistic with INT's and big hits. Aaron Rouse didn't take advantage of Bigby being sidelined but is still young. If a playmaking Strong safety were available with our second round pick (#41) I would say make the move.
Replace Bob Sanders as Defensive Coordinator. Winston Moss our LB coach/asst head coach is a candidate for the head coach position with the Rams and if he doesn't get might be the new man leading our defense. I don't oppose this as long as Moss will bring more pressure to our philosophy, and find ways to maximize each player's abilities. We have a lot of talent on our defense when healthy and must capitalize on it effectively. Plenty of the head coaches getting axed and others available are defensive specialists including Greg Williams, Rod Marinelli, Jim Haslett, etc.

Hopefully Ted Thompson sees a free agent that can have the impact of a Charles Woodson on this team and bring him in. The defensive line MUST be improved one way or the other to have a successful 2009 campaign. Picking 9th in the draft means we have the opportunity to add a playmaker on this team that hopefully would be a starter, obviously its early but here are some guys who we could look at with the #9 pick:

Aaron Maybin DE (Penn State)
Everette Brown DE (Florida State)
Malcom Jenkins CB (Ohio State)
Brian Orakpo DE (Texas)
Gerald McCoy DT (Oklahoma)
Jason Smith OT (Baylor)
BJ Rajii DT (Boston College)
Michael Johnson DE (Georgia State)
Eugene Monroe OT (Virginia)

OFFENSIVE NEEDS TO STEP UP!

2008-08-20T16:11:00.000-07:00

The Green Bay Packers offense really needs to get rolling after the first two preseason games haven't been spectacular. Rodger's gave a quality quarter against the Bengals in the first game, but next to nothing against San Francisco. The whole offense sputtered throught the game regardless of what unit was on the field. Some things to note so far about teh offense:

The offensive line has not gelled yet to play at their full potential. Mental mistakes along with simply being overpowered in certain cases led to Rodgers never being able to have time to hit his recievers.
The wide recieving corps has had TOO many dropped balls, I know tehy happen but this unit can and SHOULD play better once the regular season starts.
Rodgers has had one good quarter and one bad half so far in the preseason. The 49ers are not a very good defensive team so the way he played was surprising. But again, the line is where it all starts so Rodgers gets only part of the blame for the offensive futility.
Ryan Grant has still not played a preseason game after a short holdout to get his new deal in place. He is critical and the centerpiece of the offense that will feature a lot of running this year as Rodgers acclimates to being a starting QB in the NFL, his non-presence so far cannot be forgotten when assessing the starting offense.

Basically the bottom line is that our offensive line play MUST IMPROVE for the offense to play up to its potential, which is very high. I must say rookie OG Josh Sitton has not shown the quality play in games that he has in practice and training camp, and maybe inserting veteran Darryn Colledge would be a wise move. He knows the system very well and while not a great player is obviously better at thsi moment than a rookie. Hopefully the offense gets going against Denver so they can get the ball rolling so when the Regular season starts they are hitting on all cylinders.

Jason Taylor?

2008-06-24T15:03:00.000-07:00

JASON TAYLOR A PACKER?
There are rumors about the Packers trading for DE Jason Taylor from the Miami Dolphins. There seems to be a very little chance of this actually going through because of GM Ted Thompson's desire of not trading away draft picks, especially first day picks. But if the Dolphins would accept a 3rd round conditional pick that could get bumped up to 2nd rounder if he reached certain performance conditions such as 10 sacks or 75% of defensive downs played or something of that nature, it would be a good trade for the packers. I think Taylor has 2 more good years left in him, which could be easily more than a 2nd or 3rd pick might ever give. Taylor could team with Aaron Kampman to give us one of the best bookend DE's in the game. This would also move Cullen Jenkins back to DT alongside Ryan Pickett where he thrived 2 years ago. And with the health of last years 1st round pick Justin Harrell still unclear, it would give us good insurance for the D line. I hope the Dolphins become motivated to make this deal because it would definately improve our team. The Defense is dependant on a pressuring D-line for our defense to excel, we wore down last year in the NFC Championship game and it cost us big time.

Contract situations

2008-05-16T09:16:00.000-07:00

Similar to the Milwaukee Brewers that Packers have a lot of good young talent on their team, and with Ryan Braun's new contract in Milwaukee I thought I could look at some players on the Packers who have shown they deserve to be in it for the long haul. Ted Thompson believes in building from within and spending his money to keep the players he drafts so I have no anxiety when looking at the players we have and their worth to the team. Ted Thompson has put the team in great salary cap position and Favre's retirement gives us another $10 Million off the books. That being said here are the players who we should lock up to multi-year contracts.

OFFENSE
RB Ryan Grant
First starting action was the second half of the past season but showed his ability with 956 yards with a 5.1/attempt and 8 TDS. He only got better as the season wore on and into the playoffs with a 200 yarder and 3 TD's agaisnt Seattle. He has fresh legs after not getting extensive action the previous 2 seasons and is only 25 years old. He is currently being offered a $370,000 minimum contract to sign but doesn't want to because of his performance this past season, and rightfully so deserves more. I think we should wait another year before a long-term contract is offered, but say he posts 1,200 yards with 10+ TD's next year I believe a contract on the level of 5 years/$25-30 Mil with up to $10 Mil guaranteed would be fair.

WR Greg Jennings
Two seasons after being drafted in the 2nd Round out of Western Michigan Jennings has developed into an awesome deep threat who also excels on the slant and middle routes also. ESPN Insider's KC Joyner rated Jennings the best vertical WR last year, now that's saying something! Packers fans know how good he is and so does Thompson. His career stats of 98 receptions for 1552 YRDS (15.8/catch) and 15 TD's is very impressive for only two years experience. His contract is up after 2009, and with another respectable season (maybe 75 Recs/1000 Yds/10 TDs) he should be in-line for a nice contract from Ted Thompson after this season. I'd say 6yrs/$30 million with $10 Mil guaranteed would be good considering Bernard Berrian's bloated contract with Minny who was desperate for him. Jordy Nelson gives the Packers a little leverage in negotiations.

OG's Jason Spitz and Darren Colledge
Our C Scott Wells is locked up already and we should keep at least one of our starting guards to keep some continuity in the O-line. Both Spitz and Colledge have been solid but not spectacular with Spitz being more consistent. They were both drafted in 2006 in 3rd and 2nd rounds respectively. They have nice jobs so far but neither looks to have elite potential, but they seem to have grasped the zone-blocking of the run game which is important. That being said I can see the possibility of one staying with us and most likely could be Spitz. A solid contract of 4yrs/15 million seems fair with a few million guaranteed.

QB Aaron Rodgers
This is a big maybe as of right now due to his inexperience in starting at QB in the NFL. You don't want to shell out a truckload of money for a QB who can't get you to the Super Bowl (or win a stinkin' playoff game like TONY ROMO). That being said Rodgers looks to be a capable replacement to lead the offense productively. He has two more years left on his rookie contract for Thompson to evaluate him. I believe Mike McCarthy has confidence in him and will give him every opportunity to succeed without putting too much pressure on him. If we need a third-year to evaluate their is always the Franchise/Transition Tags available. I can see Rodgers posting solid numbers but not amazing due to it being the beginning of his starting career, but say he next season he goes for 60% completion percentage with around 3,000 yards and 20TDs/10INTS and improves the next season I'd say Thompson will lock him up with a 5-6 year contract. He'll determine his real worth to the team and hopefully he judges right.

Next blog I will assess the defensive players who are deserving of contract extensions.

Robinson Released

2008-05-14T14:17:00.000-07:00

WR Koren Robinson was released by the Packers on May 9th, 2008. The reason I hear is that one of his knees is practically bone-on-bone contact right now. I hope the best for Robinson as he is still a recovering alcoholic and he did a very admirable job while on the Packers team the past couple seasons. This move put our 2nd round pick WR Jordy Nelson in prime position to fill Robinson's shoes as the number 4 WR on the team. With our spread packages on offense Nelson should got decent playin time barring an injury this year, a good way for a rookie wideout to start his career.

Punter Ken DeBauche could challenge Jon Ryan for the punters job. He was solid at Wisconsin in college and has experience in Wisconsin weather as far as kicking goes. I'd place my bets on Ryan due to his experience, but DeBauche creates more competition (a Ted Thompson favorite).

RB Justin Beaver was a nice story during the camps but was not offered a contract, but could ultimately end up as a practice squad player.

The Packers were rated #10 on ESPN's Power Rankings, the biggest fall of all teams since the Super Bowl (due to Brett Favre's retirement). But Chris Carter said the were a team to watch out for due to the completeness of the team and the possibility of Aaron Rodgers being a capable QB to lead the team. It is silly to rank the teams but we as fans love it, and I think we are still a top team in the NFC and will earn a playoff spot probably by winning the division.

Assessing the Draft

2008-04-28T13:39:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-24T10:25:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-16T14:57:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-09T16:18:00.001-07:00

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

2008-04-05T17:47:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-03T10:12:00.001-07:00

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

2008-04-01T10:47:00.000-07:00

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!