ROSTER PROJECTIONS

THE FINAL 53 – MAKING THE CUT

With precious little time from the lockout ravaged offseason to prepare, the Packers roster still has room for some interesting developments. Heady from an unexpected Super Bowl win Green Bay aced its draft yet again, returned 16 players from Injured Reserve and imported a new cadre of street free agents to compete for jobs on the ’11 version.

Depth, that unmistakable intangible, has been not only achieved but exceeded on almost every front. Talent is pouring off the training camp roster of 90 and some talented players will be taking their skills and for some a pretty good resume elsewhere in the hopes of landing a regular NFL paycheck. We look at the team, position by position and break them down into the Mortal Locks, On the Bubble, MAYbe or No Chance categories. The total number of roster spots appears in parentheses at each position.

The NFL is a passing league. That being said, let’s start right at the top –

QUARTERBACK - (Pack keeps 2)

  MORTAL LOCKS –

Aaron Rodgers and Matt Flynn. Rodgers star has climbed so high and so fast that some are hard pressed to name his predecessor. All kidding aside the loss of Brett Favre has been significantly tempered with Rodgers emergence. There is no need to regurgitate the numbers; at 27 Rodgers is set to be the man for many years to come and has now matched Favre’s number of Super Bowl wins. An MVP season? It just might happen this year especially if the talent stays healthy.

Flynn is everyone’s start #2 QB. Don’t think for a second that fact is lost on Head Coach Mike McCarthy. With Flynn heading into a contract year the question is what to do with him. Sign him and deal for a top draft pick? Hang on to him as an insurance policy? Flynn stays this year, but his travel plans will be made less by what he does than the development of big armed #3 QB Graham Harrell.

 ON THE BUBBLE –

Oh, how MM would love to stash away Harrell on the practice squad and keep a roster spot open for someone else and still have Harrell as an emergency and development project. Given the dearth of QB’s in the NFL Harrell just may stuck in a bit of roster hocus pocus by having someone much lower on the depth chart placed on the PS (CB Josh Gordy, for example) and swap spots after the post cut other team talent grabs are done. Harrell’s future is most likely ARod’s clipboard boy next year unless he is snagged off the PS by someone else.

RUNNING BACKS – (3)

Was it only a year ago that Green Bay’s running game was an ugly eyesore? My, how quickly things can change. Veteran Ryan Grant is back with a slightly restructured contract that all but ensures his stay in Green Bay – for now. So why is Grant NOT a Mortal Lock for the team? Try age 30, the age of extinction of most NFL RB’s, coming off an injury and heading into a contract year. Ugh, ugh, and ugh. Oh, and the annoying little fact that a Super Bowl was won without him. We concede the following:

MORTAL LOCKS:

James Starks and Alex Green (R/ Hawaii/ 3^rd Round) – This is the future of the Packers running game. Starks has a huge upside and only scratched the surface of his considerable skill. He is staying put, as is the explosive Green who has shown a quick cut and a better feel for running the ball than his predecessor in Brandon Jackson, but has yet to become the blocker that Jackson was. Only a rookie both Green and 2^nd year man Starks are here for the long haul and MM has to coach them up in the blue collar side of the position.

ON THE BUBBLE –

Grant, the veteran here, has more competition this year than he has seen his entire tenure in Green Bay. Does TT toss the dice and trade off Grant and his contract knowing that he must sign RG Josh Sitton, TE Jermichael Finley and WR Jordy Nelson in the coming off season? IS Grant worth more now in a deal than on the field? This oddball query lands Grant in the ranks of “Naaaaaawww… it aint gonna happen…” – but it could. Just not this year. Grant’s leadership, poise, and experience steady and very young backfield and he stays this year. But if the right deal comes along…

 MAYbe –

Both Rookie UDFA Brandon Saine (Ohio St) and Dimitri Nance (last years PS pickup from Atlanta) have had  very good camps. But their skill set came against the 2’s, 3’s and 4’s of their preseason opponents and not the 1’s. Both have size, speed, and an upside. Look for Nance to get cut and picked up elsewhere and Saine to land on the Practice Squad.

FULLBACK – (1)

MORTAL LOCK –

John Kuhn. Local boy does good, landing a 3 year, reported $7.5 million contract and the fan favorite stakes a claim at becoming one of the NFL’s best FB’s not named Peyton Hillis. Write his name in ink.

ON THE BUBBLE –

Quinn Johnson. Johnson is a one trick pony, a devastating lead blocker, but has been slow to grasp the playbook, made a few mistakes and showed up to camp almost 20 lbs. overweight. He is fighting for his NFL life right now, and with rookie 7^th rounder TE/FB and Special Team Ace Ryan Taylor pushing him Johnson may not make it to opening day.

TIGHT END – (5)

 MORTAL LOCKS –

Jermichael Finley, D.J. Williams (R – 5^th Round Ark), Tom Crabtree

All 3 are in. Can TT find a big enough truckload of money to keep the ubertalented Finley? The sure handed Williams is the insurance policy against that. Crabtree’s blocking and Special teams keep him here as well. Will MM and TT go with FIVE Tight Ends? They just might.

ON THE BUBBLE –

Andrew Quarless and Ryan Taylor (R 7^th Round). Quarless shows glimpses of greatness then inexplicably something less than stellar. He will stick but like Johnson more is going to be demanded of him, Time for Quarless to step it up. Taylor is that unique multi-positional hybrid MM loves and can be used also as a FB. If so, it means at best a PS for Taylor but given his value on Special Teams and as a FB, he’ll stick.

MAYbe-

For Spencer Havner. Unless Havner gets moved to LB permanently his status among the TE’s is very shaky as there is far too much talent in front of him.

WIDE RECEIVER – (6)

The headache the Packer brass has this year is not derived from trying to find out who can play but who to keep. This may be the most talent laden position in the NFL. While some teams are struggling to find one non diva WR Green Bay has 8, maybe 9 NFL caliber WR’s in camp.

                                                              MORTAL LOCKS –

This is easy – Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, Jordy Nelson, James Jones and Randall Cobb (R – 2^nd Round, Kentucky). The Big 5 is just that. Driver is closing out the back nine of a fantastic career and Nelson has just had his coming out party in the Super Bowl, while all Jennings does is haul in 70 catches every year and in the key moments. The addition of Cobb adds some new wrinkles. Will MM unveil a Wildcat formation featuring Cobb? Given the talent levels imagine the team that has its ground defense on the field when Green Bay goes 5 wide with Finley or Williams. Yikes! Aaron Rodgers lobbied hard for the drop-prone Jones in the off season and he also got a lot of new toys to play with this Christmas. The NFL is a passing league, and this year’s Packers are a passing team, and they will pass. A lot.

ON THE BUBBLE

UDFA and PSer from a year ago Chastin West has broken free from the pack and is making a bold statement at inclusion on this year’s team. MM has also set the mandate that Special Teams is where these players make their mark in the hopes of seeing the field. While West has been marginal on ST he has shown some big skills during preseason at WR. It might be just enough to make it.

MAYbe –

Tori Gurley has great Plaxico Burress type size (6’4”/ 215 lbs) but has had some drops. The Packers saw enough of them last year and have begun to address their incumbents inconsistencies. They don’t need it out of a #6 man. Shaky Smithson has speed, but lacks size and has not shown all he is capable of as a returner. That job will fall to Cobb. Diondre Borel has also had a good camp. Look for these names to land elsewhere as GB is too talent rich to keep them all. Even last year’s #5 Brett Swain will be on the outside looking in at cut time as his injury history is against him. Every one of these players could find himself on another teams roster after their auditions… they ARE that good. But West and Gurley have too much upside to be cut. At least one to the PS, and possibly West to the Varsity. The separation between the two will come on their special teams performance, which MM has placed a renewed emphasis on for all incoming hopefuls. Gurley has stood out in ST’s with 4 blocked punts in practice, so the decision as to who stays will be difficult.

NO CHANCE -

Any other WR in camp not named above. Thanks for the effort; here’s a plane ticket and good luck in your next stop. Antonio Robinson, Kerry Taylor… this is too tough a nut to crack.

OFFENSIVE LINE – (10* - Special Teams LS included)

 MORTAL LOCKS –

Let’s get this out of then way. Chad Clifton (LT), T.J. Lang (LG) Scott Wells (C), All Star in Waiting  Josh Sitton (RG) and Bryan Bulaga (RT) are and will be the core of the line barring injuries. Lang will get off to a rough start but will be a big upgrade over departed Free Agent Daryn Colledge, especially in the running game. 1^st Round Pick Derrick Sherrod joins this group as does Marshall Newhouse and Nick MacDonald. LS Brett Goode also is a lock, leaving scant room for anyone else to crack even the backups. Sherrod, MacDonald and Newhouse have all been moved frequently around the line in the preseason and Sherrod looks to be the long term answer to Clifton’s looming exit. The coaching staff is extremely high on Newhouse and MacDonald and they will get a second and third look. That leaves a scant single roster spot for a lineman left. There are no MAYbe’s here – and the race is close.

 ON THE BUBBLE  -

Rookie Caleb Schlauderoff,  Evan Dietrich-Smith, and Chris Campbell are all scrapping for one roster spot. How the Packers went from a perceived weakness to a glut of talent on the O Line in such dramatic fashion and decidedly under the radar is yet another testament to TT’s “Draft and Develop” style. All of a sudden the Packers have the makings of a dominant and young line. E D-S gets the spot with his versatility and experience while Campbell and Schlauderoff get the PS.

 NO CHANCE –

 Sampson Genus should be kept simply for his name. But he, along with wide eyed hopefuls Ray Dominguez, Adrian Battles, and Theo Sherman will get the axe.

SPECIAL TEAMS –

 MORTAL LOCKS –

No surprises here. Mason Crosby comes in with a new contract, a shortened kickoff and the hope of improving his pedestrian 80% field goal percentage. Granted, he kicks in chilly Lambeau and possesses a big leg, but the brass is hoping for better, and are exepecting it in what should be a big year for the Packers kicker. P Tim Masthay has done nothing short of drop the jaws anyone who watches him punt. Long, high, deep, excellent hang time – MM and TT found a gem in a trash heap and Masthay has made everyone forget the endless string of disasters at the position. Brett Goode has never made an errant snap in his career. Ever. Not once. Go ahead and look… you simply won’t find it anywhere. He is money. Rookie Randall Cobb will handle all the returns this year. It will be exciting.

PROJECTED OFFENSE ROSTER (26) – (STARTERS IN BOLD ITALICS) (PRACTICE SQUAD UNDERLINED)

QB – Aaron Rodgers, Matt Flynn, Graham Harrell (PS)

RB – Ryan Grant, James Starks, Alex Green (R) Brandon Saine (R – PS)

FB – John Kuhn

TE – Jermichael Finley, Andrew Quarless, Tom Crabtree, D.J. Williams, Ryan Taylor (R)

WR – Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, Jordy Nelson, James Jones, Randall Cobb, Chastin West, Tori Gurley (R – PS)

OLINE – Chad Clifton,  T.J. Lang, Scott Wells, Josh Sitton, Bryan Bulaga, Derrick Sherrod, Nick MacDonald, Marshall Newhouse, Evan Dietrich-Smith Chris Campbell (PS), Caleb Schlauderoff (PS)

ST – (3)

LS – Brett Goode

P – Tim Masthay

K – Mason Crosby

KR – Randall Cobb (R)

Next: The Defensive Roster

The Free Agents You Never Heard Of



In a tradition dating back to Lombardi The Pack
arrives to comp on two wheels



When future Hall of Famer Brett Favre publicly declared that the Packers had “…the most talented team he’d ever seen…” in camp in the season before his eminent departure many people snickered.

They’re not snickering anymore.



That team has morphed itself into a Super Bowl champion sans a certain #4. And it is a team poised to make a very serious run at the brass ring several more times in the here and now. The 2011 Packers are deep, loaded with talent, young, and very good. The incoming rookies will get an opportunity. And with a league high 16 players returning from Injured Reserve the roster spots are slim at best. There will be some very good players being pink slipped out of Titletown simply because of numbers.

After evaluating the rookies it’s time to assess the current state of affairs of the Free Agents.



Kids wait outside the locker offering their bikes
in hopes of rubbiong elbows with their idols



Anyone who follows the Packers can synopsize Green Bay’s Free Agency movements in a single word – none. Actually, the Packers are a player in Free Agency; they are of the less conventional variety.

In an unprecedented off season of a free agency feeding frenzy Philadelphia has declared itself the paper winner by grabbing the headlines and the best players money can buy. CB Nnamdi Asomugha, DE Jason Babin, RB Ronnie Brown, QB Vince Young and former Packer DE Cullen Jenkins have all taken wing to the city of brotherly love. In trading QB Kevin Kolb the Eagles also landed CB Dominique Rogers-Cromartie to add to Assante Samuel and giving the Birds an impressive array of DB’s… on paper.

But the games are not played on paper. Make no mistake about it; Philly owner Jeffrey Lurie built this team with an eye towards a certain Midwestern team that will be a pass happy offense. The Packers have rapidly ascended to the Gold Standard of the NFC. Atlanta traded away a bevy of picks to land the one player they felt they needed in WR Julio Jones in the draft. Birds of all species are eyeing the trophy the Packers own.



Welcome back!! Aaron Rodgers greets newly signed
FB John Kuhn



While the loudest noise came from other teams Packer GM Ted Thompson was kept busy with a different free agency plan. WR James Jones and fan favorite FB John Kuhn both tested the free agency waters briefly. Jones’ stock may have been hurt by the lockout, and his penchant for dropping the rock at key times. But Aaron Rodgers went to bat for both Jones and Kuhn imploring TT to re-sign them. Getting both players, along with potential FA K Mason Crosby, back into the fold was crucial to this year’s offense. Kuhn has made himself indispensable to the offense and rendered former Packer FB and close friend Korey Hall expendable. With his durability and ability to play several roles in the offense and on Special Teams Kuhn has also made himself one of the league’s best paid FB’s in signing a 3 year deal worth a reported $7.5 million. Jones also returns and may fall as far as #5 on the depth chart.



Clay Matthews III holding court with the fans



TT eschews the foray into outright free agency with the mindset of rewarding his own before investing in someone else’s. It is a move that has been slow to pay dividends, but now that the tree has borne fruit the players know that they will be rewarded when it is their turn. It is a model for building a team and keeping it intact. TT is far more reluctant to shell out dollars on 30+ defensive players with a history of injuries. While losing Jenkins is a blow, it is a move reminiscent of letting Aaron Kampman go a couple years back. As good as Kampman was for the Packers at 30, coming back off a serious knee injury, he has never regained his form with Jacksonville. Thompson has also shown the uncanny Belichick-like knack of knowing when to release a player. The DE position will be TT and MM’s toughest challenge as teams will most certainly double and triple team the maniacal pass rush of CM3. Mike Neal, C.J. Wynn and rook Lawrence Guy will all have to step up.

TT finds his future in areas he has shown a remarkable penchant for finding talent. By utilizing the draft and mining the Undrafted Free Agency pool TT has kept a steady stream of players ready to plug in. Witness last year’s injury parade. When a defensive lineman was needed, TT snapped up Howard Greene from the Jets, and all Greene has done is force a pick 6 in the Super Bowl and secure himself a roster spot this year. Greene does not command the headlines but he will play and eat up space on the field. When Brad Jones, Brady Poppinga and Brandon Chillar all went down with injuries in came Diyral Briggs, Matt Wilhelm, and Eric Walden to play LB. Now Chillar, Poppy, and Briggs have been released, along with the overpriced Nick Barnett, and Jones finds himself battling with Wilhelm and late round pick Ricky Elmore (an Aaron Kampman clone) at the OLB position opposite Clay Matthews III.

DB's Tramon Williams( 38) Morgan Burnett (42)
 Pat Lee (22), and Nick Collins (36)

Once considered the weak position on the roster the Pack’s Cornerbacks may be even better and deeper than Philly’s. With Charles Woodson leading the way this has become as impressive a slot as the Packers vaunted receivers. Incumbents Tramon Williams and Sam Shields (both UDFA’s) are as good as any in the NFL, and it is fish or cut bait for former 2^nd rounder Pat Lee. Lee and off field headache Brandon Underwood have value but will be pushed hard by 4^th rounder Davon House and yet another TT gem in UDFA Josh Gordy. Gordy has had an impressive camp and is showing a nose for the ball. With limited practice times the urgency to impress has filtered all the way down. Woodson will play more of a hybrid role this year and be allowed to freelance as a CB/LB/S while Tramon and Shields become the lockdowns at the corners. House will see some time as well, and it will be a battle between Underwood and Lee to make the roster.

On Offense the Packers have suddenly become the envy of the NFL at 3 skill positions – Running Back, Tight End, and Wide Receiver. This camp is overflowing with so much talent that the cuts for the Packers offense could probably win 6 – 8 ballgames. They are that good.

A healthy Ryan Grant cuts upfield

Ryan Grant returns healthy form a season ending ankle injury and will share time with developing sensation James Starks. 3^rd round draftee Alex Green will also make the roster, but another of TT’s UDFA pickups in Brandon Saine is getting a long look and making the most of the opportunity. At 220 lbs. Saine has looked good in camp and if FB Quinn Johnson cannot elevate his game Head Coach Mike McCarthy may opt for 4 RB’s and 1 FB in John Kuhn. Kuhn’s roster spot is a mortal lock leaving Saine and Johnson to battle it out. Saine will do no worse than a practice squad slot where he may get taken by another team. This is as deep a backfield as the Packers have seen in a long, long time.

My man! Rodgers to Finley. Get used to the call.

The TE spot is so deep with talent that 5 – FIVE! – TE’s might be kept. Jermichael Finley is back and will be the next big TE thing. He’s too big for a CB and too fast for a LB to cover. He gives QB Aaron Rodgers yet another weapon in his vast arsenal. Andrew Quarless showed glimpses of his talent as a rookie but now is forced to show even greater improvement and consistency. Undersized for the position but offensively gifted 5^th round steal-of-the-draft D.J. Williams has made catch after catch after catch in camp and will grab a spot, while last year’s UDFA surprise Tom Crabtree continues his effective play as a blocker and special teamer. Late rounder hybrid FB/ TE Ryan Taylor’s biggest impact may be on Special Teams which is gaining renewed emphasis this year. Taylor may also grab a spot if FB Johnson, who showed up to camp overweight, doesn’t pick it up this year. It will come down to Taylor vs. returner Spencer Havner, but don’t be stunned when you hear that Green Bay keeps 5 TE’s on its roster.






Rookie WR Randall Cobb
arrives in style



There are no less than 8 NFL caliber WR’s in the Packers camp. The 5 locks are Greg Jennings, the ageless Donald Driver, Jordy Nelson, 2^nd round sensation Randall Cobb and James Jones. Cracking this lineup will be as easy as say sneaking into the White House and grabbing a picture of you and the President. Incumbent Brett Swain’s history of injuries will hurt his chances while UDFA’s Shaky Smithson (who also will challenge Cobb as a kick returner), Diondre Borel and Tori Gurley have all looked alternately terrific and suspect at times. Gurley’s reputation for hanging onto the ball has not gone unnoticed, and at 6’4” tall he offers a size at the WR spot that has both Rodgers and the coaching staff drooling. Smithson is a shifty blazer and Borel has shown toughness over the middle of the field. How and where Thompson finds talent is the great mystery of the universe but give the man credit. He knows where to mine. In the final analysis Swain will be replaced by Gurley simply because you can’t teach size. Look for a feeding frenzy on the others as soon as the cuts are announced.



Derrick Sherrod and his limo



While Thompson does not dive into the Free Agency pool the fact of the matter remains he doesn’t have to. He has given MM more than enough tools to work with and the players respond knowing they will bge first in line for a raise when their time comes. And this in turn gives Rodgers a full range of weapons of mass destruction at his disposal. The only spot on the offensive line in question is at LG where T.J. Lang and 1^st rounder Derrick Sherrod duke it out. The casual fan may be disappointed TT did not grab a ‘name’ but he already had 16 returners from IR, 9 rookies, and a truckload of UDFA’s.

All that, and a Super Bowl trophy. Might as well stick to a proven winning formula.



Next: Shaping the Roster – Who Sticks, Who Doesn’t and Why

Back in Business!!

Nick Collins and Clay Matthews
III after Collins' Super Bowl TD pick

It is Time to rejoice. At long last, football.

No lawyers or talking heads or district judges, just plain old smash mouth sweat-in-the-sun two a days…. Make that ONE a days… football is back baby!

The glow of a Super Bowl victory over the Steelers has been a wonderful tonic to place on a soul starved for football. As we reopen the season we at Packers Weekly can resume the one thing we all love – football and where this year’s edition of the Green Bay Packers are heading. As the season breaks there will be no discussion of the CBA or what it means or who got what from whom. As far as we’re concerned CBA stood for “Crying, Bitching and Arguing.”

Millionaires facing off against billionaires for a share of $10 billion dollars. Had enough? So have we. Let’s look at how the 2011 defending Super Bowl Champions are shaping up.

Anyone expecting Ted Thompson to dive into the feeding frenzy of free agency is oblivious to the fact that Ted would rather wear a raw meat wetsuit in a shark tank than jump into the free agency pool. In an unprecedented flurry of deals the Philadelphia Eagles made the most noise by trading for Antonio Rodgers Cromartie and then signing the most coveted of all the Free Agents Nnamdi Asomugha. Additionally the Iggles landed former Packer DE Cullen Jenkins and Jason Brabin late of the Tennessee Titans who ended last year with 12 ½ sacks. Philly also snagged Ronnie Brown from the Dolphins slag heap and added onetime time 5 pick Vince Young to back up Mike Vick.



To the Victor go the spoils



Philly’s moves reflect a growing mood among the NFC. To win the NFC the road will go right thru Green Bay and what looks to be a high octane offense that can spread the ball all over the field. And this is, on paper, an offense that will explode and be almost impossible to contain at times. Have the issues of dropped passes been addressed? Will one ball be enough? Can the Packers sustain their near perfect close to last season? How well did they draft? Did they miss out by not signing any Free Agents?

Make no mistake about one certainty. This year’s Packers are so staggeringly deep at multiple positions that they will be the template for how to build a team for other struggling teams. At some positions they are so deep it is downright embarrassing and speaks to TT’s ability to find talent. How good is this team and how deep are they really?

The best place to start is by assessing the draft. Ted Thompson’s philosophy has been, is, and always will be a ‘draft and develop’ approach to building a team. While TT avoids the high risk/ high contract FA’s he will nonetheless bargain shop and has shown an uncanny knack for finding a gem in the leftover pile. Look no further than Tramon Williams (UDFA cut by Houston), Frank Zombo (UDFA), Howard Greene (Practice Squad, NYJ), Ryan Grant (same thing but from the Giants), John Kuhn (waivers from Pittsburgh) and last year’s steal of the century UDFA CB Sam Shields. Thompson has drafted almost brilliantly with the newly released former 1^st rounder Justin Harrell being a sore spot. With 15 players on Injured Reserve last year TT still managed to cobble together a team that not only eon the Super Bowl but is poised to make a deep run every year in the here and now. How does he do it?

1st Round Pick Derrick Sherrod

It all starts with the draft. The draft class of 2010 paid immediate and enormous dividends as the Pack landed their new RT and replacement for Mark Tauscher in Bryan Bulaga. The Whale’s stellar and steady play flanking All Pro in waiting Josh Sitton (RG) made the right side of the Packers line formidable. This year’s #1 pick, Derrick Sherrod (LT/ Miss. St.) is eventually slated to slide into the LT spot when Chad Clifton calls it a career. Sherrod should be able to step right in and begin play immediately and will challenge 3^rd year man T.J. Lang for the vacated LG position when Darryn Colledge took the FA train to Arizona. Colledge may be the most expendable player on the O Line and the Pack are very high on Lang and Sherrod as well as last year’s FA surprise Nick MacDonald. Look for Sherrod and Lang to battle the entire way thru camp. Even if Sherrod cannot move Lang out, he will nonetheless see a lot of playing time as he is explosive, quick, strong and a his talent will not keep him on the bench for long.

2nd Rounder Randall Cobb will bring
some flash to Titletown

Much is anticipated from the explosive #2 pick Randall Cobb (WR/ Kentucky). Cobb, a former high school QB has that ‘it’ factor GM’s cover and drool over. Cobb’s addition, along with the re-signing of WR James Jones gives the Packers an arsenal of WR’s that no team in the NFL can match. With Donald Driver heading into the sunset of a glorious career, the emergence of #3 man Jordy Nelson (9 catches/ 140 yards and a huge TD in Supe XLV) and Jones re-upping Cobb will not need to play. But he will have an impact. He has played in Wildcat formations and is a skilled returner. While Cobb lacks blazing speed he will no doubt get some touches and has the luxury of being eased in. As it is the Pack has no less than 6 NFL caliber WR’s (Greg Jennings and Brett Swain). Cobb will also be pressed in camp in the return game by UDFA WR Shaky Smithson who has dazzling speed and is a return specialist.

Jones’ resigning came at QB Aaron Rodgers lobbying his GM. Jones’ value in free agency was diminished with his penchant for dropping the ball. TT listened to Rodgers, unlike his predecessor who was famously ignored when Brett Favre begged for Randy Moss. TT and Head Coach Mike McCarthy have placed as much value on a player’s character as they do his ability. Jones is a high character guy and TT’s rewarding of his own players with deserved raises does not go unnoticed. Perhaps the best example is TT’s selection of Nelson over fellow WR and current Philly malcontent DeSean Jackson in the draft of 3 years ago. While Jackson is the more explosive of the 2 he has held out and is sulking about the deal he signed while all Nelson has done is help to deliver a Super Bowl back to Titletown. Cobb is in the ‘high character guy’ category. Will MM add a Wildcat formation to this offense? Oh, the possibilities.



RB 3rd Round pick Alex Green



3^rd Rounder RB Alex Green (RB/ Hawaii) is a bull at 6’0 and 225 pounds and possesses a burst that departed FA RB Brandon Jackson did not. The impact of Jacksons loss will be felt in the blocking department as Jackson is one of the NFL’s best blocking backs. The addition of Green, along with last year’s sleeper James Starks and a healthy Ryan Grant have given the Packers a depth at RB they have not seen since… well… maybe Taylor and Hornung. FA FB John Kuhn also returns with a fresh 3 year deal, and he was another of ARods handpicked guys when he approached TT. With Kuhn in the fold and Green in the mix, look for GB to go with 2 FB’s at the most. Gone is the oft injured FB Korey Hall (NO Saints) and 3^rd year beast Quinn Johnson is facing a make-or-break camp as he has yet to show consistency. Green will give the Packers a burst through the hole that will remind many of another former Packer with whom he shares a name in Ahman Green.

Defenses will have their hands full in deciding which element of the Packers attack they will defense as last year’s running game has improved in quantum leaps this year. For most DC’s it will be a yearlong headache and trying to decide on which poison is the least painful.

4th Round selection
Davon House taking it to the... bank

In a draft dominated by offense, TT took CB Davon House in the 4^th round from New Mexico St. At 6’ 0 ½” and 197 lbs House has the size and with a 4.41 40 (4^th fastest in the top 15 CB’s) he also has the speed for DC Dom Capers. Pat Lee’s days may be numbered while Brandon Underwood may have run himself out of last chances. While the aging Sir Charles Woodson shows no signs of slowing down House can be eased into a lineup slowly that also features another All Pro in waiting in Tramon Williams, whose play jumped off the charts last year. Sam Shields returns a year wiser and better prepared, while the early surprise at CB and the single most improved player from last year’s team is none other than Jarrett Bush.

Jarrett Bush?

All Bush has done is play with confidence and decisiveness that has caught his teammates and coaches eyes. It has been as if the light has gone on for him suddenly and he can see the field and make the plays he wants to make. His pick in Super Bowl XLV raised some eyebrows and he has been the hit of camp – so far. Camp and an NFL regular season are 2 entirely different animals though. But the Pack is loaded at CB.



A wealth of riches.
5th Rd pick TE D.J. Williams snags a high one



In terms of depth the veritable steal of the draft may be #5 pick TE D.J. Williams (6’2”/ 245 lbs/ Arkansas). While Williams is not the biggest or fastest in the draft he has outstanding hands and is highly effective in any passing game. He has wowed in camp with his ability to grab the rock inn traffic and he won’t be kept under wraps for very long. With returning TE Andrew Qualress and another future All Pro in IR returnee Jermichael Finley when the Packers roll out Tight Ends it is almost sick that the talent level does not drop off. With last year’s surprise Tom Crabtree along with Spencer Havner it is not inconceivable that GB keeps 5 TEs on the roster, 6 WR’s and only 1 FB in Kuhn. Along with 7^th rounder TE/ FB Ryan Taylor (6’31/2”/ 254 lbs/ North Carolina) MM is looking at the multiple position/ Special Teams as closely as ever. Williams may distinguish himself in the short yardage game while Finley can serve as an oversized WR.

The other offensive player taken was OL Caleb Schlauderaff LG from Utah. He will be hard pressed to break in on a line that is becoming very good and very young very fast and very loaded. He may land on the Practice Squad while he develops.

The remaining players – D.J. Smith (OLB/ Appalachian St) Ricky Elmore (DE Arizona), Lawrence Guy (DT Arizona St) will all get a look to see who can best fill in behind incumbents Mike Neal and C.J. Wilson and provide a rush off the edge to counter Clay Matthews III and the double and triple teaming he will draw. All are bright and are cut from the high motor, relentless cloth that may help get them there. Will they stick? Maybe.

But – will they have an impact?



Ted Thompson, architect of the
Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers



This draft class was a solid ‘A’ across the board as TT not only drafted for value but also need, and in the process he landed at least, maybe 4 that will contribute immediately. And if House can see the field, maybe as many as 5. THAT is a successful draft by any measure, and considering that Green Bay drafted last in every round, TT’s draft wizardry was clearly on display.

NEXT – The Free Agents and Comings and Goings