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