Brett Farrey

I think signing another safety, such as Giordano, is a good idea given the number of injuries, but why cut Aaron Rouse? You could argue Rouse hasn’t done much, but he is athletically gifted and could still develop into a quality safety. I wouldn’t bet on it, but he was drafted in 2007, so the possibility exists, and now that possibility will probably exist with another team. I’d bet Ted wishes he hadn’t cut Anthony Smith, who’s ironically playing for the Rams…the Packers next opponent.

I also think Thompson made a mistake by cutting Jamon Meredith. They drafted him in the fifth round, and I believe most scouts viewed him as a project. He didn’t perform well in training camp, which wasn’t a huge surprise, so they cut him and signed him to the practice squad. Did Ted really think some other team wasn’t going to roll the dice on Meredith? Ted should have kept him on the roster, and probably cut one of his three fullbacks.

Lastly, I wonder when Thompson will realize, and freely admit, the offensive line stinks. I’m tired of Mike McCarthy telling us how it’s “fundamental errors”, and it can be fixed. I believe him, but I also believe the line just isn’t very talented. They have some depth, but it’s not very good. They are pretty much stuck with what they got for this season, but next season they need to make some changes. I’d first find a new offensive line coach, get some new players, and ditch the zone blocking scheme.

Side Note
Mike McCarthy needs to put down the crack pipe.

In regards to his offensive line….

Oh, they’re going to rise to the challenge. And they need to. And we all do, starting with me. We’re going down there to play football the way we’re supposed to play football, OK? We didn’t play very good last week. And that’s last week. We’re 1-1 and we’re excited about this opportunity in St. Louis. So we’re going to line up and play just the way we did every day, nothing’s going to change, we’re not changing any plays, any practice schedules, any linemen, any safeties, OK? So we’re going down to St. Louis to win a game and we’re going to play our type of football. That’s our approach.

Mike appears he’s on the verge of meltdown.

Wow…..they need some work. The offensive line just isn’t very good, and it’s going to haunt them the entire season. They better pray Clifton can come back soon, since Colledge is awful at LT. Barbre did better, but still pretty awful. I’d have Tauscher’s phone number on my speed dial. If they don’t fix it quick, Rodgers won’t last the entire season.

What is up with the penalties? I say every player that gets a penalty should do wind sprints in practice. I think that’s a little harsch, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Also, the next receiver that drops a ball that hits them in the hands spends time with the catching machine, and they get to line up for wind sprints.

It’s time for McCarthy to crack the whip.

Evening practice recap

This may sound familiar, but the next big play A.J. Hawk makes in practice will be the first. While Desmond Bishop is constantly shooting gaps and trying to make plays, Hawk is still reading and reacting. He is seldom around the ball. He takes on blockers, but is easily turned around. It’s a repeat of last season when he was playing Mike after Barnett went down. On a DeShawn Wynn draw, Hawk could have exploded into the gap but took on Finley — and lost. However, the coaches are still high on Hawk.

I remember when the Packers drafted AJ Hawk, and I have to say, I was super excited. He was a dominating linebacker coming out of Ohio State, which is know for producing great linebackers. The first couple of years, I gave him the benefit of the doubt since he was new to the NFL, but now, there are no more excuses. He still seems to have the physical abilities, but he doesn’t seem to have the intensity required of an NFL linebacker.

AJ, I would like you to meet Desmond Bishop. He’s not quite as physically gifted, but the man has determination and a nose for the football. Desmond is on the verge of taking your job, and I expect him to be a starter by the end of training camp. If not the end of training camp, a few weeks into the season.

Desmond has been playing his butt off, and the coaches are going to have a hard time finding a reason to not keep the man on the field. AJ will be a really solid backup, and he’ll still contribute this season, but his career as starter in Green Bay, is just about to end.

I’d really like to see Julius Peppers playing for the Green Bay Packers, but I just don’t think Ted Thompson would ever pull off a deal like that. Kampman and Peppers rushing from the OLB positions sound pretty good to me. The Packers could trade #9 overall for Peppers, and maybe pickup another pick from Carolina….say a 3rd or 4th…..OR…they could trade Kampman and a 3rd or 4th round pick. I personally have my doubts about Kampman playing OLB in a 3-4 system, and Peppers clearly wants out of Carolina to play in a 3-4 system.

At some point, TT is going to have to take a chance on free agency, a trade, or moving up in the draft. I think it’s no coicidence that arguably two of the best Packers ever, Reggie White and Brett Favre, weren’t actually drafted by the Packers. Ron Wolf built through the draft, but he also took some chances, which seemed to pan out, and was the reason why he was so good at his job.

It’s plain and simple for Ted Thompson. One more losing season, and you’re fired!

I’ve been a fan of Ted Thompson since he’s come to Green Bay. Ted has injected this team with a lot of young talent, and he’s done it through the draft. He’s traded down multiple times for more draft picks, and for the most part, it’s worked out pretty good. The team is chock full of young talent, so what’s the problem?

There’s no doubt going 6-10 last season was a huge disappointment after an incredible 13-3 season…so what happened? Favre wasn’t here last season, which may have gotten the Packers a win or two more, but that wasn’t the real problem. The problem was injuries, bad draft picks and the lack of free agent pickups were at the root of the problem.

Draft Picks

2008

The jury is still out on the 2008 class, but they contributed very little for the 2008 season. Their top pick Jordy Nelson, which I see as a great pickup, definitely wasn’t a need pick, and he saw a lot of action while James Jones was struggling with injuries. If Jones hadn’t been struggling with injuries, Nelson wouldn’t have had as much playing time. Ted’s second pick, Brian Brohm, was arguably the best player available, but he probably felt it was necessary since there were no backup quarterbacks on the team. Huge mistake! Thompson should have acquired a veteran QB to backup and support Rodgers through his first season as a starter, and drafted a QB later. Brohm could eventually develop into a fine QB and be trade bait, but he was beat out by a seventh round rookie and was relegated to third string. I like Patrick Lee, Jermichael Finley, and Jeremy Thompson, and they did contribute some this past season, but they weren’t exactly wowing anyone.

2007

The 2007 draft has got to be one of Thompson’s biggest blunders…..Justin Harrell. I really hope this guy can turn it around since he just can’t seem to stay healthy, but so far, he’s been a bust. There were games last year where Mason Crosby had more tackles than Harrell. How embarrassing! If you look at the players that were drafted after Harrell in the first round, I would take almost any of them over Harrell. Second round pick RB Brandon Jackson seems to have been a decent pick, but that pick was out of necessity since they didn’t have a starter; Ryan Grant was still with the Giants. Jame Jones was a great pick, and has been contributing from day one, but I wonder if he’s already hit a ceiling. Aaron Rouse looked like a safe pick, and I still love his athleticism, but he’s starting too look like a bust. Mason Crosby has been a great addition, and I also like LB Desmond Bishop.

2006

This was a decent draft, except for one black eye…..AJ Hawk. I loved the pick at the time, but he’s really no better than an average linebacker, and it’s time he got supplanted as a starter. Colledge seemed like another good pick in the second round, but again, nothing but average, but he’s probably better suited as a tackle. Greg Jennings was a phenomenal pickup in the second round, and currently, may be the only real playmaker on offense. Abdul Hodge was a bust. Jason Spitz is pretty average. Fourth round pick Cory Rodgers didn’t even make the team. Fourth round pick CB William Blackmon can’t win a starting job, but has turned into a decent returner. DT Johnny Jolly was a decent pick in the sixth round. Ingle Martin, Tony Moll, Tyrone Culver, and David Tollefson are no longer with the team. Overall, one great pick, and a handful of average players.

Free Agents

I can understand why Ted stayed away from free agency at the beginning of the building process, but why stay away from it now? The most successful teams build through the draft, fill holes through free agency, and occasionally role the dice on a big dollar free agent. Ted had some balls to sign Charles Woodson to such a big contract, but that decision has paid huge dividends. I sometimes wonder if Ted caved to the fans on that decision. The signing of Frank Walker was an odd choice. He was an over-aggressive corner that committed way too many penalties. I like the Brandon Chillar signing, he’s their best cover LB, and he might push for a starting job this Summer. This season? Nothing so far, which is kind of disappointing after a 6-10 season.

Needs

• 3-4 DT, DE, OLB, Safety, CB, RT

To Do – Here’s what I would do, but what do I know?

1. I would have cut Jarrett Bush at the end of the 2008 season.
2. Trade Aaron Kampman for draft picks and/or players. Julius Peppers would be at the top of my list.
3. I would have targeted Bart Scott and Jim Leonhard in free agency.
4. I’d open up all of the starting linebacker spots for competition.
5. I would have created a two-headed monster by targeting RB Derrick Ward.
6. Brandon Jackson would be the third down back.
7. I’d sign Nick Collins, Greg Jennings, and Tramon Williams to extensions immediately.
8. I’d resign Mark Tauscher to a 2-3 year deal without breaking the bank.
9. I would have resigned Colin Cole to a reasonable contract before he hit free agency. Ted didn’t learn from losing Cory Williams last season.
10. I’d probably let Clifton hit free agency next year.
11. Unless Jason Smith or Michael Crabtree falls to them at #9, I’d try and trade down or draft an OLB or NT.
12. I’d try and find more defense in the second round, someone like Clint Sintim or Connor Barwin…maybe a NT.
13. I’d draft Chase Coffman if he’s available in the third round. Come on, his dad is Paul Coffman!

I’m thinking this list could go on forever, so I’ll just stop.

Conclusion

Overall, Thompson has injected this team with youth to build for the future, but the question is, when will Ted build this team for an upcoming season? Ted continues to hold onto his draft picks, will probably trade down in the upcoming draft, and so far, has played it safe in free agency. The team has lots of needs on both sides of the ball, and they’re trying to switch to a 3-4 defense. As a Packer fan, I have to say, I’m not looking forward to another losing season, so let’s just hope Ted has a trick up his sleeve, or we better pray for a miracle. That being said, one more losing season, and it’s time for a new GM.

Related Article:

Principle vs. reality for Ted Thompson

The last few weeks the Packers have had a slew of injuries, which has forced backups to step it up, and has led me to think about the state of the current roster.

OFFENSE

Offensive Line
Grade: D minus

Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher are very solid, but neither are dominating, and although they have some tread left on the tires, their best years are behind them. The guards are a big problem, and have been ever since Riviera and Wahle left via free agency. Riviera wasn’t a huge loss since he was about done anyway, but losing an athetlic guard such as Wahle has hurt them. Ted Thompson drafted Colledge to be an immediate starter, and he’s been nothing but an immediate dud. He might be better suited as a backup tackle. Jason Spitz has the right attitude, but he’s getting blown off the line. Josh Sitton has potential, and could be a solid starter, but he’s only a rookie. The rest of the guards are just bodies. Scott Wells is a warrior at center, but he’s undersized. Either way, Ted Thompson has good depth on the offensive line, he just doesn’t have anyone that is very good.

Wide Receiver
Grade: B plus
They are set at wide receiver. Greg Jennings is a young budding star, James Jones is behind him, Ruvell Martin is sold, and Jordy Nelson has a ton of potential. The question for me is, how much longer will Driver play? The dynamic of the entire WR corp could change once Driver retires.

Tight End
Grade: D
Donald Lee is average at best. Jermichael Finley has potential, but is very green. Tory Humphrey shouldn’t be in the NFL. They really don’t have any good blocking tight ends. Remember last year when the running game finally came together? That was about the same time Bubba Franks came back. Coincidence? I think not.

Running Back
Grade: C minus
The running backs are decent. Ryan Grant needs to get back to last year’s form. Brandon Jackson, although he looks improved, he isn’t living up to his second round draft pick status. Lumpkin is interesting. He might, at some point, surpass and/or outlast both Grant and Jackson. He just needs to stay healthier than he did at Georgia. Either way, they could use a home run hitter.

Quarterback
Grade: B minus
Aaron Rodgers has proved me wrong, and looks like a legit quarterback. Aaron still has a ways to go in regards to seeing the entire field, reading defenses, and all of the little things many fans took for granted with Favre. The question is, will Rodgers be a QB that can stay healthy? I loved the Brian Brohm pick in the second round, I just didn’t think he’d lay a big stinky egg in training camp. Raise your hand if you thought Matt Flynn would beat out Brian Brohm. Anyone? I didn’t think so. The fact Flynn beat out Brohm put the Packers in a sticky situation. Thompson was more or less forced to keep both on the roster, which denied them the possibility of getting a veteran QB. Rodgers is now hurt, and the thought of Flynn starting is frightening. Ted Thompson screwed up big time not getting a veteran QB. He should have gotten a veteran QB to help mentor both Rodgers and Brohm.

DEFENSE

Defensive Line
Grade: D minus
They looked good last year, not necessarily because of each players individual effort, but because they had such great depth, they could rotate players without much dropoff. Corey Williams was traded, Justin Harrel is on the physically unable to perform list, and Cullen Jenkins is on IR. I can totally understand trading Williams for a second round pick, but thinking Justin Harrell was going to fill that hole was a mistake. Harrell might have ability, but he’s been injured almost his entire football career. Aaron Kampman is the only bright spot on this line, and the only reason I didn’t give this unit a “F”. The rest of the 2008 season is going to be ugly.

Linebackers
Grade: B
I love the Packers linebackers. Great starters, great depth. My only complaint is AJ Hawk isn’t playing like a #5 overall pick, and probably never will. Nick Barnett is by far the best linebacker on that squad. Barnett is a warrior. Brady Poppinga gets a lot of flack for being the weakest link the chain, but he plays with passion, and is much better linebacker than advertised.

Corners
Grade: B Minus
I said before the season started, Harris and Woodson MUST stay healthy. Harris is out with a damaged spleen and Woodson is playing with a broken toe. So far, Tramon Williams has done an excellent job filling in for Harris. I am starting to wonder if we’ll see Harris in a Packers uniform again. I love Al Harris, he’s the ultimate professional football player, but it might be time for the Packers to move on. Woodson is playing at a pro bowl level right now. I’d say he’s currently one of the top five, maybe top three, corners in the NFL right now. Jarrett Bush on the other hand, he should go play in Canada, the Detroit Lions, or find a new line of work. I thought Will Blackmon would have been a starter by now since he is probably the most athletic of the bunch, but he can’t stay healthy.

Safety
Grade: B minus
Nick Collins has come into his own. He’s flying all over the field, and he’s starting to make some interceptions. Bigby has been hurt, but he’s much better than I thought he’d ever be. They miss his physical presence against the running game. I like Aaron Rouse, mostly because he’s an athletic freak, but he’s still learning the game, and sometimes takes bad angles on tackles. The rest of the safeties are just bodies.

Special Teams
Grade: C minus
Mason Crosby is doing a great job, Derrick Frost isn’t. I think Ted Thompson messed up big time by making a somewhat lateral move dumping Jon Ryan so he could pickup Frost. I keep shaking my head on this one. Ted rolled the dice on this one and lost.

Overall
The Packers have a pretty solid young team with decent depth. The problem is they have some glaring holes that need to be fixed before this team goes anywhere in the playoffs, or maybe even gets to the playoffs.. Ted needs to shore up the following positions: OG, DT, DE, RB, CB.

I’m one of the believers that football games are won in the trenches. Currently, Green Bay isn’t winning those battles, and until they do, there’s always next year.

I know it’s still early, but the Packers looked miserable Saturday night against the 49ers. The Packers, who were 13-3 last season, were routed by the 49er, which hasn’t been a very good team in a long time. The score? 34-6!!! Yes, it’s only preseason, but still embarrassing.

Run the Damn Ball

What was the deal with not running the ball? They ran the ball only a handful of times in the first half, which is just unacceptable. The Packers are starting a QB that has never started a regular season game, and he desperately needs a running game to help with that transition. McCarthy’s arrogance after the game about his play selection was unnerving, to say the least. He needs to take some responsibility for his mistakes, and not just blaming the players.

QB Transition

Aaron Rodgers, and the rest of the QBs for that matter, were awful. The two rookies have an excuse, but Rodgers is supposed to be the starter, and should be making decisions like a starter. Rodgers was sacked four times, but I don’t think that was just the fault of the offensive line. Twice, I remember there being two receivers open, and Rodgers passed them up on his check-down. It’s one of the many things that QBs learn over the years, and one of the many things you never had to worry about with Favre. Rodgers seems to be doing some good things, but he needs to work on the little things, like recognizing defenses, staring down the safety, throwing the ball away, and not being indecisive with his checkdowns. If Rodgers doesn’t bouce back from that abysmal performance, it’s going to be an ugly season, not to mention Ted Thompson will be looking for a new job.

Odds and Ends

• The first string defense looks good. The second string, not so much.
• Al Harris and Charles Woodson better stay healthy. None of the backups look very good. Blackmon is their best bet.
• Woodson looks like a pro bowl corner. At 31, he just needs to stay healthy.
• Brandon Chillar is a starting quality linebacker. Great free-agent pickup.
• Jordy Nelson is the real deal. It may or may not happen his rookie season, but Jordy is poised to be a playmaker for years to come.
• Jarrett Bush on the other hand, probably played himself out of a roster spot.
• Ryan Pickett and Justin Harrell need to get healthy….STAT!

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I love my Packers, but the Packers organization has handled this Brett Favre situation as poorly as it could possibly be handled. McCarthy is playing dumb, Thompson is playing the egotist, and Murphy has entered this debacle too late to resolve the situation. Favre, a living legend, just wants to play football.

I think we all know who the better quarterback is, and he’s willing to compete for that starting position. Yes, this would be a HUGE distraction since the media would be all over that story. The only way to really resolve this issue is to either make Favre the starter right now, or to get rid of him.

Keeping Favre

I personally think the Packers should just suck it up and make their Favre starter right now. It would end the media circus immediately, and most importantly, the Packers would be putting the best QB on the field. They could tag Rodgers at the end of the season, and trade him if he doesn’t want to play for Green Bay. Either way, they’d still have Brian Brohm, who looks like he’ll eventually be better than Rodgers anyway.

Losing Favre

The Packers can try and trade him, but because of his salary, he has the upper hand on where he gets traded, and it appears he’d like to play for the Vikings. Why? It seems he’d like to stick it to the Packers for not letting him come back, and he’d also have a similar offense, and some familiar faces in Minnesota.

I don’t think any Packer fan likes the thought of Favre playing anywhere except Green Bay, but if he’s traded to another NFC North team, all hell is going to break loose. Fans will revolt! Rodgers will be hearing the boo birds all season long. If Thompson thinks he has enemies now, watch what happens if/when he trades Favre to a rival like the Vikings or the Bears. Ultimately, Ted would be run out of Green Bay, and rightly so. I think Ted’s done a good job of building up the roster, but how he’s handled this situation has been unforgivable.

I say give the man his job back.

Related:

Favre says of situation: ‘This probably isn’t going to work’

Here are five reasons Favre would start for Packers

Packers make their choice with Favre; now they can wallow in it

I’ve stayed pretty quiet on this whole Favre issue, since I kind of wanted to see how it played out, and I didn’t want to add to the media frenzy. I understand at some point Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy need to move on, and get Favre’s heir apparent, Aaron Rodgers, ready for his very first NFL start, but why do they feel the need to move on now?

The Packers went to the NFC Chamionship game last year with a very young team, and Favre putting up big numbers. What I don’t understand, is Thompson and McCarthy were begging Favre to come back, and now they don’t want him back after he decided his retirement was premature. Why? What happened between the day he retired and now? Did Rodgers “WOW” them this Spring, or is Ted Thompson just being arrogant and wants the QB he drafted playing under center this season?

If there’s one that’s for certain, it’s Rodgers is an unproven quarterback. Yes, he flashed some skills in the Cowboy’s game last year, but that doesn’t prove anything. Even bad quarterbacks flash talent from time to time, that doesn’t mean they’re going to be the future of the team. I’m not saying Rodgers is a bad quarterback, and I believe he should do alright in the NFL. I guess what I’m getting at is there is so much parity in the NFL, why risk another shot at a Super Bowl with a new, somewhat unproven, quarterback?

Favre clearly wants to be a Packer! This past weekend he told Ted Thompson he’d like to come back and compete for the job. That’s pretty big of Favre since he’s been the face of the organization since 1992, and actually put up some big numbers last season. I think everybody knows Favre would win that competition, including Thompson and McCarthy, but Thompson keeps saying Rodgers is their starting QB. Seriously, why shouldn’t the Packers field the best team possible? It doesn’t make any sense, and either Thompson isn’t telling us the whole story, or his arrogance is getting the best of him.

Related:

Packers should come back to their senses by retiring their fears

Packers say one thing, do another as Favre mess lingers

Favre reluctantly postpones reinstatement application

The media has been having a “hay-day” with the possibility of Favre coming out of retirement. They’re acting like it’s some big surprise Favre is getting the “itch” to play. That’s like saying water is wet, and leads me to believe they are really hard up for some material to write about. As far as Brett actually coming out of retirement, it’s pure speculation, at best. Up to this point, Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy haven’t commented on the issue, since they’re both on vacation. And Favre? He says it’s just a rumor, but still, the media keeps swarming.

The media needs to lay off Favre, and more importantly, lay off Aaron Rodgers. I totally back Rodgers on his comments in the Sports Illustrated article where he says, “Fans need to get on board now or keep their mouths shut. ” Favre has retired, it’s now the Aaron Rodgers era. Even if Favre were to come back, he’s done in Green Bay. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge Favre fan, but Brett, the fans, and the Packer organization have gone through the emotional heartbreak of his retirement, and it’s time for everyone to move on….including the media.