Eddie Lacy rushed for 1,322 yards and scored 17 touchdowns for Alabama last season

We now know why teams passed 60 times on one of the most talented players in this past weekend’s draft. Running back Eddie Lacy, picked late in the second round by the Packers, underwent toe fusion surgery last March – a serious procedure that has been performed on very few world-class athletes. In fact, according to a report in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Steelers “wouldn’t touch” Lacy because of the operation. And this is coming from an organization that had no qualms drafting Georgia’s Jarvis Jones at 17, despite the fact that the outside linebacker had to leave USC after being diagnosed with spinal stenosis.

While Lacy showed no ill-effects from the fusion last season, there’s simply no way of telling how the toe will be two years from now. Heck, there’s no way of telling how the toe will be two months from now. That uncertainty, more than anything else, is why the former Alabama star wound up being the fourth back selected. It’s probably also why GM Ted Thompson traded up to get UCLA’s Johnathan Franklin in the fourth round. Besides being a terrific value at that point in the draft, he’ll also provide insurance in case the toe or any other part of Lacy’s banged-up body gives him trouble in the next few years.

Did the Packers gamble a bit on Lacy? Absolutely. Was it a gamble worth taking? Absolutely. At best, the toe will never become an issue and he’ll enjoy a long and successful career in Green Bay. And if that happens, a championshop or two is almost certain to follow. Because giving quarterback Aaron Rodgers a big-time running back is akin to giving Dwyane Wade that dude from Cleveland. At worst, Lacy will be plagued by toe issues and become nothing more than a journeyman. And if that’s the case, so be it. Did you know that of the 26 running backs chosen in the second round of the past 10 drafts, just five became immediate impact players? They were also the only five to ever play in a Pro Bowl.

The point is, selecting any running back in the second round of the draft has proven to be a hit-or-miss proposition (more miss lately). But if you’re going to gamble, you may as well roll the dice on a 231-pounder with outstanding power, excellent vision and very good feet. Even if that 231-pounder with outstanding power, excellent vision and very good feet has a toe that looks like it was worked on by Dr. Frankenstein.

Former Ram Matt Mulligan is a physical run blocker with limited receiving skills

Three weeks after losing tight end Tom Crabtree, the Packers may have found his replacement. Matt Mulligan agreed to terms Sunday on a one-year deal. The 28-year-old was released by the Rams last month.

Mulligan caught a career-high 8 passes last season, but he earns his living as a run blocker. At 265 pounds, the former Maine star gets good positioning and understands angles. He also shows nice leg drive to push defenders off the line. His biggest issues are his feet and his penchant for committing penalties. He can be exposed in space and he wore out his welcome with the Jets in 2011 by being flagged 9 times.

The Packers currently have 6 tight ends under contract, but only Jermichael Finley is assured of a roster spot. Andrew Quarless hasn’t played a down since tearing his ACL in December of 2011, Ryan Taylor and D.J. Williams have been nondescript through their first two seasons in the NFL and Brandon Bostick is still learning how to play the position after spending his college career as an oversized wide receiver.

Mulligan reportedly chose Green Bay over San Francisco. It’s no surprise that the 49ers were very interested. He’s the type of physical player general manager Trent Ballke and coach Jim Harbaugh covet. He’s also the type of physical player the Packers need more of on both sides of the line of scrimmage.

General manager John Dorsey (left) and the Chiefs have been busy adding players

I have to admit I get a little frustrated at this time of year. Not because GM Ted Thompson refuses to pay average players like superstars, but because he refuses to pay anyone. I keep waiting for him to add another Ryan Pickett to the roster, but it hasn’t happened in the past seven years and it’s probably not going to happen now. But you know what frustrates me even more? All the pinheads in the media who start labeling certain GMs geniuses because of moves made before the calendar even flips to April.

A perfect case in point is our old friend in Kansas City. “Nice debut performance by John Dorsey,” wrote the National Football Post’s Dan Pompei. Look, I like Dorsey, but what exactly has he done so far that deserves accolades? He spent over $150 million to keep Brandon Albert, Dwayne Bowe and Darren Colquitt and bring in Dunta Robinson, Anthony Fasano, Mike DeVito, Donnie Avery, Chase Daniel and Sean Smith. And, oh yeah, he traded away a pair of second-round picks to acquire Alex Smith. Besides the fact that I see nary a stud among that group of players, let’s be honest, anyone willing to give away high picks and hundreds of million of dollars could’ve accomplished the same thing.

Start praising Dorsey and others like him when they find their own Greg Jenningses, Randall Cobbs, James Joneses, Jermichael Finleys, Jordy Nelsons, Josh Sittons, T.J. Langs, Desmond Bishops, Casey Haywards in the draft and when they find their own Tramon Williamses, Evan Dietrich-Smiths, John Kuhns, Erik Waldens, Sam Shieldses and Tim Masthays on the street. That’s what makes a GM worthy of praise. More importantly, that’s what allows a team to win on a consistent basis.

There are no winners and losers in March. Well, that’s not true. There are losers, and they are the dopes in the media who need to grade teams before St. Patty’s Day. If Super Bowls were won at this time of the year, we would’ve been watching parades in Washington, Philadelphia and Buffalo in recent years. Instead, we saw celebrations in Green Bay, New York City and Baltimore. And something tells me fans in Kansas City, Miami, Cleveland, Chicago and even Seattle won’t be needing confetti next February.

The Raiders released veteran defensive back Michael Huff late last week

According to a published report, the Packers are among 4 teams to express interest in 30-year-old defensive back Michael Huff. I’m not going to get excited since the odds are very much against Ted Thompson outbidding 3 of his colleagues for a free agent, but if Green Bay’s sometimes maddeningly consistent general manager was ever going to break from his routine, this would be the perfect time to do so.

While watching video of his teammate, defensive lineman Desmond Bryant, I kept being distracted by the superb play of Huff. And you know what was most impressive? He was taking the majority of his snaps at cornerback. Because of injuries, the former Texas star was asked to switch positions early in the season, and he made the difficult transition look easy. In fact, he played a lot better than Tramon Williams.

If – and it’s obviously a gigantic if – the Packers sign Huff, he’d start immediately at safety opposite Morgan Burnett. The former Raider isn’t a Pro Bowler by any means, but he’s been a consistently good performer for years. And as an extra added bonus, he can play the slot in the dime package if needed. Rookie Jerron McMillian lined up there at times last season, but he doesn’t have the coverage skills of Huff.

Huff isn’t going to sign for peanuts, but he’s not going to command a big contract in what has been a fairly soft market for defensive backs. And while I know Thompson is saving as much cap space as he can for Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews, there’s more than enough wiggle room to add at least one second-tier free agent – especially if that free agent has a chance to make an impact on the defense. And in my opinion, Huff would help the Packers more in 2013 than either Greg Jennings or Steven Jackson.

Veteran linebacker Robert Francois re-signed with the Packers on Friday

The Packers’ roster is filled with stars, but there are just as many little-known backups whose dreams are a lot bigger than their current roles. I’ll be focusing on those players in this new weekly feature.

How did he get to Green Bay? Robert Francois was originally signed by the Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2009, but he was waived by the team to make room for Brett Favre. After being claimed on waivers and then released by Detroit, he was signed to the Packers practice squad on December 7, 2009. He was promoted to the active roster the following October after an injury to Brandon Chillar, and aside from another very brief stint on the practice squad, he’s been a part of the 53-man roster ever since.

What has he done in Green Bay? Francois has primarily played on special teams since joining the Packers, but he did start a pair of games in 2011 when injuries hit the inside linebacker position hard. In those two games – both wins – the former Boston College star amassed 13 tackles, 1 interception and 1 forced fumble. Despite doing a solid job, he returned to the bench when Desmond Bishop and A.J. Hawk got healthy. And that’s where he’s remained. In fact, he didn’t play a single snap on D last season.

What can we expect in 2013? Probably more of the same, even though his agent insists that he’ll have a chance to compete for a starting job. I find that very unlikely, considering that he couldn’t get on the field a year ago when inside linebackers were falling like dominoes. To be honest, Francois should be more concerned about just making the team. With Hawk, Bishop, Jamari Lattimore, D.J. Smith and Terrell Manning all expected back, competition for roster spots figures to be extremely intense.

“You’ve got to go out there and show what you can do and prove (yourself). You can’t slack out there. I’m just trying to play. I just try to get better each week. Go out there and put more film out there that shows I can make plays.” (ESPN Wisconsin)

Free agent tight end Tom Crabtree signed a multi-year contract with the Buccaneers

ESPN Wisconsin’s Jason Wilde actually wrote the following two sentences: “The Green Bay Packers knew they were taking a risk by not giving tight end Tom Crabtree a restricted free-agent tender. On Friday night, that decision came back to haunt them.” That decision came back to haunt them? Are you kidding me?

While Crabtree is an All-Pro on Twitter, he’s a journeyman tight end. If general manager Ted Thompson really cared about retaining the 27-year-old former Miami of Ohio standout, he would’ve tendered him at $1.3 million. He didn’t because Crabtree isn’t worth $1.3 million. That’s not to say the Packers didn’t want him back, but if you think Thompson is losing any sleep over this latest defection, you’re kidding yourself.

With Jermichael Finley, Andrew Quarless, D.J. Williams, Ryan Taylor and intriguing second-year man Brandon Bostick all expected to return in 2013, the Packers are well-stocked at tight end. And it would be a pretty big surprise if Thompson doesn’t use a draft choice on this position next month. Crabtree will be missed most on special teams, but fortunately, the team has plenty of capable bodies there as well.

I keep hearing people say that Crabtree was the team’s best blocking tight end last season. True, but that’s damning him with faint praise. Minus Quarless, Green Bay’s other tight ends in 2012 consisted of a guy who didn’t want to block (Finley), a guy who’s too small to block  (Williams) and a guy who’s still learning how to block (Taylor). In reality, Crabtree is nothing more than adequate when it comes to this part of the game. He tries really hard, but he simply lacks the bulk strength to be overly effective in-line.

Whenever I thought about the potential problems facing the Packers in 2013, I thought about center, left tackle, defensive end, left outside linebacker, inside linebacker, safety and kicker. The possibility of losing a tight end with 18 catches and 4 touchdowns in three seasons never once crossed my mind. But then again, I’m not one of those bloggers who relied on Crabtree to appear on their impossible to listen to podcasts every other week. In that regard, and in that regard only, he will be very difficult to replace.

Pro Bowl quarterback Aaron Rodgers has never once talked about holding out

Not that it was ever – I repeat ever – a possibility, but Mike Freeman of CBS Sports needed to inform us last week that Aaron Rodgers won’t hold out. Well, if Mike continues to feel the need to waste his time writing stories about complete non-stories, I have a few suggestions of my own. He can tell us that Mike McCarthy won’t quit coaching to join the Ice Capades, that Mason Crosby won’t moonlight as a sniper during the offseason, that Ted Thompson won’t host his own talk show on CBS, that Tramon Williams won’t join the MMA and that Mike Neal won’t play Lou Gehrig in a remake of The Pride Of The Yankees.

Freeman garnered a lot of attention for his article on Rodgers (I’m guessing that was the point), but it served no practical purpose. Anyway, here’s the money quote: “He paid close attention to the money Joe Flacco received,” a source close to Rodgers explained, “but there’s no anger. He’s not planning to hold out.”

I have absolutely no idea who the source close to Rodgers is, but here’s a quote on the same subject from a source I guarantee you is even closer: “It’s not something I think about,” said Rodgers in an interview on Nov. 1, 2011. “We were so blessed to be able to have that contract done in 2008. We knew at the time that was more money than I ever could have imagined signing for, and it was a no-brainer for me. But we knew if I performed the way I felt I was capable of performing, that by league standards that by the time I got into my third or fourth or fifth season, that I’d be underpaid by league standards.

“But I don’t look at it that way. I look at it as I’m fortunate to make the kind of money I make and be in the situation I’m in and be with the Green Bay Packers’ organization. I want to retire as a Packer. They know that, the fans know that, my teammates know that, and this is where I want to be. I’m not worried about (a new contract). We’re still a few years away from me completing this deal, and whenever it comes time to make a new deal, I’m looking forward to maybe signing my last deal, playing it out, and retiring.”

Granted, this quote is from over a year ago – before players like Flacco, Drew Brees and even Mark Sanchez signed huge deals. But Rodgers has never publicly changed his way of thinking in the months since that interview took place. He knows he’ll get paid. He also knows he’s become one of the most beloved Packers. He’s also not a dummy. He knows the quickest way to upset fans is to bitch about making $9 million in this economy. And we all know that Rodgers ain’t stupid. The story on the other hand…

Green Bay is reportedly still talking to free agent wide receiver Greg Jennings

Just a few short weeks ago, it seemed a foregone conclusion that Greg Jennings wouldn’t be back with the Packers. Well, that was then and this is now. According to Alex Marvez of FOXSports, NFC North rivals Green Bay and Minnesota are currently battling it out to sign the former Pro Bowl wide receiver. If that’s truly the case, general manager Ted Thompson needs to find a way to close the deal as soon as possible.

There were many reasons why the offense wasn’t as potent in 2012 as it was in 2011. Aaron Rodgers wasn’t quite as accurate, the O-line wasn’t as healthy or as talented and Mike McCarthy had as many draws as he did TKOs against opposing defensive coordinators. But the biggest reason of all may have been the injuries that kept Jennings sidelined for 8 games and rendered him relatively ineffective in 4 others.

For all the excellent work done by Jordy Nelson and especially Randall Cobb and James Jones, the passing game really missed Jennings. Because he’s been hurt so much recently, it’s easy to forget just how great a player he was from 2007 to 2011. The former Western Michigan standout averaged 69 catches, 1,108 yards and 9 TDs. Impressive, but the one number that really stands out is 16.1 – the average yards gained on every reception. That’s 4 yards higher than the league average during that time.

The big play is what made Jennings so valuable to the offense. Despite only average speed, he was seemingly always able to make something happen down the field. That’s because, other than straight-line speed, he has everything else you look for in a wide receiver. He’s a quick-footed, fluid-moving athlete. He has good balance and body control. He uses deft nods to set up defensive backs and gets in and out of his breaks cleanly. He can also snatch balls outside his frame and he has nice boundary awareness.

Re-signing Jennings would probably mean having to sacrifice tight end Jermichael Finley. I’m OK with that. Remember, the Packers won a Super Bowl without him in 2010. They could do it again – provided that the left tackle position is solidified, the running game is at least respectable and the defense gets its act together in big games. If those things happen, it really doesn’t matter who lines up at the tight end position.

49ers linebacker Larry Grant would bring a physical presence to Green Bay’s defense

The start of free agency on Tuesday is like an unofficial holiday for many fans, but for Cheeseheads, Tuesday is just the second day of another work week. That’s because the Packers have signed only four unrestricted free agents since 2008. General manager Ted Thompson doesn’t figure to change his ways this offseason, but you never know. After all, did you ever think you’d live to see the day when three untalented sisters and their overbearing mother could gross $80 million? So anything is possible. And if Thompson does choose to be active in free agency, here are a half-dozen players he might want to consider.

DL DESMOND BRYANT - He did a stupid thing recently, but the former Harvard star obviously isn’t a stupid person. He’s also an underrated football player who had 36 tackles and 4 sacks for the Raiders last season. He’s built similar to Chris Canty, but unlike the former Giant, he’s young (27), healthy and getting better. He would immediately start at end for Green Bay, and while he’s hardly a dynamic pass rusher, his long arms allow him to disrupt passing lanes and his power often frees up teammates. He won’t come cheap, but we all witnessed what cheap gets you a year ago when it comes to free agent defensive linemen.

FB/TE JAMES CASEY - He isn’t flashy, but he would be a nice fit in Green Bay. Not only wouldn’t the 28-year-old break the bank, but he would upgrade the offense at two positions. The former Rice star is a better fullback than John Kuhn and he’s a better tight end than current backups Tom Crabtree, Ryan Taylor and D.J. Williams. The versatile five-year veteran would provide plenty of bang for the buck, and as all Packers fans know by now, there’s nothing in the world Thompson likes more than getting a good bargain.

S CHRIS CLEMONS - He may not make it to free agency, but if he does, he’s definitely worth a look. The former Clemson star was very solid in his first season as a starter in Miami. The 27-year-old didn’t stand out in any one area, but he was above-average against both the run and pass. He’s blessed with terrific size (6’1, 214) and speed (4.39). And while he may never be any better than he is right now, he could just as easily be a late-bloomer whose best football is still ahead of him. That’s why he’s so darn intriguing.

ILB LARRY GRANT - He didn’t play much in San Francisco, but that’s because Pro Bowlers Patrick Willis and Navarro Bowman were in front of him. When given the chance to play late in 2011, the 28-year-old acquitted himself quite well. In three starts, he had 28 tackles, 1 sack and 1 forced fumble. More important than the numbers, he showed toughness against the run and looked pretty comfortable in space. He’s not real tall and he’s not real fast, but he’s a good player. Would he be a Pro Bowler in Green Bay? Probably not, but he’d be productive and he’d add toughness to a D that was too soft in 2012.

TE DUSTIN KELLER - He is Jermichael Finley without all the drama and without the huge price tag. The former Purdue star isn’t a great blocker, but he tries a lot harder that Green Bay’s $8 million man. And prior to an injury-plagued 2012 campaign, he was a very productive player for the Jets. The 28-year-old managed to catch 120 passes and score 10 touchdowns in the previous two seasons despite playing with scatter-armed quarterback Mark Sanchez. It’s very difficult to predict how much money he’ll command on the open market, but it’s safe to assume the number will be considerably less than $8 million.

S KENNY PHILLIPS - He would be a bit of a gamble, but the risk might be worth the reward. The former Miami star is a do-it-all safety who makes others around him better. The problem is his health. He underwent microfracture surgery in October of 2009 and he has battled knee problems on and off ever since. Any team that signs the 26-year-old will have to protect itself, but if he can stay healthy, he’s a better player than the 49ers overrated Dashon Goldson, who figures to hit the jackpot in free agency.

Fourth-round draft pick from Maine played more than expected last season

The Green Bay Packers began the season with 10 rookies on the 53-man roster. That’s a pretty high number – especially for a team than won 15 games the previous year. But GM Ted Thompson didn’t hang on to all those rookies to save money or to make himself look good. He kept them because they could play. In fact, seven have played significant roles in the team’s march to its second straight NFC North title.

I’ll be ranking the rookies – from least productive to most productive – over the next couple of weeks. Here’s #4:

Story of 2012: Most draftniks had never even heard of Jerron McMillian prior to the draft. That’s why they’re draftniks and not GMs. The former Maine star looked like he belonged from day one. He has the athleticism to cover tight ends and the physicality to make receivers think twice about catching passes over the middle. What he doesn’t have, however, is experience. McMillian is as green as grass, and that’s why his snaps were limited in the second half of the season. Nevertheless, he still played a prominent role for a team that won a division title – a role that only figures to expand in the future.

What to expect in 2013: With the release of Charles Woodson, the Packers will need a new starting safety opposite Morgan Burnett next season. That player could come from free agency or the draft, but my money is on McMillian. He made too many mental mistakes in 2012, but that was to be expected from a rookie from Maine. If he cleans up the mental part of things, there’s no denying his physical ability. Other than being a tad on the short side, he has everything a team looks for in a 21st century safety.