Woodson's two-year contract extension will keep him with the Packers through 2014

The Packers and Charles Woodson agreed to a two-year extension on Thursday. The All-Pro cornerback and reigning Defensive Player of the Year is now under contract through the 2014 season. This really shouldn’t come as a big surprise. We were told last December that Woodson was interested in a new deal and Josina Anderson of FOX 31 in Denver reported in early June that the two sides were in negotiations.

Woodson is the second thirtysomething Packer to agree to a new deal this summer. Donald Driver signed a two-year extension of his own in early August. The difference, however, is that the former Pro Bowl wide receiver was in the last year of his contract. Woodson’s deal, which he signed as a free agent in 2006, still had three years left on it.

So what compelled general manager Ted Thompson to extend Woodson at this time? Two things. One is that the former Michigan star has outplayed his original contract. And while $6.5 million is hardly chump change, it pales in comparison to what other Pro Bowl-caliber defensive backs are scheduled to make this season. Say what you will about Thompson, but he almost always taken care of his best players. The other is that there’s no salary cap, so it’s the perfect time to rearrange some of the compensation due in the next few seasons. In the case of Driver, for example, most of his base salary and bonuses were shifted into a $5 million bonus, which was paid immediately. Terms of Woodson’s deal are not yet known, but there’s a pretty good chance the Packers did something similar.

Woodson, who turns 34 next month, would be 38 in the final year of his new contract. And while very few defensive backs in the history of the National Football League have played at a high level in their late 30s, it’s not all that far-fetched in this particular case. Woodson keeps himself in terrific condition, and just as importantly, he’s big and physical enough to eventually make the transition to safety. And so what if that never happens and his body lets him down well before the 2014 season? This extension will keep one of the two most important players on the team happy, while at the same time reinforcing the notion that the Packers take care of their own. In short, it’s a win-win for both sides.

Would the Packers really risk Williams on punt returns?

It’s usually pretty hard to pay attention during a Mike McCarthy press conference. That’s because – as is the case with any coach not named Rex Ryan – he seldom says anything interesting. But that changed on Monday when McCarthy mentioned Greg Jennings and Tramon Williams as potential punt returners for the season opener at Philadelphia. In fact, I was so shocked I had to read the transcript to make sure what I heard was what I thought I heard. It was. Here’s what he said: “[Jordy] Nelson, [Brandon] Jackson are kickoff options. Tramon Williams and, yup, Greg Jennings options on punts.”

You have to believe McCarthy won’t actually use Jennings on returns, but just the fact he’s even thinking about it tells you how badly this team needs to sign a specialist to replace Will Blackmon. Former All-Pro Clifton Smith is available after being released by Tampa Bay. If healthy, he’d be a great acquisition. So what’s the problem? I’ve long believed Thompson doesn’t want to waste a roster spot on a player who can’t contribute at a position. That makes some sense until you really think about it. Breno Giacomini was a position player who didn’t play for two seasons, and Nick McDonald is a position player who almost certainly won’t play in 2010.

If the goal is to win this season, wouldn’t a quality returner help more than a 10th lineman? Unless Williams is the second-coming of Deion Sanders, he has no business returning punts. On second thought, even if he is the next Sanders, he still has no business returning punts. Not when an undrafted rookie is the No. 3 cornerback. I’ve been ranting about the need to acquire a quality returner since Blackmon got hurt last season. It apparently isn’t going to happen, so rather than continuing to bang my head against the wall, I’m going to give this topic a rest (until, of course, Williams turns an ankle returning a punt and the Packers are forced to play both Shields and Jarrett Bush in the nickel).

Former Seahawk would add much-needed depth to the Packers' secondary

Ted Thompson seemed very content with his 53-man roster when he met the media on Sunday afternoon. In fact, the general manager of the Packers was so content that he didn’t claim a single player off waivers. When asked if that means no changes are forthcoming, Thompson hemmed and hawed before admitting he couldn’t make such a guarantee. And that was 90 minutes before his old buddy, Seattle GM John Schneider, released a player who could prove to be the perfect medicine for a secondary currently suffering from a severe lack of depth.

Jordan Babineaux is the player we’re talking about. The casual fan may only know him as the guy who saved the Seahawks season by tackling Tony Romo after a botched PAT in the 2007 playoffs, but there’s more to the former Southern Arkansas star than just that one memorable play. After being signed as an undrafted free agent by Thompson in 2004, Babineaux not only made the final roster but quickly earned himself a spot in the nickel. That’s the role he filled over the next five years before finally winning a starting job last season. He started all 16 games at safety and recorded 104 tackles, 2 interceptions and 1.5 sacks.

Babineaux is far from a great player. He was released by the Seahawks because Schneider and coach Pete Carroll didn’t feel he was worth $2.6 million. They’re right. But the Packers wouldn’t have to pay that much money. More importantly, the 28-year-old would immediately upgrade the secondary. At best, he would be the nickel back. At worst, he would provide veteran depth at both corner and safety. This seems like a no-brainer, but then again, Thompson has shown a reluctance in the past to dump a player who made the final 53-man roster after going through an entire offseason and training camp. And while loyalty is all well and good, the National Football League has to be about winning, and at the end of the day, the Packers would be a better football team with Babineaux than without him.

Peprah made the final 53-man roster as a backup safety

We predicted the final roster on Wednesday morning and hit on 48 of 53 players. The misses were Brett Swain, Nick McDonald, C.J. Wilson, Quinn Johnson and Charlie Peprah. In their places we had Jason Chery, Spencer Havner, Evan Dietrich-Smith, Jarius Wynn and Will Blackmon. Here’s a closer look at why the first five players are celebrating and the second five are searching for a new team:

Swain: The former San Diego State star would’ve been on the 53 had we made our predictions after Thursday night’s game. He’s always been one of general manager Ted Thompson’s favorite players, but he needed to make a good final impression to lock down the No. 5 wide receiver job. Whether he stays on the roster all season remains to be seen. Not only has his surgically repaired knee has been a problem throughout the summer, but his spot would seem to be among the most vulnerable should the Packers decide to bring in a return specialist.

McDonald: Even though coach Mike McCarthy singled out the undrafted free agent from Grand Valley State in a press conference last week, this was still a surprise. The surprise isn’t that he beat out Dietrich-Smith. In fact, we labeled McDonald “this year’s Dietrich-Smith with more long-term potential” at the very start of camp. The surprise is that the Packers chose to keep him over Havner – a player who would’ve contributed this season. McDonald isn’t anywhere near ready to compete at this level and he doesn’t seem to have a huge upside. Thompson swung and missed with Junius Coston, Breno Giacomini and Dietrich-Smith in previous years; it’ll be interesting to see if he finally connects with McDonald.

Wilson: The rookie from East Carolina entered training camp as the favorite to win the No. 5 defensive end position, but he struggled once the pads went on. And while he played a little better down the stretch, what helped him more than anything was the lack of competition at this position. Wynn did little as a pass rusher after flashing some potential a year ago and Ronald Talley’s knee was never 100%. Like Swain, Wilson’s spot on the roster is vulnerable – especially if one of the top four ends gets hurt.

Johnson: We said for weeks that the former LSU star was one of the 53 best players on the team, but it just didn’t seem realistic to expect the Packers to carry three fullbacks once again. After all, McCarthy isn’t Chuck Knox and the Packers aren’t the 1974 Los Angeles Rams. But lo and behold, three fullbacks made the final roster once again. And expect Johnson to be in uniform on game days since it would make absolutely no sense to keep him on the 53 and then make him one of the eight inactives.

Peprah: The former Alabama star had a decent summer, but he probably wouldn’t have made the 53 if Blackmon was healthy. Peprah hits pretty hard and excels on special teams, but he’s a liability in coverage due to a lack of speed and quickness. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him replaced by a player claimed on waivers in the next few days, and even if he survives the week, the chances of him still being around once Atari Bigby is activated from the PUP list in early November aren’t very good.

Chery: This kid had no chance of making the 53 until late in the fourth quarter of the third preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts. Everything changed the moment he returned a punt 75 yards for a touchdown. Unfortunately, he couldn’t come close to duplicating that success the following week in Kansas City. Still, it wouldn’t be a shock to see Cherry signed to the practice squad – especially if the Packers don’t claim a returner on waivers. The former Louisiana-Lafayette star is raw, but he does have some talent.

Havner: This had to be Thompson’s most difficult cut. The former UCLA star did everything the coaches asked of him these past two years – and more. Unfortunately, he plays a position that is extremely deep. The Packers weren’t going to release the reliable Donald Lee or the talented Andrew Quarless, so it came down to either Havner or Tom Crabtree. It’s hard to argue with the ultimate choice. You can, however, quibble with not keeping a fifth tight end. But that’s another post for another day.

Dietrich-Smith: The surprise wasn’t his getting released; the surprise was that McDonald made the 53 instead of him. We didn’t think Thompson would carry another interior offensive lineman if Jason Spitz was still around. Dietrich-Smith came out of nowhere to earn a spot on the team last summer, but he simply didn’t improve enough over the past 12 months. That said, the former Idaho State star should find another job fairly quickly. Most teams aren’t nearly as deep at this position as are the Packers.

Wynn: While we had the second-year player from Georgia making the final 53, that was mostly by default. He stuck a year ago after flashing as a pass rusher during the preseason, but he was never really a good fit in the 3-4. Wynn was never going to be effective against the run due to his lack of size and strength. He had to earn his keep with the Packers by getting after quarterbacks, but he wasn’t able to do that nearly enough this summer. It’ll be very interesting to see how he fares in a 4-3.

Blackmon: This was only a surprise because the Packers don’t have another capable returner on the roster. If they had one, Blackmon’s release would’ve been a foregone conclusion. The former Boston College star was hobbled throughout the summer by his surgically repaired knee. And because he practiced so infrequently, any possibility of him contributing at safety – a new position – was pretty much out the window by the middle of August. The Packers could’ve kept Blackmon on the 53 until his knee felt better, but there was no guarantee that was going to happen. If he gets healthy and can’t find work with another team, it wouldn’t be a shock to see him re-signed sometime around Turkey Day.

Young tight end is a powerful blocker with a bright future

Whether Tom Crabtree does or doesn’t make the final 53-man roster will have no bearing on the Packers chances to reach the Super Bowl next February. In fact, even if the young tight end makes the team, there’s no guarantee that he would be active on game days. So why bother writing a post like this? Because the former Miami (Ohio) star has too much long-term potential to be discarded in lieu of dime-a-dozen players like Jarius Wynn, Brady Poppinga and Jarrett Bush.

Crabtree might not possess the physical skills to be a starting tight end in the NFL, but the Packers aren’t in need of one. Jermichael Finley is on the verge of becoming one of the league’s best players. What this offense will need in the future is a tight end who can block the heck out of people – especially if Andrew Quarless is going to be No. 2 on the depth chart. The athletic rookie from Penn State patterns himself after Finley – right down to his cocky attitude and his lukewarm attitude toward hitting people.

The following are a few other final thoughts just hours before all teams are required to be down to 53 players:

-Other than catching a pass and making a tackler miss, it was business as usual for fullback Quinn Johnson on Thursday night against the Chiefs. He had some devastating lead blocks, but he also struggled to adjust to movement. Kregg Lumpkin ran hard and showed good patience on a screen pass. It’s difficult to imagine both youngsters making the final roster. Johnson is the better football player, but a third running back who can also contribute on special teams might give Lumpkin a slight edge.

-Jason Chery blew any chance of stealing a roster spot when he dropped the opening kickoff. The rest of his night was nondescript. Meanwhile, Brett Swain put up big numbers and more than likely held on to the No. 5 receiver job for a second consecutive summer. His knee, however, remains a concern.

-Marshall Newhouse committed one bad holding penalty, but overall, the rookie from TCU more than held his own at left tackle. He also did a decent job at guard. Breno Giacomini finished the preseason stronger than he started it, but he’s simply not a good enough prospect at right tackle – the only position he can play – to justify a spot on the final 53-man roster. He could be traded for a late pick.

-Justin Harrell made a few nice plays against the run, but his inability to stand out against players who will be working at Walmart next week was disconcerting. After the three starters and Mike Neal, you can make a strong argument that none of the other backup defensive linemen did enough this summer to earn a roster spot. Give the physically challenged Anthony Toribio some props for playing hard.

-We’ve been saying all summer that there’s not a decent backup outside linebacker on the roster. Frank Zombo and Brady Poppinga proved that on Thursday night. They were liabilities against Kansas City’s starters and non-factors against the backups. Robert Francois, who played inside for most of the summer, might be better than both. GM Ted Thompson needs to bring in a veteran to shore up this position.

-Patrick Lee is in trouble. The former Auburn star, who began training camp in a battle for the No. 3 corner job with Brandon Underwood, ended it behind Jarrett Bush on the depth chart. Lee will probably make the final roster by default, but he could be the one to go if and when Al Harris returns.

-Depth is almost as bad at safety as it is at outside linebacker. The only player with the physical skills to play the position is Will Blackmon, but he’s barely practiced on defense due to a lingering knee problem. Derrick Martin and Charlie Peprah are good special teams players who should be No. 4 or 5 safeties.

-Based strictly on numbers, Tim Masthay has out-kicked Chris Bryan this summer. But Bryan is more adept at placing the ball inside the 20 and his get-off times are slightly faster. It’s a tough call, but the feeling here is that the man from down under will ultimately be the better punter.

Lee hasn't stepped us at cornerback for the Packers during training camp

With Johnny Jolly suspended for the season and Al Harris’ return from major knee surgery still very much up in the air, the Packers really needed Justin Harrell and Pat Lee to step up. Unfortunately – although not all that surprisingly – neither player has come through. Harrell is currently fourth on the depth chart at defensive end and Lee is barely holding on to the fifth spot at cornerback. Neither player is even guaranteed a place on the final 53-man roster. That’s a far cry from what was expected when Harrell was chosen 16th overall in 2007 and Lee was selected in the second round a year later. We asked our own Michael Tahan to analyze both players. Here are his observations – based on watching about a dozen practices and three preseason games:

Harrell – “The first thing I noticed about Harrell this summer is the same thing I noticed about him three years ago – he practices and plays with very little passion. In that regard, he reminds me of another No. 91 who played for the Packers. Joe Johnson also looked like he’d rather be someplace else. Physically, Harrell no longer possesses the functional football strength he had in college or even in his first season with the Packers. That’s almost certainly due to the back surgeries. And when you couple that loss of strength with a tendency to play tall, you’re left with a big guy who spends too much time on the ground. As a pass rusher, he can still push a smaller offensive lineman back every once in a while, but he’s never developed any counter moves to help him gain an advantage over an opponent who can match his size and power. One-trick ponies don’t get to the quarterback very often in the National Football League. Look, there’s no question that injuries have taken a toll on Harrell’s body over the years and he’ll never be the player the Packers expected him to be. But he still has the physical skills to be an above-average defensive lineman – I’m just not so sure he has the drive to get there.”

Lee – “We talked about this kid a few days after he was drafted and I had my doubts (that’s true). For all of his physical skills, he didn’t start at Auburn until his senior season. That always bothered me. I also never thought he played quite as fast as his 40 time. He tends to rise in his back pedal and take false steps. He’s also a little tight in the hips. He’s a very hard worker, so I thought maybe his technique would improve with pro coaching, but he looks today pretty much the way he looked in college. The difference is that he could overcome his deficiencies against most SEC wide receivers; that’s not the case in the National Football League. I’m not ready to give up on him just yet, but the fact that he can’t overtake Brandon Underwood or hold off [undrafted free agent] Sam Shields is disconcerting.”

Young wide receiver has a chance to earn a roster spot

Coach Mike McCarthy’s decision to allow Jason Chery to return all kicks and punts against Kansas City gives fans a compelling reason to watch what would otherwise be an even more meaningless than usual final exhibition game. With a strong performance, the first-year wide receiver has a chance to win the return job and spare Cheeseheads everywhere another season of watching Jordy Nelson and Brandon Jackson meander their way from the end zone to just past the 20-yard line.

Chery earned this opportunity by returning a punt 75 yards for a touchdown against the Colts seven days ago. And in what is both an uplifting as well as a disturbing anecdote, it only came about after the former Louisiana-Lafayette star literally had to beg special teams coordinator Shawn Slocum for the chance.

“It was (Chastin West’s) turn to go up. I told coach, ‘He’s a little winded, give me a chance’ – because I’m (standing) right behind him – ‘give me a chance, put me back there,’” Chery told Jason Wilde of ESPN Milwaukee. “He wasn’t sure (if he wanted) to put me in because he didn’t know what I could do yet. So I said, ‘Give me a chance.’ And I asked the other coach (assistant special teams coach Chad Morton) to pull for me, tell (Slocum) to give me a chance. He finally gave me a chance, and I took it and ran with it.”

The anecdote is uplifting because it’s like something you’d see on the Silver Screen. A little-known benchwarmer finally gets into a game and he instantly does something special. We’ve all seen that movie, and we’ve all left the theater feeling good, but at the same time shaking our head at the absurdity of it all. The anecdote is disturbing because it took begging and pleading for Slocum to give one of the fastest and most explosive players on the roster a chance to return a punt. With Will Blackmon battling knee problems and every other candidate for the job either ineffective catching the ball or running with it, why didn’t Slocum give Chery at least a cursory look earlier in the summer? Shouldn’t he have been the least bit curious to see what the kid could do after watching one young player after another take turns dropping punts and kickoffs through the offseason and the first few weeks of training camp?

General manager Ted Thompson hasn’t carried a return specialist on the roster since being hired by the Packers in 2005, but his mentor, Ron Wolf, had no problem using a roster spot for such a player. And let’s be honest, how much of a contribution is Blackmon going to make on defense this season? He was switched from corner to safety in May, but he’s taken very few snaps at his new position due to continuing problems with his surgically repaired knee. So yes, there’s room for Chery and there’s a need for Chery. All he has to do now is go out there and earn the spot. After that – and a couple of long returns during the regular season – nobody will care how he got it.

Talented rookie cornerback has a very bright future, but the future isn't this season

Sam Shields has been impressing people – me included – from the very first practice of training camp. In fact, the rookie from Miami showed so much potential that he all but locked up a roster spot weeks ago. Now he’s on the verge of winning the No. 3 cornerback job. The first accomplishment is surprising; the second is shocking. And kinda scary, if you’re a fan of the Packers. As talented as Shields is, the idea that a legitimate Super Bowl contender would be willing to begin the regular season with an undrafted free agent in such an important role is hard to believe. Unfortunately, as of today, defensive coordinator Dom Capers really has no better option. Pat Lee and Brandon Underwood were expected to compete for the nickel job, but neither player stepped up during the summer. In fact, both youngsters regressed when the pads went on.

We have no problem with the decision to place Shields ahead of Lee and Underwood on the depth chart. He’s earned it. But we don’t want to see the rookie playing 50 to 60 percent of the snaps when the season opens in Philadelphia next Sunday. Give Eagles coach Andy Reid even more time than usual to prepare and he’s as good as anyone at taking advantage of mismatches. And no matter how much you admire Shields’ talent and salivate at his long-term potential, you can’t like his chances when pitted against DeSean Jackson or Jeremy Maclin. And make no mistake about it, Reid will make sure to get his talented young wide receivers matched up with Shields as often as possible.

With Al Harris now officially out for at least the first six games of the season, it’s imperative for general manager Ted Thompson to acquire an experienced corner before the end of the weekend. Who’s out there? Well, it’s a safe bet that the Broncos aren’t going to be dangling Champ Bailey any time soon, but there’ll be some useful veterans available between now and Saturday evening – either via trade, the waiver wire or free agency. Thompson doesn’t like to add other team’s veterans at this time of the year, but he’s done it before. In September of 2005, he traded for outside linebacker Robert Thomas. The former Ram went on to start nine games for Green Bay that season, and while he wasn’t much more than adequate, that was good enough back then and it would be good enough now.

Is it impossible for Shields to hold up as the starting nickel back? Nothing’s impossible, but the odds are stacked against him. It also doesn’t help his cause to have a suspect pass rush in front of him and another rookie lined up behind him. Is it fair to blame Thompson for the current situation? Sure it is. He chose not to sign a corner in free agency or draft one in April. He believed strongly in two of his former draft choices and neither one rewarded his faith. But it’s not time to point fingers. It’s time for Thompson to earn his salary by fixing what has a chance to be a very big mess. He needs to bring in the best veteran he can find and then see how things play out. If Shields defies the odds and proves to be the best man for the job, so be it. But if he’s not ready, it’s imperative to have somebody around who is.

Packers need to find room on the final roster for talented rookie offensive lineman

While others have been predicting the final roster for weeks, we’ve patiently waited until today to take our best shot. And while things could certainly change between now and Saturday, here’s the way we see it:

Quarterbacks (2) – This is easy. Aaron Rodgers and Matt Flynn on the active roster and Graham Harrell goes to the practice squad. The former Texas Tech standout lacks a strong arm, but he showed vast improvement over the course of the summer and deserves a chance to further develop under coach Mike McCarthy and assistant Tom Clements.

Running backs (2) – Ryan Grant and Brandon Jackson are locks. Kregg Lumpkin should be No. 3 if GM Ted Thompson decides to keep a third player at this position. We wouldn’t. Fullback John Kuhn could get the team through a game in an emergency and Quinn Porter – or somebody else – can be stashed on the practice squad for long-term security.

Fullbacks (2) – Kuhn and Korey Hall fit the offense and contribute on special teams. Quinn Johnson does neither. Keeping two fullbacks isn’t a problem – especially when you consider that any of the tight ends could fill in at this position if needed.

Tight ends (5) – Jermichael Finley is a lock, but choosing among Donald Lee, Andrew Quarless, Spencer Havner and Tom Crabtree won’t be easy. Each player adds something different to the mix. We’d keep five and go with only four wide receivers since all of the backup tight ends are better players than Brett Swain.

Wide receivers (5) – Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, James Jones and Jordy Nelson might be the best group of wide receivers in the league. None of the contenders for the No. 5 spot have stepped up this summer, and with Finley’s ability to split out wide, the Packers could definitely get by with only four players at this position. The only way we’d keep a fifth is if Jason Chery does enough in his audition as a returner on Thursday night to force his way onto the roster.

Offensive linemen (10) – Chad Clifton, Daryn Colledge, Scott Wells, Josh Sitton, Mark Tauscher, T.J. Lang and Bryan Bulaga are locks. Marshall Newhouse has improved throughout the summer and deserves to make the team. Releasing him would be as big a mistake as letting Jamon Meredith go a year ago. The final two spots should go to Jason Spitz and Evan Dietrich-Smith, but we’d look to trade Spitz and keep the younger and healthier Dietrich-Smith. There’s no room and no need for Breno Giacomini and Allen Barbre.

Defensive linemen (6) – Ryan Pickett, Cullen Jenkins, B.J. Raji and Mike Neal are locks and arguably the only players truly deserving of a spot on the final 53. Justin Harrell is the next best defensive end and will probably make the team, but he didn’t finish strong. Jarius Wynn, C.J. Wilson, Ronald Talley and Anthony Toribio are just guys. Give Wynn a slight edge for the sixth and final spot, but you’d like to think GM Ted Thompson can acquire a better prospect after final cuts.

Linebackers (8) – Clay Matthews, Brad Jones, Nick Barnett, A.J. Hawk, Brandon Chillar and Desmond Bishop are locks and Brady Poppinga looks to be safe for another season. The coaches seem to really like Frank Zombo and he’ll probably stick, but we’d keep only seven players at this position. Since Chillar can play outside in an emergency, why not put Zombo on the practice squad and hold on to a better player at another position? If the Packers decide to keep an eighth linebacker, that person should come from outside the organization.

Defensive backs (10) – Charles Woodson, Tramon Williams, Nick Collins, Morgan Burnett, Brandon Underwood (if healthy) and Derrick Martin are locks and Sam Shields is close to it. Pat Lee has had a disappointing summer, but he’s a former second-round pick who’ll probably get one more season to prove his worth. Will Blackmon hasn’t shown much on defense, but he’s the best returner on the team and should be safe if his knee is OK. Jarrett Bush, Charlie Peprah or a safety acquired after final cuts will be the 10th defensive back. We’d be willing to carry **Al Harris on the active roster if there was a chance he could be ready to play early in the season.

Specialists (3) – Kicker Mason Crosby and long snapper Brett Goode are locks. Punters Tim Masthay and Chris Bryan have been dead even throughout the summer, but Masthay may have pulled ahead at the end.

*Players in bold are projected to be part of the 53-man roster

**Harris was placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list on Tuesday, so we removed him from the 53-man roster and replaced him with WR/KR Jason Chery.

Zombo's a nice story, but the Packers still lack quality depth at outside linebacker

Call me an old curmudgeon, but the sight of Frank Zombo starting against the Colts didn’t make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Sure it’s a nice story – an undrafted free agent making a serious run at a spot on the final roster while learning a new position – but I see it as more of an indictment on just how weak the depth is at outside linebacker. And since this position is unquestionably one of the most important in a 3-4 defense, consider me more concerned than excited. After over 20 practices and three preseason games, Zombo, Brady Poppinga and Brandon Chillar are defensive coordinator Dom Capers’ best options behind starters Clay Matthews and Brad Jones. You’d be hard-pressed to find a weaker collection of backups in the entire league.

Zombo, who had 25.5 sacks as a defensive end in college, is a tough guy who goes all-out on every play. But he’s also a marginal athlete whose lack of lower body strength and explosiveness will almost certainly be exposed the more he plays against quality opposition. The feeling here is that the former Central Michigan standout will never be more than a No. 4 or 5 outside linebacker at this level.

The fourth or fifth outside linebacker is also the role Poppinga should fill on a 3-4 defense. I know Capers, assistant Kevin Greene and some members of the media have fawned all over the former BYU star this summer, but I don’t buy it. He still looks like the same guy to me. Poppinga will hold his own vs. the run, but he’ll be easily stymied as a pass rusher by any above-average tackle and he’ll be abused in coverage by any team with a creative offensive coordinator and a competent quarterback.

As far as Chillar is concerned, I expressed my feelings about his ability – or should I say his inability – to play outside linebacker a few weeks ago. The fact that he’s back taking the majority of his snaps inside suggests Capers quickly came around to my way of thinking. In short, he now realizes that Chillar should be no better that the fourth or fifth option at this position.

Notice a trend? Green Bay has a bevy of No. 4 and 5 outside linebackers, but nary a No. 3. This is even more of a concern when you consider that Matthews has been battling a hamstring injury for the past few weeks and Jones has already missed significant time this summer with back and shoulder problems. And while both players should be ready for the opener, it’s safe to say that neither will be compared to Cal Ripken Jr. any time soon.

If all of this isn’t concerning enough, just remember, we still don’t know if Jones has what it takes to be a legitimate starter in the NFL. While he showed definite potential as a rookie last season, the jury is still out. But that’s a post for another day. For today, feel free to cheer like crazy for Zombo, but just remember, the higher he climbs on the depth chart, the higher the level of your trepidation should be.