Coach Mike McCarthy informed the media on Monday afternoon that Clay Matthews will miss “at least two weeks” with a hamstring injury, and while losing a Pro Bowl player for any length of time is never a good thing, there are a couple of silver linings. The big one is that the former USC star should return in time for the season opener against the Eagles. The other is that Brad Jones now has a better chance of retaining his starting job at left outside linebacker. Why’s that good news? Because, in our humble opinion, the defense would be stronger with Matthews and Jones than it would be with Matthews and Chillar. Here’s why: By starting Chillar at right outside linebacker, the coaches would be forcing Matthews to learn a new position. And don’t think for a second that switching sides is an easy thing to do. It requires significant adjustments, from the placement of feet to the distribution of weight. And more. “Beyond all that, it’s kind of seeing how plays develop,” Matthews explained to Kareem...
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General manager Ted Thompson normally wouldn’t give a two-year extension to a 35-year-old player, but Donald Driver isn’t a typical 35-year-old player. Besides being one of the team’s emotional leaders on the field and one of its most respected voices in the locker room, the former Alcorn State star is still a very good football player. And that’s always the most important thing to consider when making this type of commitment to an older athlete. Driver is coming off a season in which he caught 70 passes for over 1,000 yards and 6 touchdowns. And while his numbers declined in November and December, it’s probably unfair to blame Father Time. With the running game picking up steam and emerging star Jermichael Finley becoming a much bigger part of the offense, there just weren’t as many opportunities for Driver. It’s hard to find a downside to this move. Even if Driver unexpectedly hits the wall in 2010, the Packers would only be on the hook for two additional seasons. And while terms of the extension have yet to...
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Dear Packer fans, The weather continues to be great and I’m having a blast at training camp. Can’t wait for the Family Night scrimmage on Saturday. Tell you about it next week. Anyway, here’s what’s been going on: If Desmond Bishop is Mr. August, then Cullen Jenkins needs to be knighted. Sir Jenkins is having another terrific camp. He’s making life difficult for the veteran offensive linemen and downright miserable for the youngsters. Ryan Pickett has looked more natural than expected at left end, but to be fair, much of his success has come against the backup right tackles. Pickett is every bit as strong as Johnny Jolly, but Jolly’s hands were incredibly quick and that enabled him to shed and rip past blockers. Justin Harrell doesn’t look like a former first-round pick, but he doesn’t look like a bust either. If healthy, he should be a very useful part of the rotation. Rookie Mike Neal is extremely strong, but he still has a lot to learn about playing outside. He also has the skills to be an...
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By now, everyone has probably read the hysterical – not to mention disturbing – story of Vikings quarterback Brett Favre, model Jenn Sterger and one photogenic penis. If the allegation is true, the old gunslinger is one creepy dude. If it’s not true, well, do you really feel sorry for the guy who spent months back in the summer of ‘08 disparaging Ted Thompson and pretty much making life miserable for everybody who works for and/or loves the Green Bay Packers? Either way, something very important has come out of this sordid story. We finally have a logical explanation for why Brett throws so many darn interceptions. In the heat of the moment, Brett obviously has trouble telling the difference between things that look remotely similar – be it gigantic men wearing uniforms and helmets or petite dark-haired women. Take a look at Jenn. OK, now take a look at Deanna Favre. It’s obvious Brett wasn’t being a sleazeball when he allegedly sent that picture to Jenn; he simply didn’t realize that the sexy 26-year-old model wasn’t...
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It remains to been seen whether Morgan Burnett can beat out Atari Bigby for the starting safety job opposite Nick Collins. That will be determined by the rookie’s progress and the veteran’s health. What’s far more certain is that Burnett is going to play a lot of snaps on defense this season. Anyone who watched the former Georgia Tech star during the first week of training camp knows he’s too athletic not to be on the field in obvious passing situations. Whether that comes at Bigby’s expense – assuming his ankle even allows him to be on the field – depends on the health of Al Harris and the progress of Pat Lee and Brandon Underwood. In a perfect world, defensive coordinator Dom Capers would use Charles Woodson, Tramon Williams, Al Harris, Collins and Burnett in the nickel. This would give the Packers three true cornerbacks and a pair of safeties with corner skills to defend on third and long. It would also turn the slow-footed but physical Bigby into essentially a two-down player – which is exactly...
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Dear Packer fans, Having a blast at training camp. The weather’s been very nice, and hey, what can be more fun than watching 80 gigantic guys beating the snot out of one another for your enjoyment? Anyway, here’s what I’ve seen so far: After a handful of so-so practices, Aaron Rodgers looked very sharp on Tuesday night. That was nice to see, although I’m pretty sure nobody was worried. On the other hand, Matt Flynn‘s lack of accuracy has to be somewhat concerning to the coaches. Free agent Graham Harrell is showing why he wasn’t drafted. He seems like a bright and hard-working young man, but he just doesn’t have much of an arm. It’s difficult to believe GM Ted Thompson won’t be able to find a quarterback with more potential later in the summer. Brandon Jackson has had a solid camp so far. He looks quicker and stronger than he did a year ago. Ryan Grant has been relatively quiet, but the only thing he needs to accomplish this summer is staying healthy. With rookie James Starks out, Kregg...
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Jermichael Finley has the potential to be the finest receiver to play for the Green Bay Packers since Sterling Sharpe. Yes, the former Texas star is talented enough to surpass Robert Brooks, Mark Chmura, Antonio Freeman and Donald Driver – and he could do it before his 25th birthday. That said, there’s something about Finley that makes me feel about the young man the way a linebacker or a safety must feel when asked to cover him down the seam. He scares the heck out of me. Finley lasted until the third round of the ‘08 draft for two reasons – a slower than expected 40 time at the NFL Combine and concerns about his character. And while he was able to appease some scouts by running faster times at his pro day, there was nothing he could do about the other problem. He could only prove that perception wrong by doing things the right way in the NFL. Well, it’s been two years and it’s safe to say – at least away from the field –...
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Robert Francois is best-known as the player released when Brett Favre joined the Minnesota Vikings last August. OK, let’s be honest, it’s the only reason anybody outside of Highlands, Texas or Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts would know this young man. Well, the 25-year-old is looking to change that this summer by making a name for himself in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Francois, who was signed to the practice squad by the Packers last December, opened training camp No. 4 on the depth chart at outside linebacker. That might not sound all that impressive, but it’s pretty good for a player who didn’t start in college until his senior year – and only then after a teammate was injured. Francois went on to record 82 tackles, two sacks and an interception, but he wasn’t invited to the combine. It wasn’t until he ran a 4.55 at Boston College’s pro day that NFL teams began to take notice. One of those teams was Green Bay. According to Francois, he received a phone call from the Packers late in the draft, but...
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Of all the undrafted free agents signed by the Packers three months ago, cornerback Sam Shields was the one who looked to have the best chance of overcoming the odds and making the final roster. After all, the 22-year-old went to a big school (Miami), ran a tremendous 40 (4.3) at his pro day and plays a position where general manager Ted Thompson is always willing to make room for a good young prospect. But after an inauspicious off-season, Shields was an afterthought when the Packers took the field for the first practice of training camp on Saturday afternoon. It didn’t take long for that perception to change. Just minutes into practice, Shields used his greatest asset to deflect a pass intended for third-year receiver Brett Swain. Before the 150-minute session ended, the Florida native would break up another pass and smoothly intercept a ball thrown by backup quarterback Matt Flynn. Shields was clearly the defensive star of the day, but one good practice hardly guarantees anything. Many long shots flash early in camp, only to fade away...
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The Packers report to training camp on Friday with 21 of the 22 players who started the playoff game at Arizona back for another run at the Lombardi Trophy. Because of this stability – not to mention the league’s No. 6 offense and No. 2 defense – Green Bay should be one of the elite teams. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t some important questions that need to be answered. Here are the top 10 (in descending order): Who’ll be the No. 3 wide receiver? James Jones and Jordy Nelson pretty much split the job in 2009 and both enjoyed excellent offseasons. There’s a good chance the time-sharing will continue, but if we had to pick one or the other, we’d go with Nelson. He’s the more consistent of the two players and the organization has a bit more invested in him. Plus, he seems to have some real chemistry with quarterback Aaron Rodgers. What happens if Ryan Grant gets hurt? Brandon Jackson is probably best-suited to the role he’s in now, but the offense could survive...
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Training camp doesn’t open for another three days and there may not even be a season in 2011, but that didn’t stop us from taking a quick glance at the Packers who could be unrestricted free agents next March. Assuming – and as of today these assumptions are about as enormous as Ryan Pickett’s pre-training camp belly – that the players and the owners agree to a new collective bargaining agreement and that the number of accrued seasons to achieve true freedom reverts back to four from six, here are the players who would be eligible to hit the open market (along with their age as of 3/31/2011 and their current salary): John Kuhn (27/$1.176M), Korey Hall (28/$550K), Brandon Jackson (25/$550K), Donald Driver (36/$7.206M), James Jones (27/$1.101M), Allen Barbre (26/$550K), Jason Spitz (28/$1.759M), Daryn Colledge (29/$1.759M), Cullen Jenkins (30/$3.2M), Desmond Bishop (26/$550K), Tramon Williams (28/$3.168M/), Atari Bigby (29/$1.759M), Will Blackmon (26/$1.176M), Charlie Peprah (28/$630K) and Mason Crosby (26/$1.0M). This is hardly an imposing list, but there will be a few interesting decisions facing GM Ted Thompson. As of...
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