A Look At The Packers Defense One Week Before 2014 Draft!

Here we are, one week to go!  And, like the last two years, the defense is the focus, BUT I think we are closer!  And yes - WE NEED TO STAY HEALTHY!!!!!!

And WE NEED PLAYERS DRAFTER THE LAST TWO YEARS TO STEP UP!!!!

I still believe that Capers is a quality defensive coach, the players need to step it up!!

Defense, with one week to go the Packers have 33 players, 29 signed!

Starting at Corner:
Tramon Williams and Sam Shields are quality starters, and Casey Hayward is a great cover guy for the slot receiver!  Jarrett Bush & Devon House provide the depth and have played a lot of football the last few years!  Others, Jumal Rolle, James Nixon & Antonio Nixon provide competition for roster spots!  The Cornerback position is deep, but, if a good one is available in the top 4 rounds, I would take one!

Safety - here we go!  THIS IS A NEED!!!!  We need a playmaker, a leader, and tackler!  What we have now - Morgan Burnett has played a lot of football, but I cannot remember a BIG play, or a BIG hit!  Micah Hyde may be moving to safety?  He we need time to adjust, but has great instincts!  Sean Richardson & Chris Banjo will be challenged to hold on to roster spots!  A NEED!!!

Outside Linebackers - Stay healthy & improvement!  Clay Matthews is an all pro, but has battled the injury bug!  An IMPACT PLAYER!  Nick Perry needs to step it up!  Back ups Nate Palmer, Andy Mulumba, and Victor Alyewa had a lot of playing last season, but may only be back ups?  AGAIN, if the draft allows it, I would take an outside linebacker in the first four rounds.

Inside Linebackers - AJ Hawk had a great season last year and provided the leadership.  I am worried about his age!  Brad Jones did not stay healthy, but is adequate at best.  Backups, Sam Barrington, Jamari Lattimore saw time last season - Lattimore may be the diamond in the rough!  Back-up Chase Thomas is unknown!  AGAIN, I would DRAFT in the first four rounds!

Defensive Ends - Mike Neal, Datonne Jones, and newcomer Julius Peppers should be adequate, but not scary!  Peppers is a good pick-up and could help Jones!  Neal is versatile and that is important!  Back-ups - Mike Daniels, Josh Boyd, and Jerel Worthy could make a difference!  My favorite, Mike Daniels made some big strides last year!  Worthy, again needs to be healthy!  If available, again the first four rounds!

Defensive Tackle - BJ Raji and ex-Viking Letroy Guion should fight for playing time.  Daniels also will play inside!  Raji needs to become a difference maker again!  Guion hopefully will provide a spark!

Free Agents - Robert Francois, Johnny Jolly, and Ryan Picket.  Will be cheering for Jolly to be healthy!

DRAFT - Safety, Outside or Inside Linebacker & Defensive Line!!!!!!!

2014 NFL Draft - 9 Days To Go!

NFL Draft in May - As a football fan - too long!

Mock Drafts!

Draft Talk!

Mock Drafts!

Draft Talk!

Top QB Lists!

Top LB Lists!

Team Needs From The Draft!

Toooooooooooo Many Experts!  Toooooooooooooo Many Mock Drafts!

The NFL Draft should go back to April!!

So, what do we look at?  Today let's start with the present team,
as of April 29, 2014, 8:47 PM EST!

A review of the draft picks for Pack:
Round 1, #21 overall
Round 2, #53
Round 3, #85
Round 3, #98 (compensatory selection)
Round 4, #121
Round 5, #161
Round 5, #176 (compensatory selection)
Round 6, #197
Round 7, #236

Offense: 37 playes - 34 signed, 3 free agents.
Free Agents - QB Seneca Wallace, RB - Kahill Bell, TE - Jermichael Finley
Comments:  Seneca Wallace, leave him go.  Jermichael Finley, injury makes signing him a risk and
salary that he expects is way too much!  Would let him go.  Kahill Bell - let him try stay on the roster
at the minimum salary.

QB's - Aaron Rogers, Matt Flynn, & Scott Tolzien.  Rogers, don't ask.  Flynn, signed an great back-up.
Scott Tolzien, battle it out for the third spot with whoever comes to camp!

FB's - John Kuhn & Ina Liana.  Competition with 2 fullbacks, but Kuhn ONE MORE YEAR!
Kuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuhn!!!!

RB's - James Starks, Eddie Lacy, DuJuan Harris, Jonathan Franklin, & Michael Hill.  WOW!  I like
what I see and I would not draft a running back!  Eddie Lacy was amazing in year one!  James Starks
stayed healthy and was a great at providing time for Lacy to rest, and giving quality time.  DuJuan Harris, injured early, was impressive last season!  And Jonathan Franklin, what a Bengals game! (And the Packer Buddies were there to se it!)  Franklin MUST secure the football!

WR's - Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, and Jarrett Boykin are secure & quality!  Nelson & Cobb are the play makers and Boykin could build upon last year!  I am anxious to see who wins the battle for the last one or two roster spots - Chris Harper, Kevin Dorsey, Myles White, & Alex Gillette.  I have a GUT feeling one of these guys is a "Donal Driver"!

TE - Wow!  Help!!  I think we have some "Blue collar" types in Andrew Quarless, Brandon Bostick, Jake Stoneburner, Ryan Taylor, & Ray Webber.  My diamond in the rough - Brandon Bostick!  But, we need help!  I would draft a TE with one of the first 4 picks!

OL - David Bakhtiari, Don Barclay, Bryan Bulaga, & Derrick Sherrod.  These four should make the offensive tackle position solid!  What a rookie year for Bakhtiari!  The other tackles, Aaron Adams & Jeremy Vujnovich, unknown!  TJ Lang & Josh Sitton are quality starters.  Lane Taylor & Andrew Tiller are unknown.  And center, we will miss Dietrich-Smith!  JC Tretter seems to be the from runner & Garth Gehart will be in the battle for playing time, with the other guards & tackles.

So, as we approach the draft, I think….
1 - One of the top four picks should be a TE.  Maybe a wide receiver & offensive lineman in the picks five to 7.  (Remember, we have to extra picks!)

Tomorrow, the defense.

Packers 2014 Schedule!!

Let the planning begin!  The Green Bay Packer 2014 Schedule!

First, what are the key games?

Game # 1 - at Seattle!
Here we go!  Right out of the blocks we will know what kind of team we have!  What will this game tell Packer fans?

1 - Defense!  Do we have a championship "D"?

2 - Offense - Rogers, will he have a MVP kind of season?  A win here helps!  Lacy, will this running back continue to be the new "Beast"!

3 - Playing on the road - IN SEATTLE!  A win here is BIG!

4 - Healthy?  Will the Pack come out of the game healthy?

Game # 2 - Jets - "The HOME Opener!"
Must win!

Game # 3 - Lions in Detroit.  What will a new coach in Detroit show the Packers?  And first divisional game!

Game # 4 - Bears in Chicago.  What will a new coach in Chicago show the Packers?  And second divisional game!

The first four games to me are the most important games!  Next are the last four games!  Here are my overall needs for the schedule.

Protect the home field!!!!  At least go 6 and 2!

Away games - beat the teams you should beat & split the tough games!

Must Wins - Tampa Bay, Buffalo, Minnesota, Miami - 4

Win ONE - win Seattle, Detroit, Chicago, New Orleans - 1

Packer 2014 Record -11 and 5!  

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Packers Sign Matt Flynn

Last year, I think, was a BIG quarterback mistake!  And, by the injury bug, again biting the Packers, it was magnified!   Do you remember how we started the season?

After four pre-season games, the Packers cut both back ups!  Graham Harrell first, ten Vince Young and BJ Coleman, the ONLY people that new the offense, were let GO!!  WOW!  I really had issues with this!  Fortunately, the injury to Rogers did not happen week 1!!

A quick signing of Seneca Wallace!  Supposedly, Wallace was familiar with the offense?  And later Scott Tolzien, an untested rookie!

Then, Rogers goes down!  Then, the VERY next game, Wallace goes down!  Tolzien is thrown in the fire!  Matt Flynn is signed and performs well.  Finally Rogers comes back!  And we barely make the playoffs!

From the beginning, I think, a questionable move!

1 - Waited too long on deciding if Harrell or Coleman were quality back ups!

2 - WHY cut your ONLY two QB's and leave your team without a quality backup QB to start the season?

3 - When Rogers goes down, Wallace follows and know the team is in trouble!

So, why not START the season with a quality backup?  Now that we signed Matt Flynn, I think that is accomplished!

This also, to me, shows a lack of quality QB's in the NFL!  This baffles me!!!

Latest Packer Free Agent News - Draft One Month Away!

Here is the latest news on Packer Free Agents

Free Agents 2014 Status:

Packers Re-signed:

Michael Neal, BJ Raji, James Starks, Andrew Quarless, & John Kuhn

New Packers from other teams:

Julius Peppers & Letry Guion

Packers Lost to other Teams

Evan Dietrich-Smith, James Jones, Marshall Newhouse, CJ Wilson, & MD Jennings

Packer Free Agents NOT signed:

Kahill Bell, Jermichael Finley, Matt Flynn, Rob Francois, Johhny Jolly, Ryan Pickett, & Seneca Wallace

Packer Roster as of April 4, 2014

Offense - 35 players

QB's - 2, FB's - 2, RB's - 6, TE's - 5, WR's - 8, OL - 12

Defense - 29 players

DT - 2,  DE - 6,  LB - 9, CB - 9,  S - 3

Special Teams - 3 players

P - 1, K - 1, LS - 1

Remember, the first day of summer practice each team is allowed 90 players.  So, Packers have:

67 on current roster

8 free agents

9 draft choices

84 possible players?

John Kuhn - A Packer Again!

Most old timers, and even some "young" timers that played the game of football, respect players like John Kuhn!  We have a place in our hearts for players that may have been cut, were on the practice squad, or do not always get the prime time headlines!

My PackerBuddies are from Central Pennsylvania and John Kuhn is from Central Pennsylvania!

John Kuhn married a local girl!  Go Lindsey!  We watched her star in Track & Field in high school!

Lindsey also lived across the street from me!!  My wife and I attended their wedding!!

Connections!  Yes, the Packer Buddies love John Kuhn for MANY reasons!!

But, why is this a BIG signing for next year?

1 - Leadership!  Kuuuuuuuuuuuuuuhn!  John is a coach on the field!

2 - Offense!  Remember, that plant from Rogers to Cobb last year against the Bears!  Remember the block!  Kuhn coming across the formation to cut Julius Peppers!  Tough yardage!  Passes out of the backfield!  AND, PROTECTING AARON!!!

3 - Special Teams - John Kuhn - play maker, leader, and a "special" person on special teams!

Kuhn's big block in 2013!!!!