Important Dates For Packer Fans

We enter the 2014 building stage for the next Packer teams.

February 17 - First day teams are allowed to use Franchise Tag on a player

February 19-25 - 2014 NFL Combine

March 3 - Last day to designate Franchise Tag on a player

March 11 - 4PM, Teams may begin signing free agents

March 23-26 - Annual League Meeting

April 21 - Teams may begin offseason workout programs

May 8-10 - NFL Draft

May 19-21 - NFL Spring Meetings

Mid July - may open rookie camp 7 days prior to veterans


**  Salary Cap projected to be around $126.3 million

Any Packer Possibilities at Senior Bowl?

I would love to rub elbows with the Ryan brothers watching practice at the Senior Bowl!

And spend time chatting with Bill Belichick (that would be awesome!) And asking Jim Harbaugh how he likes his coaching pants he buys at Wall Mart!

But, it would be interesting to predict success in the NFL!  It cannot be easy!  Measuring height & weight!  Speed!  Strength!  Agility!  And most of all HEART!

Here are some names I like so far:

#44     Chris Borland    LB   Wisconsin   5'11"   246

I know he is small, and maybe not a speed demon, but I love the motor, the effort, the leadership!  I would take a chance on him, 2nd or 3rd round!  AJ Hawk is getting older, and I see him as a perfect replacement!  Smart & a leader!  We will need to have another inside guy, like Brad Jones that has the speed.  But, I think he is a Packer kind of guy!  And played for Wisconsin!

#93    Trent Murphy   OLB   Stanford   6'6   261

Another Packer kind of guy!  Smart - Standford.  Can play DE or OLB!  I think he could push Nick Perry & Mike Neal and complement Matthews!  I like the 6'6 size to cause problems for opposing QB's!  A stat I like - First, nationally with 1.1 sacks per game!!  Lettered in basketball & track!  He was the Arizona State Discuss Champion!  I like an all around athlete!!!

#5     Isaiah Lewis     S   Michigan State   5'10     210

Played for a great defense at Michigan State!  Can Tackle & may be short but is a ball hawk!  Played outfield for his high school team, so he can run down fly balls!!  And was a psychology major!  That means he can analyze QB's!!

The Search Begins - Senior Bowl 2014

Senior Bowl 2014

What are some of the possible draft choices for the NFL, for the Packers!!
This week the 2014 Senior Bowl and the process begins!

Take a look at the rosters of the 2014 Senior Bowl

Let's look at Packer needs:

Safety            Height   Weight   College  - Team
Isaiah Lewis     5'10     210     Michigan State - North
Ahmad Dixon     6'0     205     Baylor - North
Jimmie Ward     5'11     192     Northern Illinois - North
Deone Bucannon    6'1     198     Washington State - North
Craig Loston     6'2     209     LSU - South
Jemea Thomas     5'10     195     Georgia Tech - South
Kenny Ladler     6'1     205     Vanderbilt - South
Terrence Brooks     5'11     200     Florida State - South

Linebacker           Height   Weight   College  - Team
Chris Borland     5'11     246     Wisconsin - North
Christian Kirksey     6'2     235     Iowa - North
Jonathan Brown     6'1     235     Illinois - Norh
Michael Sam     6'2     255     Missouri - North
Jordan Zumwalt     6'4     235     UCLA - North
Marcus Smith     6'3     252    Lousville - North
Kyle Van Noy     6'3     245     Brigham Young - South
Chrstian Jones     6'4     235     Florida State - South
Telvin Smith     6'3     218     Florida State - South
Jordan Tripp     6'3     237     Montana - South
Jeremiah Attaochu     6'3     242      Georgia Tech - South
Lamin Barrow      6'2      232     LSU - South
Adrian Hubbard     6'6     252     Alabama - South


Defensive Line           Height   Weight   College  - Team
Shamar Stephen     6'5     313     Connecticut - North
DaQuan Jones     6'3     318     Penn State - North
Trent Murphy     6'6     261     Stanford - North
Will Clarke     6'7     273     West Virginia - North
Kareem Martin     6'6     265     North Carolina - North
Justin Ellis     6'2     357     Louisiana Tech - North
Aaron Donald     6'0     285     Pittsburgh - North
James Gayle     6'4     255     Virginia Tech - North
Ra'Shede Hageman     6'6     311     Minnesota - North
Dee Ford     6'2     240     Auburn - South
Chris Smith     6'3     268     Arkansas - South
Ed Stinson     6'4     292     Alabama - South
Will Sutton     6'1     305     Arizona State - South
Caraun Reid     6'1     305     Princeton - South
Deandre Coleman    6'5     315     California - South
Daniel McCullers     6'8     351     Tennessee - South
Brent Urban     6'7     295     295     Virgiania - South


Tight End           Height   Weight   College  - Team
Gator Hoskins     6'2     244     Marshall - North
Jacob Pederson     6'5     240     Wisconsin - North
CJ Fiedorowicz     6'7     265     Iowa - North
Marcel Jensen     6'6     260     Fresno St - South
Arthur Lynch     6'5     254     Georgia - South

This will be the first look of the college group in front of the "Meat Market"!
Stay tuned on the analysis.

Watching The AFC & NFC Championship Games - What Does It Tell Packer Fans?

These are random observations as I watched the two games today & how they relate to the Packers.

AFC Game - Broncos - Patriots

1 - Maybe Rogers should say Omaha when calling plays!

2 - The defenses for the Patriots & Broncos are not much better than the Packers defense!

3 - Given time, Brady & Manning will move the ball!

4 - Manning can still through the ball over the meddle with authority.

5 - Tom Brady will be 37 and Peyton Manning will be 38 during next season (Aaron Rogers - 30)

6 - First two drives by Patriots - 3 & out!

7 - Thought game was going to be high scoring?  1st Quarter - 3-0 Broncos!

8 - 13- 3 Broncos at half, Patriots look too conservative!

9 - Opening drive for TD by Broncos BIG!  And used a bunch of time!

10 - Patriots passing on field goal & Brady sacked!  Big defensive stand by Broncos!

11 - 2nd series by Broncos - FG BIG!

12 - Patriots come back for TD!

13 - Manning gets another shot in the Super Bowl!

The Packers could have played with these two teams!  If the Packer "D" was healthy, they are just as good as the Broncos & Patriots!  And Rogers can hang with Brady & Manning!  Problem is, the Pack is in the NFC & the defenses of Seattle & San Francisco change the game!

NFC Game - Seattle - 49er's

1 - Defense - Defense - Defense!

2 - Even the great Seattle defense has trouble tackling Kaepernick!

3 - Defensive battle!  Wilson is scrambling like he is in the backyard!

4 - Seattle has no wide receivers!

5 - Kaepernick - 5 passes in first half?

6 - Ugly Offenses, scrambling QB's make it work!

7 - If the NFL allows all this contact between receiver & defender, teams must change how the passing game is handled!

8 - Interesting call by Seahawks - 4th & 7 - 3 vertical routes, TD for Seattle - Gamble pays off!

9 - The young QB's are trying to lose it!!!!

10 - Kaepernick with some questionable throws - Seattle wins!

Well, what did I learn watching the games today?  In the second game, I still DO NOT LIKE either team.  Trash talking & two coaches that are DIVA's!  But, they have GREAT defenses!  And young quarterbacks that made a lot of mistakes at the end!  I do like Russell Wilson as a leader.  And I think, may be the shortest QB in Super Bowl History - need to check it!  To beat the 49er's or Seahawks, the Packers must:
1 - Of course, improve defense.  Tackle & speed!  Still need a pass rusher to complement Matthews!  Safety - a free agent or rookie ready to play!  And, a linebacker, inside or our with speed!
2 - Stay healthy!
3 - Offense, continue with what we have!  Maybe sign Quarless.  Maybe draft a good rookie TE?  Offensive line stay healthy!  And, McCarthy, improve play calling!

Broncos & Patriots?  We can hang with them now, but make the moves previously stated and we win the Super Bowl!!!

Top Free Agents NFL 2014

There will be many lists of NFL Free Agents!  The first one I will look at is from the NFL website.  The website lists the NFL's top 25 free agents:

1. Jimmy Graham, New Orleans Saints tight end
2. Greg Hardy, Carolina Panthers defensive end
3. Brian Orakpo, Washington Redskins linebacker
4. Jairus Byrd, Buffalo Bills safety
5. T.J. Ward, Cleveland Browns safety
6. Alterraun Verner, Tennessee Titans cornerback
7. Branden Albert, Kansas City Chiefs left tackle
8. Michael Johnson, Cincinnati Bengals defensive end
9. Lamarr Houston, Oakland Raiders defensive end
10. Brent Grimes, Miami Dolphins cornerback
11. Eugene Monroe, Baltimore Ravens left tackle
12. Vontae Davis, Indianapolis Colts cornerback
13. Linval Joseph, New York Giants defensive tackle
14. Jason Hatcher, Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle
15. Jared Veldheer, Oakland Raiders left tackle
16. Aqib Talib, New England Patriots cornerback
17. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Denver Broncos cornerback
18. Alex Mack, Cleveland Browns center
19. Eric Decker, Denver Broncos wide receiver
20. Michael Bennett, Seattle Seahawks defensive end
21. B.J. Raji, Green Bay Packers defensive tackle
22. Sam Shields, Green Bay Packers cornerback
23. Walter Thurmond, Seattle Seahawks cornerback
24. Donald Butler, San Diego Chargers linebacker
25. Randy Starks, Miami Dolphins defensive tackle

Wow!  First I see two Packers - Sam Shields at Corner and BJ Raji at defensive tackle!  As I said earlier - I would sign Sam Shields & let BJ Raji go.

Now, who do I like from the list?

2. Greg Hardy, Carolina Panthers defensive end
4. Jairus Byrd, Buffalo Bills safety
5. T.J. Ward, Cleveland Browns safety
8. Michael Johnson, Cincinnati Bengals defensive end
10. Brent Grimes, Miami Dolphins cornerback
20. Michael Bennett, Seattle Seahawks defensive end

Like the safeties - Byrd & Ward!  And defensive linemen - Hardy, Johnson, & Bennett.  And a corner in case we lose Shields - Grimes!

More research to be done in the future!

Packer 2014 Free Agents! Who Would You Sign?

OK, fellow Packer Stockholders.  Here is the list of Packer Free Agents for 2014!!  Who would you keep? (To see a clear image, click on the

Here is my keeper list!  Do you agree?  If not, what would you do different?

Matt Flynn

James Starks

John Kuhn

James Jones

Jermichael Finley (one year only)

Andrew Quarless

Evan Dietrich-Smith

Johnny Jolly

Mike Neal

Robert Francois

Sam Shields

Packer Free Agents & Salaries

Now, let's divide the list into pay and not pay.  Pay would be they get a nice raise & not pay, they would get a minimum raise.  Here we go……

Pay - (give a nice raise)

James Starks - stayed healthy this year & is a great complement to Lacy!  He style of running is NFL tough, and provides a spark when he comes into the game!

John Kuhn - what can you say about John Kuhn?  The fans say it best, Kuuuuuuuhn!   He is a leader, protects Rogers in the pocket, provides special teams help, and is a coach on the field!  )Plus, his wife is awesome! - That is a Packer Buddies group opinion!) Another "community guy!"

James Jones - another leader.  He is the Packer "tough" receiver!  Every team needs one!  Big & strong, makes the difficult catches!  He is also a great leader & community guy!

Sam Shields - our "cover" corner!  This is the one guy I think we MUST keep!

Not Pay - (give a minimal raise)

Matt Flynn - many teams passed on him.  Should sign at a good price!

Jermichael Finley (one year only)  - we can only trust one year!  His injury was to scary to trust to a long contract!

Andrew Quarless - I think filled in well when Finley went down!  Can block & catch!  But, he is not a game changing tight end.  But he is the best we have on the roster.  Many throw in a little more $$$

Evan Dietrich-Smith - Was very steady and had a good season!  BUT, again this is a money thing.  And we are beginning to develop some depth in the offensive line!  It all comes down to $$$$

Johnny Jolly - another injury thing (neck!)  I loved the passion & leadership!  And I think helped as a run stopper!!  Would not go crazy, but would like to have him back in 2014!

Mike Neal - injuries scare me!  Was fairly healthy this year & tried his best at the OLB & DE mix.  Not a game changer & I think he is a better DE.

Robert Francois - injured most of the season, but I think one of our better back-up linebackers!  Can not spend a lot on him!

Of course, while I'm signing free agents, I would look at the present contracts and see who would re-negotiate.  My speech would start by saying, "We are trying to win a Super Bowl here in Green Bay, BUT, we have a CAP LIMIT!

Next, a look at other team free agents!

The Packer Defensive Backs From 2013

Of all the head aches the Packer Defense had this year, the defensive backs may be the biggest concern!  First of course - INJURIES!!!!

Defensive Backs & Years Experience
S - Morgan Burnett - 4
S - MD Jennings
S - Sean Richardson
S - Chris Banjo

CB - Tramon Williams - 7
CB - Sam Shields - 4
CB - Casey Hayward - 2
CB - Devon House - 3
CB - Jarrett Bush - 8
CB - Micah Hyde - R
CB - James Nixon - 1
CB - Antonio Dennard - 1
CB - Jumal Rolle - R

OK, Injuries - Hamstrings!  As a retired track coach (and coaching sprinters), the defensive backs are your sprinters!  Hamstring issues are a concern!  Proper Warm-up?  Proper Strength Training?  Proper Warm Down?  Morgan Burnett missed the first 3 games, Casey Hayward the entire year except 1-2 games!  And Casey Hayward was the "ball hawk" from last year, leading the team in interceptions!  Sam Shields, are other cover corner missed time!  Bush, House, and Micah Hyde played a lot!  Especially on "nickel" & "dime" defense!  Hyde did a great job providing a spark in the return game.

When healthy, Williams & Shields are good cover corners.  And Casey Hayward, covers the slot as well as anyone.  Shields is a free agent - I would sign him!  And Hyde could be going to safety next year!  Bush & House are adequate back-ups.

Safety!  This is my BIGGEST concern!  When you compare the Super Bowl Team go 2010, the safety position jumps out!!  The 2010 Packer Safeties - Nick Collins & Charlie Peprah could cover & TACKLE!  The 2013 safeties could not!  The depth was also not there, Sean Richardson was on the injured reserve list & Chris Banjo played a lot of special teams!

I really need to see a push to signing a quality free agent safety and drafting a safety that could start!  At cornerback, I think the Packers are good to go!

So, as a grade? I will grade the corners & safeties separately.
Cornerbacks - My garde 2 - Strong  STAY HEALTHY!
Safeties - My grade 4 - SCARY!!!!  WE NEED HELP!!!!!!!
My system is four levels 1 - Excellent, 2 - Strong, 3 - Needs Help, & 4 - Scary

A Look At Packer Linebackers for 2013

In any defense the linebacker position is crucial!  In the 3-4 defense the Packers run, the linebacker is even more critical!  First the linebackers that appeared on the Packer Roster this year.

Packer Linebackers & Years Experience
OLB - Clay Matthews - 5
OLB - Nick Perry - 2
OLB - Mike Neal - 4
OLB - Andy Mulumba - R
OLB - Nate Palmer - R
OLB - Victor Alyewa - 1
ILB - AJ Hawk - 8
ILB - Brad Jones - 5
ILB - Jamari Lattimore - 3
ILB - Robert Francois - 4
ILB - Sam Barrington - R
ILB - Cashe Thomas - 1

At the beginning of 2013, Matthews & Perry were starters.  For the second straight year, Matthews missed a lot of games!  This is not a good sign!  Matthews is still a difference maker, my question is, the way the Packers use Matthews, battling 320 pound line all day, will this now be the norm?  He is a great athlete and I would like to see him in pass coverage at times.  Problem is, no one else is a "sack" machine!  When healthy, he is an all-pro NFL linebacker!

Nick Perry did show some improvement, but he also was injured.  I think we still do not really know what we have in Perry.  Next year, his third, I think will show us what we really have at the opposite side of Matthews!

Mike Neal experiment, playing DE & OLB, ended up being almost all OLB because of the injuries.  I still think he looks more like a DE on the football field.  He did stay healthier this year.  At best, I still think he is an average NFL linebacker!

Andy Mulumba played a lot!  As an undrafted free agent, was adequate, but did not do anything special!  Victor Alyewa played some linebacker, but mostly special teams.  Again, nothing special.

At inside linebacker, the Packers started the year with Hawk & Jones.  He we go again, like a broken record, Brad Jones missed a lot & played hurt.  We let Desmond Bishop go, and signed Jones.  He is a better athlete than Hawk, but injured, Jones did not have a chance to prove himself!

Our main back-up Robert Francois went down for the year, injured(Are you getting a theme here?)  He is a good back-up when playing! Jamari Lattimore, Sam Barrington, & Cashe Thomas backed up at inside linebacker.  Lattimore played and looked like a quality back-up.  Barrington played a lot of special teams.

By the wild card game the Packers were down to the bottom of the barrel! (And not the BEER barrel!) At one point of the game, Mulumba went down and we had NO back-ups!  So, at the linebacker position - health was a BIG issue!  AJ Hawk had I thing his best year!!  Has lost a step, but makes it up with leadership!

It is obvious the Packers still need help at linebacker!

So, as a grade? My final grade - 3 - Needs Help!
My system is four levels 1 - Excellent, 2 - Strong, 3 - Needs Help, & 4 - Scary

Analyzing The Packers 2013 Defensive Linemen

OK, here we go.  Now a long hard look at our defense, starting with the defensive line!

DT & DE's & Years Experience
CJ Wilson - 4
Mike Neal - 4
Mike Daniels - 2
Datone Jones - R
Josh Boyd - R
Johnny Jolly - 6
Jerel Worthy - 2
BJ Raji - 5
Ryan Picket - 13

First, this group does not scare me.  I do not see anyone that can take over a game!  I do not see a possible all-pro, a possible future Packer Hall of Famer!

Starters
BJ Raji
Ryan Picket
Johnny Jolly

Thank goodness Johnny Jolly came back!  He also provided a SPARK!  LEADERSHIP! EXCITEMENT!  One thing this group did was stop the run & at times did it vey well!  One thing this group did not do - pressure the QB!  Johnny Jolly - 1 sack, BJ Raji - 0 sack, & Ryan Picket - 0 sack!  WOW!!  Not very good!  We need to improve this group!!

Other Linemen that saw action - Datone Jones - 3.5 sacks, Mike Daniels 6.5 sacks, CJ Wilson 0 sacks, & Josh Boyd - 0 sacks. To be fair, the 3 starters played mostly 1st & 2nd downs & the subs listed here played more on passing downs.  The diamond in the rough here may be Mike Daniels.  Jerel Worthy was hurt the entire season and we need to see more of him to pass judgement.  Datone Jones should signs, started season injured, so more time must be given to him!  But, he is a #1 pick!  Needs to demonstrate that to us!

I would let Ryan Picket go, he is going into year 14!  I would not re-sign BJ Raji, unless he takes a pay cut!  Here is where I would strongly go after a free agent!  More on that later!

So, as a grade? My final grade - 3 - Needs Help!
My system is four levels 1 - Excellent, 2 - Strong, 3 - Needs Help, & 4 - Scary

Let's Compare Packer Defenses 2103 Season and The Super Bowl Season 2010!

A comparison that I heard a lot this year was the injuries to the Packer defense of the Super Bowl Team  -2010 and this years defense.

Let's look at starting line ups:
2013
LDE - B. Raji
NT - R. Pickett
RDE - J. Jolly (M. Daniels)
LOLB - N. Perry (M. Neal) (J. Lattimore)
MLB - A. Hawk
BLB - B. Jones
ROLB - C. Matthews (A. Mulumba)
LCB - T. Williams
RCB - S. Shields (D. House)
FS - M. Burnett (J. McMillan)
SS - M. Jennings (M. Hyde)

2010 Packer Defense
LDE - R. Pickett
NT - BJ Raji
RDE - Cullen Jenkins
LOLB - Clay Mathews
MLB - A. Hawk
BLB - D. Bishop
ROLB - F. Zombo
LCB - T. Williams
RCB -Charles Woodson
FS - Charlie Peprah
SS - Nick Collins

A quick look to me is the quality of players!  Some key points!
1 - Clay Matthews was healthy!
2 - RDE - Cullen Jenkins - the Pack has missed him tremendously!!!
3 - RCB - Charles Woodson - we have NO body like him!
4 - NT - BJ Raji - he seemed more athletic & quicker!
5 - SS - Nick Collins - we have NO body like him! And he could tackle!!
6 - Nick Barnett was hurt and Desmond Bishop filled in well!  Brad Jones never seemed healthy?
7 - Same defensive coordinator!

The statistics were not even close!  And the personnel WAS BETTER!!!!

Therfore, Ted Thompson - we need defensive games changers!  ONE good free agent & a draft choice or two!!

Packer Defense - Not Good Enough!

When it comes to this Packer season, Team 93, one word will tell you why the Packers struggles all year - DEFENSE!

1 - Injuries!  I looked over the starting rosters for each Packer Game.  Only two out of 16 games did we have our starting line-up!  Burnett - missed the first two games.  Clay Matthews, our motor & play maker - missed almost 7 full games.  Brad Jones, one of the starting inside linebackers missed almost 7 full games!  Nick Perry, starting outside linebacker missed almost 9 full games & played hurt most of the season!  Johnny Jolly, who came back and played awesome in the running game and provided leadership, missed half of the games and could not finish the season!  And many others missed parts of games or 1 or 2 games during the season!

2 - A Defense that can stop an offense when needed?  NO!  Many times during the season the Packers needed a defensive stop, and it didn't happen!  A perfect example was the Packer - Eagle game.  The Eagles last drive ate up the last 9:32 to end the game!  That was a 9 minute 32 second drive!!!!  Not the sign of a championship defense!

3 - Turnovers -
Packers had 11 interceptions 26th in the LEAGUE!
Points given up per game - 24th - 26.8
Turnovers 19th - Packers were -3, League Leader - Seattle +20!

4 - The last 3 Packer Drafts on defense?
2013
DE Datone Jones D1
RB Eddie Lacy D2
T David Bakhtiari D4a
C/G JC Tretter D4b
RB Johnathan Franklin D4c
CB Micah Hyde D5a
DE Josh Boyd D5b
LB Nate Palmer D6
WR Kevin Dorsey D7b
LB Sam Barrington D7c

2012
LB Nick Perry D1
DE Jerel Worthy D2a
CB Casey Hayward D2b
DT Mike Daniels D4a

2011
T Derek Sherrod D1
WR Randall Cobb D2
CB Davon House D4 
TE Ryan Taylor D7a

What impact on defense do YOU see?  The past three years?  Answer - NONE!

Next Blog Entry - Comparing the Packers Super Winning Defense of 2010 to this year 2013!

Let's Look At Some Numbers From Packers Offense The Past 5 Years!

Time to compare the Packer Offense with previous years.  For argument sake, will will go back 5 years.

This year 2013.
Total  Offense - 3rd - 400.7 yards per game (7 games without Rogers!)
Rushing Offense - 7th - 133.5 yards per game
Passing Offense - 6th - 266.8 yards per game
Rushing TD's - 5th - 17 TD's

2012
Total  Offense - 13th - 359.4 yards per game
Rushing Offense - 20th - 106.4 yards per game
Passing Offense - 9th - 253.1 yards per game
Rushing TD's - 25th - 9 TD's

2011
Total  Offense - 3rd - 405.1 yards per game
Rushing Offense - 27th - 97.4 yards per game
Passing Offense - 3rd - 307.8 yards per game
Rushing TD's - 16th - 12 TD's

2010 Super Bowl (PACKERS WIN SUPER BOWL) SNEAK PEAK - (5th in Total Defense!!)
Total  Offense - 9th - 358.1 yards per game
Rushing Offense - 24th - 100.4 yards per game
Passing Offense - 5th - 257.8 yards per game
Rushing TD's - 18th - 11 TD's

2009
Total  Offense - 6th - 379.1 yards per game
Rushing Offense - 14th - 117.8 yards per game
Passing Offense - 7th - 261.2 yards per game
Rushing TD's - 5th - 20 TD's

It is great having Aaron Rogers, Eddie Lacy, Jordy Nelson & the rest of our offense weapons, BUT note my observation about the 2010 season!  Packers Defense was ranked 5th in Total Defense!  So, my conclusion……. why not have a good defense to compliment our great offense!!!!

Packer Offensive Line, Could Be One of The NFL's Best?

The Packer Offensive Line I think could be one of the best!  Stay healthy & gain more experience - LOOK OUT!!!

Here are the 2013 Packer Offensive Linemen
Player & Years Experience
David Bahktiari - R
Don Barclay - 2
Josh Sitton - 6
TJ Lang - 5
Evan Dietrich-Smith - 4
Derrick Sherrod - 3
Brian Bulaga - 4
JC Tretter - R
Aaron Adams - R
Jeremy Vujnovich - 1
Marshall Newhouse - 4
Greg VanRoten - 2
Lane Taylor - R
Lance Coleman - R
Garth Gehart - 1
Andrew Tiller - R

That is a BIG list!  Let's look at this years starters first:
David Bahktiari & Don Barclay at Tackles, Josh Sitton & TJ Lang at Guards & Evan Dietrich-Smith at Center.  Overall, a good season!  Especially, considering we lost our starting Left Tackle before the first  pre-season game!!  And replaced him with rookie David Bahktiari!  For a rookie, a great job!!  And considering not have Aaron Rogers for almost half the year!  And the running game!  What an improvement!  Rushing stats, Packers were 7th best in the NFL & I think could be better!  The offense line proved they could run block & pass block!!! Rushing TD's, 5th in the league with 17 TD's!

Here is a great website for offensive line stats!

Some other results, The Pack was 5th in Sacks given up!!  THAT"s improvement!!
Packers - 5th in Sack given up - 30 sacks!!
In a stat called "Power Success" the Pack was 1st!!!

Back-up linemen this year Marshall Newhouse & Derrick Sherrod filled in adequately!  I think Sherrod can be a starter & Newhouse will stay a back up.  Now, when Bulaga comes back. WOW!  I see an incredible competition next year!  I think that battle & good health will make the Packer Offensive line one of the top f in the NFL!!!

The only free agent of consequence is Evan Dietrich-Smith.  I again think, if he asked for too much, he is gone!  Lang filled in at center when Dietrich-Smith was hurt!  And, with Sherrod & Bulaga coming back, the Pack has plenty of depth!

Final Grade - Offensive Line - Strong (And next year could be excellent!)
My system is four levels 1 - Excellent, 2 - Strong, 3 - Needs Help, & 4 - Scary

Looking At The Packer Receivers - Tight Ends & Wide Receivers 2013

One thing the Packers are blest with the last few years is a great receiving core!  That traditions looks like it will continue.  Let's take a look at the Tight End position first.

Tight Ends & Years Experience
Finley, Jermichael - 6
Quarless, Andrew - 4
Taylor, Ryan - 3
Bostick, Brandon - 1
Stoneburner, Jake - R


Jermichael Finly - First BIG question!  Would you sign Jermichael Finley for 2014?  Answer - No.  It is a real shame, because I think Finley made strides this year!  He has had an up & down 6 year career, showing signs of being one of the NFL's best tight ends!  But, dropping balls at key times!  Because of the injury, unless the doctors are 100% positive sure of total recovery, it would be impossible to give a long term contract now that he is a free agent.

Andrew Quarless - Stepping in for Finley, I think Quarless did an adequate job.  Quarless always was a good blocking tight end.  This year he has shown signs of being a quality receiver.  I still think we should look for a tight end the the 2014 NFL Draft.

Ryan Taylor - Taylor was a key special teams player, and after Finley's injury, Taylor did get a lot of playing time.  Run blocking aside, he did not set the world on fire receiving the football.  Therefore, I would think Ryan Taylor must again prove himself next season to make the team.

Brandon Bostick - here is one tight end that may need more study!  I still think there is promise with this player. Played basketball & football at a small college, Newberry College.  Because of all this I would like to see him at least one more season!

Jake Stoneburner - out of Ohio State, Stoneburner spent time on & off the main roster.  I would place him in the same category as Ryan Taylor, bring him back next season to try to make the team!

Wide Receivers & Years Experience
Randall Cobb - 3
James Jones - 7
Jordy Nelson - 6
Jarrett Boykin - 2
Chris Harper - R
Kevin Dorsey - R
Myles White - R
Alex Gillette - R
Tyronne Walker -R
Sedrick Cunningham - R

When I think of wide receivers on the Packer team, I get a BIG smile on my face!!!  WE HAVE BEEN BLEST WITH GREAT TALENT!  With the loss of Jennings to the Vikings & Driver to retirement, the Packer receivers did not miss a beat!!  AND NO PRIMA DONNA'S!!  Here we go with the receivers!

Jordy Nelson!  I'm sorry - MY FAVORITE!  Humble, team oriented, and TALENTED!  In high school, football QB, played basketball and track & field!  Jordy has great speed!  Check this out!

Nelson was also an outstanding track and field athlete at Riley County High School. He won a national AAU championship in the 400 meters as a 10-year-old. In 2003, his senior year, he won the state titles in Class 3A in the 100 meters, with a time of 10.63 seconds, 200 meters, with a time of 21.64 seconds, 400 meters, with a time of 48.79 and long jump, with a leap of 7.00 meters.
As a retired track & field coaching I'm smiling!!!

Randall Cobb!  WOW!  Did we miss Randall Cobb!  The Packer Buddies were in Baltimore when Cobb was injured!  I can still see Aaron Rogers running up to the Raven's defensive back & getting in his face!  Cheap shot or not, we are changing the game in the NFL with all the rule changes!  Cobb has incredible football abilities!  Check this out!

Cobb attended Alcoa High School in Alcoa, Tennessee, U.S., where the football team was a four-time State Champion in Class AA and Cobb received a "Mr. Football" trophy from the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association At that time he played mostly quarterback for the Tornadoes. He also competed in track and field, and was an all-district basketball player as a junior.

As my Packer Buddies will agree, the Packers are recruiting as I would!  WE NEED ATHLETES!!  In fact, and I know one of my Packer Buddies would agree, HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETES SHOULD PLAY MULTIPLE SPORTS!!!  Randall, if healthy next year, here comes a prediction, WE BE ALL PRO!

James Jones - the third head of the triple threat is Mr. Steady!  The "tough" receiver, great size, sure hands, and makes the catch in traffic as good as anybody!  Also, a great leader!  Listen to any interviews!  A community guy, a family guy, and best of all a Packer guy!  Problem is, a free agent!
Should a say this, I guess I need to, if the money isn't right, we will need to let him go……  (That defense needs help, that means $$$$$$$$$)

Jarrett Boykin - The only reason that James Jones leaving would work, is because Boykin looked good in his first chance at starting!  He made difficult catches, showed ability to run the offense, and waited his turn!!  I liked what I saw this year!  If Jones moves on, I think Boykin is ready!

The rest of the wide receivers - Chris Harper - R, Kevin Dorsey - R, Myles White - R, Alex Gillette - R, Tyronne Walker -R, Sedrick Cunningham - R.  A lot of possibilities!  If we keep the above proven talent, that makes room for 1-2 of this list!  White should some promise in a little action this year.  I would like to see Dorsey next season in more game type action.  I would bring them all back to try out and not draft any wide receivers!

Final Grade - Wides Receivers - Excellent  & Tight Ends - Need Help
My system is four levels 1 - Excellent, 2 - Strong, 3 - Needs Help, & 4 - Scary
Next entry - Offensive Linemen!

Analyzing The Green Bay Packer 2013 Roster - QB's & RB's

For the next few days I will be taking a close look at the Green Bay Packer end of the year roster!  This roster will include the 53 main roster, the 8 practice team players & the approximate 14 players on the injured reserve.  The first area to be analyzed is the QB's & RB's.

Quarterbacks & years experience

Rogers, Aaron – 9

Tolzien, Scott – 3

Flynn, Matt – 6

Wallace, Seneca – 10

I guess we will keep Aaron Rogers!  You really see why you pay the top quarterbacks the BIG money!  Without Aaron we are at BEST and average team and would struggle to get into the playoffs!  My concern?  We need to to the BEST job we can, to provide Aaron with a team that will give us a chance to make another Super Bowl run!  What makes Aaron one of the NFL best QB's?

1 - Arm strength & touch - makes all the throws!

2 - Athletic Ability - can move in the pocket & scramble when needed

3 - Decision Making - changing plays at the line & ready the defense

4 - Leadership - I think this has improved!

5 - The Will to Win

I would not bring Seneca Wallace back.  And I would allow Flynn & Tolzien to battle for the back-up quarterback job!  The sticking point is Matt Flynn is a free agent!  BUT, I have a gut feeling a lot of teams will not be after him.

Fullback  & years experience

Kuhn, John - 8

Keep him!!  Remember the last TD for the Packers against the Bears!  What a block!!  Special teams!  Leadership!  KUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUHN!  Every team needs a John Kuhn!  Not the most talented athlete, but a football player!  His salary will be high compared to NFL fullbacks, BUT PAY IT!

Runningbacks  & years experience

Lacey, Eddie - R

Starks, James - 4

Harris, Dujuan - 1

Franklin, Jonathan - R

Bell, Kahill - 5

Smith, Orwin - R

Of all the Packer positions, this to me, is the most improved!  

Eddie Lacey?  What a year for a rookie!!! One thing I do since I retired, is listen to all the Packer interviews during the season.  Eddie Lacey is not only a player on the field, but comes across as a humble & intelligent young man!  Love his passion and football IQ!  I believe the next 4-5 years will be fun to watch Eddie Run!!

James Starks?  Finally, remained healthy for most of the year!  Was not jealous of Lacey success and provided new energy when he entered the game.  He running style is very unique.  Starks is all elbows & knees when he runs!  Also, a very physical runner!  Provides a great 1-2 punch!  Issue here is Starks is a free agent, will teams come after him?  I do not think we will spend a lot of money on Starks!

Dujuan Harris was the starter at the beginning of the year!  Although smaller in stature, another relentless & physical running back.  Signed as a non-drafted free agent, Harris was a great find!  Should be in the mix next season and provide the depth the Packers need!

Jonathan Franklin was suppose to provide a spark!  He did for one game against the Bengals(the Packer Buddies were at the game to see it)!  But, a fumbling problem caused Franklin to enter the McCarthy doghouse & an injury ended the season!  I of think he provides a style of running the Pack needs, but because of ball security will be a long shot next season to make the team!

Kahill Bell & Orwin Smith provided emergency back-up in an injury plagued season!  The odds of making the roster will be VERY slim!  

There you have it!  Here is how I rate the Quarterback & Running back positions.  My system is four levels 1 - Excellent, 2 - Strong, 3 - Needs Help, & 4 - Scary

Quarterback - Excellent

Running Back - Strong