Packers Roster as of April 30

Today I did a quick check of the Packers roster - counter 75 players.

Here is some recent news:

Cedric Benson - This article had the latest on Benson
Looks like Benson might be on the way out with the 2 running backs drafted.  I'm sure he will be on the back up list, but other NFL teams will keep him on their radar!

Ryan Grant - Grant is also off the roster and I think he is behind Benson.  So this may be the last time we see Ryan Grant is a Packer uniform.  He was a very dependable back & great professional.

Today we will look at Fullback, the one on the roster - John Kuuuuuuuuuuuuuuhn!

I am a little biased here, why?

1 - A central Pennsylvania athlete

2 - Was at his wedding!  Married a good friend Lindsey.  We are very close to her family!  A GREAT family, great Mom & Dad & little sis!!!

John is a "blue collar" running back from a division 2 school in Pennsylvania, Shippensburg!  He has become a kind of "folk" hero in Green Bay!

A coach on the field, does the dirty work, special teams, and helps protect the QB!  John has scored some BIG short yardage TD's - run & pass!

I think he is safe for the year, but with Lacy, his job may be in jeopardy!  I see the Packers moving to more tight ends & bigger faster backs in the back field!  One thing is for sure, John Kuhn is a football player!

Packer Education - Explaining "Dead Money"

OK, now that the draft is over it is time to study the salary cap!  I found this great article on "Dead Money"!

Here is the website - Explaining Salary Cap Dead Money

So, here I go:

Signing Bonus - When a player receives a signing bonus, whether a new contract or extension, that money is paid out immediately to the player.  That money is prorated over the remaining years of the contract, but it cannot be prorated over more than 5 years!

Example - player signs 3 year contract, signing bonus $3 million.  That is $1 million to the salary cap.  Let's say the base salary is $465,000, cap charge would be $1,465,000.

If player would make $555,000 in year 2, that would be $1,555,000 salary cap.  But, if cut before June 1st,  team not responsible for $555,000, but is responsible for remaining salary bonus of $2 million that year salary cap.  If cut after June 1, salary cap would be $1 million that year & $1 million the next year.

That is one example, the article has a few more examples.

Also, found an up to date website on the current salaries at:
Green Bay Salaries

Does a nice job of looking at the entire team!  Have a look!

Packers Draft Completed

The draft is completed & the roster has grown to 78.  I think the limit is now 80, so the next week or so it may grow by a couple & maybe a few more present players may be released.  What I plan to do is analyze the current roster & talk about the competition for roster spots in the coming weeks!

First, the easiest Quarterback.

Quarterbacks (years)

Aaron Rogers - (9)

Graham Harrell- (2)

BJ Coleman - (1)

Aaron Rogers is signed till 2019!  Again, ROGERS IS SIGNED!!!

Beyond that, it is scary!  We do not have a clue what to expect from Harrell or Coleman!

Are there any with experience still out there?

Byron Leftwich

Vince Young

Matt Leinart

Charlie Batch

Trent Edwards

JaMarcus Russel

And a few others - check out the list at - 2013 Free Agents

I do not see anyone I want, so let's hope Rogers stays healthy & Harrell & Coleman get better!

As for Rogers, at times I think he holds the ball to long, but that is better than interceptions! Maybe it may be the Packer offense also.  Here is a few "PackerBacker" suggestions - Are you ready this Mike McCarthy?

1 - I think out receivers have troubles with "press" coverage.  Big Corners, that play in your face, seem to give us problems.  Maybe some of the new rookies can help us with that. Receivers need to get more separation! - This helps our quarterbacks!

2 - Running Game!  I have a better feeling after this draft that the past few years.  Both Lacy & 

Franklin seem to indicate a serious look at a Packer running game!  Play action passing would also be helped by a "serious" running attack!  This helps our quarterbacks!

3 - Our tight ends must make more big plays(FINLEY!) This helps our quarterbacks!

4 - Need a running back that plays all downs, so we are able to run the "fast break" offense more effectively!  This helps our quarterbacks!

Packer Quarterbacks!!!!!!!!!

A Runningback, Finalllllllllllllyyyyyyyy!

We drafted a running back!!  A TOUGH running back!  Cross off one more FAN complaint list!!!

What do we have in Round 2?


1 - The Packers make a commitment to a Running Back!  Even though we have drafted a few the last couple years - this seems different!  A running back that we all new his name.  From a college power!  He looked goo on TV against great competition! In Round 2!

2 - He looks like an NFL running back! 5'11" - 230 lbs!

3 - Do you see the picture above - VERY athletic!!!

4 - A three down back!!!
"At 230 pounds, he's got much better feet than people think. This guy's a three-down tailback. He'll protect the quarterback. He can carry 20 to 25 times a game. For the Packers, who have been running the ball by committee, this is a perfect pick." -- Mike Mayock

5 - Will protect Aaron!!!

And the rest of day #2 was - TRADING DRAFT PICKS  - HERE IS WHAT WE HAVE!

Rogers Signs Contract Extension!!!

We know have locked up the one player that will keep the Packers competitive the next few years - Aaron Rogers!  Check out - Packers Announce Long-tern Contract Extension for Aaron Rogers

I am not a NFL contract expert, but here are some of my observations:

1 - The average is a "little" more than Joe Flacco.  And for the average fan like you & me, "little" is a very relative term!!  The article states:

"The $22 million per year average of the extension beats the $21.6 million that Joe Flacco received from the Baltimore Ravens earlier this offseason. The $62.5 million that Rodgers will receive over the all-important first three seasons of the deal also beats the deal signed by Flacco, who will earn $62 million over the next three seasons."

 The article goes on:

"Multiple reports have Rodgers received $40 million in 2013, which would be equivalent to what New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees received in 2012"

So as of today, Aaron is the HIGHEST paid QB.  But I still think he is being careful not to "break" the bank!  Remember that key salary cap number - $123 million total for the team!!!

Ted Thompson states:

“Aaron is a true professional and a special player," GM Ted Thompson said in a statement released by the Packers. "He works hard, is humble, and is focused on his actions, on and off the field. He is an excellent teammate and pushes himself and others to be the very best. We are happy to reach an agreement to extend his career with the Packers."

And finally:

Overall, Rodgers will earn $130.75 million over the next seven seasons and the contract will expire a few months after his 36th birthday.

This is critical!!

A few key words here from the Packer GM!

True Professional
Special Player
Works Hard
Is Humble
Actions - on & of field

If I was Aaron's father, these words work make me quite proud!!

As a fan, this makes me smile!  It is a good day to be a Packer Fan!

Packers First Pick - Defensive End, Datone Jones

It is official. Datone Jones, UCLA, defensive end is the Packers first round draft pick!

Height - 6'4"

Weight - 285

Age - 22

College - UCLA

Results of the NFL Combine & the testing:

40 yard dash time - 4.80

3 - cone time - 7.32

Shuttle time - 4.32

Vertical Jump - 31.50 "

Standing Broad Jump - 112"

Bench (225 lbs)- 29 reps

This tests do not always mean a lot, but they are a good quick reference.  How did they rank compared to the other defensive ends at the testing?  They were 28 defensive ends.

40 yard dash time - 17 out of 28

3 - cone time - 12 out of 28

Shuttle time - 2 out of 28

Vertical Jump - 15 out of 28

Standing Broad Jump - 16 out of 28

Bench (225 lbs)- 6 out of 28

Based on the testing, Datone Jones does not stand out, so what did the Packers see in him?

One view from CBS Sports:
STRENGTHS: Well-built athlete with long arms and good strength, throughout. Flashes an explosive initial burst off the snap to penetrate gaps. Uses his hands well at the snap to rip free from blocks, showing a variety of pass rush techniques (swim, rip, club), as well as enough power to simply bull over offensive linemen into the backfield.

Keeps his head up and locates the football quickly, showing good awareness and effort in pursuit. Has the upper-body strength to lock-out opponents and seal the edge. Stout enough to slide inside to defensive tackle, especially on obvious pass rush downs. Enjoyed a breakout senior campaign and may be just scratching the surface of his potential.

WEAKNESSES: A classic 'tweener who until his senior season hadn't ever lived up to expectations. Lacks the sustained speed and flexibility to turn the corner as a traditional 4-3 defensive end. Lacks the bulk to handle full-time duties as a traditional defensive tackle. Has a tendency to stand up as he comes off the ball, losing out on the leverage battle. Uses his hands well initially but tires quickly and struggles to disengage once his opponent has locked on.

COMPARES TO: Robert Ayers, DE, Denver Broncos -- Like Ayers, Jones has flashed talent throughout his collegiate career but has been racked with inconsistency. His versatility and big senior season could push a team to gamble on his upside early.

--Rob Rang

Another view, this from another team - The New England Patriots:
Intangibles
+ High character individual, extremely hard worker who has overcome very tough surroundings
+ Well spoken and football savvy, knew about each teams needs, personnel and where he would fit
+ In conversation, Jones was able to break down each position he played and the responsibilities
+ Passionate about the game of football, willing to do what it takes to be successful
+ Fits multiple schemes and can play multiple positions, willing to play any position on the line
+ Extremely hard worker off the field and in the weight room, set example for younger UCLA players
- Motor was questioned at times and at times was inconsistent
- Still a bit raw overall, a lot of room for refinement
- Awareness on the field could stand to be improved


One more report, NFL Draft Geek!

Pros

• Outstanding overall strength; pound-for-pound one of the strongest players in the draft
• Excellent athlete with good speed, quickness, and explosiveness
• Fires out of his stance and can beat his lineman right off the ball
• Strong at the P.O.A; creates tremendous leverage, and plays with great pad level
• Violent hand punch jars lineman back
• Has an outstanding bull rush; can walk his blocker into the quarterback
• Schematic versatility; has necessary height and bulk to fit in a number of defensive schemes
• Quickness allows him to split gaps effectively
• Fights through double teams
• Shows a high football IQ and awareness
• High character; hard worker, tough, leader

Cons

• Stiff lower body, doesn't re-direct that well
• Doesn't always stay square, can get shoulders turn and driven out of plays
• Very short arms (32 3/4), may limit his ability to play inside in certain schemes
• Isn't able to consistently get arm extension and disengage from blockers
• Doesn't seem overly comfortable in space

Time Will Tell!!!

A Different Look at the NFL Draft!

Listened to the Dan Patrick Show & heard a different view of the NFL Draft!  Take a look:

The NFL Draft Decoded - Matt Taibbi

Here is the short list:

Rule 1 - Dope Smokers are a Bargain
Rule 2 - Steer Clear of the Recently Arrested
Rule 3 - Take a Chance on Small
Rule 4 - Don't Sleep on the Samoans
Rule 5 - Be Kind to Fat Tight Ends
Rule 6 - Take a Flyer on a Late-Round QB Every Year

Some of the advice is interesting!