You were ready for me Aaron. And I stand by my McGinn estimate: All gas no substance.

I'm sorry Ron, that's rediculous. I don't care how many websites you go and read every day, there is no way that you have the background to be making comments like that. McGinn's job is to do this stuff. He talks to actual NFL players and staff.
It just annoys me when someone makes a general comment like that about a subject that they only have a moderately small amount of information about.
We are all free to have our own opinions, but come on, a comment like that is silly.

Just like any fans, PackFans analyze & scrutinize their own team to the point of even being critical of the 52nd & 53rd player on the roster. If these same fans analyzed the other 31 teams in the NFL as close as they analyse GB, they would find that nearly all NFL teams have glaring weaknesses & needs.

Some (if not all) of these fans need to focus more on what GB has as opposed to their deficiencies. GB will always have areas of need just like the other 31 teams.

This personnel guy is right, I would extend it to the tackles as well. The packers two starting tackles are already on the roster...and they are not Tauscher or Clifton....get ready.

Packer fans, especially those in Wisconsin, are victims of too much time over the winter on their hands, not enough employment, and too many low brow websites with negative info to peruse....Kind of like my mom with CNN...."Mom, you own your house, got bank in the bank, no stocks, why do you let this crap affect you?" ......no answer, some people just need to worry in order to feel alive I guess.

sad really.

you are what you are.(6&10).If you do nothen to improve yourself.you get no better. Some people need to pat thier selfs onthe back all the time.thats why I stopped reading from GB official site.
THEY SUGAR COAT EVERYTHING>

You are not "are what you are" when you have the youngest roster in the league, you are actually better every year as the players Mature, the scheme gets better understood, and the Coaching staff has a longer time to evaluate individual and teams strengths. Change and getting better are not the same thing. People who think it is are constantly in a state of stress trying to figure out how best to "change". That takes them away from focusing on the objective....win games. Favre was not a good player his first couple years, but we stuck with him, saw his talent and there you go. You have to do that with every player. People think its easy, if it were then anyone could press the button and win a superbowl. The tough thing is to ignore the ignorant and stick to the plan. Discipline is tough in the Socialist state of Wisconsin where everyone feels entitled to be listened to and taken care of....I assure you that's not how it works in the real world.

"you are what you are.(6&10).If you do nothen to improve yourself.you get no better. "

Then how did we go from 13-3 to 6-10 in one year with basically the same players? It certainly wasn't play by the QB because although Rodgers had some weaknesses he still played very well. It was the defense and the O-line that really killed us and those were largely unchanged. But injuries, a bad defensive coordinator and other intangibles played into it.

You get the idea that some of these "panic" fans think GB will play without an RT because they can't ID him at this moment.

Or maybe GB will only play with 10 on the field on defense because OLB is a question mark at this point.

It snowed early this morning. That tells me that there is still alot of time to sort things out in GB. All 32 teams are in the same process this time of year.

I absolutely agree PackerBelle. They are not what they were. They have changed their Defensive, Special Teams and Conditioning staff completely. That will make much more of a difference than adding some overpaid, overhyped player to the roster. Young players improve. That's why we'll get better this year.

what the packers need is defensive end from usc kyle moore well heres some stats to refresh your memory and based of of needin a better front seven and reciveing a phone call from some high up packer personel on my phone seeing a 920 number one way calling beacuse i could not call back and the only one i gave the number to is ted tompson over there. well this is what we need and hey i was right about rodgers when everyone doubted him well here you go....

Kyle Moore

Class:
Senior

Hometown:
Kathleen, GA

High School:
Houston County

Height / Weight:
6-6 / 270

Position:
DE

Birthdate:
10/25/1986

Experience:
3V

2008: Moore returns for his second season as a starting defensive end as a senior in 2008. He had arthroscopic surgery on his knee prior to 2008 spring practice, which limited him in spring drills.

2007: Moore did a solid job while starting at defensive end as a junior in 2007. Overall in 2007 while appearing in all 13 games and starting 11 (all but Idaho and Arizona State), he had 35 tackles, including 3.5 for losses of 29 yards (with 2 sacks for 20 yards), plus 2 interceptions that he returned 38 yards (19.0 avg.), 5 deflections, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery. He had 3 takeaways in USC's first 3 games of 2007.

He had 4 tackles against Idaho (including a sack in which he forced a fumble that he recovered) and a deflection. He had 2 tackles and returned an interception 24 yards to set up a USC TD at Nebraska. Against Washington State, he had 2 tackles, an interception (which led to a USC field goal) and a deflection. He had 4 tackles (1 for a loss) at Washington, 6 tackles versus Stanford, and a tackle and 2 deflections against Arizona. He added 6 tackles (0.5 sack) and a deflection at Notre Dame, 1 tackle at Oregon, 4 tackles (0.5 for a loss) against Oregon State, 1 tackle at California, 2 stops at Arizona State and 2 tackles (0.5 for a loss) against UCLA.

2006: Moore was an often-used backup defensive end as sophomore in 2006. Overall in 2006 while appearing in all 13 games, he had 5 tackles and a deflection. He had 2 stops at Stanford.

2005: Moore served as a backup defensive end as a first-year freshman in 2005. Overall in 2005 while appearing in 11 games (he sprained his right knee in the Hawaii opener and missed the Arkansas and Oregon games), he made 6 tackles and recovered a team-high 2 fumbles. He had 3 tackles against UCLA. His fumble recoveries came at Hawaii (to set up a USC TD) and California.

HIGH SCHOOL: He was a 2004 Parade All-American, USA Today All-USA first team, EA Sports All-American first team, Super Prep Elite 50, Prep Star Top 100 Dream Team, Student Sports Top 100, Rivals 100, Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, Tom Lemming All-American, Super Prep All-Dixie, Prep Star All-Southeast, Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super Southern 100 and Georgia Class 5A Defensive Player of the Year as a senior defensive lineman at Houston County High in Warner Robins (Ga.). He had 93 tackles, 22 sacks, 18 deflections, 8 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries and 1 blocked punt (for a touchdown) in 2004.

As a junior in 2003, he made All-Middle Georgia, All-Region and All-County while getting 110 tackles, 23 tackles for loss and 15 sacks.

PERSONAL: He's a sociology major at USC. He was born in Germany and lived in Europe and Texas before moving to Georgia.

TAC LS/YDS DFL FR INT YDS AVG TD LG
2005 (Fr.) 6 0/0 0 2 0 0 0.0 0 0
2006 (So.) 5 0/0 1 0 0 0 0.0 0 0
2007 (Jr.) 35 3.5/29 5 1 2 38 19.0 0 24
CAREER. 46 3.5/29 6 3 2 38 19.0 0 24

GAME-BY-GAME WITH KYLE MOORE

2007

TAC LS/YDS DFL FR INT YDS AVG TD LG
Idaho 4 1/12 1 1 0 0 0.0 0 0
Nebraska* 2 0/0 0 0 1 24 24.0 0 24
Wash. St.* 2 0/0 1 0 1 14 14.0 0 14
Washington* 4 1/9 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0
Stanford* 6 0/0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0
Arizona* 1 0/0 2 0 0 0 0.0 0 0
Notre Dame* 6 0.5/4 1 0 0 0 0.0 0 0
Oregon* 1 0/0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0
Oregon St.* 4 0.5/0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0
California* 1 0/0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0
Arizona St. 2 0/0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0
UCLA* 2 0.5/4 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0
2007 (Jr.) 35 3.5/29 5 1 2 38 19.0 0 24
*Starter

2006

TAC LS/YDS DFL FR
Wash. St. 1 0/0 0 0
Stanford 2 0/0 0 0
Oregon 1 0/0 1 0
Michigan (RB) 1 0/0 0 0
2006 (So.) 5 0/0 1 0

2005

TAC LS/YDS DFL FR
Hawaii 0 0/0 0 1
Wash. St. 1 0/0 0 0
Stanford 1 0/0 0 0
California 0 0/0 0 1
Fresno St. 1 0/0 0 0
UCLA 3 0/0 0 0
2005 (Fr.) 6 0/0 0 2

this is what we need first overal pick then trade are 4ths with are twosevenths for a second round pick and pick up a cornerback and a devensive tackle! well this more from your gooroo stephen kolb.

the packers need is defensive end from usc kyle moore well heres some stats to refresh your memory and based of of needin a better front seven and reciveing a phone call from some high up packer personel on my phone seeing a 920 number one way calling beacuse I could not call back and the only one I gave the number to is ted tompson over there. well this is what we need and hey i was right about rodgers when everyone doubted him well here you go....

Kyle Moore

Class:
Senior

Hometown:
Kathleen, GA

High School:
Houston County

Height / Weight:
6-6 / 270

Position:
DE

Birthdate:
10/25/1986

Experience:
3V

2008: Moore returns for his second season as a starting defensive end as a senior in 2008. He had arthroscopic surgery on his knee prior to 2008 spring practice, which limited him in spring drills.

2007: Moore did a solid job while starting at defensive end as a junior in 2007. Overall in 2007 while appearing in all 13 games and starting 11 (all but Idaho and Arizona State), he had 35 tackles, including 3.5 for losses of 29 yards (with 2 sacks for 20 yards), plus 2 interceptions that he returned 38 yards (19.0 avg.), 5 deflections, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery. He had 3 takeaways in USC's first 3 games of 2007.

He had 4 tackles against Idaho (including a sack in which he forced a fumble that he recovered) and a deflection. He had 2 tackles and returned an interception 24 yards to set up a USC TD at Nebraska. Against Washington State, he had 2 tackles, an interception (which led to a USC field goal) and a deflection. He had 4 tackles (1 for a loss) at Washington, 6 tackles versus Stanford, and a tackle and 2 deflections against Arizona. He added 6 tackles (0.5 sack) and a deflection at Notre Dame, 1 tackle at Oregon, 4 tackles (0.5 for a loss) against Oregon State, 1 tackle at California, 2 stops at Arizona State and 2 tackles (0.5 for a loss) against UCLA.

2006: Moore was an often-used backup defensive end as sophomore in 2006. Overall in 2006 while appearing in all 13 games, he had 5 tackles and a deflection. He had 2 stops at Stanford.

2005: Moore served as a backup defensive end as a first-year freshman in 2005. Overall in 2005 while appearing in 11 games (he sprained his right knee in the Hawaii opener and missed the Arkansas and Oregon games), he made 6 tackles and recovered a team-high 2 fumbles. He had 3 tackles against UCLA. His fumble recoveries came at Hawaii (to set up a USC TD) and California.

HIGH SCHOOL: He was a 2004 Parade All-American, USA Today All-USA first team, EA Sports All-American first team, Super Prep Elite 50, Prep Star Top 100 Dream Team, Student Sports Top 100, Rivals 100, Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, Tom Lemming All-American, Super Prep All-Dixie, Prep Star All-Southeast, Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super Southern 100 and Georgia Class 5A Defensive Player of the Year as a senior defensive lineman at Houston County High in Warner Robins (Ga.). He had 93 tackles, 22 sacks, 18 deflections, 8 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries and 1 blocked punt (for a touchdown) in 2004.

As a junior in 2003, he made All-Middle Georgia, All-Region and All-County while getting 110 tackles, 23 tackles for loss and 15 sacks.

PERSONAL: He's a sociology major at USC. He was born in Germany and lived in Europe and Texas before moving to Georgia.

TAC LS/YDS DFL FR INT YDS AVG TD LG
2005 (Fr.) 6 0/0 0 2 0 0 0.0 0 0
2006 (So.) 5 0/0 1 0 0 0 0.0 0 0
2007 (Jr.) 35 3.5/29 5 1 2 38 19.0 0 24
CAREER. 46 3.5/29 6 3 2 38 19.0 0 24

GAME-BY-GAME WITH KYLE MOORE

2007

TAC LS/YDS DFL FR INT YDS AVG TD LG
Idaho 4 1/12 1 1 0 0 0.0 0 0
Nebraska* 2 0/0 0 0 1 24 24.0 0 24
Wash. St.* 2 0/0 1 0 1 14 14.0 0 14
Washington* 4 1/9 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0
Stanford* 6 0/0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0
Arizona* 1 0/0 2 0 0 0 0.0 0 0
Notre Dame* 6 0.5/4 1 0 0 0 0.0 0 0
Oregon* 1 0/0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0
Oregon St.* 4 0.5/0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0
California* 1 0/0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0
Arizona St. 2 0/0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0
UCLA* 2 0.5/4 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0
2007 (Jr.) 35 3.5/29 5 1 2 38 19.0 0 24
*Starter

2006

TAC LS/YDS DFL FR
Wash. St. 1 0/0 0 0
Stanford 2 0/0 0 0
Oregon 1 0/0 1 0
Michigan (RB) 1 0/0 0 0
2006 (So.) 5 0/0 1 0

2005

TAC LS/YDS DFL FR
Hawaii 0 0/0 0 1
Wash. St. 1 0/0 0 0
Stanford 1 0/0 0 0
California 0 0/0 0 1
Fresno St. 1 0/0 0 0
UCLA 3 0/0 0 0
2005 (Fr.) 6 0/0 0 2

this is what we need first overal pick then trade are 4ths with are twosevenths for a second round pick and pick up a cornerback and a devensive tackle! well this more from your gooroo stephen kolb.

So why exactly did the Pack suck pie hole in ’08?
IT WAS THE DEFENSE STUPID!!!!

Or more accurately : IT WAS THE STUPID DEFENSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Godamn embarrassment is what it was, ’08 Pack D was absolutely a high school level display of the predictable nature and result of running a bland Vanilla 4-3 man cover scheme ON EVERY DOWN. I am the head coach of a bunch of 12 year olds in a Pop Warner league….I can honestly tell you that our defense caused a lot more confusion for the opposition than the Packers’s ’08 Defense did for the teams lining up against them. Matt Ryan looked like Joe Montana against the Packers…and Drew Brees?????OMG that guy is going first ballot if the Packers are in his division. I mean this was just one shade, just one light shade mind you, above Bob Slowick’s self flagellating historically bad expression of how a defense should behave. And I got news for you….it wasn’t all injuries. The Packs dismal defensive performance was based 60% on poor scheme and design by the coaches, 10% on poor execution by player’s and 10% on lack of adequate coach’s response to that poor execution, and 20% on poor effort of players. You want to know how you go 13-3 to 6-10 while throwing fewer interceptions and still having a 1000 yd rusher and two 1000 yd receivers? You let the other team score at will, that’s how…Notice I am not mentioning a certain #4 who caused a bit of distraction as he cried his ass out of town…That will not even be covered in this piece. That guy is gone, took his circus act with him and left. Thanks for the memories Brett now stay away please.

So lest you not clearly understand my somewhat guarded thrusts above, Sanders and his cadre just sucked, and had no answers when they noticed they were sucking, so they just sucked worse as the season went on. Every injury and boneheaded play just buried them deeper, till there was nothing left but Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy standing on their graves politely explaining to them that, sorry, their services were no longer needed for our proud franchise.

Here are the positional ways we sucked on Defense:

LBs = Yeah, everyone wants to blame injuries and the DL for our abysmal performance and I get to that below, but the Linebackers, for reasons both understandable and not, really sucked the worst, and here’s why….They were the most disappointing group on defense because we expected them to have a breakout year. All signs pointed to these guys kicking ass and taking names. Turned out they spent most of their time in detention.

Granted, you just cannot make tackles at the line of scrimmage, or behind the opposing team’s line, when you have their 300 lb guard knocking your ass in the opposite direction, that would contradict both Einstein’s and Newton’s laws of physics and gravity respectively…and Brady Poppinga does not even know who those guys are, much less is he able to defeat such inertia. Clearly you can’t tackle when you are on your back, or 7 yards down field and out of the play. But you gotta play your heart out, shed blocks, and make plays if you want to start at Linebacker for one of the most storied franchises in the NFL. The linebackers looked horrible all year, and only got worse when they played hurt and out of position. EMBARRASSING.

Dline: though the Linebacker play sucked because we expected so much more, it was largely because of the Dline that they did suck so bad. Yeah….I know Cullen Jenkins got hurt, but are we saying Cullen Jenkins bares even a passing resemblance to Reggie White in his prime? Obviously not.

Then how the hell does one guy getting hurt defeat a whole defense? Oh,….Justin Harrell you say? Well what about Corey Williams and that guy we kept last year what was his name…Muir yeah that’s it Daniel Moore..What about him? NONE WERE IN A PACKERS’ UNI LAST YEAR??????

Hmmmmm then maybe its not that the Dline sucked on ability, its that it just did not exist compared to its ’07 form. The Packers Dline did not regress from 07, it did not exist from ’07. We had essentially zero bodies on the line last year. It’s that simple…..Colin Cole? C’mon don’t give me that, the guy was Gabe Wilkins twin sister. Hell, Much as I like Jolly, he is no second coming either. Maybe we are going to the 3-4 so we only have to line up 3 healthy big guys instead of 4? Maybe those guys just get hurt easier and get tired quicker so we are switching it up? Don’t know, but Geeze, get us some bodies here Ted, PULeazzzzze. Ted, it’s your fault our lined did not show up last year, fix it right away. Thanks bud.

Dom Capers, The Green Bay Packers most valuable off season acquisition:
’09 Packer Mantra

“ Here we aren’t….now go pick up the pieces of your QB!

How important is it that we went out and hired a formidable and experienced defensive coordinator……does the memory of Fritz Shurmur come to mind here? You bet!

Ten things to watch for with the Pack next year

#1) If Brady Poppinga, a DE in College, can’t learn to rush the passer in the 3-4 from Kevin Green then I will be stunned. Brady Poppinga is Kevin Green, only Kevin Green did not have the great fortune to have Kevin Green to show him how to play like Kevin Green! 10 sacks for Brady next year, we don’t need to draft a stud pass rushing LB, he is on the roster. Call me crazy, don’t care, its my newsletter, piss off!

#2) Chad Clifton is only keeping Allen Barbre’s spot at left tackle warm until Training Camp. Barbre has the best feet of any of the Packer’s Linemen. He is a natural Left Tackle and played it in College. He also, at 290 lbs then, was the wedge breaker on kick-off team and was on the kick return team during those years….the guy is a stud athlete from a small school but enough is enough. If McCarthy and Philbin can’t get this guy to beat out Chad “my legs are two stumps trying to mate” Clifton then Ted Thompson will have failed big time…by the way, Gil Brandt loved, absolutely loved, Barbre coming out of college. SOMETHING very odd is going on with Barbre and the Pack, he is one very very nasty mean mobile capable MOFU and should be starting. I know he has a bit of a learning disorder, but come on people!!!! Break out year for Barbre or they got some ’splainin to do. Get that offensive line picked and leave them alone dammit, stop screwin with moving guys around, and if you are going to zone block and run screens then get some fricken’ linemen at the tackle positions that can move. Goodbye Tausch, Goodbye Clifton…thanks for the memories, don’t let the green and gold door hit you in the ass on the way out!

#3) Atari Bigby is a Packer version of Troy Polamalu. The guy can flat out rush the passer, seen him do it, and he hits receivers and backs with reckless abandon. He even has an intimidating name and the hair…Atari…OOOOoohhhh sounds like he is going to pound you, then suck your blood! Bigby will be healthy, and have a great year in this defense. Packers will need to re-sign him mid year or lose him to FA next year. Rouse will be a mini version of Bigby and finally get to hit someone hard and get credit for it, instead of getting pulled for “miscommunication problems”. Both guys can play. Both guys can intimidate the opposition. Both guys look better in a 3-4 attacking defense.

#4) Will Blackmon will blossom at corner….he was ok as a cover corner, but when he gets to play with his eyes to the QB (pack will be playing lots of zone next year) and keep the WR in front of him, watch out. Blackmon will be replacing an aging Al Harris, (not Tramon Williams who will struggle in zone but probably cover the slot when the Packers are in a sub package that requires Man to man.)

#5) Justin Harrell will finally find a home….with the Packers of all teams! Playing DE in the 3 -4. Harrell will finally be healthy and will be playing out in the 5 Tech as opposed to 3 tech. This bodes well for a guy that gets hurt a lot, it gives him a chance to add some wiggle to his power and maybe make a play or two. The guy is not going to be a superstar, but lucky for us, DEs in the 3-4 don’t have to be, they just need to be stout. The guy, if healthy, will be stout. I see the defensive switch as being good for him.

#6) The Packers will play 3-4 on first down 90% of the time if they can prove that they defend the pass well. In other words, if teams don’t pass on the Packers on first down much, the Packers will mostly line up in 3-4 on first down. Down and distance will play a huge role after that. Capers is a meticulous down and distance situational defensive play caller. Expect the Packers to have a Base featuring Picket at Nose, Jenkins at LE and Harrel/Jolly at RE with, and Kampman at LOB, Hawk at LIB, Barnett at RIB, Brady at ROB. Bigby at SS and Collins at FS with Woodson and Harris/Blackmon at the corners…this will be the Packers defense on first down against the run. The 3-4 is a great defense against the run if you have a nose guard that can eat up the middle. People think the Packers went to 3-4 because its unpredictable against the pass (not knowing where the rush is coming from)..Which is a truth, but it’s first and foremost a fierce defense against the run . Think Pittsburgh Steelers….no one wants to run on them, it hurts by God, it hurts and backs do not want to run it on them! From 2nd down to 4th , the down and distance will determine the look the Packers will show. My guess is that they play 4-3 or 4-2 look on obvious passing downs. With Jenkins and Kampman at Ends, Jolly, Harrel and Pickett (and draft choices) rotate at DTs and then some linebackers… which ones? Who knows. It depends on if any of them can cover the TE…if so he gets to play. Then if the Packers find themselves defending 3yds or shorter, they will probably come back with 3-4 and let the dogs loose… 3rd and long brings in the dime look, which can be out of either 3 or 4 man front with 1 linebacker and 2 safeties and 3 or 4 corners, and they can play either zone or man in that. Point here is that this defense will be very very unpredictable with the opponent not having much of a chance to predict man or zone, and who is blitzing and when. It will mess with some minds, especially those of certain young QBs whose names start with the letter Tavaris….Good luck big T, gonna miss ya and your Funky Uncle for a coach. Worst QB I have seen since Jerry Tagge and Scott Hunter, really unbelievable.

#7) Kampman will love the 3-4. When he sees that he gets to just tee up and get a running start after the QB, watch out, he is going to love this defense, and he will get another contract to make him stay in mid-season. He won’t have many coverage responsibilities, Kampman is going to the Pro Bowl with 14 sacks, and Jared Allen isn’t, so there.

#8) Hawk and Barnett will be the dynamic duo in the middle….you know, these guys have never complimented each other well, ever. Its frustrating to have two #1s playing side by side who just don’t get it done like they should. What I mean by that is that they have just never fulfilled the promise of playing like a formidable tandem, playing like they both knew exactly where each was, and needed to be, and they don’t look much like they have each others back, on or off the field. Contrast that with Ray Lewis and Bart Scott. That will change with Capers. It will also change with their responsibilities being much more straight ahead…crush the F’n runner wouldya boys??!!!! . Pretty simple. Barnett is looking absolutely huge in his rehab, he is a very nasty boy who I expect to play at 250 next year, same with Hawk who is a 100% effort guy. I expect Hawk to step it up in this defense or cede the job to Bishop. Capers is not going to care when you got drafted…Capers did not draft these guys. One thing he has said is that in looking at the year on tape, there was not the effort required being expended on every play…His response? “That will not be tolerated”. Gotta love it. Hawk and Barnett bring back Sergeant Nasty to the GB “D”.

#9) Brandon Jackson will have 750 yds this year. The guy can flat out play. Expect McCarthy to see that on the tape; expect to see more two back sets with Grant, and with Jackson also performing consistently as the third down back. His time has come and he really showed flashes last year. Thunder (Grant) and Lightning (Jackson) in the backfield. McCarthy is a good coach, glad we got him instead of the Minnie Weenie, but the guy is unbelievably stubborn. Dude, mix it up and throw the ball to the TE please????? Think seam pass every time your’s in your pants stretch on the sidelines….which reminds me. Lose some damn weight Mikey, you are a heart attack waiting to happen. And fricken’ lighten up with the Press wouldya? Its not pleasant to see our ambassador to the outside world give snotty and consistently short responses to the press. No one is attacking you, just chillax a bit bud. Enjoy the ride.

#10) James Jones and Jerimichael Finley will each catch 45 to 50 balls and score 5 TDs apiece. Combined together they will have the production of a single all pro receiver. Jones is a stud, he is Anquan Boldin North; this is the year he shows it. I see Jones as claiming the #2 spot this year if he stays healthy, and Nelson battling it out with Driver for the #3. I think this is the year Driver gets hurt…eventually he is going to have to pay for going over the middle as fearlessly as he does. Thompson has been planning on the eventual day that he does not get up quickly from one of those hits…plus Drive drops a ton of balls in key situations. Drives me crazy, great guy, fearless and Packer people and all that, but he has hands of stone at times…he catches the ball sometimes like he is a high jumper from Alcorn State…oh yeah he is. Finley is a huge head case, but he is an unbelievable athlete. I don’t think he is very smart, football or other wise. But if we got Gonzales to tutor him for few years……. If Finley was minimally sharp he would at least spend a month with Shannon Sharp working out to understand how to play the position. They are very similar in size and style. Having a TE with the threat to go long would be huge, the time has come.

Free Agency:
I hate the various old school Wisconsin Media types and various whiny bloggers with their insistence that somehow Free Agency, even a little bit, is going to help the Packers….its not, and the answers why are both obvious and subtle at the same time.

How you build a team the Green Bay Way (GBW)
Part of Ted Thompson’s plan (unpublished) is that he is going to keep adding young bodies to the mix until competition separates the wheat from the chaff. Long-term that is a very attractive and repeatable process. In that scheme you necessarily have to give guys the chance to play early to sort it out. You can’t do that if you bring in veterans. You bring in older guys at a high salary and you have to play them, period, or you were a moron for signing them.

OK…so if your plan starts to work (if you have an eye for talent in the draft) guys start to make some impact and maybe even the pro-bowl right around the time their first contract is up (3 to 5 years). Guys like Collins, Jennings, College, Tramon Williams, Atari Bigby, Brandon Jackson, James Jones, Brady Poppinga….etc.

Now here is where the planning and building takes place….all these guys are cool initially being paid based on how they got their job in the first place (draft, UFA). That’s what happens on your first contract, its understood. As long as the playing field within the clubhouse is level with regard to what you need to do to eventually get PAID (receive a new lucrative contract) everyone is in it together. That’s a team. Guys lay it on the line for their team mates come game time. Winning breeds success, success breeds desire, desire builds good work habits and positive individual and team results and when contract time comes around the pot will be divided amongst the guys that got them there according to their contribution. This is understood and respected by anyone other than Javon Walker or Mike McKenzie….

OK, but what happens to this copacetic equilibrium when you add a high priced stranger to the mix midstream? Of course then from the indigenous players perspective, that stranger just got paid a bunch of your cash that you and your bros thought was yours…..what happens then? All hell breaks loose. You just cannot build through the draft and free agency both in Green Bay. No matter what reporters, or wistful bloggers, say about sprinkling in a few high- priced veterans. You can’t do it…unless you have the aura of Bill Bellicheck or Parcells to enforce morale, which neither McCarthy or Thompson does. In Green Bay, short of bringing in a Julius Peppers or Charles Woodson type, it’s a lot like being pregnant with respect to building thru the draft. Either you are pregnant, or you are not; either you build thru the draft, or you don’t. Screw that up just once, change the rules once, overpay to fill a need once, and you are fricken’ doomed….the locker room is out of control. The young guys start thinking me first and why did that dude get my money….Player relations are tough enough without that kind of stuff going on.

So Ted can’t overpay the Chris Cantys of the NFL world even though he is a good fit at a critical need position (DL/DE) because
#1) he won’t be able to pay the Nick Collins types when and what he needs to
#2) he will piss off his whole locker room.
#3) who better to determine a player’s character, and what affect a huge payday will have on it, than the guy who watched him earn the payday for 4 years? Having a free agent come visit your facility for 24 hrs, so you can get to know him a bit before you make him rich is not the same thing.

Ted’s motto therefore is rightfully the complete opposite of Nike’s i.e. :

HE JUST CAN’T DO IT!

The good news is that Ted knows the money is not his…he does not make more money by not spending all of Green Bay’s cash. He wants to give it to the players, he just wants them to step up an earn it….by the way, don’t we all?

Final Free Agent Thoughts
Looking through a list of available free agents makes you salivate sometimes…kind of like imagining your wife in that Victoria Secret getup…only problem is that in both cases fit will most likely be a problem, and the final naked truth usually falls short of expectations. You end up overpaying for a fantasy instead of getting appropriate performance.
(Notice I said your wife, not mine pal!)

–Don’t be a free agent weenie or whiner, be a man and let Ted build our team with his bare hands, by the way, if that FA guy was any good why didn’t his own team re-sign him? Joe Johnson anyone? That move, set us back YEARS!

2009 Packer Draft

Ok, what is Ted gonna bring us this year to put in our stinky green and gold gym socks? Some Playas playa!.. Oh Yah you bet.

We got 9 picks this year, including the 3rd rounder (17th pick in third) from the Jets for Crying Whining Man and the 6th (15th pick) they got last year from New Orleans. Based on our embarrassing ’08 record of 6-10, we pick at the 9 spot each round in addition to the two extras.

What we know is that Ted is not gonna trade up. He likes bodies, especially now that he may need to change some body types to fit the new defensive scheme. In a sense, football is football, and you can throw out scheme cause the first thing you look for in any prospect is “can he play”. Guys that can play will find a spot on any good GM’s team. Good coaches adjust their scheme to feature their player’s strengths. I expect that to happen a lot in this transition year on defense. I also expect McCarthy to switch up the offense a bit to fit the ability of his players, namely on the offensive line run and screen blocking scheme, and on seam routes for the TE. So Ted is after players, you bet.

Specific Needs in order of importance:

Nose Tackle = The 3-4 does not work without a big body in there eating up space and blockers. Pickett has the size but not the pedigree, don’t be so sure his knees or his will is up to the task, at the very least we need to be developing our own Corey Rogers or Casey Hampton. Pickett’s contract is up after this year and Ted may not have the desire to sign him up again. We need to draft a NT on day one.

–There are two available on day one: , BJ Raji, and Ron Brace. Raji is a first rounder and Brace is a second rounder, both interestingly enough, played for BC..

DE = We need two new defensive ends for this new scheme. It’s a thankless task to play DE in the 3-4, just ask Corey Williams, who got his contract in Cleveland, but hates the position. Again, just because we got some bodies like Jolly or Jenkins, doesn’t mean they are going to be good at it, or like it, or both. We need to draft a DE on Day 1 and another early on day 2.

–Tyson Jackson from LSU (late first round) projects to a nice fit for us as does Alex Magee (3rd round) out of Purdue

OLB = We need a stud that rushed the passer in College and had great success at it from the OLB or DE position. We need this tweener type to come in a be able to learn the scheme and line up for 30 to 40% of the defensive snaps, as well as be a stud on special teams. My problem with taking this guy on day one, is that these tweeners are supposed to be mid to late round finds. I think if you start looking for them on day one then you might as well stay in the 4-3 and try and find your stud pass rushing defensive end.

–Brian Orakpo is a tweener out of Texas that will go in the first round and may be there for the Packers if, Ted is Enamored of him, at #9. I also love Paul Kruger out of Utah or Clint Sintim (Virginia) in the second round. Kruger and Sintim are both Thompson type players. Tim Jameson out of Michigan might be swooped up with one of our 6th rounders.

OT= all we ever hear about from the fricken’ media is how screwed we will be without our two starting tackles. Look, they both came into the program in the same year and started as bookends as rookies and started for 10 years. So what that proves is that you can find tackles, two of them if need be, and they don’t have to be first rounders either. Barbre is my choice for starting LT, but if Thompson takes the kid from Alabama (Andre Smith) at #9 I will know he doesn’t agree with me. Seriously Thompson has known for 4 years these guys were poor fits for the blocking scheme and that this day would come, my guess is that both tackles are already on the Roster and that the Packers are good at drafting tackles but bad at getting them at their correct position until they have to. That’s Ok. But legitimately we don’t have two recognizably good tackles who have officially started a bunch of games for us, so I guess we kinda sorta officially have a need there that might be addressed in the draft. I just don’t think Oline is a need at all, Oline coaching maybe, but oline bodies? nah, we got ‘em.

–If Andre Smith is there at #9 Thompson will have to consider it, but he does not strike me as Packer People, and his signing would skew the salary structure for the whole line, many of which are up for new contracts soon. I just don’t see us drafting an Olineman on day one, and not a crazy one from Alabama in particular.

CB= Yeah we can always use CB’s but now they have to be able to play zone, so we will probably move a bit in our definition of desirable corner, it will probably put some extra guys on the Packer’s “can draft “board. I honestly think Blackmon, Lee, and Tramon Williams represent the Packers near future staring CBs with Woodson moving to safety in 2010. I am all for taking a CB in the later rounds, especially if they can return kicks and punts. Maybe we take one in the middle if they slip

–I like the Kevin Barnes kid out of Maryland in 5th round on day two.

RB= We will take late round running back, we always do.
QB= We will not take a QB in the draft, they have zero chance of making the team, even Thompson is not that cold hearted
WR= not unless they are a special teams player first (PR or KR)
OL= other than tackle, yeah we will take one somewhere in the middle

I have been looking at the players for about 3 months now. I don’t look at tape at all, I don’t have time to break down individual players skills to the nth degree, but sometimes that’s an advantage. Point is that you can spot a player, and if he meets the minimum measurable then you put him in your possible pile. Then you sift through that to get to your wish list, then you look at your order and see where those players cluster vs. what your needs are. Then you pick, or you trade out of the pick….

I won’t do a mock because I don’t want to try and out-think all the GMs in the league while trying to anticipate pre and during the draft trades. Speaking of which, I think you see Boldin to the Eagles, Braylon Edwards to the Raiders or 49ers, and maybe Quinn to the 49ers or Seattle. That will really mess with the first round, so you can see what I am talkin’ bout. I am not Mel Kiper, my hair is much more reasonable for starters….

Here is what the Packers can and may do in my opinion.

Who will be there in round 1?

In round one we will be able to take one of these three players, one of which will 90% be there.

1.BJ Rajii
2.Brian Orakpo
3.Andre Smith

Who will they take?

I think who the Packers take, if anyone, at #9 will depend on who also is available for other teams in that #9 spot. I think teams lower down will be coveting non-need players for the Packers such as Maclin (WR), Andre Smith (above), and Mark Sanchez (QB). All three players may be available and all three of those players make some conceivable sense for the teams picking at 10 (SF), 11(Buf) and 12 (Denver) so teams will want to jump up for them …… again, a lot of this is still fluid depending on who trades for Edwards, Boldin, and Quinn before draft day. Conceivably Crabtree could fall to the Packers as well if Seattle gets their QB or Oakland gets Boldin or Edwards.

The above scenario is why I believe there is a 50% chance the Packers would get some play for the #9 pick. If that is the case, then there is a good chance we trade out of the pick and shoot for getting an extra body in the “cluster”. What you are seeing in my selections of players I would like (above by positional analysis) is a clustering of guys that could go late first to early third round. That’s where the value is really is this year, and that is Ted Thompson’s sweet spot. Its not at the top of the draft. This isn’t all that startling; but picking from 6 to 20 is really no man’s land this year. I don’t love any of those players anymore than the guys from 20 to 70. Seriously I like Raji a lot, and Orakpo is a decent intriguing gamble, but I don’t love either one at 9. But I would take Raji willingly, Orakpo not so much, and Smith not at all.

So I am saying 30% chance we draft Raji with the first pick, 20% chance Orakpo, 0% chance Smith, and that there is a 50% chance we trade out of the pick. And I can’t see Ted trading out just a few slots either because there is no sense picking up any low round picks this year to move back a few spots. It would only make sense to move, especially if Orakpo or Raki were there, if we were able to bang the value cluster near the end of round one and all of round 2 one more time, and so we move down out of 9 to a low first round for an additional low first or second round pick.

Essentially a team like Baltimore @26 thru Pitt @ 32 would trade us both their #1 and #2 to move to #9…..not crazy and within reason according to both value charts, in fact according to the standard chart we would be owed more than that. It must be noted that Thompson himself undervalues top picks and overvalues 2nd and 3rd round picks based on evolving insights of NFL performance vs. cost to the team. So I think he would take this trade even though they would owe us some 100 pts. The overwhelming value is what drives Ted to trade down. Below is the official NFL chart that is not so official anymore, but does drive a lot of consternation because it is used by fans to see if their GM got fleeced.

Point is that it over-inflates value at the top and minimizes it towards round 2, and that’s why Thompson prowls those waters. This year, in fact, the main talent vein also bunches up in round 2, so that’s where you wanna be. Why pick the same talent in round one that you can get in round 2 in other words?
How do these 2 scenarios play out on day one?

Scenario A)
Normal straight pick scenario, If we take Raji with the first #9 pick, then we take Michael Johnson out of Georgia Tech or Robert Ayers of Tennessee as 3-4 pass rushers with the second round #41 pick. If we take Orapko, then we take Brace in the second round.

Scenario B)
If we trade out of the #9 slot for a low 1 and low 2 + we have our 2nd rounder, then we draft the following:

1.Low first round pick attained via trade:
Defensive Ends – Tyson Jackson or Paul Kruger
or
OLB – Michael Johnson

2.Packers pick at 41 in second:
NT: Ron Brace

3.Packers lower Pick in second round attained via trade:
DE – Alex Magee
Or
OLB Aaron Maybin or Clint Sintim

Just my opinions, sorry for clogging the board, got nuthin better to do with 6 days to go and counting....got nothin'!

I'm tired.

Fantastic analysis Buck!

I stand by my estimate of Mc Ginn's writting style. His unnamed executives are kind of like my grand daughter's imaginary friend. They exist only in his mind. Mc Ginn is a compusive liar and if pressured could not verify most of his statements.

In short, he is generating a continuous string of brain farts and translating them to the written word. He Stinks!

McGinn just takes up space....I always feel like he is trying to manipulate the reader....while greatly underestimating their ability to know they are being manipulated.

There is not one talent exec from any NFL team that would consider Montgomery or Hunter viable options for our team this year. They are bodies and nothing more.....He is fibbing.

Holy s*** buckslayer!

I took out all the politically incorrect stuff, but I did send that to Packeraaron......

this is off topic...but you may like to read thru it....

Viking hater section
Now is the time that I take for a special cause of mine….bagging on the vikes, my very favorite non-sweating sporting event. So tell me, is it just me or would you think the Vikings, in retrospect, would have taken Brady Quinn instead of AP at #7 in 2007? I think the Packers have proven the QB position is the key, finding decent backs is always possible, but you don’t want to go into the season sporting TJack or Sfels as your two best option to chuck the rock. I hate the Vikings, absolutely detest Weird Uncle Childress, their coach, and would like their entire fan base to come up with an acute case of anal fissures every time they play the Pack. I just think the color Purple is a womanly shade in which to do a manly business. Oh yeah, their DE? What’s his name? Jared Allen? Yeah, guy is a Felcher. I take Kampman over Allen any day….Wonder if the horned faithful would rather have Allen or Cutler about now?

Cutler
The Cutler Trade represents the best of both worlds, we can make fun of the Bears for paying so much, and we can stick our tongues out at the Vikings because they still don’t have a QB, gotta love that!

Obviously time will tell about the merits of this trade. I am cool with the concept of them giving up this year’s first and third…..but the big part of evaluating it will be where the Bears finish this year. There are going to be 3 or 4 great QBs avail in the first half of next year’s draft. If Chicago does not make the playoffs then this trade is already a bust because they gave up their pick of one of those guys for a guy that could not get them to the playoffs. Next year’s draft will rival any in terms of solid QB prospects. Da’ Bears traded that away for today’s flavor, which probably still tastes pretty good in their mouth.

The guy can play, no doubt, but I get this Jeff Georgish queasy feeling in my stomach about this deal. Cutler seems to have Ausberger’s syndrome a bit..i.e. he shows very little emotion, and the type he does is often whiny in nature. George was a big asshole who was a famously bad team mate. But Cutler has a gun for sure, which will be even more valuable when combined with a good running attack. He does have diabetes, which will physically impact him as he gets older (its not like sinusitis as the press would like us to believe). I think this was a very bold move that reflects how poorly the Bears are at evaluating the QB position more than anything else. They essentially waved the white towel and said we just can’t figure it out after running 21 guys thru the position since #4 started in GB. Meanwhile the Packers have 3 guys on their roster who will be players at the position, the starter was TT’s first pick when he got the job…

Cutler’s acquisition by the Bears will really spice up the rivalry and thank goodness he is not going to the Viqueens, that would have been a problem for us, no doubt. I think, somewhat perversely, that having another gun in the division will really push Rodgers. I think they are evenly matched in terms of raw talent. Rodgers just has so many more weapons to throw to that he gets the nod. I think the Packers sweep the Bears this year. I think the Bears defense does them in this year. I think they are in for 6-10. Cutler will throw for 3500 yds, 25 TDs and 20 interceptions. Bears still won’t know if they have their QB going into 2010!

Broncos take on the Cutler trade?

This trade was a good one either way (whether Cutler plays well or not) for the Broncos. I am telling you Chris Simms is a player, he is the second coming of Rich Gannon. A guy that played early, sat on the bench as he fell out of favor, bounced around a bit, but knew he could play football. Simms got screwed in Tampa, and he got hurt. I don’t think not having a spleen will hold him back any more than having diabetes would. So, I think the Broncos starting QB will be Simms, and I think Kyle Orton is an excellent guy to have coming off the bench. I would guess that these guys will only be together there for one year. The guy that does not win the job will be traded. Either way, look for Denver to stand pat in the first round this year and not take a QB unless Sanchez falls to them, possible but doubtful. If I am that new coach I don’t want to evaluate 3 qbs, 2 new guys to your system is enough. Plus, as I said above, 2010 will be the year of the QB draft and the Broncos will have prime positioning to grab one with their own and Chicago’s draft choice, both teams look to be 8-8 to 6-10. Could be Denver has two top 15 picks next year….nice.

Buck, I rarely find someone who is more verbose than me. Impressed.

By the way, I completely agree with your first two picks. I think the second pick in the second round would have to go on offense though...Thompson rarely goes on one side of the ball more than two picks in a row.

Verbosity in pursuit of Liberty is no vice

You had me until you said Donald Driver gets hurt. It will never happen.