Is it just me or is the world spinning suddenly out of control?

2 things that are still true and SHOULD NOT EVER CHANGE.

1. No one has the right to tell Brett he can’t play another year.

Not Ted Thompson. Not Bob Harlan. Not Mark Murphy. Not even the Dark Lord Himself.

I also think if Brett shows up he must be allowed to earn his spot and they know this and are petrified of it.

2. Brett Favre must not be traded to a Conference team

It’s funny haha to joke about the Vikings. And time does a lot for your perspective long term. But I was not born in Green Bay and raised a Packer fan so that I could spend the rest of my life with Brett Favre wearing a purple jersey. Somebody wake me up when this nightmare has ended.

Aaron covers a lot of this ground, but I wanted to update with the video.

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• What We Know, or Think We Know

Ryan Grant is still in New York as of this morning, meaning he is officially holding out. Without knowing the particulars, it is hard to know where to focus one’s anger over the inability of the Packers and Alan Herman, Grant’s agent, to come to an agreement.

One thing I will say, however, is that Herman has been only too eager to talk (and talk and talk…) to the media throughout this process, which always makes me think the guy is full of hot air. Stop whining about how the Packers haven’t dropped everything to deal with you and your client and do what you can do on your end. Complaining to the media just makes me think you’re probably being unrealistic in your demands and you’re trying to curry favor with the public to put pressure on Thompson to get a deal done. (When will agents figure out Thompson doesn’t give two hoots what the fan base thinks?)

On the flip side, Thompson is really playing with fire here. Yes, the Packers hold all the cards, but Grant is the key to the offense. Period. Does he really think the specter of Brandon Jackson taking over the lead tailback job is going to prod Grant’s side to come down in asking price? If he wasn’t so consumed with dealing with the Brett Favre fiasco, perhaps he would have signed Lamont Jordan yesterday before the Patriots snatched him up. Would Jordan be the answer? Hardly. But it would send a clear message that the Packers were seriously considering letting Grant sit in New York for as long as it takes. As it stands now, all Herman has to do is FedEx a cutup of Jackson’s starts from last season with a note that says ‘Good luck in ‘08!’

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• Thompson On Grant

It must be hard to be the Sports Editor at the newspaper where the Green Bay Packers got their start. What with decades of tradition breathing down your neck all the time. A job like that could only be filled by the best and the brightest.

Which is why it is such a sad state of affairs that it is currently filled by Mike Vandermause.

Am I overly harsh on Mike? Perhaps. He’s nothing if not bland and unobtrusive in his writing. But when he foists columns like this doozy, stating that the Packers are in for a calm, boring training camp because of the lack of position battles, you just have to shake your head and start rooting around for instructions on how to apply for his job, because clearly he’s not very good at it.

Vandermause treats us to the following foolishness:

There are just two starting positions up for grabs. Upstart Allen Barbre appears to have an edge over incumbent Daryn Colledge at left guard, while Brady Poppinga and Brandon Chillar should wage a spirited fight at strong-side linebacker.

Really? So the fact that Aaron Rouse outplayed Nick Collins last year, followed by Collins being downright awful in both playoff games, leaves Collins as the undisputed starter? (McCarthy himself has all but said the starting spots are up for grabs) And I must have missed the quote from McCarthy stating that Jason Spitz’ job was safe. And what about Cullen Jenkins? Word is that he’s been seeing a lot more time inside at defensive tackle at the recent OTAs, after what can only be described as a disappointing season as the starting right defensive end. And while the starting position may be locked up, Vandermause conveniently forgets that the depth chart at running back is far from settled.

Competition is what Thompson and McCarthy’s roster is all about. To suggest that the roster is as settled as Vandermause makes it seem is foolish and downright naive. In fact, it’s a bit of a shock that the man is in charge of the Packers’ coverage at what can only be deemed as a historic institution for true Packer fans everywhere. Now, I have no doubt Mike is finding it hard coming up with things to write about here in the deadest of dead times for the NFL, but it is the man’s profession after all. If he needs help with column ideas, I suggest he visit our friends over at Railbird Central, who’s Brian Carriveau has more good posts in a day than Vandermause has quality columns in a month, or PackerGeeks who’s Andy and Stephen Hayes never want for good material.

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• Rich Gosselin Nails It

With the first great Blog Battle of 2008 behind us, let’s turn our attention where it belongs - on the field.

Watching the playoff games again this past week (because I have no life) one thing jumped out at me I thought I’d share, and it has to do with the running back position. I keep reading and hearing Packer fans talk about how it’s a forgone conclusion that Vernand Morency will be gone next year. I’m not so sure. What he lacks as a runner he more than makes up for in pass protection. And if there’s one thing Aaron Rodgers will need help with starting out, it’s protection, especially if McCarthy is true to his word and plans to spread the field just as much as he did with Favre. You can bet that defensive coordinators will be salivating at the thought of bringing as much exotic pressure as they can dream up, knowing that, unlike Favre, Rodgers has never seen most of it.

In both the Seattle and New York games, Morency made some vicious, key blocks that allowed Favre time to find a late crossing receiver that ended up going for big gains. With three and four wide outs spread all over the field, Rodgers will need someone like Morency in the backfield. And Morency has certainly shown he is the best back at picking up the blitz that the Packers have, much more so than Herron, Wynn, Jackson or even Grant. This will be a major part of training camp evaluations, and if Morency can finally stay healthy (a huge ‘if’ I know) I wouldn’t be surprised to see him on the final 53 against the Vikings on opening weekend.

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• Lunatics Running the Asylum?

The defensive line is stacked.

But with what? We know the Packers are keeping 11 on the defensive line (one of two teams in the NFL to do so) But without a dominate tackle in the mold of Tommie Harris in the bunch, it will be interesting to see how the coaches use the talent they have. Personally, I’ve never understood how Colin Cole keeps his roster spot. He’s nothing more than a glorified space-eater in the middle of the line, and he tends to wear down rather easily, which is perplexing as he is a part-time player. I’m looking forward to seeing the new-improved Johnny Jolly everyone is raving about and how much playing time he is given. It’s one thing for the coaches to sing his praises in training camp, but quite another for them to give him quality minutes in the regular season. Then there’s Ryan Pickett, an underrated player. He won’t get much pressure on the quarterback, but he collapses the pocket well and is a beast against the run. Not to mention he plays hurt, something not a lot of Packer fans recognize. And of course you can not discuss the defensive line without mentioning Aaron Kampman. The man is by far the most valuable player on the defensive side of the ball for the Packers. His football intelligence is unparalleled and he’s only gotten better every year he’s been in the league. I hope this is the year he gets serious consideration for Defensive Player of the Year honors. Ironically the man that could make that happen is Cullen Jenkins. If Jenkins plays as well this season as he did the last four games of last year, he will drive plenty of plays Kampman’s way.

And of course, there’s Justin Harrell. Poor little Justin. Admitadly, I have given this kid nothing but grief since the day he was picked. And truth be told, he has not shown much in the games he’s been in. But I have come to the point where I am viewing Thompson’s selection of Harrell as a long-term investment. Fans don’t want to hear it, but Thompson is doing what he thinks is best for the team. Packer fans should look at Minnesota and Chicago and how good their run defenses are when their starting tackles are in the game. That could be Green Bay when Harrell has finally rounded into shape. Is it exciting? No. Will he make SportsCenter every night? No. But he could anchor a brilliant defense for years to come, and that’s an investment worth gambling on. So you won’t read me blogging about or on the podcast talking about how Justin Harrell was a wasted pick, or how he’s being coddled. He’s the future, and anything we get out of him this year is a bonus.

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• The Good and the Bad (Waiting On Ugly…)

Ladies and gentleman, the cuts are in.

Manuel? Gone. Rayner? Done. Dendy? History.

My biggest disappointment? Larry Birdine. Really liked this kid. He showed great versatility, not to mention hustle and heart. Here’s hoping he makes it through waivers and winds up on the practice squad. It’s just a shame a kid like this has to get cut, and Justin “Haven’t Shown A Thing” Harrell gets to coast by because he’s a first round pick.

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• Now It Begins…

Well, give Thompson credit. He always manages to trade for players I’ve never heard of. Ryan Grant is a Packer and will no doubt add even more intrigue to an already murky situation.

 Gut reaction? Leave it to Thompson to apply a band-aid when what the team needs a new limb.

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• A Word On the Rumors

I’m not a rumor monger, so you won’t find much as they fly about these few hours before roster cuts are announced.

 Suffice to say, I don’t see Thompson trading for a back, as some are speculating. Most likely he’ll wait and see what’s available on the wire, if anything.

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• Ryan Grant?