Packers Daily Links: Bishop Hopes to Be Ready for OTAs

Injured linebacker Desmond Bishop says his recovery from an injured hamstring is "on track." That and more in today's Daily Links...

During an interview with the Packers official website, injured Packers linebacker Desmond Bishop expressed optimism that he'll be able to take part in the team's offseason workout program. "Bishop believes he’ll be full-go with no restrictions for OTAs and training camp this spring and summer," writes Mike Spofford of Packers.com. "That remains to be seen, considering Mike McCarthy’s tendency to ease players back into the on-field drills when they’re coming off a major injury, but nonetheless, Bishop feels good about where he is on the road to recovery." Bishop also added that his recover is "on track." Seeing as his hamstring injury occurred so early in training camp, he has a longer time to recuperate than most players that become injured during the course of a season. OTAs begin after the Draft in April.

In a blog post over at JSOnline, reporter Tom Silverstein shared an interesting thought about the makeup of the defensive line in Green Bay from position coach Mike Trgrovac and wanting a player with more length. "They do not have the tall, long-armed defensive end that most good 3-4 defenses possess," writes Silverstein. "It showed against the 49ers when they were unable to hold the edge against Minnesota RB Adrian Peterson and to some degree San Francisco QB Colin Kaepernick." This is something to watch for with the NFL Draft  on the horizon. The Packers could use a player that's 6-5 and above on the D-line.

Statistics shared by Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel paint a picture of Marshall Newhouse as still a below-average NFL tackle. "Newhouse, with 42½, allowed the most pressures," writes McGinn. "That includes all sacks, knockdowns and hurries. Newhouse's total, one more than a year ago, is the highest since the Journal Sentinel began recording the statistic in 1999." The good news is that Newhouse allowed all those pressures in more games than he appeared a year ago. So while Newhouse is making progress, there's perhaps enough evidence to suggest that he's still not on par with other good tackles throughout the league and the Packers could do better.

Wondering about free agency? Although it's perhaps unlikely the Packers get heavily involved, Tom Silverstein suggests some names at the running back position to keep an eye on. "Among the unrestricted free agents the Packers could go after are St. Louis' Steven Jackson, Miami's Reggie Bush, Dallas' Felix Jones and the New York Jets' Shonn Greene," writes Silverstein. "Jackson would be ideal, but the Packers would probably only be interested in him in the secondary market given he will be 30 in July." That could mean that the Packers wouldn't sign a guy like Jackson in the early stages of free agency when he'd factor into the compensatory draft pick equation, but if they sign him later, a la Cedric Benson, there's a better chances they'll get some compensatory picks.

Safeties coach Darren Perry talked about Charles Woodson initially being skeptical about the move to safety in an interview at the Green Bay Press-Gazette.

Items in the Journal Sentinel's Packer Plus publication include the wide receiver position, the makeup of the team, a column about the needs on defense and an interview with former Packer Gary Ellerson, now a radio broadcaster.

Blog posts at JSOnline at the Packers' injury woes and the wide receiver culture in Green Bay.

A closer look at the Packers offense is taken at the Press-Gazette.

The future of tight end Jermichael Finley is examined in an article at Fox Sports Wisconsin.

Packer Report does some season-ending analysis on the cornerback and safety positions.

Some video analysis of the Packers' loss to the 49ers is undertaken at AllGreenBayPackers.com.

Former Packer James Lofton receives some praise for his work with Dial Global Radio Network.

The Packers official website shares the recent Donald Driver Day proclamation by the Brown County Board.

Video: NBC 26 in Green Bay has footage of the board meeting honoring Driver...

Brian Carriveau is the author of "It's Just a Game: Big League Drama in Small Town America," a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and an editor at Cheesehead TV. To contact Brian, email [email protected].

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Comments (41)

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IowaPackFan's picture

January 18, 2013 at 11:10 am

Re: A tall, long armed, 3-4 DE.

Two words: Margus Hunt.

http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=103696&draft...

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CSS's picture

January 18, 2013 at 12:16 pm

He's a physical/athletic specimen still learning how to be a football player. Prototype measurables and likely to blow up the combine. He may not be available when the Packers pick after the combine artificially inflates his stock.

Big question with Hunt, he'll be a 26 year old rookie that's still learning how to be a football player. Will it click in time?

Intriguing guy, no doubt. Outside of Hunt, you begin to realize how rare the prototype body for a 3-4 end really is. Aren't many long athletes in excess of 6'4" and approaching 300lbs. I really do like all the Packers nickle options (and it's still a league that overwhelming demands nickle rushers), but they no doubt need a stout end with some length.

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cow42's picture

January 18, 2013 at 01:28 pm

this is why i don't like the 3-4.

the type of guys it takes to be dominant end players in the defense are so hard to find... justin smith, jj watt.

even more so for effective OLB's. those guys have to be able to set an edge, rush the passer, and get back in coverage.

in a 4-3 your rush ends only have to do 2 of those 3 jobs.

just seems that in a 3-4 you have a smaller pool of players to choose from.

there are billions of 4-3 rush ends... how many good 3-4 OLB's are there.

i'm probably way off on this. i just feel that it's probably easier to find an Aaron Kampman than it is a Clay Matthews or a Kevin Williams than it is a JJ Watt.

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CSS's picture

January 18, 2013 at 01:36 pm

"there are billions of 4-3 rush ends..."

Your second instinct was right, you're way off on this. Base 3-4 ends need to stack the line of scrimmage first and foremost from the '5' technique. It's a bonus and rarity when you get a 5 tech that can also rush the passer. You get more variability and ability to hide scheme from a base 3-4.

In a 4-3 you need a defensive end that can stack the line of scrimmage and rush the QB. Those are even rarer. Look no further than the college ranks where you can count on 2 fingers how many legit 4-3 ends there are that can disrupt. There are dozens of legitimate 3-4 OLB's that can be developed year-over-year from the college ranks. With the advent of spread offenses in college the defensive side now has a ton of tweeners that fit perfect in the 3-4 scheme.

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cow42's picture

January 18, 2013 at 03:02 pm

so you believe it's easier to find good 3-4 OLB's than it is to find good 4-3 DE's.

right now - i have to disagree.

of the 40 top individual sack leaders (7+ sacks)...
10 were 3/4 OLB's
20 were 4/3 DE's

of the top 10 teams in terms of sacks...
3 were 3/4 teams
7 were 4/3 teams

also...

Of the top 10 team defenses (ypg)...
6 were 3/4 teams
4 were 4/3 teams

of the top 10 team defenses (ppg)
5 were 3/4 teams
5 were 4/3 teams

so...
the type of defense doesn't seem to make much of a difference in terms of overall ypg or ppg.

BUT...

4/3 teams seem to have a clear sacking advantage (and 43 DE's seem to have an advantage over 3/4 OLB's)

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CSS's picture

January 18, 2013 at 03:10 pm

Did the productivity come out of base defense or outside of base defense? Do you even have a clue what you're citing and why your trying to reference it? You do realize most teams don't even play base 50% of the time. We're discussing availability of personnel for a defense.

I can't get how you process, even when it's a non-troll effort there's something cognitive that's broken.

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cow42's picture

January 18, 2013 at 03:30 pm

really?
3/4 teams don't just stay in base 3/4 all game?
no shit?

dude - i threw some stats out.
are they 100% tried and true? no.
do they relate to my opinion? yes.

are the players i referenced 43/ DE's regardless of package? yes

are the 3/4 OLB's still 3/4 OLB's regardless of package? yes.

the original statement i made dealt with player types - and the difficulty trying to find them.

i think the stats i found at least warrant consideration.

but you don't.

so you must be right.

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CSS's picture

January 18, 2013 at 07:58 pm

Primary convo:

Cow: you can find billions of 4-3 rush ends in the draft...

Me: with the proliferation of spread offenses you see tons of tweener DE's and OLB's in the collegiate ranks that can rush from the OLB position; you can count 4-3 rush ends on one hand every year coming out of college.

You: loses track of the discussion completely after a single exchange and begins to reference NFL statistic which have zilch to do with availability of rushing linebacker talent compared to 4-3 DE talent

Then you go on to continue referencing NFL stats when the discussion is about college talent availble to accomodate either defense. Do you understand 4-3 ends really can't come off the field while 3-4 5-techniques are primarily in on rushing downs. Do you see how your arguments jump the shark every week? I doubt it.

You are the king of the non-sequitur. I'm done with you, troll someone else.

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FactCheque's picture

January 18, 2013 at 04:32 pm

Considering 2/3 of the teams in the League run a 4-3, you'd be better off adjusting your statistics to percentages. With a larger pool to pull from it isn't surprising to see the numbers fall that way.

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FactCheque's picture

January 18, 2013 at 04:46 pm

Here, I'll help:

45% of starting 3-4 OLB are in the top 40 for sacks.
46% of starting 4-3 DE are in the top 40 for sacks.

The same percentages of teams that run the 3-4 and the 4-3 defense in the league reside in the top 10 for sacks.

55% of the 3-4 teams are in the top 10 for YPG
19% of the 4-3 teams are in the top 10 for YPG

45% of the 3-4 teams are in the top 10 for PPG
24% of the 4-3 teams are in the top 10 for PPG

Does that help clear up your 'argument'?

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FITZCORE 1252'S EVO's picture

January 18, 2013 at 12:53 pm

Probably a top 15 pick by the time the combine is over.

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Derek's picture

January 18, 2013 at 05:04 pm

Scheme doesn't matter as much as GOOD PLAYERS!!!!! end of thread.

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cow42's picture

January 18, 2013 at 05:59 pm

yes - i believe that every scheme needs good players to make it work.

But...

I also feel that good players can be handcuffed by the wrong or a bad scheme.

go watch the Packers' last game one more time and tell me that scheme didn't matter.

offense and defense were out-schemed.

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JJB's picture

January 18, 2013 at 12:03 pm

Bingo. Hunt is a stud

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Derek's picture

January 18, 2013 at 12:51 pm

I think we have to draft a thumping LB to play inside along Bishop, like Ogletree from Georgia. If we can't get him, take a OL. Go for Eddie Lacy, RB, in 2nd round.

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FITZCORE 1252'S EVO's picture

January 18, 2013 at 12:55 pm

I'm game for a Bishop twin. I like Lacy, but man, idk about going RB in the 2nd, especially since the run game is an afterthought to Mike.

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Denver's picture

January 18, 2013 at 04:53 pm

Same here on ILB. The guy I really like is Kiko Alonso from Oregon.
He seems to be all over the place on draft boards so far, but I'm thinking he'll end up a late 2nd rounder.

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FITZCORE 1252'S EVO's picture

January 18, 2013 at 07:07 pm

Your thoughts on Te'o? Charley Casserly just said he viewed him as a late 1st, early 2nd. He had players like Beason and Hightower rated higher coming out. Just curious as it is possible he's available for us.

My take... He doesn't exactly blow my skirt up. I think he has average NFL MLB written all over him, we already have one of those. He's not real big, or fast... And that's what I'm looking for dammit!

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CSS's picture

January 18, 2013 at 07:43 pm

I've seen him play a great deal. I think he's a 2-down linebacker in the NFL. Unless he's Patrick Willis, you don't draft 2-down linebackers in a passing league. He was also protected by three legitimate NFL talents in front of him, they kept him clean. Tuitt will be a 1st round pick next year, right after Clowney.

I just can't see any team justifying a 2-down linebacker that's a liability in coverage going in round 1 when you still have a passing league as a whole.

(sorry, question wasn't directed at me, just my 2 cents)

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FITZCORE 1252'S EVO's picture

January 18, 2013 at 07:57 pm

Your input is always welcome CSS, C'mon man!

And you pretty much summed up my feelings about the kid.

Speaking of Clowney, if we were ever to have a 2-14 year... This is the year to do it (I know, not happening, and that's a good thing)... But you find a way to make your defense work around that freak.

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Denver's picture

January 19, 2013 at 11:10 am

Same here on T'eo even before the dead imaginary gf.
The abuse that kid is going to take from teammates and opponents alike is going to be brutal.

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FITZCORE 1252'S EVO's picture

January 18, 2013 at 12:59 pm

Does anyone else think Reggie Bush would be sick in this offense?

GBP 4 LIFE

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CSS's picture

January 18, 2013 at 01:02 pm

Look no further than what Belichick and Brady are doing with Vareen and Ridley in New England. They're splitting them out, watching a linebacker follow and than exploiting either that matchup, or the TE is wide-open in a vacated middle because said linebacker is split-out against the running backs.

Bold concept that either Finley, Cobb or Bush (in that scenario) could exploit.

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cow42's picture

January 18, 2013 at 01:33 pm

Let's take a look at the Packers' injury history.
How fast would Reggie Bush go down if he came to GB?
He wouldn't make it through OTA's.

And you're assuming McCarthy would be able to get as creative as Belichick and that Rodgers would be as smart as Brady... that'd be a stretch on both counts.

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cow42's picture

January 18, 2013 at 01:35 pm

Not sayin' Rodgers isn't a smart guy, I just don't think he's at a "read the defense - take what's there" level that Brady is... Probably never will be... Brady's probably best ever at it.

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CSS's picture

January 18, 2013 at 01:38 pm

Correlation vs. causation. Read up.

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cow42's picture

January 18, 2013 at 01:45 pm

so you're saying they don't do those things because they don't have the personnel... I agree with that, i guess.

also - it's hard to get creative with a garbage offensive line.

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CSS's picture

January 18, 2013 at 01:50 pm

No. Injury history has nothing to do with injury future, nor is a player more likely to get injured based on what franchise they sign a contract with.

Also, that garbage offensive line didn't allow a negative run last game. Not to mention the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal tally put over 1/3rd of the sacks on Rodgers this year. That's right, Rodgers allowed the most sacks and pressures on.....Rodgers.

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cow42's picture

January 18, 2013 at 03:05 pm

i don't think all the injuries over the last few years are an accident.

i can't argue with the Rodgers = sacks thing.
Goes right along with my above comment regarding reading and adjusting.

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CSS's picture

January 18, 2013 at 03:12 pm

Injuries aren't an accident?!? Seriously, just read about the difference between correlation and causation when trying to understand the root cause of an issue or at least your perception of one.

You need an offseason more than the coaching staff or players, cow.

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cow42's picture

January 18, 2013 at 03:34 pm

yeah - i was pretty much joking about the whole "Bush would just get hurt" thing.

i was making a joke.
you're just a know-it-all prick.

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cow42's picture

January 18, 2013 at 03:36 pm

past injuries have no baring on future injuries? um.
then i guess TT shouldn't have gotten railed on for drafting Harrel.

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FITZCORE 1252'S EVO's picture

January 18, 2013 at 05:13 pm

Yes. The thought of this pleases me greatly.

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Point Packer's picture

January 18, 2013 at 05:43 pm

I really miss Brett Swain.

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FITZCORE 1252'S EVO's picture

January 18, 2013 at 07:58 pm

Uuuh... Huh?

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Point Packer's picture

January 19, 2013 at 01:24 pm

Though short, that comment was littered with sarcasm and spawned from the "Receiver Culture" from JS On-line.

Brett Swain was the Jeff Query of the 2000's.

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FITZCORE 1252'S EVO's picture

January 19, 2013 at 02:36 pm

:-)

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Fish/Crane's picture

January 18, 2013 at 10:46 pm

Desmond Bishop...what if...

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cow42's picture

January 19, 2013 at 06:05 pm

no difference

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Point Packer's picture

January 19, 2013 at 09:55 pm

He would have been an interior pass rusher. Something the 2012 Packers did not have. Maybe not a difference maker in terms of outcome, but certainly not "no difference". Dez Bishop is a huge step up from Brad Jones or AJ Hawk for that matter.

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FITZCORE 1252'S EVO's picture

January 20, 2013 at 12:47 am

Yep. 2nd most sacks on the team last year, would've been nice to have him. Speaking of SACKS^^^^^^

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