Packers Daily Links: Rodgers Comments on Braun, Drug Test

Aaron Rodgers talked about his friend Ryan Braun in a recent television interview. That and more in today's Daily Links...

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is a well-documented friend of Milwaukee Brewers baseball star Ryan Braun. Inevitably, Rodgers was asked about his friend, who reportedly tested positive for a banned substance. "I think that unfortunately in a situation like this," Rodgers said in an interview with Wayne Larrivee on TMJ4 in Milwaukee, "in the public court of opinion, you are always guilty before proven innocent, which is obviously the inverse to the regular judicial system." The story revolving around Braun is a bizzare one with him claiming innocence, and one which his confidentiality was compromised. It continues to play out.

Wide receiver Tori Gurley will be signed to the Packers' 53-man roster before the Chiefs game this week, according to Zach Kruse of AllGreenBayPackers.com citing an anonymous source. "The source also said that another team was in talks to claim Gurley off the Packers practice squad," writes Kruse. "The team wasn’t named, but that likely helped give Gurley even more leverage to get onto the active roster." It's been speculated that the Packers will place linebacker Vic So'oto on injured reserve to make room for Gurley. So'oto had a setback last week with a back injury he originally hurt early in the season.

In the aftermath of the Raiders game in which Aaron Rodgers was sacked four times and was subject to seven quarterback hits, there was positive information regarding the guys that protect Rodgers. "On Monday, coach Mike McCarthy offered a light at the end of the tunnel," writes Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "Sitton may practice this week and the team has not abandoned hope for Clifton. McCarthy said the 12th-year veteran could return in one to two weeks. Until then, coaches are monitoring the offensive line and shuffling bodies." The Packers experimented with Derek Sherrod on Sunday, and Marshall Newhouse hasn't claimed the left tackle job outright, so the uncertainty continues along the offensive line.

More on the offensive line comes from the Green Bay Press-Gazette.

Now that it's been learned wide receiver Greg Jennings will miss the next two to three weeks with a knee sprain, the Packers must figure out how to finish out the regular season without their top receiver. "The challenge for the Packers’ offense is that, while Jennings’ fellow wideouts – Jordy Nelson, Donald Driver, James Jones and Randall Cobb – are all cross-trained to play all of the various receiver positions, only Jennings truly plays every spot," writes Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com. "Nelson and Jones generally line up outside; the slot had been Driver’s eminent domain for years; and Cobb has been used primarily in the slot during his rookie season. Tight end Jermichael Finley can line up in the slot, out wide or on the line of scrimmage in a three-point stance." Seeing as the Packers all but have home-field advantage wrapped up, they shouldn't miss Jennings much the next few weeks. It's more important that he comes back healthy for the playoffs.

More on Greg Jennings comes from the Journal Sentinel, Press-Gazette, Packer Report, twiceFox Sports Wisconsin, Pro Football Weekly, AllGreenBayPackers.com, the Packers official website, Fox Sports, columnists Cliff Christl and Eric Baranczyk, Jason Wilde and PackersNews.com.

The impact the Greg Jennings injury will have on Jordy Nelson is touched upon at PackersNews.com.

Comments from linebacker Erik Walden appear at PackersNews.com after scoring a touchdown on Sunday just days after being charged with disorderly conduct.

An article on the defense appears at the Packers official website.

The Packers' upcoming opponent, the Kansas City Chiefs, fired head coach Todd Haley on Monday. How that will affect the Packers is at Packer Report.

A Packers-Chiefs preview is published at Packer Report (subscription required).

Analysis of the Packers-Raiders game comes from Bob McGinn at the Journal Sentinel (sub required).

The undefeated season is the subject of an article at USA Today.

A blog post on young inside linebacker D.J. Smith and Robert Francois is at JSOnline.

Comments from the Packers coordinators appear at JSOnline.

The Packers official website has press releases on Ryan Grant and their Blue Cross youth ticket contest.

The impact of the Packers on the local economy is covered at WBAY-TV in Green Bay.

Video: From Fox 11 in Green Bay, several Packers paid a holiday visit to children battling cancer on Monday...

Brian Carriveau is a writer for Cheesehead TV. To contact Brian, email [email protected].

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Lori Waldo's picture

December 13, 2011 at 03:08 pm

I agree with Rodgers comments and confidence in Ryan Braun. I will wait until all information to be made public before I make any judgement..

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