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Urlacher retires after 13 seasons, all with the Chicago Bears

Former Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher announced today that he is retiring from the NFL after 13 seasons.

I know this is a Packers website but when one of the all-time greats from a division rival hangs up the cleats, it’s noteworthy. Urlacher is a sure first-ballot Hall of Famer.  No doubt about it.  Even the casual fan knows who he is and what he accomplished for the Chicago Bears and the NFL.

Packers fans surely will forever remember the frustration that he caused them and their team during all of those years.

Here is the message Urlacher posted via his Twitter account:

It was an honor to play my entire career for the @chicagobears say.ly/GOh5Sxs — Brian Urlacher (@BUrlacher54) May 22, 2013

He ends a career in which he wore only one uniform and was the face of the franchise.  In today’s NFL, it is rare to see a player stay with his original team for that length of time.  But it almost didn’t end that way.

The Bears had released Urlacher earlier this offseason and, initially, it created a bit of a rift between he and the team.  Reports emerged that Urlacher felt that the Bears made him a very low “take it or leave it” offer to stay this season, and he chose to leave it.  Read more... (605 words + 3 images, estimated 2:25 mins reading time)

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A healthy Desmond Bishop is likely to be the biggest boost to the 2013 Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers drafted two running backs in the first four rounds of this year’s draft after many had been calling for the team to find more production in the run game.  With the addition of draftees Eddie Lacy and Johnathan Franklin, some would argue that each will end up playing a key role in the 2013 Packers’ storyline.

With Packers GM Ted Thompson having once again been very quiet in free agency, the draft was seemingly the team’s biggest chance to add to their existing roster.  Those draft picks, along with a few undrafted free agents, have garnered a lot of attention.  Actually, they have seen nearly all of it this off season, minus a few tiny contract situations that were recently ironed out.

Lost in the shuffle of all that is new, it’s what is “old” that I am anticipating will make the biggest difference when the smoke clears and the 2013 season is in the books.

Linebacker Desmond Bishop emerged as one of the team’s top defensive players during the team’s 2010 Super Bowl season.  That year, Bishop jumped from a career high of 29 tackles to 75.  The increase in playing time was a factor, but it’s hard to argue that Bishop became one of the team’s most productive defenders until a torn hamstring ended his 2012 season.  Read more... (542 words + 3 images, estimated 2:10 mins reading time)

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The Packers face some interesting history when they take on the Cowboys & Steelers in 2013

When the Green Bay Packers 2013 schedule was announced, one thing was very clear:  it’s going to be a doozy of a season for the Packers.  They have one of the toughest schedules in the league and it will certainly challenge them to repeat as NFC North division winners.

I thought we’d take a quick break from our daily coverage of current Packers happenings and look at some interesting history.

There are two games that really stand out to me on this year’s slate.  Not because of the playoff implications or because they are the “team to beat”.  It’s simply about some Packers history and how it also connects these two opponents.  I’m talking about the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Connection

The Packers visit Dallas and will play the Cowboys on December 15th.  One week later, they will host the Pittsburgh Steelers on December 22nd. The last time the Packers beat the Cowboys in Dallas was on December 24, 1989.  The last time they beat the Steelers during the regular season was on December 24, 1995.

So how ironic is it that this year’s games against each opponent come in back-to-back weeks and so close to the Christmas holiday?  As you’ve heard me say before: history has a tendency to repeat itself.  Is this the year the Packers finally exercise the ghost of Christmas Eve?  Beyond that connection, there are others throughout these rivalries.  Let’s take a look at each.  Read more... (1346 words + 3 images, estimated 5:23 mins reading time)

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The Packers announced more roster moves on Monday

The Green Bay Packers announced more roster moves on Monday.  General Manager Ted Thompson announced that the Packers have signed five players who took part in this weekend’s rookie orientation camp.

Those signed are fullback Jonathan Amosa, linebacker Donte Savage, cornerback Brandon Walker, wide receiver Tyrone Smith and linebacker Jarvis Wilson.

The team also cut linebacker Micah Johnson and fullback Ryan Roberson.  Roberson was recently added to the team’s roster and spent a mere few days there before being let go.  Johnson was added to the team’s practice squad at the tail and of last season.

The team now has 87 of the 90 potential offseason roster spots full.  As with any personnel moves that Thompson makes, it’s anyone’s guess if and how he chooses to address those three open spots.

Jason Perone is an independent sports blogger writing about the Packers on "AllGreenBayPackers.com

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Undrafted rookie running back Angelo Pease

It’s only been a few days and already the rookies are making an impression on Green Bay Packers Head Coach Mike McCarthy.  That’s what players are supposed to do and especially guys who are anything but guaranteed a roster spot.  That, alone, isn’t earth-shattering news.

But as we have seen before, this team has had success finding some gems in the undrafted free agent pool.  One such player is running back Angelo Pease.  During the first day of drills, McCarthy was so caught off guard by one of Pease’s runs that he thought he was watching second round draft pick Eddie Lacy.  It’s pretty safe to say that Lacy is a lock to stick on this year’s roster.  For Pease, who rarely saw the field for a very good Kansas State team last season, that comparison is a good early sign.

Here is what McCarthy had to say after practice:

“That’s a big time cut. Frankly, I thought it was Eddie Lacy, the way he dropped his weight and hit the hole,” McCarthy gushed. “Those are things we’re looking for.”

Now again, it’s only one moment and one practice.  There is a long way to go, but if he’s worth a mention in a post-practice recap, we may want to keep an eye on him.  Read more... (448 words + 3 images, estimated 1:48 mins reading time)

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Franklin has signed his rookie deal and will participate in the team’s rookie OTA’s

With rookie organized team activities (OTA’s) underway, the Green Bay Packers have begun signing this year’s draft picks.  Earlier today and per Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, RB Johnathan Franklin, OL, J.C. Tretter, LB Sam Barrington and LB Nate Palmer had all signed their mandatory four year deals.  OL David Bakhtiari reportedly has agreed to a deal with the team and will sign his contract later today.

This afternoon, ESPN Milwaukee’s Jason Wilde is reporting, via Twitter, that the only unsigned draftees are first rounder, DE Datone Jones and second round pick, RB Eddie Lacy.

Per the new league CBA, all rookies, with the exception of first rounders, must sign a four year rookie contract.  There is also a rookie salary cap that was implemented that has taken some of the labor and intrigue out of teams getting their rookies signed.  As a result, these deals are getting done in quick succession.

The team is hoping to sign most, if not all, of their rookies as quickly as possible.  Players who are unsigned are still permitted to take part in team practices, but have to sign a waiver in the event that they are injured while at the team facilities.

Only Franklin’s deal had a reported value and that was at around $2.5 million.  There were some questions about whether Franklin would be able to participate in rookie OTA’s due to an NFL rule that states that draftees are not permitted to practice with their new team until their school’s graduation has passed.  Franklin, however, finished his undergraduate degree in June, 2012 and so he is fully eligible for all team activities.  Read more... (309 words + 3 images, estimated 1:14 mins reading time)

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Who will replace Greg Jennings in 2013 is one of many questions left after the draft

The Green Bay Packers added 11 new players to their offseason roster via this past weekend’s NFL draft.  Packers GM Ted Thompson, as he does every year, maneuvered around and was able to add some additional picks to the stash that he began the draft with.

Heading into the draft, the team’s biggest needs were Defensive Line, Safety, Running Back, Wide Receiver, Tight End and Offensive Line.  The team addressed the defensive line with two selections in the first five rounds.  At running back, they added two players in the first four rounds and they selected two offensive linemen in the fourth.  Any pick within the first five rounds should be expected to stick on the team’s final 53 man roster.  The key word is “should” so I cautiously say that those three areas seemingly were covered.

While some GM’s draft more for need, Thompson’s philosophy has been more about taking the best player available on his board at the time.  Two good examples are his selecting two offensive tackles within 10 draft slots of each other in round four and trading back into the fourth round to select running back Johnathan Franklin when he had already selected a top-tier running back two rounds earlier in the form of Eddie Lacy.  Read more... (1362 words + 3 images, estimated 5:27 mins reading time)

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