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Southern Mississippi QB Austin Davis

Green Bay Packers draft prospect profile: QB Austin Davis

Player Information:

Austin Davis, QB Southern Mississippi
6’2”, 221 lbs
Hometown:  Meridian, MS

NFL Combine:

Vertical Jump: 31
Broad Jump: 9’1”
20-yard shuttle:  4.11
3-cone drill:  6.73

News and Notes:

Owns school record for most career touchdown passes, surpassing Brett Favre. Broke Favre’s single season touchdown pass record for a freshman with 23 in 2008. Named All Conference USA freshman.  Led Southern Miss to a 12-2 record and a win over the Nevada Wolfpack in the 2011 Hawaii Bowl.

What they’re saying about him:

Dane Brugler (CBSSports.com): “A dual threat quarterback with athletic footwork and mobility. An instinctive runner with very good toughness  uses stiff arms and runs with good body strength. Has quick, smooth delivery with very good touch and anticipation as a passer. Has natural leadership traits and plays with his heart, willing his team to victory. A smart and confident individual on and off the field. Plays like a veteran and executes and sells fakes well, doesn’t force a lot and isn’t afraid to throw it away.  Read more... (516 words + 1 image, estimated 2:04 mins reading time)

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2011 Packers Yearbook: Most disappointing player

(Be sure to place your vote in the poll below.)

Adam: Tramon Williams went from one of the most promising CBs in the NFL to givng up record numbers in passing yards. A shoulder injury and little support from the pass rush didn’t help Williams, but he still gets my vote for most disappointing.

Al: For me it has to be Mike Neal.  Based on his play early in 2010, I fully expected him to really come on and be a handful for offensive lineman to contain. Of course, he never got the chance and when he did come back, you could see he wasn’t the same guy. And now he’s suspended for four games. Ugh. I haven’t given up on him, though. I still want to see what he can do if healthy. Still holding out hope…

Chad: Perhaps the “underrated” tag fits better here, but I just can’t get over the disappointment of Mike Neal. The most unfortuante part is that this disappoint extends from his rookie year all the way into next season. His injuries, while pretty much out of his control, have been the biggest disappointment for Mike Neal and a large source of frustration to boot. But his latest four-game suspension for 2012 is his most recent disappointment. This kid could have been doomed from the beginning.  Read more... (628 words, estimated 2:31 mins reading time)

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2011 Packers Yearbook:  Most Valuable Player (not named Aaron Rodgers or Clay Matthews))

(Be sure to place your vote in the poll below.)

Adam: Greg Jennings. This one would be more obvious if Jennings didn’t get hurt, but he gets the nod because of how powerful the Packers passing game was.

Al: I can’t pick on anyone on offense besides Rodgers, sooooooo, I’ll go with  Ryan Pickett. In the two games that Pickett missed, the Packers gave up 344 rushing yards. Playing the majority of the time in a two-man front, Pickett is just an immovable force on the line of scrimmage. Dom Capers always says his defensive philosophy starts with stopping the run, so that makes Pickett my choice. My second choice would be Desmond Bishop, for similar reasons.

Chad: It’s hard to compare offense to defense, but since the defensive unit was so bad this year, I think I’ll have to go with an offensive player. That being said, I can’t get past the performance that Jordy Nelson had this season. True, Greg Jennings is the better receiver, yet Nelson was putting up numbers all year. I can’t fault Jennings for the injury, but it’s hard to dismiss how well Nelson filled in for him and consistently delivered. And according to ProFootballFocus, Jordy was second only to Victor Cruz in yards per route run among wide receivers.  Read more... (568 words, estimated 2:16 mins reading time)

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2011 Packers Yearbook: Most photogenic

(Be sure to place your vote in the poll below.)

Adam: Donald Driver. People will always love the smile.

Al: Clay Matthews. It’s all about the hair and image. So Cal Clay can give you multiple looks, tied back in a pony tail for public  appearances, loose and flowing when he’s just chilling around town. Whatever he does with it, he takes a hell of a  picture and the women love him.

Chad: It’s hard to get past the charisma of Donald Driver. From his pearly whites to his shiny bald head and diamond earrings, there’s no bad angle one could find with a camera. (Okay, floating back down to Earth now . . .)

Kris:  Aaron Rodgers.  That s**t-eating grin of his cracks me up every time whether it is part of a photo bomb endeavor or just on TV.

Michael: Greg Jennings. While Rodgers has more fame and Driver has the unbeatable smile, Jennings shines in front a camera. You can almost see his personality bursting through. Although not the level of Driver’s, Jennings also has a pretty notable smile.  Read more... (304 words + 1 image, estimated 1:13 mins reading time)

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2011 Packers Yearbook: Most likely to become a Packers coach

(Be sure to place your vote in the poll below.)

Adam: Jarrett Bush. I could see Bush as a future special teams coach. On the field, Bush is obnoxious, passionate and a little goofy — the perfect recipe for a future in coaching special teams.

Al: If he was still around, I would pick Mark Tauscher. I always think offensive line when it comes to who would make a good coach,  and of the current packers group, Jeff Saturday is the logical choice. But I don’t feel like being logical today, so I’m thinking out of the box here and saying Nick Collins. Collins may soon find out his playing career is over, yet is probably not ready to let go of the game. there’s only one solution: become a coach.

Chad: Call me crazy, but I think A.J. Hawk could fit the bill. The Packers don’t seem to want to get rid of him, and he’s been more of a cerebral player than a physical one. Maybe they’ll offer him a coaching position as an alternative to cutting him in the future . . .  Read more... (521 words, estimated 2:05 mins reading time)

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Did Hargrove get paid extra for this hit?

In a further sign that the apocalypse may actually occur in 2012, the Green Bay Packers have waded into the free agency waters with Ted Thompson at the controls.

As someone who prefers to mainly build through the draft, Thompson largely bypasses the free agency period but with center Scott Wells leaving for the St. Louis Rams, Thompson was backed into a corner a bit and signed former Indianapolis Colts center Jeff Saturday to a two year contract.

The Packers needed a center and Thompson signed one, one that arguably may even be an upgrade at the position.  It’s been a move fans have largely approved.  Thompson signing a “name” free agent worked out pretty well when he signed Charles Woodson in 2006 and fans hope to see the same in the signing of Saturday.

Thompson is apparently not done in free agency this year, either.  Seahawks defensive end Anthony Hargrove apparently took to Twitter to announce he was likely headed to Green Bay to become a Packer.  The Twitter account claiming to be that of Hargrove’s is unverified, so it is unknown whether or not it is Hargrove actually sending those tweets, but the Packers earlier hosted the real Hargrove at Lambeau Field on his free agency tour.  Read more... (850 words + 1 image, estimated 3:24 mins reading time)

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2011 Packers Yearbook: Most Frustrating Player

(Be sure to place your vote in the poll below.)

Adam: Tramon Williams. It was very frustrating watching Williams go from a top-tier CB to a complete mess. Hopefully a better pass rush and a fully-healed shoulder gets him back on track in 2012.

Al: So many candidates… I’ll stay away from the obvious choice (cough… Finley… cough…) and go with Charlie Peprah. The Packers won a Super Bowl with Charlie Peprah at safety. Last season, he was a disaster. Made mistake after mistake and gave up one big play after another. Obviously, without Nick Collins around for guidance, he was just lost back there…

Chad: Jermichael Finley, hands down. (Pun intended.) This year we saw the drops bug move from James Jones to Finley, and boy was it frustrating to watch. Finley is a dominant player and such a threat to defenses that seeing him consistently drop passes was gut-wrenching. Here’s hoping this problem goes away with a fresh year and a fresh contract.  Read more... (540 words, estimated 2:10 mins reading time)

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