AllGreenBayPackers.Com

For those who have known me for any extended period of time, you know how long I’ve always wanted to become a sports writer. I’ve always been a Green Bay Packers fan but I knew that if I wanted to make that career jump I would have to exercise some kind of objectivity and hopefully I have been somewhat successful.

Right now, however, I’d like to at least somewhat circumvent that objectivity.

As you’re probably aware by now, now former Packers tight end Tom Crabtree signed a two-year contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.   On the surface, this move should not be that painful for the Packers. Crabtree was mainly a blocking tight end and highlights from 2012 aside, he wasn’t much of a threat in the passing game. This should not be that big of a deal.

That’s at the surface. Deep down, this is painful and in ways I never imagined.

I remember the first time I heard Crabtree’s name—when he scored his first career touchdown against the Eagles in the Wild Card round in the 2011 playoffs.  The Packers won that game en route to the Super Bowl XLV title.   We didn’t see much else from Crabtree in the rest of that playoff game but he did make many appearances on this thing called Twitter (or “the tweeter” as Mike McCarthy once referred to it as).  Read more... (1100 words + 1 image, estimated 4:24 mins reading time)

---- Get AddToAny

Greg Jennings is now a member of the Minnesota Vikings

Almost four years after one beloved Green Bay Packer left for the Land of 10000 Lakes (and zero Lombardi Trophies), another member of the Green and Gold will don the purple.

That’s right, per Adam Schefter of ESPN now former Packers WR Greg Jennings has signed a five-year deal with the Minnesota Vikings.

After trading away Percy Harvin to the Seahawks,  the Vikings were in the market for a new deep threat for Christian Ponder and they got one in Jennings.

Initial reports of the dollar figures are 47.5 million  over 5 years with 18 million guaranteed. Jennings is the second high profile member of the Packers to join the Vikings since 2009 (Brett Favre) and this move undoubtedly will not sit well with many Packers fans.

The games against the Vikings will be a lot more interesting starting this season but consider this: now Aaron Rodgers will have another chip on his shoulder  to absolutely maul Minnesota.  An anonymous Packer player texted Mike Freeman of CBS Sports that he’s happy for Jennings but that “he went from prime rib to Burger King.”

That first Packers/Vikings game can’t get here soon enough.

As for the Packers, they will be fine.  With Randall Cobb, Jordy Nelson and James Jones they still have one the best groups of wide receivers in the league.    GM Ted Thompson likely will select a wide receiver at some point in the draft and Green Bay is still developing Jarrett Boykin.  Read more... (294 words + 1 image, estimated 1:11 mins reading time)

---- Get AddToAny

Packers GM Ted Thompson

1) Introduction:  After following a Super Bowl title up with a 15-1 regular season in 2001, it seemed Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson could do no wrong.   After a tense beginning to his tenure with the Packers, many fans have come to completely trust Thompson when it comes to building the roster of their team.  Even when Thompson doesn’t sign many fee agents, he’s finding good players in the draft to restock Green Bay’s shelf with fresh talent.  2012 was no exception to how Thompson has gone about his time with the Packers.

2) Profile:

Ted Thompson

• Age: 60
• Born: 01/07/1953,      in Atlanta, Texas
• Rookie Year as  GM: 2006 (Packers)
• NFL Experience:  player: 1975-1984 (Houston Oilers), executive      1992-present (Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks)

Biography and more: 

(3) Expectations heading into 2012:  The expectations for Thompson’s roster have been the same since the Packers won Super Bowl XLV: Lombardi Trophy or bust.  The defense was Green Bay’s Achilles Heel in 2011 but it was often ignored or overlooked because of the record amount of points the offense was putting up.

Thompson’s objective was to improve the defense and he delivered in the draft with six of the Packers’ eight selections being devoted to the defensive side of the ball.  With Aaron Rodgers in command of a young but explosive offense, Thompson was afforded the luxury of being able to focus on one side of the team.  Read more... (623 words + 1 image, estimated 2:30 mins reading time)

---- Get AddToAny

Mike McCarthy

1) Introduction:  Entering 2012, Mike McCarthy was riding high as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers. He won a Super Bowl in 2010 and followed that up with a 15-1 season in 2011.  It was the most successful two-year stretch the Packers have had since the 1996 and 1997 seasons.   Despite the stunning finish in the loss to the Giants in the playoffs, many expected the Packers to be right in the thick of things again in 2012.

2) Profile:

Michael John McCarthy

• Age: 49
• Born: 11/10/1963, in Pittsburgh, PA
• Rookie Year: 2006 (as a head coach)
• NFL Head Coaching Experience: 7 years

Biography and more   

(3) Expectations coming into the season:  The Packers offense was a juggernaut in 2011 so expectations were high for McCarthy as the offensive play caller going into 2012.  The Packers had a relatively smooth 2011 without much adversity unlike the 2010 Super Bowl winning team so it was worth watching what would happen with the 2012 team should it hit some speed bumps.

The Packers were hoping also to establish more of a running game and that was clear when the team signed Cedric Benson in training camp.  McCarthy also was expected to keep airing the ball out on offense though with hopefully a bit more balance.  Read more... (627 words + 1 image, estimated 2:30 mins reading time)

---- Get AddToAny

Dom Capers

1) Introduction:  Many expected 2012 to be a rebound season for the Packers defense.  The unit was the team’s Achilles heel in 2011 and it cost them a shot at a second straight Super Bowl.  Ted Thompson reloaded the team with talent via the 2012 NFL Draft,  so it was up to Dom Capers to turn the defense around.  Capers was expected to get the unit closer to 2010 form when it was one of the best defenses in the NFL.

2) Profile:

Ernest Dominic “Dom” Capers

• Age: 62
• Born: 08/07/1950, in Cambridge, OH
• Rookie Year: 1986 (defensive backs coach with the Saints)
• NFL Coaching Experience: 36 years

Biography and more

(3) Expectations coming into the season:  In a word: improvement.  The defense was bad in 2011, but a lot of those flaws were covered up by the record-setting offense the Packers had that year.  When the offense finally had a bad game, in the playoffs of all times, how bad the defense really was became clear.

Thompson infused the defense with youth via the draft and Capers was expected to get the youngsters ready to push some of the veterans.  The defense was not expected to be the liability it was in 2011.

4)Overachievements/Underachievements:  If we were to go by players, Capers got a lot out of rookie Casey Hayward. In fact, Hayward has done the impossible and made it likely the team can survive without the recently released Charles Woodson and in fact maybe even thrive.  Hayward also made Tramon Williams a better player and Williams improved over his atrocious 2011.  Read more... (665 words + 1 image, estimated 2:40 mins reading time)

---- Get AddToAny

TE Ryan Taylor

1) Introduction:  When Ryan Taylor was drafted in 2011, many wondered what the Packers were thinking.  Could the team possibly head to training camp with five tight ends?  They did and kept four in 2012 with Taylor once again among them.  A special teams ace as much as anything else, Taylor showed enough in camp again to make the team’s 53-man roster heading into the regular season

2) Profile:

Ryan Lawrence Taylor

• Age: 24
• Born: 11/16/1987, in Winston-Salem, NC
• Height: 6’3”
• Weight: 254
• Rookie Year: 2011
• NFL Experience: 2 years

Career Stats and more: 

(3) Expectations coming into the season:  Taylor was expected to once again be mainly a special teams contributor.  He only had one catch in his rookie year (though it was a touchdown) and the Packers had other options above Taylor as a receiving tight end and that was evident in Taylor only playing 130 offensive snaps all season.

4) Player’s highlights/low-lights:  Just like his rookie year, Taylor only had one catch but this one was longer (11 yards) yet it wasn’t a touchdown.  Taylor’s lowlight came in the form of a $21,000 fine in November for an illegal block against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 9.

5) Player’s contribution to the overall team success:  Taylor was part of a special teams unit that featured some successful trick plays early in the season but other than that his impact was minimal.

6) Player’s contributions in the playoffs:  None.  Read more... (297 words + 1 image, estimated 1:11 mins reading time)

---- Get AddToAny

(1) Introduction: Packers TE Tom Crabtree is an old school tight end. You’re more likely to see him blocking along the line than running routes, but the past two seasons Crabtree has focused on improving his pass-catching abilities. A legend on Twitter, Crabtree looked to have his strongest season in 2012 before heading into restricted free agency.

Packers Tight End Tom Crabtree

(2) Profile:

Thomas Lewis Crabtree

• Age: 27
• Born: 11/04/1985, in Carroll, OH
• Height: 6’4”
• Weight: 245
• College: Miami (OH)
• Rookie Year: 2009
• NFL Experience: 4 years

Career Stats and more:

3) Expectations coming into the season: With Andrew Quarless likely to be out for the majority of the 2012 seasons thanks to a knee injury, Crabtree became the team’s primary backup tight end.  He was expected to contribute as an extra blocker and on special teams and occasionally in the passing game.  Crabtree was expected to do the dirty work tight ends sometimes have to do and comfortably made the 2012 roster.

4) Player’s highlights/low-lights: If the Packers were playing on national television, Crabtree somehow found a way to make a big play.  Perhaps the most stunning was a 27 yard touchdown by Crabtree on a fake field goal in Week 2 against the Chicago Bears.  Crabtree found the end zone in front of a national audience again against the Houston Texans with a 48-yard touchdown.  His longest of the year came on a 72-yard touchdown against the Cardinals when Rodgers found him over the middle. As for lowlights, he did miss two games with injuries and was at times part of a line that gave up 51 sacks of Aaron Rodgers.  Read more... (435 words + 1 image, estimated 1:44 mins reading time)

---- Get AddToAny