AllGreenBayPackers.Com

Packers CB Sam Shields

Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Sam Shields has signed his restricted free agent tender with the Green Bay Packers.  The deal is for one year and worth just over $2.02 million for the 2013 season.

Shields and his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, are reportedly still talking to the Packers about a long-term deal.

Shields is expected to join the team for the start of mini camp tomorrow.

Packers CB Sam Shields just signed his RFA tender for $2.023 million.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 3, 2013

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

Jason Perone
      Follow @JasonPerone           Add to Circleson

——————

---- Get AddToAny

Gilbert Brown All Star Football Camps

Gilbert Brown talks about his Youth Football Camps, his Foundation and the Packers. Join us tonight, 8PM Central Time for this live interview on the Packers Talk Radio Network on BlogTalkRadio.

The Cheesehead Radio crew will be interviewing this immensely popular Packers Hall of Fame Member, who spent ten seasons with the Packers.

These days, Gilbert serves as the Head Coach of the Green Bay Chill, part of the Legends Football League (formerly Lingerie Football league).

Every summer, Gilbert holds several Youth Football Camps in Wisconsin, including one totally free camp for inner-city kids, who get three meals a day in addition to some expert football instruction.

For more information about Gilbert Brown’s All Star Football Camp, please visit Mayfield Sports Marketing or The Gilbert Brown Foundation. And be sure to follow Gilbert on Twitter

Through his foundation, he is also very actively on a mission to stomp out bullying. As hard as it may be to believe now, Brown himself was bullied as a child.

So be sure to tune into Cheesehead Radio tonight, with your hosts “Jersey” Al Bracco, Jayme Joers, C.D. Angeli, and John Rehor for great conversation with a Packers legend to satisfy your Packers fix on the Packers Talk Radio Network.

ADDED 5/30/13:  if you missed the show, here it is:

   Read more... (277 words + 3 images, estimated 1:06 mins reading time)

---- Get AddToAny

Neal saw more time at outside linebacker at Tuesday’s OTA’s

The Green Bay Packers resumed OTA’s and one of the big stories from today’s practice was defensive end Mike Neal, who lined up at outside linebacker during a portion of today’s activities.  He was also with the OLB’s as well as the defensive ends during position drills.  Neal spent some time at OLB last week as well.

It should be noted that there are some question marks at outside linebacker, especially in those who are proven at the position.  Behind starter Clay Matthews is Nick Perry, Dezman Moses, Nate Palmer and Andy Mulumba.  Perry is expected to re-assume the other starting OLB spot when the season begins, although he still is not 100% back from a wrist injury that ended his rookie season after just six games.  Moses filled in some last year after being signed as an undrafted free agent, but doesn’t appear likely to make a big jump.  Palmer was the Packers’ sixth round selection in this year’s draft and, while the team seems very high on him, he has yet to play a down at the NFL level.  Mulumba was an undrafted free agent that the Packers signed immediately following the draft and, like Palmer, has yet to play a down at the pro level.  Green Bay lost OLB’s Erik Walden and Frank Zombo to free agency.

It’s too early to tell if the team has seen enough to think that Neal can move outside on a more regular basis, but he clearly did enough last week to get another look.  Read more... (760 words + 3 images, estimated 3:02 mins reading time)

---- Get AddToAny

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)

---- Get AddToAny

Former Packers DB Charles Woodson

After another lengthy stint on the free-agent market, former Packers defensive back Charles Woodson has signed a one-year contract to return to the Oakland Raiders, according to the team’s official Twitter account.

Woodson was the No. 4 overall pick to the Raiders in the 1998 NFL Draft. He played eight years with Oakland but had no serious suitors when he became a free agent in 2005.

Late in the free-agent process, Woodson signed a seven-year contract to play in Green Bay where he would go on to play seven seasons. He was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2009 and was a four-time All-Pro selection during his seven years with the Packers.

Versatility and instincts made Woodson a turnover machine at the peak of his career. His post-game speech, in which he urged the team to have “one mind, one goal, one purpose and one heart” after defeating the Chicago Bears in the 2010 NFC Championship Game, is referenced on the team’s rings for Super Bowl XLV.

After originally suggesting he only wanted to play for a Super Bowl contendor, Woodson changed his tune as he remained unsigned. The Raiders won  But now Woodson, 36, will return to Oakland to help shore up a secondary that allowed the fifth-most points in the NFL last season.

The Packers, meanwhile, will turn to Jerron McMillian and M.D. Jennings to fill Woodson’s shoes safety. Both players saw time with the first-team defense Tuesday at the Packers first public OTA of the 2013 season.  Read more... (282 words + 1 image, estimated 1:08 mins reading time)

---- Get AddToAny

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)

---- Get AddToAny

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers

According to the team’s official website, the Packers have signed quarterback Aaron Rodgers to a multi-year contract extension.

The move was announced Friday by Packers general manager Ted Thompson. Rodgers is now the highest paid player in league history after signing a five-year extension worth $110 million. Reports are that the contract calls for Rodgers to be paid 40 million in the first year and 62.5 million in the first three years (500K more than Joe Flacco). His salary cap number will never exceed 21M.

“Aaron is a true professional and a special player,” Thompson said, per Packers.com. “He works hard, is humble, and is focused on his actions, on and off the field. He is an excellent teammate and pushes himself and others to be the very best. We are happy to reach an agreement to extend his career with the Packers.”

Rodgers had two years remaining on his previous deal, but the new contract will keep him in Green Bay for the foreseeable future.

Thompson spent his first draft pick as Packers general manager on Rodgers, the No. 24 overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. After sitting behind Brett Favre for three years, Rodgers took over as the team’s starting quarterback in 2008.

In his first season as the starter, Rodgers threw for 4,038 yards, 28 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. His 93.8 passer rating was the lowest of his career, as he’s posted a rating of at least 101.2 in each of the past four seasons.  Read more... (387 words + 1 image, estimated 1:33 mins reading time)

---- Get AddToAny