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Green Bay is getting ready for the offseason

With the signing of five tryout players, the Green Bay Packers have reached the limit for their offseason roster with 90 players.  The NFL increased the allowed amount of offseason players on a roster from 80 to 90 this year.

The five tryout players signed were offensive tackle Shea Allard of Delaware, wide receivers Jarrett Boykin of Virginia Tech and Curenski Gilleylen of Nebraska, offensive guard Grant Cook of Arkansas and cornerback Otis Merrill of Illinois State.  It shouldn’t come as too big of a surprise that four of the five players are on the offensive side of the ball since the Packers only drafted two (both seventh-round selections) during the 2012 NFL draft.

The Packers will have until their four preseason games are played to get down to their final 53-man roster, which I’m sure we’ll continue to keep you up to date on.

So, what does this exactly mean for Green Bay?

For starters, it means that we won’t be hearing about many, if any, new signings from here on out.  The few weeks after the draft but before training camps begin are usually riddled with signings, but that will slow down dramatically now.  Read more... (336 words + 1 image, estimated 1:21 mins reading time)

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Nick Collins has been released by the Packers

The Green Bay Packers have released free safety Nick Collins today according to a report from Jason Wilde at ESPN-Milwaukee.  This decision has been hanging around us all since Collins saw his season end just two games in after suffering a severe neck injury against the Carolina Panthers.

Collins was one of the most beloved Packers on the entire roster, and his overall performance on the field is what caused so many fans to fall in love with him as a player.  Collins was voted to three straight Pro Bowls heading into the 2011 season, and was also a member of three straight All-Pro Teams.

No one will ever forget his interception that was returned for a touchdown in Super Bowl XLV against the Pittsburgh Steelers.  It was that play that was the catalyst for the Packers to bring the Lombardi Trophy home after so many years.

Now the Packers need to figure out what to do without Collins, and it’ll all start tomorrow with the 2012 NFL draft.  Instead of being able to focus on outside linebacker and defensive line early in the draft, Ted Thompson and the Packers will now need to add safety to their positions of greatest need for the 2012 season.  Read more... (343 words + 1 image, estimated 1:22 mins reading time)

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Chad Clifton spent 12 seasons in green and gold.

According to a report from Adam Schefter and ESPN.com, the Green Bay Packers are releasing veteran offensive tackle Chad Clifton.

Clifton was drafted by the team in 2000 in the second round out of Tennessee. Clifton was a remarkable player for most of the past 12 seasons, but found his body beginning to betray itself after missing ten games this past season. According to the ESPN report, Clifton was the oldest starting left tackle in the National Football League.

He started 160 of his 165 career games as Packer and was selected to two Pro Bowls. Clifton and Mark Tauscher provided much needed stability to an offensive line that was greatly in flux during the beginning of Mike McCarthy’s time as Packers head coach.

It’s truly an end of an era in Green Bay. Clifton was the last piece standing from the great offensive line the Packers had in the early 2000s. he helped Ahman Green become one of the the best running backs in Packers history and helped transition the team between Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre

Clifton was owed $5.7 million in salary and bonuses this year.  Read more... (318 words + 1 image, estimated 1:16 mins reading time)

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Surviving Sundays With no Packers Football

If you missed the three-hour ESPN special unveiling the NFL schedule, congratulations. I was open minded enough to give it a shot, but only managed to last about five minutes before trying to leap through my living-room window.

Three hours to unveil the NFL schedule?! I allow the NFL and the Green Bay Packers to monopolize my life from September through January. I can’t let them do the same in April.

Besides, why watch an ESPN anchor read off a cue card and a bumbling former player or two unveil the schedule in Bristol, CT, when you could just visit ALLGBP.com and find out all you need to know? Here’s a link to the NFL schedule, and below are some random thoughts on the portion of the schedule that involves the greatest franchise in the history of sports, the Packers.

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• I was hoping the Packers would play the Giants in the NFL’s Wednesday kickoff game. I didn’t care about exacting revenge for the playoff loss, but it would’ve been nice for the Packers to get 10 days off after the season opener. It turns out the Packers will get 10 days off early in the season, but it comes after playing the Bears on Thursday night in week two.

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If only I had a mint julep right now...

The other day we looked at possible first round trades for the Packers. Today we dip into the second round for some moves that might makes sense for Green Bay:

2nd Round Trade #1

The Packers trade their 2nd (59), 4th (123) and 6th (12) to the Tennessee Titans for their 2nd (52) and seventh (227). The trade value numbers are 385 on the Packers side and 381 for the Titans.

The Packers watch the second round unfold and after the first 50 picks are taken, find there are some players on their board they had rated as early second round talent. Ted Thompson can’t pass up the opportunity and calls up the Titans, owners of only seven picks in this draft.

The Titans stock up on more picks, while the Packers move up seven spots to grab the surprise dropper of the second round. Perhaps Shea McClellin, Chris Polk, Harrison Smith or Jerel Worthy find their way onto the Packers’ roster.

2nd Round Trade #2

The Packers trade their 2nd (59), 3rd (90), 4th (123) and 6th (197) to the Jacksonville Jaguars for their 2nd (38). The trade value numbers are 512 on the Packers side and 520 for the Titans.  Read more... (447 words + 1 image, estimated 1:47 mins reading time)

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2012 is a big season for Packers T Derek Sherrod

Injuries to Chad Clifton, Josh Sitton and Bryan Bulaga meant that the Packers offensive line never really gelled last season. Guys like Marshall Newhouse and Evan Dietrich-Smith did a decent enough job filling in, but the line never got rolling like I thought it would.

This might be a little tricky to attempt before the draft, but let’s take a look at several offensive line scenarios for the 2012 season. If/when injuries hit, what are the Packers options and potential lineups up front?

Scenario 1
LT Chad Clifton, LG T.J. Lang, C Jeff Saturday, RG Josh Sitton, RT Bryan Bulaga.

This is the ideal scenario. In a perfect world, Clifton comes back, he’s healthy and productive, and the Packers trot out the same five guys every week. We can dream, right?

Scenario 2
LT Derek Sherrod, LG Lang, C Saturday, RG Sitton, RT Bulaga

Maybe Clifton gets cut or goes down early in the season and the Packers have to once again fill a hole at left tackle. If that happens, the ideal situation is for Sherrod to come back from his broken leg and step right in, showing improvement from his rookie season and becoming the left tackle of the future. Bulaga would stay at right tackle and the future would bright. If only it was that easy…  Read more... (783 words + 1 image, estimated 3:08 mins reading time)

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Hmmmmm, who can I hoodwink?

With the Packers already holding the maximum 12 picks in the upcoming 2012 NFL Draft, the odds would seem to favor seeing the Packers trade-up in one of the early rounds, in exchange for giving up multiple picks in later rounds.

Of course, with Ted Thompson, that’s only going to happen if a player he covets is unexpectedly within reach, but unlikely to last until the Packers’ next selection (ala Clay Matthews).

Coincidentally, this article comes on the heels of one by our own Thomas Hobbes on how the new CBA makes it more economically feasible to trade up.

So, using the trade value chart (those that wish to argue the relevance/accuracy of this chart should weigh in on the comments on this article, not here), lets take a look at a few trades that make sense for the Packers in Round1.

1st round trade #1:

The Packers trade their 1st (28), 3rd (90) and 4th (123) to the Tennessee Titans for their 1st (20). The trade value numbers are 849 on the Packers side and 850 for the Titans, almost a perfect match.  Read more... (499 words + 1 image, estimated 2:0 mins reading time)

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