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Surviving Sundays with no Packers Football

I love Packers general manager Ted Thompson. Even if he was terrible at his job, which thankfully he isn’t, I would still love him.

While a bunch of other teams are out signing free agents that most NFL fans recognize and know, Thompson signs Loyce Means, a cornerback who most recently played in the Canadian Football League. A couple weeks ago, Thompson signed an Italian kicker named Giorgio Tevecchio.

While fans of the 49ers get to embrace Nnamdi Asomugha, Packers fans take to Google to try and figure out who in the hell Loyce Means is.

While Vikings and Dolphins fans get excited about signing Greg Jennings and Mike Wallace, respectively, Packers fans are left trying to figure out who (or what) a Giorgio Tevecchio is.

Sometimes I wonder if Thompson signs these unknown guys just so he can see how crazy it might drive some Packers fans. I know that’s not the case, but it’d be funny if it was.

I think by now a lot of Packers fans get Thompson. Not all of fans, but a lot. They might not agree with his strategies, but they at least get him.

That’s progress, right?

Or am I wrong?

Do the fans who didn’t get Thompson from the beginning still not get him now?

Whether you get him or not, do you find it as amusing as I do when he signs one of these unknown guys while the rest of the league signs marquee names?  Read more... (575 words + 1 image, estimated 2:18 mins reading time)

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Last weekend, we picked our “Packers Players Elite Eight.” As March Madness continues, we will parallel the NCAA Basketball tournament and have you vote for the four BEST Packers on the roster; the “Packers Players Final Four.”

The players you selected fore the Elite Eight (in no particular order) were:

• James Jones
• Aaron Rodgers
• Casey Hayward
• Randall Cobb
• B.J. Raji
• Jordy Nelson
• Clay Matthews
• Josh Sitton

This time around, you get to vote for the Final Four. So select who you think are the Packers’ BEST four football players from the list. As a reminder, this isn’t a vote for the player’s value to the Packers, but rather who are the BEST football players on the roster.

The poll will be up through Sunday Night and the results will be posted on Monday.  Enjoy!

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Jersey Al Bracco is the founder and editor of AllGreenBayPackers.com, and the co-founder of Packers Talk Radio Network. He can be heard as one of the Co-Hosts on Cheesehead Radio and is the Green Bay Packers Draft Analyst for Drafttek.com.

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Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews

Through free agency, Ted Thompson’s Green Bay Packers have been Ted Thompson’s Green Bay Packers. Deafeningly quiet.

But in the coming weeks, the Packers will look to lock up their two most important players—Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews.

According to the Green Bay Press-Gazette, the Packers are closer to a deal with Matthews than they are with Rodgers. But ideally, the team would extend both contracts before offseason workouts being April 15.

Packers beat writer Wes Hodkiewicz joined me and PackersTalk.com contributor Jacob Westendorf Wednesday to talk about the team’s impending contract extensions.

“Rodgers is going to be the highest paid quarterback in NFL history,” Hodkiewicz said. “I think that’s all but established. It’s just a matter of when they’re going to get that done.”

ESPN insider Adam Schefter suggested that Matthews is expected to get about $13 million per year on his new contract. Hodkiewicz says Rodgers should receive a contract worth between $22-25 million per season.

So with over $30 million potentially being tied up into two players, B.J. Raji could find himself in an interesting position.

After being selected with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, Raji has been moved around the team’s defensive line. He enjoyed perhaps his best season in 2010, racking up 6.5 sacks before being named to his first Pro Bowl a year later.

But Rodgers and Matthews are clearly the Packers’ top two long-term priorities, leaving Raji’s future in question.  Read more... (431 words + 1 image, estimated 1:43 mins reading time)

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Could the Packers and Clay Matthews be close to a contract extension?

Reports are trickling out that the Packers and Clay Matthews are close to a new deal that will pay the linebacker more than $13 million a year in new money.

Matthews is 26 and has 42.5 sacks in four seasons with the Packers. He’s been the Packers best all-around defensive player and is often the Packers only legitmate pass-rushing threat.Matthews also has battled hamstring issues and missed four games in 2012.

New contracts for Matthews and Aaron Rodgers are a priority for the Packers this offseason. B.J. Raji is probably also in the mix.

Yes, his hamstrings do cause some concern, but the Packers absolutely need to resign Matthews. He’s the only Packers defender that other teams are forced to game-plan around the last two seasons. Guys with Matthews pass-rushing skills, all-around game and effort don’t come around very often.

Adam Czech is a freelance reporter and a Packers fan living in the Twin Cities. Follow Adam on Twitter. Read more of Adam's writing on the Packers here.

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Surviving Sundays with no Packers Football

As I was observing the buzz created this week by the U.S. Supreme Court hearings on gay marriage, I couldn’t help but think about former Packers great Reggie White.

Most Packers fan who are old enough probably remember this speech by White in front of the Wisconsin state legislature in March of 1998. White was scheduled to talk about some of his community service work. Instead the Minister of Defense went off about the sins of homosexuality and how being gay is a “decision.”

White also appeared in a few newspaper ads run by Christian organizations wearing his Packers jersey and promoting his opposition to homosexuality.

Can you imagine if White did these things in 2013 instead of 1998? Twitter would spontaneously combust. The comments section at the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel would turn into even more of a cesspool than it already is. Collin Cowherd, Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless would reach new levels of intolerable. Activist organizations would storm Lambeau Field.

White’s legacy would probably be damaged beyond repair.

Or would it?

I freely admit that I always think of White the former Packer. The image of White burned into my brain is this one, Super-Bowl trophy held high, a sense of accomplishment on his face.

I never think of this image of White, the one of White in a suit and tie, condemning homosexuality and making other disparaging remarks.  Read more... (1021 words + 1 image, estimated 4:05 mins reading time)

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Pick the Packers’ Elite Eight

After a few days of voting, the fans have had their say and the Packers’ Elite Eight players have been chosen. As a reminder this was a vote for the Packers’ BEST pure football players, not those with the most value to them.

I’m holding back the order and percentages of the top eight (for now), so as not to influence our Final Four voting. Don’t fret, when this is all over, I’ll publish all of the results at each stage for your perusal and discussion.

I will show you the order and percentages of the eight that didn’t make it. And here’s a little nugget: the last player to make the Elite Eight was a full 14% higher that Bryan Bulaga, so there was no real battle for that last spot.

These are your Packers Elite Eight ( in random order):

VOTING RESULTS:

• James Jones
• Aaron Rodgers
• Casey Hayward
• Randall Cobb
• B.J. Raji
• Jordy Nelson
• Clay Matthews
• Josh Sitton

THOSE ELIMINATED:

• Bryan Bulaga  (34.49%)
• Sam Shields (31.02%)
• Desmond Bishop  (26.77%)
• Ryan Pickett  (24.20%)
• Tim Masthay (23.42%)
• Jermichael Finley  (23.17%)
• Tramon Williams  (22.65%)
• Morgan Burnett  (13.77%

The biggest surprises for me are Morgan Burnett being last (shouldn’t Masthay be last?) and Ryan Pickett not being higher on the list. Personally, I’d rate Pickett higher than Raji.

What do you think?  Read more... (280 words + 3 images, estimated 1:07 mins reading time)

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Pick the Packers’ Elite Eight

Last weekend, we picked our “Packers Players Sweet Sixteen.” As March Madness continues, we will parallel the NCAA Basketball tournament and have you vote for the eight best Packers on the roster; the “Packers Players Elite Eight.”

If you recall, we gave you the first 12 players last time and had you vote for the last four spots. The players you selected to include in the Sweet Sixteen were Casey Hayward, Bryan Bulaga, Jermichael Finley and Tim Masthay (just missing out was T.J. Lang).

This time around, you get to vote for the Elite Eight. So select who you think are the Packers’ BEST eight football players from the list. As a reminder, this isn’t a vote for the player’s value to the Packers, but rather who are the BEST football players on the roster.

The poll will be up through Friday Night and the results will be posted on Saturday.  Enjoy!

 
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