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Packers Defensive Line

Packers Defensive Line: This is the first in a series of examinations I’m going to do on each Packers position group as it currently exists. Kind of a State of the Union address – where we are, where we want to go and what we need to do to get there.

Where are we now:

Here are the current suspects;

BJ Raji (1st round)
Ryan Pickett (1st round)
Mike Neal (2nd round)
C.J. Wilson (7th round)
Jarius Wynn (6th round)
Howard Green (6th round)
Lawrence Guy (7th round, injured reserve)
Johnny Jones (undrafted, 77th ranked DT by nfldraftscout.com, cut by Miami in preseason)

Notice a pattern here? This is classic Ted Thompson building depth with late round picks, but thanks to Neal missing so much time, the emergency fill-ins ended up playing a lot more that you would want. For the year, both Jarius Wynn and CJ Wilson were both within a hundred snaps of Ryan Pickett. Frankly, that’s way too much. Pickett’s value against the run can not be argued against – one just has to look at the two games Pickett missed – the Packers gave up 344 rushing yards in those two games.  Read more... (1849 words + 1 image, estimated 7:24 mins reading time)

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Aaron Rodgers stock fell a bit during the playoff loss to the Giants, but it remains high heading into next season.

The Giants beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl and there will be no more meaningful football games for the next six months. That’s six months to reflect on how a team that lost twice to the Redskins during the regular season could go on to knock off the mighty Packers in the playoffs and keep rolling all the way to the Lombardi Trophy.

Depressing.

It’s hard to find a silver lining, but if you’re searching for one, take a few minutes and look over the Packers roster. It’s pretty good. Go ahead and cross off some of the players you think won’t be around next season, and it’s still pretty good. This team is going to contend again next season, and probably for the next couple of seasons after that. At least Packers fans have something to look forward to.

We’ve spent the last couple of weeks at AllGBP.com evaluating and grading every player on the Packers roster. Those report cards are done now, and it’s time to put this season in the rearview mirror.  Read more... (1632 words + 1 image, estimated 6:32 mins reading time)

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Packers GM Ted Thompson

At this point of the season, it’s safe to say most readers of this site probably know where every team in the NFC North stands and why they’re in the position that they’re in. So instead of updating everyone with information they probably already know, we’ll take a different approach by examining recent NFC North draft classes.

I went back and listed every team’s draft choices from 2008-11 and broke down each team by examining their picks in the following categories:

Current starters: How many players drafted since 2008 are currently starting? I was fairly liberal in labeling players as “starters.” For example, Jordy Nelson does not “start” for the Packers (until Jennings got hurt, anyway), but for all intents and purposes, he’s a starter.

Home runs: These players are absolute studs, already pro bowlers or force other teams to game-plan specifically for them.

Future stars?: These players are already good, but haven’t reached their ceiling. A pro bowl or more could realisticially be in their future.

Late-round discoveries: Players drafted in rounds 4-7 that contribute and play much better than a typical player drafted in rounds 4-7.  Read more... (1312 words + 1 image, estimated 5:15 mins reading time)

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The Turk pays the Packers a Visit

Here’s your complete list of Packers roster cuts and trades the team implemented to get them down to the mandated 53-man roster limit:

G Caleb Schlauderaff - Seemed overmatched in the running game, which does not come as a big surprise. Was supposed to be strong pass blocker but did not distinguish himself. Would have been a good practice squad candidate, but the Jets came calling with a trade and Schlauderaff is now a Jet.

CB Brandian Ross - Since flashing early in camp, Ross has been relatively quiet. With Davon House assured a spot, Ross had a slim chance at best.

CB Josh Gordy - This was probably a difficult cut for the Packers – Gordy flashed excellent speed and football instincts, but struggled a bit in man-to-man coverage. With development, could turn into a good backup corner in the NFL. Packers will surely sign him to the practice squad if he clears waivers.

S Brandon Underwood - The move to safety helped Underwood, but in the end, he did not distinguish himself enough from the likes of M.D. Jennings to warrant keeping the often-in-troubleUnderwood around. A fresh start for him on another team is probably best for him, anyway.  Read more... (1315 words + 1 image, estimated 5:16 mins reading time)

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In what has been a frantic week of negotiations, trades, and player signings, the Green Bay Packers have finally signed each of their 2011 draft picks. These ten rookies had been waiting anxiously for the end of the lockout so that they could get to Green Bay and start training. And now, with all of their contracts signed, they have earned their uniform numbers and are ready to take to the practice field.

Below is a list of the draft picks, their new numbers, and some information about their contracts:

Derek Sherrod

Drafted: Rd 1, Pick 32 (32)
Position: OL (T)
Number: #78
Contract: Four-year contract total: $6.6 million ($5.32 million guaranteed); Signing bonus: $3,301,456

Randall Cobb

Drafted: Rd 2, Pick 32 (64)
Position: WR
Number: #18
Contract: Four-year contract total: $3.2 million; Signing bonus: $834,000

Alex Green

Drafted: Rd 3, Pick 32 (96)
Position: RB
Number: #20
Contract: Four-year contract

Davon House

Drafted: Rd 4, Pick 34 (131)
Position: DB (CB)
Number: #31
Contract: Four-year contract total: $2.34 million

D.J. Williams

Drafted: Rd 5, Pick 10 (141)
Position: TE
Number: #84
Contract: Four-year contract total: $2.33 million; First-year pay: $424,500; Signing bonus: $198,000  Read more... (350 words + 1 image, estimated 1:24 mins reading time)

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With the 2011 NFL Draft in the books, Green Bay Packers fans everywhere are left to speculate on why Ted Thompson chose the players he did. In this article, I will try to delve into the mind of our ‘awkward genius” and present a coherent rational for each pick.

* Derek Sherrod – Offensive Tackle – Round 1, Pick 32 – Replacement for Chad Clifton: The Packers hope that they have their bookends for quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ prime years.  This pick reminds me a lot of Bryan Bulaga, another offensive tackle that was widely respected but not as highly touted as some of the other offensive linemen in the draft and probably fell roughly 10 spots before the being selected by the Packers.  Thompson was thinking value last year with Bryan Bulaga and that applies to Derek Sherrod as well.

At the moment, the Packers claim that they haven’t worked out where Bulaga and Sherrod will be playing, but I think it largely lies with Mark Tauscher.  If Tauscher decides to come back for another year (and beats out Bulaga as the starter), then the Packers will have the option of choosing who goes where.  If on the other hand Tauscher retires, gets cut or becomes the backup, then Bulaga becomes the logical choice for right tackle since he already has experience there and Sherrod gets to learn the ropes behind Clifton and become the future left tackle.  Read more... (1923 words + 1 image, estimated 7:42 mins reading time)

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Round 1 (32): Derrick Sherrod, OT, Mississippi State (@dsherrod78)

Sherrod measured 6’5” 321 lbs with a 35 3/8 inch wingspan and at the combine and posted a 5.18 second 40-yard dash, 23 bench presses, 28 inch vertical jump, 97 inch broad jump, 7.43 second 3-cone drill and 4.63 second 20-yard shuttle. Sherrod is one of the most decorated college football players in the nation both on and off the field; he was named to seven All-American teams this year as well as winning the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Award, which is given to the top 16 players in the nation for their academic and leadership ability.  Sherrod graduated in August of 2010 with a 3.54 grade point average in business.

Round 2 (64): Randall Cobb, WR, Kentucky (@rcobb18)

Cobb measures in at 5-11, 196 pounds with 31″ arms. He posted a 4.46-second 40-yard dash, 16 bench-presses, 33.5″ vertical leap, 115″ broad jump, 7.08-second 3 cone drill, 4.34-second 20-yard shuttle and 11.56-second 60-yard shuttle.  Over his three years in college, Cobb racked up 5,000 all-purpose yards, including 1,661 receiving and 1,313 rushing. In his final year, Cobb posted 84 catches for 1,017 yards and was selected as a First Team All-American for his efforts.  Read more... (966 words, estimated 3:52 mins reading time)

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