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Charles Woodson

For seven years, Charles Woodson was everything Packers fans wanted–a leader and defensive difference-maker.

Oh, and an expensive free agent acquisition.

But scheduled to count $9,437,500 against the salary cap in 2013, the Packers opted to release Woodson and use that money elsewhere. Since then, the Packers have signed Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews to lucrative contract extensions and brought in 11 players via the draft.

But one position that wasn’t addressed by the Packers in April’s draft was safety.

Alongside Morgan Burnett, the Packers’ have questionable depth at the position. Second-year player Jerron McMillian has his sights set on the starting job, and M.D. Jennings has added five pounds in hopes of being an every-down player. Sean Richardson, an undrafted rookie last season, also figures to compete for playing time.

Entering the draft, many expected the Packers to address the safety position early. But with the No. 26 pick, they turned their shoulder to Matt Elam and Jonathan Cyprien, and instead selected UCLA defensive end Datone Jones.

Safety was widely viewed as one of the deepest positions in the entire draft, with starting-caliber players available into the middle rounds. But the picks kept coming, and a safety was not among the Packers’ 11 selections.

So is the door completely shut on Woodson’s potential return to Green Bay?  Read more... (891 words + 1 image, estimated 3:34 mins reading time)

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Packers defensive linemen Neal, Wilson, and Pickett are all set to become free agents in 2014.

In the wake of the Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews contract extensions, many of us have been wondering how the Green Bay Packers will utilize their remaining cap space. How they use it will depend a lot on the current players who will be free agency following this season. Not counting the recent restricted free agent tenders and offseason signings, there are a total of fourteen Packers players entering their final year of a multi-year contract.

One of the major concerns, though, is that four of those players – or over a quarter of them – are defensive linemen. And not just any defensive lineman. They accounted for 38 starts, 51 total games played, and 2,108 defensive snaps in 2012. Take a look:  Read more... (786 words + 1 image, estimated 3:09 mins reading time)

• Ryan Pickett, DT, 33, 13th yr.
  (2012: 16 starts, 16 games, 658 snaps – 2^nd DL, 3.8 PFF grade – 2^nd DL)
• B.J. Raji, DT, 26, 5th yr.
  (2012: 14 starts, 14 games, 768 snaps – 1^st DL, 6.5 PFF grade – 1^st DL)
• Mike Neal, DE, 25, 4th yr.
  (2012: 0 starts, 10 games, 323 snaps – 5^th DL, 3.4 PFF grade – 3^rd DL)
• C.J. Wilson, DE, 26, 4th yr.
  (2012: 8 starts, 11 games, 359 – 4^th DL, -2.1 PFF grade – 6^th DL)

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CheeseheadRadio, part of the Packers Talk Radio Network, will be live tonight with special guest Ryan Pickett.  Ryan will be coming on to talk some Packers football and get the word out about the first annual Ryan Pickett Celebrity Golf Classic.

Show Starts at 8:00PM Central and can be heard live at BlogTalkRadio.com.

Here’s some info on Ryan’s Golf Tournament:

For more details, visit theryanpickettfoundation.com

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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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Green Bay Packers front office masterminds Russ Ball and Ted Thompson.

Despite the Green Bay Packers recently inking two big-time contract extensions for Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews, they have only suffered a net loss of . . . wait for it . . . $4.1 million in cap space. They held roughly $17.5 million in cap room prior to the contracts, and yet they still have over $13 million left to work with. And we have one major person to thank for that: Russ Ball.

His official title is Vice President of Football Administration/Player Finance, but that long moniker doesn’t even begin to honor his work (or its worth) for the Packers. According to the team’s official website, “He is responsible for negotiating player contracts and managing the salary cap, in addition to the daily supervision of football-administration departments including athletic training, equipment, video, corporate travel, player development, family programs and public relations.”

What he has accomplished, though, is allowing Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy to do their work without having to worry too much about the financial complications.

He is the wizard behind the curtain, despite being handed praise from the local media. In the early half of 2011, Brian Carriveau of CheeseheadTV examined how Ball’s work helped propel the Packers to their first Super Bowl in 14 years. Bob McGinn added to this praise a few months later with an article about Ball being “a key cog in Packers machine.”  Read more... (895 words + 3 images, estimated 3:35 mins reading time)

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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)

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Packers GM Ted Thompson and Head Coach Mike McCarthy completed their eight draft together this weekend

The 2013 NFL Draft is in the books which means the Green Bay Packers have made all of their selections and we know who will be joining the team in training camp come late July.  Our team at ALLGBP.com has done a fantastic job in breaking down each of these players and be sure to check out each and get to know your newest Packer players!

Let’s take a look at this year’s full slate of draft picks:

Round 1

26th, 26th overall – Datone Jones, DE, UCLA

Many expected this pick if the Packers were staying put in round one.  Many say Jones was a great value at 26th overall and should start right away.  Helps solidify a position of need.

Round 2

29th, 61st overall (from 49ers) – Eddie Lacy, RB, Alabama

After several draft analysts had Lacy going to the Packers in round one and even before their pick, Green Bay had to be shocked to see him fall into their laps in round two.  Touted by many as the best running back in this year’s class, Lacy was the fourth back taken after Giovani Bernard (Bengals), Le’Veon Bell (Steelers) and Montee Ball (Broncos).  Clearly the Packers wanted Lacy and he will make an immediate impact to a running game that has lacked punch for the past three seasons.  Read more... (1144 words + 3 images, estimated 4:35 mins reading time)

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With their final pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, the Packers took South Florida OLB Sam Barrington.

With their final pick in the seventh round (232nd overall) in the 2013 NFL draft, the Green Bay Packers select Sam Barrington, OLB, South Florida.

PLAYER DETAILS: 
Sam Barrington
OLB
South Florida
6’1″/246lbs

CAREER NOTES: From CBSSports:

2012 SEASON  Read more... (1167 words + 1 image, estimated 4:40 mins reading time)

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