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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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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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Tennessee WR Cordarrelle Patterson

There may not be a Julio Jones or A.J. Green at the top of this year’s wide receiver crop, but the position is among the deepest in the 2013 NFL Draft.

This year’s classes is led by former JUCO transfer Cordarrelle Patterson, who played at Tennessee in 2012. Patterson, although raw, is a freakish athlete with seemingly limitless potential. He’s the No. 1 receiver on my board, and his college teammate, Justin Hunter, isn’t too far behind.

Along with Patterson, West Virginia speedster Tavon Austin also appears to be a surefire first-round pick. Austin is more of a Percy Harvin-type matchup nightmare than a true perimeter wide receiver, but he may be the most explosive offensive prospect in the entire draft.

Many have Calfornia’s Keenan Allen as a first-round pick as well, but I’m not 100 percent sold. To me, Patterson and Austin are clearly the top two guys at the position, and after them, Allen is one of a handful of guys that could sneak into the end of round one or fall to the middle of round two.

Louisiana Tech’s Quinton Patton, Clemson’s DeAndre Hopkins and Southern Cal’s Robert Woods fall into the same boat as Allen.

The Packers certainly have a need at wide receiver. On top of Greg Jennings leaving Green Bay for Minnesota, the team faces uncertainty with Jordy Nelson, whose contract is set to expire after 2014, and James Jones, who is scheduled to be a free agent after this season.  Read more... (1732 words + 1 image, estimated 6:56 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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Packers WR Randall Cobb will return as a top playmaker in 2013.

The injury bug bit the position hard, but players continually stepped up and the offense didn’t miss a beat. James Jones has had his fair share of struggles with dropped passes, but he had the best season of his career in 2013, leading the league with 14 touchdown catches. Randall Cobb also had a breakout season, due in part to the absence of Greg Jennings for much of the season. With Jennings likely headed elsewhere as an unrestricted free agent, more pressure will rely on the shoulders of Jones, Cobb and Jordy Nelson.

Where are we now:

Here are the current suspects;

Jordy Nelson (2nd Round, 2008)
James Jones (3rd Round, 2007)
Randall Cobb (2nd Round, 2011)
Jarrett Boykin (UDFA, 2012)
Jeremy Ross (UDFA, Signed as FA in 2012)

For expanded coverage of this topic, listen in using the player below or download the podcast from the Packers Talk Radio Network on Itunes.

Nelson: Coming off a breakout 2011 season, expectations for Jordy Nelson were high coming into 2012. Nelson will likely assume the subjective role of the Packers’ No. 1 receiver without Jennings in the fold. Although he missed four games due to injury, Nelson performed well when he was in the lineup. In a two-game stretch against the Houston Texans and St. Louis Rams, Nelson racked up 17 catches for 243 yards and four touchdowns.  Read more... (1104 words + 1 image, estimated 4:25 mins reading time)

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TE Jordan Reed

Green Bay Packers NFL Draft prospect profile: TE Jordan Reed

Player Information:

Jordan Reed, RB North Carolina
6-2, 236 pounds
Hometown: New London, CT

STATS

NFL Combine:

40 yard: 4.72

Bench: 16

News and Notes:

Jordan Reed is one of the more interesting prospects when he joined the Florida Gators as a man with no position.  A high school quarterback that lead his team to an undefeated season, the Gators first tried him out at running back where he gained 335 rushing yards on 44 carries (4.4 ypc) in his freshmen year.  He then made the transition to tight end where he lined up everywhere including inline, in the slot and bunch formations.  While Reed offers up an intriguing skill set he also carries much personal baggage that may ultimately cause his draft stock to fall.

 What they’re saying about him:   Read more... (951 words + 1 image, estimated 3:48 mins reading time)

• CBSSports.com: “Reed is a fluid and flexible athlete with smooth body control and controlled balance. He flashes WR moves after the catch with quick, elusive feet and deceiving speed to run away from defenders.  Reed shows smooth athleticism in his routes, creating separation with sharp footwork and quick body movements. He has reliable hands and does a nice job holding onto the ball after a big hit, proving his ability and toughness over the middle of the field.”

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Oregon State WR Markus Wheaton

Green Bay Packers NFL Draft prospect profile: WR Markus Wheaton

Player Information:

Markus Wheaton, WR Oregon State
5-11, 189 pounds
Hometown: Chandler, AZ

STATS

NFL Combine:

40 time: 4.45
Vertical: 37″
225-pound bench: 20 reps
20-yard shuttle: 4.02
60-yard shuttle: 11.16

News and Notes:

Three-year starter … Holds the Oregon State school record for career receptions … During his four-year career, Wheaton caught 227 passes for 2,994 yards and 16 touchdowns … Also in the running game on jet sweeps and end arounds … Was a first-team All-Pac 12 selection as a senior in 2012 … Caught 91 passes for 1,244 yards and 11 touchdowns as a senior … Carried the ball 83 times during his college career … Sprinter on the track team … Beat Oregon speedster De’Anthony Thomas in the 100m dash in May 2012 with a time of 10.58

 What they’re saying about him:   Read more... (766 words + 1 image, estimated 3:04 mins reading time)

• NFL.com: ”His quickness is blatant and dangerous. Whether taking off from the slot or outside, his feet are literally a step ahead of his defender on everything from speed outs, crossers, to jerk routes. Displays the flexibility to grab throws behind him or over his shoulder when running deep. He’ll also extend away from his body to bring in high or wide throws, and will stutter on the sideline to ensure he makes the catch in-bounds. Possesses some thickness to his frame, and is willing to lower his shoulder to get the extra yard – often diving under defenders to get as many as possible. Wheaton also dabbled in track while at OSU, reminding scouts of his elite speed.”

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