AllGreenBayPackers.Com

Surviving Sundays With No Packers Football

Last week I used this space to discuss dead wrestlers, concussions and the suicide of Junior Seau. It was some heavy and serious stuff, so serious that I didn’t have the will to keep the post going and talk about Packers news.

To make up for it, this edition of Surviving Sunday will be nothing but Packers.

Enjoy.

Rookie Camp
All eight Packers draft picks signed contracts and are participating in this weekend’s rookie camp. From a fan’s perspective, rookie camps and mini camps are a nice reminder that football season is getting closer, but that’s about it. It’s impossible for us outsiders to glean too much from offseason camps. The quotes from coaches are the same every year. Everybody looks great. Everybody is in amazing shape. Everybody looks real focused. Everybody just wants to help the team win. Yawn……

Alex Green and Ryan Grant
Alex Green wants to return by training camp according to Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. If he’s putting in the effort and work necessary to make it happen, I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see Green make it back for camp. It sounds like Adrian Peterson has a legit shot at playing in week one after ripping up his knee at the end of last season. Obviously, no two knee injuries are the same, but if Peterson can return that quickly, I like Green’s chances of being ready to go by August.  Read more... (665 words + 1 image, estimated 2:40 mins reading time)

---- Get AddToAny

Packers Free Agent Ryan Grant

Since this has unofficially become running backs week at AllGBP.com, I’ll chime in with some thoughts on the one guy who hasn’t been mentioned, Ryan Grant.

This is also the first in what I hope will become a series of “I have a feeling” posts, based on nothing more than what my gut tells me and intended to spur active discussion and debate. So, let’s get started.

Earlier in the week, Matthew Stein asked the question, “Which running back gives the Packers the best chance to win?” That was followed up on Thursday by Adam Czech, who gave us a look at some other players in the mix; the Packers UDFA running backs.

After reading and dissecting both posts, I came to this rather unlikely (for me) conclusion; Ryan Grant could be the guy that gives the Packers the best chance to win.

Those of you who remember some of my past posts on Ryan Grant, (like “Ryan Grant can’t cut it“), can all pick yourself up off of the floor now. But lets remember that several years have passed since that particular post. In the time that has elapsed, I came to accept what Ryan Grant provides (when healthy) to this pass-first Packers offense; dependability and accountability.  Read more... (733 words + 1 image, estimated 2:56 mins reading time)

---- Get AddToAny

Minnesota Gophers RB and Packers undrafted free agent Duane Bennett.

If you’re looking for a position group on the Packers roster that might be infiltrated by an undrafted free agent, running back is a strong possibility.

Ryan Grant is likely gone, James Starks can’t stay healthy, Alex Green is coming off a bad knee injury and Brandon Saine is unproven. Here’s a look at the Packers 2012 undrafted free agent running backs and why they might have a shot at making the team.

Duane Bennett, RB, Minnesota
Height: 5-9
Weight: 213 pounds
Pro Day Results: 40-yd. dash — 4.62; 20-yd dash — 2.70; 10-yd. dash — 1.56; 225-lb. bench reps — 28; Vertical jump — 35.5″; Broad jump — 10’00″; 20-yd shuttle — 4.16; 3-cone drill — 6.92.
Career Notes: Finished with 2,126 rushing yards, 13th in Gophers history. … 639 rushing yards on 166 carries (3.85 avg.) senior season. … 96-yard kickoff return for TD against Wisconsin week 10 of senior season. … Blocked a punt and returned it for TD senior season. … Earned freshman All-Big Ten honors. … Sophomore season ended after two games due to knee injury.

Overview
Because I live in Minnesota, I get a chance to see the Gophers play on a regular basis. The Gophers are usually a chore to watch, but they had a few intriguing teams under Glen Mason. Using offensive lineman that were a bit undersized but extremely mobile, Mason built the Gophers’ offense around a running game that featured guys like Marion Barber III, Laurence Maroney, Thomas Hamner and Gary Russell.  Read more... (1197 words + 1 image, estimated 4:47 mins reading time)

---- Get AddToAny

Does James Starks give the Packers the best chance to win?

The Green Bay Packers have the most potent passing game in the NFL heading into the 2012 season.  While their pass-happy offense with Aaron Rodgers and his ridiculous amount of weapons in certainly impressive, the same can’t be said for their running backs and their ground game.

If Green Bay wants to improve off an impressive 2011 regular season that ended in playoff disappointment, I believe they key lies in the ground game.  Today we’ll take an in-depth look at which running back currently on the Packers’ roster gives the team the best chance to win week-in, week-out.

James Starks

Starks will likely enter training camp and the preseason as the top running back on the depth chart for the Green Bay Packers.  While his 2011 season wasn’t quite what everyone expected after completely blowing up during the 2010 playoffs, he is still the most experienced and game-proven running back on the roster.  Read more... (776 words + 1 image, estimated 3:06 mins reading time)

---- Get AddToAny

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.

   Read more... (1129 words + 1 image, estimated 4:31 mins reading time)

• 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.

---- Get AddToAny

Could Ryan Grant find a new team before the NFL Draft?

There was a time not too long ago that running back Ryan Grant appeared to be the future at running back for the Green Bay Packers.  Thanks to back-to-back 1,200-yard rushing seasons in 2008 and 2009, Grant looked ready to solidify himself as one of the better backs in the league.

Unfortunately, misfortune struck Grant as he suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 1 after just eight carries.  While the Packers struggled mightily to find a consistent ground game in Grant’s absence during the 2010 season, the emergence of James Starks during the playoffs was the beginning of the end to Grant’s career in Green Bay.

While he played well last season in his final contract year for the Packers, it was practically guaranteed that Grant wouldn’t be coming back for the 2012 season.

Now, thanks to a report from Rob Demovsky of the Green Bay Press Gazette, it appears as if teams are stepping forward for Grant’s services, and none of those teams appear to be the Green Bay Packers.

What does this exactly mean for Green Bay?  Read more... (433 words + 1 image, estimated 1:44 mins reading time)

---- Get AddToAny

Will Packers RB Ryan Grant return in 2012?

As the offseason drags on and the unrestricted free agent pool thins out, we should probably check in on a few Packers free agents that remain unsigned.

Ryan Grant

Whether the Packers bring Grant back depends on the health of Alex Green, the team’s confidence in James Starks’s ability to stay on the field and the upcoming draft. I’d say two of those three things would have to break in Grant’s favor in order for the Packers to bring him back. I originally thought Grant was a goner for sure, now I’m not so sure. Ask me after the draft.

Erik Walden

There’s not much left out there for 3-4 outside linebackers on the unrestricted free agent market. Walden’s status likely depends on how many outside linebackers the Packers stockpile in the draft. If Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy feel that Walden can compete with whatever rookies they bring in, they’ll probably re-sign him. Like Grant, I originally thought Walden wouldn’t return, now I’m starting to change my mind a little bit, but I reserve the right to change my mind again after the draft.

   Read more... (272 words + 1 image, estimated 1:05 mins reading time)

---- Get AddToAny