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1. Release LT Chad Clifton: The writing is on the wall.  Even Chad Clifton knew that it was unlikely that he would ever finish his 3 year and had most of the money guaranteed up front (which was helped by the cap-less season before the lockout).  Clifton has had issues staying healthy in the twilight of his career and this year was no different with Clifton being out for the majority of the season.  Added to that a $5.5 million salary in 2012, ascending player in Bryan Bulaga, 1^st round draft choice Derek Sherrod and up and at least a serviceable backup in Marshall Newhouse and the Packers have set themselves well for life after Clifton.
2. Renegotiate Charles Woodson and Donald Driver contracts:
   1. Charles Woodson: Woodson has undeniably lost a step and his high-risk high-reward style of play backfired a couple times last season.  Woodson currently leads the Packers roster with a salary of $11.5 million, some of which was a bonus for a NFL defensive player of the year award in 2009.  But what Woodson is still capable of is shutting down the new breed of tight end, like Jermichael Finley.  For instance, Woodson is still quick enough and physical enough to handle a Jimmy Graham, and I’m not sure who else on the defense could.  Unfortunately Woodson will turn 36 next season and at some point he’s going to have to realize that aging veterans start getting marginalized.  Hopefully Woodson doesn’t let his fiery attitude get in the way of business.

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With NFL owners set to meet Tuesday in Chicago, a very important week in the sport’s labor situation is about to unfold. Optimism is starting to take hold in this lockout, and while I’d hesitate to say an agreement is imminent, things are finally starting to look like football will be played next season without interruption.

If an agreement is reached—and most of the NFL big-wigs, including Peter King and Adam Schefter, think sometime in July is the best bet—then the Packers and the rest of the NFL will have training camp as scheduled and the 2011 season will be played in its entirety. That also means that we will finally have some answers on the variety of questions about the team that we’ve all pondered over this lockout-striken offseason.

Let’s dive into the biggest questions surrounding the Packers in a post-lockout NFL world, starting with some obvious ones but ending with the most important question of all. And considering I already touched on James Jones in a previous post, I won’t touch that question again in this one.

Might the Packers Keep Five Tight Ends on the Roster?

The Packers are no strangers to having uncommon numbers at certain positions, as they’ve recently carried three fullbacks when most NFL teams only have one or two. Could next season see the Packers repeat this trend, but at the tight end position?

They certainly have the talent on board to pull it off.  Read more... (1545 words + 1 image, estimated 6:11 mins reading time)

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Brothers Aaron and Jordan Rodgers work out together at Whole Body Fitness in their hometown of Chico, CA.

In what could be heralded as “the feel good movie of the summer” (at least for Green Bay Packers fans), Whole Body Fitness recently released a YouTube video highlighting the combined workouts of Aaron and Jordan Rodgers. These two quarterbacking brothers have been working out together this offseason in their hometown of Chico, California.

Most people know Aaron Rodgers as the starting quarterback of the Green Bay Packers. Successor to Brett Favre, and the recent MVP of Super Bowl XLV, his notoriety and abilities have grown exponentially over the past few years. He’s gone through his career with a chip on his shoulder and is finally getting the acclaim he deserves.

Now, in light of his path to success, perhaps it is time to start keeping an eye on Aaron’s little brother, Jordan.

Jordan Rodgers is five years younger than Aaron, but he seems to be following closely in his older brother’s footsteps. Upon graduating from Pleasant Valley High School, where he was the starting quarterback, Jordan went on to play at Butte Junior College. Knowledgeable fans will know this as the same place Aaron attended before going to the University of California, Berkeley, and eventually the Green Bay Packers.  Read more... (548 words + 1 image, estimated 2:12 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.

Round 3 (96): Alex Green, RB, Hawaii
Green measures in at 6-0, 225 pounds with 32″ arms. Green posted a 4.53-second 40-yard dash, 20 bench-presses, 34″ vertical leap, 114″ broad jump, 6.91-second 3 cone drill and 4.15-second 20-yard shuttle. Playing in Hawaii’s pass-happy offense, Green was able to rush for 1,199 yards on 146 carries (8.2 ypc) and 18 touchdowns his senior season. He also caught 27 passes for 363 yards and another touchdown. Green was named Second Team All-WAC in 2010.  Read more... (955 words + 2 images, estimated 3:49 mins reading time)

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During the 2011 NFL Draft, the Green Bay Packers added an additional 10 players to their team roster, with six going to the offense and four going to the defense. They now have a roster of 85 players, which they must cut down to 80 by training camp. (These details are, of course, subject to change based on the labor negotiations.)

With the lockout currently prohibiting teams from signing undrafted rookies, this is currently the best picture of the players that Mike McCarthy and his coaching staff will have to work with. Also note that there are currently 14 free agents on the roster (restriction status pending for some). In the far off chance they let every single free agent leave, that would give them 9 spots to fill by camp. If they managed to keep all of them, they would have to cut 5 players by then.

So enjoy perusing the current roster, and feel free to post your thoughts below. If you would like a printable version, I have posted both Excel and PDF versions below:

Packers 2011 Post-Draft Roster (*.XLSX)
Packers 2011 Post-Draft Roster (*.PDF)

*** Players in RED are free agents.
*** Players in GREEN are drafted rookies.  Read more... (1081 words + 1 image, estimated 4:19 mins reading time)

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