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1) Introduction: Andrew Quarless, the Green Bay Packers’ 2010 fifth round pick, wasn’t expected to contribute as much as he was forced to this season. Jermichael Finley’s season-ending injury in Week 5 and the decline of Donald Lee put Quarless into the starting lineup — a position he wasn’t mentally or physically ready for.

Despite the unfavorable scenario, Quarless generally made the most of his limited opportunities and didn’t make any glaring mistakes. With an offseason to get more comfortable with the playbook and add some body weight, Quarless could be expected to make a jump in his second year to becoming more of a play-maker for the Packers offense.

2) Profile:

Andrew Christopher Quarless

Position: TE

Height: 6-4    Weight: 248 lbs.

Born: October 6, 1988 in New York, NY

College: Penn State (school history)  (Quarless college stats)

Drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the 5th round (154th overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft.

3) Expectations coming into the season for that player: Very low. With Finley, one of the NFL’s up and coming pass catchers firmly entrenched at starting tight end, many probably didn’t even expect Quarless to see the field. You could see the potential he had athletically early on (much like Finley in 2008), but it was clear that he needed a season or two to mature into a player you could count on to contribute.  Read more... (632 words + 1 image, estimated 2:32 mins reading time)

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By Guest Author, Thomas Hobbes

So now that the NFL draft is officially over, tons of fans will converge on Packers web sites to air their grievances about not drafting a particular player or reaching for another.  They will hand out grades to teams and players alike; argue with other fans about what should have happened, and how the analysts have no idea what they are talking about.

I frankly am uninterested in such things; you’re typically not going to find out how good a draft class or a player is for 3-5 years and a player’s success has a lot to do with the team and the environment they get drafted in.

Nevertheless, every team drafts a player with a role in mind, and in this article I hope to analyze what role I think each player was drafted for; I am not concerning myself with what I think will likely happen, I have not placed a grade or an analysis of each player’s potential for a reason.

Bryan Bulaga – Projected Left Tackle – Round 1 – Pick 23 (23)

Rationale: A no-brainer pick for the Packers.  Unfortunately, the pick is so enticing and so logical that it gives Thompson no chance to maneuver in the 1st round. Fortunately the Packers didn’t over think the pick and grabbed a top 10 talent in an area of huge need without having to overspend.  Read more... (2837 words + 1 image, estimated 11:21 mins reading time)

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Live Tonight – Cheesehead Nation presents the post-draft edition of Packers Transplants.  Packers draft choice James Starks will be interviewed and Tony Pauline from Sports Illustrated and TFY Draft will be discussing the Packers Draft. As usual, I’ll be a guest panelist on the live blog. Join us for some great Packers entertainment.

If you can’t make the show, you can come back anytime and watch the replay…

Start Time: 9:00PM EST, Tuesday, April 27.

See you there!

LIVE BLOG:

PACKER TRANSPLANTS:

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You can  follow Jersey Al on Facebook and Twitter . Visit Jersey Al’s Packers Blog for more in-depth Packers commentary.

Jersey Al Bracco is the Green Bay Packers Draft Analyst for Drafttek.com.

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As day 3 of the 2010 NFL Draft came to a close, I  thought about the the selections the Packers made and quickly realized one thing:  I like these picks better in the reverse order of which they were taken.

5A) TE, Andrew Quarless, Penn State, 6’4″ – 252 lbs.

5B) T/G, Marshall Newhouse, TCU, 6’4″ – 319 lbs.

6) RB, James Starks, Buffalo, 6’2″ – 218 lbs.

7) DE, C.J. Wilson, East Carolina, 6’3″ – 290 lbs.

If Ted Thompson makes these selections on the planet Htrae, also known as Bizzaro World, where everything is opposite as it is on Earth, then they make perfect sense to me. But in our reality, I like them better backwards. Let me explain.

Prior to the draft, I had done some research on C.J. Wilson and really, really liked what I had seen on tape and read about him. He was a very productive player in college, with with 27 sacks, 45½ tackles for loss, and 35 quarterback pressures. He was also a good student, good citizen and a team leader. I had him down as a mid-round sleeper.

I had also come across the name James Starks in my pursuit of possible late round running backs for the Packers and found him quite intriguing at the time.  Starks has top-notch athletic skills, and is his school’s record-holder for rushing yardage (3,140), rushing touchdowns (34) and points scored (222), despite playing in just 36 games. Injuries are a concern, but he seems to be a very well rounded player – speed, bounces off of tacklers, gains positive yardage, a good receiver. Starks could be a great find for the Pack.  Read more... (579 words + 1 image, estimated 2:19 mins reading time)

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If you’re here today, a tip of the hat to you. You, my friend, are a DIE-HARD Packer fan.

Enjoy the Live Blog…

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You can  follow Jersey Al on Facebook and Twitter . Visit Jersey Al’s Packers Blog for more in-depth Packers commentary.

Jersey Al Bracco is the Green Bay Packers Draft Analyst for Drafttek.com.

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As day 2 of the 2010 NFL Draft comes to an end, it’s safe to say Green Bay Packers GM Ted Thompson has made some interesting choices.

Mike Neal, a defensive tackle name only a true draftnik or Purdue Boilermaker fan would know, was chosen in the second round to provide depth on the defensive line. This was a surprise to most everyone, including Neal, who said he had “no clue” the Packers were interested in him. But remember, Mike Montgomery is gone, Jarius Wynn is just not the right fit for 3-4 DE, Johnny Jolly has a court date and Justin Harrell – well, he’s Justin Harrell. A lot of question marks there. Throw in Jenkins, Jolly and Harrell (no snickering) all being in the last year of their contracts, and a warm DL body was needed.

Thompson then traded up in the third round to grab the next object of his desire, safety Morgan Burnett of Georgia Tech. Another position where depth was needed, as the Packers depth chart shows only Derrick Martin, Khalil Jones (a converted WR) and the indomitable Jarret Bush as an emergency fill-in. Seems to me Burnett is already 3rd on the safety depth chart without having played a down yet.

But beyond just providing depth, these picks were also about versatility.  Read more... (572 words + 1 image, estimated 2:17 mins reading time)

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The fine folks over at Cheeshead TV and RailBird Central will be providing full-blown NFL Draft coverage from a rabid Packers-centric perspective. They will be reporting live from the NFL draft itself at Radio City Music Hall and from the Lambeau Field Packers draft party. I will be participating as a guest panelist in their live blog, where you will be able to follow and converse with a bevy of  knowledgeable Packer fans.

If you’re a Packer fan, and you’re really into the NFL Draft, this is the place to be:

<a href=”http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=f4b5a4f06e” mce_href=”http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=f4b5a4f06e” >NFL Draft Round 1</a>

In addition to the Live Blog, Brian carriveau of Railbird Central will be hosting a call-in talk show from 11 to 12 PM EST on Thursday evening on BlogTalkRadio. Chat or call in to rant or rave about the Packers selection in Round 1:

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