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Wait, is that a wide receiver over there?

Shhhhhh… be vewy, vewy qwiet… It’s wabbit wide receiver season…

Trapper Ted is up to his old tricks., i.e.,  his normal off-season compulsive collecting of no-name wide receivers. On Wednesday, the Packers signed Alex Gillett, a 6’1″, 214lb former QB turned receiver from Eastern Michigan.

That brings the number of wide receivers currently on the Packers roster to eleven. That may seem like a lot at first glance, but it’s actually fairly normal for the Packers. I know this because I remember calling a few years in a row for the Packers to carry one less wide receiver on the camp roster so that they could bring in a second placekicker to make Mason Crosby actually, you know, earn his spot.

But no, we can’t waste a precious roster spot on a second kicker, I kept hearing. Well lo and behold, look what the Packers have done this season. Hey, they even went out and got an Italian kicker – Mama mia!

But before this veers off into another epic Crosby rant (I’m kind of due, aren’t I), let’s get back to the subject at hand.

The argument in favor of bringing so many receivers to camp has always been that they need camp bodies to run routes during practices so the main receivers don’t get worn out. I totally bought into that theory, but still felt it was a waste with the Packers only keeping five wide receivers – until last year.  Read more... (541 words + 3 images, estimated 2:10 mins reading time)

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We’ve all seen the numbers. Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was sacked a total of 51 times in 2012 – more than any other NFL quarterback – and 55 times if you count the playoffs. It eclipsed his previous record of 50 sacks in 2009 and brings his five-year total as a starter to 202. His lowest sack count in that span was 31 in 2010, the same year they won the Super Bowl.

Frustrating doesn’t even begin to describe the feeling that Packers fans have in response to this data. Arguably the best player in the game right now is on his back way more often than he should be, and we are all left wondering why. Well, perhaps some fans are looking more for an answer to “who” than for “why.”

Who is to blame for this risk to our precious franchise quarterback? Who can we channel our anger towards when we’re yelling at the 60-inch plasma television?

Unfortunately, that’s not easily answered. But we can give you some suspects to choose from . . .

(don’t forget to cast your vote in the poll below…)

SUSPECT #1: The Blockers (Offensive Line, Running Backs, etc.)

In most cases, the offensive line is usually who we shout profanities at immediately after Aaron Rodgers gets sacked. After all, when it comes to the passing game, their number one responsibility is to protect the quarterback long enough for him to complete a pass. If he goes down, then it means they failed.  Read more... (1498 words + 7 images, estimated 6:0 mins reading time)

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UCLA RB Johnathan Franklin

Entering the final day of the 2013 NFL Draft, the Green Bay Packers were slated to make ten selections. But when it was all said and done, the Packers added only nine players to the team.

Their first two selections of the day were offensive linemen David Bakhtiari and J.C. Tretter.

Bakhtiari was a three-year starter at Colorado, and I had a late-second to early-third round grade on him entering the draft. He was a tackle at the college level but will probably play guard at the NFL level. The Packers drafted Bakhtiari with pick No. 109 in the fourth round.

Tretter started at left tackle the past two seasons at Cornell. He was a unanimous All-Ivy League First Team selection as a senior after beginning his college career as a tight end. He was a high school quarterback. With the Packers, Tretter will likely play on the interior of the offensive line.

Later in round four, Ted Thompson continued his trading ways by moving up for UCLA running back Johnathan Franklin.

Many scouts thought Franklin would be a second-round pick, and some even had Franklin and Eddie Lacy as the top two players at the position. My final rankings had Franklin as the No. 2 back in the draft, just ahead of Lacy and behind Giovani Bernard who was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals at the top of the second round.  Read more... (1824 words + 1 image, estimated 7:18 mins reading time)

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Packers GM Ted Thompson

It’s been said over and over, but while the 2013 NFL Draft lacks star power at the top, it’s extremely deep in rounds two and three. So that should make for an exciting Day 2 tonight.

You’ll notice plenty of first-round talent on the board between picks 33-62. There are even some players in the third round that had a shot at being selected in round one.

For the Packers, I’d be quite surprised if they don’t add a skill position player at some point today. Whether it’s running back, wide receiver, or both, the Packers should have plenty of options to add an impact player on Day 2. There wasn’t a single running back selected in round one, so Eddie Lacy, Giovani Bernard, Johnathan Franklin and Le’Veon Bell are all still on the board. There’s a very good chance that one of those players will fall to the Packers at No. 55.

Sorry, Mel Kiper, but Montee Ball is not a first-round talent, and I don’t think he’ll be selected in the second round at all.

But if the Packers have their choice between several running backs, they’ll probably have to decide what’s more important: Do they a running back that would play immediately, or grabbing a wide receiver to groom for the future? Of course, they could go for a more immediate need and go with a safety or center, but I believe the value will be better at the end of the third round at those positions.  Read more... (1180 words + 1 image, estimated 4:43 mins reading time)

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Ted Thompson covets his draft picks. Who might he target in a trade-down?

Packers general manager Ted Thompson covets his draft picks like nothing else. He often trades down, gets the player he’s targeting and adds late-round picks in the process.

And at first glance, this draft appears tailor-made for Thompson.

The Packers hold the 26th overall pick in this year’s draft, and the team will certainly have plenty of options at that point. Perhaps Thompson would consider moving up if a player falls to a certain point in the draft, but in my opinion, moving down is a much more likely scenario.

There are a few scenarios in which I think the Packers would be wise to stay at No. 26 and make their pick. In the unlikely event that Kenny Vaccaro or Jonathan Cyprien fall to the Packers, either player would be a great pick. If Datone Jones is available at 26, he would also be an option.

But this year’s draft lacks star power at the top, and rounds two and three figure to be loaded with NFL-ready talent, especially at some of the Packers’ positions of need. Let’s take a look at five potential targets if the Packers trade out of their first-round pick.

#1) DE Margus Hunt – Southern Methodist

The Packers have a handful of guys on the defensive line that are effective in one specific area. Mike Neal is a solid pass rusher in the nickel, C.J. Wilson and Ryan Pickett are stout against the run, while B.J. Raji is probably the Packers’ best all-around defensive lineman.  Read more... (1357 words + 1 image, estimated 5:26 mins reading time)

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Who might Ted consider moving up for?

Packers general manager Ted Thompson is armed with eight picks in this month’s NFL draft. At this time last year, Thompson had 12 picks in his arsenal, which allowed him to double-dip in the second round to bring Jerel Worthy and Casey Hayward to Green Bay.

Thompson may not have as much ammunition to move up in this year’s draft, but moving up is still certainly a possibility.

If he chooses to trade up in the first round, there are a handful of players he could target. This year’s draft lacks true star power at the very top, but it’s extremely deep with potential Day 2 prospects.

But if Thompson sees a gap after the top player at a position of need, he could consider moving up to acquire him. The Packers have several needs on both sides of the ball, and with several other NFC powerhouses having been engaged in an all-out arms race this offseason, Green Bay with rely on the draft even more than usual.

Considering the draft has so much value on Day 2 this year, I believe the Packers are likely to move out of the first round entirely before making multiple picks in rounds two and/or three. But with a little over a week before the 2013 NFL Draft, let’s take a look at three players the Packers could target in a first-round trade-up.

#1) FS Kenny Vaccaro, Texas  Read more... (1104 words + 1 image, estimated 4:25 mins reading time)

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Green Bay Packers NFL Draft prospect profile: WR Robert Woods

Player Information:

Robert Woods, WR USC
6-1, 201 pounds
Hometown: Carson, CA

STATS

NFL Combine:

40 yard: 4.51

Bench: 14

Vert: 33.5″

Broad: 117″

3 cone: 7.15

Shuttle: 4.47

News and Notes:

When it comes to drafting wide receivers, the Packers don’t follow the mold.  Going back a couple years, in 2008 the Packers pretty much could have picked any wide receiver they had wanted in the 2nd round (the first wide receiver was Donnie Avery with the 2nd pick of the 2nd round for reference).  There was the star (Mario Manningham), the speedster (DeSean Jackson) and the physical specimen (Limas Sweed).  The Packers however decided to select Jordy Nelson, who up to that point no one had every heard of.  Now 5 years later, Jordy Nelson is probably considered the best wide receiver in the 2008 draft (I could see people arguing for Jackson, but inconsistency and a big mouth put Nelson higher up in my book).  The point is, the Packers don’t emphasize measurables as much as they do emphasize route running, versatility and football acumen; so while fans and the media will hype players like Tavon Austin and Cordarrelle Patterson, past history would dictate that the Packers probably aren’t so interested.  However, a wide receiver that the Packers might be interested in would be Robert Woods.

 What they’re saying about him:  Read more... (1038 words + 1 image, estimated 4:09 mins reading time)

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