Where has the 2009 and 2010 lockdown, ballhawking cornerback Tramon Williams gone?

The answer: He is gone and will never return. Williams is set to make just under $6 million in 2013 and just under $7 million in 2014, those numbers make him the third highest paid Packer on the roster. This is the point where the Packers should be asking themselves, ‘is Tramon Williams really worth $13 million over the next two seasons?’

If the answer isn’t obvious then there is a problem in Titletown.

For the past two seasons Tramon Williams has been a liability for a Packers defense that has been tough to watch, especially in the playoffs. During the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons, Williams was one of the best corners in the NFL. In those two seasons Williams had 10 interceptions, 35 pass deflections and 96 tackles, even though he only started 26 of the possible 32 games during that span.

The last two seasons Williams has just six interceptions, including only two this past season. Williams’ tackling ability has also taken a hit over the past two seasons, especially this season. In particular the two regular season games against the Minnesota Vikings, Williams appeared scared to tackle Adrian Peterson (I know it’s not easy).

His poor tackling (at best) paired with his diminishing coverage skills Williams just isn’t worth the money anymore. In a division that has receivers such as Brandon Marshall and Calvin Johnson, the Packers need a corner they can count on to limit these players, and Tramon cannot do that anymore.

 It’s no secret that guys like Clay Matthews, BJ Raji and Aaron Rodgers will need their contracts extended in the near future and the ability to free up $13 million from a declining player makes sense.

All one has to do is look at the Packers’ roster and see that the secondary is in good hands without Williams. Sam Shields had his best season as a Packer in just 10 games this season. Shields intercepted three passes and defended 10 passes. He also had a huge pick-six of Colin Kaepernick in the eventual playoff loss to the 49ers.

Rookie Casey Hayward also had a huge year for the Packers in his rookie campaign and could even be named defensive rookie of the year (most likely not). Also, don’t forget about Davon House, who was actually penciled in as the starter for the 2012-13 season before he went down with a shoulder injury in the preseason. House, Hayward and Shields give the Packers a solid secondary crew that are all very young and will continue to get better.

I’m in favor of the Packers and Williams agreeing on a new contract in which Williams takes a significant pay cut, but if a deal cannot be reached then the Packers should either trade or release the veteran cornerback.

I’ve been a Williams supporter for years and I think he still has some good football left in him. However, the past two seasons have made me feel otherwise. The Packers need the money he makes to extend better players and because of that reason he has played his last down in Green Bay.

The 2012-13 for the Green Bay Packers may go down as one of the most frustrating season in Packers’ history.

Pre-season talk about winning the Super Bowl, paired with most experts picking the Packers and Patriots to face off in a 1996 Super Bowl rematch have all come and gone. The Packers finished the season at a mediocre 11-5 compared with expectations of 13 wins or more, especially coming off a 15 win season in 2011.

The team was humiliated in San Francisco, which included a historically poor performance by a defense that claimed to be much better than the atrocious season they had in 2011.  They had me fooled. When the smoke cleared and the game was all said and done Saturday in San Francisco the Packers “improved” defense had given up nearly 600 total yards to the NFL’s eleventh-ranked offense during the regular season.

Need we say more …?

The Packers also allowed 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick to go wild on them. Kaepernick totaled 444 yards; including a quarterback NFL single game record 181 yards rushing. Time after time the Packers forced the 49ers into third and long situations, but would allow Kaepernick to escape the pocket and scramble for first downs.

On the night the 49ers were eight of 13 on third downs; all eight conversions were either via Kaepernick scrambling or throwing for the first down. The Packers seemed unprepared on defense at times and unwilling to make changes during the game; something Packers defensive tackle B.J Raji and cornerback/safety Charles Woodson were quick to point out in the post game interviews.

The Packers finished the season eleventh in total defense which was a significant improvement from a season ago when they finished dead last in total defense.

Unlike last season it was the Packers offense that struggled for the majority of the season. The 2011 Packers’ offense was a once in a lifetime type of year. They broke numerous NFL records and team records; most expected to see the same in 2012 from the high-powered offense. However, having a season like they did in 2011 was just out of the question. At times the offense looked lost, slow and not in any sort of rhythm. Yes, injuries to Gregg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, Cedric Benson, James Starks, Bryan Bulaga and nagging injuries to Aaron Rodgers didn’t help, but they were not that effective when completely healthy either.

So what’s next for the Packers after a disappointing 11-5 season that saw them get bounced in the second round of the playoffs?

Let’s start on the defensive side of the ball and play a game called cut or keep.

Erik Walden/Frank Zombo/Charles Woodson: Let Walk

Honestly this one is an easy decision, Walden has not been the most consistent player for the Packers and at times was downright awful. It was evident against the 49ers when he made an awful read a “read option” play between Frank Gore and Colin Kaepernick. On the play Walden crashed down so hard on the line that he completely took himself out of the play. The result of the play: a 56-yard touchdown run by the quarterback. It has been play like this from Walden that has frustrated Packers’ fans all season; he has played his last down in Green Bay.

Frank Zombo has been a thorn in the side much like Erik Walden. Zombo has been constantly nagged by injuries and inconsistent play during his time as a Packer. He hasn’t played an entire season since joining the Packers; that includes playing just seven games this year totaling eight tackles and five games last season. Zombo had a bright future in Green Bay especially after how effective he was during the 2010 Super Bowl run for the Packers, but the truth is he has worn out his welcome.

Finally Charles Woodson. Woodson is due somewhere around $10 million next season, which is way too much for a guy who has clearly lost a step and at times hurts the defense via penalties more than he helps. I would love to see Charles stay in Green Bay, but to do so he would have to take a severe pay cut and it is yet to be seen if he would be willing to do that.

Robert Francois/ Brad Jones: Keep

Francois has been great on special teams for the Packers the last two seasons. Next season Francois could get his shot at making the defensive depth chart especially after the Packers hopefully release Walden and Zombo.

Brad Jones was very inconsistent filling in for the injure D.J Smith, who was filling in for the injured Desmond Bishop. Both Bishop and Smith will be healthy for the start of the 2013 season, which will slide Jones down to third on the depth chart. I think Jones is a very good linebacker and gives the Packers great depth, which is always needed in the NFL.

Sam Shields: Re-sign/Match any offer

Shields is a restricted free agent meaning that teams can offer Shields a contract and the Packers can either decide to let him go and receive compensation draft choices or they can sign him to a qualifying offer sheet matching another team’s offer. Shields is a promising young player who has had a great season for the Packers. He has gotten better every season since joining the Packers and will continue to get better as time goes on. Letting Shields slip away would be a very foolish mistake that I don’t see the Packers making.

Dom Capers: Keep on staff

I know just as well as every other Packers fan how frustrating Dom Capers can be at times, with that said he is a great defensive coordinator and I can’t see the Packers firing him just yet, although he should be on thin ice going forward. As I previously stated, Capers brought a defense that ranked thirty-second-ranked (dead last) in 2011 to the eleventh-ranked defense in 2012. In 2009 the Packers ranked second overall in total defense in Capers’ first year. In 2010, the Packers were fifth in total defense. Capers has obviously done the job here in Green Bay and deserves another chance to turn the defense around. I will, however, say that if Capers’ defense gives up another offensive explosion in the playoffs next season, or if for some devastating reason the Packers don’t make the playoffs next season, Capers should and would be fired.

Look for the Packers to go heavy defense again in the draft in 2013 as they continue to get younger and hopefully stronger on that side of the ball.

Now, let’s move on to the offensive side of the ball with the cut/keep game.

Donald Driver/ Gregg Jennings/ Tom Crabtree/ Ryan Grant: Say Goodbye

Although Donald Driver is one of my favorite Packers of all-time the truth is the Packers should have released him last season instead of subjecting him to the humiliation he suffered throughout this season. No. 80 should be retired in the near future at Lambeau Field.

 If Gregg Jennings still thinks he is worth Vincent Jackson 5 years/$55 million he is mistaken. The last few seasons Jennings has been injury prone and the offense has suffered because of it. Along with his injury problems his attitude this season was down right disrespectful. When he was asked throughout the year if he would be back with Green Bay he would basically say no without the slightest sense of sadness. In fact, a reporter asked him the other day after the loss to the 49ers what he would miss most about Green Bay, his response: “honestly nothing.” If that’s the way you feel about your teammates and this origination I have no problem letting Jennings walk.

Ryan Grant was a classic example of rental players brought in after numerous injuries to the running back corps, I have no doubt he will be cut, again by the Packers. Tom Crabtree will also be cut; he really doesn’t do one thing on the field particularly great. Tight ends like Crabtree come a dime a dozen and I’m sure Ted Thompson will be able to replace him through the draft.

Jermichael Finley/Cedric Benson/Jarrett Boykin/ Jeremy Ross: Keep

 I know Packer nation is split on whether to keep Finley or not based on his off-field antics in the locker room. However, the fact of the matter is that Finley has a ton of potential and let’s keep in mind that he is only 25 years old (26 in March). With the loss of Gregg Jennings, the Packers could once again make Finley the focal point of the offense like they did in 2009-10 when he dominated the NFL before getting hurt at Washington early in 2010. I’ve always been a fan of Finley and the Packers are much better with him than without.

I know it sounds like a foregone conclusion that Benson is done in Green Bay; however, I think that may be a mistake. Benson was cheap for the Packers (under $1 million in salary) and played very well before he was hurt. A backfield of Alex Green, DuJuan Harris and Cedric Benson would be very successful. That would of course means that James Starks may have played his last down in Green Bay.

Jarrett Boykin and Jeremy Ross could be the next in line of Packers great receivers that Ted Thompson always seems to find. I know Jeremy Ross’s last play wasn’t the greatest moment of his career. However, I think he has a great body at six foot, 220 pounds. He mixes that frame with great speed as seen on some of his punt returns this season. Under the radar for the Packers is Jarrett Boykin. Boykin is a very good athlete and will be a great slot receiver for the Packers much like Randall Cobb. I see a lot of similarities in Cobb and Boykin and the future is bright for both players.

The Draft:

 With the 26^th pick of the 2013 NFL Draft the Green Bay Packer select…

Barrett Jones, Center, University of Alabama

I’m a huge fan of Jones, he has all the tools that a great center needs to be successful in the NFL and the Packers would be lucky to snatch him up. He was the recipient of the Rimington Trophy (nation’s top center) and a member of the 2013 Crimson Tide National Championship team. At six foot, five inches, 302 pounds, Jones is an absolute rock which anchors one of the best offensive lines ever assembled in college football history. Jeff Saturday and Evan Dietrich-Smith were both mediocre for the Packers offensive line, which struggled the majority of the season. Adding Barrett Jones to the roster will begin to solidify one of the weaker aspects of the Packers roster: offensive line.

The 2013 Green Bay Packers will hopefully be full of new faces and new approaches. This team has all the talent to win another Super Bowl in 2014 and will be right in the hunt to do so again. Until August my friends, and as always Go Pack Go!

Go ahead a give me a follow on twitter: @D_Turcz for any Packers news and other work for lombardiave.com

The injuries continue to get worse for the Packers as a season filled with injuries has once again gotten worse.

Running back Cedric Benson has had foot surgery to repair his lisfranc injury suffered in week five at Indianapolis, effectively ending his season. Benson was placed on IR shortly after the injury but thanks to new NFL rules would have been able to return eight weeks after the injury.

Benson was hopeful to return agains the Bears in Mid-December for the showdown that will likely decide the division. However, his injury hadn’t healed as he and doctors had planned, thus his only option was to have surgery.

Just as the injury situation was starting to look good for the Packers as they were getting Gregg Jennings and Clay Matthews back from injuries this week, and Charles Woodson, Sam Shields and Andrew Quarles in the upcoming weeks, the Packers learned Benson would be shut down for the rest of the season.

The loss of Benson for the remainder of the year, including the playoffs, puts the Packers all the way back at square one. We saw last season that James Starks couldn’t get the job done in the regular season, but the Packers’ pass offense masked many problems last season en route to a 15-1 record. This season is different for Green Bay. They haven’t been as effective through the air as they have been in the past, and the running game has been invisible.

The Packers will ride James Starks and Alex Green for the remainder of the season.

As for Benson’s future with Green Bay, he was signed to a one-year deal in August. It’s hard seeing the Packers bringing him back, especially if they take a running back early in the 2013 draft, which could be a strong possibility.  Benson finished the season with 248 yards on 71 carries and a touchdown.

I have no gripes with his draft history, the man has brought us Aaron Rodgers, Gregg Jennings, Clay Matthews, B.J Raji, Tramon Williams, and many more Pro Bowl players over the years.

My gripe with Thompson is his inability to sign free agents.

The Packers are a good football team, with the potential of being great. However, if you take away Aaron Rodgers from this team how many games do they win? I would be willing to bet that the best this team would go is 6-10, that’s how much Rodgers means to this team.

Thompson’s decision to not sign a veteran backup quarterback and roll with Graham Harrell is mindboggling. What Thompson is basically saying is that if Rodgers were to go down, Harrell would be the Packers’ savior.

Come on, Ted.

I applauded Ted for bringing in Cedric Benson, I thought it was a great move and it worked out well until his injury. Benson went down and again Thompson had the opportunity to get Steven Jackson in free agency, and he flopped.

As a result, the Packers are No. 23 in the NFL in rushing, teams just don’t have to respect the running game in Green Bay. That takes me to the offensive line; we cannot continue to keep blaming the poor running game on the running backs. The offensive line is getting blown up more times than not on running plays, which dooms the play from the get-go. Thompson made a move to get an old Jeff Saturday, which has been a neutral transaction for the Packers as he struggled to grasp the offense early.

The Packers lost Bryan Bulaga for the year, but again Thompson doesn’t seek veteran help. Instead he elects to go with a shuffled offensive line, which almost killed Rodgers on Sunday night. Rodgers is the entire franchise in Green Bay, and to not help him out at all, or at least show initiative that you are trying to do something to help the line is unacceptable.

Finally, the kicking situation has made Packers Nation lose their collective minds the last two months. Crosby is 12 for 20 this season with nine of those 12 makes coming from 42 yards or closer – that’s not getting the job done to say the least. What’s shocking is the Packers’ unwavering support for a kicker who is a career 76 percent kicker (fifth worst in NFL history of kickers with more than 100 attempts). To not bring in any competition for Crosby makes no sense to any fan. Look at San Francisco, David Akers has struggled all season, but is one of the best kickers in NFL history. Today, the 49ers brought in two kickers (Billy Cundiff and Nate Kaeding) that will either replace Akers, or at least give him a kick in the butt. The Packers have yet to bring in any competition for Crosby, who is a mediocre kicker at best.

Finally, this week the Eagles released defensive end Jason Babin. He is expected to clear waivers making him a free agent to sign with whichever team he would like. I’m willing to bet Thompson doesn’t even look at Babin, who would be a perfect fit for the Packers.

Without Clay Matthews the Packers have zero pass rush. I know they had five sacks against the Lions; however, three of those sacks were for three yards or less, so in reality those were no more than a run stuffed in the backfield. Babin and Matthews coming off opposite ends would be very helpful to the secondary, which has struggle, as has the defense as a whole.

It might not seem like a big deal, but signing key veteran free agents during the season can make or break a team. Take a look at the 2008 New England Patriots, they got a deal for Randy Moss and went on to go undefeated and make the Super Bowl. Moss was expected to go to Green Bay but Thompson didn’t pull the trigger. Then take a look at Justin Harrell No. 16 pick 2007 draft and Derrick Sherrod No. 32 in the 2011 draft – both are busts.

Again, don’t get me wrong, I think Thompson is a great general manager, but at times his decision-making makes me scratch my head. The Packers could’ve won the Super Bowl the last two years, but were one player away, one free agent signing away from being pushed over the top.

It’s the same this season, no trade deadline acquisition, or late season acquisition, may be the Achilles heel of the Packers and a potential Super Bowl run.

So, here goes, my picks for this week:

Green Bay at Detroit: One year removed from “the stomp” the Packers and Aaron Rodgers roll into Detroit to exploit the Lions’ depleted secondary. Green Bay takes over first place in the NFC North when they win and the Bears lose Monday night.

Green Bay 31 Detroit 19

Arizona at Atlanta: This one’s a no-brainer. Atlanta’s coming off their first loss of the season and all Arizona knows how to do lately is lose.

Atlanta 38 Arizona 13

Dallas at Cleveland: Dallas isn’t a bad team; Cleveland has an excellent defense. In this one I have to go with the team concept.

Dallas 24 Cleveland 16

Cincinnati at Kansas City: One of these weeks the Chiefs are going to surprise a good team. They nearly did it last week. This might be the week.

Kansas City 20 Cincinnati 17

New York Jets at St. Louis: The Rams defense will shut down the hapless Jets in this one and the Tebow controversy continues.

St. Louis 23 Jets 10

Philadelphia at Washington: The Eagles troubles just continue to spiral out of control as Andy Reid’s time in Philly dwindles. Washington shows some stuff today.

Washington 28 Eagles 17

Tampa Bay at Carolina: The Buccaneers have shown they can win, though they aren’t quite good enough for prime time. Carolina is just not consistent enough.

Tampa Bay 20 Carolina 12

Jacksonville at Houston: The Texans should win this easily, but Jacksonville has had the propensity of stick around late in games. However, they won’t be able to pull this one out as the Texans’ defense makes one more big play.

Houston 26 Jacksonville 20

New Orleans at Oakland: Drew Brees will chew up the Raiders’ defense in this one and New Orleans continues its roll.

New Orleans 33 Oakland 20

San Diego at Denver: The time for Norv Turner’s exit inches closer. Peyton Manning only adds one more nail in his coffin today.

Denver 26 San Diego 13

Baltimore at Pittsburgh: This is always a slugfest and tonight will be no different. Well, I guess the only difference is that the Ravens won’t have Ben Roethlisgberger to kick around tonight.

Baltimore 17 Pittsburgh 13

Chicago at San Francisco: Jason Campbell will look like the deer in Wisconsin this weekend when he faces the San Francisco defense Monday night. Expect a rather low-scoring affair, but the Bears won’t be on the high side of that low score.

San Francisco 16 Chicago 10

The Packers are a dangerous team, especially after the bye week.

Under head coach Mike McCarthy the Packers are 5-1 coming off their bye week. This week the Packers (6-3) head to Detroit to take on the Lions (4-5) in a NFC North showdown. First place could potentially be on the line for the Packers; with a win and a Chicago loss at San Francisco Monday Night, both teams would be 7-3, however, the Packers would hold the tiebreaker due to the week 2 win over Chicago at Lambeau.

What do the Packers have to do to ensure a win Sunday? Here are four keys to a Packers’ victory Sunday.

1. Run the Ball

The Packers have struggled to run the ball since the injury to Cedric Benson, and weren’t that effective with him. The strength of the much-improved Detroit defense is their defensive line led by Kyle Vanden Bosch, Cliff Avril and of course “stomp king” Ndamukong Suh.

The Lions have been much better on defense compared to a year ago; in 2012 they are No. 9 in the NFL in total defense, including No. 6 against the pass. The Packers will have to find a balance in the run game, which will in turn open up the pass game for Aaron Rodgers and company. The Lions have a weak run defense, which ranks No. 17 in the NFL giving up more than 115 yards per game. Rodgers and the Packers will be able to throw the ball regardless, however, if they’re successful in the ground game they become nearly impossible to defend.

2. Slow Down Matthew Stafford/Calvin Johnson Connection

It’s no secret that the Stafford and Johnson owned the Packers’ secondary last season. In two games against the Packers last season, Johnson had 15 catches for nearly 300 yards and three touchdowns, that’s not going to cut it for the Packers’ defense. The Packers defense has improved drastically from last year to this year, but they’re still ranked No. 20 against the pass giving up nearly 244 yards a game. If the Packers can’t slow down Megatron, they will have a tough time getting stops on defense.

3. Protect Aaron Rodgers

After a rough start to the year the offensive line has found its game as of late. However, now injuries have forced the Packers to reshuffle their line with the loss of Bryan Bulaga. Evan Dietrich-Smith will get the start at left guard, which will shift TJ Lang out to right tackle. Smith is a very versatile player for the Packers and could even start for a handful of teams in the NFL. So although the loss of Bulaga isn’t ideal, Smith is more than capable of filling the void. Detroit is tied for 16th in sacks this season with just 20. However, the talent is there and they have the ability to make a quarterback’s day difficult. If Rodgers has time to look down field and set his feet, Detroit has little chance of competing with the weapons of the Packers despite being good in pass coverage thus far in the season.

4. Win the Turnover Battle

The Packers have been great at not beating themselves over the years. This season the Packers are plus-four in the turnover margin. On the other hand, there are only three teams in the NFC worse in turnover margin this season than the Lions -4 margin (Eagles -11, Cowboys -9, Panthers -5).

Combined, those four teams’ record is 13-23, it’s no secret that the teams that don’t turn the ball over win football games. The last thing the Packers want to do is give the underdogs life with silly turnovers. Cover up the ball and play fundamental football and the Packers will be in good shape.

Like I previously stated, the Packers are 5-1 after a bye week under McCarthy, and this is the time the Packers usually start playing their best football.

I don’t expect anything less this weekend.

The Lions are a wounded animal running into a buzzsaw in the Green Bay Packers. This is a game of two teams heading in very different directions. The Packers must win this game and start getting hot. I believe they do. The Packers go to Ford Field and put the dagger into the Lions’ season.

Packers 34, Lions 17.

The Packers have two games with the Lions, two with the Vikings and one with the Bears down the stretch. Jeff Hanisch-US PRESSWIRE

The Green Bay Packers headed into week 10 desperate for a bye, and that’s exactly what they got.

The 2012 Packers, much like the Super Bowl Champion 2010 Packers, have been yet again decimated by injuries. The injury list continues to get larger every week, for now it is headed by Clay Matthews (hamstring) Charles Woodson (collar bone) Nick Perry (wrist, IR) Cedric Benson (foot, IR) (Greg Jennings – hamstring surgery) the list goes on and on. The Packers have rallied from injuries before, and we all expect nothing different from this deep team going forward.

So, moving forward, where will the Packers be after Week 13? Let me tell you.

Packers at Lions (11/18)

Under Head Coach Mike McCarthy, the Packers are 5-1 coming off their byes. This game is tough, but only because it is in Detroit. The Lions are coming off an embarrassing loss at Minnesota and appear to be heading in the wrong direction after a bit of resurgence over the past few weeks.

The Packers on the other hand will be rested and ready for their division rival, mark this one as a Packer’s victory. (7-3)

Packers at Giants (11/25)

This is by far the hardest game left on the Packer’s schedule, along with the Bears game arguably.

The Giants started the years 6-2, but have been outplayed back-to-back weeks by “lesser” teams, in terms of record. The Giants will have a bye this week, so they will have plenty of time to prepare for the Packers.

The Packers beat the Giants on a Mason Crosby field goal as time expired in New York last season to keep the Packers’ undefeated season alive. However, the Giants would get the ultimate payback knocking the Packers out of the playoffs for the second time in four years last season. I think the Giants will win this game because the extra time to prepare, and I’ll gladly concede this game to the Giants because I believe we will see them in the playoffs and our victory then. (7-4)

Packers vs. Vikings

The Packers have absolutely dominated this series the past six seasons, going 9-3 against their hated rival since the 2006 season.

The Packers get this game at Lambeau coming off the projected loss to the Vikings, which doesn’t bode well for the Vikings. If the Packers are able to shut down Adrian Peterson they should be able to win this game easily. However, if they let the Vikings hang around, this game could remain close. The Vikings play very good defense, better than they have in recent years. The Packers hung 78 points on the Vikings last season. That won’t happen again this season. With all that said, the Packers will be motivated and will win this game. (8-4)

There you have it, the Packers will go 2-1 in their next three games, suffering a tough loss to the Giants next Sunday in New York.

However, I think that the Packers’ loss to the Giants will be their only loss the remainder of the season, as they win the NFC North with a record of 12-4.

October 21, 2012; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams running back Daryl Richardson (26) carries the ball as Green Bay Packers strong safety Charles Woodson (21) defends during the first half at the Edward Jones Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-US PRESSWIRE

It seems like the injuries are starting to pile up again this year after a relatively clean season last year.  The question is: when is the Pack going to lose that last player that holds up the whole house of cards?

The secondary is quickly becoming a concern, not only for the injury to Woodson, but the earlier injury to Sam Shields as well.  BJ Raji has missed the last two games, but is probable for Sunday. Worthy and Neal have done a good job covering that void, but it will be nice to have the big man back in the middle.  Bishop was lost early and Nick Perry is out again this week , Walden has stepped up and played well.

On offense, Greg Jennings has been out and Kuhn (out) and Jordy (questionable) are hurt this week.  Cedric Benson went down, but Alex Green has played decently in his spot.

Time and again, the depth of the Packers has been evident.  Let’s hope that continues for at least a few weeks until the Packers can get a few more opening day starters back into the lineup.  In the meantime, a few more players will get to showcase their skills against a Jaguars team that is struggling, to say the least.

With all of that being said, everybody has injuries and the Packers aren’t unique in that respect.  Although, I do think the timing for the Packers couldn’t be better.  Of course, no injuries would be better, but if you have to have several missing pieces, this week would be time for it to happen.

The Jaguars will try to turn their season around when they invade Lambeau Field today. Jake Roth-US PRESSWIRE

The fact is that  injuries or not, the offense has been tremendous over the past two weeks. Aaron Rodgers has settled into a groove in the last two games.  As long as he plays like he has recently, the Packers will score points.  It won’t hurt playing against a Jags defense that is ranked 28^th overall, 24^th against the pass and has just five sacks all season.

I don’t want to dismiss the Jaguars as a potential threat; they are an NFL team (technically). With the injuries mounting for the Packers it is fortunate for them to host the Jags this week.  Considering the number of missing parts on the defensive side of the ball, facing the team that is ranked  dead last in both total offense and passing yards along with being ranked just 25^th in rushing yards (and now without their stud running back  Maurice Jones-Drew), “fortunate” is probably an understatement.

Ironically, the Jaguars have played much better on the road than at home.  With an apathetic fan base in Jacksonville, these guys have played with more heart when they are in a stadium filled with raucous fans. But this is Lambeau, not the Metrodome.   Jacksonville is without Maurice Jones-Drew and they have Blaine Gabbert at quarterback.  Add to that the fact that the Packers haven’t put on a real show at Lambeau yet this season and I expect them to make a statement on both sides of the ball.  It would be an epic failure if the game weren’t effectively over by halftime.

Packers 45 Jags 7

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Oct 14, 2012; Houston, TX, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) passes against the Houston Texans during the third quarter at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Campbell-US PRESSWIRE

Aaron Rodgers wasn’t always such a star throughout his life. He wasn’t heavily recruited coming out of high school; in fact, the only Division 1 football opportunity Rodgers had was to walk on at the University of Illinois. To get to know the real Aaron Rodgers you have to go all the way back to 1983.

On Dec. 2, 1983, Aaron Rodgers was born to Darla and Ed Rodgers. He was the second of three children in the Rodgers household. Rodgers grew up idolizing the San Francisco 49ers because he was from northern California. He learned the game of football from his father, who was an offensive lineman in college and even played semi-pro football.

In high school, Rodgers attended Pleasant Valley, which is located in Rodgers’s hometown of Chico, Calif. Rodgers only started two seasons at Pleasant Valley. In his senior season, Rodgers threw for a school record 2,303 yards. Rodgers was not only a star on the field, but he was also a star in the classroom. Rodgers was an “A” student achieving a 3.6 GPA in high school and also scored a 1300 on his SAT.

Rodgers graduated in 2002, and to his dismay wasn’t offered a scholarship to play football anywhere. Rodgers decided to stay in Chico and attend Butte Community College, which is about 25 miles from his home. It was at Butte that Rodgers finally got noticed by some of the larger division 1 schools. Rodgers threw 26 touchdowns his freshman season and led Butte to second place in the national rankings.

His remarkable freshman season caught the eye of one particular coach, Jeff Tedford, who happened to be the head coach at the University of California-Berkley. The irony behind Rogers being recruited by Cal was that Tedford wasn’t there to recruit Rodgers. Instead he was scouting a teammate of Rodgers, tight end Garrett Cross. However, once Tedford saw Rodgers throw a couple passes his focus quickly turned to Rodgers.

Rodgers arrived at Cal University in 2003 with three years of eligibility left. By the fifth game of the 2003 season, Rodgers had become the starting quarterback. In 2004, as a junior, Rodgers led Cal to a 10-1 record and a top-five ranking in the BCS rankings.

Cal missed out on the Rose Bowl and instead entered the Holiday Bowl in which they lost to Texas Tech 45-31. The tough loss hit Rodgers hard and he decided to skip his senior season and enter the 2005 NFL Draft.

Rodgers was set to be a first round pick and possibly No. 1 overall to his favorite childhood team, the 49ers. By all accounts the 49ers were going to choose between Rodgers, or quarterback Alex Smith out of the University of Utah.

All the experts predicted that the 49ers would take Rodgers. However, they elected to go with Smith instead. Rodgers continued to fall in the draft until finally the Green Bay Packers took him with the 24th pick in the first round.

Rodgers wasn’t very excited about coming to Green Bay at first because legendary quarterback Brett Favre was still in the prime of his career. Rodgers rode the bench and learned from Favre until 2008 when Favre threw a game-losing interception in the NFC Championship game against the Giants that ended his tenure with the Packers. However, Favre came out of retirement and the Packers decided to trade him to the New York Jets and give Rodgers the starting gig.

Rodgers became the starter for the Packers in 2008. Packer’s fans booed and screamed at Rodgers not approving of the Packer’s decision to let Favre go. In 2008 the Packers struggled, winning just six games. However, Rodgers was solid throwing for over 4,000 yards with 28 touchdowns and just 13 interceptions.

In 2009, Rodgers led the Packers to an 11-5 record and a playoff appearance, the first of his career. The Packers took on the Arizona Cardinals in the wild card round in Arizona. The Packers would eventually lose the game in overtime when Rodgers was sacked and fumbled. Cardinal’s linebacker Karlos Dansby picked the ball out of the air and scored, which ended the game.

Rodgers would have his ultimate revenge in the NFL in the 2010-11 season. Injuries plagued the Packers early and they barely sneaked into the playoffs. The Packers won their final two games of the regular season and in the playoffs won at Philadelphia, at Atlanta and at Chicago to make it to Super Bowl XLV in Dallas.

The 2010 playoff run was one the greatest in NFL history. Rodgers and the Packers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25 to win the Super Bowl; Rodgers was the MVP.

Rodgers went on to win the MVP of the regular season in the 2011-2012 season throwing for a video-game-like 4,600 yards, 45 touchdowns and just 6 interceptions. Rodgers lead the Packers to a franchise best 15-1 record, however, they were one-and-done in the playoffs.

Rodgers has become the steal of the 2005 NFL Draft for the Packers, and in the process has become arguably the best quarterback in the NFL.

The Packers got off to a slow start in the 2012 season, but are looking to hit their stride as of late winning two straight games on their way to a record of 4-3.

Greg Jennings fights for a ball against the Chicago Bears. Raymond T. Rivard photograph

No professional team likes to be without one of their best players; however, if you’re the Green Bay Packers you play better without your stars. The Packers have been without WR Greg Jennings for most of the year as he continues to suffer from a nagging groin injury.

As the injury continues to nag Jennings’ recovery time, the two-time Pro Bowler has decided to have surgery to repair his groin in hopes that he can return later in the season and play 100 percent healthy. The question is what does this injury mean for the Green Bay offense, and Jennings’s future in Green Bay?

Jennings is set to become a free agent at season’s end and will be looking for No.1 wide receiver money. However, it appears since he has only played in six of the last nine games for the Packers, including the devastating home playoff loss last season to the Giants, teams will not be willing to give Jennings the money he is looking for if he continues to prove he cannot stay healthy.

That’s where this story becomes good news for the Green Bay Packers in terms of Jennings’s future in Green Bay. The Packers have a number of superstars to sign such as Clay Matthews, B.J Raji, James Jones, Morgan Burnett and Ryan Pickett who are set to become free agents in 2014.

So with little money to be spared Jennings’s way, it looked like Ted Thompson was gearing up to let Jennings walk, especially with the development of Randall Cobb and the keeping of Jarrett Boykin. However, now it appears that thanks to Jennings’s injury, that the Packers may have about a 50/50 chance at re-signing Jennings this offseason.

Greg Jennings has had many happy days with the Packers. He’s hoping he has more after coming back from surgery that will keep him out up to six weeks.

There is no doubt that the Packers offense is better with Jennings on the field. He has the best ability to get open out of any receiver on the team. He is also a very good target in the middle of the field for defenses that try to take away James Jones and Jordy Nelson on the outside.

There really is no predicting what Thompson will do with Jennings. Typically he doesn’t like to dish out money to specialty positions such as wide receiver. He has developed many good wide receivers and the team is very deep at that position even without Jennings. However, I do see Jennings being one of those few instances in which Thompson dishes out the money to keep a superstar.

We will find out the future of Jennings at the end of the season, but here is to a quick and speedy recovery Greg!