The secondary, namely Anthony Smith and Atari Bigby, will see plenty of action their way with the high-flying Cardinals attack.  The Cardinals, like the Packers, are a team in transition with new offensive and defensive coordinators.  Arizona is also in the process of installing a variation of the 3-4 defense, one with many different looks that could easily give the Packers developing offensive line problems.

Unlike the Browns and Bills, the Cardinals have Warner, an older, more experienced quarterback that can recognize a 3-4 and be able to do more with it than, say, Trent Edwards or Derek Anderson.  The Packers defense needs to watch for Warner changing the plays to exploit weaknesses.  Cardinals coaches Ken Whisenhunt and Russ Grimm also hail from the Pittsburgh Steelers organization, where the 3-4 Dom Capers is installing originated.  Capers will have to change up his play-calling and try some new things to try to confuse the veteran quarterback and experienced coaches.

After the Packers preseason victory over the Cleveland Browns in which the new defense held the Browns to just 191 total yards, all systems look like a go.  While defensive stalwarts Charles Woodson, Al Harris, and Nick Barnett did not play along with rookies Clay Matthews and B.J. Raji, plus Jeremy Thompson, the defense still looked good, limiting the Browns running game to just 59 yards on the ground.

The Packers offense was also hitting on all cylinders, as the first-team put up 14 points in the first quarter on a 53-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers to Donald Driver on a third down, and a two-yard run by Ryan Grant late in the first quarter.  The running game put up an astounding 230 yards behind a thought to be suspect offensive line.  Rookie running back Tyrell Sutton paced the team with 91 yards on 18 second half rushes.  Kregg Lumpkin, who snuck onto the team in 2008 before suffering a season-ending injury, also have a productive night with 8 rushes for 48 yards.

Granted, this is the preseason, and this is the Cleveland Browns we’re talking about, but last night was a success.  The players are becoming more comfortable in the 3-4 scheme and it showed results (although it was against the Cleveland Browns in the preseason).  The most impressive part is the rushing defense.  Fifty-nine yards is impressive no matter the circumstances.  At various junctures of 2008, the Packers were just gashed by opposing running backs, so to see Jamal Lewis held to 17 yards on 7 carries.

The pass defense also held as well.  Brett Ratliff, an Eric Mangini favorite from the New York Jets, was harrassed all day, as he was sacked three times and only completed 7 of 13 passes for 84 yards and two picks.  Brady Quinn was 7-11 for 68 yards and a pick, while his main competition Derek Anderson was 0-2 with one interception.  The 3-4 held against an offense it should have held against.  Tramon Williams, Charlie Peprah, Anthony Smith, and Desmond Bishop had the interceptions for the Packers.

The most disconcerting aspect of the game was the fact that after two scores by the first team in the first quarter, the Packers didn’t score again the fourth quarter.  Brian Brohm did not play well at all, as he was 3-10 for 18 yards and two picks and a fat passer rating of 0.0.  He is looking more and more like trade bait for a veteran if he doesn’t keep improving.  Matt Flynn was solid, however, completing 5 of 6 throws 50 yards, although he couldn’t find the end zone.

Sure, it’s preseason and you’re playing with second teamers, but you’re playing second teamers (the Cleveland Browns’ second teamers at that).  There should be some offense generated by the offense that does have depth in the running game and the wide receivers.  Where’s the production from Flynn and Brohm?  Both are thought to be capable quarterbacks, but Brohm, who was projected as a high first-round pick had he left school after his junior year) has yet to live up to his potential and Flynn is playing like a third or fourth-round pick, as opposed to the seventh-round pick he is, which is a bit of a plus for the Packers.  Could veteran leadership help solve this issue?  Maybe.  But then again, we’re talking about scoring points in the preseason against the Browns, so it could be a moot point.

Anyhow, the Packers have Terrell Owens and the Buffalo Bills this Saturday, and we’ll have to see how the defense reacts to a team thought to have a potentially explosive offense and see how the offense reacts to a defense that isn’t Cleveland’s.

These OTAs mark a change for the Packers as they try to rediscover the magic they had in 2007, when they went 13-3 and were an errant pass from the Super Bowl. The team comes in with a new defensive coordinator (Dom Capers), new defensive scheme (3-4), new special teams coordinator (Shawn Slocum), and two new, high draft picks (B.J. Raji, Clay Matthews). The Packers are trying to rebound from the dismal 2008 season and keep up with the reloaded Chicago Bears, always dangerous Minnesota Vikings, and the making-an-attempt-at-being-a-football-team Detroit Lions.

So what should we watch for with these OTAs?

First, the obvious: the 3-4. With Capers, Raji, and Matthews coming in, change is happening. How long it takes that change to happen remains to be seen. The only new members of the Packer defense are the two rookies and safety Anthony Smith, who was signed away from the Pittsburgh Steelers in free agency. Raji will compete with the incumbent Ryan Pickett for the nose tackle job, where the the team will look to them as space-eaters to free up the linebackers. Both men are listed at over 330 pounds, something absolutely necessary for the scheme to succeed. Pickett has performed solidly in his time with the Packers, but it remains to be seen if he has the athleticism to be more than serviceable in the 3-4. Raji is expected to become an impact player over the course of his career on the defensive line.

Joining Raji and Pickett on the defensive line is the competition for defensive end. Defensive end is a thankless job according to many who have worked with it. Aaron Smith and Brett Keisel of Pittsburgh are regarded as two of the best 3-4 defensive ends in the league, and I’m willing to bet the casual fan hasn’t heard of them. The Packers are hoping that Justin Harrell can make the transition to the 3-4 DE successfully, or else his time in Green Bay will most likely be up. Also expected to have big impacts in the defense are Johnny Jolly and Cullen Jenkins. However, any of the numerous defensive ends on the Green Bay roster currently have the potential to win the job, as nearly everyone is learning something new.

Talking about the Packers defense is like beating a dead horse, so something else to consider: Ryan Grant.

Last year, Ryan Grant rushed for over 1,200 yards, good for ninth in the league. However, we have no idea what Grant can do. After all, he only played half a season in 2007 and in 2008 missed all offseason activities before promptly hurting his hamstring the first week of training camp and never really being at 100%. The backups in Green Bay (Brandon Jackson, DeShawnn Wynn) have shown flashes of brilliance, and I’d expect Mike McCarthy and Joe Philbin to use them to put some pressure on Grant during these offseason workouts. While Grant’s total yards were good for someone who missed time, his yards per game (75.4) and yards per carry (3.9) could definitely use some improvement.

Grant’s performance ties in with the offensive line, obviously. The Packers offensive line in 2008 was banged up and inconsistent. As the younger guys continue to mature and develop, it takes some pressure off of the aging Mark Tauscher and Chad Clifton. The trenches are definitely the place to watch for the Packers during these OTAs.

Stay tuned.

We all remember Anthony Smith.  If you don’t now, you will in a few moments.  Remember that one dude that guaranteed Pittsburgh would beat the New England Patriots in Week 13 of the 2007 season when New England was on that insane run, but then got absolutely owned by Tom Brady and Randy Moss in a 34-13 Patriots victory?  Yeah, the Packers got that guy.  However, putting that all aside, his coaches have acknowledged that he was not a trouble maker and that the Steelers ran into cap issues and could not keep him.

After starting 14 games in his first two seasons after being drafted in the third round out of Syracuse.  Unfortunately in 2008, Smith got buried on the depth chart behind Troy Polamalu, Ryan Clark, and Tyrone Carter and had only 9 total tackles for the season.

Despite this lack of playing time and seemingly a decline in production, Smith can still be a good fit for a young defense learning the 3-4.  The scheme the Packers are using has similar terminology to the one used in Pittsburgh and already having three years of experience in the 3-4 makes Smith the odds-on winner for the starting safety spot opposite Pro Bowler Nick Collins.  Smith will be in competition with Atari Bigby and Aaron Rouse.  Bigby is coming off an injury while Rouse has tantalizing potential.

The Smith signing, no matter how late and insignificant it seems, could do wonders for the defense down the stretch in the 2009 season.