Former Green Bay Packer Atari Bigby (26) runs in to assist with bringing Green Bay Packers running back James Starks (44) down during the first quarter at Qualcomm Stadium. Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Not that the Green Bay Packers will have any interest in any of the high-paid, aging NFL veterans who are hitting the open market this weekend, it sure is interesting watching the developments from around the league this morning.

For instance, did you know that Atari Bigby (you remember him, right?), the former Packers safety, has played the past year with the San Diego Chargers? No, I didn’t know that either – but guess how he ended the 2012 season? Yup, you’re right … on injured reserve. Does that sound familiar, or what?

Here are Bigby’s career stats:

Anyway, the news coming from around the NFL is that teams are dropping veterans like hot potatoes. The following list, provided by nfl.com, is topped by the release of  James Harrison, as the Pittsburgh Steelers enter a new era. However,  there are several other teams that are seeing the need to part ways with their longtime players.

Consider the list:

Adrian Wilson, Safety, Arizona Cardinals

Dawan Landry, Safety, Jacksonville Jaguars

Aaron Ross, Cornerback, Jaguars

Chris Gamble, Cornerback, Carolina Panthers

 Atari Bigby, Safety, San Diego Chargers

 Bobbie Williams, Guard, Baltimore Ravens

It’s unclear whether the Packers will be adding anyone to this list anytime soon, but they do have a couple of restricted free agents who might be left to fend for themselves on the open market. Consider Robert Francois and Frank Zombo among them.

I know, they’re not big names, but they most likely will not be tendered by the Packers.

As the lockout ends and the start of training camp looms, I thought it a good time to search YouTube for some video from last year’s season.

As a matter of practice I don’t like watching too many highlight films during the offseason, but given this is a championship season I can’t help but burn up the YouTube files.

That’s why I’m posting this video from Truthseeker … This covers weeks 13, 14 and 15 of the season just to whet your appetite … Enjoy the action … It’s a part of a season we will not soon forget …

 Can the Packers repeat and win Super Bowl XLVI?

They certainly can.

Will Coach Mike McCarthy have what it takes to lead the Packers to a repeat championship? Raymond T. Rivard photograph

The media is not going to favor them too much, however, because the Packers are a small market team. The media may favor Chicago saying it just has to be their year, Brian Urlacher deserves a ring, etc. Or they may like Detroit to win the division, saying that it is impossible to run against them.

No matter what they say, the Packers have what it takes to win come February.

The first step in a successful repeat is keeping a majority of the starters. Having had so many injuries last season, it is almost difficult to define who the starters were, but players who played because of starters getting hurt now have experience and could possibly compete for the starting job.

On offense, three of the top four receivers are coming back – it is yet to be determined what will happen to James Jones. A lot of the success came because it is difficult for teams to cover all of the Packers’ receivers. For example, Jones could be a number one wideout on other teams. That being said, how does a team’s third best corner cover him? The Packers win that matchup 10 times out of 10. (more…)

As the lockout  ends and the start of training camp looms, I thought it a good time to search YouTube for some video from last year’s season.

As a matter of practice I don’t like watching too many highlight films during the offseason, but given this is a championship season I can’t help but burn up the YouTube files.

That’s why I’m posting this video from Truthseeker … This covers weeks 13, 14 and 15 of the season just to whet your appetite … Enjoy the action … It’s a part of a season we will not soon forget …

As the lockout nears its end and the start of training camp looms, I thought it a good time to search YouTube for some video from last year’s season.

As a matter of practice I don’t like watching too many highlight films during the offseason, but given this is a championship season I can’t help but burn up the YouTube files.

That’s why I’m posting this video from Truthseeker … This covers weeks nine, 11 and 12 of the season just to whet your appetite … Enjoy the action … It’s a part of a season we will not soon forget …

(more…)

Both Aaron Rodgers and Jared Allen will be at the golf tourney, so they should be ready for some interesting questions. Raymond T. Rivard photograph

What are your plans the week of July 12-17?
Well, if you’re lucky enough to be a sportswriter at the Tahoe Daily Tribune in South Lake Tahoe, Calif., like my friend and former colleague, Doug Etten, you might be making plans to attend the American Century Championship at the Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course. (more…)

The uncertainty of playing in the NFL has been exacerbated for players like former Louisville QB Adam Froman who has been working out with former Packer Brian Brohm.

The chances of an undrafted football player making an impact is not great.
But if you consider how the NFL lockout has dragged on the past couple of months, the possibility for these players making any kind of difference diminishes with each passing day. (more…)

How important is it for the Packers linemen to get together for a workout? Raymond T. Rivard photograph

You know it’s a slow news week in the NFL when the top story at last week’s end was about the coaches not having to take a pay cut and something about offensive linemen getting together to compare daily menus … Ahem … To work out. (more…)

One of the banners that hang outside Lambeau Field say it all about the organization. Raymond T. Rivard photograph

Have you ever been to the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame?

If not, put it on your bucket list. (more…)

Though Brandon Jackson may not be in the team's future plans, he was a significant contributor to the Super Bowl champion team of 2011. He will be one of the players receiving their championship ring June 16. Raymond T. Rivard photograph

The announcement this week that the NFL had granted an exemption to the Packers to gather together June 16 for a celebration and to receive their world championship rings earned with their Super Bowl win back in February was good news to all in Packers Nation. (more…)

Aaron Rodgers and the Packers had to pick themselves up from the depths of the loss against a winless Tampa Bay team last season ... a loss that helped propel them to a world championship in 2010.

The euphoria of the 2010 Super Bowl championship started at rock bottom. (more…)

The Brett-Favre led Packers teams of the 1990s saw their stock fall just weeks before Super Bowl XXXII

Everyone remembers the dominant teams of the 1990s, namely the Cowboys and the Brett Favre-led Packers teams. (more…)

All things Packers can be found from various sources, including here. Raymond T. Rivard photograph

There are many places to get news about the Green Bay Packers … (more…)

A world championship in hand ... being led by this guy ... what's to worry about? Raymond T. Rivard photo

“It’s the end of the world as we know it, it’s the end of the world as we know it, it’s the end of the world as we know it … And I feel fine …” (more…)

The Packers are in a solid position as they control most of their destiny. They beat the Eagles in week one therefore hold the head to head tie breaker there. They lost to Chicago, but have them on the schedule ahead and can even that series for the season. The New York Giants are still relevant and the Packers will play them as well. None of those games however mean anything without a win this weekend.

The Falcons are poised to make a stretch run with only New Orleans standing in the way of what should be a table run. That puts a little more pressure on the Packers to pull this one out and leave Georgia with eight wins. If the Packers can tip the scale towards themselves with this head to head tie breaker, they would stand to position themselves as the front runner for the NFC home field advantage. And we all know, no one but Green Bay likes playing in Green Bay in January. (more…)

The Packers defense has been solid but up and down all year in one area or another, Bigby should add that boost to that will make life a little easier for the star LB Clay Matthews. With Bigby in the secondary, it may take opposing QB’s an extra second to find an open receiver and that little piece of a minute could be enough for Matthews to get into his face.

We will see how conditioned and football ready Bigby is tonight when the game kicks off.

McCarthy says offense lacking in narrow losses: As he assessed Monday what has become a season on the brink, coach Mike McCarthy rejected the notion that the Packers’ inability to win two straight overtime games this season as well as other tight affairs falls completely on the shoulders of his quarterback. ”Our timing is not where it needs to be, and that is everything,” McCarthy said a day after falling to 3-3 with a 23-20 loss to Miami in overtime. “I am talking about the protection, the footwork of the quarterback, the route running. When we do it, we make it look very easy, and when we don’t, we have moments like we did yesterday.” ”It’s hard to figure why it is the way it is,” said wide receivers coach Jimmy Robinson. “We’re just not totally in sync here and it seems like we would be at this point. We’re six games into the season and it seems like routes have to be a little sharper, timing is a little bit off, protection has to be a little bit better.

Reinforcements on the way: Help is on the way for the injury-riddled Green Bay Packers, at least on defense. Veteran cornerback Harris and safety  Bigby, who have spent the season’s first six weeks on the physically unable to perform list, will begin practicing on Wednesday. It’s possible both players could be back in action for Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field. Rookie running back Starks (hamstring) also got the go-ahead Monday to begin practicing, but it’s unclear how much he can contribute to the team’s scuffling offense. With rookie safety Morgan Burnett having been lost for the year to an Oct. 3 knee injury, Bigby would be the logical choice to replace him in the starting lineup.  Also, the Packers traded a conditional seventh-round draft pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars to bring back safety Smith, who could start against the Vikings if Bigby isn’t ready. Safeties coach Perry said Bigby probably won’t be able to play a full game right away.  Given that the Packers play their nickel defense roughly 60 percent of the time, Harris could come back as the No. 3 cornerback, replacing undrafted rookie free agent Sam Shields in that role.

Injury report: NFL sacks leader Clay Matthews, who missed the Green Bay Packers’ previous game because of a left hamstring injury, will return for this weekend’s meeting with the Minnesota Vikings, a team source told NFL.com. The return of Matthews, who has 8.5 sacks in five games this season, is even more important. Also, Green Bay’s decimated defense could have several more reinforcements for the Vikings game. The Packers re-acquired safety Anthony Smith in a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday, and cornerback Al Harris (knee) and safety Atari Bigby (ankle) are eligible to come off the physically unable to perform list this week. Also, injured defensive linemen Ryan Pickett and Mike Neal should be returning this week too.

Harris, Bigby, and Starks set to return: In a season filled with injuries to key players on both sides of the ball, some reinforcements have arrived. The three players who have been on the physically unable to perform list since the start of training camp will begin practicing this week, and the coaches haven’t ruled out the possibility that safety Atari Bigby (ankle), cornerback Al Harris (knee) and running back James Starks (hamstring) could play Sunday against Minnesota, although Starks is probably the furthest away largely because the rookie hasn’t played any real football in nearly two years. Plus, newly acquired safety Anthony Smith, who on Sunday was traded by Jacksonville for a conditional seventh-round draft pick, arrived at Lambeau Field on Monday and will be available against the Vikings. He spent the day reacquainting himself with the team that cut him at the end of training camp last season. Smith has been out of the Packers’ system for more than a year, while Bigby and Harris have been out of football for so long that it’s unclear how quickly they can be assimilated into the plan. Both Bigby and Harris will begin practicing Wednesday. The Packers have three weeks to decide whether to activate the PUP players or put them on season-ending injured reserve.

Masthay on thin ice: So much for Mike McCarthy’s confidence that his Green Bay Packers would be vastly better at punter this season. The Packers coach publicly put punter Tim Masthay on notice Monday after what McCarthy felt was yet another inconsistent performance from the first-year punter. While Masthay’s job isn’t in danger in advance of Sunday night’s game against the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field, McCarthy made it clear that he’ll have to punt better or he’ll be out of a job. “The punting was not good yesterday. I think that’s obvious,” McCarthy said of Masthay, who averaged just 33.4 net yards and 38.0 gross yards on five punts, with a long of 42 yards and with two that landed inside the 20. “Tim has been inconsistent, and my mindset in preparation for Minnesota is to keep working with Tim and get him to be more consistent. Frankly, I thought he did a good job with his inside-the-20 punts going in, but the opportunity to change the field position did not happen, especially when we needed it there in overtime. So he needs to do a better job.”

]]> http://lombardiave.com/2010/10/19/packers-coffee-mix-headlines-10/feed/ 1 http://lombardiave.com/2010/08/31/packers-headlines-camp-reports/ http://lombardiave.com/2010/08/31/packers-headlines-camp-reports/#comments Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:27:06 +0000 jclombardi http://lombardiave.com/?p=2621 Jclombardi reviews headlines & camp reports. Headlines: Packers’ Jones says shoulder not a problem.  Notebook: D-Line Needs Harrell.  Packers give Chery a chance to return kicks, punts.  Barnett rests up for regular season. Notebook: TE/FB needs trimming. Chery earns longer look on punt returns.  Insider: QB Harrell shows potential.  Defensive line depth unclear beyond first tier. [...]

Packers: Headlines & Camp Reports - Lombardi Ave - Lombardi Ave - A Green Bay Packers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.

PACKERS: KEY OFF-SEASON DATES:

• July 31–Training camp, first practice; schedule
• Aug. 7–Packers Family Night scrimmage
• Aug. 31–Roster cutdown to maximum of 75 players
• Sept. 4–Roster cutdown to maximum of 53 players

PACKERS: EXHIBITION SEASON

• Aug. 14: Browns at Packers, 7 p.m.
• Aug. 21: Packers at Seahawks, 9 p.m.
• Aug. 26: Colts at Packers, 7 p.m.
• Sept. 2: Packers at Chiefs, 7 p.m.

Bigby, Harris & Starks on PUP: Cornerback Harris (knee), strong safety  Bigby (ankle), and rookie RB Starks (nagging hamstring injury) failed their physicals and were put on the reserve, physically unable to perform list.  They are eligible to come off  when deemed healthy.  Packers optimistic cornerback Al Harris will be healthy for regular season.   Harris says, “He’s ahead of schedule and should be ready by preseason game 3.”  We shall see, but for now, CB Williams and rookie S Burnett have opportunities to play since the team will be counting on them in 2010 season.

McCarthy Press Conference: Harris is ahead of schedule, but not sure about Week 1 though.  Burnett replacing Bigby for now.  Havner is full go.  Lang will have brace on wrist but full participant.  Can they rush passer? Yes mentioning Barnett and Jenkins as strong options. Bulaga only a left tackle and Lang only right side.  McCarthy thinks Super Bowl within reach. 

Packers by Position: Linebackers–Packers are bidding to join the Steelers, Jets and Cowboys among top linebacker groups employing the 3-4.  Green Bay must find other ways to generate heat off the edge besides just Matthews. Capers is hopeful Barnett, Chillar, and Bishop can raise havoc in fire-zone packages.  We agree with this hope considering their talents. 

Remembering LB Nitschke: APC nominated legendary Packers MLB Ray Nitschke to the SBN Wisconsin Hall of Fame.  If our linebackers can play like this great Lombardi legend, who needs to worry about our 2010 season as no power on earth will stop them:

Packers Legendary All-pro MLB Ray Nitschke

Special teams are improved?: Packers’ special teams ‘much further along’ than last season, says coach Slocum. Last season, Packers finished No. 31 in the NFL in the Dallas Morning News’ annual special teams rankings.  Best route to improved special teams is better play from specialists.  Packers need Bryan or Masthay to provide a major upgrade at punter; Will Blackmon to return to form as a returner after knee-reconstruction surgery; and Crosby to have moved past the technical problems that plagued his field-goal kicking last season.

Things to Watch at training Camp: Rush passer better; Rodgers must stay on the field; Woodson must continue playing at an elite level; Special teams must improve in every way; and Raji must become a player.  We will need an inside rush to improve the pass rush.

Questions to Watch at training Camp: Packer Update asks: Who’ll be the No. 3 wide receiver?; What happens if Grant gets hurt?; Will Raji play like a 9th overall pick?; Will the special teams be better?; Can Harris return and be effective?; Is there a legitimate punter on the roster?; Can Underwood and Lee step up?; Will the offensive line get off to a faster start?; Will the pash rush be good enough?; and Can the Packers win without Rodgers for an extended period?

Training camp trivia: Tips for enjoying Green Bay Packers training camp. Packers open training camp with off-field events.

Offseason reviews: Good–GM Thompson’s long-term approach to building an NFL team helped the Packers solidify their future at several key spots. By re-signing Pro Bowl safety Collins, tackles Clifton and Tauscher and defensive lineman Pickett, he remained committed to retaining most of the team’s valuable veterans.  By drafting Bulaga, Neal, and  Burnett, he helped plan for future openings at left tackle, defensive end and safety. Ugly–by virtually ignoring the free-agent market, it’s nearly impossible to plug obvious holes at CB and OLB.  So, did TT do enough to turn a playoff team in 2009 into a Super Bowl team in 2010? 

Lombardi readings: The great Vince Lombardi left a coaching legacy of five NFL championships in his nine seasons with the Packers.  Several books on Lombardi are set for release or reissue including Pat Summerall’s “What I Learned About Life from Vince Lombardi and Tom Landry” and “When Pride Still Mattered: Lombardi” by David Maraniss that serves as the basis for the Broadway-bound play “Lombardi” scheduled to open in October.