Trophy is on the way for Reginald Brooks and Jason Boris. Mandatory Credit: Eileen Blass-USA TODAY Sports

Raise a glass to Reginald Brooks and Jason Boris.

They are co-champions for the best 2013 first round NFL mock draft, according to The Huddle Report (THR). THR tracks the performance of the most reputable draft resources and publishes rankings for picking the first round and for predicting the top 100 players.

Did your mock draft get messed up due to trades and surprise picks? Brooks and Boris weren’t perfect either, but each scored 50 points, which was the second highest score in the last five years of tracking the mock selections.

The THR scoring system provides 2 points for matching the correct player to a team and 1 point for correctly predicting a player in the first round.

Boris, of Times News, vaulted to the top of the 5-year rankings with an average score of 46.20, ahead of Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel’s Bob McGinn whose average fell to 43. The long-time Packer analyst stumbled Thursday with a score of 37, tied for 18^th best out of 115 participants.

This was Brooks’ first year participating in the THR scoring, so we can call him the Newcomer of the Year. Brooks is with Fantasy Football 1 on 1. I can’t even find his website online, so a lot of people are probably asking today “Who is Reginald Brooks?”

Mike Mayock of NFL Network finished in 2nd place this year with 49 points. So if you were like me and mocked him for predicting Geno Smith to the Browns with the 6th pick, well, give him some props today.

McGinn will find out after today’s second and third rounds how well his top 100 players board fares against the competition. He is the 2012 reigning champion in that category.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell during the 2012 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports

If you’re one of those fans who likes to place your brain on the torture rack to predict whom the Green Bay Packers and other NFL teams will select in the first round of the draft, here’s the pain pill I prescribe for you. Wait for Bob McGinn’s mock draft this Thursday in the Journal-Sentinel.

Avid Packers fans have known Bob’s insightful analysis and in-depth reporting for decades. He culls information from unnamed scouts, personnel directors, and other trusted sources across the league to provide extra depth to his coverage.

Bob McGinn

What many Packers fans may not know is that McGinn is in the midst of an incredible streak of success predicting NFL drafts, according to The Huddle Report (THR), a website that has tracked predictions from established websites and media outlets since 2001.

There are more than 100 competitors selected annually for the THR ranking, including well-known evaluators Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN, Mike Mayock of NFL Network, and Gil Brandt of NFL.com.

McGinn is summa cum laude among those who make a living doing this. In football terms, he’s the Aaron Rodgers of making draft predictions. He has the stats to prove it:

• No one bests his four-year average score of 83.75 for predicting the top 100 players
• Only Ben Standig of Fantasy Football Toolbox has a better four-year record for correctly choosing the players to go in the first round

You want to see how well you fare against Bob McGinn and the other mock drafters in THR? Write down your first round draft predictions and follow THR’s scoring system on draft night. You’ll get 2 points for matching players to the correct team and 1 point for correctly predicting a player in the first round. Tip: your score will be much better if you read McGinn’s predictions first. They come out Thursday.

Michael Barnard, a free agent, will be given a tryout by the Packers on Monday.

News broke today about the Green Bay Packers inviting kicker Michael Barnard in for a tryout, but we here at lombardiave.com, in particular staff writer  T.J.Marquardt, broke the story about the possibility of a Barnard tryout back in December at the height of Mason Crosby major slump.

Here’s what Marquardt wrote in December:

The Packers might find the answer in a kid who many teams have as their top-rated Free Agent kicker. His name is Michael Barnard. Barnard played his college ball at a private university, Fairleigh-Dickinson. He has been on the short list for numerous NFL teams over the past few years. He isn’t some fly-by-night, wannabe either; in fact, he might have made the Eagles squad this year if Alex Henery hadn’t had such an amazing rookie season in 2011.

According to Marquardt, the Packers had considered or were at least approached by Barnard and/or his representative requesting a tryout. It was unclear at that time whether the Packers were considering the tryout, but Marquardt felt the tryout session was going to happen. As far as we know, it didn’t at that time, but now it seems the Packers have reconsidered and are scheduled to bring the New Jersey-based kicker in for a look-see this coming Monday.

In a story about the tryout published at jsonline and written by one of my favorite Packers reporters, Bob McGinn, he said that the Packers have never brought in competition against Crosby, but now may be the time to do so, considering the Packers veteran kicker’s poor performance last year.

Barnard, 6 feet 1½ inches and 216 pounds, is the unlikeliest of candidates.

From 2006-’08, Barnard kicked at Division III Fairleigh Dickinson, where he made a paltry 59.3% (16 of 27) and missed five of 54 extra points for teams that finished 7-23. His long was 47 yards, and he had three blocked.

Barnard had a tryout with the Eagles two years ago.

But that was five years ago and McGinn documents how he has been working to improve his technique and accuracy – and that he’s been working with people who know a little something about kicking …

Barnard spent his winters in Florida, where he kept kicking almost nonstop. He spent time working with former NFL kickers Mike Hollis and Michael Husted, and also learned from David Akers, who lived near him outside Philadelphia.

McGinn interviewed Hollis, who said that he feels Barnard at least has a shot: ”Hopefully, Michael will get an opportunity, whether it’s Green Bay or wherever, to get into camp and show what he can do. He’s definitely got the size and ability to be an NFL kicker. He’s probably one of the most passionate guys we’ve ever coached,” Hollis said. “Very dedicated. He wants this really bad.”

That’s how Marquardt saw the kicker back in December.

Here is how Marquardt described him:

Barnard’s strong leg and confidence have attracted attention around the NFL … He works hard and has dedicated himself to making the grade in the NFL, working out 6 days a week kicking and conditioning while he waits for his shot in the NFL.

McGinn pulled up an interview conducted with Barnard last summer by FullScaleSports:

“I feel I am most comparable to kickers like Mason Crosby and Sebastian Janikowski. They possess the ability to be deadly accurate and kick field goals over 60 yards regularly and kick off in excess of 75 yards, just as I do.

I do not plan on being an average NFL kicker. I want to be one of the best to ever do it … there isn’t one kicker in the league I feel I could not go up against and come out feeling confident.”

If lombardiave.com’s Marquardt was right in December when exclaiming in his post that “This kid is GOOD,” then it will most likely be borne out on whether the Packers feel the same way after his workout on Monday. If they decide that he’s the guy who could compete against Crosby in camp next summer, we’re sure they will let the world know.

If he is the guy … or even if he isn’t … we can also say that you heard it first right here.

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Let’s take back the Tundra.

So it has come to pass on this Conference Championship Sunday, that the tide has turned in Green Bay Packers land.  Not only is the team too soft to play smash mouth football, but the fans are too soft too.

Bob McGinn, over at the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, wrote an in-depth article detailing how this team has become soft and has lost its edge.  It is a good read and is resonating with many fans based on what I saw in the comments section.

So the two questions that arise would of course be, are the Packers too soft and have the Lambeau faithful lost their heart?

I am not, nor will I ever be such a technical fan or writer that I am willing to break down the plays and statistics to support the grades a team deserves or pinpoint the failures.  I look at the emotional picture, the feelings derived from the game.  So to answer if this team is soft, I look back at what I saw over the past season.  Was there an edge when they played?  Yes and no.

It may seem like a copout but when the starters were in and we did not have the injuries, I felt that there was an aggressiveness to this team.  But as the season unraveled with injuries, and younger players were inserted, I felt that the smash mouth, aggressiveness began to decline.

On the defensive side of the ball, the loss of Clay Matthews and Charles Woodson took away two of the hardest hitters on the team, both physically and emotionally.  There was nobody on the line or in the secondary that could match the missing intensity of these two players.  There was a lack of swag that was apparent in the Super Bowl.  The defense that year had an identity.  This year there was no identity and I would blame that on a lack of continuity and senior leadership.

The rookies and first year players stepped up best they could under the circumstances and played admirably, but it was not enough to create that environment of intimidation and respect that comes with smash mouth football and leads to other teams respecting us.

Offensively, the lack of a line, a running game and the inability to stretch the field prevented Aaron Rodgers and the offense from developing a rhythm or even an identity.  There was some attitude here and there during the course of games, but as hard as it is to admit, it was not there enough to establish that dominance and aggressiveness.  Think back … do you really think that there were any teams that really feared playing us?  I don’t think so.

Jan 5, 2013; Green Bay, WI, USA; The Green Bay Packers line up for a play during the NFC Wild Card playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field. The Packers won 24-10. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

So what does the team need to do?  I would first say let’s see what happens with a team that is truly healthy for the majority of the season.  It is easy to point fingers after the fact, but considering all that this team went through, the end result was more than most teams would have been able to accomplish.  What would have been different if both sides of the ball would have had the time to establish their identity?  It is hard to say but I think as a fan we need to be fair and objective in analyzing what happened.

Then there is the second point he brought up.  The one thing we have control over and that is the environment that we as fans create.  So does Lambeau Field lack the intensity and edge that other stadiums have.  Is it a place where other teams fear playing at?  To be honest I cannot answer this question.  I did not make it to any games this year so I can’t constructively comment on what may or may not have been.

I do know this though, it is not close to being the twelfth man as Seattle has or anything like the Raider Nation.  Granted we are Lambeau and we are much more different in our style and attitude, but can we change?  Do we need to change to bring another dimension to what “OUR” team offers.  I am not saying that we all become rude, obnoxious, screaming jerks.  But do we as fans need to up our game and become a force that needs to intimidate and instill some fear in other teams and provide that home field jolt for our team?  Are the fans in the stands there to be seen for social purposes only or are they there to make a difference?

So I pose this question to all of you who have gone to games this past season, were more people there to be seen or were they there to be heard and make a difference?

A Green Bay Packers fan holds up a sign during the NFC Wild Card playoff game . Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Secondly, if we need to Take Back the Tundra, what do we need to do?  I am going to take this on as my battle cry.  From now until when the fans are able to once again stand in front of this team and make a difference, I am going to reach out to all of you for your thoughts, your inspiration and your energy.  Tell me what we need to do and together we will energize and amplify Lambeau Field, for our battle has not ended, rather it has just begun.

To quote one of the most dynamic minds of our time, Bluto, from Animal House, “What? Over? Did you say “over”? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell No!  And it ain’t over now. ‘Cause when the goin’ gets tough…The tough get goin’! Who’s with me? Let’s go!”

LETS TAKE BACK THE TUNDRA.

Donald Driver will be using his moves on Dancing with the Stars. Josh D. Weiss-US PRESSWIRE

Here is a compilation of some Packers and NFL news that have drawn some interest lately.

It was announced today that Donald Driver of the Green Bay Packers will compete on Dancing with the Stars. It has become a tradition that each season includes an NFL player competing on the show. With all the uncertainty surrounding Driver and his future with the Pack, this will be a good way to take his mind off this lingering issue. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers tweeted shortly after finding out about Driver being on the Dancing with the Stars saying, “Quickie on DWTS?? Guaranteed to be in the finals.” It does seem that the Packers could elect to restructure Driver’s contract so he can stay with the team.

It is becoming more likely that the Packers will have to part ways with All-Pro center Scott Wells. This is because the Packers, as reported by Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, have an interest in Houston Texans’ center Scott Myers. Though it is technically illegal for the Packers to have any sort of contact with potential free agents before the actual start of free agency, it is still done frequently between players and team management behind closed doors. This just seems to be reassuring the probability that Wells will be going somewhere else.

Aaron Rodgers is more popular in Wisconsin and among Packers fan than any celebrity in recent memory. Jeff Hanisch-US PRESSWIRE

The state of Wisconsin is currently in the process of making 12/12/12 officially Aaron Rodgers Day. This just provides further evidence on how passionate and unique Packer country is.

Following up on a past article I did about the Pro Bowl, Commissioner Roger Goodell told ESPN’s Mike and Mike right before the Super Bowl, “After what I saw last Sunday, the NFL will consider eliminating the Pro Bowl.” I do not want the Pro Bowl to end but if the NFL just added some incentives to winning the game then maybe players would try harder. As of right now, the winning team receives $50,000 per player while the losing team receives $25,000. Obviously for players receiving millions of dollars per year, there really is no extra incentive to play harder.

As it turns out, according to a tweet from Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the senior Wolf knew more than one would expect. It turns out that the younger Wolf will probably take over in Green Bay as the next head of pro personnel.

It should be a good fit for Wolf, who has been in Green Bay for a number of years.

@BobMcGinnBob McGinn