2011 second round draft choice Randall Cobb should contribute more to the Packers receiving game in 2012. Raymond T. Rivard photograph.

Round 2
Randall Cobb, WR, Kentucky

Randall Cobb fulfilled an immediate short-term need for the Packers: A kick and punt returner who actually scared teams with his potential. He performed fairly well, but his real value will be as a wide receiver. At the time the Packers chose Cobb, their wide receiver position, though stacked, was not built for the long-term. It looked like James Jones would depart via free agency, Jordy Nelson was coming off a hot playoff run but wasn’t locked down with a long-term contract, Donald Driver was mostly likely playing in his last season and Greg Jennings’s contract was up after the 2012-13 season.

With that much unknown about his ultra-important receiving corps, Thompson wasn’t about to pass on Cobb. Now that the receiving corps is in a bit of a different state – Driver is most likely not coming back in 2012, Jones is locked-in as the Packers’ No. 3 receiver, Nelson is the No. 2 and Jennings is the No. 1, at least through this year – Cobb will be apprenticing for the slot receiver role which so often goes to Jennings. If Jennings does leave via free agency, the Packers will have come out on top with this draft pick. If Jennings stays, the Pack will devote many more plays to get this guy on the field as much as possible.

Brandon Saine was thrust into the lineup when rookie running back Alex Green went down with a knee injury. Raymond T. Rivard photograph

Round 3
Alex Green, RB, Hawaii

Thompson took a look at his running back situation after the 2010-11 season, decided that Brandon Jackson wouldn’t be re-signed (despite this awesome move he put on Urlacher http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cjyuZQv80U ) and worried that Ryan Grant’s injury won’t allow him to play at the same level as he did in 2010. With James Starks as his only “sure thing,” Thompson went offense again and grabbed a back early in the 2011 draft.

We didn’t learn much about Green and his ability to run in the NFL during his rookie season. An injury early in the season prevented him from taking advantage of late season injuries to Ryan Grant and James Starks. Instead, Brandon Saine, an undrafted free agent known more for his catching ability than running ability, actually graded out better on yards after contact than Grant and Starks and now with Grant expected to depart the Packers, Green and Saine will battle in training camp for the backup running back spot. Still looks like a good pick, especially because it seems like Starks has cold streaks from time to time.

See part III about the 2011 Packers draft tomorrow …

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Brandon Jackson, seen here celebrating a touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings in 2010, is one of several players the Packers have parted ways with the past few months.

This is the second in a three-part series about “The ones Ted Thompson didn’t want.”

The NFL’s week seven was probably the worst week to head over to my friend’s place to watch the NFL Network’s addicting whip-around coverage known as the Red Zone channel. There were some awful match-ups: Seahawks/Browns, Redskins/Panthers, Broncos/Dolphins.

It got so bad that I found myself watching as the Steelers backed the Cardinals offense up on their own five-yard line.

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Brandon Jackson is on his way to Cleveland, but what about James Jones? John Kuhn? What about Cullen Jenkins? Will there be any free agent action in Green Bay? Don't get your hopes up ... Raymond T. Rivard photograph

Are you trying to keep up with all the news around the NFL?

Don’t try … your head will explode.

However, some of the happenings with the Packers is nothing short of a bad mid-afternoon matinee … without the Ma and Pa Kettle and Three Stooges shorts and the Woody Woodpecker cartoon.

Good God, there’s nothing happening in the Packers camp, let alone the obvious.

Yesterday’s announcement that Nick Barnett was going to either be released or traded has faded into no action, the Cullen Jenkins to Washington Redskins deal fizzled and there’s still no word about James Jones, John Kuhn or Brandon Jackson. Aside from mild interest from the Vikings for Jones, there has been no talk whatsoever.

So, let’s see … what have the Packers done? Well, they did wrap up Mason Crosby for a gob of money … let’s hope his leg doesn’t fold under the weight of it … and they let Daryn Colledge go to Arizona for a big price tag and Brandon Jackson slinks off to Cleveland … that I don’t have any problems with …

And so what about James Jones, John Kuhn and Cullen Jenkins? Has there been no interest in these three players? Will Ted Thompson sneak in the back door at the last minute and re-sign them for a song? It’s not out of the question considering what’s been happening in the NFL the past few days.

Lord, there’s been more action throughout the league the past couple of days than at a Texas whorehouse on a Saturday night.

But the homebodies in Green Bay have done just about nothing … as was expected. We went into the free agency period knowing it was going to be a ho-hummer in the state of Wisconsin. That’s just not the way Thompson operates. To his credit, he knows football players, he knows talent and he knows how to acquire players that fit into Mike McCarthy’s system. He’s proven it with a Super Bowl title.

It’s just a little wearing watching so many other teams making the sexy trades, the big name signings and gladhanding the press with platitudes about gathering the final piece of the puzzle to put them over the top to a Super Bowl title.

Hmmmm … only two teams make it to the Super Bowl and only one wins it. Does the acquisition of a couple of players make that big of a difference?

The Packers proved last year it doesn’t.

The difference between talent levels from team to team is miniscule. Success in the NFL is all about coaching acumen, evaluating where players best fit and game planning.

Oh, and in the meantime, it’s also about being in the right place at the right time to acquire players that fit into a system and a locker room … clearly they don’t have to be the big named players.

Without a lot of holes to fill, the Packers don’t need to chase the dollar players … they will find ways to plug in players who buy into the team concept, whether it’s shifting around the offensive and defensive lines to make up for the losses of Daryn Colledge or Cullen Jenkins, whether it’s reaching deeper into the roster to find a running back to add in place of a Jackson or Kuhn; whether it’s grooming one or two stud receivers to add to the cadre of pass catchers already on the roster.

But by the end of the week, it would really be nice to know whether these Packer free agents will be playing in Green Bay or elsewhere … at least let’s have a little news from Titletown … please?

Stay tuned …

First on the list, in addition to preparing for the arrival of players, will be the front office’s decisions in dealing with players on the free agent list.

On top of the list are three key players: Cullen Jenkins, James Jones, and Brandon Jackson.
As I’ve  written before in this Blog, the Packers probably have no choice but to let Jones and Jackson walk.

Jones, who showed a disturbing tendency to drop the ball in crucial situations has become expendable at this point with the emergence of Jordy Nelson and the drafting of Randall Cobb.
Jackson faces a similar fate. The breakout of James Starks at the end of last season and the drafting of Alex Green have left Jackson in a tough spot and most likely on the road to another team.

That brings us to Jenkins … If there is one free agent on the Packers squad worth keeping, he would be the one.
Defensive linemen of his caliber don’t come around every day. When the Packers have the opportunity to sign one of their own … one of the key cogs in their defensive dominance and drive to a championship … They should jump on it.
The Packers do have a solid stable of defensive linemen already on the team.

Howard Green and C.J. Wilson have demonstrated their worth and Wilson may be better than many think. When you add in B.J.  Raji and Mike Neal, the promising rookie who spent the majority of last season on IR, you’ve got a pretty good group.

So … What to do?”

It will be interesting to see Ted Thompson in action this year. Will this be the year he locks up as many of his own as he can? Will this be a year when he takes the plunge into free agency and signs one or two established players?

We will find out soon.

Stay tuned …

Brandon Jackson has proven himself valuable, but probably doesn't fit into the Packers' 2011 plans. Raymond T. Rivard photograph

Nobody is quite sure what the free agency period will look like. Depending on if and when the CBA is signed no doubt the signing period will be fast and furious.
For the green Bay Packers, signing their own free agents has been a top priority for general manager Ted Thompson … That is the free agents that fit into the team’s plans. (more…)

Week 11 Packer Fantasy Focus:

Aaron Rodgers - The overwhelming first QB taken off the board in drafts back in August will face the Vikings for a second time this season.  Rodgers threw for 295 yards and two touchdowns in the first meeting back in week 7.  There is no reason to believe that he won’t at least match that same production.  I think that will have a better statistical game this time around.

Brandon Jackson - Sometimes you have to start a 3rd tier runner and that is what Jackson is.  However, he can get you some points when the passing game is working well.  In week 7 Jackson combined for 104 yards and a touchdown.  If your in a bind with some injuries or maybe a key runner doesn’t match up well this week with another defense, Jackson would be safe start to get you some points.

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Packers running game–by committee and off to slow start: Until something better comes along, the Green Bay Packers may have to accept that their running game will consist of 3 yards and a chunk of sod in the facemask. None of the three runners on their 53-man roster possesses the kind of breakaway ability that keeps jerseys clean or even the occasional breakaway ability that veteran Ryan Grant brought to the offense before suffering a season-ending ankle injury against Philadelphia in the opener.”That’s the way we look at it. We were OK. It was not to the standard that we feel we can play. We need to do a much better job as we get ready for Chicago.”

McCarthy: Clifton the starter, but Bulaga may start--Chad Clifton remains the Green Bay Packers’ starting left tackle when healthy, coach Mike McCarthy said Monday. But when it comes to deciding just when Clifton will be healthy and whether he’ll be considered healthy enough to start Monday night’s showdown with the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field – that much McCarthy couldn’t say.  “He’s our starting left tackle. He’s battling through a rough spot right now medically. We have Bryan Bulaga getting ready.”

Packers’ Bush hopes versatility makes him special–Defensive back putting penalty days behind him: Bush now generally serves as the sixth defensive back when the Packers occasionally play their dime defense to defend the pass. He’s here because of the special teams, playing on punt and kickoff squads as well as both return teams.

Packers vs Bear week: Packers-Bears rivalry is wasting no time creating a special buzz — both locally and nationally. When these two longtime division rivals square off on a national stage on Soldier Field next Monday night, the ratings could be off the charts in Chicago and Green Bay for a game with all kinds of subplots.  You’ve got the mighty Packers, considered legitimate Super Bowl contenders by many league observers after their blazing second-half effort in 2009. While they were far from perfect in their victories over the Eagles on the road and at home against Buffalo, they definitely played well enough to sustain their elite status in league circles.

Packers-Bears I: JayRod reaches relevance: a matchup worthy of hyping. This is what we envisioned all along: Two smart, young quarterbacks with strong arms and favorable schemes leading their undefeated teams into a “Monday Night Football” showdown for sole possession of first in the NFC North. Jay Cutler and his Chicago Bearsare one of the NFL’s biggest surprises, while Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packershave thus far satisfied expectations if not exceeded them.

Jackson says he’s ready to take Packers starting role: Despite a surprising endorsement by the franchise quarterback, the Packers moved on at running back after the season-ending injury to RB Grant. With what they have. ”We’re going to run our offense, No. 1,” coach McCarthy said. “It is important to utilize your players to their skill set. We’ll be smart with the way we use all of our players.”  RB Jackson will take over the starting role, fullback Kuhn will be the backup/third-down back, and newly signed RB Nance will be buried in the playbook trying to get up to speed.

Notes: The team got back to work with RB Jackson starting and fullback Kuhn and newcomer Nance in reserve. A final possibility will be coming to Green Bay on Sunday–Buffalo’s Lynch.

Hawks’ days numbered?: After not playing a single defensive snap in last Sunday’s season-opening victory over the Eagles, linebacker A.J. Hawk finds himself contemplating his future with the Packers. And Hawk’s agent, Mike McCartney, told the Green Bay Press-Gazette that his client would be open to a trade before the NFL’s Oct. 19 trading deadline.

Notes–QB Rodgers seeks improvements: the quarterback says he can’t try to do too much without Grant. Plus, Brohm is Buffalo’s No. 3 quarterback, Crosby wins an award, Matthews gets a third sack and much more from Wednesday.

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.

Ever think we’d be saying that?

Well it happened Sunday, as Rodgers went 21-of-28 for 186 yards and one touchdown, while Manning went 21-of-42 for 229 yards and two interceptions, both of which were returned for touchdowns by the Packers.  The Packers jumped out to a 17-7 on the Indianapolis Colts halftime lead and never looked back.

The real story of Sunday’s game is the re-emergence of Ryan Grant, who had been basically useless for the first part of the season.  Grant carried the ball 31 times, unheard of for this season, gained 105 yards and scored his first touchdown of the season.  Grant seems to be hitting his stride at the right time of the season, similar to the same time he hit it last year.  The Packers would doubly appreciate last year’s Ryan Grant to make an appearance.

Rodgers did a good job of managing the offense, completing passes to eight receivers.  Brandon Jackson was the leading receiver, catching six passes for 37 yards.  Jackson has emerged as a solid backup option after being useless like the rest of the Packers running game for the first few weeks of the season.  Donald Lee caught the touchdown pass from Rodgers early in the second quarter.

The defense is what shined for Green Bay on Sunday though.  The highlights were two interception returns for touchdowns, a 62-yarder by Nick Collins in the third quarter and a 99-yarder by Aaron Rouse in the fourth, that helped put the game out of reach.  Brandon Chillar led the defense with nine total tackles (seven solo) while cornerback Tramon Williams, subbing for the injured Al Harris, had seven solo and a forced fumble.

For the Colts, Dominic Rhodes had 70 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 20 carries, while Dallas Clark led the receivers with eight receptions for 81 yards.  Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne combined for only four catches and 35 yards, showing a defensive prowess in a depleted secondary.

This is a solid win for the Packers going into a bye week, with the Tennessee Titans awaiting them after the bye.

The Level-Headed Section:

Both teams, as stated before, are 2-0.  The Cowboys have achieved their record by dispatching the Cleveland Browns 28-10 on opening weekend before winning a 41-37 shootout over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night.  The Packers have taken a slightly easier road to 2-0, defeating a highly touted Minnesota Vikings team on the Monday Night Football opener, 24-19, although the lead was not safe until a timely Tarvaris Jackson interception in the final minutes, and a 48-25 win over the Detroit Lions in which the Packers squandered a 24-9 lead in the second half before pulling away thanks to the defense.

The Cowboys are currently the class of the NFC according to many sources (I mostly agree), and they have played like it, despite the scare on Monday night.  The Packers were picked by most prognosticators to finish 8-8 or 9-7, due to the loss of longtime quarterback Brett Favre, traded to the New York Jets.  However, fourth-year man Aaron Rodgers has stepped up admirably in his first two starts as the Packers quarterback.  After a cautious Week 1, Mike McCarthy loosened the leash on Rodgers a bit, and Rodgers responded with three touchdown passes in the first half.  McCarthy left the pass in the second half, which allowed the Lions to get back into the game.  Rodgers is not stranger to playing against the Cowboys on the big stage either; last November, Rodgers relieved an injured Favre and led the Packers on a comeback before losing to the Cowboys, 37-27.

The two main keys for the Packers in this game is the secondary and the running game.  The secondary in the 2007 game was severely depleted with Charles Woodson out with a toe injury.  Woodson broke another toe in the Minnesota game, but saved the game against Detroit, playing through pain with two interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown.  It looked like the Packers passing defense would be back at full strength this week, but starting safety Atari Bigby is out with a hamstring injury, meaning that second-year man Aaron Rouse will probably get the start opposite Nick Collins.  Bigby had more of an impact in the running game, but his big-hitter presence in the backfield will be missed.  Also a cause for concern was Calvin Johnson‘s play last weekend.  The Lions star wide receiver took two nearly identical slant patterns for touchdowns last week.  You have to bet that Jason Garrett, Tony Romo, and Terrell Owens were looking at that one.  On the other side of the ball, the Packers need running back Ryan Grant to be at full strength to be successful.  He has been nursing a hamstring injury for some time, and was definitely hobbled by it on Sunday, rushing for only 20 yards on 15 carries.  Brandon Jackson looked at least fifty times better against the Lions than he did against the Vikings, chewing up over 60 yards on seven carries and scoring the clinching touchdown in the fourth quarter.  Hopefully he will be able to perform at that level against a tough Cowboys defense.

The Cowboys are a tough defense.  Their secondary will provide a stiff test for the Packers wide receiving corps.  Terence Newman, Anthony Henry, Adam Jones, and safety Ken Hamlin will be busy with Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, and James Jones, but something has to give.  It will depend on whether or not Rodgers can get the ball out quickly to the wide receivers.  In last year’s game, Favre held the ball too long, giving the Cowboys time to get the receivers covered and giving the Cowboys pass rush time to get extra hits on him as well.  If Rodgers stays composed, he can be successful.  If he doesn’t, well, he won’t be successful.  He already has one national TV appearance under his belt, so the pressure of that should not get to him.

In August, I picked the Cowboys to win this one, 38-24.  However, things change.  Like the score.  That being said, my level-headedness is picking the Cowboys, 38-34.

Homerism

Tony Romo.  Seriously.  Can this guy win a big game?  He almost blew it for the Cowboys on Monday night against the Eagles.  He’s basically screwed the Cowboys up in the playoffs the last two years.  National television isn’t totally kind to him.  The easiest way for the Packers to win is to make Romo make mistakes.  If Romo makes one more mistake than Rodgers does, the Packers have the win.  Romo will make that mistake too.  He’ll sail one too high on Owens.  He’ll hold the ball too long in the pocket and get swallowed up by Aaron Kampman.  Something will happen that will give the Packers a chance to win.  Being the opportunists they are, they will take advantage of that and turn it into a win.  Woodson is hungry after his two interceptions last week.  Al Harris is out to prove he is still a shut down corner after being humiliated last year by Owens and in the NFC Championship Game by Plaxico Burress.  The Packers are obviously really hungry this year.  They were supposed to cede the division crown to the Vikings.  They weren’t supposed to get anywhere with their quarterback.  They want to prove the doubters wrong.  The Packers will prevail.  34-27.

Is Jessica going to be at this game?

Also, what’s the over/under for how many times John Madden and Al Michaels mention Favre?  I’m saying 27 before halftime.  And I’m taking over 40 for the game.

Any takers?

To quote Lee Corso, “Not so fast, my friend.”

I watched the highlights to the game and was absolutely horrified. In the fourth quarter, while sitting on a 24-9 lead, the Packers unraveled. First, Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson turned a quick slant route into a 38-yard touchdown, Packers punter Derrick Frost mishandled a punt, leading to a Lions safety.

It’s 24-18. Like BOOM.

Then deja vu struck again when Johnson turned a nearly identical pass from Jon Kitna into a touchdown, this time from 47-yards out.

25-24, Lions.

If I was watching this game, I would have been flipping out. But I was totally oblivious to this happening. So no harm, no foul. Keeps my stress levels down.

Then the Packers start working their magic. The retook the lead on the ensuing drive on a Mason Crosby field goal, 27-25. Then the fun began.

On the next Lions drive, Charles Woodson intercepted Kitna, setting up Brandon Jackson‘s best rush of the season, a 19-yarder for the score and a 34-25 lead. Woodson showed some skills AGAIN on the next drive, intercepting Kitna and taking the ball to the barn. 41-25, Packers. Kitna’s last six minutes at the office got even worse as on the next drive he was intercepted YET AGAIN, this time by Nick Collins, who followed to trend set by Woodson and took it to the house. 48-25, Packers.

Game, set, match.

The fact the Lions were able to get back into this one really scares me. Woodson and Al Harris need to be on top of their game with Tony Romo, Terrell Owens, and the rest of the Dallas Cowboys coming into town next Sunday.

In other news, Aaron Rodgers continued his development as a starting quarterback, absolutely owning up on the Lions defense (statistically, at least). Rodgers completed 24 of 38 passes for 328 yards and three touchdowns, giving him his first 300-yard passing game and first three-touchdown game. The guy looks good. His first touchdown pass to James Jones was a great scramble, while his third touchdown pass to rookie Jordy Nelson was absolutely beautiful. Greg Jennings lead the receiving department with 167 yards on six catches, including two catches of more than 50 yards. Donald Driver had seven catches and one touchdown. In the rushing department, Jackson actually led the team, a 180-degree turn from Week 1, with 61 yards on seven carries including the touchdown. Ryan Grant was bottled up, partly by a hamstring injury, gaining only 20 yards on 15 carries. He will need to be at full strength for the Dallas game. On defense, A.J. Hawk is not showing any ill-effects of his chest injury, recording seven tackles and two sacks. The defense did a good job shutting down Kevin Smith‘s running game, but they were absolutely torched by Johnson, who had six receptions for 129 yards and two touchdowns. The disgruntled Roy Williams was held to three catches for 48 yards.

Dallas is next. This will be a tough one.

The Packers need Grant to play in this game. They need a Turner-like performance from him. If Grant can’t go because of the hamstring, that means Brandon Jackson, last season’s opening day starter, would start. Jackson looked horrendous on Monday night, gaining only 12 yards on seven carries, and wearing white well as he was swarmed by at least three Vikings defenders every time he touched the ball. I’m not saying Jackson, a former second-round pick, is horrible, but the way Jackson could not get any penetration has me worried if Grant misses anytime.  Kregg Lumpkin has not seen any action, but an injury to Grant could grant (no pun intended) Lumpkin an opportunity to show himself or another opportunity for DeShawn Wynn to come up off the practice squad and get a shot.

If Grant has a big day, the Packers win big.  If he doesn’t, then it gets dicey.

Released Saturday were wide receiver Jake Allen, cornerback Scorpio Babers, defensive tackle Conrad Bolston, center Brennen Carvalho, safety Tyrone Culver, linebacker Spencer Havner, tight end Joey Haynos, running back Noah Herron, guard Ryan Keenan, linebacker Danny Lansanah, defensive tackle Alfred Malone, running back Vernand Morency, defensive tackle Daniel Muir, cornerback Joe Porter, wide receiver Johnny Quinn, wide receiver Taj Smith, wide receiver Brett Swain, tackle Orrin Thompson and fullback Corey White.

None of these entirely surprise me. There are a few guys such as Allen that could have made an impact in the future, but the Packers are just too crowded at wide receiver. Swain was the only 2008 draft pick cut. Swain failed to live up to expectations as he was compared to New England Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker early in the workouts.

The cuts that have the most impact on the team are the cuts of Morency and Herron.  Morency seemed like he had the best chance to make the team after Ryan Grant and Brandon Jackson, as he was the most proficient pass blocker and would be the most experienced.  Herron seemed like he would have value on special teams, but the Packers roster just became too crowded and he had to go.

The emergence of undrafted rookie Kregg Lumpkin is the main reason why Morency and Herron became expendable.  Lumpkin rushed for 153 yards on 38 carries this preseason and showed great potential as a running back.  Playing behind Grant and Jackson, Lumpkin gives the Packers three running backs with less than two full years of NFL experience.  The former Georgia Bulldog will most likely see the field frequently as there are still doubts about Jackson’s ability as a running back and blocker.

The Packers also placed defensive tackle Rodney Allen, offensive lineman Junius Coston, and long snapper J.J. Jansen on injured reserve, ending their seasons.  There are plenty of offensive linemen on the Packers roster to pick up for Coston and it appears the Packers will sign Thomas Gafford to take Jansen’s spot.  Gafford was with the Packers for the offseason and training camp before being released.

Going into this game, the Packers are either going to be high on momentum or utterly out of gas. They could lose two absolutely deflating games to the Minnesota Vikings and Dallas Cowboys, or they could be 3-0 with oh so much momentum. The Buccaneers are interesting adversary for this pivotal game as well. The former NFC Central rival did win the NFC South last season, but they won it with a record of 9-7 and they struggled down the stretch before losing in the Wild-Card round to the eventual Super Bowl Champion New York Giants. The Buccaneers are a decent team that the Packers should be able to beat, but there are some matchups that need to be exploited for this to happen.

Packers secondary vs. Buccaneers quarterbacks: The Bucs have a lot of quarterbacks on their roster that could all start this year. Jeff Garcia, Luke McCown, and Brian Griese are the favorites while rookie Josh Johnson is hanging around. The lack of a set-in-stone starter takes away from continuity in the offense. Instead of having one starter with the first team every practice, the team cycles through the quarterbacks and the team has to adjust to each individual one. This is detrimental to the development between the offensive line and quarterback, running backs and quarterback, and wide receivers and quarterbacks. Essentially the whole team. The Packers secondary has to take advantage of the different timing between the wide receivers and quarterbacks in this game by searching for routes to jump, playing tight coverage, and looking for every opportunity to make wide receiver and quarterbacks life miserable.

Aaron Rodgers vs. Tampa Bay linebackers: The Bucs have a very good linebacking corps, with Derrick Brooks, Cato June, and Barrett Ruud all manning the second level of the defense. These three playmakers will most likely be licking their chops to get a shot at Rodgers, who will have already faced two tough defenses in three weeks. Rodgers will have to make quick decisions along with not getting fooled by unusual coverages and linebacker blitzes. Ryan Grant and Brandon Jackson will also be counted on to pick up a blitzing linebacker, giving Rodgers time to find an open receiver.

Chad Clifton vs. Gaines Adams: This is an unusual pick for an important matchup, but the play of these two players will have a direct impact on the outcome of the game. Adams is a speed rusher coming from Rodgers’ blindside. Clifton protects that blindside. Adams is young and spry. Clifton is aging and feeling the effects of that Warren Sapp cheapshot. Adams will be counted on to put pressure on Rodgers and rush his progressions, while Clifton will need to protect that blindside and keep A-Rod in one piece.

The Verdict: I’m predicting a good old fashioned NFC Central slugfest in this one, with the Packers pulling it out, 17-13.

The Packers are 3-1 after four weeks of the season.

Chicago Bears

- The Bears named Kyle Orton the starting quarterback over everyone’s favorite Rex Grossman.  This is not good for the Packers, as Bears-quarterbacks-not-named-Rex Grossman (aka Orton and Brian Griese) swept the Packers last year.  The Viking Age also puts forth some other scenarios that could come out of this.

- The age of some of the Bears offensive lineman is also appearing to become an issue.  Which just makes things easier for Aaron Kampman and Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila.  And whoever else starts at defensive end now.

- The Bears make the right choice for their franchise player on ESPN.com.

Detroit Lions

- Apparently, wide receiver Calvin Johnson is “scary good.”  Are you listening, Al Harris and Charles Woodson?

- The Lions fans and writers are pretty excited about a 2-0 preseason record!

- Another guy thinks Johnson is a beast.

Minnesota Vikings

- Overpaid free agent wide receiver Bernard Berrian is having toe problems.  Which is good for the Packers, bad for my fantasy team.  Damn autodraft.

- The Vikings defensive line depth is continually thinning.  Good thing for Ryan Grant and Brandon Jackson.

- Is Chris Simms coming to Minny?

- Veteran quarterback Gus Frerotte will start the third preseason game for the Vikings due to Tarvaris Jackson‘s sprained MCL.

That’s all folks.

“We just stunk,” offensive tackle Mark Tauscher said. “You can’t color it and put it in any other light. We flat-out stunk, and from an offensive standpoint, there’s nothing you can say. We flat-out were no good.”

I think that summarizes the overall performance. Since this is not a regular season game, I’m not going to go through and give all the individual stats and such. I’ll just cover the topics that I said I was not concerned about above.

Porous Offensive Line Play
The offensive line has long been a strong point of Green Bay Packers football. It wasn’t last night. Granted, they were playing a talented 3-4 defense, but people, it’s the San Fran-freaking-cisco 49ers. That’s not supposed to happen, even in preseason. The offensive line gave up six sacks last night, four of which were on the first team offensive line. Rodgers’ play was shaky from there on out.  I think the poor quarterback play could be a direct correlation from the offensive line play, but still, it was bad.

Despicable Backup Quarterback Play
So everyone thinks Brian Brohm is the backup quarterback.  Hell, some people wanted the Packers to ditch Rodgers for Brohm.  He had the job locked up from the time he was drafted, right?  Not so fast, my friend.  Brohm has been struggling.  Last night he was 4-9 for 33 yards and a fumble.  Not good.  Matt Flynn has quietly worked his way up into contention and could possibly beat out Brohm.  I’m starting to wonder if Ted Thompson is starting to regret his decision not to bring in a veteran quarterback, but something tells me he isn’t.  If he is doubting himself, he’s screwed as most of the decent backups are off the market.  A trade could possibly be in the works.  Possibly.

Lack of a Rushing Attack
Kregg Lumpkin rushed for 51 yards on 10 carries.  That boy is supposed to be cut by now.  Noah Herron rushed for 35 yards on six carries.  I didn’t think he’d be able to stay on the team either.  His main competition for the number three running back, Vernand Morency, rushed for a single yard on his single carry.  He was the leading receiver for the team, however, with one reception for 20 yards.  Brandon Jackson had 10 yards rushing.  The rushing attack is not looking good.  Ryan Grant needs to get healthy and get his ass back out on the field.  It’s great and all that he came to the voluntary workouts while holding out, but come on man, I’d rather have you skip the voluntary workouts and come into training camp on time.  Grant has set himself, Rodgers, the offensive line, and the offense back by not coming into camp on time.  I am absolutely furious right now about this.  Of course, as I said about the despicable backup quarterback play, the running game’s lackluster performance (except for Lumpkin) can be based off of the offensive line’s horrible play.

Inability to Stop the 49ers Offense
The defense was disgusting this game.  It’s J.T. O’-freaking-Sullivan torching the Packers for 154 yards.  What the hell?  Bring this up to par.  Brandon Chillar may have moved ahead of Brady Poppinga in the race for the final linebacker spot.  Yeah.  I actually had already had this part written but it got deleted and I forget most of it.  The Packers D needs to shape up.  I know it’s only preseason, and preseason does not matter overall, but I am rather concerned.

We do have hope however.  I remember an epic year where the Minnesota Vikings went 4-0 in the preseason, only to sputter, and finish in last place.  So hope remains for the Packers.

But now the two teams are in different directions.  Green Bay is breaking in a new quarterback, while San Francisco is still trying to find the successor for Young.  Ironically, Aaron Rodgers could be in San Francisco.  In the days leading up to the 2005 NFL Draft, the 49ers were torn between Rodgers and Alex Smith.  They chose Smith No. 1, letting Rodgers free-fall all the way down to #24 where Ted Thompson snatched him up.  Rodgers got the job of holding the clipboard for Favre for three years before getting his chance.  Smith was thrown into the fire Week 2 against the Philadelphia Eagles.  Smith has gone through three offensive coordinators in three years and is now on his fourth in Mike Martz.  Rodgers had to deal with the Favre debacle.  Smith is now competing with J.T. O’Sullivan and Shaun Hill for the starting quarterback position.  Rodgers is the man in Green Bay.

Yeah, tough cookies Alex.

Anyway, five things to watch for in tonight’s game:

1. The aforementioned storyline between Smith and Rodgers.  Yes, I know it’s preseason, but I’ll take any storyline not involving Favre I can get.

2. The battle for the backup running back.  As I mentioned yesterday, the battle for third-string running back is heating up.  Ryan Grant is not expected to play, so Brandon Jackson, Vernand Morency, and Noah Herron should see the majority of the carries and a chance to show what they can do.

3. The 49ers defense.  They’ve spent loads of cash on this lately, so let’s see if the cash will come through for them.

4. The Packers defense.  The Packers defense is going to have to do more work than they did last season with the offense in transition, so it should be interesting to see how they feast on a pretty weak offense.

5. The battle for backup quarterback.  Brian Brohm was thought to have this job locked up as soon as he was drafted, but fellow rookie Matt Flynn has impressed coaches and is expected to challenge Brohm.  Intriguing.

I’m not going to be able to watch this game, but good luck to the Packers.  I’ll have a report on it tomorrow.

According to coaches, Jackson is supposed to be the third-down back, but has shown trouble picking up the blitz in practice and in Monday’s preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals.  Herron and Morency have both shown they can pick up the blitz, but their overall skill set is not near Jackson’s.  Herron missed all of 2007 with a knee injury while Morency was primarily a pass blocker in 2007.  I did not expect Herron to be re-signed this offseason, but Ted Thompson sees something in him.

Also, it appears that 2007 sixth-round pick DeShawnn Wynn is running out of options, as he tweaked his ankle earlier in practice and took himself out of the Bengals game.  He is not expected to play Saturday against the San Francisco 49ers.  He was the Packers’ most successful running back in 2007 until a shoulder injury sidelined him for the season and gave Grant a shot.

My pick: Morency beats out Herron for the third running back spot.

“You would think that it would not be that difficult to get done,” Herman said. “I think we’re trying to do that. Overall, the majority of the money we’re willing to put into performance-based pay. The better he does, the more money he makes. It’s a no-brainer.

“Ryan’s done everything to be professional about this. You see other people around the league not showing up (for off-season workouts). Ryan didn’t have to show up, but he did.”

I think Grant does deserve a longer contract than the one-year, $370,000 contract he was offered, as he basically made the season last year, but he was inconsistent.  I’m not sure what kind of money he wants, but he has to realize that the Packers are basically under an all out assault right now.  The team needs to sign five more draft picks before training camp opens Sunday while the media is scrutinizing their every move in the Favre saga.  Having Grant in camp and on the team would make the transition to Aaron Rodgers much, much easier.  Brandon Jackson is lurking, but Grant is the man in Green Bay, and he needs to be in camp.