Brett Swain with Packers Hall of Famer James Lofton.

Hey take a look over at what’s going on in San Francisco … do you remember Brett Swain?

You should … he was on the Packers roster last year and received some significant playing time at the end of the season when Green Bay was riding its meteoric arc toward its first championship in 14 years.

After Swain was cut with two weeks to go in training camp back in August, he parted ways amicably with the Packers … understanding that the business and the depth of talent at his position on the roster prompted the move by Green Bay.

Take the jump for the rest of the story, but don’t forget to Like Lombardiave.com at Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

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With the release of WR Brett Swain, TE Spencer Havner, and tackle Theo Sherman there is no real surprise as the Green Bay Packers get started early on the first wave of cuts due Tuesday.

Havner was the fan favorite of the three, having started out as a linebacker, and then moving to tight end where he had a modicum of success in 2009. He caught seven passes for 112 yards and four touchdowns.

He was cut last year, picked up by the Lions and then brought back to Green Bay after the injury to Jermichael Finley in game four. He was injured shortly after his return and spent the remainder of the season on IR.

Swain was a seventh-round draft choice in 2008, played in 22 games with one start over two seasons. He caught six passes for 72 yards last season.

Sherman signed with the Packers as an undrafted free agent on July 28.

Jermichael Finley is reportedly slimmer this season, but is still being limited during the early practices. Raymond T. Rivard photograph

Headed to the Packers facility at 7 p.m. for day two of training camp?

Well, here’s some things you will find:

Day two of practices will again see tight end Jermichael Finley, safety Morgan Burnett and defensive lineman Mike Neal in limited participation, as they continue their rehabs. Rookie defensive lineman Eli Joseph (hamstring), tight end Andrew Quarless (hip flexor) and linebacker Diyral Briggs (hamstring) have yet to pass their physicals.

In addition, Mason Crosby, Spencer Havner and Brett Swain will be watching from the sidelines because they can’t practice until Aug. 4 … CBA rules.

Clipped from: blogs.greenbaypressgazette.com (share this clip)

This is really good stuff from Kareem Copeland of the Green Bay Press Gazette … He gets timely information from Ryan Grant, Mike Neal, Charlie Peprah and Brett Swain.

Check it out …

Aaron Rodgers would like to be slinging passes to James Jones this coming season. However, the decision will be made by general manager Ted Thompson. Raymond T. Rivard photograph

I don’t think there has been a general manager in the history of the National Football League who has made a decision based on the opinion of a star player … save maybe Brett Favre’s influence over Mike Sherman – and we all know how that ended.

But when Aaron Rodgers came out publicly Tuesday saying that Ted Thompson needs to look toward the James Jones camp and make an overture to the free agent and to do it now, we again don’t feel it will sway Thompson one way or the other.

If Thompson has already made up his mind, and my guess is that is the case, he needs to stick to it. If that decision is to pursue Jones to keep the cadre of receivers from the championship together for at least one more season, then Rodgers will be pleased. (more…)

Donald Driver, you just got your first Super Bowl ring in your memorable 12-year NFL career: What’s next?

Good question.

Green Bay’s elder statesman has indeed had one heckuva career, and he’s signed for two more years of a total $17.8 million contract. However, at age 36, he’s clearly on the decline, having just completed what stands statistically as his worst season since 2001.

Not counting playoffs, Driver has 698 receptions for 9,615 yards in his career, numbers that will forever etch him as one of the best pass-catchers ever to don the green and gold. However, two things seem to be plaguing the Packers mainstay: injuries and drops.

When Donald Driver is good, he's really good. But, at age 36, is he running out of gas?

A lingering quad injury limited him to just 51 catches for 561 yards this past season, numbers well below his impressive string of six straight 1,000-yard seasons. Then, after a solid playoff run, he got hurt early in this year’s Super Bowl victory over the Steelers and was a non-factor. (more…)

But enough introduction, time to get down to the offensive battles to take place on the field:

Fullback
The Packers have a three-way battle for the fullback spot in Mike McCarthy‘s West Coast offense between Korey Hall and John Kuhn, who have been in Green Bay for the past two years, and Quinn Johnson, a draft pick out of LSU.  Both Hall and Kuhn are special teamers who could make the team that way, while the blocking abilities of Johnson will be tested by the coaches at every opportunity.  Ryan Grant‘s yards-per-carry average dropped from 5.1 in 2007 to 3.9 in 2008, so the Packers are looking for the best blocker they can get.  The Packers have kept multiple fullbacks on the roster in the past few years.  My picks: Hall and Johnson, with Kuhn the odd man out.  Hall will be the starter.  Hall has been solid in his conversion from a linebacker at Boise State and continues to progress, while Johnson provides some athleticism as a blocker.

Right Tackle
With long time mainstay Mark Tauscher gone, the Packers have a wide-open competition for that spot.  During OTAs and mini-camps, third-year man Allen Barbre worked with the first unit and many expect him to open camp with the first team.  Rookie T.J. Lang wants to play immediated and will be no slouch for Barbre to compete with, with while second-year man Breno Giacomini is coming off ankle surgery and could steal the job if Lang and Barbre aren’t careful.  My pick: Barbre, on experience.  This battle will be interesting, as Lang, who went to Eastern Michigan, is intriguing, but Barbre’s good performance in OTAs and mini-camps will translate into a good training camp and a starting job for him.

Center
In the past two years, Scott Wells and Jason Spitz have started all the games for the Packers at center, with Wells starting 26 and Spitz filling in on the other 6.  Wells ran into injury problems in 2008, causing the offensive line to be shuffled around as Spitz filled in at center.  This race will go down to the wire and has potential ramifications for the rest of the offensive line, as Spitz can also play either guard position, meaning that if he loses this race, he could jump in one of the guard racers and steal that spot.  My pick: I’m going to have to give it to Wells by a nose.

No. 5 Wide Receiver
The Packers already have their Top 4 lined up, but the Packers want a fifth wide receiver to make their “Big 5″ formaton work.  Ruvell Martin has held down the spot the last three years, but has seen his production decline.  One of the Packers seventh-round picks from 2008, Brett Swain spent 2008 on the practice squad but has been impressive in camps.  Also in the race are Jake Allen, who had a good preseason in 2008 and Kole Heckendorf who “flashed some ability during OTAs” according to the Packers website.  My picks: The Packers carry six receivers, allowing them to go big within the Big 5 with Martin, or smaller with Swain, creating more matchup problems.

No. 2 Quarterback
We were all shocked last year when seventh-round pick Matt Flynn came into training camp and beat out second-round pick Brian Brohm for the No. 2 spot.  However, Flynn’s brief appearances relieving Aaron Rodgers and his subsequent offseason workouts and OTAs have done nothing to secure his spot as the No. 2 QB, allowing Brohm another crack at the job.  Both players have had a year in the system and will be working against a difficult 3-4 defense so they will be tested and able to show much improvement.  Plus, they will see more time in preseason games, as Rodgers no longer needs that starting experience as much as he did last year.  My pick: Brohm leapfrogs Flynn to take the job.

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Signed to the practice squad were wide receiver Jake Allen, center Brennen Carvalho, tight end Joey Haynos, linebacker Danny Lansanah, defensive tackle Alfred Malone, cornerback Joe Porter, wide receiver Brett Swain and running back DeShawn Wynn.

I’d say they nabbed a solid group of guys.

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.