Green Bay Packers running back Cedric Benson is expected to start for the Green Bay Packers tonight against his former team, the Cincinnat i Bengals.Jeff Hanisch-US PRESSWIRE

The Green Bay Packers provide what’s known as their Dope Sheet … If you haven’t seen it before, it’s an in-depth look at the coming week’s opponent. It includes more information – up-to-date and historical – than you can absorb in one sitting.

To help with Thursday Night’s game, here’s some of the valuable information included in the Dope Sheet.

Thanks to Packers.com for providing. I share it here for your entertainment.

GREEN BAY (0-2) AT CINCINNATI (2-0)

Thursday, Aug. 23 l Paul Brown Stadium l 6 p.m. CDT

PACKERS HEAD TO CINCINNATI TO TAKE ON THE BENGALS

• The Packers travel to Cincinnati this Thursday night to face the Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium, Green Bay’s first visit to Cincinnati in the preseason since 2006.
• The 2006 meeting came in Mike McCarthy’s first season as head coach. This season’s road preseason slate (at San Diego, at Cincinnati) is the same as it was in McCarthy’s debut campaign.
• The clubs’ last preseason meeting came in 2008, when the teams squared off in the opener at Lambeau Field on Monday Night Football. That contest marked QB Aaron Rodgers’ first NFL start (preseason or regular season), a game the Bengals won, 20-17.
• This will be the 17th preseason meeting overall between the clubs, with the Bengals holding an 11-4-1 advantage in the all-time series. The teams first faced off in the preseason in 1970, the first of 10 straight seasons (1970-79) that the clubs played each other in the preseason. Three of the meetings over that span came in Milwaukee.
• Thursday will mark the Packers’ third game ever at Paul Brown Stadium, which opened in 2000. The prior meetings were the ’06 preseason contest and a regular-season visit in 2005.
• The franchises have met just 11 times in the regular season, with the last game coming in 2009 at Lambeau Field. Over the past 13 seasons (1999-2011), the teams met just twice (2005 and 2009). The Bengals hold a 6-5-0 edge in the all-time regular-season series.
• Thursday’s matchup includes a meeting of head coaches that worked together more than 20 years ago. McCarthy and Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis both coached on the staff at the University of Pittsburgh in 1990-91. This will be the fourth meeting overall between the two head coaches (one regular-season meeting, third preseason game).
• This will be the final game before the league’s first mandatory roster reduction, one that requires teams to get down to 75 players by 3 p.m. (CDT) on Monday, Aug. 27.
• Green Bay fell to Cleveland, 35-10, in its home preseason opener last Thursday night. The Packers will close out their preseason slate next Thursday night against the Kansas City Chiefs at Lambeau Field. It marks the third straight year that the teams are meeting in the preseason finale.

WITH THE CALL

Flagshipped by Milwaukee’s WTMJ-TV and in conjunction with WGBA-TV in Green Bay, the game will be televised over a 14-station network throughout the state of Wisconsin, Upper Michigan, northeastern Minnesota, the Quad Cities and Des Moines in Iowa, and Omaha, Nebraska.

• The top-notch broadcast team includes CBS’s Kevin Harlan(play-by-play) alongside fellow CBS broadcaster Rich Gannon(analyst), with Trenni Kusnierek of WTMJ Radio serving as the sideline reporter.
• In addition to WTMJ-TV (Milwaukee) and WFRV-TV (Green Bay), the final three preseason games will be televised over WKOW/ABC, Madison, Wis.; WAOW/ABC, Wausau/Rhinelander, Wis.; WXOW/ABC, La Crosse, Wis.; WQOW/ABC, Eau Claire, Wis.; WLUC/NBC, Escanaba/Marquette, Mich.; KQDS-TV/FOX, Duluth/Superior, Minn.; KLJB-TV/FOX and KGCW/CW, Davenport, Iowa (Quad Cities); KCWI-TV/CW, Des Moines, Iowa; and KMTV-TV/CBS, Omaha, Neb.
• In its first season, in conjunction with the Packers TV Network, Telemundo Wisconsin (WYTU-TV in Milwaukee and on Charter Cable elsewhere in Wisconsin) will broadcast the game with Andy Olivares (play-by-play) and Kevin Holden (analyst) calling the action.
• Milwaukee’s WTMJ (620 AM), airing Green Bay games since 1929, heads up the 53-station Packers Radio Network, withWayne Larrivee (play-by-play) and two-time Packers Pro BowlerLarry McCarren (color) calling the action. The duo enters its 14th season of broadcasts together across the Packers Radio Network, which covers 44 markets in six states.

July 26, 2012; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers tight end Jermichael Finley (88) catches a pass during training camp practice at Ray Nitschke Field in Green Bay, WI. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-US PRESSWIRE

Looking ahead, The Green Bay Packers coaching staff is focusing on the Cincinnati Bengals, their next preseason opponent this coming Thursday.

While looking at the film of last Thursday’s hideous game against the Cleveland Browns, the Packers must now start looking at players on the bubble who will probably get one more week of practice and at least one more game to try to make the 53 man roster. Clearly, there are going to be some talented players moving on to other teams, but that’s the nature of the NFL Beast.

Going on this week, the Packers will be taking another look at Graham Harrell, the number two quarterback who hasn’t shown much so far this preseason. Deciding on the top defensive linemen, defensive backs and linebackers will also be a key development coming out of camp in the next week or so.

But there will be some good news this week, as well. It looks like receiver Greg Jennings and tight end Jermichael Finley will be practicing in hopes he’s ready to go this Thursday at Cincinnati. But even more intriguing will be the first look at running back Cedric Benson. With James Starks at least a week, maybe two, from getting back on the field, it looks like it’s Benson’s time to step up into the starting role. He will be backed up by Alex Green and Marc Tyler.

What makes the start by Benson, who practiced for the first time in pads Sunday, is that he will be going against his former team, the Bengals. Though he probably won’t get more than a couple of series of work, it will be interesting to see how he fits into the Packers system.

The summer of Opposite Ted continues as Ted Thompson has dipped into the free agent market to pluck running back Cedric Benson.

The official reports from various media outlets confirmed Friday that Benson was in Green Bay for a visit on Friday and that a contract signing was completed today.

Many in Packer Nation were up in arms with this decison, some saying that Benson is nothing but a headache and the Packers would be better off just striking a deal with former Packer Ryan Grant. While Benson is better known for his events off the field rather than on the field, I feel he is a better option than Grant at this point in both of their careers.

Grant, who made some great plays while with the Packers seemed to really tail off after his ankle injury in the ’09 opener against the Eagles.

Now you could say Grant didn’t have enough attempts to even be a great runner being in the Packers pass-happy offense. I believe Grant had plenty of attempts to flourish last year, but he seemed like he couldn’t find the holes when they were open.

In 2007, 2008 and 2009 Grant excelled at finding the hole and bursting through it. Another telling point about Grant is the fact that it’s not only the Packers who haven’t had interest – there are 31 other teams who see the same thing Ted Thompson does. I believe Benson brings a nice set of tools to this offense.

Packer fans will remember Benson as the former Chicago Bear who was lazy and really couldn’t run all that well. That Benson seemed long gone when he suited up for his second season with the the  Cincinatti Bengals in 2009, rushing for 1,251 yards and six touchdowns.

Benson has turned into a tough downhill runner as he has matured. That presence of a violent runner is what the Packers have been missing these last two years. There were times last year where the team couldn’t convert on third and 1 or fourth and 1. The Packers short yardage man was mainly John Kuhn, so when he came in everyone knew why he was in there and who was getting the ball.

With Benson the Packers could put both in and surprise the defense with the ball carrier, because Benson has the ability to get that 1 yard.

I feel Green Bay is the right place for Benson to be and stay out of trouble. He’s been in trouble with every team he’s been with, but those teams didn’t have strong veteran leaders in the locker room.

Guys like Woodson, Rodgers, and Driver among others should keep Benson in line.

Let’s relax before we condemn Benson coming here to Green Bay, Ted Thompson knows what he’s doing and I’m sure once again he’ll prove most of us wrong.

With news breaking Friday night that the Green Bay Packers had brought running back Cedric Benson in and that signing him was “probable,” it sounds like probable is now turning to reality.

According to a post by Paul Imig on the FOXSportsWisconsin.com website today, his sources, which include Packers running back Alex Green, indicate that Benson could be in camp and ready for practice Monday morning.

“I was informed today that Cedric Benson will be coming in, so that’s a great thing for us,” Green told Imig Sunday afternoon. “It’ll help the team out. He’s a great running back. That’ll be a great thing for us to learn from and get a better feel for the running back position.”

You might remember that Benson was originally selected by the Chicago Bears and stayed in the Windy City for three years before falling into disfavor. In his three years there, Benson never reached 700 yards rushing in a single season.

However, when he landed in Cincinnati, his fortunes turned. He ran for 1,000 yards three straight years and helped the improving Bengals to a Playoff berth last year.

Benson can only be an upgrade to the Packers’ pathetic running game. Though both James Starks and Ryan Grant combined for more than 1,000 yards in rotation last year, the Packers continually relied on its passing game to carry the team. When the Packers decided not to re-sign Grant and go with Starks and second-year runners Alex Green and Brandon Saine, they  thought they had enough horses in the stable. However, Starks had a horrible outing last Thursday night at San Diego, Green still isn’t back completely from his injured knee and Saine has been out of action for the past week.

Ted Thompson had to do something and with the availability of Benson, I believe he made another good move.

Bringing in Benson takes some pressure off the rest of the running backs. Like the defense which was addressed in the offseason, the need to add another body in the backfield was a no-brainer. With Benson there may be some downside, but it’s definitely worth the risk.

I like what Imig said in his post:

If Benson is able to do a good job in pass protection for Packers MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers and can help resurrect Green Bay’s struggling running game, this could turn out to be a significant signing for a team that hopes to win its second Super Bowl in three seasons.

October 9, 2011; Jacksonville FL, USA; Cincinnati Bengals running back Cedric Benson (32) is grabbed from behind by Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle C.J. Mosley (99) in the fourth quarter of the game at EverBank Field. The Bengals beat the Jaguars 30-20. Mandatory Credit: Phil Sears-US PRESSWIRE

Cedric Benson – Green Bay Packers. Could they become synonymous?

Well, the news as originally reported early Friday evening by Chris Mortenson of ESPN that Benson was in Green Bay and was poised to be signed by Ted Thompson.

Though as of late last night the deal hadn’t been sealed, it looked impending and was described as “probable.”

The Packers’ running game is in disarray. James Starks, the rookie phenom who helped lead the Packers to their most recent Super Bowl, hasn’t been the answer, Brandon Saine is watching from the sidelines with an injury, Alex Green is being eased back into playing shape after last year’s knee injury and Marc Tyler looked decent in Thursday’s preseason opener until he fumbled on the final play of the game.

Though still unsigned, the Packers don't seem interested in bring Ryan Grant back. Jeff Hanisch-US PRESSWIRE

The Packers could have brought back Ryan Grant, the Packers’ main man the past four years, but don’t seem willing to go in that direction. He remains unsigned.

Enter Benson, who at 29 is coming off three straight 1,000 yard seasons at Cincinnati and may be considered a retread by many. This is the age at which most running backs hit the wall and show decline. Apparently the Packers are willing to take that chance. Maybe Ted Thompson knows something we don’t about the bruising between-the-tackles back. Maybe he just thinks it’s time the team bulk up its running game  and take some pressure off the league’s MVP.

Whatever the reason, it will be interesting to see what Benson can bring to balance the Packers already-vaunted passing attack. The hope is that it can make it an even better offense – and judging from the initial look at the Packers running game Thursday night, it just might need that boost.

It will be fun to watch.

Here’s the list of changes as provided by the Packers public relations department:

PACKERS ANNOUNCE CHANGES TO TRAINING CAMP SCHEDULE

The Green Bay Packers have announced changes to their training camp schedule for Aug. 12-14.

The Packers’ two practices on Aug. 12-13 that were originally scheduled for 7 p.m. at Ray Nitschke Field have been moved to 11:15 a.m. Practice on Aug. 14 has been shifted from 3:30 p.m. to 11:15 a.m.

TRAINING CAMP SCHEDULE FOR AUG. 11-30 (REVISED TIMES IN BOLD/ITALICS)

Saturday, Aug. 11                                     7 p.m. (Pads)

Sunday, Aug. 12                                      11:15 a.m. (Pads)

Monday, Aug. 13                                     11:15 a.m. (Pads)

Tuesday, Aug. 14                                    11:15 a.m. (Pads)

Wednesday, Aug. 15                                No practice

Thursday, Aug. 16                                    Preseason game vs. Cleveland Browns, 7 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 17                                         No practice

Saturday, Aug. 18                                     No practice

Sunday, Aug. 19                                       11:15 a.m. (Pads)

Monday, Aug. 20                                      11:15 a.m. (Pads)

Tuesday, Aug. 21                                      11 a.m. (Helmets)

Wednesday, Aug. 22                                No practice

Thursday, Aug. 23                                    Preseason game at Cincinnati Bengals, 6 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 24                                         No practice

Saturday, Aug. 25                                     No practice

Sunday, Aug. 26                                       11:15 a.m. (Pads)

Monday, Aug. 27                                      11:15 a.m. (Pads)

Tuesday, Aug. 28                                      11 a.m. (Helmets)

Wednesday, Aug. 29                                No practice

Thursday, Aug. 30                                    Preseason game vs. Kansas City Chiefs, 6 p.m.

* All practice dates, locations, times and dress are subject to change. All times CDT.

The Packers will face Joe Flacco of the Baltimore Ravens next year, as well as all the teams from the AFC North. Raymond T. Rivard photograph

While it’s not a good thing to look too far ahead when it comes to the National Football League, we caught this quick snippet on CheeseheadTV – the home and away schedule for 2013.

I’m saying it right now – the Packers better make hay this year because when they enter the 2013 regular season, they will be playing a schedule that will be be tough – very tough.

The Packers will be facing teams from two of the roughest divisions in the entire league – the AFC North and the NFC East. In addition to that, they will play opponents from the NFC South and NFC West with similar records from 2012 – those opponents are to be determined.

Throw in the North Division opponents, Bears, Vikings, and Lions – well, you can see where I’m going.

Here’s the home and away schedule:

Home

Philadelphia Eagles

Washington Redskins

Cleveland Browns

Pittsburgh Steelers

NFC South opponent

Away

Dallas Cowboys

New York Giants

Baltimore Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals

NFC West opponent

We all know what the NFC brings, but even tougher still will be the opponents from the NFC North – Pittsburgh and Baltimore play a style of game that’s both brutal and just plain mean. Throw into the mix a much-improving Cincinnati Bengals squad and the who-knows-what-team’s-going-to-show-up Cleveland Browns and we see contests where the Packers will have to bring their A-game week-in and week-out.

In addition, having to face the NFC East Eagles, Giants, Cowboys and Redskins will make for an interesting season. IMO, there isn’t a weak opponent anywhere in sight.

But that’s next year. We all know that it’s the now and present that is important as training camp is a mere four days away. The team’s focus is on opening day against the San Francisco 49ers, followed four days later by a tilt with the Chicago Bears – that’s a pretty brutal start to a season right there.

We’ll worry about 2013 next year. I just thought I would throw it out there for you.

Green Bay Packers tight end Tom Crabtree (83) pushes through Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher (59) to score a touchdown during the preseason game at Lambeau Field. The Packers will again host the Chiefs this coming preseason. Mandatory Credit: Mary Langenfeld-US PRESSWIRE

Preseason football. It’s that time of the NFL season when fans wonder why – why they have so many practice games that don’t mean a thing and why they should care.

Well, there are reasons for preseason and it’s an important time in the development of the team that will hit the field in September.

Frankly, I love training camp and preseason games. It’s the only time of the year when you will see some players on the field and it’s a time when you can watch the stars of tomorrow.

So, with that in mind, today the Green Bay Packers posted the 2012 preseason schedule which gives the team two home games, the Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs, and two games away from Lambeau Field, at San Diego and at Cincinnati.

The league plans to release the regular season schedule near the end of this month, but in the meantime, take the time to enjoy the press release offered by the Packers’ PR department today.

PACKERS’ 2012 PRESEASON OPPONENTS ANNOUNCED

 The Green Bay Packers’ preseason schedule kicks off Aug. 9 with a nationally televised contest at the San Diego Chargers. The preliminary schedule was communicated by the National Football League on Wednesday.

Specific dates and times to be announced

ESPN will broadcast the preseason opener against the San Diego Chargers to a national audience. This is the first preseason trip to Qualcomm Stadium since 2006 and fourth all-time preseason meeting, including the 1980 Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. The Packers hosted the Chargers at Lambeau Field in 2005. Over the past 20 preseasons, the Packers have appeared on national TV at least once in 19 of those years.

In Week 2 of the preseason, Green Bay will host the Cleveland Browns, in the fourth consecutive preseason matchup between the two clubs. This will be the third trip to Lambeau Field for the Browns in the last four years after playing in Cleveland last season. The game is designated as the 63^rd annual Upper Midwest Shrine Game, a tradition which began in 1950 and has raised more than $3.4 million for the Midwest Shrine’s burn centers and hospitals for crippled children. The Packers have won 10 of the last 13 contests in the Shrine series.

In Week 3, the Packers will travel to Cincinnati and face the Bengals, the lone 2011 playoff qualifier on the preseason schedule. This marks the 17^th preseason meeting between the Packers and Bengals and first at Paul Brown Stadium since 2006.

The preseason concludes with a home contest against the Kansas City Chiefs, the third straight year the teams have met in the preseason finale and second consecutive year at Lambeau Field. This game marks the 52^nd annual Bishop’s Charities Game, a charitable contest initiated in 1961 by Vince Lombardi and the Diocese of Green Bay that has raised more than $3.5 million to date. 

Except for the San Diego game, the exact dates and times for the remaining three Packers’ preseason contests are to be determined. Those games will be aired on Green Bay’s WGBA-TV (Ch. 26), in conjunction with Milwaukee’s WTMJ-TV, over a nine-station network throughout the state of Wisconsin, Northeastern Minnesota and the Quad Cities in Iowa.

In addition to WGBA-TV and WTMJ-TV, the games are televised over WKOW/ABC, Madison, Wis.; WAOW/ABC, Wausau/Rhinelander, Wis.; WXOW/ABC, La Crosse, Wis.; WQOW/ABC, Eau Claire, Wis.; WYOW/ABC, Eagle River, Wis.; KQDS-TV/FOX, Duluth, Minn.; and KGCW/CW, Quad Cities in Iowa.

The preseason broadcast team includes Kevin Harlan (play-by-play) and Rich Gannon (analyst).

Cincinnati Bengals outside linebacker Manny Lawson (99) is reported to be on the free agent short list of Ted Thompson and the Packers. Mark Zerof-US PRESSWIRE

Packers GM Ted Thompson may be getting in on the free agency action after all …before it’s all over.

It’s been reported tonight by Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the Packers may be interested in the services of Cincinnati Bengals’ free agent linebacker Manny Lawson.

Though Lawson isn’t the pass-rushing beast that many feel is needed to complement Clay Matthews, he is very good in pass coverage and against the run and may be considered an upgrade from Erik Walden, Brad Jones and Frank Zombo.

So, now that the market is cooling down and the prices are dropping, it seems that Thompson is ready to pounce … and Lawson may be just the right fit for the Packers. To date, the only foray into free agency for the Packers has been to re-sign Jarrett Bush. There’s also been talk of a trade with the Denver Broncos to secure the services of one Tim Tebow – but that’s just been talk at this point.

Lawson is rated number 60 on profootballtalk.com’s Hot 100 free agents.

Miami defensive end Kendall Langford (70) could be pointing his way toward Green Bay. Greg M. Cooper-US PRESSWIRE

Hold on to your cheeseheads, Packers fans … reports coming out of Green Bay late today indicate that Ted Thompson may have awoken from his free agency nap and decided to try to catch up with the action … maybe.

In a published report in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, a phone call from the Packers was confirmed by the agent of Kendall Langford, Miami Dolphins defensive end.

According to Langford’s agent, Adisa Bakari, a visit is a possibility.

Published reports have said Langford has visited Cincinnati and was headed for St. Louis.

The Journal Sentinel report described Langford as a 6-foot-5½, 295-pounder considered a classic 3-4 end whose main strength is playing the run. Last season, he played in all 16 games with 12 starts and had no sacks and just one quarterback hit.

He finished with just 25 total tackles in the Dolphins’ 3-4 scheme, but claimed the low output was because teams ran away from him. The Dolphins ranked No. 3 against the run under coordinator Mike Nolan, who has since moved on to the Atlanta Falcons.

I’m hoping that today’s match-ups between the Giants and Falcons and Steelers and Broncos instill a bit more interest.

Yesterday’s Bengals vs. Texans was entertaining for one half before Houston literally ran away from Cincy. And as for the Lions vs. Saints … we all knew deep down how that game was going to turn out. The Lions are missing many pieces … and Mr. Suh was completely invisible. Clearly, the New Orleans was the best team playing yesterday and will probably show that, with the Packers, stand head and shoulders above the rest of the field.

So, with the Giants getting set to kick-off with the Falcons, I have a feeling that somehow Mr. Manning will find a way to win this one … but does it matter to the Packers? Probably not. I feel they will be ready next weekend for whichever team steps on the Lambeau Field turf.

So, without any more hype, who wins today?

Take the poll and enjoy the games.

For me, the best game of the weekend, in addition to the Falcons/Giants matchup, is the Lions vs. Saints. As much as most Packers fans would like to see the Lions somehow come out of New Orleans with a win, it most likely won’t happen.

Needless to say, either the Saints or Lions will have their hands full when they have to travel to San Francisco and face that stout defense.

It should be an entertaining weekend, but before it gets started let’s see who you think will come out on the other side as winners.

Take the poll, grab some snacks and beverages, sit back, relax and watch the games.

And don’t forget to Like Lombardiave.com on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

The Raji pick was not a surprise for me.  I had had Raji at No. 2 on my draft board, behind Brian Orakpo, who ultimately went No. 13 to the Washington Redskins.  However, looking at it again, Raji is the right pick.  It’s hard to find mine 6-foot, 337 pound nose tackles that can move in the NFL Draft.  Outside linebackers are a dime-a-dozen throughout the draft.  There was no one else in the draft comparable to Raji.  So Thompson made the pick.

Sitting at No. 9 made me a little nervous.  There were three high quality players available at that juncture, in Raji, Orakpo, and Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree.  Right before the pick, I predicted that Thompson would end Crabtree’s unexplainable slide.  I could see Thompson taking Crabtree — the Jordy Nelson pick last year shows he’s not scared to take a wideout.  Crabtree to Green Bay could have caused an unbelievable amount of backlash among Packers fans, but imagine Crabtree, Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, James Jones, and Nelson at Aaron Rodgers‘ disposal.  Imagine that offense against the Lions defense.

But besides choosing Crabtree, I was looking for Thompson to trade down.  Thompson traded out of the first round last year when the Packers “needed” a corner and there were corners on the board.  At No. 9 yesterday, there was a scramble under them for teams trying to trade up for Crabtree.  However, Thompson stuck to his guns and picked Raji.

This signals a change in Green Bay.  Thompson had always been a “best player available” guy.  But I don’t see how he could have had Raji over Crabtree on his draft board, in any way really.  Thompson drafted for need here (and later with Matthews, but I’m getting to that).  Thompson knows this is an important year for the Packers.  They have multiple free agents coming up after the 2009 season and he needs to give them a reason to stick around.  The problem with the team in 2008 was the defense.  The offense will put points up on the board, but it cannot win without the defense.  Thompson knows his offense is fine, but his defense needs help.

This need on defense led to the Packers actually trading up back into the first round.  The Patriots had already traded back to No. 26 from No. 23 as the Ravens traded up to get Michael Oher.  The Packers then packaged the trade to get No. 26 and select Matthews, the son of former NFL player Clay Matthews, Jr. and the nephew of former offensive lineman Bruce Matthews.  Both had long careers in the NFL, setting up an impressive lineage for the younger Matthews.  Clay III comes from a USC program that had amazing linebacking talent, as he played along side Houston Texans‘ draft pick Brian Cushing and new Cincinnati Bengal Rey Maualuga, who inexplicably slid into the second round.  Matthews walked-on to USC and redshirted his freshman year, setting up a great storyline for the player.  He plays with intensity to match that of his fellow USC linebackers.

The Matthews pick shows why the Raji pick at No. 9 was a great pick.  By picking Raji, the Packers get a nose tackle who can take up three gaps on the offensive line and tie up multiple blockers, freeing up Matthews and the rest of the linebacking corps.  If the Packers pick Orakpo at No. 9, the Packers have Ryan Pickett at nose tackle, who lacks Raji’s size and athleticism.  With Pickett at the nose, the Packers linebackers would be assaulted every play by large offensive lineman, pushing the defense back.  Raji allows the defense to make plays.  He won’t be getting glory and sacking the quarterback every play, but he will do the dirty work in the trenches.

Matthews will stop the run, allowing Kampman to focus on rushing the passer, while if the Packers had picked Orakpo, they would have had a surplus of pass rushers, allowing the defense to get shredded by the run.  Pairing Matthews and Raji together gives the Packers one of the most successful Day 1′s of any team in the league.  They drafted two cornerstones of their defense that is going through a transition.  The two of them will make the transition into Dom Capers‘ 3-4 scheme that much easier.  Both will have a lot to learn, but both will contribute for years to come.

The 41st pick the Packers traded to New England was used to select Darius Butler from Connecticut, while New England traded the 73rd to the Jacksonville Jaguars who selected Derek Cox out of William & Mary.  The 83rd pick has been used by New England to select Brandon Tate, a wide receiver from North Carlina, who’s coming off a major knee injury.

16 San Diego Chargers
(8-8) Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia
17 New York Jets
(9-7) Josh Freeman, QB, Kansas State
18 Denver Broncos
(9-7, Pick via Bears) Rey Maualuga, LB, USC
19 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
(9-7) Percy Harvin, WR, Florida
20 Detroit Lions
(9-7, Pick via Cowboys) Eben Britton, OT, Arizona
21 Philadelphia Eagles
(9-6-1) Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland
22 Minnesota Vikings
(10-6) William Beatty, OT, Connecticut
23 New England Patriots
(11-6) Clay Matthews, OLB, USC
24 Atlanta Falcons
(11-5) Brian Cushing, OLB, USC
25 Miami Dolphins
(11-5) Clint Sintim, OLB, Virginia
26 Baltimore Ravens
(11-5) Kenny Britt, WR, Rutgers
27 Indianapolis Colts
12-4) Peria Jerry, DT, Mississippi
28 Buffalo Bills
(Pick via CAR, PHI) Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Oklahoma State
29 New York Giants
(12-4) Hakeem Nicks, WR, North Carolina
30 Tennessee Titans
(13-3) Larry English, OLB, Northern Illinois
31 Arizona Cardinals
(9-7) LeSean McCoy, RB, Pittsburgh 32 Pittsburgh Steelers
(12-4) Alex Mack, C, Cal

Week 1, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2009, 8:20 PM: vs. Chicago Bears
Week 2, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009, 1:00 PM: vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Week 3, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009, 1:00 PM: @ St. Louis Rams
Week 4, Monday, Oct. 5, 2009, 8:30 PM: @ Minnesota Vikings
Week 5, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009: BYE
Week 6, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009, 1:00 PM: vs. Detroit Lions
Week 7, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009, 1:00 PM: @ Cleveland Browns
Week 8, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009, 1:00 PM: vs. Minnesota Vikings
Week 9, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, 1:00 PM: @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week 10, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009, 4:15 PM: vs. Dallas Cowboys
Week 11, Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009, 1:00 PM: vs. San Francisco 49ers
Week 12, Thursday, Nov. 26, 2009, 12:30 PM: @ Detroit Lions
Week 13, Monday, Dec. 7, 2009, 8:30 PM: vs. Baltimore Ravens
Week 14, Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009, 1:00 PM: @ Chicago Bears
Week 15, Sunday, Dec. 20, 2009, 1:00 PM: @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 16, Sunday, Dec. 27, 2009, 1:00 PM: vs. Seattle Seahawks
Week 17, Sunday, Jan. 3, 2010, 4:15 PM: @ Arizona Cardinals

I’ll have a more complete, but not necessarily complete analysis tomorrow.

1. Lions: waynefontes.com — MATTHEW STAFFORD, QB, GEORGIA
2. Rams: turfshowtimes.com — EUGENE MONROE, OT, VIRGINIA
3. Chiefs: kcchiefsnews.com — AARON CURRY, LB, WAKE FOREST
4. Seahawks: davekriegsstrikebeard.com — MICHAEL CRABTREE, WR, TEXAS TECH
5. Browns: nologoneeded.com — REY MAUALUGA, LB, USC
6. Bengals: bengalstripes.com — JASON SMITH, OT, BAYLOR
7. Raiders: silverandblackpride.com — JEREMY MACLIN, WR, MISSOURI
8. Jaguars: jaguarsgab.com — B.J. RAJI, DT, BOSTON COLLEGE
9. Packers: lombardiave.com — BRIAN ORAKPO, DE/OLB, TEXAS
10. 49ers: ninersnation.com — EVERETTE BROWN, OLB, FLORIDA STATE
11. Bills: buffalorumblings.com — CLAY MATTHEWS, OLB, USC
12. Broncos: milehighreport.com — MALCOLM JENKINS, CB, OHIO STATE
13. Redskins: curlyr.blogspot.com  — ANDRE SMITH, OT, ALABAMA
14. Saints: canalstreetchronicles.com —  BRIAN CUSHING, OLB, USC
15. Texans: houstondiehards.com — MICHAEL OHER, OT, OLE MISS
16. Chargers: bolthype.com — EBEN BRITTON, OT, ARIZONA
17. Jets: thejetsblog.com — TYSON JACKSON, DE, LSU
18. Bears: blogdownchicagobears.com — DARRIUS HEYWARD-BEY, WR, MARYLAND
19. Buccaneers: bucem.com — PERCY HARVIN, WR, FLORIDA
20. Lions (from Dallas): waynefontes.com — AARON MAYBIN, DE, PENN STATE
21. Eagles: igglesblog.com — VONTAE DAVIS, CB, ILLINOIS
22. Vikings: vikingsragnarok.blogspot.com — MARK SANCHEZ, QB, USC
23. Patriots: patriotsdaily.com — KNOWSHON MORENO, RB, GEORGIA
24. Falcons: falcoholic.com —CLINT SINTIM, LB, VIRGINIA
25. Dolphins: thephinsider.com — LARRY ENGLISH, LB, NORTHERN ILLINOIS
26. Ravens: ebonybird.com —KENNY BRITT, WR, RUTGERS
27. Colts: 18to88.com — PERIA JERRY, DT, MISSISSIPPI STATE
28. Eagles (from Carolina): igglesblog.com — ALEX MACK, OL, CALIFORNIA
29. Giants: bigblue101.com — HAKEEM NICKS, WR, NORTH CAROLINA
30. Titans: musiccitymiracles.com — D.J. MOORE, CB, VANDERBILT
31. Cardinals: raisingzona.com — CHRIS WELLS, RB, OSU
32. Steelers: steelerstoday.com — FILI MOALA, DT, USC

Round 2 is starting now!

With the sixth pick of the 2009 NFL Draft the Cincinnati Bengals (http://www.bengalstripes.com/) select…

Jason Smith, offensive tackle, Baylor

Don’t expect the phone to ring very much in the Bengals’ war room and if it does I don’t expect anyone to answer it.

If Jason Smith falls to Cincinnati at No. 6, there will be no complaints from any coach, player or fan in the Queen City when the Bengals gobble him up.

Ever since the combine, Smith has climbed up draft boards due to his excellent interviews and also because Alabama OT Andre Smith’s early exit from the event last month.

In the 2009 NFL Draft, the Bengals are in a unique position in that they need everything.

However, the team needs an offensive tackle more than ever after cutting longtime starting right tackle Willie Anderson before the start of the 2008 season.

On the other side, Cincinnati’s left tackle Levi Jones hasn’t been the same player fans fell in love with him in the early portion of this decade. Through his first four seasons with the Bengals Jones played in 63 of Cincinnati’s 64 regular season games, including 60 of which he started. The last three seasons, Jones played in 31 of the team’s 48 regular season games and started only 28.

On top of all that, last year’s franchise player Stacy Andrews signed a long-term deal to play with his bro in Philadelphia on the first day of free agency.

If the season would start today, it would appear that 2008 fourth-round pick Anthony Collins would be the starter at left tackle and left guard Andrew Whitworth would probably start at right tackle.

Nate Livings would then take Whitworth’s old spot at guard, with a mystery man filling in at center.

It is pretty obvious that the Bengals O-line is the team’s messiest area.

Getting Smith would instantly would upgrade Cincinnati.

The Oakland Raiders on now on the clock.

With the seventh pick of the 2009 NFL Draft the Oakland Raiders select:

Jeremy Maclin, Wide Receiver, Missouri

The Oakland Raiders have several needs for which they need to address including the offensive / defensive lines, wide receiver, linebacker and safety. With the two elite offensive tackles already off the board, the Raiders go with what some scouts peg as the top wide receiver in the draft Jeremy Maclin. Though Crabtree possess incredible talent, the Raiders love Maclin’s elite speed, better known as “Raider Speed” in Al Davis speak. For the Raiders, with Javon Walker‘s health and reliability always a concern, they have no true # 1 wide receiver. The Raiders leading wide receiver last season was Johnnie Lee Higgins with 22 receptions for 366 yards. That just isn’t going to cut it and opposing defenses are going to know that the Raiders will run first and often which will make them very predictable. Maclin’s speed is the perfect antidote for that as he will stretch the field and allow strong-armed quarterback JaMarcus Russell to air it out and keep defenses honest. The Raiders were ranked dead last in passing offense last season and with the youth movement underway in Oakland, Maclin becomes a key piece of the Raiders future.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are now on the clock.

One more pick before the Packers are on the clock…

This has been on the backburner for a few days so I’m getting this out there now while I’m remembering it.  I was invited to participate in the 2009 NFL Mock Draft Among Blogs by Don from NoLogoNeeded.com, a Cleveland Browns fan site.  I, along with bloggers from blogs for every other NFL team are sending around an email with our picks for that team.  The team on the clock has 24 hours to make their pick, and if they don’t, then the pick from NFL Draft Countdown is used.

The draft order (and links to the respective blogs; some FSB guys in there!):

2009 Mock Draft — First round
1. Lions: waynefontes.com
2. Rams: turfshowtimes.com
3. Chiefs: kcchiefsnews.com
4. Seahawks: davekriegsstrikebeard.com
5. Browns: nologoneeded.com
6. Bengals: bengalstripes.com
7. Raiders: silverandblackpride.com
8. Jaguars: jaguarsgab.com
9. Packers: lombardiave.com
10. 49ers: ninersnation.com
11. Bills: buffalorumblings.com
12. Broncos: milehighreport.com
13. Redskins: curlyr.blogspot.com
14. Saints: canalstreetchronicles.com
15. Texans: houstondiehards.com
16. Chargers: bolthype.com
17. Jets: thejetsblog.com
18. Bears: blogdownchicagobears.com
19. Buccaneers: bucem.com
20. Lions (from Dallas): waynefontes.com
21. Eagles: igglesblog.com
22. Vikings: vikingsragnarok.blogspot.com
23. Patriots: patriotsdaily.com
24. Falcons: falcoholic.com
25. Dolphins: thephinsider.com
26. Ravens: ebonybird.com
27. Colts: 18to88.com
28. Eagles (from Carolina): igglesblog.com
29. Giants: bigblue101.com
30. Titans: musiccitymiracles.com
31. Cardinals: raisingzona.com
32. Steelers: steelerstoday.com

Round Two
33. Lions
34. Chiefs
35. Rams
36. Browns
37. Seahawks
38. Bengals
39. Jaguars
40. Raiders
41. Packers
42. Bills
43. 49ers
44. Dolphins (from Washington)
45. Giants (from New Orleans)
46. Texans
47. Patriots (from San Diego)
48. Broncos
49. Bears
50. Buccaneers
51. Cowboys: thedallascowboys.net
52. Eagles
53. Jets
54. Vikings
55. Falcons
56. Dolphins
57. Ravens
58. Patriots
59. Panthers: catscratchreader.com
60. Giants
61. Colts
62. Titans
63. Cardinals
64. Steelers

And the picks so far:

With the first pick of the 2009 NFL draft, the Detroit Lions select:

Matthew Stafford, QB, University of Georgia

Why Stafford? The Lions current quarterback depth chart reads as follows:

1. Daunte Culpepper (Hasn’t had a good season in 5 years, played at a weight close to 3 bills in ’08)
2. Drew Stanton (Not good enough to outplay Dan “Ran out of the end zone” Orlovsky for the number 2 in ’08, is on the cusp of “BUST” status)
3. Drew Henson (Seriously?)

That’s why the Lions pick Stafford.

They have needs all over the field, on both sides of the ball. I was tempted to make a “safe” pick, such  as an OT like Baylor’s Jason Smith or Virginia’s Eugene Monroe, or Wake Forest LB Aaron Curry. All project to be first line players, long-time starters. But the need for a quality QB, something the Lions haven’t had since the glory days of Bobby Layne, is just too glaring. Stafford is the highest rated quarterback in the draft, and has the skill set to become an impact player.

The fact the Lions have drafted outright 1st round disasters at quarterback like Joey Harrington, Andre Ware and Chuck Long over the past 20 years, and Matt Millen went on a drunken skill player binge during his tenure (only Calvin Johnson remains in Detroit), cannot deter GM Martin Mayhew and head coach Jim Schwartz from addressing their greatest need, that being a franchise player under center.

Plus, the Lions do have the 20th pick of the 1st round, and the 1st pick of the 2nd, so other needs can be easily addressed later in the draft.

The St. Louis Rams are on the clock.

With the second pick of the 2009 NFL Draft Among Blogs, the St. Louis Rams select:

Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia

According to DraftCountdown.com:

It’s common knowledge that the Rams have been aching to address their offensive line for a while now and unlike last year, when Jake Long was selected one pick ahead of them, they should have no trouble landing a top blocker in the 2009 NFL Draft.

Orlando Pace has been one of the best in the business for more than a decade but he is now in his mid-30′s and injuries have really begun to take their toll. On the other side, former first round pick Alex Barron continues to disappoint and the Rams  would like nothing more than to bring in a capable replacement.

Eugene Monroe might not be as flashy as some of the other top offensive tackles in this draft but he has a very good chance to be the first blocker off the board. Not only is Monroe a terrific all-around player who can be effective as both a pass and run blocker but he is also a much safer choice than a guy like Andre Smith because there are no concerns about his size, position or character. Monroe may not have as much upside as Andre Smith or Jason Smith but his floor is a lot higher and that’s a good thing when you’re talking about giving a guy $30 million in guaranteed money.

Don’t discount the value of program pedigree either and Monroe is following in the footsteps of former Cavaliers D’Brickashaw Ferguson and Branden Albert, who have both handled the transition to the next level well.

The Kansas City Chiefs are on the clock.

I’ll put up a new post as picks get made, keeping all of you readers up to date.  Hopefully you’ll check back every once in a while to get the updates.  Your Packers should be on the clock at No. 9 soon…

Recently, I’ve had a lot of people ask me about the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement that expires after the 2009 season, which would create an uncapped year for 2010. Most NFL fans cringe at the thought of an uncapped year as they feel the NFL would just be turned into MLB. However, the changes are deeper than just the thought of Jerry Jones and Dan Snyder dropping cash everywhere a la George Steinbrenner. It’s more than that. But unfortunately, I do not know nearly enough to fully explain it, which is why I have some of these links for you to read and hopefully get a better idea of what is going on:

Brian from PhinPhanatic has done a pretty good job putting together a post outlining the basics of everything.

Pat Kirwan from NFL.com has two posts, one from six months ago and then another from eight months ago that have a look ahead to what the 2010 season holds for everyone.

And finally, Kirkendall over at Cincy Jungle, the Cincinnati Bengals blog on the SB Nation network, has a basic Q & A session concerning the uncapped years as well.

Hopefully this will keep all you readers occupied and informed until I come back.  Thanks!