Clay Matthews, who is closing in on a long-term deal with the Packers, has his sights on last year’s Super Bowl MVP, Joe Flacco.
Raymond T. Rivard photograph

With all the focus on Aaron Rodgers and his potential bank-breaking extension, the Green Bay Packers are also reportedly close on extending another one of its superstar players, Clay Matthews.

According to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, the Packers and Matthews are close to a deal that would pay Matthews around $13 million annually.  The potential new contract would make Matthews the highest paid pass-rushing linebacker in the NFL. The deal will reportedly eclipse the previous deal of six-year, $78 million contract that the Dallas Cowboys and DeMarcus Ware agreed on a few seasons ago, which made Ware the highest paid pass-rushing linebacker in the NFL.

The Milwaukee Journel-Sentinel reported last week that the deal between Matthews and the Packers is “in place” and the “finishing touches” will be worked out shortly.

Obviously for Ted Thompson, the hope is for the Packers to have all of its must-sign veterans locked up before the NFL Draft rolls around in just more than 20 days.

A number of Packers fans, me included, have been skeptical about extending Matthews to such a large deal because of his injury history.

Matthews has missed a handful of games over the last couple of seasons with a nagging hamstring injury, and for a pass-rusher that is particularly alarming.

There is no debate that when healthy and on the field, Matthews is worth every penny of this potential deal. He is a gamer and arguably the best defender to come to Green Bay since the minister of defense himself, Reggie White.

Nonetheless, Matthews and the Packers are closing in on a deal that would make the “Claymaker” the highest paid pass-rusher in the game.

With the news today about Lewis calling DeMarcus Ware for Jerry Jones‘ phone number, Lewis looks primed to end up with the Dallas Cowboys (or as I like to call it, “The Land of Tools,” where Lewis definitely belongs).

However, that doesn’t mean we can’t look at the possibility of Lewis coming to Green Bay. The Packers need a leader. It had always been Brett Favre‘s locker room, but that ship has sailed. Aaron Rodgers leads more by example than vocally, along with Donald Driver and most of the offense. Nick Barnett and Al Harris are the closest thing the Packers have to a Lewis-esque player, but the same passion and fire equated with Lewis is not the first thing you think of when you think of them.

Lewis also knows the ins and outs of a 3-4 defense from Rex Ryan‘s scheme in Baltimore. Lewis’ knowledge of that scheme also makes the New York Jets a possible destination for him and Ravens teammate Jim Leonhard. Lewis can help the younger players of the Packers defense, Barnett, Aaron Kampman, and A.J. Hawk, among others, learn the defense in its most legitimate form. Lewis would be able to guide the locker room and work well with the team and give an edge to the team. He would be a little pricey, but Ted Thompson has plenty of cap space. Adding Ray Lewis to the Packers could only help the team on the field.

Now, why Ray Lewis on the Packers would not a good fit. The first thing that comes to my mind is an adjective another football fan used when describing Lewis: delusional. In terms of appearing as a me-first player (note I said “appearing,” not “being”), Lewis ranks up there with Terrell Owens in terms of pointless showmanship. “The Squirrel?” Gag me. Please. Seriously Ray, that got old seven years ago. I’d a put a stipulation in his contract saying he buries “The Squirrel” next to Edgar Allan Poe in Baltimore. And this showmanship goes from pre-game to in-game. Yes Ray, I’m glad your enthusiastic the running back was held to a routine three yard gain, but the thing is, you didn’t make the tackle. I don’t see why that dance is necessary when Haloti Ngata made the stop.

Lewis’ off-the-field antics (no, I’m not talking about being implicated in stabbings during Super Bowl XXXIV) also rub me the wrong way. Saying his contract situation was “between me and God” shows that he’s not willing to show Baltimore what he’s thinking. Also, the fact that all the information about him is coming out through other players like Ware, instead of out of his mouth really makes you wonder what he’s thinking. When the offseason started, I could definitely see him staying in Baltimore, but the way he has acted since then makes me really wonder what his motives and wants are. The Packers don’t need someone who isn’t going to be upfront with the organization about what they want to do. We just went through six years of the offseason soap opera that was Brett Favre. We don’t Ray Lewis discussing his contract situation with God instead of Ozzie Newsome. Last time I checked, Newsome writes the checks to the players, unless owner Steve Bisciotti pulled off one of the biggest coups in NFL history in getting God to be his GM.

Lewis’ age also plays against him in signing with Green Bay. The middle linebacker turns 34 in May, and, despite having one of his greatest seasons, should not be counted on to duplicate his performance in Green Bay. The Packers just do not have the same defensive talent available in Baltimore. Lewis played behind space-eaters Ngata, Trevor Pryce, and Justin Bannan on the Ravens, players specifically built for the 3-4. In Green Bay, the defensive tackles and defensive ends are severely undersized and help is expected to come through the draft. Due to his age and personnel, Lewis would not be able to produce in Green Bay the same way he does in Baltimore. This is enough to not pursue him in free agency.

Just because the Packers can’t have one Baltimore linebacker doesn’t mean they can’t have another. Bart Scott is set to hit the free agent market next Thursday and looks to have numerous suitors. The Ravens again placed the franchise tag on Terrell Suggs, keeping him in Baltimore for another year, and they desperately want Lewis, the face of their franchise and “The Original Raven,” back. This flurry of activity leaves Scott out in the cold, despite the fact he said he would take a discount to return to Baltimore.

I don’t think the Ravens would lose too, too much sleep over losing Scott. They have Tarvares Gooden and Antwan Barnes behind him on the depth chart, and it seems like anyone who goes into that scheme comes out a star. At 28, Scott is in his prime and is experienced. I was impressed by his behavior during the 2008 season. There were no outbursts like the infamous penalty flag-throw to cost the Ravens the game against the New England Patriots in 2007. Instead, Scott played his inside linebacker position how he was supposed to and reaped the benefits. Scott’s numbers have decreased since his career-high 103 tackles in 2006, but the Ravens have had numerous other members of their defense emerge during that time.

I think Scott would be a great signing for the Packers. He would team with Barnett to give the Packers two intense inside linebackers. With Barnett coming off of major knee surgery, Scott would also give them security if Barnett can’t go at full strength from Day One. Scott seems to be at a great place in his career and could bring some swagger to a Green Bay locker room that could use it.

Ted, open up the checkbook.

Side Note: The Julius Peppers plan is terminated. No sense getting him from the Carolina Panthers right now. Way too expensive. Also, Kampman is moving to the outside linebacker spot Peppers would occupy, and that would be too much of a good thing right there.

Week 3 appears to be one of the biggest games on the schedules for the Packers.  Last year the Packers went down the Irving, Texas (wait, I thought they played in Dallas?) to meet the Cowboys in a battle of 10-1 teams.  Many thought this game would be a preview of the NFC Championship Game later in the season.  Unfortunately not, as the Cowboys blew the divisional playoff game against the eventual Super Bowl-champion New York Giants.  The Cowboys started out fast and the Packers could not keep up, with the Cowboys taking the 37-27 victory and eventually control of the No. 1-seed in the NFC.  Not that it helped them, of course.  This game also gave Packer fans a taste of the future.  Former Packers quarterback Brett Favre suffered an elbow injury early in the game, paving the way for Aaron Rodgers to bring the Packers to within three points before the Pack Attack eventually succumbed.

This game showed that Rodgers could (hopefully) handle the pressure of being a starting quarterback in the NFL.  Other than that and some shifting on the Cowboys offensive line, both teams return with basically identical lineups.  This game will be exciting and it will be interesting to see how Rodgers responds in his second nationally-televised game in three weeks.  This will also be the first time John Madden broadcasts a Packers game that does not have Favre as the starter in 16 years.  I’m setting the over/under on Favre references at 20.  And I’m taking over.  Will Madden follow the ESPN approach and just bash, bash, and bash the Packers and Rodgers?  Or will he be rational?  I’m saying he’ll bash, but less than ESPN would.  Let’s get to the keys to this game:

Packers secondary vs. Cowboys wide receivers: In November, the Packers were torn apart by Tony Romo and the Cowboys air attack, as any or most Cowboys fans will be quick to tell you.  However, a large of group people are forgetting that Packers starter Charles Woodson missed this game with a toe injury, leaving Al Harris to fight Terrell Owens on his own.  This also led to botched coverages by Tramon Williams, Jarrett Bush, and whoever the hell else was back there on Patrick Crayton, Miles Austin, and possibly Sam Hurd.  Putting Woodson back there changes the landscape of the secondary and makes it more difficult for Romo.  The safety trio of Atari Bigby, Aaron Rouse, and Nick Collins will also be counted on to bring the hammer down on the Cowboys wide receivers.  If Green Bay controls the secondary, they control most of the game.

Packers O-line vs. Cowboys front seven: Favre was absolutely wrecked last year in the pocket in this game.  Actually, there probably never was a pocket for most of it.  The four- and five-wide receiver sets that made the Packers so dangerous down the stretch worked to a disadvantage has Favre held on to the ball too long and allowed the Cowboys to bring an extra rusher, making him force some of his classic throws.  The Packers need their O-line to develop for this game.  Mike McCarthy does not want Rodgers on his back with Greg Ellis, DeMarcus Ware, and Zach Thomas on top of him for most of this one.  Veterans Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher will be counted on again to hold down the fort while the mess that is the interior line gets settled and hopefully gels for this game.  The Packers are also going to have to open up running lanes for Ryan Grant. Grant got in one good run last year against the Cowboys, but was stymied for the rest of the game.  They Packers got to get him going to take pressure off the passing game.

Cowboys secondary vs. Packers wide receivers and Aaron Rodgers: The Cowboys also revamped their secondary this offseason.  They locked up Terrence Newman and Ken Hamlin in the offseason, while Anthony Henry and Roy Williams (a glorified linebacker) return to the fold.  The additions are what makes this group key.  Mike Jenkins was a first-round draft pick in the 2008 NFL Draft while Adam Jones (aka Pacman), if reinstated, gives the Cowboys a dangerous secondary for Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, and James Jones to contend with.  This game will turn very physical, so the Packers will definitely need big wide receivers Ruvell Martin and rookie Jordy Nelson to step up and become factors.  Rodgers will need these guys to get open in order to be successful.

The Verdict: There’s so many more keys to this game than the ones mentioned.  The Cowboys really look like they are gearing up for a Super Bowl run this year and they seem to have the mindset for it, so the Cowboys get the nod, 38-24.

The Packers are now 2-1 after Week 3.