Could Steven Jackson wind up with the Green Bay Packers?
Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

A video produced today by Aaron Nagler of Bleacherreport – and originally seen on cheeseheadTV.com – opened my eyes and will probably open yours as Steven Jackson is told by Sports Illustrated’s Peter King that his best move would be to go to Green Bay and Jackson agreeing.

Jackson, who voided his contract yesterday with the St. Louis Rams, is no free to sign with any team he wants -and he can do it before Tuesday’s official start to the Free Agency period.

Not only does Jackson immediately agree with King’s assertion that he must go to Green Bay, but he goes on to talk about his strong relationship with Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

While Jackson would be an incredible addition to a pathetic Packers backfield, there is no indication, at least at this point, that the Packers brass have shown any interest in securing the services of one of the best running backs in the game today.

Yesterday, we here at Lombardiave.com speculated on who would be the better back for the Packers – Jackson or former New York Giant Ahmad Bradshaw. We concluded that Bradshaw because of his age, might be the better way to go.

However, it might be time to reconsider, especially in light of Jackson’s interest in playing for Green Bay. Bradshaw has, up to this time, expressed no interest in playing for the Packers.

So, what do you think Packers fans? Would Jackson be the man in Green Bay?

Leave a comment below, go to our Facebook page or see us on Twitter … and complete the poll at the top of this post.

Also check out Nagler’s excellent video …

Reggie McKenzie

Peter King, Sports Illustrated’s football guru, released his weekly Monday Morning Quarterback posting where, in one segment, he has nothing but good things to say about former Green Bay Packers executive Reggie McKenzie.

The newly-hired Oakland Raiders’ general manager has a huge mountain to climb to bring the Raiders back to respectability and an even larger climb in getting the team back to playoff status.

But according to King, he feels that McKenzie is well on his way.

Here is a segment of King’s interview with McKenzie:

I asked McKenzie if he wished he could have the Carson Palmer trade back. Last October, then-coach Hue Jackson dealt first- and second-round picks to Cincinnati for Palmer. “You can beat that doggone story ’til it’s worn out,” said McKenzie. “But I know this: We’ve got a quarterback we think can win the division and take us to the playoffs. Losing a one and a two doesn’t bother me one bit.”

McKenzie did a great job in Green Bay, so there’s no reason why he can’t do the same out West.

Here is the entire piece that King put together:

…we start out west, with one of those draft-pick-poor teams, and what the Oakland Raiders are doing about it.

The Raiders are actually doing things right, and Reggie McKenzie’s the reason why.

When the Raiders hired McKenzie as general manager in January, he took over a team with the most decimated draft board in recent history. No first-, second-, third-, fourth- or seventh-round picks because of prior trades or Supplemental Draft picks. McKenzie inherited a team that, in late February, was $26 million over the salary cap and had two draft choices — the 148th and 189th overall — before the annual compensatory picks were awarded. Think about it: An 18-year scout finally gets his chance to run a team and pick the players he wants … and he’s hamstrung by the worst cap situation in the league, and one of the worst draft-choice pools in NFL history. And one more thing: Peyton Manning just walked into his division.

“Never thought, ‘Woe is me,’ ” he said the other night from his office in Oakland. “Not once. Never thought I shouldn’t take the job because of things like that either. It never entered my mind. I just figured, ‘We’ll find players.’ I know how to find players. I’ve been in Green Bay when we found Mark Tauscher and Donald Driver late in drafts, and found Tramon Williams on the street, and signed Charles Woodson in free agency. It can be done.”

If McKenzie’s right, it will be done this year with low-cost free-agents starting at three positions (Shawntae Spencer and Ron Bartell at cornerback, Philip Wheeler at linebacker), and one well-paid (five years, $20 million) starting right guard, Mike Brisiel. Help also came in the form of three of the top 10 compensatory picks awarded last month in the third, fourth and fifth rounds. Oakland’s first pick will be the first compensatory choice awarded by the NFL, the 95th overall choice, which means McKenzie will sit around all night Thursday on day one of the draft, and all night Friday through rounds two and three, till the end of the third round.

I asked McKenzie if he wished he could have the Carson Palmer trade back. Last October, then-coach Hue Jackson dealt first- and second-round picks to Cincinnati for Palmer. “You can beat that doggone story ’til it’s worn out,” said McKenzie. “But I know this: We’ve got a quarterback we think can win the division and take us to the playoffs. Losing a one and a two doesn’t bother me one bit.”

McKenzie said he feels honored to be the first person in almost half a century other than Al Davis to be running the Raiders’ draft. “This is a new day in the Raider organization,” he said. “Coach Davis, he knew football. I relish the chance to follow him and get this team back where it belongs.”

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With the third pick of the 2009 NFL draft, the Kansas City Chiefs select:

Aaron Curry, OLB, Wake Forest

Having addressed their quarterback need in the Matt Cassel trade, look for the Chiefs to address the other side of the ball with the third overall pick.  Todd Haley could be tempted to draft a wide receiver ([Michael] Crabtree) given his coaching history but linebacker remains their most pressing need on defense, besides defensive end.  This being a weak draft for defensive end, linebacker Aaron Curry is the most logical pick for the Chiefs. 

The Chiefs have declined to re-sign starting linebackers Rocky Boiman and Pat Thomas and have released veteran Donnie Edwards making them somewhat thin at the position.  They have traded for Mike Vrabel, which would obviously be a great mentor for the young Curry. 

The Wake Forest product is an absolute must if the Chiefs plan to move to a 3-4 defense, Curry on one side and Derrick Johnson on the other would provide the necessary pass rushing personnel for a team that set the record for the least amount of sacks in a season. 

The Seattle Seahawks are on the clock.

With the fourth pick of the 2009 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select:

Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech

I don’t really like college football. Any sport that doesn’t have a
playoff system won’t easily win my attention or respect, so I don’t follow
the game that closely. Under normal circumstances, I’d tell you that blogs
like Field Gulls, Seahawk Addicts or Seahawks Draft Blog could give you a
better, more informed opinion than I could.

But these are not normal circumstances, and Michael Crabtree is not a
typical player. Even after addressing our desperate need at WR by signing
T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Seattle will select the best player available: The
game-breaking Crabtree.

As an NFC West fan, I get to watch Larry Fitzgerald torch my Seahawks
twice a year. In 2008, I got the added bonus of watching Fitz almost carry
Arizona to a World Championship. Housh isn’t Fitz. Neither is [Deion] Branch or
[Nate] Burleson… Hell, even Steve Largent wasn’t the dominant big-play threat
that Fitzgerald is right now.

Even with his foot surgery, and even after being revealed as 6’1″ instead
of 6’3″, drafting Crabtree is the best shot the Seahawks will have over
the next few years to get “their Fitzgerald.”

Selecting Crabtree isn’t just a “build for the future” move, either. With
Housh across from him, a (hopefully) healthy Branch in the slot, budding
Pro-Bowler John Carlson at TE, and Matt Hasselbeck throwing the ball,
Crabtree could make an immediate impact as Seattle’s “home run” threat.

The Seahawks aim to return to the top of the NFC West in 2009. Michael
Crabtree is the player most likely to help make that happen in this year’s
draft class.

Our hosts, the Cleveland Browns, are on the clock.

With the fifth pick in the draft, the Cleveland Browns select:

***Rey Maualuga, LB, USC*** 

A big reason behind why we decided to start this mock draft was because we were annoyed at the national media. Most mock drafts on the NFL Network and ESPN has the Browns selecting Malcolm Jenkins.

Sure, the Browns need help on defense and the secondary was inconsistent, but the cornerback position is the least of the team’s problems. In 2008, the Browns defense allowed an average of 151.9 yards rushing per game. The Browns lost to the Bengals 14-0 on Dec. 21 as Cedric Benson ran for 171 yards on 38 carries and back-up quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was 5-for-9 passing for 55 yards.

First and foremost, the Browns need to look to trade down and obtain some more draft picks. This will prove impossible since that’s the goal of most teams. The Browns also would be interested in Aaron Curry, but he is long gone.
 
With new coach Eric Mangini, the Browns will stick with the 3-4. So linebacker is the Browns’ biggest need in the draft.  The Browns need an edge pass rusher to fill Willie McGinest‘s position, but outside linebacker is one of the deepest positions in this draft.  That brings us to the void in the middle of the defense left by the departure of Andra Davis.

Maualuga is a nasty middle linebacker, the type of player that can bring attitude to a defense that sorely needs an identity. He is built perfectly to line up in the 3-4.  Peter King called him Ray Lewis, Jr. and Jon Gruden said Maualuga is the type of player to build a defense around.

Maualuga is known for his big hits and aggressive style of play. That should fit perfectly on the strong side of the Browns 3-4 defense next to D’Qwell Jackson. Pairing Jackson’s sideline-to-sideline speed with Maualuga’s power behind the mammoth Shaun Rogers, should make the Browns strong up the middle and help them slow down the opposition’s rushing attack.
 
Can you name a Pro Bowl defensive lineman or cornerback from the successful 3-4 defense in Pittsburgh? In Baltimore? No. But you can reel off a list of who’s who of linebackers.  It’s time the Browns start making the some names of their own.

Our AFC North rivals south on I-71, the Cincinnati Bengals, are on the clock.

Three more picks until the Packers are up on the clock.  Who is going to be there for us?

According to a FOX Sports report by Jay Glazer, former Packers quarterback Brett Favre called the Detroit Lions before the Packers played in Detroit on September 14, a 48-25 win for the Packers.  Glazer first broke this story on “FOX NFL Sunday”:

“Favre called the Detroit Lions, starting off with (former Detroit general manager) Matt Millen,” Glazer said. “Matt Millen then put him in touch with the coaching staff and gave the coaching staff like an hour or a 90-minute dissertation, every single thing that the Green Bay Packers do on offense. It’s his former team. He’s calling a division opponent of a team he has nothing to do with any more and just let’s loose all the family secrets. How about that?”

Glazer later posted the above report on foxsports.com.  It also appears that the New York Jets quarterback could be doing his best to sabotage Green Bay’s season:

Other teams the Packers have played had also heard about the Favre coaching clinic with Detroit. In addition, there have been rumors that Favre has spoken to other teams giving them information, but most of those teams insist they have not heard from the famed gunslinger.

However, there is no rule prohibiting players from calling teams and giving them information on their ex-teams.  It’s something that you just don’t do.  Or at least something it seemed like Favre wouldn’t do.  I was taking a neutral stance towards Favre after the messy divorce from Green Bay, but after this incident, I may have to swing all the way around to “Good riddance” standpoint.  The Packers players aren’t too happy about this either.  Take Charles Woodson:

“You know, I don’t respect that.  If they call him and he gives them information, that’s one thing. But to seek a team out and feel like, I guess, you’re trying to sabotage this team, I don’t respect that. I know he’s been the greatest player around here for a long time, but there’s no honor in that.”

Mike Florio, the all-knowing one from Pro Football Talk, had this to say:

In our view, Brett’s legacy with the Packers has officially been forever stained, if not completely destroyed – unless Favre immediately denies the report, and unless people believe it.

I totally agree with Florio.  Favre is showing that he lacks the capacity to understand.  He can not come to grips with the fact that he was done in Green Bay.  Maybe not physically, but overall, his time was over in Titletown.  It was finally time for him to go.  If he can’t grasp that, he goes down a few notches as a person in my book.  Everyone viewed him as a young boy out there playing the game, but we can now view him as a young boy off the field as well, a young boy who is bitter over having his toys taken away from him.

After losing to the Oakland Raiders, Favre texted BFF Peter King, who appeared on NBC’s “Football Night in America,” and said the report was “total B.S.”  After all the stuff said or supposedly said this summer, I’d have to say Favre has more B.S. than Jay Glazer.

The most curious thing about these rumors is that ESPN stayed quiet over the whole thing.  No links out to Green Bay-area newspapers, not a peep on the NFC North or AFC East blogs until today, when they posted this article from the Associated Press.  According to one of my sources, ESPN said they did not cover “Favre-gate” (I haven’t seen that in print yet) because one of their writers did not break the story (which can be viewed as complete B.S., as Glazer helped break Favre’s retirement and ESPN was all over that, like a fat kid on cake).  Rumors spreading on radio talk shows, however, say that ESPN does not want to help ruin the reputation of their good man Brett.  Which, given ESPN’s perpetual bias, would not be that far-fetched.

In still refusing to have their writers address this situation, ESPN posted Brett Favre’s latest news conference verbatim on the NFC North Blog.

He denies everything.

More to come on this one later.  And there will be more once ESPN determines to set their writers out on it.

Green Bay Packers training camp is about to become the set of the next Disney Channel high school drama. Which makes sense because ESPN is owned by Disney.

Some tube of Brett Favre‘s first passes. – Epic Carnival

• With Favre’s career winding down, we need a new gunslinger. – Bleacher Report

•  Peter King gushes over Favre, compares his numbers to his MVP days (1995-97) and mentions the Ragnar hug. – SI.com/Monday Morning QB

• Did Brett suck up to Dan Marino? – The Money Shot

• Geez, the media has to start taking it easier on No. 4. – The Sports Hernia