Carolina Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith (89) catches a pass while being defended by Green Bay Packers cornerback Charles Woodson (21) during the fourth quarter at Bank of America Stadium. The Packers defeated the Panthers 30-23. Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports photograph

Charles Woodson’s second venture in free agency is not as glamourous as many predicted, and with the tunnel of time collapsing on another chance, desperation has set in the form of the Detroit Lions.

Woodson told the Detriot news about the possible location change.

“Here’s the thing about the Lions, the Lions have players. What the Lions haven’t been able to do is put it together. That winning attitude and to be able to start those winning ways, it has to start somewhere. So, would I be open? Sure.”

Now everyone knows Woodson’s sentimentality for the stage of Michigan. Accruing a Heisman trophy and National Championship were the ultimate gifts bestowed to a state hoping for skates and hockey sticks to create national attention.

The Detroit Lions do not deserve a player like Charles Woodson. Raymond T. Rivard photograph

The Lions in my personal opinion have not progressed and do not deserve the talent of a Charles Woodson near the end of his career.

Now don’t go, “8 Mile”, on me Detriot. You have gone through enough considering the financial meltdown and General Motors fiascos. However, your team is not the New Orleans Saints, and Ford Field is not the Super Dome.

Quite simply, the Lions cannot compete with the elite and do not have the coaching to accommodate a defensive playmaker the caliber of Woodson.

Why is that? Well look at the team’s makeup. Wayward receiver Titus Young created his own routes during the Thanksgiving game, for starters. Multiple substance abuse violations by Nick Fairley as well as demonstrating his lack of awareness with a Super Bowl prediction.

The difference between today’s championship teams to that of the 80s and 90s, is quite clearly the coaching and attitude of the team.

No longer are the “rah-rah” cheering teams to wins, but execution and preparation combined with calm character create those titles.

Wait, you may say the Baltimore Ravens are the exception to that rule, but if you look closely, the team had Ray Lewis as the Trojan Horse, but Joe Flacco was the true leader. Calm, calculated and prepared under pressure.

The Lions are not any of these.

Stomping opponents, DUI’s, and predictions based on roster strength are all red flags to any free agent in my opinion, but with Coach Jim Schwartz, this attitude is bred and free to roam.

Detroit Lions head coach Jim Schwartz suffers from the “little man” disease. Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports photograph

Schwartz’s obvious “little-man” syndrome is the slighted attitude that gets coaches fired. Visibly sparring with San Francisco coach Jim Harbaugh was the appetizer, and now his players have delivered the entree of bad behavior.

Todd Haley administered a similar attitude with the Chiefs with an unrelenting bark, and look how quickly a team with a stellar defensive and a potent running game cowered under his leadership.

There are incredible bright spots and potential for the team, but what are record-breaking players like Calvin Johnson supposed to do with a team constantly in flux with “me-first” attitudes? Furthermore, what will happen for QB Matt Stafford behind a crumpling line?

Obviously Woodson covets competition and who can blame him? He undoubtably helped tangle Vikings Adrian Peterson in the Wildcard game last year, and can still deliver heavy hits to the opposition.

Woodson has earned his rings, claimed his legacy and created a hall of fame career. Please, save the time and effort for the vast podiums of the future.

Well, the winner has been announced … and one can’t argue with the decision.

Below, you will find the release from Packerseverywhere … 

After over 8,000 photos were submitted and 16,000 votes counted, the Packers Everywhere community has spoken. Eight-year-old Emily Sperduto of Oxford, N.J., is the winner of the Ticket Takeover Contest. She will serve as the face of the Packers for a week, with her photo featured on over 80,000 tickets for the 2013 Fan Appreciation Game vs. Pittsburgh, Dec. 22, at Lambeau Field. 

Her father, Tom Sperduto, who entered Emily and took the photo, is waiting until just the right time to surprise her with the news. He wants her mother, Jen, to film it when he gets back in town. In addition to Emily being on the tickets, they get a pair of tickets for that game. They’ve also won round-trip flights to Green Bay and hotel lodging for the weekend.

“She is going to go crazy,” he said. “I get emotional thinking about the memories that will come from this trip. Doing something we love together, for me it’s overwhelming. I already think about the future and what it will be like when we look back at the experience.

“I feel like we will be part of the team by having her face represent the Packers on that ticket. It’s a pretty awesome feeling. I can’t express what it will be like.”

Prior to watching Packers games on TV, for years Sperduto and Emily have had quick daddy-daughter photo shoots to warm up. In a neighborhood full of Giants and Jets fans, they’re known as the lone “Packers family,” and Emily will pose in her jersey, oversized cheesehead or with her Packers toys and show off while the shutter clicks.

The Packers green background in the photo is the color of his family room. She is standing below a Packers stock certificate, as Sperduto became a shareholder in the last stock offering.

While Emily has been on “pins and needles” during the Ticket Takeover voting, all of that posing practice made perfect. Though a lifetime fan of the Packers, Tom has never been able to make the trek from New Jersey to Green Bay, so the trip in December will be even more special. Sperduto’s work schedule has made coming to Lambeau Field nearly impossible in the past.

Tom has spent the last 20-plus years in the military. He’s now in the Coast Guard after previously serving in the Marine Corps as an infantryman. He was in Operation Iraqi Freedom and has also had his boots on the ground in 29 countries.

Before the contest and Emily’s winning flex – where she mixed her two favorite players by teaming a Clay Matthews pose with an Aaron Rodgers jersey – Sperduto had been formulating a plan to come to Lambeau. He’s in his final year of service with the Coast Guard, and he was transferred to Boston.

“I own my home in New Jersey, so for this year in Boston I bought an RV to live in since it is just one year before I retire. I thought it might be a good way to come to Green Bay one day and see a game. Now, Emily and I will be able to fly there. It’s been on my ‘bucket list’ forever.”

When they arrive, Emily will be the “Face of the Packers” when the team takes on the Steelers.

“She is a die-hard fan for an eight-year-old,” he said. “She has been asking about the contest every day. I thought all of the photos were great, and we had some friends and family vote. For her to be on a ticket is like a dream come true.”

We will never see this again, but we thought it would be a good way to help us pass the time of spring and summer waiting for the start to the Packers Training Camp.
Raymond T. Rivard photograph

One of my favorite sayings is, “Diamonds are forever. And so are the NBA playoffs.”

It just never seems to end. Really? The Grizzlies are still alive?

Thankfully, as a Green Bay Packers fan, I can earmark the end of the NBA championship as sort of a milestone toward getting to NFL training camp. Ditto with the so-called “Summer Classic,” the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, which takes place this year on July 16.

Don’t get me wrong; I like baseball, but a 162-game season drastically diminishes the importance of, say, a Tuesday afternoon game between the Cubs and Mets. Yawn. (And I’m a Cubs fan!)

This is a welcome sight annually, signaling that after a long summer, training camp is finally here. Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Unfortunately, this is the time of the season that, for a Green Bay Packers fan (or any rabid NFL fan), seems the longest. Packers training camp officially starts July 26, more than two months from now, and the first pre-season game isn’t until Thursday, Aug. 9.

What to do until then? Heck, I’m having trouble even finding things to blog about. Sigh.

Anyway, with that in mind, I’ve come up with some pastimes that will not only make the wait seem a bit shorter, but also help deter you from watching the Miami Heat win another NBA title. Because no one needs to do that to themselves.

As such, here are the Top 10 Green Bay Packers Fans’ Pastimes for Summer 2013:

10. Go back and look through seven seasons’ worth of Aaron Rodgers photo bombs.

9. Watch your 2010 Super Bowl highlights over and over while wearing your Nick Collins jersey and cheesehead hat.

8. Snicker and smirk while watching tape of Brett Favre’s final season with the Vikings.

7. Hire a voodoo doctor to do some crazy dance that will help you cast a spell to compel the Bears to sign Terrell Owens.

6. Spend quality time with your significant other. (This was going to be No. 10, but I’m afraid my girlfriend might see it. Figured 6 was a good compromise.)

5. Read LombardiAve.com for daily updates on the latest Packers news and goofy blog posts like this one. (That one should make my editor happy.)

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Raymond T. Rivard photograph

4. Sit and aggressively fume about the fact that Jermichael Finley is going to make more money than Jordy Nelson, James Jones and Randall Cobb … COMBINED.

3. Eat grilled bratwurst, drink lots and lots of Blatz beer, and talk about Mason Crosby’s certain demise with your buddies. Hey, it’s summer. You’d be doing that anyway, right?

2. Desperately look online for a brand new Eddie Lacy jersey in your size.

And the No. 1 Packers Fans’ Pastime for Summer 2013 is: Grit your teeth, rock back and forth on your couch and pray to the heavens above that somehow, some way, Dom Capers can figure out a way to get that #$%& defensive fixed already. Because, c’mon!

Happy summer, everybody.

May it pass quickly.

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Randall Cobb (18) catches a touchdown pass against Arizona Cardinals cornerback William Gay at Lambeau Field. Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports photograph

As we inch closer to the start of OTAs, we will continue to take a closer look at the Green Bay Packers’ roster. Last week we began the series by breaking down the Packer quarterbacks. We will continue analyzing the offense by taking a look at arguably Green Bay’s deepest position on the roster — wide receiver.

For the past several seasons the Packer receiving corps has been lauded as one of the deepest and most talented groups in the league, and now with Donald Driver retiring and Greg Jennings packing his bags and finding real estate across the border, the group will be looking for young, ascending players to step up and fill the void the departing veterans left behind. A position that was overcrowded last year now has some spots open for competition heading into the 2013 season.

With Ted Thompson drafting two intriguing wide receiver prospects in the seventh round and signing a handful of others in unrestricted free agency, the Packers are retooling the position with young players who possess both size and speed. It seems Green Bay is in good hands with Aaron Rodgers throwing to Cobb, Jones, and Nelson, but the important thing to watch this offseason is to see if any of the young wide receivers step up and add another dynamic to the passing game.

Wide Receiver (10)

 Safe – Randall Cobb, 5-10, 192 pounds; James Jones, 6-1, 208 pounds; Jordy Nelson, 6-3, 217 pounds

The Packers seem to be pretty set for playmakers at wide receiver with Cobb, Jones, and Nelson manning the top three spots at the position. However, I am really interested to see which of these three players will emerge as Rodgers’ top target in 2013. They each bring a unique skill set to the position and have the potential to be the go-to-guy.

James Jones is congratulated by wide receiver Randall Cobb for scoring a touchdown against the Chicago Bears during the second quarter at Soldier Field in 2012. Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports

Cobb seems to be the rising star of the group. After making his presence known as a returner his rookie season, Cobb was utilized frequently in the offense as a multi-dimensional weapon who could line up in the slot, on the outside, and even in the backfield. Recording a team-high 80 catches and 954 yards receiving and eight touchdown receptions last season, it seems Cobb has only scratched the surface of his potential. Expect Cobb’s role to continue to expand as Coach McCarthy continues to find creative ways to utilize Cobb’s unique skill set.

With Driver and Jennings’ departure, Jones is now the veteran of the group, but Jones provides much more than just leadership for the younger players. Simply put, Jones was a beast last season. He hauled in a league-leading 14 touchdowns and was Green Bay’s most consistent wide receiver. Jones has always been good, but he raised his game to another level last season and showed his coaches that he could be a reliable number one, if needed. Rodgers seemed to build chemistry with Jones last year as the season progressed, and I expect that chemistry to carry over into the 2013 season.

Nelson is the group’s big play threat who has the size and speed to go deep and outman smaller defensive backs. However, Nelson dealt with injuries off and on last season and his receiving numbers (745 yds, 7 TDs) and big plays decreased compared to his stellar 2011 performance (1,263 yds, 15 TDs). His receiving average also dropped from 18.6 yards per reception in 2011 to 15.2 yards per in 2012. I expect this had more to do with all the Cover 2 Green Bay faced last season, and less to do with Nelson’s ability to win his one-on-one matchups and get open down field. Maybe Nelson’s 2011 big play production will return if Green Bay gets a running game going this season.

On the Fence – Jarrett Boykin, 6-2, 218 pounds; Jeremy Ross, 6-0, 215 pounds; Charles Johnson, 6-2, 215 pounds; Kevin Dorsey, 6-1, 207 pounds

After the top three receiving spots, this position is wide open and filled with young, but unproven, talent. Boykin and Ross return from last season. Boykin saw limited action during the regular season (5 rec, 27 yds) and was at the bottom of the depth chart in a crowded position. However, Boykin had an impressive 2012 camp and preseason, winning his coaches’ attention and a final roster spot. This is no small task for a guy who was signed as a tryout player last spring and a long shot to make the roster heading into OTAs. Maybe Boykin will have another excellent camp.

Ross spent some time on the practice squad last season before he was activated as a returner toward the end of the year. Ross showed potential returning kicks and punts, but he’ll have to show the coaches he can also be a factor in the passing game to win a roster spot this season.

Kevin Dorsey works out during the Green Bay Packers rookie orientation weekend. Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Seventh round picks Johnson and Dorsey are intriguing prospects. They are both big receivers with blazing speed (ranging 4.35 – 4.42 40 time). It is rare to find receivers their size who can ran that fast, so it makes me wonder what the catch is here. Johnson played at a Division II school and wasn’t even invited to this year’s Combine, so hats off to Green Bay’s scouting department for finding this guy. He recorded nearly 1,200 yards receiving and 16 touchdown receptions his senior season at Grand Valley State, but the level of competition he faced in college hurt his draft stock.

Dorsey played at a Division I school (Maryland) but was overlooked by many scouts because of his subpar receiving numbers last year—311 yds and 4 TDs. However, Thompson explained that Dorsey is a much better player than these numbers suggest.

Last year, Maryland had some injuries at quarterback, which greatly affected their offensive production and severely limited Dorsey’s opportunities. Dorsey is almost the exact same size as James Jones and has top end speed. Maybe Dorsey is a diamond in the rough and will prove to be a surprise player at the position.

After Cobb, Jones, and Nelson, I expect Green Bay to keep at least two more receivers on their final 53-man roster. Boykin has a leg up on the competition because he has played a year in this offense, but Boykin lacks the speed Ross, Johnson, and Dorsey bring to the table.

If Johnson and Dorsey show serious potential they may challenge Boykin and Ross for roster spots, and in the very least, the two seventh round picks will spend the season on the practice squad.

Long Shot – Myles White, 6-0, 182 pounds; Sederrik Cunningham, 5-11, 192 pounds; Tyrone Walker, 5-10, 191 pounds

White, Walker, and Cunningham are all undrafted free agents brought in to add competition during camp. Maybe one of these players surprises everyone and wins a roster spot, like Boykin last year. But as of now, with Green Bay selecting two young promising receivers in the seventh round and Boykin and Ross returning, there seems to be very little room left for White, Walker, and Cunningham to even get a fair shot at making the roster.

Both White and Cunningham are average-sized receivers with good speed (4.40 – 4.45 40 time), but were inconsistent in college. Walker is a small receiver who lacks top end speed (4.54 – 4.62), but was highly productive in college, leading the All Missouri Valley Conference in receptions (90), receiving yards (1,319), and touchdown catches (9). White, Cunningham, and Walker have their work cut out for them to earn a spot on the team, but it has been done before so don’t count them out just yet. Expect at least one these prospects to land on the practice squad as a developmental player.

Jordy Nelson is defended by Chicago Bears cornerback Tim Jennings at Soldier Field. Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports photograph

It will be interesting to see how many receivers Green Bay retains on the final 53-man roster this year. Last season the Packers kept six receivers on their final roster. With Driver seeing a limited number of snaps and other positions like offensive line left very thin, was this a mistake? Will the Packers keep six receivers again this year?

It’s difficult to predict how the final depth chart at wide receiver will play out. The only thing we know for certain at this point is to expect plenty of competition and maybe some surprises at wide receiver this offseason.

If you can catch it live, come on over to cheeseheadtv.com and listen in. If you can’t make the live podcast, look for the posted recording.

Among the topics we’ll discuss are the running backs situation (especially how James Starks fits into the equation, Mason Crosby and his future with the team, position battles that should be interesting to follow during OTAs, and which rookies will be most fun to watch.

Heck, we might even spend some time talking about Brett Favre, time permitting.

CheeseheadTV, if you don’t know, is one of the premier Packers blogs out there on the Internet. Their insightful looks at Packers news is something that every Packers fans should bookmark and take a look at on a daily basis.

So, spend a few moments and stop over to the site for a listen. I’m not sure I will provide any new Packers news, but it’s sure to be a decent discussion about where the team stands at this point in time, one day from the start of OTAs in Green Bay.

Paul Coffman was one of the best tight ends in Packers history.

Paul Coffman was an after-thought and rated only single sentence in a three-paragraph story in the Milwaukee Sentinel back on May 18, 1978, when he was announced as a free agent signing by the Green Bay Packers.

That’s according to the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame’s posting yesterday about the player who would go on to great things in the NFL. In fact, he would play eight years for the Packers. He played in 119 games (starting 102 of them), caught 322 passes for 4,223 yards (13.1 yard average) and scored 39 touchdowns. His longest touchdown went for 78 yards.

As an undrafted tight end out of Kansas State, Coffman’s years in Green Bay were nothing short of remarkable. He helped revolutionize the tight end position and was one of the players who paved the way for today’s athletic, pass-catching skill players who can also block. Coffman did it all during his 11-year career.

Coffman was cut by coach Forrest Gregg in 1986 after eight years in Green Bay. The cut of Coffman came as a surprise and was one from which Gregg’s teams would never recover.

Paul Coffman is a Packers hall of famer.

Coffman averaged 46 catches per year and it was his route running, incredible hands and his ability to catch passes in traffic that made him one the of the great ones.

He was a three-time Pro Bowler and in 1994 was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame.

After his career was all said and done, he is listed among the best. He ranks 12th among all pass-catchers in Packers history – just behind Robert Brooks and just ahead on James Jones. He’s the top tight end on the list.

Here’s the top 20 list:

Here’s Coffman’s career statistics with the Packers:

James Starks during the first quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field last Dec. 2. The Packers defeated the Vikings 23-14.
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports photograph

Mike McCarthy and Ted Thompson sent their message loud and clear to Alex Green, DuJuan Harris and especially James Starks on draft weekend by selecting not one, but two running backs and also picking up another – Angelo Pease – as an undrafted free agent.

Clearly, the Green Bay Packers brass have not been pleased with the past performance, or lack thereof, of their in-house running backs. Many feel that Harris and probably Green will be the two running backs who should have the best shot at remaining on the Packers roster once it’s all said and done, while the oft-injured and inconsistent James Starks is the odd man out.

In fact, rumors swirled draft weekend that Starks was on the trading block, but nothing happened.

Alex Green
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports photograph

Rookies Eddie Lacy and Johnathan Franklin, barring any unforeseen circumstances, will be on the the roster, while Green and Harris, depending on what they do in training camp, will also be there

That leaves Starks and Pease as the players who will most likely be fighting for a job. We don’t know much about Pease other than the fact that McCarthy seems to really like him – calling him out not once, but twice in his press conferences held during and after the rookie orientation sessions.

I think everyone really likes Starks – when he’s healthy. But those times have been far and few between. We all know how he ignited the Packers offense late in 2010, helping the franchise to its fourth Super Bowl Championship. Then it seemed every time we turned around the guy was hurt. He was on the shelf for most of last season, came back against Minnesota in December and had a solid game.

In that Minnesota game, Starks carried the ball 16 times for 66 yards, and pulled off a 22-yard touchdown run where he looked like his old self.

And then got hurt once more.

Though he could have played in the playoffs, we never saw him. His spot had been taken by Harris and to a certain extent Ryan Grant.

In all, he played in only six games last season, carrying the ball 71 times for 255 yards – a 3.6 yard per-carry average.

James Starks scores on a 22-yard touchdown run in the 3rd quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field.
Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports photograph

Do the Packers take a chance on the guy once more if he comes back and has a strong training camp? Or do they just cut their losses, continue to try to trade him and if they can’t, then cut him? It’s not like the team doesn’t have a crowded backfield already.We know that Starks can hit holes and pick up yards after being hit. He seems like a tough runner, but his injury history tells us otherwise.

He’s been productive when he’s healthy, but in my mind I just can’t see the team taking any more chances on the guy. Yes, they should try to trade him and if nobody wants the damaged goods, then the Packers should let him walk.

What do you think, Packers fans? Leave a comment below, Like us on Facebook, and/or follow us on Twitter.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Graham Harrell during the game against a Kansas City Chiefs at Lambeau Field. The Packers defeated the Chiefs 24-3. Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports photograph

You know which one.

From my perspective, the major media outlets originally fumbled the reporting of this key play in the Packers-Saints game in 2012. Most merely referenced Graham Harrell tripping, stumbling, or fumbling. Take a look at how major media characterized the action:

Associated Press: Harrell tripped and fumbled as he tried to hand it off, allowing the Saints to get the ball. Brees then found Joseph Morgan wide open behind the defense for an 80-yard touchdown and a 24-21 lead.

USA Today: Enter Graham Harrell, the second-year player from Texas Tech who was standing under center for the first time in an NFL game. Snapping the ball at the 2-yard line, Harrell tripped on the foot of center Jeff Saturday and fumbled a planned handoff to Cedric Benson. The Saints recovered the ball and four plays later took a 24-21 lead on an 80-yard touchdown pass from Drew Brees to Joseph Morgan.

ESPN: Harrell, the backup who had a roller coaster preseason in his first summer as the Packers’ No. 2, entered the game for a first-and-goal at the two-yard line. Harrell tripped over center Jeff Saturday’s feet on his first snap and could not cleanly hand the ball off to tailback Cedric Benson. Harrell was charged with a fumble, negating a chance to build on a 21-17 lead, and the Saints recovered.

Fox Sports: In the first-ever regular-season snap in Harrell’s NFL career, the 27-year-old former Canadian Football League quarterback stumbled backward after tripping on the foot of veteran center Jeff Saturday. As he was falling, Harrell attempted to hand the ball off to running back Cedric Benson, but it bounced away and was recovered by New Orleans.

If you have a moment, review the play.

Saint defensive tackle Broderick Bunkley, number 77, bulldozed Packers center Jeff Saturday, number 63, two yards into the backfield. Saturday’s left foot came into contact with both of Harrell’s feet as Harrell had his back to Saturday.

To simply infer that Harrell stumbled and lost the ball misses the mark. None of the above media outlets referenced the tremendous defensive effort of Bunkley. If I were a statistician, I would consider crediting Bunkley with a forced fumble.

“A forced fumble occurs when the ball carrier loses the football due to the force of a defensive player. This can be a result of being hit or of having the ball stripped by a defender.”

Green Bay Packers quarterback Graham Harrell was originally scorned for his fumble against the New Orleans Saints last year. But upon further review … Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports photograph

My rationale is that Bunkley’s force caused a chain reaction that led to the fumble. If Bunkley would have been credited with a forced fumble, the reporting of the play may have been much different and Harrell may not have been labeled as the “almost goat.” Instead the focus of the play may have been on Bunkley being the “almost hero” for the Saints.

Others speculate Harrell could have aborted the handoff, tucked it in, and taken a loss. If you notice the tape, his arm is outstretched after his second foot comes in contact with Saturday’s foot.  His balance was already lost. He could just have likely fumbled it while trying to tuck it in.

It also would have been nice to know if anything tipped the Saints off that it was a run play to the Packers’ left side. For example, did it appear Packers fullback John Kuhn’s stance prior to the snap indicated he was preparing to push off on his right foot and move to his left? How did the Saints anticipate the snap count so well?

Fortunately, the Packers won this game, and after some reflection, the media are not so hard on Harrell now, many preferring to reference his “up-and-down” preseason performance in 2012 as his big question mark. But even that is incorrect. Harrell had a down-and-up preseason, finishing the exhibition season with a near perfect game against Kansas City. In my book, his trend line is still up until we see more of his work.

What do you think about Harrell? Leave a comment below, go to our Facebook page and/or follow us on Twitter.

The Green Bay Packers have relied on the arm of Aaron Rodgers, but look for balance this year.
Raymond T. Rivard photograph

Chris Brown, author of ‘The Essential Smart Football” and a contributor at ESPN’s Grantland, wrote “it’s understandable that most fans (and even many coaches) think of football plays in terms of the strict run-pass dichotomy.”

To that point, teams usually only do one or the other well. One-dimensional franchises with predictable offenses aren’t consistently competing for or winning championships as much as they’re jockeying for lottery position in the annual NFL draft.

Oakland, for example, has appeared in exactly one Super Bowl (XXXVII) since their reign of lawless-inspired championships in the mid-1970s and early 1980s and has struggled to finish with a winning record for most of the last two decades. Dallas has won just a single playoff game since they earned three titles in the 1990s. The Dallas Morning News constantly skewers Jerry Jones for his inabilities as both an owner and general manager and frequently chronicle the failures of quarterback Tony Romo.

For some Cowboys fans, Romo is the anti-Aikman or Staubach.

The Packers can’t continue to rely so heavily on Aaron Rodgers.
Raymond T. Rivard photograph

For both franchises, the element of offensive balance simply hasn’t existed in order to consistently be successful over the long run. While this may seem like an elementary concept, it has some truth.

We know this: the NFL has increasingly become a passing league. The recent passing trend has seen red-hot quarterbacks win the title. Aaron Rodgers was elevated to elite status with a victory in Super Bowl XLV in 2010 following an incredible statistical run that saw him throw nine touchdowns in four games. And there’s Joe Flacco who capped his recent Super Bowl XLVII championship run with the Ravens by tossing 11 scores during the postseason.

Consequently, as the league has evolved through the air, more traditional “run heavy” teams have seemingly taken a back seat in the pecking order. According to Pro Football Reference, nine teams in 2012 averaged less than 100 total yards rushing per game. Arizona finished 32nd with a paltry 75.3 yards per contest. Dallas, much to the chagrin of Jerry Jones and despite featuring talented back DeMarco Murray, ended up 31st with 79.1 yards per game. Jacksonville, a typically strong running team, was without running back Maurice Jones-Drew for most of the season and subsequently netted just 85.6 yards every Sunday to finish 30th in the NFL.

The high-octane Atlanta offense, led by recently-released running back Michael Turner, finished 29th in the league with just 87.3 per game.

These four teams averaged a combined 3.6 yards per rush. With the exception of the Falcons, eight of the nine teams (Arizona, Dallas, Jacksonville, Oakland, San Diego, Pittsburgh, New Orleans, Cleveland) missed the playoffs in 2012.

Robert Griffin III and Alfred Morris helped the Redskins lead the league in rushing last season.
Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports

In comparison, teams that have a strong running game tend to have success in making the postseason. Pro Football Reference shows that the Washington Redskins were the best running team in the league in 2012, averaging 169.3 yards per game. Collectively, the Redskins backfield netted 5.2 yards per carry. They qualified for the playoffs and lost to the upstart Seattle Seahawks in last year’s NFC Wild Card game. Dual-threat quarterback Robert Griffin III was hampered by a Seahawks defense that keyed to stop him. Ultimately he suffered an injury, relagating the team to one-dimensional status.

The Minnesota Vikings, who feature an elite Adrian Peterson, ranked second in the NFL by logging 164.6 rushing yards per game. The issue here is that Peterson also happens to co-exist in a one-dimensional offense which lacks a legitimate threat at quarterback. Minnesota drew a road matchup in a frigid Lambeau Field in the other 2012 NFC Wild Card game. The Vikings were quickly eliminated when Green Bay stacked eight or more defenders in the box or close to the line of scrimmage and limited their running game.

Minnesota quarterback Christian Ponder was a non-factor. Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers committed to a game plan designed to contain the Vikings rushing attack, in part because Ponder led a passing game that averaged 170 yards per game, good for 31st in the NFL. This is a prime example of how a team that cannot successfully run the football, especially in cold weather on the road, are at a severe disadvantage.

According to Pro Football Reference, since Mike McCarthy took over as head coach in 2006, Green Bay has ranked in the top 15 in the NFL in yards per rushing attempt twice (2007 and 2009, at 12th and 13th, respectively) which is a major indicator of the Packers’ reliance upon Rodgers’ arm and their subsquent inability to dictate the run. We’ve all heard McCarthy talk about how he’d like to be able to do this. He knows toughness and a good ground game are important predecessor to controlling, closing out and winning games. Power running is critical in that it’s a catalyst to a team developing an attitude of toughness and becoming more physical – both elements that McCarthy has said Green Bay has lacked in recent years.

Terry Bradshaw
Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

When you think of the historically tough teams over the history of the NFL you envision John Riggins of the Redskins in the 1980s. You think of Larry Csonka of the Dolphins and Franco Harris of the Steelers in the 1970s. You think of Jim Taylor wearing Green and Gold, running the power sweep up the alley, in the 1960s. These Hall of Fame power runners, not conincidentally, each won Super Bowl titles. However, they also operated within the parameters of well-balanced offenses. Washington featured quarterback Joe Theismann. Miami had Bob Griese. Pittsburgh lined up Terry Bradshaw behind center. Green Bay had Bart Starr. All four signal callers also are immortalized in Canton, Ohio. Defenses that lined up against these All-Time teams had the uneviable task of picking their gridiron poison.

For a variety of reasons, Green Bay has utilized a “pass to set up the pass” offensive philosophy. Personnel issues, injuries, blocking schemes and ever-changing assignments on a patchwork offensive line have necessitated this approach. Also consider the fact that the Packers feature the league’s best player behind center and it’s even easier to understand the strategy of putting the football in Rodgers’ hands on a vast majority of plays.

It’s no different than the approach Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula took with Dan Marino in the 1980s and early 1990s. The Dolphins essentially had no running game during Marino’s career. Everything went through Marino. Seasons lived and died on his arm. Consequently, Miami made only one appearance in a Super Bowl (XIX) and never returned during his tenure. In hindsight, the Dolphins’ lack of offensive balance was a clear catalyst in that title drought.

Despite Green Bay’s aerial prowess, when their offense stalls or fails to get into rhythm they are prone to enduring long stretches without generating points. Lack of offensive rhythm and the inability to run the football or turn to the running game to help the offense settle down were both major factors in each of the last two playoff losses to the 49ers and Giants. How many times in those defeats did we see Rodgers flip down his chin strap in disgust and trudge to the sidelines after yet another failed third down conversion attempt?

In Rodgers’ 2011 MVP season he completed nearly 70 percent of his passes for 45 touchdowns and six interceptions. At times it looked easy for the Packers as they coasted to a 15-0 start that year. Reality showed that eventually they would regress to the mean, in this case generating offense had to come through other avenues than the pass. In week 16 that season, Kansas City continuously blitzed Rodgers and the Chiefs controlled the clock on the ground. Green Bay’s winning streak came to an end.

In 2012, the Packers saw defenses adapt to their vaunted passing game by dropping a surplus of defenders into coverage. Defensive linemen ran stunts and linebackers and cornerbacks regularly showed blitz as Rodgers made his pre-snap reads, only to have them fall back into the secondary once the play began. This srategy of flooding the underneath and zone passing lanes literally took away entire sections of the field. In previous seasons these pockets were ripe for the picking by the rocket-armed ex-Cal Berkeley alum.

Take away the running game – or in Green Bay’s case, the threat of one – and eventually defenses will adjust. Last season, Rodgers made his progressions while improvising behind a shaky offensive line. He was forced to rush throws into tighter windows or if receivers couldn’t shake coverage, he’d have to throw the football away, if he wasn’t already sacked. Predictably, the result was an excess of empty three-and-out possessions for Green Bay. For an offense that is built around the big play through the passing game, inability to dictate tempo by turning to a capable ground game often spelled disaster.

A team that can call a running play depending on the game situation and then execute that run effectively has a distinct advantge over the Arizonas,

Johnathan Franklin
Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

Oaklands and Jacksonvilles of the NFL. Undeniably, the mere presence of Eddie Lacy and Johnathan Franklin presumably upgrades the Green Bay ground game and theoretically would take some of the pressure off of Rodgers.

However, for the Packers it’s not really about Lacy, Franklin or even possibly Angelo Pease becoming the next John Riggins, Larry Csonka or Jim Taylor. It’s about their ability to convert third downs, protect the football, pass block and operate within the constraints of a pass-oriented offense. Green Bay runners need to run with less finesse and more agression. They need to punish linebackers and safeties at the second and third levels with the football in their hands or as a decoy. That being said, it’s still not likely to envision a Packers box score with 35-plus rushing attempts. The additions of these three rookie rushers and an improved running game isn’t going to drastically change the dynamic of the Green Bay offense. McCarthy knows this. The rest of the NFL knows this. Fans know this.

Ideally, Green Bay will utilize their new backfield acquisitions to improve on their 20th-rated 2012 rushing offense. The goal is to demonstrate improved running between the tackles and turn in a higher yard-per-carry average. If they can do that it’ll be easier for McCarthy to continue to implement heavy play-action utilizing an array of swing passes, short crossing routes and curl patterns that will augment the emergence of a genuine power running game.

In Green Bay, the threat of a run is just as valuable as the ability to run. Offensive balance would help impove their chances of controlling and winning games in the postseason by being able grind out yardage and eat up valuable clock.

For the Packers, balance is the key to another championship.

Kansas State Wildcats running back Angelo Pease could be one of the value players that Ted Thompson is so known for finding. Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports

A couple of weekends ago when Green Bay Packers‘ head coach Mike McCarthy stood at the podium in the media center at Lambeau Field talking about what he had seen from his rookies, one name was brought up a couple of times as having stood out among the bunch – running back Angelo Pease.

McCarthy called the Kansas State player out for having what he believed to be an outstanding couple of days of practice.

Eddie Lacy is expected to make the Packers, but will be pushed. Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Sure, he talked about Datone Jones bringing a new presence to the defense and he talked about running backs Eddie Lacy as being “smooth” and Johnathan Franklin as looking good in all phases of the game, including fielding kicks and punts.

That was expected.

But when the name of Angelo Pease came out of the coach’s mouth – well, that was a bit unexpected. Not only was Pease undrafted, but the Cairo, Ga., native didn’t see the field a whole lot in his two seasons with the Wildcats. In 2011, he played in 10 games, carrying the ball 36 times for 144 yards, and two touchdowns. Last season, he got a few more carries. In 11 games, he carried 60 times for 333 yards. During his college career, he carried the ball 96 times for 477 yards.

Pease is described on the K-State football page as “a powerful and shifty back.” At 5-11, 215 pounds, he has the body type and quickness that could make him a nice fit in the Packers’s system.

Obviously, he wasn’t overused and comes to Green Bay with fresh legs. Maybe that’s something that McCarthy likes.

Either way, should Pease continue to impress the coaching staff and somehow make the roster – heck, even if he slips through and lands on the practice squad, he will be an added value to the team.

Oklahoma State Cowboys guard Lane Taylor signed a $7,000 bonus with the Packer – the most of any undrafted free agent brought into Green Bay. Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

What makes him even a better value is the fact that he was brought in without a signing bonus, unlike some of the other undrafted players who were added to the roster after the NFL Draft. Other undrafted players did receive signing bonuses, led by Oklahoma State offensive lineman Lane Taylor who got a whopping $7,000 bonus to sign on the dotted line. Illinois State quarterback Matt Brown, Mississippi defensive tackle Gilbert Pena, Ohio State tight end Jake Stoneburner and Eastern Michigan outside linebacker Andy Mulumba all received $5,000 signing bonuses.

So what’s the chance that Pease even makes the team? Not high. However, the Packers are known for finding diamonds in the rough – undrafted free agents who do make the team.

For instance, last year alone the Packers had four on their roster: guard/tackle Don Barclay,  receiver Jarrett Boykin, safety Sean Richardson and linebacker Dezman Moses. Of the four, three of them – Barclay, Boykin, and Moses – saw action last year. Barclay was forced into action at right tackle and played the final quarter of the season at that spot – gaining valuable experience as he competes for spot again this season. Moses also saw significant playing time when Clay Matthews went down with an injury for four games. He also played in spot situations throughout the season. Boykin saw action mostly at the end of the season, but he’s a player the Packers really like. Richardson was injured last year but was kept around because of his potential.

Could Pease be one of those players who sticks? It will be fun to watch as the running back position is wide open. If he does make the roster or practice squad, he will be one of those value-packed contributors that Ted Thompson has become famous for finding.

Stay tuned …

Packers vs. Bears – it’s the best rivalry in all of football, bar none.
Raymond T. Rivard photograph

Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears, in my opinion, is still the number one rivalry in all of the National Football League – that’s despite the recent number three ranking by Russell S. Baxter over at The Bleacher Report.

Number three?

Really?

And the Pittsburgh Steelers vs. the Baltimore Ravens and Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning rank above the most storied rivalry in all of football?

Really?

Players come, players go, but the Packers vs. Bears continues to be a huge rivalry.
Raymond T. Rivard photograph

No offense to Mr. Baxter, who admits in his ranking that the Packers vs. Bears certainly deserve to be top 3, but says that because the Packers have dominated the Bears of late that it slips the rivalry out of the top two spots.

Well, if you’re taking the “what have you done for me lately” perspective, I can see Mr. Baxter’s ranking. But if you’re looking at a more broad spectrum – like the past 90-plus years – there isn’t a rivalry that holds a candle to Packers vs. Bears. And that’s considering not just the NFL, but all of sports. Yes, you can argue Yankees vs. Red Sox all you want, but Packers vs. Bears has got to be number one.

I can’t begin to list the great games, the great matchups and the general hatred between the two franchises – the fact that it’s big city versus small town, big money versus blue collar, or Mike Ditka versus Forrest Gregg – those are only a minuscule number of the factors that have made this the greatest rivalry of all time.

The two franchises have been meeting since 1921, and it’s been since 1925 that they have met at least twice each season. That’s a hell of a long stretch of games – providing generations with the taste of blood. Once it’s there, the fans are hooked. Like Mr. Baxter says, all you have to do is take a seat at Lambeau Field or Soldier Field when the two teams take the field to get a feel for what it’s all about.

Yes, there have been many winning streaks by both teams over the years that have given one team or the other the immediate advantage, but that matters not. In the wash, it all comes down to each individual Sunday that these two teams have collided on the gridiron. Every single game has its cast of characters; each indivdidual season has its drama.

They may gather for prayer at the end, but when they’re on the field it’s all about the rivalry.
Raymond T. Rivard photograph

When the season schedule is released each spring, you can bet that every Packers or Bears fan worth their salt looks at where those two games fall and make plans to be ready to watch or attend.

What do Packers and Bears fans look forward to most when the season starts – you got it – when they will meet. In fact, even if their team finishes 2-14, it’s a successful season it is if those two wins comes against the other team.

Overall, Mr. Baxter’s list of rivalries is a fun look at the NFL, but I feel there’s no way that the blip on the screen that is Brady vs. Manning or the Steelers vs. Ravens should rank above Packers vs. Bears.

What do you think, Packers and Bears fans?

Let us know by leaving a comment below, or by clicking over to our Facebook and Twitter accounts.

For the first time in several years, Mason Crosby will have competition in training camp.
Raymond T. Rivard photograph

Yes, we all know about the running back battle that’s being hyped between rookies Eddie Lacy and Johnathan Frankly who fight it out with in-house backs DuJuan Harris, Alex Green and James Starks; and yes, we know about the offensive line battles that are going to shape up, especially at the right tackle position that will feature Don Barclay, Marshall Newhouse and rookies David Bakhtiari and J.C. Tretter.

But those position shakedowns don’t hold a candle to the biggest battle that’s bound to draw eyes, not only among teammates, but especially from the media and the Packers fan base.

Giorgio Tavhecchio

Mason Crosby, who was tentative and unsure of himself all of last season will go up against rookie Giorgio Tavecchio, the Italian transplant from Cal who was signed specifically during the offseason to bring in some competition for Crosby. The Packers veteran hasn’t had any competition in camp since he went up agains Dave Rayner way back when. He’s been the guy and the Packers rewarded him a couple of seasons ago with a lucrative contract to kick in Lambeau Field – not always the best place to try to make field goals.

The good news for Crosby is that he closed out the season last year strongly and seemed to have gotten some of his confidence back.

But the Packers’ brass isn’t so sure – thus their decision to bring in Tavecchio.

Born in Milan, Italy, Tavecchio has been living in this country since he was a young boy. The 22-year-old is not a huge guy – in fact he’s a little guy – 5-10, 178 pounds. There isn’t a whole lot of information about the guy, but here is what I found on packers.com:

Tavecchio entered the league as a non-drafted free agent with the San Francisco 49ers in May 2012. He played in three preseason games for the 49ers, converting his lone field goal attempt and two extra points. As a collegian, Tavecchio appeared in 46 games during his career for the Golden Bears and finished No. 5 on the school’s all-time scoring list (No. 4 among kickers) with 256 points.

So, forget the running backs and offensive lineman, if you happen to have the chance to attend one of the Packers open OTA practices, look to the end of the field where Crosby and Tavecchio will be working out. How it all turns out will be interesting to watch.

Lance Easley (arrow) will umpire Richard Sherman’s charity softball game.

In the Most-Bizarre-News-line category of the day, we hear that loud-mouthed Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman rubbed salt into the wounds of every Green Bay Packers fan when he announced that he was hiring the one and the only Lance Easley to umpire his summer softball fundraiser.

If you don’t know who Easley is, you might not want to know, but I’ll tell you anyway.

He’s the official who made the touchdown call on the “Fail Mary” pass to give the Seattle Seahawks the 14-12 win over the Green Bay Packers on that fateful Monday night last fall.

Clearly, Sherman is trying to be funny and Seahawks fans will surely find a laugh somewhere in there, but for Packers fans – well, we don’t want to think about it. The loss to the Seahawks was devastating to the team at that point in the season and affected many things down the road of that 2012 season.

The call epitomized how stupid the National Football League had been up to that point in failing to carry out negotiations with the regular referees, but it also served as a wake-up call to the league to get the contract situation resolved – something they did before the start of play during the following week of NFL action.

Though the regular referees didn’t totally solve the problems of blown calls, at least they brought a semblance of professionalism back into the game – taking away the keystone cops mentality that had been running rampant from game to game up to that point.

So, we hope Sherman and all his pals have a great time with Easton and that they raise all kinds of money for a good cause.

Packers fans won’t be watching, but we will be waiting for 2013 and some redemption at some point.

But if you want to be ticked once more … here you go.

Where will Charles Woodson land and do the Packers have any interest in bringing him back?
Raymond T. Rivard photograph

Former Green Bay Packers CB/S Charles Woodson might have been headed to a new team by this weekend had he not been such a nice guy.

That’s because after paying a visit to the Denver Broncos earlier this week and leaving without a contract, he may have gone straight to Oakland for a visit – a team that reportedly has an offer waiting for him on the table.

Charles Woodson has teams interested in his services.
Raymond T. Rivard photograph

But instead, Woodson flew back to Michigan for a charity appearance he had on the books at Mott Children’s Hospital. The charity work may have held up his day job search, but it seems like it won’t be long until Woodson signs somewhere – at least the interest level is heating up and it appears a handful of teams have called him.

That’s a different scenario than Woodson faced the past few weeks as he sat on the couch awaiting a call – the 2009 Defensive Player of the Year even went so far as to say publicly that teams were probably seeing him as an “ancient” player.

His agent, Carl Poston, told the Associated Press today that Woodson’s visit to the Raiders will be held Tuesday if he doesn’t sign with Oakland. The New York Giants and the Carolina Panthers, as well as two other unnamed teams,  have also expressed an interest.

One of the caveats for Woodson, at least previously, was that he wanted to sign with a contender. Of the teams named, it seems only the Giants would fit into that role. Could one of the unnamed teams be the Packers?

That’s a possibility, but of course Packers team brass have indicated that if Woodson were to be brought back to Green Bay the price would have to be right.

Randall Cobb should be one the Packers’ top threats this season.
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

The 2012 Packers offense was not abysmal by any means, finishing as the thirteenth ranked offense in the NFL, averaging 359.4 yards per game.One thing that is certain, the Green Bay Packers 2013 offense will be different.

Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

But this was clearly a fall-off from the 2011 season in which the Aaron Rodgers-led offense finished third in the NFL at 405 yards per game. But at the end of the day the Packers were not Super Bowl champs in either season and in both of the previous years they had a bad showing in the playoffs.

In the ever-evolving NFL, change is constant and Coach Mike McCarthy understood adjustments needed to be made.

To some degree the Packers offensive attack over the past three years has been boom or bust. Most of the boom came from the passing game. It’s hard to fault McCarthy for building around Aaron Rodgers, arguably the best quarterback in the game with an arsenal of receivers at his dispense. As a whole, the receiving corps was deep and talented. The problem was the offense’s predictability and the offensive line’s woeful showing.

Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

In 2011, the Packers clearly benefited from the talent at wide receiver and Rodgers’ ability to get them the ball. But other teams caught up to their scheme in 2012. They defended the pass and came after Rodgers fast and furious, sacking him 51 times on the year. The running game was irrelevant and the offensive line was clearly not functioning as a well-oiled machine.

The offseason moves and the draft indicated the Packers are working to bring balance to their offense in 2013. From a financial perspective it was not a big surprise that wide receiver Greg Jennings was not signed. But the talent of the receiving unit does take a hit. With that said, most teams in the NFL, and especially teams in the NFC North, would be happy to have Randall Cobb, James Jones, Jordy Nelson and tight end Jermichael Finley at their disposal.

The subtraction of Jennings was balanced by the addition of second round draft pick Eddie Lacy and fourth round selection Johnathan Franklin at running back. The logic here is undoubtedly to create a more balanced attack. In theory, by upgrading the running game, defenses will no longer be able to disregard the Packers rushing attack and key in on the passing game.

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Taking things one step further, Coach McCarthy recently announced that the offensive line would be getting a bit of a make-over, same faces really, just in different places. Right tackle Bryan Bulaga will flip-flop to left tackle and the same for right guard Josh Sitton, who will move to left guard. Last season’s left guard T.J. Lang, of course, is set to move to right guard. It seems the Packers are comfortable with Evan Dietrich-Smith at center. Right tackle, on the other hand, is an open competition between last year’s left tackle Marshall Newhouse, second year man Don Barclay, 2011 first round pick Derek Sherrod, and rookie David Bakhtiari from the University of Colorado.

The moves on the offensive line indicate the Packers are wisely looking to protect the blind side of franchise quarterback Aaron Rodgers and look to run behind a mauler of a guard in T.J. Lang on the strong side. The competition at right tackle will be interesting to watch develop.

On paper, which of course is not where the games are played, the Packers looked to be improved from an offensive perspective. If injuries hit the receivers, depth could be an issue. If the rookie running backs flop, then it’s back to square one in that department. And if the offensive linemen can’t make the adjustments, then that could be disastrous. But all of it is speculation and that is why the games are played.

In the end, the 2013 Packers season should be a fun one to watch unfold.

Of the changes made, which do you think will have the largest positive or negative effect?

Green Bay Packers quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers (12) (left) Graham Harrell (6) (center) and B.J. Coleman (9) (right) are announced to the crowd prior to the family night scrimmage at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports photograph

As OTAs are about to begin this month, here at LombardiAve we have decided it would be a good time to take a closer look at each position on the Green Bay Packers roster. Over the next few weeks we will break down each position and discuss which players are safe from being cut, which players will be fighting for a job, and which players will have a long uphill battle to make the roster.

Of course, it is all speculation at this point. That is part of the beauty of the NFL offseason programs. Players who look like long shots for making the final 53-man roster prove themselves in workouts and camp and make the final cut.

Even though it’s too early to predict the final 53-man roster at this point, we will begin breaking the players down into three categories heading into OTAs with the understanding that things are susceptible to change as the offseason progresses.

For the first installment of this series, we will begin with the most important position on the field — quarterback.

Quarterback (4)

 Safe – in fact, a lock: Aaron Rodgers, 6-2, 225 pounds

Aaron Rodgers during the game against the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Wild Card playoff game at Lambeau Field. Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports photograph

Green Bay has invested a lot of money in Rodgers this offseason, $110 million to be exact, but for good reason. Rodgers is simply the best player at the most important position in the league — if not in all of sports. Rodgers has played at an elite level for several years. He has led the league in passer rating the past two seasons and has been a top five quarterback since he took over the starting job in 2008.

The Packers’ success relies on the arm of Rodgers, and despite the acquisitions in the running game this offseason and efforts to improve the defense, that is the way it will be until Rodgers decides to hang it up someday. As long as Rodgers stays upright, Green Bay will continue to be in the mix as Super Bowl contenders. Let’s just cross our fingers that Rodgers stays healthy in 2013.

On the Fence - Graham Harrell, 6-2, 215 pounds; B.J. Coleman, 6-3, 231 pounds

Beyond Rodgers things remain uncertain at the position. Harrell was the number two last year after Matt Flynn’s departure to Seattle, but Harrell did very little to help his cause last preseason where he struggled to sustain drives in the first three games.

Harrell put up good numbers in the fourth preseason game against Kansas City, where he threw for 223 yards and two touchdowns. Harrell looked like a different quarterback in that game and showed a good command at the position, but it was the fourth and least significant preseason game, so take away from it what you will. Harrell shows a good understanding for the Green Bay offense, but may lack the arm strength and fearlessness required to succeed at the position.

B.J. Coleman throws a pass during training camp practice at Ray Nitschke Field last summer. Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports photograph

There is still very little known about Coleman. He was subpar in his preseason appearances last year, but after spending the 2012 year on the practice squad, Mike McCarthy has stated that Coleman demonstrated a much better understanding of the playbook and command of the huddle during rookie orientation last weekend.

Coleman seems to be a new quarterback this offseason and could challenge Harrell for the top backup quarterback position. Coleman has a stronger arm than Harrell and may have more upside, but for Coleman to take Harrell’s spot on the roster, Coleman needs to prove to his coaches that he can handle all the responsibilities of the position during a game.

This will be one of the more interesting position battles to track over the offseason. At age 27, Harrell may have already reached his ceiling as a player, so I think it is safe to say we know what we’re getting out of Harrell at this point. However, Coleman is still young and has plenty of room to improve, so if he shows significant improvement this offseason he may just be the Packers new backup quarterback.

Long Shot - Matt Brown, 6-3, 225 pounds

I have to admit I know very little about Brown. In his senior season at Illinois State, Brown threw for 3,370 yards and 27 touchdowns with a 65 percent completion rate. These look like pretty good numbers, but some wonder about the level of competition he faced on a regular basis in the Missouri Valley Conference.

Brown could be a wildcard at the position and push Coleman and Harrell, but more than likely, he remains the fourth quarterback during camp. And if Brown shows some potential, he could win a spot on the practice squad and become a player Green Bay develops over the next few years.

Last year, the Packers kept two quarterbacks (Rodgers and Harrell) on their 53-man roster and one on the practice squad (Coleman). Will they retain three quarterbacks on the roster this year? Will Coleman or Harrell be the top backup behind Rodgers? Will Brown be a surprise player at the position?

It will be interesting to see how this all plays out this offseason.

JAaron Rodgers was in the news this week … for good things. Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

Another week has gone by placing us another week closer to the start of the NFL season.  A lot has happened in Green Bay Packers land this week and even across the border in the land of ten thousand puddles.

First a belated birthday shout out to Clay Matthews (and his hair).  Nothing like celebrating a birthday with a new contract and a revamped defense.  Now maybe he will finish off the year with a nice shiny trophy and maybe even a Defensive Player of the Year award.

Moving on, Aaron Rodgers teamed up with Bart Starr for An Evening with Aaron Rodgers for the MACC Fund.  All reports indicate that the night was a success.  I think the best quote I read from the night was how Rodgers looks up to Starr.  You have to love it when the past and the present mesh so well.  Maybe someday we will be able to have all three of our Super Bowl winning quarterbacks together at the same time.

Speaking of Brett Favre, Mark Murphy again mentioned how it would be nice to have him back in the fold.  Personally, I am still on the fence with the whole Favre thing.  He did a lot for this team but his attitude and behavior at the end tarnished so much.  Guess I still need more therapy to work through those issues.

The new batch of rookies had their orientation and a lot has been written about big toes and projecting who will do what.  Two simple thoughts – first, the big toe held up fine last year so why worry unless it falls off; secondly, you have to love the attitude and demeanor of Datone Jones.  I love how he is setting his goals to be on the level of Reggie White.  If those dreams pan out, that would be a formidable defense with Matthews and Jones.

The Packers shareholders meeting was also announced for July 24.  As an owner, I went for the first time last year and have my schedule set to return again this year.  So there will be a full report coming on the heels of that trip.  Hopefully the new concession stand registers are working and I don’t get a bill for $999,969.78 for popcorn and soda like last year. If you are a shareholder and have never gone, I highly recommend it.

The last thing I wanted to touch on was a little note to our friends to the West.  It has been some time since I have commented about their happening only because I wanted to give their fans some aditional time to learn some new words for insulting me when I point out the obvious.  Hopefully, they have moved on from the common vernacular of name calling and come up with something a little more intelligent.

Here’s what the Vikings’ new stadium is being compared to … it’s OK to laugh out loud here …

As our own editor Ray Rivard pointed out, the Queens have finally put together their plans for a new stadium to replace the inflatible garbage bag known as the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome (sorry I am old school).  Being smarter than the Twins organization, they understood the importance of having a roof over their heads.  The sad thing is that they stole the plans from a Jawa Sandcrawler (Star Wars Episode IV reference).  Ironically, just like a Sandcrawler, it is going to be filled with bits and pieces of scrap and throwaways and in the end the Queens are hoping they can assemble something that would resemble a team and not blow a modulator or ACL.

Interestingly enough along those same lines, rumours are swirling around the league that the purple tutus are looking at former Chicago Bear Brian Urlacher.  It just supports my theory that they like taking scrap from other teams.  Plus it just goes to show that they have no concept of how to draft and develop.  Someday they may learn that history will repeat itself and like the Vikings of old, plundering will get you nothing more than a footnote in history.  Oh, wait! They have that footnote, something about never winning a Super Bowl.

I also enjoyed the news that after this season, the Queens will be playing two years at TCF Stadium,

TCF Stadium will be the home of the Vikings in 2014 and 2015.

home of the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers (full disclosure, I graduated from the UofM, I support my college teams no matter how badly we get pummled each and every season).  I find it interesting that they did not try to work out a long term deal to play all their games there. With Christian Ponder at quarterback and the general makeup of the team being equal to junior college players, the Queens are finally playing in a stadium fit for their level of play.  I would even give the Gophers a slight edge in a one-on-one matchup against the Vikings.

So guys, install the underground heating coils so you can take another step toward trying to be like Lambeau Field and good luck playing in the dead of winter at TCF stadium. Maybe, just maybe that Vikings heritage you try to foster will keep you warm as you shiver and shake your way to trying to be relevant.

Let the Viking fans begin the insults and hey, see if you can step it up a notch and try to add some class this time around. You disappointed me last time with the regular name calling.  Try to do better for the sake of your team!

GO PACK GO!

Ted Thompson has his game face on most of the time, though many times it’s difficult to read what the man is thinking. Either way, he’s one of the best at what he does.
Raymond T. Rivard photograph

CBS Sports NFL Insiders Jason La Canfora this morning released an interesting piece rating the top front offices of NFL teams – an admittedly subjective look at the best management teams – but one that not only ranks Ted Thompson and his crew in the top three and the best in the NFC, but seems pretty darned accurate.

There are those who might not like La Canfora, for whatever reasons, but he takes chances and backs his conclusions up with reasoning. Whether you agree with that reasoning is one thing, but at least he stands behind it.

As he admits, his listing of top front offices here is his own opinion, but the interesting thing I noted is that not only are the Packers the top NFC team on the list, but other NFC North teams, the Vikings, Lions, and Bears, did not make the cut.

Ranked number one is the team led in Baltimore by Ozzie Newsome … can you argue with that? At number two just ahead of the Packers is Bill Belichick‘s New England Patriots.

Both of those programs have had inordinate success for years because of the guys at the top and the Packers are no different. Thompson is the guy I like to call the invisible man, the guy who has been called many things, some that are not printable here. But the “In Ted We Trust” mantra that has circulated across Packers Nation has been the most accurate description of how we all feel about the guy.

There’s little that we can gripe about with Thompson’s personnel moves over the years. Sure, he’s had some clunkers like Justin Harrell and Derek Sherrod (thought the jury’s still out on that one), but the slow, methodical pace that Thompson has adhered to has produced one Super Bowl championship and two straight NFC North championships the past three years.

Clearly, the man does his homework and provides the league’s smallest city with the tools it needs to be competitive on the field and profitable at the bank. The Packers raked in more than $40 million profit last year not only because of sound fiscal management, but because of the sound football decisions. It’s those facts that have allowed the Packers to sign their two top players, Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews, as well as continue to hit paydirt in the draft – and the guy who’s fingerprints are all over those moves – Thompson’s (along with Russ Ball and Mark Murphy) – just keeps the machine humming.

Here’s what La Canfora wrote about the Packers:

3. Green Bay Packers:

Ted Thompson is so low key and so patient that you sometimes forget he’s even there, which is what he loves. But man, what a tremendous front office when you can lose a John Schnieder — the best young GM in the game — to Seattle and just keep on winning.

Mark Murphy and Russ Ball help man the ship and keep the cap and budgets humming along, and this ultimate small market team has Super Bowl or bust expectations every year, which is all you hope for. Getting Aaron Rodgers signed to a cap-and-cash friendly deal through the rest of this decade was another phenomenal move, as was waiting for potential impact running backs Eddie Lacy and Jonathan Franklin to fall to them in the draft. Remember, the Packers have had to deal with guys like Brett Favre and Mike Holmgren walking out the door not that long ago, and they have done nothing but thrive since.

Thompson won’t get goaded into overpaying or drafting for need, and his keen eye has resulted in guys like Randall Cobb – so huge now — being picked where others might not have done so with so many receivers already in the fold.

Mike McCarthy was a sage hire as head coach. He is a perfect fit with this team and that city, and Rodgers isn’t done winning Super Bowls by a long shot. When they do venture into free agency, they often find steals, like Charles Woodson, and this front office doesn’t get nearly the credit it deserves.

So, tell us what you think, Packers fans. Is La Canfora on the mark?

Charles Woodson left Denver today without a contract, meaning the chances of Woodson playing for a contender were drastically reduced. Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports photograph

Late this evening, the Denver Post reported that former Green Bay Packers S/CB Charles Woodson visited with the Denver Broncos today, but left town without a contract.

Here’s what the paper reported:

Woodson spent much of the day with Broncos coaches, personnel and a few players at the team’s Dove Valley headquarters.

Although, the Oakland Raiders and Carolina Panthers also are interested in signing the versatile defensive back, the Broncos were likely the leading candidate for Woodson because they have the best chance to win a Super Bowl this year.

It seems that Woodson’s window of opportunity to play for a contender is closing quickly once again. Though Woodson’s agent stated yesterday the Raiders had a deal already on the table, his client hadn’t made a decision and wanted to visit the Broncos before acting on any contract.

Woodson has been vocal about the lack of interest he has drawn since the Packers cut him just after the season ended. At one point he stated that teams across the league viewed him as “ancient” and that it was disappointing he hadn’t found a home.

Clearly, that disappointment has multiplied for Woodson.

When asked yesterday whether the Packers would have any interest in bringing Woodson back to Green Bay, Packers President Mark Murphy said “probably not,” but left the door open a crack by saying that they had to wait and see how things played out with Woodson – almost making it sound like the Packers might be interested if they have a need and they could get him to come back under their terms.

The Packers didn’t draft a safety and team officials have said they were satisfied with the players they have in-house to play the position … Morgan Burnett, Jerron McMillian, and M.D. Jennings. Though woefully thin at safety, the Packers haven’t made any moves to bring in players to bolster the position and add some competition.

Charles Woodson playing one-on-one against Calvin “Megatron” Johnson of the Detroit Lions.
Raymond T. Rivard photograph

Whether they might have an interest in Woodson won’t play out for a while and even if they did bring Woodson back, there’s no guarantee he would even make the team.

Woodson must now decide between playing for a team with no chance of winning a title or waiting for a contender to call. For now, unless Woodson jumps on the Raiders contract, he’s destined to ride the couch until a contender calls.

Whether that contender is the Packers remains to be seen.

I guess one should never say never.

The south end zone at Lambeau Field will be finished this fall and will bring about 8,000 additional fans to Green Bay.
Raymond T. Rivard photograph

A few weeks ago, the Green Bay Packers signed arguably two of the best players in all of football – Clay Mathews III and Aaron Rodgers.

Both will be wearing Green and Gold for at least the next five years, they have gone home with incredible individual packages, and helped the team do it by not handcuffing the franchise. With the way the deals with the two players have been structures, it  allows the Packers to keep the team competitive for years to come.

Like Clay Matthews said, the franchise is unique in its approach toward rewarding its players, as well as making sure that the team stays competitive year-after-year.

It doesn’t hurt that the Packers have had the two best back-to-back quarterbacks in their program for more than the past two decades. Between Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers, they have won a lot of games for the Packers.

Remember what Lambeau Field looked like in the late 80 and early 90s?

It also helps that the Packers know how to make money. Last year, the team raked in an all-time franchise high in profits – $43 million – yes, that’s profit. Also within the past two decades the Packers have had clear goals in improving Lambeau Field, one of the oldest, but most revered stadiums in all of sports. With the  improvements the Packers have made to the stadium and the planned improvements in the coming two years, Lambeau Field will continue to offer the best game day experience in all of football.

While other teams continue to lose out to television, the Packers sell out every game and have a waiting list that will never come to an end.

“We want all decisions to be football decisions, not financial decisions,” Murphy told FOXSportsWisconsin.com today. “I think making sure we have the resources available (is important) so they can make decisions based strictly on football reasons. That was really big for the organization.

“This goes back years, we’ve set aside money in the Packers Preservation Fund for any emergency that may come up, but also to make sure that we can continue to be competitive,” Murphy said. “Whether that be investing in our players, or, the big thing we’re doing obviously, is investing in the stadium and investing in the community.”

And while the Packers are unique because they don’t have a single owner like other teams in the league, there are things these other teams can learn from the Packers – and that’s simplicity and functionality.

An artist’s rendering of the inside of the new stadium in Minnesota.

We’ve all seen the pictures of the mega-stadiums being proposed by teams such as those in Atlanta and Minnesota. Following in the footsteps of Jerry Jones and his billion dollar palace in Texas, the Falcons and Vikings are also looking at new monstrosities that will have all the amenities that will please the beautiful people who can afford the $1,000 tickets, but will price the hard-working fans out of the picture. They are the people who are the backbone of any NFL franchise and it’s decisions like we are seeing in Minnesota and Atlanta that are hurting the league, not helping it. It’s no wonder so many don’t want to go to the game, fight the traffic, pay through the nose for tickets and then get it again in the nose when it bleeds because they have to sit in the stratosphere.

While the Packers have made vast improvements to the aluminum-sided bowl that was Lambeau Field of the late 80s and early 90s, they have done it with the fans in mind. The original improvements to the stadium done more than a decade ago gave fans a new experience, but didn’t break the bank – the team also included the fans in the rebuilding by selling stock and raising funds to help with the payments. Another stock sale raised millions to help the Packers fund the addition of more than 8,000 new seats on the south side of the stadium, which will be ready for the start of the 2013 season.

Even more renovations are being planned as the team makes changes this year to the stadium Atrium and moves the team’s Hall of Fame from the basement of the facility – a move that will give the Hall better exposure.

What’s even better with these newest changes is the fact that the Packers are paying the bill in full – there will be no taxpayer funds needed – a win-win that should be something for which other teams should take notice.

When looking to the future, the Packers haven’t forgotten about the fans.
Raymond T. Rivard photograph

But the Packers won’t sit still either. Other ideas to develop the area around the stadium to expand the fans’ experience are also being planned.

Here’s more of what Murphy had to say about the future:

“For us, there’s not a profit motive. So, for us, if we can put money back and invest money back into the organization or into the community, that’s the equivalent of what other teams do in terms of paying salaries to owners or executives.”

“You always have to remain vigilant in making sure you’re doing everything you can, so that, number one, the fans have a great experience and that we remain competitive,” Murphy said. “I think the next thing where you’ll start to see some changes is in the whole concept of Titletown; some development around the stadium.

“It’ll help the Packers if we’re able to get more people to come into Green Bay. Those people will go to the Pro Shop and take tours of the stadium, but I think it’s really a way for us to invest in the community.”

What other teams should consider when they plan these new venues for their teams is not the amount of glass and concrete they plan to use, but how these changes will affect the people who make the NFL what it has become. They can’t lose focus on what makes the NFL unique – the game itself. The Packers have been successful and have made money not only because they’ve paid attention to improvements in infrastructure, but because they have made the right decisions on the field.