2014 NFL Draft: Could Packers consider taking Colorado's Paul Richardson?

I know that the first thing people usually think about when it comes to the Packers drafting players in the first round is defense, but in this case taking a nice WR like Colorado's Paul Richardson might not be a bad idea. In his three year career at Boulder, Richardson was overall pretty good, catching a total of 156 passes (83 alone last season, a school-record) for 2,412 yards, but still, since he is an offensive player is he worth that twenty-first overall pick?

In my opinion, yea, he is. Not so much because he'd be a superstar, but simply because I feel the Packers are short-handed when it comes to receivers right now. They still have stars Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson available, but, as we've already seen, Cobb can get hurt, while Nelson, though usually healthy, isn't always contributing. 

And besides those two, exactly who else is there? James Jones just went to Oakland, and Jarrett Boykin, while respectable, hasn't shown the world enough to suggest he's a long-term solution (again in my opinion). Now in the end he might turn out to be, but for now I just see drafting at least one solid receiver to be necessary. It'd just help take some of the pressure off the current guys.

Former Packers QB Young to work out for Browns

I guess the Packers weren't so crazy last year after all. 

According to NFL.com Around the League Writer Dan Hanzus, the AFC North's Cleveland Browns, a team currently without a QB after getting rid of Brandon Weeden earlier this offseason, will give Free Agent veteran Vince Young a chance to work out during a minicamp session this week. Young, as you may or may not remember, briefly played for Green Bay during last year's preseason, nearly making the roster as the club's backup hurler before a week 4, 14 of 30 for 144 yards disaster in Kansas City made him get released.

Now since this guy hasn't played in a meaningful game since 2012 (when he uncontributively backed up for the "dream team" 8-8 Eagles before spending the 2012 preseason in Buffalo for some reason) and I was kind of routing for him last year, I'll go ahead and say I support him here. At age 30, the odds of him making the Browns, or any NFL or Canadien Football League team for that matter, are obviously pretty stacked against him, but still, it could definitely happen. I guess that's enough of a reason to pay attention to this.

Is the NFL challenging the World Series right?

In case you don't already know, the Packers Week 8 Sunday night game in New Orleans has come with some controversy, as it happens to be scheduled on the same night as the World Series' fourth game. Before 2010, interestingly, the NFL refrained from this kind of stuff, respecting that people shouldn't have to pick between Baseball's biggest moment and a can't-miss Football primetime contest, but now, obviously, ratings and money have taken over, reminding us again that sports aren't actually about the games itself but rather the profits. 

I mean really, what would be wrong with the league just scheduling a Sunday afternoon contest in these situations? It'd allow just as many people to watch, while also giving baseball, a sport undoubtedly losing ground in the Football/Baseball war, its special night. 

Not to mention, the NFL gets everything, doesn't it? It's the most popular league, basically has a holiday on the day its champion's decided, and even has a tax-exempt league office. So with that, can't they just be nice and leave MLB alone during their postseason? It'd allow fans of both leagues to, you know, watch both, while also maintaining that the games being played do somewhat matter.

Packers Assistant OL Coach Joel Hilgenberg resigns

Packers Assistant OL Coach Joel Hilgenberg has resigned from his position after 3 years with the team, ESPN Wisconsin's Jason Wilde reports. Hilgenberg has been with Green Bay since the 2011 season, when he served as the club's offensive quality control coach before being promoted to Assistant OL in 2012.

As reason for his sudden leaving, Hildenberg simply said he wishes to spend more time with his family, the same thing that made LB Coach Kevin Greene walk back in January. 

“I feel that it is more important now that I have more time to spend with my wife and daughter," Hilgenberg said in a statement released by the team Friday. "I will miss all of the great people in the Packers organization that I have come to know, and I wish everyone the very best in the future.”

As of now, who exactly will replace Hilgenberg is unknown, although TE Coach Jerry Fontenot, who was a Center during his 16 year NFL career, is definitely someone to think about. That's just a possibility, but still, its happening definitely wouldn't be surprising, especially since just about everyone else on the staff (Alex Van Pelt, Winston Moss, Scott McCurley) seems to be pretty settled into their current position. 

(Quote and info courtesy of ESPN Wisconsin)

Packers Free Agency: Matt Flynn to make over $1 million this season

The details of Matt Flynn's new one-year deal with the Packers have been released, and really, they come with no surprises. Apparently Flynn, who went 2-2 in 4 starts last season, will make just $730,000 in base salary this year, including a $75k signing bonus, a $25k workout bonus, and a per game active roster bonus of up to $138,125.

So yea, it certainly looks like the Pack got a good deal done with this guy. He's a solid backup, (either that or he just seems better since his alternative is Scott Tolzein) but here, as with every case of free agency, you gotta make sure not to overpay too much, especially in a league with a salary cap. 

Grading The 2013 Safeties For The Packers

Earlier this week, I wrote about their need to add depth at safety in the draft and that position really stands out when you look at the current roster where only three players are listed as safeties.

Who's gone: M.D. Jennings and Jerron McMillian. The one thing that they had in common was that they're both awful against the pass. According to Pro Football Focus, they had the two lowest ratings of all the Packer defenders in pass coverage last season. McMillian, who was released mid-season, was seemingly beaten every time he was targeted, and the coaches must have saw nothing in him that they could fix. Jennings wasn't quite that bad, but he didn't make any plays in coverage (0 INTs) and he sometimes looked lost in coverage. These were moves that had to be made.

The starters: Morgan Burnett and Micah Hyde. Hyde's still listed as a cornerback on the official roster, but everyone's talking like he'll be the starting safety. His rating in pass coverage was only a 0.0 according to Pro Football Focus last season, but that was actually the 2nd highest on the team of all the defensive backs who played over 200 snaps last season (only CB Sam Shields was higher). He was a late round pick for a reason, he doesn't have elite speed or size for the position, but he's a player who can fill the role, which will be a big improvement on last season.

I don't think Burnett's ever going to be a star, he might never make a Pro Bowl, but he was much better in 2012. I'm sure the hope is that he'll return to that form, maybe his early season hamstring injury bothered him throughout 2013, but his improvement next season shouldn't be considered a given.

The other options: Sean Richardson and Chris Banjo. I'm impressed Richardson returned to the field after cervical fusion surgery and he wasn't a liability in his 156 snaps. But that doesn't give me any confidence that he's ready to be considered for a starting job either.

Banjo was impressive during the preseason and he was one of the few DBs with a positive rating in pass coverage from Pro Football Focus (in only 192 snaps) but he does seem to have a Sam Shields-like aversion to playing against the run. Banjo could be in the mix in 2014 as the deep safety on 3rd down, similar to what M.D. Jennings provided in 2012, while Hyde moves closer to the line and/or plays against the slot receiver.

So I can see how the safety position could be as good in 2014 as it was in 2012 (not a high bar to clear) but their depth is paper thin with no Plan B other than Sean Richardson. I can understand why they avoided veterans in free agency (a safety who's lost a step isn't a good option) but they need to add to the position in 2014, whether it be through the draft or converting another cornerback to safety.

Predicting the Packers 2014 Season

While the fact that they're opening against Seattle is overall stupid, the Packers really did get lucky with their 2014 schedule. They only have to play against 2 good teams on the road, so, in my opinion, they should be able to win 12+ games as long as they stay somewhat healthy. It's not guaranteed, but yea, it's likely.

I mean, the Pack beating the Seahawks or Saints probably won't happen since Green Bay never does that kinda thing, but besides those the whole list of contests looks like a gift. The Jets, Vikings, Lions, Bears, Eagles and Falcons definitely won't win at Lambeau no matter how bad the Packers play those days, while their other two home opponents (the Patriots and Panthers) will put up nothing but a fight. They'll score 20+ points and make it close, but in the end I don't see any way the Packers drop those games. 

As for the road half of the schedule, as I've already said, I don't see Green Bay winning in Week 1 or 8, but I still see them going 6-2 away from Lambeau. Not because they'll necessarily play well, but simply because they're playing weak hosts. I mean really, the Dolphins, Bucs, and Bills? The league can do better than that, can't they?

Packers release 2014 Regular Season schedule

The Packers 2014 regular season schedule has been released, and really, it's not that bad. The opener in Seattle and Week 8 visit to New Orleans will probably be losses, but besides those it looks like a very winnable set of games. Here it is in fullness:

Week 1: at Seattle, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 4 (NBC)
Week 2: New York Jets, 3:25 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 14 (CBS)
Week 3: at Detroit, noon Sunday, Sept. 21 (FOX)
Week 4: at Chicago, noon Sunday, Sept. 28 (FOX)
Week 5: Minnesota, 7:25 Thursday, Oct. 2 (CBS/NFL, Gold Package)
Week 6: at Miami, noon Sunday, Oct. 12 (FOX)
Week 7: Carolina, noon Sunday, Oct. 19 (FOX)
Week 8: at New Orleans, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 26 (NBC)
Week 9: BYE
Week 10: Chicago, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 9 (NBC)
Week 11: Philadelphia, noon Sunday, Nov. 16 (FOX, Gold Package)
Week 12: at Minnesota, noon Sunday, Nov. 23 (FOX)
Week 13: New England, 3:25 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 30 (CBS)
Week 14: Atlanta, 7:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 8 (ESPN)
Week 15: at Buffalo, noon Sunday, Dec. 14 (FOX)
Week 16: at Tampa Bay, noon Sunday, Dec. 21 (FOX)
Week 17: Detroit, noon Sunday, Dec. 28 (FOX)

So yea, opening night's September 4. Mark your calendars. 

2014 NFL Draft: Grading The Safeties

The big news of the day was that the Green Bay Packers drew just about the worst assignment possible; kickoff the NFL season with a game at Seattle. It's not an automatic loss, but I can't think of a bigger challenge to start 2014. But first comes the draft:

ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. assesses the #Packers needs heading into next month's draft. http://t.co/dcyrlFNYI4
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) April 21, 2014

Kiper focused on four positions of need for the Packers, and the first one is safety. It is the single biggest unit on either side of the ball that needs to improve next season. They have other question marks on the roster, but S Morgan Burnett took a step back in 2013 and S M.D. Jennings was a complete non-factor. I'm sure their first order of business is to get Burnett's promising career back on track; they just gave him a big multi-year extension so they're certain not to give up on him yet. DB Micah Hyde might be the answer at free safety and he played well last season at cornerback. But they don't have any depth and/or other options at safety other than those two players. They need a better Plan B than Sean Richardson and/or Chris Banjo.

The big problem is that there aren't a lot of safeties with a first round grade. Combined with the league wide focus on safeties (T.J. Ward and Jarius Byrd signed big free agent contracts), probably due to the fact that Seattle's defense dominated last season, in part, because of their great safety tandem, the Packers might not find a worthy player available at No. 21 overall. Here are their small list of options:

Alabama's Hasean Clinton-Dix. He compares to Seattle's Earl Thomas and is almost universally regarded as the top safety in the draft. Unfortunately that means he's certain to be gone by the time the Packers are on the clock. In the CBS Sports mock draft, he goes as early as No. 8 to the Vikings and remains on the board no later than the Ravens at No. 17.

Louisville's Calvin Pryor. Just like Clinton-Dix, he's fast, though he's a little shorter and more of a big hitter, which isn't such a good thing now since the refs are calling more personal fouls for leading with the helmet. He's more likely to last until No. 21 than Clinton-Dix, but there are so many teams in the No. 8 to No. 20 overall range that could use safety help that I just don't think he'll last that long. Though LB Clay Matthews is a notable exception, GM Ted Thompson isn't known for trading up.

And that's about it. I've seen Northern Illinois's Jimmie Ward as a mock draft selection for the Packers, but he's a little undersized and has a 2nd round grade at CBS Sports.com. They could trade down and draft Ward later, such as they did a few years ago when they drafted WR Jordy Nelson, but that's the only time they've traded down. The Packers usually stand pat, and they probably won't draft a safety early unless Clinton-Dix or Pryor slide down to them. Assuming they like either of them.

That doesn't mean they'll ignore their defensive backfield. While the class of safeties looks thin, it does appear to be a deep draft class for cornerbacks, and that's where they found Hyde last season. If they miss the top two safeties, hopefully they draft at least two other defensive backs to add some depth next season.

ESPN to televise 2014 Wild Card Game

ESPN will televise a 2014 NFL Wild Card Game, the network announced yesterday. In its first 35 years of existence, the Monday Night Football-carrying channel has yet to do this, sticking to regular and preseason contests instead. 

Now really, this news isn't that big of a deal (we'd all watch the game elsewhere if need be), but overall I'd still say it's interesting. Watching a playoff game somewhere besides the usual places of NBC, FOX, and CBS will be a little cool, especially since it'd have the normal ESPN guys (whom I happen to prefer over the commentators at the other three networks) calling it.

Packers reportedly showing interest in North Dakota State QB Brock Jensen

The Packers are currently showing interest in North Dakota State QB Brock Jensen, ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky reports. According to his agent, the Pack worked out Jensen last Friday, making them the third team to do so. 

In his college career at NDSU, Jensen set an FCS record for wins, emerging victorious in 47 of the 52 games he played in. Right now, I'm not sure where he'd fit with the Packers, as they already have two backup-capable hurlers in Matt Flynn and Scott Tolzein on the roster, but since Mike McCarthy did say last month that he'd like a fourth quarterback I guess Jensen heading to the Cheeseheads is a definite possibility.  Again, I don't see how it'd help anything, but yea, it could happen.

Matthews "probably won't be too heavily involved" in offseason OTAs

Packers LB Clay Matthews "probably won't be too heavily involved" in the team's offseason OTAs, #52 recently told USA Today. Apparently, his thumb is still not completely healed, making the risk of having him practice not worth taking. 

In the very next question, Matthews did say that he'll be ready for the late-Summer training camp, so yea, I guess this whole thing isn't that bad. If he's still beat up, making him participate in relatively minor drills is pretty worthless, especially since the duo of he and DE Julius Peppers will dominate this fall if they can just stay healthy.

Bleacher Report names Tim Masthay NFL's 26th Best Punter

The Popular Sports website Bleacher Report has named the Packers' Tim Masthay the NFL's 26th and the NFC North's 4th Best Punter. As evidence for their claim, BR points out Masthay's inability to work well with a full field and his constant kicking with a low trajectory, something that kills his hang time. 

As his overall score, Masthay was given an 80/100, which, while not great, seems to pretty much be where he is. He's not a star or a failure; he's just okay, something that's good enough when you're on a team with a QB like Aaron Rodgers.

Does the Julius Peppers signing make the Packers "championship-caliber?"

While the recent signing of DE Julius Peppers was obviously big, whether or not it will make the Packers title-contenders this season is still up for debate. Peppers is good, but will he actually bring the team back to their 2011 selves? DB Jarret Bush apparently thinks so.

"I think J.P., pound-for-pound, is one of the most athletic athletes in the league right now," Bush told the Green Bay Press Gazette. "I think he's going to give teams a lot of trouble, especially with Clay (Matthews), Nick Perry, Mike Neal and Mike Daniels. ... They can't just double Clay anymore, He's going to wreak havoc over there. I think we'll be a championship-caliber team."

It's good to see the confidence here, but really, "championship-caliber"? That's a little rash, wouldn't you say so?

Packers "wanted Favre to come to a game last year"

According to ESPN's Rob Demovsky, the Packers "wanted Brett Favre to come to a game last year." That Mark Murphy quote, taken from the article, seems to imply that the two sides are done hating each other, which can only be a good thing. 

I mean, when you think about it this whole "Favre's a traitor" talk doesn't make much sense anymore. Yea, the guy went to Minnesota for two seasons, but still, it's not like he wasn't in the right for doing so. He wanted to play, the Vikings wanted him on their team, and that was it. I honestly don't see the complications in that, especially since #4 still played 16 years for Green Bay beforehand.

Matthews: Opponents will double team Peppers in upcoming season

In an article recently published by USA Today, Packers LB Clay Matthews, when asked who he thinks opponents will double team in the upcoming season when he and newcomer Julius Peppers blitz, said that he believes the latter will be the more aggressively defended one due to to his height and weight: 

"They're going to double (Peppers)," Matthews said. "And that leaves plenty of opportunities for me. I haven't had too many one-on-one opportunities, and when you do, you're expected to win — at least in our locker room — the majority of the time, because that's supposed to be a mismatch."

Let's hope he's right. I like Matthews, but compared to Peppers he's simply not as good.

Packers finally re-sign Matt Flynn

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Packers have finally re-signed Free Agent QB Matt Flynn. Last season, Flynn was the only decent backup the Pack had, going 2-2 in 4 starts with two one-point wins over the Falcons and Cowboys. 

Now overall, I wouldn't say Flynn's a great player, but still, in the end he does fit well in Green Bay. I mean, I still don't want him to have to play in a meaningful situation this season, but if Rodgers goes down I guess I'd rather him come in than Tolzein. That's not saying much, but hey, it's a fact, isn't it? Right now, whether we like it or not, Flynn's the lesser evil, so I guess the team might as well keep him on the roster for another year. 

Dolphins to target Finley if he's given medical clearance

The Dolphins will target Injured Free Agent Tight End Jermichael Finley if he's given medical clearance, the Miami Herald's Barry Jackson reports. This probably won't happen, as Finley's neck being healed right now is an almost definite no, but still, it's certainly something to think about. 

Anyway, the team's pursuing of Finley wouldn't be aggressive by any means, as it would apparently only come with "low-dollars, low-risk" contact offers, but again, this is something to think about. Another team is kinda interested in the former Packer, meaning that he's obviously still got some stuff left to offer in their eyes.

Getting to know the Packers possible 1st Round Picks: Jace Amaro

While drafting an offensive player may not seem like the smartest thing to do in this year's first round, Texas Tech TE Jace Amaro seems like a guy who'd fit really well in Green Bay. Originally projected as a second round pick, Amaro is now likely to be taken sometime late in the first, making him going to the Packers a definite possibility. He's young, athletic, and productive, as he caught 106 passes for 1,352 yards last season, while also being known as a great blocker, something that you can never underrate. So yea, maybe he'll be the prospect the Pack get to start things off. It'd make a lot of sense. 

Finley to get an MRI next week

Injured Free Agent Tight End Jermichael Finley will get an MRI on his neck next week, ESPN's Josina Anderson reports. The results of the procedure, which will be done by Dr. Joseph Maroon of the Pittsburgh Steelers, will be given to interested teams, the Packers included. 

So yea, I guess we have another thing to wait for here. Finley's been hurt all offseason, but if he's showing enough progress to be given another test then I guess something good must be happening with him. Who knows? Maybe he's almost completely healed. It's unlikely, but it could still happen, couldn't it?

Giants reportedly showing interest in QB Matt Flynn

The Giants are currently showing interest in Free Agent QB Matt Flynn, the New York Daily News reports. Right now, New York has Josh Freeman scheduled for a workout, so it's obvious that they're looking for a 2014 backup. 

To that, I'll I can say is: let's hope Freeman turns out to be better. Last season, Flynn played really well for the Pack, so if they end up missing out on him it'd definitely be a bad thing. I mean, who else is available to sign right now? It's not like they'll just settle for Tolzein after last year's injury to Rodgers, right?

Hayward now "ready" for Packers Offseason Workouts

In an article recently published by the Green Bay Press-Gazette, Packers CB Casey Hayward, who has been rehabbing from a hamstring injury that limited him to just 3 games last year, was quoted saying that he's "ready" for the team's offseason workouts. 

"I think I'm ready for it now," Hayward said. "I'm just here and I don't have to push it and I probably won't push it crazy then, but I'm in a good enough shape to finish everything and do everything."

Let's hope he's right. A healthy him would definitely help the Packers struggling defense in the upcoming season. 

Packers 2014 Preseason Schedule Released

The Packers 2014 Preseason Schedule has been released, and, in my opinion, it contains a lot of unfamiliar opponents. To start off the list of practice games, the Pack will head to Tennessee sometime between August 7th and August 10th (none of the exact dates have been announced yet) before visiting the Rams in Week 2 and hosting the Raiders and Chiefs in Weeks 3 and 4 respectively. 

That third game against Oakland, which will be played on Friday, August 22, will be televised nationally on CBS, meaning that yes, we will in fact be able to see some of the new guys for an extended period of time this Summer. Not for too long obviously, but still, long enough so that it'll feel like the season's come early.

Getting to know the Packers possible 1st Round Picks: Calvin Pryor

Like Ohio State LB Ryan Shazier, Junior Louisville Safety Calvin Pryor, another possible Packers 1st Round Pick, is a guy who just likely won't go to Green Bay. In his 3 college years with the Cardinals, Pryor was pretty good, committing 137 Tackles and 7 Interceptions, but since the Pack just recently made last year's return man Micah Hyde their every-down Safety them drafting another one just would be kinda weird right now. Not because Pyror is bad by any means, but simply because there's no room for him currently available. The team appears to already have that spot filled.

Bears workout QB Josh Freeman

Free Agent QB Josh Freeman (42.9 Completion Percentage in 2013) worked out for the Bears yesterday, CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora reports. Last season, Freeman split time between the Buccaneers and Vikings, looking pretty awful with both. 

Now while I personally wouldn't go after this guy, I guess it's reasonable for at least one team to kinda give him a look. I mean, the Packers basically did this exact same thing last year with former-Titan Vince Young, so really, there's nothing wrong with it. The guy could be good and he could be bad. Let's hope he's the latter.

Getting to know the Packers possible 1st Round Picks: Ryan Shazier

Since some of the many mock drafts done recently by experts have him going to the Packers in the first round, I guess some research on Ohio State LB Ryan Shazier would be worthwhile. Apparently Shazier, who led the Big Ten with 134 Tackles last season, is pretty good, recording a 10"10 on the Broad Jump, a 42" on the Vertical Jump, and a 6.91 on the 3-Cone in his recent appearance at the combines. Nothing mind-blowing, but definitely something impressive. I know it sounds cliché, but I wouldn't mind seeing the Pack draft this guy. He seems to have a lot of talent.

Packers still showing interest in bringing back Finley

The Packers are "absolutely" still interested in bringing back injured Tight End Jermichael Finley, Team Head Coach Mike McCarthy recently told Sports World Report. Last week, Finley failed a physical with the conference-rival Giants, already the second time that's happened this offseason. 

Now despite that, I'm still 100% for bringing this guy back on a multi-year deal. Yea, he might not play at all this season, but I'm still convinced that he's got a lot left to offer. At age 27, he's still relatively young, and, as we all know, can really help out a team when healthy and focused.

Packers target Daniels signs with Ravens

According to NFL.com, Former Texans Tight End Owen Daniels, who's been contact with the Packers throughout this offseason, (going as far as to meet with them early last month) has signed a one-year deal with the Ravens. Last year, Daniels' eighth with Houston, the veteran wasn't too great, catching just 24 passes for 252 yards, but still, acquiring him would've been pretty cool. 

Anyway, in reality this news shouldn't affect the Pack too much, as they've already re-signed longtime backup Andrew Quarless, so yea, let's not get too stressed about it. It's actually not that big of a deal. 

Kuhn re-signs with Packers for 1 year, more than $1 million

Free Agent FB John Kuhn has finally re-signed with the Packers, NFL.com's Dan Hanzus reports. As of now, the deal, which was made yesterday afternoon, is believed to be worth just 1 year, while also surprisingly paying more than $1 million. 

So yea, I guess this offseason is officially good now. The Packers have already improved their defense and running game with the signings of Defensive End Julius Peppers and backup Running Back James Starks, and now, well, they have arguably the league's most loved fullback back for at least one more season. Let's hope it's a good one. 

Details of C.J. Wilson's contract released

The details of former Packers Defensive Lineman C.J. Wilson's new one-year contract with the Raiders have been released, and unsurprisingly, the deal isn't worth that much money. Apparently Wilson, who's played for the Pack since he was a rookie in 2010, committing 76 tackles and 3.5 sacks, will make just $795,000 in base salary this season, while also collecting $65k as a signing bonus. 

So yea, it appears #98 is getting what he deserves here. He's been unproductive up to this point in his career, so now, well, he gets payed next to nothing (at least by NFL standards).

2014 Free Agency: DE C.J. Wilson Signs With The Raiders

The Packers lose another player to GM Reggie McKenzie as DE C.J. Wilson signs a one-year contract with the Oakland Raiders.

MT @ESPN_NFLNation: Raiders add former #Packers DL C.J. Wilson http://t.co/oI9zW8YXJp
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) March 28, 2014

In 2010, Wilson was drafted in the 7th round, but I had seen some pre-draft projections listing him with a 4th round grade, so he seemed like a steal at the time. He played some in 2010 and more in 2011, but he's been such a zero as a pass rusher that he lost playing time in 2012 and barely played at all the last few weeks of 2013. For some reason he received 19 snaps against the 49ers in the playoffs and he earned a negative 1.5 grade from Pro Football Focus for his efforts.

His primary mission was to provide run support, and he earned positive run defense grade in each of his first three seasons from Pro Football Focus. But he wasn't much of a help in 2013, as the run defense collapsed mid-season, and Wilson lost nearly all his playing time to other players, like rookie Josh Boyd. It looked like the Packers were ready to move on.

As for the Raiders, Wilson has only been signed for depth, and he gives them more options in the upcoming draft. Instead of needing to draft a backup defensive lineman, they can look for the best player available instead.

Report: Decision on Kuhn's future could come this week

According to Packers News, the decision on Free Agent FB John Kuhn's future could come this week. Kuhn, who has played each of the last 7 seasons in Green Bay, is reportedly receiving interest from multiple teams, so yea, this news does not necessarily mean that he's definitely going to wear Green and Gold this fall.

Still, I'd say that that possibility is probably the most likely. I mean, Kuhn loves the Packers and, not to mention, everything's cheaper in Northern Wisconsin, so it's not like a pay cut this year would be the end of the world for this guy.

Allen: "Just watch me play this year"

During his introductory news conference yesterday, recently-signed Bears DE Jared Allen expressed a lot of confidence going into the upcoming season.

"Just watch me play this year," Allen said. "I'm a full year off surgery on my shoulder. I want to believe in what I'm playing for and who I'm playing for, and that's why I'm here. I believe in the product they're putting on the field."

While I'm curious to see how this guy will do this fall, I'm still not convinced he'll make the Bears a legitimate threat in the NFC North. I mean, when your offense is terrible your defensive skills are pretty irrelevant, right?