Former Packers CB Woodson signs another one-year deal with Oakland

According to NFL.com's Lance Cartelli, Free Agent CB Charles Woodson, who played with the Packers from 2006-2012, has signed another one year deal with the Raiders. Woodson played the first 8 years of his career with Oakland, before returning to them last season. 

Earlier this offseason, Woodson was quoted saying that he was giving "serious consideration" to retirement, although now it's pretty obvious that that's not actually the case. Whether or not that's a good thing for the Raiders is still unknown, although really, it doesn't matter to us. The Packers are in the NFC, so I guess this news doesn't actually effect them.

PFF: Woodson and Williams Are Among The Best CBs Over The Past Five Years

It was a little sad to read this article, knowing that CB Charles Woodson is now a member of the Oakland Raiders, but over the past five years, Pro Football Focus has rated Woodson as the second best cornerback  in football (well behind No. 1; Darrelle Revis):

Check out 5 years of cornerback grading data here: https://t.co/odgleZ1mE2
— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) June 28, 2013

However, the article says that Woodson's high ranking is due in large part to his outstanding 2008 and 2009 seasons and he's now in the twilight of his career (obviously), so it's not expecting him to repeat that performance over the next five years.

At No. 7 is CB Tramon Williams. He might not be able to maintain that same level of performance over the next five years, there are questions being asked about him, but he's been consistent and able to play through injuries, so at least he has a chance.

Over the past five years, excepting the 2011 season, the Packers have had one of the best pass defenses. They were especially dominant in 2010, when a strong post-season from Williams helped carry them into the Super Bowl. The times are changing, three starters in their outstanding 2010 secondary (Nick Collins, Charlie Peprah, and Woodson) have been released in the last 12 months, and the players that will hopefully make them great over the next five years aren't the same ones.

Where Will Charles Woodson Play In 2013?

Now that the Green Bay Packers have released Charles Woodson, the rumors can start about where he might play next season.

Would Woodson be a good fit for the Patriots? es.pn/12Z6m17
— ESPNBoston (@ESPNBoston) February 18, 2013

Veterans who have been released can start looking for a new employer immediately and don't have to wait for the official start of free agency next month. With the salary cap unlikely to climb next season, teams might be willing to talk but reluctant to sign expensive veterans who have just been released.

Now that he's been released, some of the concerns about Woodson's declining play have started to be written. He's expensive (which has always been obvious) but concerns about his run defense (thinking back on their poor games against RB Adrian Peterson and QB Colin Kaepernick) seem a bit off. He wasn't part of the solution but the problems began with the defensive front seven. Now his freelancing ways are a bad influence on his teammates (they aren't supposed to react to the changing play?) when years earlier he was a great influence on helping players like S Nick Collins and CB Tramon Williams emerge?

I think a bigger problem was that he only had 1 INT and 5 pass defenses last season. His role in 2012 didn't put him in a position to make plays. S Jerron McMillian (who effectively replaced Woodson when he was injured) had the same stat line (1 INT, 5 pass defenses). Woodson and McMillian have a role to play in the middle of the field, but it's not a glamour position and not worth $10 million per season. When rookie CB Casey Hayward took over against slot receivers last season, he went onto have a Woodson-like season (6 INTs, 21 pass defenses). The multiple collarbone injuries are a serious concern going forward but I'm not sure I've seen the decline in Woodson's play yet because his role changed last season.

Former Packer beat writer (current Patriots reporter) Greg Bedard probably has the definitive analysis on whether Woodson would make sense for the Patriots. Because the Patriots never shied away from veterans, definitely have Super Bowl aspirations and a need at safety, he thinks it makes a lot of sense if Woodson can play safety.

I do find all the comments about Woodson's declining speed make him a poor fit at cornerback because I read the same articles about him before the Packers signed him in 2006. If he doesn't have the speed to play at cornerback, his lack of speed won't be an asset at safety. He can still play, even if he doesn't have the elite physical ability he had years ago, and hopefully some team finds a role in which he can excel at next season.

The Packers Have Released Charles Woodson

While I expected him to be asked to take a pay cut and I thought he'd be willing to re-structure his contract under the right terms, the Green Bay Packers have decided instead it was time to part ways with CB Charles Woodson.

Packers release DB Charles Woodson: pckrs.com/4y2e
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) February 15, 2013

The Packers had not discussed with him whether he'd be willing to take a pay cut, so they must have decided on their own that they could not have re-negotiated on favorable terms. Or maybe they think that their younger players like S Jerron McMillian and S M.D. Jennings had moved ahead of him on the depth chart.

Maybe they're concerned about his pair of recent collarbone injuries. He broke his during the Super Bowl in 2011 and then he broke it again in 2012. However, I don't think that's the entire story. The combination of age (he'll turn 37 next season), expense (he was scheduled to make $9 million next season), and young players currently on the roster (S Morgan Burnett, McMillian, Jennings) have all played a part in this decision.

The Packers are not an organization that hangs onto high priced veterans for backup roles. It's apparent they don't think he's worth $9 million next season, but would they have kept him for half the price if they still felt he was a full-time starter? Do they think he's not even good enough to start?

I don't have all the answers to these questions, but the fact that they didn't discuss a pay cut and made the release official late Friday, the week before a holiday next Monday, is a sign that they're trying to hide the news that they've released a popular player who should be expected to play elsewhere next season.

GM Ted Thompson had nothing but praise for Woodson in the official statement announcing his release. He's had a remarkable seven year career with the Packers, which includes four Pro Bowl appearance, he's twice been named First-Team, All-Pro, and won the 2009 Defensive Player of the Year award. That sounds like a Hall of Fame career, and it doesn't even include his four Pro Bowl appearances and his All-Pro selection in 1999 as a member of the Raiders. And his career is not over.

I have a lot of mixed feelings about this one. This doesn't feel like the right move, Woodson still has some football left in him, but GM Ted Thompson usually makes the right call on these major roster moves. If nothing else, it's been an incredible career for Woodson, who ends his time in Green Bay as one of the greatest Packers I have ever had the chance to watch play.

2013 Free Agency: The Should Packers Just Avoid It

I'm not predicting, and I haven't read that anyone is predicting, the Green Bay Packers to be players in the 2013 free agent market. That's probably a very good thing because there are teams with a lot of salary cap room and at least some of them seem willing to spend:

Buccaneers Could Once Again Be Active In Free Agency tinyurl.com/amxt7nx
— NFL Trade Rumors (@nfltrade_rumors) February 12, 2013

I'm not entirely confident in the accuracy of this list of the top 2013 free agents, but I wouldn't be want to make any of them one of the highest paid players at their respective positions. Except I think there might be a team or two willing to do it.

As usual, it's probably for the best if GM Ted Thompson stays away from the free agent market. Even the late signings, like re-signing LB Erik Walden last April for $725,000, might have hurt more than it helped because Walden graded out by Pro Football Focus as one of the worst pass rushers in the league. While signing C Jeff Saturday wasn't a success, they made the right decision by deciding C Scott Wells wasn't worth the risk. He was their biggest free agent loss last year but he just underwent another surgery after an injury filled 2012 season.

The brilliant signing of CB Charles Woodson back in 2006 is the free agent exception to the rule. Once every several years, a player like Woodson is available, but in general, if an unrestricted free agent's current team decides he isn't worth the cost, then he probably isn't worth it to the Packers either.

2013 Packers Salary Cap: Jennings, Woodson, Hawk and Finley

As Kevin Seifert notes in his recent ESPN article, "Salary cap figures are fluid this time of the year for accounting reasons" so it might be impossible to know the complete picture. While the Packers aren't in a dire salary cap position, unlike some teams, they do have to make some choices within a limited budget.

The first player to feel it's effects may have been WR Greg Jennings, who's seen the writing on the wall and put his Green Bay area home up for sale. While he isn't as critical to the offense as he was a couple years ago, he can still play and he should be a big contributor over the next couple seasons, if he can remain healthy. But he's missed a lot of games over the past couple seasons and he'll turn 30 next season, so his next contract will carry some risks. I can understand why the team would decide to part ways with him but his loss is not insignificant.

The always excellent John Clayton says the Packers have $7.1 million in salary cap space, but that might not be enough to accommodate upcoming extensions for QB Aaron Rodgers and LB Clay Matthews. So Kevin Seifert sees a couple of salary cap moves that may need to be made:

Defensive back Charles Woodson, linebacker A.J. Hawk and tight end Jermichael Finley are scheduled to count a combined $25.8 million against the Packers' 2013 salary cap. Releasing them before June 1 would save $20.5 million, but none of those Big Decisions are simple. 

It's not simple because all three of them can still play, though they might be overpaid and they might not be interested in taking a pay cut. Unfortunately none of them were major contributors in 2012 and they aren't helping improve the offensive line or the defensive front seven. Hawk may arguably be an addition by subtraction since he was part of the unit that struggled badly against the 49ers.

Some of the moves they make this offseason may come back to bite them, but GM Ted Thompson has never avoided difficult choices such choosing Rodgers over Favre. While Jennings is very unlikely to return, I could still see Woodson, Hawk and/or Finley back under the right contract. However, there is a real possibility that none of them return next season.

The Packers 2013 Salary Cap Situation

I see different numbers every time I read an article about the Green Bay Packers' 2013 cap situation, but the basics remain the same. Here's what Bob McGinn wrote back in September:

The way it stands now, there are 20 players under contract to Green Bay for next year [2013] who are to count about $98.36 million. The unadjusted cap for 2012 is $120.6 million, and projections are that the cap will remain almost flat until 2016.

The most notable free agent is WR Greg Jennings, who should receive a similar contract to WR Marques Colston (5 years, $40 million, $19 million guaranteed) from either the Packers or another team. If they really wanted to keep Jennings, they shouldn't have a problem for next year. The big problem is what happens after 2013:

How The Secondary Looks With Charles Woodson Back

Last week, I was wondering who would lose playing time in the Packers' secondary once CB/S Charles Woodson returned from injury. It looks like the rookie, S Jerron McMillian, was the odd man out:

Per @robdemovsky, WR Jordy Nelson, DE Jerel Worthy and S Jerron McMillian were only #Packers not practicing. McMillian played 1 snap vs MIN
— Wes Hodkiewicz (@WesHod) January 8, 2013

I've been impressed with McMillian, who was a relative unknown when the Packers selected him out of Maine in the 4th round. He's adapted quickly to the speed of the NFL in his first season. But I'd be hard pressed to make the case that right now he deserves to play ahead of Woodson.

Based on snap counts, via Football Outsiders, McMillian has been one of their biggest contributors this season:

Packers vs. Vikings: The Return of Charles Woodson

When QB Aaron Rodgers was asked about the importance of the bye week, his first comment was that it would give more time for CB Charles Woodson and WR Randall Cobb to get healthy. Luckily, it's worked out for both players and they've been cleared to play on Saturday.

My first thought was that I didn't know how they were going to use Woodson. I don't think he'll take playing time away from any of the cornerbacks. He should replace rookie S Jerron McMillian, who's been taking over Woodson's duties as the hybrid defensive back/linebacker that Woodson has been lining up as on passing downs, and replace S M.D. Jennings at starting safety on early downs.

Cobb was injured while returning a punt against the Titans, so maybe it's for the best if Cobb only plays on offense, where they might be without WR Jordy Nelson and WR Jeremy Ross returns kicks/punts. I wasn't expecting much from Ross when the Packers signed him off the practice squad in early December because there's usually something wrong with their undrafted receivers. They're either too slow, too small, or have bad hands, but Ross seems to be the exception. His 40 time was a little slow at 4.45 coming out of college, but Ross can accelerate through an opening like the best of them. And at 215 lbs., arm tackles aren't effective against him.

Fortunately, LB Clay Matthews is only a little stiff after taking one of the more violent non-injury hits I've seen in a while. While he was airborne, he took a shot and his spine was slung like a whip as he fell to the ground. But Matthews said his spine is fine and nothing was injured internally.

Packer Injuries: Matthews, Sherrod, and the D-Line

The bad news is that LB Clay Matthews may still not be available next Sunday, but the bigger concern might be on the defensive line.

DNP for the #Packers: Woodson, White, Shields, Matthews, Driver, Pickett, Wilson.
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) November 28, 2012

They've survived so far without CB Charles Woodson and CB Sam Shields. WR Donald Driver hasn't played much this season. DE C.J. Wilson is not a surprise, neither is backup RB Johnny White, since they both were hurt during the loss to the Giants. I'm not sure why DT Ryan Pickett has been held out because the injury report hasn't been released yet, but Mike McCarthy said Pickett will return to practice no later than Friday.

While shutting down the Vikings' passing attack is probably the key to the game, I still expect the Packers to frequently line up with three defensive lineman when they face RB Adrian Peterson. That could be hard to do if two starters (Pickett and Wilson) are out. However, DE Jerel Worthy has returned from his concussion, so he'll provide depth alongside DE Mike Neal and DE Mike Daniels. But that would with only be five healthy lineman, and any setback by Pickett could leave them with a very tight four man rotation.

I doubt it's a surprise to anyone reading this but it's finally official: OL Derek Sherrod is not playing this season. His leg injury was severe, and it happened late last season, so it's not surprising he needs more time to recover. I'm not sure how much could have helped anyway, but the offensive line's problems aren't going away so he can become part of the solution in 2013.

Recap: Packers Win In Detroit, 24-20

With the absence of LB Clay Matthews (and the ongoing absence of CB Charles Woodson) I was pessimistic about the Green Bay Packers' chances of defeating the Lions. Sure, the Lions have a lot of injury problems of their own, but the Packers usually lose games when Matthews is hurt. I expected an offensive shootout, but instead the defense led the way for both teams. It might have been an ugly win, but I'll take a win on the road any week, anyway they can get it.

So the answer to the question of where the Packers would find a pass rush without Matthews: they'd find it everywhere. A lot more blitzing by defensive backs (CB Davon House and S Morgan Burnett each recorded a sack) but also pursuit from LB Erik Walden and LB Dezman Moses. While they recorded the sacks (and Moses forced a fumble), it was the interior push by the tackles that usually forced the action. Rookie DT Mike Daniels was a factor, but all the big guys deserve credit: QB Matthew Stafford rarely had a pocket to step up into. And when they did get a pass off, the young defensive backs made plays, led by a huge game from CB Casey Hayward (5 pass defenses, 1 INT) and the INT returned for a touchdown by S M.D. Jennings. RB Mikel Leshoure had some success on the ground, but the Packers were letting the chance by rarely playing with more than two defensive linemen. Even with some running room available, the Lions preferred to throw the ball, calling 46 pass plays to only 22 carries.

My biggest complaint with the offense was the featured role for RB James Starks. With a make-shift offensive line, I'm sure Mike McCarthy wanted to keep the pressure down on QB Aaron Rodgers with a conservative game plan, but the result was a stalled offense. Starks had 26 touches while WR Jordy Nelson, WR James Jones, and WR Randall Cobb combined for only 23 carries and targets. While the Lions defense didn't have a huge statistical day, DT Nick Fairley was huge with 2 sacks and 2 tackles for a loss, and he probably disrupted at least a couple other plays. The overall conservative strategy was sound and they might not have had anymore success with a pass heavy attack, but a few more pass plays might have gotten the offense going, and Nelson, Jones and Cobb should combine for more plays than Starks.

Poor K Mason Crosby. I've been on his case all season, and he came close to hitting bottom in this game with two recorded misses (plus the other one he missed while he was being iced by the Lions). The coaches probably have more confidence in Crosby than any street free agent they could bring in at this point, so releasing him seems like an extreme reaction. His job security might be better addressed in the offseason. Instead, they should focus on restoring his confidence in the interim. Kicking is a pretty inconsistent business, and Crosby's gone through more good streaks than bad. The odds are more likely that he'll kick himself out of his slump instead of falling down further.

Preview: Packers at Lions

The Green Bay Packers have only played one divisional game, a win over the Bears, and the Lions have played three and lost three in the NFC North. For the Lions, the final score looked close in each of those three losses, but it really wasn't, as they scored a late touchdown in each one to make it appear close.

The biggest story in this game might be injuries. The Lions have problems on offense with WR Calvin Johnson still unable to practice (everyone seems to expect he'll play on Sunday) and WR Nate Burleson lost for the season, but without LB Clay Matthews and CB Charles Woodson, the Packers defense is looking rather toothless. The question is whether the Packers will find a pass rush without Matthews and I'm not overly optimistic that they will. At least the return of CB Tramon Williams to health in 2012 gives the Packers a legitimate top corner to harass Johnson. QB Matthew Stafford may not match 5000 yards or 41 touchdowns again this season, but the NFL's No. 1 pass offense (ranked No. 4 overall by Football Outsiders) should had success against a wounded Packer defense. I would be surprised if the Packers can hold them under 28 points.

However, the injury situation might be even worse for the Lions defense. It's been a rough season for the Lions' defense from the start and their 2011 sack leader DE Cliff Avril has already missed practice time this week, along with nearly every member of the Lions' secondary. They've been forced to claim former Packer CB Pat Lee off waivers after he was abruptly released by the Raiders (never a good sign). Still, he might be one of their top two cornerbacks at the moment.

While Rodgers hasn't been a force over the past two weeks (218 yards against the Cardinals, 186 yards against the Jaguars) the absence of WR Jordy Nelson has seemed to have been the problem. With his expected return from a hamstring injury, the offense, which has vanished over the past two games during the third quarter, should get a much needed boost from the return of their top wide receiver.

The only concern might be the switch of T.J. Lang to right tackle, to replace injured RT Bryan Bulaga. Lions' DE Kyle Vanden Bosch still remains effective with 5 sacks and 10 QB hits so far this season. This will be a match-up to watch.

Another area that could help the Packers is special teams, where the Packers rank No. 12 overall by Football Outsiders (held down only by K Mason Crosby's poor season) while the Lions rank near the bottom at No. 29. The Lions could end up with more total yards of offense, but if they keep losing the field position battle, it might not be enough to win the game.

This match-up, between two high powered offenses and two injured defenses, looks like it will be a shoot out. Maybe something like Packers 31, Lions 28.

Packers Hold On, Defeat Jaguars, 24-15

It wasn't pretty and the Green Bay Packers didn't cover the 15 point spread over the Jaguars, but with 2:54 left in the first period, QB Aaron Rodgers threw a 5 yard TD pass to WR Randall Cobb, and the Packers led for the rest of the game. There were a couple points to take from this game.

The Packers offense is underwhelming without WR Greg Jennings and WR Jordy Nelson. They had survived Jennings's absence while Nelson still played, but obviously something was missing without both of them. With TE Jermichael Finley not playing nearly as well this season (due to injury or some other reason) it leaves Rodgers fewer options. WR James Jones and WR Randall Cobb are still good, but it's not the same offense. Still, Rodgers had a solid game (2 TD passes, 95.7 QB rating) despite his late second quarter fumble that led to the Jaguars only touchdown. However, a lot of problems would be solved if Nelson can return next week.

The pass defense misses CB Charles Woodson. I pointed out last week that Woodson isn't having a statistically strong 2012 season, but the downgrade from him to more of CB Davon House and CB Jarrett Bush appeared to hurt. WR Justin Blackmon and WR Cecil Shorts made some plays, but they also made some bad decisions too (that blown route by Blackmon on 4th down with 3 minutes left is one example). QB Blaine Gabbert is playing better this season (4 starts this season with a QB rating over 80) so it shouldn't be a surprise that he was somewhat effective against the Packers's defense minus Woodson.

It's a discouraging win (if that's possible) but the loss of Jennings, Nelson and Woodson is significant and they'll all return over the next few weeks. With their third win in a row in the books, they can focus on getting healthy and preparing to face the Cardinals (who could be on a four game losing streak if they can't upset the 49ers on Monday night).

Watching Charles Woodson Against The Rams

One thing I looked for when I re-watched the Green Bay Packers win over the Rams was for the point at which CB Charles Woodson injured his collarbone. I'm not sure it happened on this particular play, but with 2:13 left in the fourth quarter, the Rams went for it 4th down, QB Sam Bradford threw an incomplete pass to his right and Woodson defended the pass. He didn't exactly knock it down, but he got in the way and it led to an incompletion. Afterwards, it looked like his left arm was hanging down and he looked reluctant to move it.

I didn't see him in on the Rams's next series, when they drove the length of the field and scored a late touchdown. Hopefully it was not a sign of things to come if CB Davon House is Woodson's replacement; Bradford threw that final touchdown pass to WR Austin Pettis as he was being covered by House.

Woodson Out For A Month With A Broken Collerbone

I'm not sure how someone has a stealthy collarbone injury, but Green Bay Packers' CB Charles Woodson has managed it.

I talked to him after the game last night. He seemed fine. RT @jayglazer Big loss for packers. Charles Woodson broken collarbone out 6 weeks
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) October 22, 2012

Mike McCarthy said that this break isn't as serious as the one Woodson suffered during the Super Bowl. So, fortunately, the time table for his recovery isn't as long as it could have been.

While I'm not a fan of CB Jarrett Bush, his best role on defense is when he takes Woodson's place as the slot cornerback. He doesn't play as tight or take as many chances, but maybe that's not such a bad thing since he's not as good.

I expect M.D. Jennings will take over as the starting safety (maybe Jerron McMillian will officially be named the starter but it means more playing time for both of them), and Bush will take over when Woodson would have moved into the slot at cornerback.

Overall, it's a net loss for the Packers, but maybe not quite as big as it would have been in previous seasons. The stats show that Woodson isn't making as much of an impact (through 7 games in 2012, 1 INT and 5 pass defenses; compared to 2011 with 7 INTs and 17 pass defenses in 16 games). He isn't a cure-all to the Packers tackling problems either because in 2011 he was among the Bottom Three with 15 missed tackles.

However, their young secondary (Jennings, McMillian, Casey Heyward) might really miss the leadership that he brings to the field. One silver lining is that his injury comes at an opportune time. Their next two opponents before the bye week are among the worst offenses in the NFL (Jacksonville and Arizona). Unfortunately, his absence might really be noticed during road games at Detroit and the NY Giants.

Packers Preseason Preview: Browns at Packers

The Cleveland Browns are coming off a 4-12 season and looking for a lot of improvement throughout the roster, but their main focus will be the development of Brandon Weeden. They won't get any better until Weeden is ready to start, and he'll need quality reps during the preseason to make that happen. His first start against the Lions wasn't too encouraging.

For the Packers, maybe it's best if they focus on staying healthy. There's only a couple starting jobs on defense to be determined so long as WR Greg Jennings, TE Jermichael Finley, and RB James Starks are ready for the start of the regular season. Charles Woodson is moving to his new safety position, but I'm not worried about a veteran like him.

It's not a make-or-break game, but with CBs Davon House and Sam Shields out, this is a great time for rookie Casey Hayward to show what he can do. He'll still split time with Jarrett Bush, but the coaches know Bush well, and one preseason game is unlikely to change their minds. House looked pretty good against the Chargers last week, and while Hayward wasn't bad, he'll have to play better to move ahead of House. Right now, I still expect Bush will be the starting cornerback.

It probably doesn't matter who's named the starter at defensive end because the lineman are expected to rotate so frequently. Though he made little impact in 2011, it looks like C.J. Wilson is technically ahead of rookie Jerel Worthy, but Worthy seems to be the lineman of choice alongside B.J. Raji in their nickel package. Philip Merling was very active during their first preseason game against Chargers, and he looks like the next lineman on the depth chart.

While Charlie Peprah Was Released, The Packers Demoted Sam Shields

One thing I got wrong when I wrote about the new alignment of the Green Bay Packers's secondary was that Sam Shields would still be the nickel back. Instead, M.D. Jennings played in the nickel defense. From Tyler Dunne:

Charles Woodson lined up at safety in the team's base alignment, a defense used 25% of the time last season. But in the team's nickel package -- which Dom Capers used much more often -- Woodson slid down into the slot and M.D. Jennings was with the No. 1 defense at safety. For now, Jarrett Bush ran with the starters at right cornerback.

Dunne opened his article with an earlier quote from Mike McCarthy, who said he doesn't talk about his players as a "starter" because it's all about how often his players are on the field. Just because they don't start the game on the field doesn't mean they won't be playing a lot.

So Woodson is the "starter" at safety, but he'll probably spend more time at cornerback. The coaches now think Bush is their 4th best defensive back, and Jennings is their No. 5. The loser here is Shields, who seemed to hold onto his nickel spot during the OTAs (of course, it seemed like Charlie Peprah was going to be the starter too), but now he'll have to play his way back onto the first team nickel defense.

The rookies aren't playing a role in this discussion, yet, but a lot can change over the course of a training camp. However, I'm not expecting much from Casey Hayward or Jerron McMillian. Though Shields himself came out of nowhere as a rookie in 2010 to become the nickel back, the Football Outsiders 2012 Almanac has a great discussion about Cowboys rookie CB Morris Claiborne, and why no one should expect great things from rookie defensive backs.

In the end, I don't see a big mistake being made. I'm no fan of Jarrett Bush, but Sam Shields played poorly last season. It's hard to make a strong case that another season from Charlie Peprah is better than giving M.D. Jennings a chance at safety. These might be marginal improvements, but they don't look like a big step back either, and Shields will still be given an opportunity to turn himself around.

The entire situation reminds me a little bit of the Baltimore Ravens, who seemingly run out a new set of starting cornerbacks every season while still having a strong pass defense. The changes in personnel don't seem to make a huge difference because their pass defense is keyed by a strong pass rush, and it might actually struggle for the first time in many seasons because of the likely absence of Terrell Suggs. On the other hand, the Packers made a big push to improve their woeful pass rush by the addition of Nick Perry. The combination of Bush and Jennings might appear to be a big improvement in 2012, if the pass rush is a lot better.

The Charlie Peprah Era Comes To A Close

As the Journal-Sentinel noted, it was a little surprising that the Green Bay Packers chose to release Charlie Peprah. I'm surprised that they didn't release him sooner. His 2011 season was horrible, and he was one of the players responsible for the team's worst play of the season: the Hail Mary touchdown pass against the Giants. I don't know if they did him a favor by releasing him now, but at least he's got a month to try and catch on with another team.

Peprah was originally with the Packers as a special teams player for three seasons before he was released in 2009. He re-signed in early 2010, the Packers were really looking for some help on special teams, but he looked better on defense, and he was a solid replacement for the injured Morgan Burnett in 2010. Unfortunately, his 2011 season was a giant step back, despite the five interceptions he recorded, and he was rated by Football Outsiders as one of the worst players at his position.

Of course, the next question is who will replace him at safety? They drafted a safety in the 4th round (Jerron McMillian) and second year player M.D. Jennings is returning, but neither one was seriously considered as a starter during the offseason. There was some talk of moving Charles Woodson to safety, but no one from the Packers seemed in favor of that move. I didn't think much of it either: why move Woodson if he's so good defending receivers in the slot?

However, when the first practice began, it was Woodson on the field at safety and Jarrett Bush at cornerback (another player involved in the Hail Mary fiasco). I'm never in favor of more playing time for Bush, but it's hard to say that Peprah is a better player. Mike McCarthy did an interview a few months ago during which he regretted not giving more playing time to Bush last season, so he's a believer in his ability as a corner and the team did just re-sign him to a new contract. I wouldn't be surprised to see Woodson stay at safety this season.

Bush had been playing the understudy role to Woodson for at least the last couple seasons, so I expect he'll now take over his job in 2012, if Woodson stays at safety. Bush might technically start at corner ahead of Sam Shields, but when the defense goes into the nickel, Shields will be lining up against the outside receiver, and Bush will be covering the receiver in the slot.

I wouldn't think that choosing Bush over Peprah, which isn't a straight swap since it requires moving Woodson to safety, to be a big improvement, but obviously the coaches and GM Ted Thompson disagree. I'm not crazy about either option, but things couldn't get any worse than they were last season, so it doesn't hurt to try.

The Packers 90-man Roster: Cornerbacks

One of the biggest surprises in last April's draft was that the Green Bay Packers selected a cornerback (Casey Hayward) in the 2nd round. Maybe it shouldn't have been a surprise based on the terrible 2011 season, but I thought the coaches were looking for a bounce back season from Tramon Williams and/or Sam Shields. Instead, they added a shot of competition to the position.

Player	Height	Weight	Age	Experience
Bush, Jarrett	6-0	200	28	7
Hayward, Casey	5-11	192	22	Rookie
House, Davon	6-0	195	22	2
Merrill, Otis	5-11	188	24	Rookie
Ross, Brandian	6-0	191	22	1
Shields, Sam	5-11	184	24	3
Turner, Dion	5-11	194	23	Rookie
Williams, Tramon	5-11	191	29	6
Woodson, Charles	6-1	202	35	15

At first glance this looks like a tough spot for three rookies, and a 2011 practice squad member (Ross) who's had zero regular season experience. Unless Hayward is a complete disaster in training camp, which is very unlikely, he'll move into the spot vacated by former Packer Pat Lee, who's now with the Raiders.

Then it comes down to whether one of the three undrafted free agents (Merrill, Ross, Turner) can move ahead of House. While the most likely result is that they're only competing against each other for a spot on the practice squad, the fact remains that House was given zero opportunities last season while the secondary was imploding. If House struggles during the preseason, he could have reason to worry.

But other than a possible competition for the final spot on the 53-man roster, the depth chart should remain the same. Woodson is back, and Bush was re-signed to back him up. Shields took a big step back in 2011, but he played with the first team defense during the open OTAs. Some concern remains about whether Williams is fully recovered from his shoulder injury, but his injured nerve will heal at some point and he kept his starting job throughout 2011 despite his bad shoulder.

Overall competition level: low. Other than a potential battle between Shields and Hayward/House/Bush for the nickelback, there shouldn't be too many surprises here once the longshot, undrafted undrafted cornerbacks fail to move up the depth chart. The cornerbacks need to play a lot better in 2012, but that doesn't mean that there will be a lot of changes to the roster.