Packers Don't Add Anyone From Outside, Keep Their Own, and Watch As Greg Jennings Is Released

Unlike last year when the Packers made a big splash by signing LB Julius Peppers, it looks unlikely that they'll add player from another team, making them one of three teams with no new additions. Things could change over the next few weeks, but usually there are rumors by now that the Packers are talking to a player outside the organization, so I'm guessing that it won't happen.

Players should get the best offer for their services that they can, they don't have to give up millions of dollars and be loyal to the Packers when the Packers might just as well release them in a couple years, but there are some non-monetary factors that goes into their decision. RT Bryan Bulaga received an offer for more money from the Bills but decided to remain with the Packers. I don't know which teams might have been talking to WR Randall Cobb's agent last week, but Cobb got paid significantly less the Chiefs paid to WR Jeremy Maclin ($22.5 million guaranteed for Maclin, $17 million for Cobb).

The Vikings have released WR Greg Jennings. 2 seasons in MIN 2013: 68 rec, 804 yds, 4 TD 2014: 59 rec, 742 yds, 6 TD pic.twitter.com/vU6YtRooSh
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) March 14, 2015

Would WR Greg Jennings have been released now if he had re-signed with the Packers in 2013? I really have no idea, but it's a fair question. His stats were good over two seasons with multiple below average QBs, and he might have reached 1000 yards in each of the last two seasons with QB Aaron Rodgers (Jennings has only missed one game over the past two seasons in Minnesota). If he had stayed, then he would have presented the Packers with a decision between to make between him and Cobb.

As for the current situation, I can't see Jennings returning to the Packers. He was still useful last season, but he wasn't worth the cap charge (the Vikings are still taking a $6 million cap hit in 2015 for his release). He wouldn't start with the Packers, but he could start somewhere else. He won't receive a huge contract, maybe a Brian Hartline like two-years, $6 million contract, but he should be able to find a starting role somewhere.

Greg Jennings' Strange New View of the Packers

Shortly after leaving Green Bay last offseason, Vikings WR Greg Jennings said some negative stuff about his former team.

The ex-Packer, currently entering the second year of a 5-year/$45 million deal, criticized many things about the club, most notably their QB Aaron Rodgers.

Fortunately, that minor situation ended today, as ESPN.com published an interesting article involving Jennings, in which the veteran said he "appreciates" his time with the Packers.

In the interview, Jennings somewhat strangely compared the Pack to his mom, saying he can never get away from them. 

While that is kind of weird, the message of his statement was still overall positive, a kind of closure for us fans, as we can now respect Jennings instead of continuing to treat him as an enemy.

Nelson "Doesn't Want to Go Anywhere" After Contract Year

Following each of the last two seasons, a starting Packers WR has left in Free Agency.

Last year, Greg Jennings moved over to the Vikings, while James Jones switched conferences by joining the Oakland Raiders this spring.

Despite that recurring trend, Jordy Nelson apparently doesn't want to leave despite the possibility of making more, telling the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that he "doesn't want to go anywhere" after 2014.

Nelson, currently the Pack's oldest receiver at 29, has been with Green Bay all six seasons of his career, helping the team win 3 Division Titles and a Super Bowl during that time. 

GM Ted Thompson Is Looking Cheap But Will It Come Back To Haunt Him?

The final contract numbers are out for WR Greg Jennings and TE Tom Crabtree. The Green Bay Packers wanted both players back, but they didn't quite offer enough. From Bob McGinn of the Journal Sentinel:

Sources familiar with negotiations said Jennings had an offer averaging about $8 million from the Packers before he took a five-year contract from the Minnesota Vikings that averaged about $9 million. He received a $10 million signing bonus and guarantees worth $18 million.

At roughly the same time, Crabtree accepted a two-year, $1.6 million deal from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when the Packers wouldn't budge off their one-year offer worth about $700,000.

So if the Packers had agreed to pay $9 instead of $8 million to Jennings, and $800,000 instead of $700,000 to Crabtree, they could have had both players back?

The offers to both players were probably not arbitrary. The Packers certainly know where they want to be in regards to the salary cap, and they're probably thinking about extensions that will come up over the next couple years. So good for them; they've maintained discipline in the face of two budget busting extensions.

Or did they just not realize the market for their players? Why not come up in price for two guys you wanted back and underbid for? Here's a GM Ted Thompson quote via Kevin Seifert:

"Free agency is a difficult thing to predict. It didn't work out."

I think the team will be just fine next season without both players. Jennings is aging and the Vikings are taking some risk by giving him a big contract at this point in his career. Crabtree is great to the fans, but he's just another guy. TE Ryan Taylor is probably as good as Crabtree and he's already on the roster.

But it's troubling that GM Ted Thompson has seemed to have blown it in free agency. He wanted Jennings and Crabtree back and he put competitive offers on the table, but misjudged the market and lost them both.

When the Packers let players like DE Aaron Kampman, DE Cullen Jenkins, and LG Daryn Colledge, that seemed to be an internal decision. Kampman was coming off a major injury. Jenkins and Colledge were going to be overpaid, as far as they were concerned. They didn't make a big effort to re-sign them. Since then, they've tried to re-sign C Scott Wells last year and underbid. Now they've done the same with Jennings and Crabtree. Maybe it's for the best; Wells's first year with the Rams was plagued with injuries. Maybe Plan B will work out fine, though C Jeff Saturday wasn't a success last season. They seem to know what to do, but can't get it done, and that's left me concerned going forward.

Greg Jennings Signs With The Vikings

I'm a little stunned that WR Greg Jennings is no longer a Green Bay Packer. I don't really think it will be that weird to see him wearing a Vikings uniform because he's always wearing a big smile, and he'll be on good terms with his former teammates the first time he plays against them next season.

This is a business decision for him. The money is good (five-years, $47.5 million, with $18 million in guaranteed money, and he'll make $27 million over the first three years). Maybe the Packers did offer him more once upon a time, but they weren't making that offer now or he'd have stayed.

WATCH: The Minnesota @vikings introduce Greg Jennings on.nfl.com/15RvPwU
— NFL (@nfl) March 16, 2013

The Packers will survive his departure because of the great depth they've assembled at wide receiver, but now finding a promising young receiver in the draft they can develop for the future becomes an issue. He can still play and he could have helped them next season, but they do have to consider the long-term picture. A big contract for Jennings now might have caused a problem later when they try to extend WR Jordy Nelson or WR Randall Cobb.

His rookie season of 2006 got off to a good start as he earned the starting job out of training camp, but a mid-season hamstring injury wrecked it for the most part. He bounced back in 2007 with a 12 touchdown season and he looked like a great No. 2 receiver behind WR Donald Driver. But over the next couple seasons, 2008 through 2010, he became their No. 1 receiver and the focal point of the offense. During that time, the offense seemed to slow down if they kept the ball away from him for any length of time.

He was still playing great in 2011 until he suffered a late season knee injury, but he had started to lose importance in the offense as Nelson emerged as a big play threat and Cobb developed into a promising rookie. A groin injury wrecked his final season in Green Bay and he didn't look like his old self until late in the 2012 season.

He ends his Packer career with 425 receptions, No. 7 overall. He also finishes with 6537 career receiving yards and 86 touchdown receptions. Ironically, his career stats are almost identical to WR Antonio Freeman (who took 20 more games to reach the same level). That leaves him as one of the best receivers ever to play for the Packers, and that should be remembered as he heads to play the next few seasons for a division rival.

Greg Jennings Visits The Vikings and Steven Jackson Rumors

Since the Green Bay Packers aren't into free agency, I hadn't been looking at the free agent class all that closely, but there have been some good signings mixed in with the awful LB Erik Walden type ones.

The Colts are still going a little crazy for injury prone players like S LaRon Landry and RT Gosder Cherlius, but the Seahawks signing of DE Cliff Avril, the Lions signing of RB Reggie Bush, the Bears signing of LT Jermod Bushrod, and the Broncos signing of DT Terrance Knighton were all good, if not earth shattering moves. Even WR Wes Welker to the Broncos for $6 million per season looks like a slight discount.

While most of the remaining high profile free agents are either getting older or injury prone, there are still a couple of really good ones available, like Buccaneers DE Michael Bennett. I don't know what Bennett's asking for but I'm sure it's too rich for GM Ted Thompson and he's probably not a good fit for the Packers' 3-4 scheme. WR Greg Jennings, who is coming off two injury shortened seasons himself, is looking like one of the top remaining free agents available.

And it's on: Packers free-agent WR Greg Jennings is visiting today with...the Minnesota Vikings.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 14, 2013

It would suck to see Jennings wearing purple, but the Vikings have a major need at wide receiver and might be willing to overpay, though that seems a little less likely after they decided not to pay up for WR Percy Harvin.

If there is a silver lining here, it's that buried at the end of this article by the Journal-Sentinel. The Packers appear to be actively working in free agency, but they "are waiting on free agents" and don't want to overpay. It was reported, before being deleted, that the Packers had agreed to terms with RB Steven Jackson. I don't expect them to find a free agent who will be a long-term solution at any position, but they might surprise with a player or two that could play a valuable role (like Jackson) for a couple seasons.

The Packers Want Jennings Back and The Colts Go Crazy

Depth at the wide receiver position has always been important GM Ted Thompson, and the surprise draft selections of WR Jordy Nelson and WR Randall Cobb in recent years is proof of it. So I'm not surprised that the Packers want to keep WR Greg Jennings, though his return might create a salary cap problem, but I'm a little surprised they didn't decide to use the franchise tag instead. They must be better masters of the cap then I gave them credit for and they probably view current cap room as more important than future space.

Report: Packers offered Jennings $10 million annually nfl.com/news/story/0ap…
— NFL: AroundTheLeague (@NFL_ATL) March 13, 2013

But in a surprise move, the Colts, who have a ton of salary cap room, went a little crazy:

New from JS: Erik Walden leaves Packers for big deal with Colts bit.ly/ZHk3TV #packers
— tom silverstein (@TomSilverstein) March 12, 2013

It was reported that Walden received a four-year, $16 million contract. There's only two explanations for this move. First, Walden's best game of the season came against the Colts. Second, this is $16 million in pretend cap money, non-guaranteed dollars at the back end of the contract which Walden will never see. It wasn't reported how much of it was guaranteed and how much Walden should expect to earn in 2013. However, even it turns out he'll only make $1 or $2 million in 2013, they still paid too much. I was hoping the Packers wouldn't bring Walden back at any price.

Today's The Day To Use The Franchise Tag On Greg Jennings

Monday is the last day the Green Bay Packers can use the franchise tag on WR Greg Jennings.

Last day for the franchise tag… Teams to look out for: Titans (Cook), Dolphins (possibly Starks), Packers (Jennings?), Chiefs (Bowe?), Pats
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 4, 2013

The current prediction is that Jennings won't receive it, which is what I've been expecting all along, until a report last week floated the possibility. The only reason that makes some sense is that they probably want to keep either Jennings or TE Jermichael Finley, and they can afford to keep at least one of them, so the cost of Jennings' franchise tag would be only a couple million more than Finley's huge 2013 salary number. Both players are available without a long-term commitment.

Based on how GM Ted Thompson's worked in the past, it would seem obviously they'd keep Finley over Jennings, who would be turning 30 next season while Finley will be 26 years old. The Packers have been choosing the younger player over the veteran for the past several seasons.

Both players are probably at their best when they attack the middle of the field, which might make Finley a better player for that role due to his size. Mike McCarthy recently praised Finley's 2012 performance:

"I think it was clearly his best year, particularly on the two-yard drag routes and things like that. I was very pleased with the way Jermichael played there in the second half and he improved a number of different areas of his game." 

He played a major role in the passing offense as he was third on the team with 88 targets last season. I was disappointed in him last season because he isn't really a tight end (poor blocking) and he wasn't a big play threat. But I'd be very surprised if the Packers decided to part ways with both Jennings and Finley.

There's a strong case to make for keeping Jennings over Finley because he's been more productive (when healthy) and he won't cost much more. But knowing how GM Ted Thompson works, I expect he'll go with the younger player who could be just as good over the next four years.

Are The Packers Choosing Between Jennings and Finley?

This is pretty big news for the Green Bay Packers, so I'm going to add my own post to what Jack wrote earlier. While I haven't been expecting the Packers to use the franchise tag on WR Greg Jennings, or keep TE Jermichael Finley, this new report makes it clear that the Packers are considering both options:

He's right RT @aaron_nagler Absurd how much information is packed in @bobmcginn piece on future of Jennings & Finey: bit.ly/138Qn5p
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 25, 2013

The initial report came from Ian Rapoport, who's a great NFL writer but not someone I consider a go-to guy for Packers information, but the link to an article by beat writer Bob McGinn confirms it. Plus, McGinn goes into a lot more detail about how the Packers are trying to choose between Jennings and Finley.

The reason they should want to keep either or both of them is that it would take what was a strength, depth at receiver, and turn it into a problem. While they're fine with Nelson, Cobb, and Jones as their top three receivers, there's no proven players (or high ceiling players) behind them on the depth chart. The Packers could change that by adding a receiver in the draft, but it would still present a problem for 2013.

The reason they want to part ways with both players is that they are too expensive. Bob McGinn points out that Finley's cap salary is $8.75 million in 2013, which is behind only QB Aaron Rodgers, and the salary cap charge for the franchise tag on Jennings should be close to $10 million.

There was some mention about using the franchise tag to trade Jennings, Bob McGinn recalled the time they traded DE Corey Williams after he received it, but I think they would only tag Jennings if they wanted to keep him. As I discussed above, without Jennings and Finley, their receiver depth is thin, especially considering all the injuries they've had at receiver over the past couple seasons. There's some sense in keeping Jennings for one more year, even at an overpriced 2013 salary, because a one-year deal avoids the risks inherent in a long-term contract.

In the end, this is interesting, but their offseason doesn't hinge on this decision. The most important things they need to do this offseason are extend Rodgers and LB Clay Matthews, and upgrade their defensive front seven. Keeping a deep group of receivers together is not as important. They could consider using a second or third round pick on a receiver, there are nine receivers with a 2nd or 3rd round grade according to NFL Draft Scout, and one of them must interest the Packers.

Packers Free Agency: Who Might Return In 2013?

When the Green Bay Packers have let a player become an unrestricted free agent in recent years, it's a pretty good sign that they don't intend to bring him back. One recent exception was LB Erik Walden, who re-signed last year for near the veteran's minimum, but he might have hurt more than he helped last season.

For those who've asked, here's the list of #Packers unrestricted and restricted free agents: sulia.com/c/green-bay-pa…
— Jason Wilde (@jasonjwilde) February 14, 2013

RB Cedric Benson, RB Ryan Grant, WR Greg Jennings, ILB Brad Jones, and OLB Erik Walden are all unrestricted free agents.

TE Tom Crabtree, C Evan Dietrich-Smith, ILB Rob Francois, CB Sam Shields, and OLB Frank Zombo are all restricted free agents. Since the restricted free agent market is for all practical purposes extinct, those players aren't going anywhere. They will sign modest one-year contracts to return, unless the Packers decide they don't want them back at any price. I'd expect them all to return for the start of training camp.

Do you see the Packers re-signing any of their unrestricted free agents?

They might wait until April, but they could re-sign Cedric Benson. They were pretty happy with his style of running before his season ending foot injury, and if he can pass a physical, he might return as the veteran alternative to RB DuJuan Harris or any back they add in the draft.

Jennings will probably be too expensive, despite what these former GMs think, because there are some teams with money to spend. All it takes is one serious suitor for Jennings to become too expensive.

Both Grant and Walden were allowed to leave last year and only played roles with the team because of injuries. I don't think the Packers will bring them back to do the same thing in 2013.

The Packers would probably like Brad Jones to return, but after a year of starting at inside linebacker, he might look for a starting job elsewhere. He might even find some team willing to let him start and pay him a couple million per year over the next few years. That's not a lot of money, but the Packers would only use him as a special teams player and backup linebacker, so a couple million is too much to pay him.

In the end, the Packers probably won't re-sign any unrestricted free agents before March, but they could return later in the month.

What Team Will Greg Jennings Play For In 2013

With all signs pointing to the eventual free agent departure of WR Greg Jennings from the Green Bay Packers, I was considering which team he might play for next season. I have no inside knowledge, of course, but there are a couple of teams who might seem like natural fits.

I started by looking at Walter Football's 2013 offseason pages for each team and identifying which teams have wide receiver listed as one of their top two needs. I've also excluded any team who's currently over the salary cap, which eliminates 10 possibilities. However, that leaves six teams with more cap room than the Packers currently have and a strong need at wide receiver.

Kansas City Chiefs. WR Dwayne Bowe is a free agent and no other Chiefs' receiver is among the Top 77 according to Football Outsiders. While that would seem to make Bowe a priority, the Chiefs were awful with or without him last season. Maybe the Chiefs won't do anything until they sort out their quarterback situation. Trading a younger No. 1 receiver in Bowe for an older No. 1 in Jennings might not make a lot sense either, however, new head coach Andy Reid is probably more familiar with Jennings and new Chiefs GM (and former Packers' VP) John Dorsey definitely is. They might think Jennings will be a better fit than Bowe in Reid's offense.

Miami Dolphins. Another wide receiver needy team with a lot of cap space ($35.8 million) and a former Packer (Dolphins' head coach Joe Philbin) in the house. This would seem like a natural fit, but so did QB Matt Flynn last year and he chose the Seahawks instead. GM Jeff Ireland doesn't seem to inspire confidence when free agents visit Miami either. I'd put Jennings to the Dolphins as the No. 1 possibility if it weren't for the odd behavior from the Dolphins' front office.

Seattle Seahawks. With WR Sidney Rice and WR Golden Tate on the roster, Jennings would seem like an extreme luxury. However, I could see them drafting a young wide receiver in the first round who could take over for Rice if his injury-prone past reappears. But I don't see them pursuing Jennings.

Minnesota Vikings. There might not be a team more in need at wide receiver than the Vikings. I'd be shocked if they didn't at least inquire about Jennings. However, they don't have a huge amount of cap room ($16.1 million) and they might want to address multiple needs instead of using most of their space on him.

Houston Texans. Despite another playoff appearance, their offense slumped last season, coming in at No. 16 according to Football Outsiders. If they're sticking with QB Matt Schaub, then they might want to get him some more help at receiver. They don't have a lot of cap room ($12.9 million) but they might view Jennings as the one player they need to advance for a team built to win now.

New England. Speaking of another playoff disappointment, the Patriots might be parting ways with WR Wes Welker and QB Tom Brady isn't getting any younger. Other than the Seahawks, this seems like his least likely destination, but they could afford him and they might need a receiver.

In the end, I don't see a clear favorite for Jennings this offseason. Someone's going to sign him to a big contract, but there are a lot of moving parts in this decision. And he might have to wait until WR Mike Wallace and/or WR Dwayne Bowe is signed for the market to be set. I'd like to see him with the Texans because it's his best chance to win another title, and I hope the Vikings pass on him.

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:

Preview: Lions at Packers On Sunday Night

At first glance, this injury report looks bad. On the other hand, the Green Bay Packers are almost in the same situation they were when they last faced the Lions back on November 18.

#Packers practice report: Lang returned but no Matthews, Nelson, Neal, Wilson, Starks
— Wes Hodkiewicz (@WesHod) December 7, 2012

Having RT T.J. Lang would be a big help, and it looks like he'll play. It's always a concern when LB Clay Matthews is out, but the defense put a lot of pressure on QB Matthew Stafford in their last meeting (5 sacks, 2 INTs, 1 fumble) without him. WR Jordy Nelson had a quiet day (3 catches for 45 yards) during their last meeting, and his loss is offset by the return of WR Greg Jennings. RB James Starks is replaced by RB Ryan Grant, which is arguably an upgrade. Losing DE Mike Neal and DE C.J. Wilson will stretch their depth, but I expect the Packers will spend most of the time in their two lineman, nickel package, so D-line depth won't be as important.

Though the Lions haven't won at Lambeau since QB Aaron Rodgers was in elementary school, I'm worried about this game. In their last meeting, the Lions turned the ball over four times and the Packers' offense only managed to score 17 points. While not much has changed on offense since that meeting (assuming Lang starts), 17 points is not enough if the Lions can avoid the turnovers.

However, the Lions' offense has since taken a step back. On November 18th, the Lions' second leading receiver was WR Ryan Broyles, who's now out for the year with an ACL injury, and their third leading receiver, WR Titus Young, is out for the year because he's a complete headcase. Though that's an addition by subtraction because Young was in open rebellion against the Lions and ended up helping the Packers more than hurting them. Still, the loss of Broyles, combined with the earlier loss of WR Nate Burleson, has to be a problem.

The Lions haven't scored under 20 points in their last six games, so assuming they don't commit four turnovers again, they should still manage around 24 points. The Packers, on the other hand, haven't scored over 24 points in their last three games, but they did have 31 points against a very good Cardinals defense back on November 4th. In that game, Rodgers threw for four touchdowns and he'll have to make plays like that again for them to win next Sunday.

Packers 31, Lions 24.

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).

Jennings Has Surgery, But I'm Writing About The Offensive Line

In previous years, losing WR Greg Jennings for an undisclosed amount of time due to surgery for a groin injury would be a big deal, but the Green Bay Packers have basically been without their top wide receiver already this season. He hasn't played at all in October, and over their last three games, QB Aaron Rodgers has thrown for 12 touchdowns and 1 INT. They'll be fine without him, which might be something to consider when Jennings becomes a free agent at the end of the year.

However the one area that has been a concern this season is the offensive line. While Rodgers had a great game against the Rams, the offensive line struggled to protect the QB and open running lanes for RB Alex Green. It seems like their problems every week can be traced to one player on the line, and against the Rams it was LG T.J. Lang.

His main problem was DT Michael Brockers, who despite having a quiet rookie season was great against the Packers. He had a sack in the first half when he shoved Lang into the backfield, and recorded two tackles for a loss on running plays (though one came when C Jeff Saturday couldn't block him). Overall, Lang appeared to allow two first half sacks, and missed on at least two blocks on second half running plays. Allowing that many plays in the backfield isn't good.

One strange thing was that they seemed to call for more runs to the left side although arguably their best lineman (RG Josh Sitton and RT Bryan Bulaga) play on the right. It was even more strange considering Lang's struggles, and some early game difficulties LT Marshall Newhouse, who had keeping up with DE Robert Quinn. At least Newhouse seemed to improve after the first quarter.

As long as I'm bringing up the bad, I should point out the good. The Rams's star DE Chris Long (13 sacks in 2011, 4 in 2012) was a non-factor and only recorded one tackle against the Packers. Mike McCarthy rarely gives his tackles any help in pass protection and Bulaga was great against the Rams' playmaker.

Time To Bench Greg Jennings This Week For Your Fantasy Team

#Packers Injury Report: WR Greg Jennings (groin, OUT FOR SUNDAY), G T.J. Lang (personal, DNP), S Sean Richardson (hamstring, DNP)
— Wes Hodkiewicz (@WesHod) October 4, 2012

Two other Packers were listed on the injury report, S M.D. Jennings and DE Ryan Pickett, who were both hurt during the Saints game, but it would be a surprise if either of them were out against the Colts. Unlike the Seahawks game, when the Packers left Jennings as a game time decision, they've decided he needs time to rest. His groin injury is lingering and Mike McCarthy is frustrated, so letting him rest is probably the best decision.

So what does it mean for the Packers? Here are the wide receiver rankings for their top four wide receivers according to Football Outsiders:

Player	DYAR	Rank	Passes	Yards	TD
Jones	77	12	23	191	3
Cobb	49	26	21	162	0
Nelson	42	33	31	260	1
Jennings	-19	75	22	78	1

Jennings had his ranking slip since last week, but there are now more receivers with over 15 pass attempts. He's now further away from the bottom of the list after recording a touchdown reception against the Saints. Still, he only has 78 yards for the season, with a poor 55% catch rate, so it's understandable. He's unlikely to improve those numbers if he tries to play when he's hurt.

Donald Driver isn't ranked by Football Outsiders because he's only had 2 receptions, although one of them was for a touchdown. He should have more opportunities against the Colts' 26th ranked pass defense, and all of the receivers could be breakout candidates. You'd have to put Jordy Nelson at the top of the list because he's been targeted the most this season (31 times).

A lot of this will depend on how the Colts play because the Packers have different ways to beat them. If the Colts blitz, it could force TE Jermichael Finley to block more and would likely involve more short passes to Cobb and RB Cedric Benson. If the Colts play a deep zone to take the sidelines away from Jones and Nelson, it could open up the intermediate routes for Finley. If the Colts stay with a single deep safety, it could provide great one-on-one match-ups for Jones and Nelson.

Maybe all of them will get into the game as the Colts try different defensive alignments to shut down the offense. QB Aaron Rodgers has said he likes playing indoors, so maybe it will be a good day for whoever touches the ball.

Will The Packers Miss Greg Jennings?

Setback for Packers' Greg Jennings es.pn/QpqunX
— Kevin Seifert (@espn_nfcnblog) September 20, 2012

WR Greg Jennings sat out practice on Thursday because he's not over the groin injury he suffered late in the game against the 49ers. The Packers expected to get him back this week. However, I wouldn't rule him out for next Monday night if he can get back to practice by the end of the week.

QB Aaron Rodgers's stats were down last week against the Bears without Jennings, but he also threw 12 fewer passes (44 to 32). Maybe the biggest concern is that WR James Jones, who should receive most of the snaps in his place, occasionally runs poor routes and it led to an interception last Sunday. I don't expect to see either WR Randall Cobb or WR Donald Driver replace Jones because they seem intended to play different roles in the offense. Jones isn't as good as Jennings, so while the offense will be fine without him, they'll only get better once he returns.

As for the Seahawks, I don't expect they'll play differently if Jennings is available or not. The 49ers and Bears played similar styles against the Packers by playing both safeties deep to take away the sideline threats. Until TE Jermichael Finley or Cobb start gashing big gains down the middle of the field, or RB Cedric Benson runs wild against a seven-man front, I expect most defenses will scheme the Packers that way.

Greg Jennings Will Probably Miss The Bears Game

The fact that WR Greg Jennings was unable to practice on the eve of their game against the Bears is probably a sign that he's not going to play. Mike McCarthy didn't rule him out, he's technically listed as doubtful, but usually players don't play if they miss the final practice of the week.

It's been a rough season so far for Jennings. He missed time during the preseason with a concussion, and now he's suffered a groin injury. In wondering whether the Packers will miss Jennings on Thursday night, I came across something odd from the season opener.

Jennings was targeted on 9 passes against the 49ers, which is about average for him, but Aaron Rodgers only attempted passes to five different receivers (Jennings, Jones, Nelson, Finley, and Cobb). That's really strange. Usually the other tight ends and running backs have a few passes thrown their way, but there were zero passes thrown to running or full backs against the 49ers (unless you consider Cobb a running back because he lined up in the backfield on several plays).

Just as an example, here's the box score from their playoff loss to the Giants, and Rodgers attempted passes to 11 different receivers. It's an advantage to have so many different receivers involved in the passing game, and attempting passes to only 5 different players doesn't seem the way to go. The Packers won't have more than 5 eligible receivers on the field at any given time, but mixing up the personnel and the look of the formation (some plays with multiple tight ends and fewer wide receivers) gives opposing defenses more to prepare for.

So if the Packers are reluctant (for some reason) to have more players involved as receivers, it puts more pressure on the other four receivers to get open because Jennings was targeted on over 20% of Rodgers's passes last Sunday. It's almost guaranteed that WR Donald Driver will have more than three snaps against the Bears, but with this apparently new strategy of involving fewer receivers, I would think Jennings's loss would hurt more than I expected.