The Packers made a couple of moves after other teams cut their rosters down to 53. First was releasing CB Jason Horton, who had returned an interception for a touchdown against Atlanta, but looked overmatched against Tennessee. If anyone was hoping for an CB Ahmad Carroll release, then they have a long wait ahead. With Horton's release and CB Mike Hawkins on the PUP list, the only corners on the roster behind Carroll are two rookies, CB Will Blackmon and the recently signed CB Jarrett Bush. Carroll would have to completely fall apart on the field to fall behind two rookies at this point.

The Packers picked up three players. Bush appeared to receive a lot of playing time with Carolina this preseason, and since Blackmon hasn't played since May due to a broken foot, Bush is the "experienced" 4th CB at this point. G Tony Palmer was picked up from St. Louis for depth at a shaky offensive guard position, but that was an odd move. The new zone blocking scheme is designed for smaller more athletic guards, but Palmer is a 326 lb. giant. S Charlie Peprah adds depth to a thin safety position with all the current safeties having suffered injuries recently, except S Tyrone Culver.

The Packers made up their practice squad too. CB Patrick Dendy and S Atari Bigby have some experience if any of the secondary's injuries persist. The best news was signing DE Dave Tollefson, who had a good preseason and deserves to stick with the team in some capacity.

Preseason Packers 21, Tennessee 35. It was an ugly game as Tennessee kept its starters in for most of the game, while the Packers starting defense played 3 snaps and the offense 2 snaps. WR Greg Jennings cemented his status as the star of the preseason with another huge reception and a starting job over WR Robert Ferguson.

No one looked very good after the starters left the field. Starting rookie OGs Jason Spitz and Tony Moll played most of the game, but Moll struggled early when a Tennessee tackle beat him inside and led to a QB Aaron Rodgers fumble. DT Kendrick Allen started ahead of DT Cullen Jenkins for the first time this preseason, but that doesn't seem to indicate much as the Packers plan on rotating at least five players (maybe six if DT Johnny Jolly is active each week) at the tackle position. S Tyrone Culver forced a fumble in the red zone, the only Tennessee turnover. Culver has looked good this preseason and should start over S Marquand Manuel who was awful in the only game he played in this preseason. However, Manuel is the big free agent while Culver is the rookie, so Manuel will start week 1.

The Packers could have cut anybody this week that was not expected to start and it wouldn't have been a surprise. The special teams were awful against Tennessee, with the exception of P Jon Ryan's giant punts. The kick coverage was bad and WR Cory Rodgers and Carlton Brewster couldn't hand on to the ball. The Packers said they were looking for big wide receivers when they signed and resigned WR Marc Boehringer and Rod Gardner, but neither made the roster and the star of the preseason was 5'11" WR Jennings. WR Ruvell Martin made a couple of nice catches and that was apparently enough to make the team as the number 4 WR with Boehringer and Gardner underperforming and Rodgers and Brewster showing bad hands.

The biggest news was the release of RB Najeh Davenport, but it shouldn't surprise anybody because he didn't play well. He didn't run well, but his pass blocking was awful. LB Roy Manning played as well as anybody in the 2nd half against Tennessee, but he couldn't beat out LBs Brady Poppinga or Tracy White. It wouldn't have been a surprise if any one of the three had been released. DE Dave Tollefson was a slightly surprising release, but he didn't show as much as much speed as DE Jason Hunter so potential beat out production. QB Ingle Martin got his first extended playing time and looked awful. The pass he threw that was intercepted was laughably bad. The Packers cannot go into a game this season with Martin as the number 2 QB and hope he improves as the season progresses. The Packers could have cut all of the backup cornerbacks and it wouldn't have been a surprise, but they have to keep somebody in reserve.

Preseason Packers 17, Cincinnati 48. It reminded me of the game last season on Monday Night Football at Baltimore, where the secondary gave up and made it look like QB Kyle Boller was headed for the Pro Bowl.

The first half started out bad with two QB Brett Favre turnovers, first a fumble than an interception. The turnovers weren't so much a sign that Favre is going to have trouble this season, but that the blocking isn't very good yet. On the fumble, S Dexter Jackson came through unblocked on the screen pass to RB Ahman Green, FB Vonta Leach was late to pick him up Jackson, which forced Favre to try and hold back the ball, but it slipped out of his hand. Then on the interception, Favre was hit immediately after he threw it. It appeared the defensive end beat T Chad Clifton. Clifton looked good during the first two preseason games, but he struggled and had at least one penalty called against him in this game. Everyone, from the rookie linemen to the veteran linemen, to the backs are having trouble blocking right now.

The first string run defense looked good, holding RB Rudi Johnson to under 3 yards per carry. The nose tackle rotation of Ryan Pickett and Kendrick Allen appears to be an improvement over Grady Jackson. The pass defense failed the team. CB Charles Woodson looked good earlier in the preseason, but WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh abused him. Houshmandzadeh caught two first down catches and a TD pass on their first scoring drive of the 2nd quarter. S Marquand Manuel looked even worse. It was Manuel's first preseason game, after missing most of the preseason and training camp with an injury, but he was involved in the coverage on the all three of QB Carson Palmer's first half TD passes. Manuel played way off TE Reggie Kelly for an easy TD pass. Then he took a bad angle and completely missed Housemandzadeh on his TD reception. Then he missed covering WR Tad Perry in the end zone. He was either overmatched or still recovering from his injury. If the season started today, S Tyrone Culver would have to be considered that starter over Manuel.

The Packers overhauled four areas of the team this offseason. The linebackers are looking better with LB A.J. Hawk always around the ball. K Dave Rayner and P Jon Ryan look good so far, with Rayner hitting at least one touchback (an unheard of event in the K Ryan Longwell era) and Ryan nailing a 60 yard punt and pinning one punt at the 10 yard line. The new blocking scheme appears to still be a work in progress, despite the starting lineup already being named, and the secondary does not look any better than last season.

The Packers made a few moves after the game, but none of the players cut were likely to make the team. It was surprising Ted Thompson signed a kicker after Rayner had a good game, but it does give the Packers a back up plan if Rayner falls apart in the last preseason game. One last preseason game to put it all together, before a big test week 1 vs. Chicago.

Preseason Packers 38, Atlanta 10. What a difference a week makes. The big difference was a much improved offensive line and lots of forced turnovers. It was only one week, so it is hard to tell how much it helped to have rookie G Tony Moll playing instead of G Daryn Colledge. The offensive line might have been helped by simply having another week of practice or by playing against Atlanta's average pass rush instead of San Diego's top 5 pass rush. It didn't matter to Mike McCarthy; Moll will be the starting guard week 1. Neither Cincinnati nor Tennessee have above average defenses, so it is likely that Moll won't do anything to lose his spot over the next two preseason games. Other than Moll, there are a few other players who deserve attention:

WR Greg Jennings. He played well at San Diego by catching four passes when the rest of the offense struggled. He really showed off against Atlanta. He is clearly the number three wide receiver. WR Robert Ferguson should be watching carefully to make sure he doesn't lose his starting job to Jennings.

WRs Marc Boehringer and Rod Gardner. They are right behind Jennings on the depth chart, but neither caught a pass against Atlanta. Boehringer's poor performance apparently led to his release. The Packers traded for WR Carlton Brewster to see what he can do. The Packers gave up CB Therrian Fontenot for Brewster, but Fontenot had not done much on the field to show he was a likely candidate for a final roster spot.

SS Tyrone Culver. With the season ending injury to S Marviel Underwood and S Marquand Manuel still hurt, Culver had a lot of playing time. He apparently played the entire game in San Diego; he didn't make any big plays, but he didn't give up any either and made some big hits. During the second quarter against Atlanta, he missed a coverage assignment. Two plays later, he intercepted QB Michael Vick's pass. In the first two preseason games, he has looked better than last season's SS Mark Roman looked in any game that Roman started.

FB Vonta Leach. With FB William Henderson out for the rest of the preseason, Leach is the man. The AP article mentioned Leach dropped a touchdown pass, but he also dropped another pass earlier in the game. He dropped 2 of QB Aaron Rodgers 3 incompletions. During 2005, Leach looked great at times, and at other times he missed his assignments. Leach will be counted on much more in 2006 and needs to show improvement.

G Siitupe Peko. He missed at least two blocking assignments in the 4th quarter; one of which led to Rodgers's fumble. I hadn't seen Peko in a game yet this preseason, but if Moll doesn't work out at right guard, then Peko doesn't look like he is Plan B. He has a good resume, but it was surprising he wasn't cut after his poor performance on Saturday.

P B.J. Sander. He was awful in San Diego, but looked better on Saturday. He showed improvement, but he was cut anyway. Sander has been such a disappointment that this isn't a big surprise. However, he wasn't released because rookie P Jon Ryan was playing outstanding. Ryan looked good in San Diego, but he dropped the snap in the end zone and barely got his only punt attempt away.

DE Mike Montgomery. He looked good last preseason, and he is looking good this preseason too with 2 sacks in the 4th quarter against Atlanta. He didn't play much in 2005, but hopefully he brings his preseason performance into the regular season during 2006.

K Billy Cundiff was cut, leaving 2nd year K Dave Rayner as the only kicker in camp. Neither kicker had much of an opportunity in the first preseason game, so it is hard to tell whether this was a good decision, but it does add to the list of puzzling decisions made by the Packers. Tom Silverstein reported that Cundiff "missed fewer field goals than Rayner and in the most recent kickoff drill in practice averaged 66.8 yards to Rayner's 60.1." So lately, Cundiff had outkicked Rayner, but Cundiff was cut? Mike McCarthy explains all when he said "[Rayner] has a strong leg. I think he has a winner's substance to him. I like his personality, I like his approach." McCarthy likes Rayner's "winner's substance" and that apparently trumped Cundiff's superior performance in practice. Brilliant.

QB Brett Favre's possible retirement always seems to hinge on whether he is still having fun. It doesn't sound like he is having a lot of fun this training camp. QB Aaron Rodgers, age 22, said "his daughter (Brittany) is almost 18, so I'm closer to her age than to his age. But we still can have a good time and joke around." Aaron means he is joking around with Brett not Brittany, right? I'm sure he does.

OG Daryn Colledge was given no slack for his poor performance in San Diego. He is 2nd team, G Jason Spitz (who didn't play well either) is the new left guard, and rookie OL Tony Moll is the new right guard. At this point, it would seem likely that OLs Will Whitticker or Junius Coston would be a better option than Moll. If not, then WR Javon Walker was traded for the rights to Colledge, so it would seem reasonable to give Colledge at least one more chance before demoting him. Promoting Moll just seems desperate. Rookies are unlikely to play well no matter the position, which is why Whitticker or Coston would be more likley to succeed than Moll. But Whitticker's career with the Packers seems over, Coston's future appears to be at tackle, and Plan B if Moll doesn't work out appears to be "Mookie". Injuries and poor play has turned the project of revamping the offensive line into a disaster, so far.

The Packers didn't play well in their first preseason game, but they had only one fumble (recovered), one interception, and four penalties. This really stood out from last season, when the Packers made a lot of mistakes in the preseason. The Packers should have lost their preseason game last season versus San Diego, but managed to win despite nine penalties and six(!) fumbles (3 lost). San Diego outplayed the Packers, but San Diego committed twelve penalties and a few of them were true gifts to the Packers from the refs.

The Packers only played mistake-free football last preseason at Buffalo (except that they were soundly beaten), and they committed a lot of penalties and turnovers against Tennessee and New England. Somehow they managed to go 2-2 last preseason, despite being outplayed during most of those games and making a lot of mistakes via turnovers and penalties. The Packers played better during the 2005 regular season than the preseason, but the turnovers persisted. The Packers managed to improve their penalties and finished near the middle in penalties.

Despite the beating the Packers took at San Diego on Saturday, the quality of play is very likely to improve if 2005 is an indication. What to look for during this preseason is that QB Brett Favre keeps his interceptions low (zero so far), the rookies are improving with each game, and who will win the final roster spots.

Luckily for the Packers, S Marquand Manuel is back in practice. The Packers released S Mark Roman because S Marviel Underwood was playing so well, but with Underwood out for the season, depth at safety has become a concern. S Tyrone Culver played well against San Diego, but he has become all the depth the Packers have at the position. Hopefully DT Kendrick Allen can come back soon. The Packers defensive line didn't look much improved at San Diego, but NT Ryan Pickett and Allen weren't playing either.

Preseason Packers 3, San Diego 17. It looked really bad. The offense couldn't get anything going, until QB Aaron Rodgers came on to lead the team in rushing and abuse San Diego's 3rd string secondary. The defense allowed big plays early and then the 2nd string defense couldn't stop San Diego on 3rd down (63% converted for the game). There are some positives, but they were overshadowed by how badly the Packers were beaten.

Yes, the offensive line was horrible. C Scott Wells said we can't blame the system, but it is new to everybody at this point and it probably was a big part of the problem. G Daryn Colledge blew an early pass blocking assignment and QB Brett Favre got leveled. G Jason Spitz blew at least two early run blocking assignments. However, the rookies were not the only problem. T Mark Tauscher got fooled on a linebacker stunt and Favre got leveled again. RB Najeh Davenport got the start but he didn't run well and he missed two blitz pickups who went on to hit Favre both times. The blockers couldn't open any rushing lanes or protect Favre. The second unit struggled too. G Junius Coston is now the back up left tackle and allowed at least one sack on Rodgers. Coston deserves some slack since he has been playing left tackle in the NFL for only the last week. Everybody has a lot to learn and everybody played horrible. It will only get better.

Yes, the defense wasn't good either. LB A.J. Hawk got beaten badly on a slant route, but it was by the best tight end in the NFL, TE Antonio Gates. Tight ends feasted on the defense; catching 11 passes for the game, but that has been a problem for this defense for the last couple of seasons. Hawk was much better after the first quarter. The defensive line wasn't great, but QB Phillip Rivers was throwing a lot of quick passes to avoid sacks and San Diego didn't run the ball very well (outside of one 13 yard TD run at the end of a long drive). Overall, the defensive line played well considering new NT Ryan Pickett didn't play. Rivers abused the entire Packer secondary except CB Charles Woodson. CB Al Harris struggled and CB Ahmad Carroll had a bad game too. Carroll could have been called for interference a couple of times, but wasn't. Also, he allowed the TD pass in the 1st quarter, but it was a perfect pass from Rivers and probably couldn't have been defended by anyone in the NFL. The biggest problems were 63% of 3rd downs were converted against them and they forced no turnovers.

There wasn't a lot of place kicking, but K Dave Rayner kicked at least one kickoff in the end zone and K Billy Cundiff made his short field goal attempt. If there was a punting battle on Saturday, then P B.J. Sander lost it bad. Sander's punt all seemed short and low, while P Jon Ryan had all his kicks travel farther than Sander's longest punt and his 55 yard punt sent the punt returner back several yards. Ryan would have to fall apart during the rest of the preseason to lose the job to Sander.

The Packers must know there aren't many experienced free agent offensive lineman looking for work now. Signing G "Mookie" Moore doesn't hurt, but he apparently can't stay healthy and hasn't played tackle, where the Packers have little depth. It is unlikely he will start the season with the team. If T Todd Wade passed a physical, then he would have been a better signing. There is no need to panic, because the players two lost players (T Adrian Klemm and T Kevin Barry) weren't that good anyway. It is likely that rookie T Tony Moll would play just as well as Klemm or Barry. Besides, there are very few NFL teams that have three quality offensive tackles and some don't even have two like the Packers, so it isn't as if the Packers are at a disadvantage compared to the rest of the NFL. If Ts Chad Clifton or Mark Tauscher are hurt this season, then the Packers are in trouble no matter what rookie or street free agent they play in their place.

The most important starting battle this preseason is at kicker and punter. P B.J. Sander wasn't teaching a clinic on holding last season, but his biggest sin was that he didn't punt very well. K Ryan Longwell's replacement has to be better at kickoffs than him. What ended Longwell's career in Green Bay was his inability to automatically make field goals from within 40 yards; he had been lousy on kickoffs for many seasons. It is unlikely the new kicker will be automatic from within 40 yards like Longwell once was, but at least the new kicker can kickoff better. There is no way to tell how good/bad these guys will be until the preseason games start.

I'm missed the Packers first scrimmage on TV this season. Last season, it showed off the talents of TE Ben Steele (didn't make the team out of camp) and CB Jason Horton (rarely played in 2005). It is not really a showcase for what the Packers can do. The pass coverage was awful, but it wasn't the starting secondary playing either. Unfortunately CB Ahmad Carroll didn't play well either, and it seems unlikely he will ever figure it out. Another bad sign was that LB A.J. Hawk came out on 3rd down in favor of LB Abdul Hodge. Hodge was a highly regarded player who slipped into the third round, but Hawk should be playing instead of Hodge, expect Hodge is outplaying him. Apparently Hawk isn't very good in pass coverage. It is early, but that is not a good start for Hawk.

It was a great day to read about Reggie White's induction into the Hall of Fame. His signing transformed the Packers and I have never seen another defensive lineman who could play like him. He literally threw 300 lb. lineman out of his way.

Training camp started last week and the best news is that LB A.J. Hawk and G Daryn Colledge signed on time. They need as much practice time with the first team units as they can get. There was some trouble signing LB Abdul Hodge, the Packers 3rd round pick, but he made it too. Hodge wasn't as essential as Hawk because Hodge should be a backup in 2006. Is Hodge the weak side linebacker of the future? He is probably more talented than likely starter LB Ben Taylor.

The Packers also released S Mark Roman right before camp started. Roman wasn't good in his two seasons with the Packers, but why did they make him wait all offseason? This article said Thompson waited to see how 6th round pick S Tyrone Culver played. Maybe. Roman demanded a trade or release back when the Packers signed S Marquand Manuel. It seemed like a cheap move by Thompson to wait so long to release Roman when he could have done it after the first minicamp in April.

The Packers lost another offensive lineman when T Adrian Klemm was injured. Apparently he would be the top backup for T Chad Clifton. With the loss of Klemm and previously T Kevin Barry, the Packers look thin at offensive tackle. It would be a problem, but a bigger problem would have been if Barry and Klemm ever had to start. Neither player has shown that he deserves playing time. Luckily, Clifton and T Mark Tauscher have been healthy the last couple seasons and started almost every game. Hopefully that streak continues in 2006. If not, it looks like OL William Whitticker or rookie OL Tony Moll would have an opportunity according to the current roster.

The Packers signed 3rd round pick G Jason Spitz. After two mini-camps, Spitz emerged as the likely starter at right guard. Hopefully he really is good and didn't look good by comparison against two 2005 late round draft picks who have never played (G Junius Coston) or flamed out last season (G Will Whitticker). If he is the starter, then it was essential for him to sign before camp starts tomorrow. The article wasn't too optimistic about signing 2nd round pick G Daryn Colledge. The same thing about Spitz applies to Colledge; if he is starting, then he better be signed and in camp tomorrow. There shouldn't be too much trouble signing LB A.J. Hawk at this point with number 4 pick overall LT D'Brickashaw Ferguson and number 7 pick overall S Michael Huff signed. Hopefully the Packers and Hawk's agent need only a little more time to analyse those deals and come up with something in between. Hawk is going to start and needs to be in camp tomorrow.

As a general rule, no one should expect a rookie to start in the NFL. It takes them a season to get used to the routine, the speed at which the game is played, and the long season compared to college. However, when coming off a 4-12 season, there are obviously more holes than usual in the starting lineups and taking some chances are in order. Linebacker and offensive line were two of the weakest (special teams deserves mention too) positions on the team in 2005. Upgrading these positions and getting these players in camp on time is very important this season.

Training camp is starting July 28th. It has been a quiet summer, but there have two bits of good news this week. CB Al Harris will be in camp when it opens. Harris threatened last month to hold out, but apparently he thinks his chances are better for an extension if he shows up to camp instead of holding out. There is still the possibility this could turn ugly mid-season if Harris decides the Packers aren't going to give him a fair contract extension. The safe thing to do would be to extend Harris, but GM Ted Thompson decided it wasn't worth it for WR Javon Walker so Thompson obviously has his limits. Thompson might be right; Harris might not be worth it in a couple of seasons.

Thompson expects to have no problem signing LB A.J. Hawk. It is troubling that the only first round pick to sign is DE Mario Williams, and he signed before the draft. Thompson has probably agreed with Hawk's agent that Hawk should be paid X if RB Reggie Bush or another top draft pick receives a certain amount, but will Hawk be paid Y if Bush receives more. If Thompson has the parameters agreed to with Hawk's agent under a couple of different circumstances, then Hawk will probably be in camp on time.

There is some speculation that LB A.J. Hawk might be hard to sign and start training camp late. It doesn't help that last year's number five overall pick was RB Cadillac Williams. The Packers probably want to pay a linebacker like Hawk less than a running back like Williams. Although DE Mario Williams is already signed, all the agents will probably consider RB Reggie Bush the true number one pick and are waiting to slot their client's salaries after Bush signs. There could be a delay in signing all 1st round picks due to higher salary demands after the increase in the salary cap last March. Any delay in starting training camp could easily delay Hawk's ability to adjust to the NFL. However, if the previous minicamps are any indication, it doesn't appear the Packers have any intention to play any linebacker other than Hawk at the weak side this season and Hawk will have to learn during the regular season. With the departure of LBs Na'il Diggs and Paris Lenon this offseason, there is no obvious second string weak side linebacker and the best guess is that free agent LB Ben Taylor would be the likely replacement if Hawk ends up holding out for a long time.

CB Al Harris update: He still ain't happy. It seemed obvious Harris was upset about CB Charles Woodson's free agent contract, but the article mentioned DE Aaron Kampman's $12 million signing bonus instead. That actually makes sense. At least Woodson has been to more Pro Bowls than Harris. Kampman has been playing on the same defense as Harris for the past three seasons, Harris believes he is the better player, and Kampman is much richer. It is debatable whether Harris is actually better than Kampman anyway. Harris said "I should have waited to see what the market dictated."

Dear Al, you had your best season in 2005 (pre-Baltimore game only) after spending multiple seasons as a backup in Philadelphia and an awful 2004 season. You signed for market value in 2004 and actually the Packers would be crazy to give you extra money at this time because cornerbacks rarely improve after they turn 32. We will be seeing you at training camp once the Packers start discussing how much of your signing bonus you will have to pay back by failing to report. Love, Packer Fans.

The June minicamp has been going on this month, but it is too hard to filter out who is actually playing well from the coaches quotes. However, you can definetly see there is a problem with CB Al Harris because he is sitting out for a new contract. Most of the article is about the release of disappointing NT Donnell Washington, who has been in the coaches' doghouse under Mike Sherman and Mike McCarthy and his release should be no surprise. Buried deep in the article is that Harris is sitting out. It is early, but contract disputes haven't gone well for the Packers in recent seasons. Thanks to the Unofficial Salary Cap page, Harris will make $2.5 million in 2006 and received an initial signing bonus in 2004 of $4.375 million based on a 5 year contract. Any NFL player who signed before the big cap increase last March is probably underpaid for 2006, but it is more obvious for Harris since the Packers signed CB Charles Woodson. Woodson should be paid about $10.5 million in 2006; $4.6 million as a signing bonus, $1.5 million in base salary, and $4.4 million in easily reachable bonuses. Although Harris is the number 1 cornerback, he will be paid a lot less than Woodson in 2006 and beyond if Woodson remains with the Packers past 2006. It looks like the Packers will have to make some concession with Harris.

There is a little bit more about Harris in this article about the veterans who haven't shown up for the voluntary practices. I don't have high expectations for Woodson since no other NFL team believes he can play cornerback anymore, so his absense isn't a concern for me. NT Ryan Pickett isn't hurt by missing practices. What does a space clogging nose tackle have to learn? Hopefully this isn't a sign Pickett is not keeping in shape, but otherwise it isn't a problem.

G Jason Spitz has been getting some playing time with the first team at right guard. The 3rd round pick is most likely going to play at right guard over the nose tackle because of his size (310 lbs.) so this is his best opportunity for playing time. The top 3 players in consideration at right guard (Spitz, G Junius Coston, and G Will Whitticker) were all drafted by Ted Thompson, and after watching Whitticker during 2005, he is probably eager to see how both Spitz and Coston play this season.

LB Ben Taylor received playing time at the strong side linebacker position ahead of LB Roy Manning. Taylor and Manning appear to be similar players and there shouldn't be much of a difference between them. Both of them have to watch over their shoulders because LB Brady Poppinga (once returned from injury) and rookie LB Abdul Hodge might be ahead of them once Poppinga returns to practice and Hodge learns the defense.

Long time Packers President Bob Harlan is stepping down, and John Jones will take his place. Someone actually named their child John Jones? Does anybody believe that is his real name? Since the Packers are a corporation, it would seem likely that someone with an MBA or business background would be picked for a corporate President. Instead, Jones is a former sportswriter turned corporate executive. There is no reason why he won't do a good job, but there can't be too many Presidents with his background running large corporations.

4th round pick WR Cory Rodgers had a little run-in with the law. When Rodgers was drafted, I wrote that he seemed like an odd choice for the Packers because they were looking for bigger wide receivers for Mike McCarthy's offense, but Rodgers is about the same size as WR Donald Driver. The article said in minicamp, Rodgers was used primarily as a kick returner to replace WR Antonio Chatman. He was off to a good start with the team, before his arrest, but this doesn't seem like it will hurt the Packers or his chances with the team.

The Packers lost T Kevin Barry for the season with a quadriceps tear. McCarthy was excited about Barry's potential and outbid Detroit to keep Barry for 2006. The previous coaches were excited about Barry's potential too, once upon a time, but then reality set in and they realized he isn't very good. Losing Barry hurts their depth a little, but won't hurt on the field. Instead of wasting time trying to convert Barry or RT Mark Tauscher to right guard, the Packers can see if RG Will Whitticker has improved in his second season, or if OL Junius Coston is ready to take over.

Columnist Bob Wolfley wonders if CB Charles Woodson is going to be targeted by opponents next season. Yep. No one else in the NFL was willing to sign, or even discuss signing, Woodson as a starting cornerback. He is coming off injury and CB Al Harris is coming off the best season of his career. Woodson is going to have to prove he is healthy and can still play cornerback right away in 2006 because other the Packers' opponents are going to test him early and often. The only good news for Woodson is that the Packers don't play an opponent in 2006 that finished in the top half of passing DVOA in 2005 until Nov. 19th vs. New England. Philadelphia will be better with QB Donovan McNabb healthy so that should be Woodson's first big test in 2006.

Although extending WR Javon Walker's contract was unacceptable, extending WR Donald Driver's contract is apparently fine. Driver was scheduled to be underpaid next season, but the contract wasn't set to expire until 2007. Why was Walker told that they wouldn't even talk about an extension, while Driver got it? What did hurt to talk about an extension if Walker returns to full strength or not? I'm excited about LG Daryn Colledge and hope he can improve the offensive line in 2006, but it sucks to see another Pro Bowl player leave town in a dispute over the Packers' policy not to renegotiate contracts when they did it for Driver.

I have had a lot of criticism about the Packers front office this season, but at least it has not been anything like the complete meltdown in Minnesota. They did well in free agency, but trading QB Daunte Culpepper is good news for Packer fans. If all the negative things about Fran Foley are true, Minnesota did very well to get rid of him as soon as possible. Somehow this guy was able to take over their draft (under "near-mutinous conditions") although "the job never was intended to carry significant personnel authority." Minnesota did not have a well regarded draft and as of right now it looks like they reached on their first four picks, especially 2nd round QB Tarvaris Jackson. Now Foley's lawsuit will distract the team for a while longer. Although watching Minnesota struggle is always enjoyable, it's too bad that ex-Badgers Brad Childress and Darrell Bevell are starting out under stressful circumstances.

This is a great article about the Packers first minicamp, because it goes into fantastic detail at several positions. It is good to read that QB Aaron Rodgers is throwing the ball well, but there are a few more very interesting notes.

2nd round pick WR Greg Jennings was off to a good start, which is critical because the Packers depth at receiver is thin and inexperienced.

Offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski gave a very concise definition of zone blocking: "If there's a guy on him, he's blocking him. If no one's on him, he's going to the linebacker. It's not that hard. It's hard to screw that up." The first team offensive line was LT Chad Clifton, 2nd round pick LG Daryn Colledge, C Scott Wells, RG Junius Coston, RT Mark Tauscher; this could very likely be the opening game offensive line. Former line coach Larry Beightol really liked Coston's development as a rookie last season, and Coston's size (316 lbs.) makes him a good fit at the right guard position because that position usually plays over the nose tackle. Ted Thompson traded WR Javon Walker to draft Colledge, so it is no surprise he will get a chance. Wells was solid last season after he replaced the awful LG Adrian Klemm. Clifton / Colledge / Wells / Coston / Tauscher is not 2003's line of Clifton / Wahle / Flanagan / Rivera / Tauscher, but it is probably as good as it will get for the Packers in 2006.

Since LB A.J. Hawk is over 240 lbs., it seemed natural that he would play strong side, but he is playing on the weak side. From that position he can use his speed to pursue and make the tackle. After having an average to small group of linebackers, the Packers would add size to that group by playing 240+ lbs. LBs Ben Taylor or Roy Manning at the strong size, and Hawk at the weak side. Whoever plays on the strong side, that player and Hawk will have to be good in coverage because the Packers linebackers have really struggled in coverage over the last two seasons.

It was a little surprising that the Packers released LB Robert Thomas. On last season's team, only LB Nick Barnett showed more speed than Thomas, and Thomas seemed like a good candidate for weak side linebacker. But the Packers have a lot of candidates competing to start alongside LB A.J. Hawk and Barnett (LB Abdul Hodge is a tentative front runner) so it doesn't hurt at all to release Thomas. At the bottom of the article, it mentions that the Packers saved salary cap room when they traded WR Javon Walker too. The Packers are padding their NFL lead for the most unused salary cap room.

The Packers also signed a few more undrafted free agents. None of them really fills a need and all appear to be signed to add depth during minicamps and training camps. Sometimes these guys stick with the team, such as LB Roy Manning did last season, but they are all longshots.

It looks like WR Donald Driver has no interest in demanding a trade. His comments in the AP article seem to end any speculation that Driver wants out. He is underpaid based on his production so it wasn't unbelievable that he would want a new contract.

Trading away Pro Bowl WR Javon Walker is the top story with the Packers 2006 draft. Teams do not improve when they let Pro Bowl talent leave in the prime of their career. Unless you draft a Pro Bowl performer with that 2nd round pick. The Packers have not improved themselves by letting Pro Bowl (plus alternates) CB Mike McKenzie, OG Mike Wahle, OG Marco Rivera, and FS Darren Sharper leave town.

You never know how players will turn out, but GM Ted Thompson did draft players at the positions that desperately needed help and depth. LBs Nick Barnett, Na'il Diggs, and Hannibal Navies were very good in 2003, but injuries in 2004 derailed Diggs and Navies' careers and the Packers started 6 different linebackers in 2005. 3 of those 6 linebackers are not available in 2006 (Diggs to Carolina, LB Paris Lenon to Detroit, and LB Brady Poppinga might not be available depending on his rehab from a knee injury). As a general rule, NFL teams should not expect their rookies to start, but 1st round pick LB A.J. Hawk is almost guaranteed a starting job and 3rd round pick LB Abdul Hodge could start by week 1 too. Hawk was almost universally regarded as the best linebacker in the draft. Hawk's talent, college accomplishments, and the Packers great need at the position made it almost impossible to pass him up. Hodge was very well regarded too, but he slipped from a projected 2nd round pick into the early 3rd round. If Hodge starts, it is likely that Hodge would play in the middle, with Hawk at the strong side over the tight end and Barnett at weak side. More likely the Packers will start Barnett in the middle, Hawk at strong side, and LB Robert Thomas at weak side.

With the loss of three starting offensive lineman in the last two years (C Mike Flanagan, Rivera, and Wahle) the Packers had to add more depth after Thompson's free agent replacements for Rivera and Wahle (OGs Adrian Klemm and Matt O'Dwyer) bombed in 2005. 2nd round pick OT Daryn Colledge appears to be type of offensive lineman that the Packers' new coaches want. ESPN's Mark Schlereth said Colledge was a great technician. Mel Kiper said Colledge was a great pass blocker, but he called him a project because he isn't a good run blocker. Depending on how well he plays in the first two minicamps, Colledge could easily be penciled in as the starting left guard. 3rd round G Jason Spitz is a little more surprising because it wouldn't seem likely that the Packers want big (313 lbs.) guards or centers for their new zone blocking scheme. Maybe Spitz is the ideal size the Packers want for a right guard over the nose tackle? Maybe neither Colledge or Spitz has a chance at starting in 2006 because 2nd year players G Junius Coston and C Chris White will step forward in minicamps and claim starting spots. T Tony Moll was drafted in the 5th round and sounds like an ideal sleeper candidate for a zone blocking team because he used to play tight end. Overall, the Packers really needed the depth at offensive line and drafting three offensive lineman really helps.

The Packers needed extra help at wide receiver with the ill-advised trade of Walker and the release of WR Terrence Murphy due to his career ending neck injury in 2005. Mel Kiper said 2nd round WR Greg Jennings was his mid-major sleeper pick. Unfortunately Jennings will not help QB Brett Favre in 2006 anywhere near as much as Walker or a healthy Murphy would have helped. Jennings was a surprising pick because he is only 5'11" and Mike McCarthy has stated his preference for taller wide receivers like resigned WR Rod Gardner and free agent WR Marc Boerigter. 4th round pick WR Cory Rodgers is only 6'0" and is about the same size as WR Donald Driver. The Packers needed depth at the position, but they didn't seem to draft players that the coaches prefer.

Although 6'0" is short or average for a NFL wide receiver, 4th round pick CB Will Blackmon is tall for a NFL cornerback at 6'0". Football Outsiders had a great article about when NFL starters are drafted. Positions like quarterback, defensive and offensive tackle, No. 1 wide receiver, running backs, and cornerbacks are usually drafted in the first three rounds. There aren't a lot (if any) cornerbacks starting in the NFL today that were drafted in the 4th round so there isn't a lot of promise that Blackmon will emerge as a starting cornerback either. However, Blackmon provides depth at a position that could need it in 2007. If CB Charles Woodson is only in Green Bay for one season to reestablish himself (his contract likely has few guarantees after 2006 and may only be intended for one season), then the Packers are looking at starting CBs Al Harris and Ahmad Carroll and a bunch of fringe players like CB Mike Hawkins behind them. If Blackmon can develop into a quality cornerback in time for 2007, he might will be needed next season.

There are only two quarterbacks on the roster so drafting 5th round QB Ingle Martin makes sense. The two most important factors in evaluating a college quarterback is how many games he started and his completion percentage. Martin started every game while he was at Furman and completed over 61% of his passes. Unfortunately he played against Division I-AA competition so it is hard to evaluate him. Martin was at Florida, but transferred to Furman after it became obvious he wouldn't start at Florida. As a bonus, Martin was a first team all Division I-AA punter and would be a unique challenger to disappointing P B.J. Sander.

The same article by Football Outsiders that charted the value of drafting a cornerback early if you want a starter said that there isn't much difference between a 6th or 7th round pick and an undrafted free agent. These players usually move around the league a lot and if they do catch fire and become a starter, it is just as likely they start for their 2nd or 3rd team as the team that originally drafted them. That being said, there shouldn't be great expectations that DT Johnny Jolly, S Tyrone Culver, or DE Dave Tollefson will become the next RT Mark Tauscher. All three players were drafted at positions where the Packers have some depth and it is possible all of them are released before the start of the season. I really expected the Packers to draft at least one kicker to challenge K Billy Cundiff in the 7th round, but there are already two other kickers on the roster to challenge Cundiff and apparently Thompson thinks that is enough.

Two bits of good news in this article. It appears unlikely that the Packers will trade WR Javon Walker. The bottom line is that the Packers wouldn't receive equal value in return, which Tom Silverstein believes the Packers want a 1st round pick. The Packers control Walker for two more seasons. They should see if Walker can return to 2004 form and help QB Brett Favre in what is likely his final season, and then trade Walker this time next season if there are still problems when his trade value should be high. It also revealed why DT Kenderick Allen was released by the NY Giants; Tom Coughlin didn't like his commitment. This could be a problem, but Coughlin is one of the strictest coaches in the NFL, so Allen didn't have to do much to get in Coughlin's doghouse. It sounds like Coughlin's lack of patience is the Packers gain.

Seriously? Denver and Miami are interested in WR Javon Walker and Ted Thompson is considering it. How many Pro Bowl players has Thompson ran out of Green Bay in the past two seasons? Thompson ran out Sharper, Rivera, and Wahle (alternate) in 2005, but he hadn't been able to run any out in 2006 (despite his efforts to encourage Favre's retirement). He could have let RB Ahman Green leave, but he's resigned so it is too late for that. So now it is on the disgruntled Walker. There is no way the Packers receive equal compensation for Walker because of his trade demands and his injured knee. Favre had one of his worst seasons in 2005 because the offensive line struggled and Favre didn't have enough quality receivers. Trading Walker is asking for a repeat of 2005.

Finally the Packers can report that QB Brett Favre is returning next season. The timing is a little odd as Bob Wolfley suggests, I expected that Favre would announce his return after the NFL draft, but it seemed likely that Favre would return after the stories about how bored Favre was on his farm in Mississippi. What are the Packers going to do about the offensive line?

The Packers did make a nice move the same day they overpaid for CB Charles Woodson and signed DT Kenderick Allen. The Packers press release has all the good reasons why the Packers signed the big tackle, but none of the reasons why NY released a good young defensive tackle. The best guess why he was released was he was overweight, but NY Giants fans don't know why he was released either. Allen will probably backup DT Ryan Pickett, but it is likely they play together on obvious running downs. Allen is already the best backup nose tackle the Packers have had on the roster in many seasons. This quiet signing the same day as Woodson might be a better one.

Nobody in football, except Ted Thompson, thinks CB Charles Woodson can play cornerback anymore. Kansas City's head coach Herm Edwards was quoted earlier this offseason saying that he believes Woodson can only "if his mind is right." No team in the NFL pursued Woodson with the intention of playing him at cornerback.

There is a big $52 million figure attached to this contract, but it is likely that this is a big one year, $10.5 million contract with no guarantees after this season. Woodson's agent wouldn't discuss how much was guaranteed, which would seem to confirm that. The Packers have a lot of 2006 cap room to offer Woodson, and Woodson has no other suitors except Tampa Bay which wants him to play safety. Did the Packers have to pay him $10.5 million in any circumstance? Was any team in the NFL willing to pay anywhere near what Woodson played for ($10 million) in Oakland in 2005?

Where does Woodson play with the Packers? He is probably guaranteed a starting cornerback position. Signing another cornerback is not a bad idea. With Woodson starting, CB Ahmad Carroll is the 3rd cornerback, but he will be on the field in the nickel package at least 50% of the time. If Woodson can't play cornerback and is forced to play safety, then he would have to take the place of Thompson's prized free agent signing S Marquand Manuel. Maybe S Nick Collins would move to cornerback? Would any reporter ask Thompson to explain why the Packers might have two high priced mediocre safeties (Woodson and Manuel) one season after Thompson forced Pro Bowl S Darren Sharper to Minnesota over a relatively small paycut?

Woodson can definitely help with kick or punt returns, assuming he is healthy to play 16 games next season. He is a high priced talent (or maybe just high priced) who is better suited to play a different position because of frequent injuries over the past four seasons. He probably chose Green Bay because it was his only choice willing to pay him what he felt he deserved and play him at cornerback. He could help the team out next season, but there is a lot of risk that this will be a bust.

GM Ted Thompson won't rule out drafting a quarterback. GMs are required to mislead as much as possible before the draft. Maybe if QB Aaron Rodgers was drafted by Mike Sherman before Thompson was hired, it would be possible that Thompson would consider drafting a quarterback. But it is impossible that Thompson would throw his own choice under the wheels without even giving him a chance to start. The only concern is that Thompson has had a number of bad ideas as GM and drafting another 1st round quarterback to create competition might be another one of them.

Football Outsiders had an article posted in March and the author concluded that QBs Matt Leinert, Vince Young, and Jay Cutler should all have some success in the NFL. The reason all three would have success is that "the two most predictive college statistics are completion percentage and games started." Rodgers didn't have a huge number of starts at California (22), but that is deceiving because he only played 2 seasons at Cal and he started every game except his first game in a Bears uniform. His completion percentage in his 2 seasons was 61.6 and 66.1. It would appear that Rodgers has just as much chance to succeed as Leinert, Young, or Cutler. The biggest concerns with Rodgers is that he doesn't have the physical makeup scouts prefer for a quarterback and that he is very comparable to a former Packers bust QB Rich Campbell (1st round selection, high completion percentage, played at California). The Rich Campbell similarities alone would have made me pass on drafting him, but Thompson was playing linebacker for Houston back then and probably not paying attention to the draft decisions of Bart Starr.

The worst part of selecting a quarterback is that it appears that QB Brett Favre is waiting until after the draft to see if the Packers make any improvement to the offense, and selecting another quarterback in the 1st round would not be what Favre had in mind.

It is no surprise that LB Lavar Arrington would choose the NY Giants over the Packers. With so much unknown about the Packers at this point (Will Favre return? Will Thompson ever make the right decisions in free agency? Will the team have to completely rebuild after 2006?), it made little sense to sign Arrington. It is amazing what a difference a season makes; if Arrington was available this time last season, then signing him would have been a great move to upgrade from LB Hannibal Navies.

Pat Kirwan is one of the best football writers on the web and he has updated his mock draft. I don't think anybody gets these mock drafts right, but Kirwan has a lot of friends in the NFL that he talks to so his evaluations of players is always interesting. He thinks the Packers will draft two linebackers; LB A.J. Hawk and LB Roger McIntosh. Hawk has been talked about as a top 10 pick all offseason and nothing from his workouts has moved him down. McIntosh has all the physical abilities of a top linebacker, but he makes mistakes in the open field and can overpursue. If the Packers do address their problems at linebacker early, then the most interesting time for the Packers will be the mid-rounds (3 through 5) when the Packers will have to address the offensive line. If the Packers are serious about a shift to a zone blocking scheme with lighter and more agile offensive lineman, then the mid-rounds are when those players should be drafted. Most of the offensive lineman projected in the first 2 rounds are all big 300 lb. tackles, which shouldn't be the type of player the Packers are interested in. Any offensive lineman who is drafted in rounds 3-5 and can play guard will be immediately considered a candidate to start in 2006.

Awful. It is no one's fault but the Packers are going to release 2005 2nd round pick WR Terrence Murphy. Not only is this a lost 2nd round pick, but the Packers have depth issues at wide receiver so long as WR Javon Walker is demanding a trade. This will have to be another position that the Packers must address at some point in the draft.

Watching more of the ESPN draft special, Mel Kiper said that DE Mario Williams will be drafted by someone before the Packers pick 5th. It would seem unlikely that the Packers would trade up for any player this season. At this point, it would seem likely that QB Matt Leinert will fall to the Packers, and then the Packers might trade down to let another team draft Leinert. Of course, no one knows what will happen, maybe not even GM Ted Thompson, until the Packers are on the clock on April 29th. There is no clear indication who New Orleans, Tennessee, or the NY Jets will draft before the Packers. It wouldn't be surprising to see any of those teams trade down either. With so many good players available at the 5th pick, the Packers will probably have no problem selecting a player when their time comes, but they will probably spend the full 15 minutes available to them fielding trade proposals depending on who falls to the 5th pick.

Watching ESPN's NFL Draft special this week, Chris Mortenson reported that the Packers made an offer to CB Charles Woodson but Woodson rejected it because it was for too little money. Further, Mortenson said that only two teams have shown any interest in Woodson; the Packers and Tampa Bay who want Woodson to play safety.

Dear Ted Thompson, When your team is the only team in the NFL that seriously believes that Woodson can still play cornerback, please take the suggestion to heart. Love, Packer fans. Do any Packer fans believe Woodson would be willing to play for the Packers other than for a big paycheck?

On ESPN's NFL Draft special, a lot of time was spent discussing DE Mario Williams, who is projected on most mock drafts to be the Packers selection. It can't be a bad idea to select a player who is often compared to DE Julius Peppers. If Williams is Julius Peppers 2.0 and KGB can play strong side linebacker, that would be a major upgrade on defense. The only problem with it is that the Packers have to address their problems at linebacker and offensive line. There is no doubt that Williams has great talent, but there have been a number of "great" defensive ends in recent years like Andre Wadsworth and Jamal Reynolds who were complete busts. If the Packers draft Williams, they have to do something to improve the offensive line and the linebacker positions on the 1st day of the draft too.

Of all the coverage regarding QB Brett Favre, the Onion might have the most accurate story. Although I'm not optimistic that G Marco Rivera and C Mike Flanagan have promising futures in the NFL at this stage in their careers (letting G Mike Wahle was a huge mistake unless the salary cap (Wahle had a monster 2005 cap number that was designed to make him a free agent) truly prevented them from resigning him), Favre cannot be happy that the Packers have let the offense slip so much in the last two seasons. John Madden thinks Favre wants to be traded, but I think it is more likely he wants to see what the Packers do in the draft. If Ted Thompson runs the draft as badly as he has run this offseason so far, then Favre will probably want to be traded. The bad news for Favre is that his cap number might prevent any trade.

Aargh!!! The Packers have a real need at linebacker, but Arrington only had 47 tackles, no interceptions, and no sacks last season. He fought with his coaches, he filed a grievance against his team regarding his contract, and he didn't even start last season for Washington. He may still be a great player, but after last season he looks like a backup linebacker who wants to be the highest paid linebacker in the NFL. Bonus: Arrington and CB Charles Woodson both use the Postons as their agents, so the Packers can overpay for two players at once!

On the flip side, the Packers have the money to spend and there are few suitors for either Woodson or Arrington. If both players are willing to earn a starting position in camp, willing to accept a possible backup position, and willing to play on a one year contract, then signing both or either player would help the Packers in 2006. It would seem unlikely that either player would accept those terms.

It is sickening to think that the Packers saved their money and salary cap room by not resigning Gs Marco Rivera and Mike Wahle in 2005 only to take a chance on signing Woodson and/or Arrington in 2006. What a wasted opportunity.

It looks like QB Brett Favre isn't optimistic about next season. Firing a previously successful coach and hiring an underachieving offensive coordinator to replace him isn't too promising. The Packers had as much salary cap room as Minnesota this offseason, but while Minnesota signed a top free agent running back (RB Chester Taylor) and a top free agent offensive lineman (G Steve Hutchinson), the Packers have let their second leading receiver (WR Antonio Chatman) and Favre's long time center (C Mike Flanagan) leave in free agency. The only signing so far on offense is a receiver who had 8 catches over the last 2 seasons. It looks like Favre wants to see the final makeup of the team after the NFL draft. It sounds like GM Ted Thompson will give Favre time and keep pushing the $3 million roster bonus back until Favre decides. How unpopular will Thompson be in Green Bay if Favre retires early because he thinks the team Thompson built doesn't have a chance to win?

Idiot. Head coach Baldrick has another cunning new plan with "more core base concepts." Baldrick "said his belief is that reverting to an offense that relies heavily on the running game, throws often to the backs and uses big receivers running slants and shallow crossing patterns will best fit Favre’s talents." It sounds an awful lot like the offense Mike Holmgren ran in the mid-90s. Favre had some great seasons then, but he was happy when Ray Rhodes and later Mike Sherman allowed him to throw deep. The deep pass is what Baldrick would call a "core base concept" of Favre's game. Favre will not want to play the style of offense that McCarthy is suggesting.

The reality is that the Packers have reverted to an offense with three running backs (Gado, Green, and Davenport) all returning after season-ending leg injuries, that has no center or guards penciled in as starters, and three offensive tackles (Clifton, Tauscher, and Barry) who have all been promised starting jobs. Teams that use a zone blocking offensive scheme (Atlanta, Denver) usually run the ball well and have poor pass protection. Plus, none of the three offensive tackles fit the prototype of a zone blocking lineman. That does not sound like a team ready to rely on the running game. The team currently has three big receivers on the roster, but two of them are players no one else wanted (Gardner and Boehriger) and another is a player who has promised to never again play for the Packers (Walker). The team's best receiver (Driver) is not a big receiver. McCarthy's style of offense will not work with Favre and this current roster.

Why would Favre want to play for this mess of a roster with a coach that doesn't realize his team doesn't have the personnel to play McCarthy's preferred style of football? And now the Packers are trying to force Favre into a decision because they don't want to pay a $3 million roster bonus if they don't have to. Favre does have a big salary cap number and it might be a convenient excuse to shove him out the door.

With the money saved from Favre's roster bonus, they could sign CB Charles Woodson. What a stupid idea. He's 29 years old (cornerbacks don't play well past age 30), he's finished the last two seasons injured, he's fought with his coach, and he got arrested in 2004. Kansas City coach Herm Edwards was quoted as saying that Woodson might be able to play cornerback, but he might have to play safety. The Packers would pay top cornerback money to a safety who is a clubhouse cancer and couldn't beat out any of the projected starting defensive backs. Just say no.

Yawn. Coach Baldrick's cunning new plan this season is to load the team with tall wide receivers, the faster the better. Out goes WR Antonio Chatman, 2nd on the team in receptions. Staying is headcase WR Rod Gardner. Now enters WR Marc Boerigter.

Should Boerigter even being playing in the NFL? In 2005, he played with a top 5 quarterback and managed a whopping 8 receptions. Kansas City didn't have great depth at the position either. Their no. 2 WR Samie Parker only has 45 receptions for his career. The only bright side is that Boerigter might have slipped under the radar because he had an ACL tear in 2004 and players usually don't return to full strength until their 2nd season back (so don't be surprised if WR Javon Walker doesn't play in 2006 like he did in 2004). It is possible that 2005 was Boerigter's recovery season and now he is fully healthy in 2006.

The Packers finally signed LB Ben Taylor. There was so little interest in Taylor that the Packers spoke with him right at the start of free agency, and no one else did since, except his ex-team Cleveland. No one appeared interested in this guy, but he might actually start with the Packers at strong side linebacker. Bonus trivia: Taylor was one of the last players left in Cleveland from the disasterous drafts of Butch Davis in 2001-2004. GM Ted Thompson said Taylor is "a football guy" who "played a lot of football in Cleveland." Sounds great.

Then the Packers signed K Billy Cundiff. K Ryan Longwell's greatest strength during his good seasons (aka pre-2005) was that he was remarkably consistant. Cundiff is the opposite. In a 2003 Loser League Recap at Football Outsiders, they pointed out how Cundiff had an awful week 1 for Dallas, missing a field goal and an extra point, but then rebounded in week 2 to hit 7 field goals. One coach said Cundiff has a strong leg for kickoffs, which is an area the Packers really need to improve on. Dallas let him go because of injury, so if he is healthy he may be as good or even a slight improvement over Longwell. Bob McGinn said that Cundiff won't be the last kicker the Packers sign.

The Packers need to move on from the injury filled seasons with RB Najeh Davenport. Instead they resign the veteran backup. I have nothing against Davenport (despite his bizarre dorm room incident as a rookie) because he has great talent and seemed to enjoy playing in Green Bay. But he can't stay healthy, and it is likely that he never will stay healthy. It would have been best for both parties to move on, but instead they will try try again.

Wow. C Mike Flanagan was given a $3 million signing bonus by Houston. Flanagan didn't play well last season. At least 1 or 2 plays a game, Flanagan would be overpowered and the play would collapse because of the defensive pressure. Adding the major injuries he has faced with his declining play in 2005, it seemed reasonable to let him go or bring him back on a small contract. However, Houston had the worst offensive line in the NFL last season and had to do something. Flanagan is a lighter offensive lineman with solid foot work who could have benefitted the most from a switch to a zone blocking scheme, but the Packers reasonably didn't want to match Houston's big offer.

The Packers also lost RB Tony Fisher to St. Louis. Fisher doesn't have enough speed to start in the NFL, but he is a good receiver and a good pass blocker. He has value as a 3rd down specialist, but RB Ahman Green might be that same running back in 2006. Green is a good pass receiver and blocker, and he might be just as slow as Fisher after his knee injury. It is possible RB Samkon Gado takes over as starter, while Green is a 3rd down back next season. Why couldn't the Packers have pursued RB Edgerrin James in free agency?

Don't panic. Thompson says "I think we helped ourselves a little bit in free agency." Mike McCarthy went deep into his catch phrases and pulled out "our approach has been consistent" and "we're not taking big chances. We're staying true to our plan." You know, Baldrick had a cunning plan too, and it always seemed to make the situation Blackadder found himself in a lot worse. If you think of them Coach Baldrick and GM Blackadder, then it all makes a lot more sense.

Great. LB Paris Lenon was not a great player during his time with the Packers, but as the Packers thin linebacker depth chart stood, Lenon would have been considered their 2nd best linebacker way behind LB Nick Barnett. Teams shouldn't spend big in free agency to sign players other teams are not trying too hard to keep; such as the huge $18.5 million guaranteed payday Seattle gave LB Julian Peterson when San Francisco wasn't exactly throwing themselves in front of the train to keep him from leaving town. But teams should be trying hard to resign their own players that they want to keep. Mike McCarthy said. "Hey, that's free agency. You're not going to win 'em all, unfortunately." You haven't won anything this offseason! The only good side to this is that any player Matt Millen wants in Detroit can't be all that great.

The Packers offered ex-Cleveland LB Ben Taylor to fill one starting linebacker position, but then hit him with a low-ball one year offer that didn't get the job done. Maybe you can win that one Mike.

At this point, there is not one big name free agent that the Packers should pursue. LB Lavar Arrington is still available, but that is an ugly battle with the coaches and several lawsuits waiting to happen. It isn't clear how many battles the Packers won in free agency, they won on DT Ryan Pickett and DE Aaron Kampman but who knows how many battles they actually fought and lost.

The biggest signing by a division rival might have happened when Chicago signed QB Brian Griese. Griese is an average QB, but Chicago has been playing some of the league's worst QBs in recent seasons; QB Kyle Orton and QB Craig Krenzel being the worst of the bunch. QB Rex Grossman has his moments, but so far he has been a below average QB, when healthy. Still he looks like QB Peyton Manning after watching several games with Orton starting. Griese should make Chicago better next season.

The Packers did resign FB William Henderson. It is a mystery why Minnesota would be interested in Henderson, because the fullback has been the least utilized player in their offense for many seasons. Henderson will contribute in 2006, especially if QB Brett Favre returns, but he will only play a part-time roll along with FB Vonta Leach. Further down in the article, it says something about Mike McCarthy that he prefers tall wide receivers that are head cases (WR Rod Gardner) over short wide receivers who have been useful to the team over the last couple of seasons (WR Antonio Chatman).

Why is the Packers pursuit of K Adam Vinatieri making any news? The Packers might be interested in signing him, but it would be shocking if he had any real interest in signing with them. If Miami is interested in him too, then the Packers would be, at best, a distant third behind Miami and New England. He would help the Packers improve their kicking game from the disasterous 2005 season, but the Packers have to be a longshot to acquire him.

It is a stretch to think that because QB Craig Nall signed with Buffalo, that it means that it is likely Favre will return. Nall probably saw himself behind Favre or QB Aaron Rodgers in either situation, and realized that QB J.P. Losman flopped, QB Kelly Holcomb isn't very good, and he has a better shot in 2006 to start in Buffalo.

Dear GM Ted Thompson, Favre was probably asking you to be aggressive this free agency period to improve the offensive line, something you haven't done. Were you intentionally trying to drive Favre into retirement or is it just incompetance on your part? Love, Packer Fans. P.S. Resigning T Kevin Barry doesn't count, because he doesn't have the ability to play in a zone blocking scheme (he isn't quick enough or have good enough footwork) and you will be releasing him this time next year after you've realized it.

What are they thinking? Does Mike McCarthy even believe what he is saying? The Packers resigned T Kevin Barry with a 2 year contract and have promised him a legitimate shot at a starting job. Barry is a quality backup right tackle who could probably start for some teams. However, the Packers are switching to a zone blocking system next season and the 330 lbs. lineman was told that "he needs to slim down." The Packers gave Barry a long look at right tackle a couple of seasons ago, with the idea of moving RT Mark Tauscher to right guard or the bench, however Barry didn't come close to beating out Tauscher and found himself on the bench. Barry is a solid backup right tackle, but the Packers' coaches are dreaming if they think he will slim down and develop quick feet work over the summer. If the Packers are serious about switching to a zone blocking scheme, then they will let players like Barry go and start looking for quality college players that fit their new mold for offensive linemen. Instead, they resign 330 lbs. lineman who don't fit the mold and will blame the players for not fitting in with their scheme when it all collapses around them next season.

WR Rod Gardner was resigned in a small, but useful signing. Gardner only played the last couple of weeks, but he did give a legitimate receiving option. Gardner is no more than a number 3 wide receiver, but he does provide some nice depth. Unfortunately, WR Antonio Chatman is looking for a new team, and Chatman is probably better than Gardner. Both players would have a tough time making the opening roster if the top 4 WRs (Walker, Driver, Ferguson, and Murphy) actually show up to play and are all healthy.

The Packers are interested in LB Rocky Boiman. Dear Ted Thompson, this was not the type of free agent that QB Brett Favre wanted you to pursue. Love, Packer Fans. P.S. I am sure Favre is not really excited to return next season when you pursue free agent QB Josh McCown.

The Packers signed NT Ryan Pickett and probably waived good bye to NT Grady Jackson. It is better for the long-term to bring in Pickett and replace the aging Jackson. Terms weren't disclosed, but it is probably around the $5 million Seattle guaranteed to DT Rocky Bernard. I compared St. Louis's and the Packers defensive lines last week and it isn't clear that Pickett's performance in 2005 is an upgrade over what Jackson did in 2005. The Packers have spent a lot of money to resign DE Aaron Kampman and sign Pickett but all it has done has maintained an average defensive line. These are not free agent signings that should encourage QB Brett Favre to return for another season with the Packers. Maybe these signings are trying to encourage Favre to retire.

What does Favre mean when he wants to see free agent signings to keep the team competitive? I would assume that Favre is thinking offense first. The only signing there has been RB Ahman Green. That is better than nothing, but Green's best days are probably behind him. There were two top running backs available; RB Edgerrin James and RB Shaun Alexander, and the Packers made no effort to sign either. The Packers made no effort to sign any of the top 3 offensive lineman; T Kevin Shaffer, G Steve Hutchinson, or C LeCharles Bentley. With WR Javon Walker demanding a trade, it wouldn't hurt the Packers to sign a wide receiver, but they made no effort at either WRs Antwaan Randle El or WR David Givens.

What remaining signings could get Favre's attention? The only obvious one is WR Terrell Owens, but there have been no rumors of any interest from the Packers. Plus signing Owens brings with it a new set of problems. There are a couple of big name linebackers available; LB Lavar Arrington and LB Julian Peterson, but they would demand big money and both players have issues with attitude and injuries, respectively. Would Favre care if the Packers signed K Mike Vanderjagt?

Despite the huge cap room this offseason, the Packers have done little in free agency. The two new players; S Marquand Manuel and Pickett don't add much more than S Mark Roman and Jackson provided in 2005. GM Ted Thompson has just made it one step closer to Favre's departure from the team or his retirement.

Two items of interest in this article. The Packers had NT Ryan Pickett in town. The personnel director quoted in the article prefers Pickett over NT Grady Jackson, which isn't a big surprise since Pickett is a young tackle and Jackson isn't. It doesn't seem likely that Jackson's body will hold up for too many more seasons. Although Football Outsiders ranked the St. Louis defensive line 21st last season, 3 spots better than the Packers. St. Louis had an odd season because they had the 3rd best rank at stuffing running plays for a loss but were 30th vs. runs on 3rd or 4th down with less than 2 yards to go. The Packers need to replace Jackson because he can't be trusted with a long-term deal at this point in his career. Pickett appears to be a modest upgrade with better potential to make it through to the end of a long term deal.

The second item was the $3 million signing bonus Minnesota gave to K Ryan Longwell. That is a stunning amount to give to a kicker, especially a kicker who was awful in 2005. That signing bonus appears to be the blessing and the curse of having a lot of salary cap room.

It was reported that DE Aaron Kampman received a 4 year, $21 million deal and $12 million of it is guaranteed. That is a really big number. For example, RB Edgerrin James received $11.5 million guaranteed in a 4 year, $30 million deal. The size of the guaranteed money isn't surprising since it was enough to keep Kampman from entering the free agent market.

For the second season in a row, Minnesota trades away a superstar. Anything that weakens Minnesota sounds like a good idea. It will now be interesting to see if Minnesota moves up to draft QB Matt Leinert or QB Vince Young since New Orleans's 2nd overall pick is apparently available in trade and Minnesota has an extra 2nd round pick to offer in return. It would seem unlikely that QB Duante Culpepper will ever play as well as he did during the 2004 season again, but it is better to avoid the chance of it happening in Minnesota.

In other NFC North quarterback news, Detroit signed QB Jon Kitna. It would seem that Kitna's best games are behind the 33 year old quarterback, but Prez. Matt Millen can't let GM Ted Thompson upstage him with his crappy S Marquand Manuel signing and Millen signed Kitna plus ex-Packer WR Corey Bradford. QB Joey Harrington is not a great player, but Kitna isn't much of an upgrade.

The Packers probably did good by resigning DE Aaron Kampman. Keeping Kampman is a good deal by itself because Kampman was the team's best defensive lineman in 2005. It could be bad if the Packers decide to draft DE Mario Williams in the 1st round, the player that they were most recently rumored to be interested in. Does that mean DE KGB becomes a linebacker? Will GM Ted Thompson encourage more 3 defensive end sets? If the Packers have decided on someone else with their 1st round pick, like LB A.J. Hawk, then resigning Kampman makes sense. Unfortunately the terms of the contract weren't announced. It would probably seem like too much money for Kampman, but in a world where Minnesota would guarantee $16 million for an offensive guard, it probably is reasonable.

Minnesota moved quickly to sign K Ryan Longwell. This keeps the annual trend intact for Minnesota as they sign a kicker from a division rival for the second consecutive season. Apparently K Jason Hanson will be kicking in Minnesota next season. Longwell had been outstanding from 1997 through 2004 on scoring attempts, but he fell apart in 2005 and cost the Packers 1 or 2 games with missed field goals and a big missed extra point against Tampa Bay. If Longwell continues to kick as he did in 2005, then he will not be missed. A potential benefit is that Longwell had been killing the Packers with poor kickoffs for several seasons. Hopefully the next kicker for the Packers can help them win the field position battle better than Longwell.

Some people love Green Bay, but WR Javon Walker doesn't believe it is "the best place for me." As much as the Packers don't need a return of the 2004 CB Mike McKenzie saga, the Packers should not give Walker a new contract. Walker will not be a great receiver in 2006 because he will still be recovering from his knee injury. By 2007, Walker should be as good or better than he was before the injury. The Packers should see how Walker plays in 2006, then try and extend his contract next offseason if he looks fully recovered. The Packers have all the leverage in this situation and if Walker wants to screw around with his career and retire, then that his choice. The Packers can't afford to trade him now when his value is at its lowest.

S Marquand Manuel signed his contract with the Packers as expected. It isn't much money, but as I discussed last week, S Mark Roman actually outplayed Manuel in 2005. The big difference was that Manuel had two big playoff games plus he was claimed off of waivers by Seattle when Thompson was still working for the Seahawks. The Packers would be better if they could find a safety who can outplay Roman, but Manuel is a career backup who did nothing during the 2005 regular season and he won't outplay him.

Why Minnesota would want QB Craig Nall or FB William Henderson is a bit of a mystery. Nall might be a competant NFL starting quarterback, but it is more likely he is the next QB A.J. Feeley. Henderson was in the Pro Bowl in 2004, but he took a step back in 2005. While Henderson still played well in 2005, he didn't play nearly as much as he used to and FB Vonta Leach as much if not more than Henderson. Henderson has been a great Packer for over 10 seasons, but he may have played his last quality NFL season.

Thompson appears to be continuing his poor track record with other team's free agents by showing interest in LB Ben Taylor when no one else is. Taylor had a solid 2005 season but if a player has no visits scheduled with any other team at this point, then how good is he? He might be just as good as Manuel; a career backup who is better suited for special teams.

Jsonline.com reported that the Packers will sign S Marquand Manuel as soon as free agency begins. It seems to be a trend that GM Ted Thompson has a poor track record for signing free agents. None of the free agents signed by Thompson last offseason made any significant contribution to the Packers. Signing Manuel doesn't guarantee the streak of signing useless free agents is soon to end.

Manuel is a career backup who was claimed off waivers by Seattle from Cincinnati before the start of the 2004 season. It seems to be assumed that Manuel played well after Seattle lost S Ken Hamlin for the season and is now deserving of a starting position, however, it is more likely that Manuel is S Mark Roman v.2.0. Seattle's pass defense was actually worse in 2005 than the Packers. Jsonline.com quoted a NFC scout who said "one of his strengths would be being physical when attacking the line of scrimmage" while "his weakness would be ball skills." If new defensive coordinator Bob Sanders uses the same defense as Jim Bates did last season, the safeties in the defense are interchangable and have to be able to play the run and the pass. Rookie S Nick Collins made some mistakes in 2005, but he also showed the ability to play both the run and the pass. Manuel doesn't sound like he is the same caliber of player. The only person quoted by jsonline.com who consistently spoke well of Manuel was his agent.

Manuel appears to be the classic guy who played great in the playoffs after nothing much during the regular season. He had no interceptions and 2 pass defenses during the regular season and 1 interception and 5 pass defenses during his 3 playoff games. Compare him to Roman and it looks like Roman actually played better in 2005. Overall, the Packers are paying a $2 million signing bonus for a player who isn't as good as the player they already have. Another crap move by Thompson.

Jsonline.com said "the Packers have identified Manuel as the player they want as their other starting safety in ’06 from a free-agent list that includes Chris Hope, Tank Williams, Marlon McCree, Tebucky Jones, Lawyer Milloy and Marcus Coleman." That is not a list of players to get excited about. Although Roman has not played great during his time with the Packers, the only player who is truly an upgrade over Roman is S Chris Hope. The only problem with Hope is that he calls the plays on defense for Pittsburgh and it would be a major surprise if Pittsburgh lets him leave in free agency. The Packers should be trying to develop a safety to play alongside Collins, but S Marviel Underwood was a non-factor during 2005 after Thompson spent a 4th round pick on him last April. Apparently Underwood is another mistake made by Thompson.

On ESPN last night, Mel Kiper predicted that the Packers would draft DE Mario Williams. It would explain why the Packers are dragging out negotiations with DE Aaron Kampman if they want to draft Williams. With Williams on the team, it would seem that Kampman would be a backup, but Kampman probably wants to be paid like a starter. If the Packers fail to resign Kampman, it would seem more likely that Kiper is correct and Williams will be a Packer next season.

The Packers resigned RB Ahman Green for one season. Green is guaranteed $2 million and could make another $3 million with incentives. Hopefully, the incentives are hard to reach, such as 1,200 yards or 10 TDs. The most likely scenario is that Green is done. In NFL history, there is not a long list of success for running backs who are almost 30 years old and coming off a major knee injury. This is $2 million less that the Packers have to sign a running back that might really help them in 2006, such as RB Michael Bennett or RB Mike Anderson.

In the end, this is a deal has small downside. If Green is done and the Packers realize it after 2006, then Green is released and doesn't cost the Packers any future money or cap space. The Packers have a lot of cap space this season and it is likely that the Packers won't use it all anyway. If the unexpected happens and Green does return to pre-2005 form, then the Packers made a great signing.

Although they are over $20 million under the salary cap, the Packers cut LB Na'il Diggs and some punter. It is too bad that it had to end like this for Diggs. He had been a valuable contributor but leg injuries had limited him over the last two seasons. He played in 14 games in 2004, but he wasn't the same player he had been in 2003 and he didn't make a difference in pass coverage or as a pass rusher anymore. His injury problems make it unlikely that Diggs will be able to perform as a quality starter in the future.

Few thought it was likely but it appears that "Bloody Thursday" will come to pass. I thought the Packers might do best to act fast, but Len Pasquarelli says "because of the quirks of the pending uncapped year in 2007, even those teams will have to move with great caution in crafting contracts." There are many teams with cap flexability and the Packers will have more competition for free agents then I expected.

The failed CBA extension will impact the Packers draft in April too. Pasquarelli points out that "without an extension to the CBA, teams will be able to amortize signing bonuses over just four seasons, instead of the maximum seven years." This is a problem if the Packers decide to draft a quarterback with the fifth overall selection. QB Vince Young is expecting a signing bonus and guaranteed money of around $20 million. The Packers can only spread the signing bonus over four seasons. The Packers have more salary cap room than most teams, but all teams have the same amount of rookie cap room, usually around $4 to $6 million. The Packers won't sign Young and leave themselves no room to sign any other draft choices, but it means that any team that drafts a quarterback this season is looking at a tough negotiation and a long holdout. If the Packers draft an offensive lineman or defensive player instead, that player won't command such a high signing bonus and the Packers probably won't have too much trouble with the rookie salary cap.

Scanning the list of names on ESPN.com's rumor central brings up a few references to the Packers. QB Brett Favre is mentioned, but that is pure speculation since Favre isn't talking to anyone about it. The Packers are rumored to be interested LB Derek Smith. Since Mike McCarthy was coaching last season in San Francisco, it makes sense that he would be familar with Smith. The Packers really need a linebacker who can stay healthy and help in coverage, two abilities Smith has shown over the last few seasons. The big problem with Smith is that he is over 30 years old, but he hasn't shown any signs of decline over the last couple of seasons. There is no need to break the bank for Smith, but he would be a welcome upgrade at outside linebacker. The Packers are rumored to be far apart in negotiations with DE Aaron Kampman. Kampman is coming off a career 2005 season and looking to cash in. If the Packers are really interested in DE Mario Williams with the fifth overall selection, then resigning Kampman isn't a priority. Otherwise the Packers need Kampman back and hopefully they don't lose him. K Ryan Longwell is a free agent but he is coming off the worst season of his career and he was one of the worst kickers in the NFL last season. I doubt many teams will show much interest in Longwell. Hopefully he comes back to the Packers and is given some real competition in training camp this season (but please don't draft a kicker!).

No one knows how this labor negotiation is going to unfold except Gene Upshaw and Paul Tagliabue. Luckily it won't hurt the Packers one way or another because the team is $20 million under the salary cap. It may be a boon to the Packers if other teams are forced to cut players to get under the salary cap by Friday and then the Packers move quickly to sign quality free agents. Some players might want to act fast to find a new contract with so many free agents now available and so few teams able to spend because of the salary cap.

The most likely scenario is that the teams agree to a new revenue sharing agreement and the salary cap is substantially raised by Friday, which would mean the current $20 million of cap room really won't do the team much good because now everybody has cap room to spend on the remaining few quality free agents. With the losing 2005 season plus all the changes in the front office and all the talk about the retirement of QB Brett Favre, the Packers won't be a preferred new home for most free agents.

WR Javon Walker wants a new contract? This didn't work for Walker last season when he was healthy and coming off a career 2004 season. Now he is coming off a major knee injury and he hasn't played much football in the last 12 months. Until Walker, Minnesota QB Daunte Culpepper, and even NT Grady Jackson last summer, I can't remember a player ever publicly seeking a new contract while they were hurt or rehabbing from a major injury. Walker might as well try for a new contract/ask for a trade although GM Ted Thompson has been very tight with long term contracts up to this point. The odds of Thompson trading Walker would have to be remote.

Ted Thompson is Matt Millen 2.0. Millen drafted a 1st round WR in 3 consecutive drafts. Thompson is going to call and raise that by drafting a 1st round QB in 3 consecutive drafts. USC QB Matt Leinart won't be available at no. 5 so Thompson is talking about Texas QB Vince Young or Vandy QB Jay Cutler. This is such a bad idea. It seems more likely that the Young vs. Cutler debate is more similar to the 1999 QB Akili Smith vs. QB Cade McNown debate than the 1983 QB John Elway vs. QB Dan Marino debate. This would mean the Packers have spent another 1st round pick in one area where there hasn't been any need yet (assuming QB Brett Favre wouldn't have retired yet if Thompson hadn't destroyed the team) while neglecting other positions of actual need (linebacker, defensive line, offensive line). The strain of carrying two 1st round QBs on the roster might be more than the Packers salary cap can handle. Finally, new coach Mike McCarthy has "mentored" two young quarterbacks so far in his NFL career; QB Aaron Brooks and QB Alex Smith. Brooks has become a below average QB and Smith's rookie season was arguably the worst season ever by a QB. Now McCarthy has two young QBs to develop? This is a bad idea, but there is nothing to indicate that this trainwreck will improve until the Packers fire Thompson and McCarthy in a couple of seasons and there is nothing the fans can do in the meantime.

The Packers assigned eight players to NFL Europe. It is probably good experience for the players, but all of them are only candidates for the practice squad.

Down in Arkansas, CB Ahmad Carroll was arrested. It is an assault charge and he is probably looking at some community service time. It sounds like he was being a jerk.

Mike Sherman will be the next offensive coordinator in Houston. There are things to like and dislike about this from Sherman's perspective. He will work with Gary Kubiak who was probably the best new head coaching hire this offseason and he will coach RB Reggie Bush. Unfortunately the offensive line is a mess, QB David Carr will probably be learning his fifth new offense in his fifth NFL season, and Kubiak and Bush may get all the credit for the improved offense. If Houston is a playoff contender by 2007, Sherman may be a head coach by 2008 which should be right around the time the Packers will probably be looking for their next head coach.

There isn't much going on at this point in the offseason, but I had missed this gem from last week. Mike McCarthy hired Kurt Schottenheimer to coach the defensive backs and he is the second coach hired by McCarthy that Mike Sherman had fired. Since McCarthy was not resigned after Sherman was originally hired in 2000, maybe he has some special sympathy for coaches fired by Sherman.

Jeff Jagodzinski was fired along with Ed Donatell after the 4th and 26 debacle in the 2004 playoffs. It was never reported why Jagodzinski was fired and it wasn't really obvious that he should have been fired. On the other hand, Schottenheimer's hiring in 2004 was a disaster from the beginning. That Schottenheimer was hired and assistant Lionel Washington was passed over for defensive backs coach was one of the reasons given by CB Mike McKenzie for his trade demand. A new contract was McKenzie's first concern, but Schottenheimer's hiring played a part in the trade. Then in 2004, the secondary played awful under Schottenheimer's coaching. There were a lot of factors beyond Schottenheimer's control (McKenzie never really played again for the Packers, they were forced to play a number of rookies, FS Darren Sharper had a down season) but it was very understandable why he was fired after an awful season for the defense. The rehiring of Schottenheimer is much worse than the rehiring of Jagodzinski, and his rehiring is still very questionable (see my previous posts about it).

The Packers quest to put together the worst coaching staff in the NFL continues to roll on.