Donald Driver Makes His Retirement Official

I wrote a long article last week about the career of WR Donald Driver here, but he announced his retirement this morning on ESPN radio:
It's been an amazing career from an unlikely 7th round pick, but I have to agree that it's time.

Brett Favre to appear on NFL Network's Super Bowl pre-game show

Former Packers QB Brett Favre will join NFL Network's Super Bowl pre-game show coverage on Sunday.

The Network's pre-game will last 8.5 hours and begin at 8:00 am CT. When Favre goes on, he will be talking about his thoughts on the 2012 season, the Super Bowl matchup and his life away from the field.

The Super Bowl this year will be at the same site as it was in 1997, the year Favre won his only career title.

Reacting to Moss' controversial comments

If anybody saw some of the media day coverage, then they likely heard what happened with 49ers WR Randy Moss. Moss claimed that he is "the greatest receiver to ever play this game." This is not true. Moss has failed in the NFL after his prime ended, while a guy like Jerry Rice just kept going into his old years.
Here is the rest of Moss' comments:

“I don’t think numbers stand because you can talk about this and this,” Moss said. “This year has been a down year for me, statistically. The year before I retired was a down year and then in Oakland was a down year, so I really don’t live on numbers. I really live on impact and what you’re able to do out on that field.”

What do you guys think? Is he the greatest? Because I don't know anybody besides him who believes that.

Looking At The Packers' Past Draft Rankings

I'm not familiar with Draftmetrics but I read this article at National Football Post that looked at each team's draft performance over the past 5 and 10 years:

The biggest obstacle in doing an objective analysis is to select the metrics that do the best job of measuring performances. DRAFTMETRICS decided to use a weighted combination of four measures to measure each team’s draft success.

The four measures are 1) # of games started, 2) # of players active in 2012, 3) annual starts, and 4) Pro Bowl. The problem I see with it is that it rewards bad teams who draft a bunch of guys who have to start, whether or not they deserve to.

As a result, the Green Bay Packers come out pretty average: No. 9 over the past 10 years (which still includes the "awesome" Mike Sherman drafts) and No. 14 over the past five.

I don't think too much of who a team that had a great draft 10 years ago. If a team is still counting on those players, it's probably looking at a massive re-build in the near future. For example, the Chargers had a great 2004 draft but they're looking at starting over this off-season.

If you look at who's ranked high over the past five years, it's a collection of bad teams at the top led by the Chiefs, Dolphins, Cardinals, Browns, and Eagles. It looks like this evaluation is based more on quantity than quality because those young starters didn't help those teams win much in 2012.

Sometimes one great draft can make a franchise. The selection of QB Aaron Rodgers in 2005, when nearly every other team passed on him, probably should have put the Packers closer to the top of the 10 year list. The analysis by Draftmetrics seems to ignore the importance of each position. It's one thing to find guys who are good enough to start, and maybe even sneak in a Pro Bowl appearance, but it's another to find elite players at key positions who are among the best in the league.

Players defending Pro Bowl after NFC blowout win

After a week of excessive media coverage followed by a boring blowout, some NFL all-stars are actually defending the game and saying it is a nice reward for great players who don't make the Super Bowl.

"I hope we keep it here and keep it here for a long time," Minnesota tight end Kyle Rudolph said after winning Pro Bowl MVP in a 62-35 NFC win on Sunday.

Rudolph called the award the "icing on the cake" after being named to the roster and spending a week in Hawaii.

"That was the big emphasis this week, making sure that we were competitive and I think we showed that," he said.

I don't. It was another waste of three hours. Just an excuse for the NFL to make money off ratings. If I was Roger Goodell I would cancel it. But as long as people who hate it watch it, it will be played.

Sanchez likely to stay with Jets

New Jets GM John Idzik confirmed this morning what the world was thinking, that Mark Sanchez will likely remain a Jet for the 2013-2014 season.

"I feel comfortable with Mark being a Jet," Idzik said on WFAN. "I told him we're going to add competition and everyone should be up for it. It's going to make Mark, and everybody else, better."

The big reason why New York wants to keep the struggling QB is because of his contract. Releasing or trading him would be a big blow to the Jets' payroll. Sanchez has a $12.8 million dollar salary cap number.

Packers Pro Bowl 2013: Did Anyone Watch It?

With QB Aaron Rodgers and LB Clay Matthews not playing in the Pro Bowl due to injuries, probably nothing that would have kept either of them out of a playoff game but serious enough to pass on an exhibition match, there wasn't much for a Green Bay Packers fan to watch. So I didn't watch it. I'm not sure who did watch it. I know all the Packers' coaches were on the sidelines, but that game has the least amount of coaching possible.

New Insiders blog:Pro Bowl switcheroo gives Saturday one last snap with Manning dlvr.it/2s5N8B #Packers
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) January 28, 2013

When the big story is that legacy selection C Jeff Saturday took a snap with the AFC team, and DE J.J. Watt had a bloody pinkie (he's fine), it doesn't look like I missed much. Except for a lot of scoring.

One good thing that came out of it was that RG Josh Sitton has finally made it to the Pro Bowl. He probably deserved to go after the 2010 season, but he would have skipped it because of his first Super Bowl appearance. He was the team's best offensive lineman last season and now becomes only the third guard to represent the Packers in a Pro Bowl in the last 40 years.

Is the Pro Bowl no longer relevant?

This week, Broncos QB Peyton Manning apparently made a passionate speech to the players around him to play hard in the Pro Bowl. Manning's audience consisted of just one of the five quarterbacks selected to play. Star wide receivers Calvin Johnson and Brandon Marshall both have opted out of the game. None of the NFC's linebackers were in attendance. Packers center Jeff Saturday was in attendance, but shouldn't be. He had such a bad season that he was benched in week 15.

With all respect to Manning, the game is ruined. The players just don't care. I would rather they just cancel it than play it another year. It wouldn't sit well with the fans, but it will probably happen someday.

Vikings' Kalil added to Pro Bowl Roster

Vikings' rookie offensive tackle Matt Kalil will play in the Pro Bowl, the Vikings announced Friday.

Kalil will be filling in for Redskins' tackle Trent Williams, who can't play due injuries he suffered in a night club altercation. Williams wasn't arrested and is currently not under investigation, said Honolulu police.

Kalil was drafted fourth overall by the Vikings in the 2012 draft and is now the seventh member of Minnesota to make it onto the Pro Bowl roster.

Clay Matthews to join CBS Super Bowl coverage

Packers LB Clay Matthews will join CBS as an analyst for the network's Super Bowl pre-game show, "the Super Bowl today."

Along with Matthews on the CBS team will be James Brown, Dan Marino, Bill Cowher, Shannon Sharpe, Boomer Esiason and Greg Gumbel. It will be live at the Super Bowl on Feb. 3.

Matthews, for the fourth time in his four-year career, was selected to the pro-bowl this season. He will not play because he does not want to risk injury.

The One Year Tenure of Jeff Saturday

Yesterday I wrote about WR Donald Driver, who's probably played his last season with the Green Bay Packers and expected to retire. Another veteran player, C Jeff Saturday, is not expected back either and he will consider retirement:

Even if he decides to play another season, it won't be with the Packers, who are expected to release Saturday. He's scheduled to make $1.35 million in salary in 2013 and is due a $1.4 million roster bonus. Saturday also has a total of $1 million in per-game roster bonuses.

Like Driver's likely departure, this should come as no surprise after he was benched in favor of C Evan Dietrich-Smith. While it hasn't happened as a member of the Packers, Saturday's had a heck of a career with six trips to the Pro Bowl (even if number six is all due to name recognition) and he was twice named first team All-Pro.

I'm still not expecting Dietrich-Smith to become the new starting center, and they should look to the draft this time for their next starter.

Looking Back At The Career of Donald Driver

While it was clear that 2012 would be the final season for WR Donald Driver as a member of the Green Bay Packers, it wasn't know what his future plans were. It looks like he's decided on retirement.

New Insiders blog:Report: Driver likely to retire dlvr.it/2rKFqn #Packers
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) January 24, 2013

The report is a little vague, but I don't think anyone expected him to return to the Packers, so his retirement isn't a surprise. I was glad to see him return after the 2011 season, though he was no better than their No. 4 receiver, because he was still productive (see chart below). However, in 2012, he fell even further and finished behind WR Jarrett Boykin and WR Jeremy Ross on the depth chart.

Here are his career stats and rankings from Football Outsiders:

Year/Season	Receptions	Yards	Touchdowns	DVOA	Rank
2012	8	77	2	-1.4%	n/a
2011	37	445	6	17.1%	16
2010	51	565	4	-7.8%	68
2009	70	1061	6	13.3%	19
2008	74	1012	5	8.5%	25
2007	82	1048	2	9.3%	27
2006	92	1295	8	-4.4%	55
2005	86	1221	5	25.6%	3
2004	84	1208	9	12.0%	28
2003	52	621	2	5.6%	35
2002	70	1064	9	21.9%	8
2001	13	167	1	18.0%	n/a
2000	21	322	1	-4.3%	47
1999	3	31	1	n/a	n/a

There are a couple seasons when he wasn't targeted enough to merit a ranking by Football Outsiders, including his first and likely last seasons.

The Packers were reluctant to start Driver at first. He couldn't get ahead of WR Antonio Freeman and WR Bill Schroeder, which became especially frustrating in 2001 when Freeman and Schroeder showed how limited they were while Driver languished on the bench. Finally, Schroeder left in free agency (one of Matt Millen's genius moves), and Driver became the starter in 2002.

Looking back, he only had two exceptional seasons (2002 and 2005) despite the fact he was always a lock for 1000 yards. Part of the problem was that he was thrown the ball so often and drew so much coverage. His 2006 season, in particular, is noteworthy because he set his career high with 92 receptions and recorded one of his lowest grades from Football Outsiders. The Packers had no other receivers who could get open. While WR Greg Jennings showed promise as a rookie, a hamstring injury left him nearly useless by the end of 2006.

He's had an amazing and long career after beginning as a lowly 7th round draft choice out of Alcorn State. I hope his departure from football is amicable and he's looking forward to the next chapter in his life.

Sean Payton wants a "gracious" environment for Goodell's visit

Saints fans have been furious this past year for the punishments placed on them because of their bounty scandal. One of those included head coach Sean Payton being suspended for all of this season.

Payton has asked Saints fans to provide a "gracious" environment for Goodell when he visits New Orleans next week. We all know that this won't happen. The thing I don't get at all, is why are they mad at Goodell? They were intentionally hurting other players, so why should that go unpunished? They have no case here. They should, but won't, listen to Payton.

Look Who's Going Into The Packers Hall of Fame

It was announced that the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame will induct two former players next July: DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila and K Chris Jacke.

Gbaja-Biamila was a one-dimensional player but he was really good at that dimension; rushing the passer off the edge. To his credit, he did improve as a run defender, even if he wasn't ever very good at it. From 2000 through 2007, he was the team's best or second best pass rusher. What led to his release was knee surgery in early 2008. The surgery left him without any speed to the outside. But he's not the player I wanted to talk about.

I'm a little surprised that Jacke is getting into the hall of fame. With 820 points scored, he's third all-time in points scored, so maybe it was inevitable. But it was a bit surprising he lasted until 1997 in the first place. Maybe he's being selected for his longevity instead of his talent.

The story about Jacke with Mike Holmgren's daughter sounds like a myth, but I never thought he had a lot of faith in him. Sometimes the criticism of Jacke's inconsistency was obvious. He left on sour terms when the team low-balled his contract offer, drafted a kicker to replace him, and then he felt snubbed after he wasn't invited to travel with the team to meet the President.

It's ironic that the kicker they drafted to replace him, Brett Conway, was a bust who never kicked in a regular season game for the Packers, but the replacement to the replacement (Ryan Longwell) had a long career with them and was much better than Jacke.

Junior Seau's family sues NFL over brain injuries

The family of former NFL linebacker Junior Seau sued the NFL today over Seau's brain injuries. The family claims that his suicide was the result of brain injuries he suffered while playing football.

The lawsuit, which was filed Wednesday morning in San Diego, blames the NFL for it's "acts or omissions" that hid the dangers of many blows to the head. They say that Seau's injuries were ignored and that the NFL didn't want people to know.

I'm not going to judge them for losing their loved one, but I do wish them the best. Seau's death was likely because of injuries to the head, and I can't wait to watch how the league gets out of this one.

Will Tyrann Mathieu play in the NFL?

His nickname was the Honey Badger. He was a Heisman finalist. He had fame and future fortune. But, due to a substance abuse scandal, LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu was kicked off his college team. Now, he is practicing at the Senior Bowl for a second chance in football.

The Packers are not know to have even looked at Mathieu. However, that doesn't mean that other teams haven't. There are rumors that the Jets are interested in him, which would make sense. Darrelle Revis gets hurt whenever he plays, and is getting old either way.

Mathieu won't be playing in the Senior Bowl, but is still there trying to make some friends. If Mathieu is signed, it will likely be just a one-year deal worth a small amount of money. He is past his chance to get rich.

In 2011, Mathieu had five forced fumbles, 2 interceptions, 71 tackles, and 1.5 sacks. These numbers will definitely draw some interest from scouts, but will it be enough?

Improving The Packers' Offensive Line

Overall, I was disappointed with the Green Bay Packers offensive line and thought they took a step back last season. However it's not obvious how they can improve either. While C Jeff Saturday didn't have as much left in the tank as the Packers expected and the team will again look for a new starting center, it was a step back for Lang and Bulaga too. Are they part of the problem or can we expect them to bounce back next season?

Here are the offensive line snaps from the Washington Post:

Lineman	Games Started	False Start	Holding	Sacks
Newhouse	16	1	2	10
Lang	15	1	2	11
Saturday	14	0	1	3.5
Dietrich-Smith	6	2	3	2
Sitton	16	1	3	2.5
Bulaga	9	2	3	5
Barclay	4	3	0	3.5

While LT Marshall Newhouse was second on the team with 10 sacks allowed, he actually improved last season. In 2011, he surrendered 11.5 sacks in 13 games starts and there were a couple games when he was just demolished by elite pass rushers (DE Jason Pierre-Paul is one example). He didn't have those awful games again in 2012; it was more of a slow trickle of sacks throughout the season and certainly some of those were due to the coverage. He's not an elite left tackle but he took a step forward last season.

The Future For Derek Sherrod

I wanted to write an in-depth post about the Green Bay Packers' offensive line, which I see as the key to improving the running game and keeping QB Aaron Rodgers' in good health, but I haven't gotten to it just yet. In the meantime, Wes Hodkiewicz at the Press-Gazette was kind enough to inquire about former first round pick Derek Sherrod:

“I expect him to be back and competing for a spot,” [offensive line coach James] Campen said. “He was just on the cusp of doing some very good things when he got hurt. It was there and unfortunately we had the injury in Kansas City and it’s taken a little bit longer than we had thought to get ready, but we expect him to be back and ready to go.”

I'm not sure if he was really on the cusp of very good things, but his leg injury was severe and it should be something he can return from. It reminds me a little bit of the major hip injury former LT Chad Clifton suffered in his third (2002) season, however, Clifton returned to start all 16 games the following year.

At this point, with LT Marshall Newhouse and RT Bryan Bulaga apparently settled into their current positions for the 2013 season, Sherrod should be focused on getting healthy and settling into a backup role. I liked rookie RT Don Barclay as a backup player but Sherrod should be able to move ahead of him on the depth chart. The Packers will have to make a decision on extending Newhouse and/or Bulaga in a couple years and whether Sherrod is a legitimate Plan B to extending their contracts is something they'll have to evaluate next season.

Packers Guard Josh Sitton added to NFC Pro Bowl Roster

The Packers have replaced Rodgers as their third member of the Pro Bowl team. It was announced yesterday that guard Josh Sitton had been added to the roster as a fill in for 49ers G Mike Iupati. Iupati was on the roster as a starter but can't play because his team is in the Super Bowl.

This is Sitton's first Pro Bowl appearance, though he has been an alternate in the past. Sitton will be being coached by his normal coaches, as the Packers' staff is running the NFC team for the second straight year. The Pro Bowl will be played January 27.

Sitton started every game for the Packers this season. He started all sixteen regular season games and both playoff match-ups.

Donald Driver awarded his own day

Donald Driver, thanks to his great play for many years in Green Bay, has been given his own day by the Brown County board of supervisors. Driver was honored with his own day on Thursday, January 17.

The announcement came Wednesday night at one of the board's meetings. They also read this statement from Driver, who was not present.

“It is truly an honor to have January 17, 2013, become Donald Driver Day. I will always appreciate the special relationship that I share with Green Bay Packers fans, and I have so many incredible memories of my time spent in Green Bay and Brown County. I look forward to remaining a fixture in the community here for many years to come! Thank you to the Brown County Executive, Chairman, and Brown County Board of Supervisors for this proclamation. God bless, and Go Pack Go!”

Here is the official proclamation from Brown County:

OFFICIAL PROCLAMATION IN appreciation of

Donald Driver

WHEREAS, Donald Driver, a.k.a. “Double D”, has been sporting number 80 with the Packers for 14 seasons, while earning a Super Bowl Championship, four Pro Bowl Selections, becoming the all- time leading receiver for the Packers, and recently receiving the coveted mirror ball trophy on the 14th season of ABC network program, “Dancing with the Stars; and

WHEREAS, Donald is no stranger to setbacks but yet continues to move forward in making a difference in people’s lives by donating his time and efforts to organizations such as the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin and Goodwill Industries; and

WHEREAS, in 2000 Donald along with his wife Betina created the “Donald Driver Foundation,” focusing on minimizing the challenges of homeless families and lack of education, along with donating to a variety of other charities, providing motivational speeches, writing children’s books, and offering assistance to those in need; and

WHEREAS, Donald has been recognized for his contribution to his communities by receiving the Walter Payton Man of the Year award in 2002, the only off the field community service awarded by the NFL , the Community Service Award in 2001 by Green Bay Chamber of Commerce, as well as the Ed Block Courage award by his teammates; and

WHEREAS, when Donald is not spending time with his family, on the field or giving back to his community you will find him on his TV show Inside the Huddle, hear him on one of Milwaukee’s number 1 rated A.M. radio stations, or even managing his endorsements with top organizations such as Wisconsin Department of Transportation, McDonalds, Goodwill Industries and others; and

NOW, THEREFORE, We, Troy J. Streckenbach, Brown County Executive, Patrick Moynihan, Chairman of Brown County Board of Supervisors, along with the Brown County Board of Supervisors recognize Donald Driver and his overwhelming generosity to our community. And call onto all citizens to acknowledge and emulate his positive thinking and commitment to the community as a whole.

And do hereby proclaim Thursday, Jan. 17, 2013, as a day of recognition as

Donald Driver Day