The Packers Shouldn't Be Tripping Over Themselves To Re-Sign Their Defensive Free Agents, Except...

The Packers have already re-signed and extended two potential free agent defensive lineman, but there are other defenders who played significant roles in 2015 that could become unrestricted free agents next month.

Player	Position	Age	PFF Grade	2015 Snaps
Casey Hayward	CB	26	5.2	1020
Mike Neal	LB	28	-12.7	822
Nick Perry	LB	25	3.1	365
B.J. Raji	NT	29	-4.6	472
Sean Richardson	S	26	-0.8	98

And of those players, there's only one that'll draw significant attention in free agency.

#Packers Hayward Earning Big Payday, Too - Even without an interception, Casey Hayward has been productive for ... https://t.co/BY7sVtyXYP

— Packers on Scout (@PackersOnScout) December 14, 2015

I'm a fan of CB Casey Hayward. Looking only at conventional stats, he underwhelmed with no interceptions and only 7 pass defenses in 2015. But that's a sign that teams don't throw at him despite him being on the field all the time (see 1020 snaps in 2015 above), and the advance stats like him, having earned a grade of 5.2 from Pro Football Focus last season. Maybe he wasn't targeted because the Packers relied heavily on two rookie cornerbacks last season, and most teams went after the rookies instead, but this wasn't Hayward's first good season. He's been a reliable player ever since he was drafted in 2012, and other teams are going to notice. While teams are burned badly by free agent cornerbacks every year, they always seem to spend irrationally every March. I'm sure GM Ted Thompson will make Hayward an offer but I think Hayward will get more from another cornerback desperate team.

This is LB Mike Neal's second run through unrestricted free agency. He drew little interest back in 2014 and he hasn't done anything to improve his worth since then. But he shouldn't cost too much and the Packers might prefer the limited player they know (see Guion, Letroy) rather than the unknown player they'd have to find to replace him. It's not important to re-sign him but I won't be upset if they do.

While LB Nick Perry is the only defender other than Hayward listed here with a positive PFF grade, his positive grade was from his run support, not his pass rush. The irony is that Perry entered the NFL with a reputation as a great pass rusher at USC and a complete unknown as a run defender. He's obviously worked hard to improve the weakest part of his game. Unfortunately his best skill (pass rush) has either stalled or vanished last season. The Packers declined his fifth-year option last year and he didn't do much to prove them wrong. Whether it was due to injuries or a lack of trust, the former 1st round pick only logged 365 snaps at outside linebacker when there wasn't any serious competition blocking his path to more playing time. I would guess that the Packers might be willing to give him a one-year contract to provide depth, but maybe another team will be more aggressive on giving him a fresh start and seeing if they can find the talent that made him a top prospect.

Like Neal, this is not NT B.J. Raji's first go around as an unrestricted free agent, and he's drawn little interest from other teams in the past. He didn't do much to stand out last season, but if they don't re-sign him then they'll absolutely have to find someone else like him. With $23 million of room available under the cap, there's no reason to go cheap on the defensive line. While Raji could be replaced, his position needs to be filled, and only the Jets's NT Damon Harrison is clearly a better free agent who might be available. GM Ted Thompson will spend for a star player but Harrison doesn't look like that type of player. The Packers know what they've got with Raji as a run stuffer (even if he's becoming a bit injury prone) and that's probably better than spinning the draft roulette wheel.

Unfortunately this is probably the end of DB Sean Richardson's career.

In the end, other than Hayward (the Packers have depth at CB if he leaves) they should probably push to re-sign Neal, Perry and Raji because they should be affordable and they'd leave holes on the roster if they departed. And the Packers already need to add another inside linebacker (or two) and need more depth at every offensive skill position. This team is good enough now to win a championship and they should try and keep it all together, as best as they can.

The New Look 2014 Packers Secondary

It's hard to be bullish on the Packers' secondary after a poor 2013 season, but they could be the best group on defense in 2014.

Which position on the #Packers defense will be the strongest in 2014? Read more: http://t.co/rsSiKgJKAc pic.twitter.com/vaEr2ouWc5
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) July 8, 2014

Mike Spofford is expecting that when the Packers go with six defensive backs (which happens quite often) it will be CBs Tramon Williams, Sam Shields, Casey Hayward, with Safeties Morgan Burnett, Micah Hyde, and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. It would be a surprise to see anything else. It's a new look because while five of the six are returning players, Hayward barely played at all in 2013 while Hyde is expected to take on a different role at safety. Even Burnett might have some different responsibilities depending on how they utilize Hyde.

By itself, the addition of Clinton-Dix is a big improvement, but the addition by subtraction of the two worst offenders last season in pass coverage according to Pro Football Focus (M.D. Jennings and Jerron McMillian) is just as important. The only two players returning who had a negative pass coverage grade in 2013 were Burnett, who's now healthy and should improve playing alongside someone other than Jennings, and Davon House, who's got to prove he belongs after a bad finish in 2013. Even if it doesn't work out with House, finding a better fourth CB during the preseason shouldn't be a tall order.

Coming into the 2013 season, Williams was still struggling with a 2011 shoulder injury, but his old aggressive self re-emerged last November and he ended the season with four INTs over his final eight games. Except for a disappointing 2011 season, Shields has been one of their best in coverage over his first four seasons, and his big contract extension looks reasonable now after a crazy year in free agency. Hayward's absence last season (he only played parts of three games) was a big loss and he appears to be completely healthy again. Those three should be the best group of corners since 2010 when Williams, Shields and Charles Woodson were playing together.

I can see the silver lining on this unit, but they're going to have to prove it on the field.

Packers Depth Chart: Defensive Backfield

As much as the Packers knew they needed to upgrade their pass rush (enter Julius Peppers) they've also aggressively targeted players for their defensive backfield, while keeping pretty much the status quo at linebacker (though I do hope they found someone in 4th round LB Carl Bradford).

They did draft two more players who should figure into the defensive back rotation next season, and they have also signed a couple of undrafted free agents who may earn a spot. They'll probably keep eight defensive backs (plus one or two on the practice squad) and here's how it breaks down.

Locks: Sam Shields, Tramon Williams, Casey Hayward, Micah Hyde, Morgan Burnett, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. That's six guys right off the bat, and though Williams could be a salary cap casualty some day, it's probably not going to happen in 2014. There's not a lot of room left on the roster after those locks.

Davon House. He played 472 snaps on defense in 2013 but didn't impress (-4.9 grade in coverage according to Pro Football Focus). He'll miss the cut if he has another poor preseason like he did in 2013.

Jarrett Bush. He's still their special teams' ace and he didn't play much in 2013 until late in the season (plus a game ending INT against the Falcons). I don't know if he'll ever lose his roster spot.

Demetri Goodson. It'll be surprising if their 6th round pick will have a long NFL career, but he's probably going to be a favorite for the practice squad. Without a lot of experience in college, he's probably going to need a longer learning curve in the NFL and they'll probably be patient with him for at least one season.

Chris Banjo and Sean Richardson. So far, they've survived the safety purge of 2013 that's led to the departures of M.D. Jennings and Jerron McMillian, but the Packers have recently signed two more players to compete against them.

Iowa's Tanner Miller. His measurables are just as strong as Clinton-Dix's but the difference between them shows up on game film. Miller played 46 games in college and recorded 7 career INTs, but he also took the blame for allowing some long plays at Iowa. His instincts in the open field might be lacking.

Hawaii's Charles Clay. He's got some speed (4.42 40 time at his Pro Day) but he was a part-time starter (6 in 2013) on a lousy college football team.

They also have three other CBs (Antonio Dennard, Jumal Rolle and Ryan White) who could find themselves on the practice squad after a strong camp, but they probably won't make it past the final cuts. They should get a chance to play this preseason and they'll have to make the most of it.

I'm glad that the Packers have added quantity and quality (Clinton-Dix) to address a major weakness last season. Hopefully the new players will make everyone better and improve this group as a whole in 2014.

Hayward now "ready" for Packers Offseason Workouts

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

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

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

Packers place CB Casey Hayward on IR

Well, the Packers injury problems just seem to get worse every day. As today, it was announced that CB Casey Hayward, who has really struggled this year, has been placed on the IR, ending his season. As I just said, Hayward has struggled this year, but still, he's a starter. I'd rather he be healthy. 

Hopefully, Hayward's backup will fill in nicely. I don't know who that is, but he better be good. The Pack's defense is terrible right now, so they need to start getting some production from it. I don't care how, they just to need to start giving up less points. 

The Offense Is Playing Great and The Injuries Aren't That Bad

It's been kind of a gloomy week, despite the win over the Lions, because LB Clay Matthews was injured. However, I'm very optimistic after a commanding win over the Lions (be it without WR Calvin Johnson) and it feels like the Packers are about to go on a run.

This headline is a head scratcher: Packers offense not firing on all cylinders. QB Aaron Rodgers isn't playing like it's 2011, but this is a powerhouse offense. They're the number two offense according to Football Outsiders, which is basically the best any team can hope for this season when QB Peyton Manning is on pace for 64 TDs and 3 INTs. Rodgers isn't having his best season statistically, but otherwise the offense has made two major improvements to areas that had been holding them back.

After watching Rodgers take hit after hit for the past few seasons, he's only been sacked 11 times this season, which is tied for 8th best. Also, the offensive line has helped two different backs go over 100 yards rushing in a game (Franklin and Starks) and Lacy just missed the mark with 99 yards against the Lions. That's even more impressive considering there have only been eighteen 100 yard rushing games in the entire league so far this season.

The additions of Franklin and Lacy have obviously helped, but I've also been impressed with the run blocking of LT David Bakhtiari. Another key promotion has been C Evan Dietrich-Smith, who's been much better at taking out the inside linebacker against the run than C Jeff Saturday was. The pass offense is still outstanding, ranked behind only Denver and San Diego according to Football Outsiders, but now the running attack is a top 3 unit, behind only Philadelphia and Indianapolis.

As for the injuries, the return of S Morgan Burnett last week was great to see. Hopefully CB Casey Hayward can end his season long absence and return soon. RB James Starks is hurting, but that was inevitable. LB Brad Jones is a big loss, he's good at every aspect of the game, but he might only miss one week (with another hamstring injury?). There's no player more important to the defense than LB Clay Matthews, but they actually have no idea when he might be back (in a good way). His thumb won't heal but he can play with a cast and he might return sooner than we originally believed. Matthews could also use the time off; he looked a bit slow during the Lions game and his hamstring might still be bothering him. There will be some problems on defense next week, against a Ravens team that has a lot of problems on offense, but the defense should be getting all their starters back shortly.

The NFL Season Begins Tonight But The Packers Don't Play Until Sunday Afternoon

Tonight the Broncos are hosting the Ravens to start the NFL season. The league wanted to play this game in Baltimore instead of Denver but Peter Angelos is a jerk. I'm sure the fans in Baltimore really wanted to host the last place White Sox instead of seeing the defending Super Bowl champs in person. However, I don't really care about two AFC teams. As for the Packers, there hasn't been a lot of news this week about their upcoming game Sunday afternoon against 49ers, but here's what's been going on.

CB Casey Hayward will be held out because of his injured hamstring. His absence takes away a big play maker from the defense. Rookie CB Micah Hyde had a solid preseason, but he isn't as likely to grab an INT as Hayward. The good news is that Hayward is the only player who should miss the game.

WR Jordy Nelson will make his first appearance of the season. He didn't play during the preseason, so there should be some rust on him, but he brings an added dimension to their passing game that Jeremy Ross doesn't bring. Hypothetically, Ross should be a big play downfield threat too, but I haven't actually seen it happen in a game.

Jim Harbaugh is worried that Clay Matthews might want to hit Colin Kaepernick. Yes, this is stupid. Listening to the Around The League podcast, their theory was that this is Harbaugh's pre-game attempt to work the refs. Usually head coaches complain to the refs from the sidelines during the game, but Harbaugh is getting a head start. If they throw an early 15-yard roughing the passer flag for a hit on Kaepernick, you'll know that Harbaugh has done his job.

The Cornerbacks Looked Awful Against The Cardinals

The good news for the Green Bay Packers is that the bad game from the corners happened without much from their top three players. CBs Tramon Williams and Casey Hayward are being held out due to injury and only CB Sam Shields played. Shields did allow a completion along the sideline, but it was against WR Larry Fitzgerald so it can be somewhat excused.

Tyler Dunne wrote a piece on rookie CB Micah Hyde, who gave up one of the two touchdown passes while making zero reaction as the ball was in the air. However, he looked better than the other corners behind him on the depth chart. He's now moved ahead of CB Davon House, and Hyde was starting with the first team defense while Williams and Hayward were still out.

The good news for House fans is that he didn't look beyond redemption. He was almost in position but wasn't able to adjust quickly enough as the receivers ran their routes. He hasn't played a lot in his first two seasons due to injury, so his game against the Cardinals looked like a bit of rust. He's still got the potential.

One of my least favorite players, CB Jarrett Bush, played some cornerback and looked better than any of the other players on the roster. He'll make the team because of his special teams play, but he's still in the mix at corner too.

I don't know how any of the corners can make the roster. Loyce Means and James Nixon didn't make plays, and Brandon Smith looked lost. They need every game to prove they deserve a spot ahead of the other more highly regarded players at a deep position.

Is Tramon Williams A No. 1 Cornerback?

Cornerback can be a hard position to evaluate because it's not always clear what's being asked of him. What type of coverage did the defense call? Was he supposed to be in man or was it a zone coverage? Did another teammate miss an assignment? Was he supposed to play off and that's why he's allowing so many short receptions? Also, some corners inflate their interception totals by taking too many chances. Those INTs are usually what decides a trip to the Pro Bowl, but it's not the way to decide which cornerback is the best.

CB Tramon Williams, after Charles Woodson moved to safety, has become their No. 1 cornerback. He had a fantastic run with three INTs in the 2010 playoff. But over the past two seasons he's only had six in total and his recorded pass defenses fell from 22 in 2011 to 16 in 2012. Part of the problem has been that he's drawn more difficult assignments. Also, he hurt his shoulder in Week 1 of the 2011 season and it's been bothering him ever since, though it looked like it was less of a problem last season. It hasn't helped him that the Packers' high powered offense has often forced opponents to throw a lot more to try and keep pace.

Cornerbacks' coach Joe Whitt Jr. has heard the criticisms of Williams and he doesn't agree with it. More interestingly, after two seasons of asking Williams to press in coverage, Whitt hopes to give more him more opportunities to play off and make big plays. From Jason Wilde at ESPN Wisconsin:

If you go back to 2010, most of his impact plays came from being off. This year, my whole mantra, and I told (defensive coordinator) Dom (Capers), I know we want to press because if you look at our completion percentage, they don’t complete a lot of balls on us. Now, we still gave up too many explosives but they don’t complete a lot of balls on us. We might give up a little more completions, but I’m going to allow them to do what they do, so you might see Tramon and Casey (Hayward) play off. But I have a feeling he’s going to make more of those splash plays .

After a disastrous 2011 season, the pass defense bounced back to No. 7 overall according to Football Outsiders. The emergence of rookie CB Casey Hayward played a big role in that improvement, but Williams's presence as the No. 1 CB helped take some pressure off Hayward too. Over the past three seasons, the Packers have gone from 24 INTs as a team in 2010, to 31 in 2011, to 18 in 2012. Interceptions don't relate directly to great defense, the Packers pass defense was horrible in 2011, but they can completely change the direction of a game.

In 2010, their ball hawking secondary played a huge role during their Super Bowl run. While interceptions aren't everything for a pass defense, a secondary that make "more of those splash plays" might be what the team has been missing in the playoffs over the past two seasons.

Three That Need To Improve: Barclay, Williams, and Hayward

Pro Football Focus ran it's weekly re-focused game reviews of the Green Bay Packers loss to the Vikings. The first two players are no surprise, but the third one only made one mistake.

RT Don Barclay. At best, he's their third option at right tackle, so the expectations shouldn't be high, but he either needs a good week of practice or some help from a tight end on Saturday. While Mike McCarthy prefers to let his tackles work one-on-one, he's been known to give a young tackle help with a chip block. The other option is to move T.J. Lang back to right tackle, however, it's not like he's been exceptional out there either. Also, I don't think they'd want to re-shuffle the line (again) for a playoff game.

CB Tramon Williams. Dom Capers' defensive scheme often crowds the middle and makes the opposing offense look for success running off-tackle, where the defender can either make the tackle or force the defender out of bounds. The catch is that he requires his cornerbacks to tackle, and Williams had an exceptionally bad run grade last Sunday. It wasn't just one bad play. Also, he was in on the missed tackle during RB Adrian Peterson's 82 yard touchdown run back in early December at Lambeau. I don't know if he can transform into a new player in one week, but he needs to work on the fundamentals.

CB Casey Hayward. He only had a slightly negative ranking, his first PFF negative since Week 9, and it was almost entirely due to his missed coverage on the 25 yard pass play to WR Michael Jenkins on third down. If he could have defended that pass, it would have ended the Vikings' game winning field goal drive. It looked like a classic rookie mistake from a rookie corner. It was only one bad play and he'll have a chance to make up for it with a big play or two next Saturday.

Some Strange Snap Counts Against The Giants

Luckily for everyone involved, I'm not going to say much about DJ World Peace other than to point out that players often rehab away from their team's facility. LB Ray Lewis is another example of a player who isn't rehabbing at his team's facility, though I've seen him on the sidelines during Ravens' games. While it's a P.R. headache to see the team's second leading rusher booking shows at gentlemen's clubs, it probably has no impact on his recovery.

As for some actual Packer news, Wes Hodkiewicz has some interesting snap counts from their game against the Giants:

#Packers rookie LB Dezman Moses played all 65 defensive snaps versus the Giants. Erik Walden (34) and Frank Zombo (31) split other OLB snaps
— Wes Hodkiewicz (@WesHod) November 26, 2012

It's no surprise to see that Moses played every snap since he was about the only defensive player who stood out in a positive way. But Walden had a good game against the Lions so I'm surprised that Zombo's snaps came entirely at Walden's expense. However, both Walden and Zombo were unable to get to the quarterback or shed blocks against the run, so it didn't matter which one of them was on the field against the Giants.

Casey Hayward only saw 21 defensive plays in the game. Offensively, James Jones went 56 plays without a reception. Driver with only 7 snaps
— Wes Hodkiewicz (@WesHod) November 26, 2012

Unless the coaches are concerned that Hayward is hitting the rookie wall, I don't see why they limited his snaps. Having an extra safety at Hayward's expense wasn't any help. It's even worse than that for Jones: he wasn't targeted on a single pass attempt. I'm surprised they didn't make any effort to get him involved in the offense.

Having said all that, none of these trends may continue into their next game. The Packers seem to change their player rotations every week. It wouldn't have made a difference in the results, but limiting the impact Hayward and Jones couldn't have helped.

Recap: Packers Win In Detroit, 24-20

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

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

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

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

Packers Win Fourth In A Row, Improve To 6-3 Before The Bye Week

The Green Bay Packers didn't blow out the Cardinals, who have now lost their last five games, but they did score first on a beautiful screen pass to WR Randall Cobb and they never trailed. The big story, and concern, are the new injuries, especially the hamstring injury to LB Clay Matthews. Immediately after the game, there was no word on how the injured players were doing.

QB Aaron Rodgers was pretty critical of his own play, but I thought he was accurate and, obviously, four touchdown passes is pretty impressive. Drops were a problem, again, and a FOX graphic showed at least four by mid-game. He did miss a couple passes into tight spots, but his criticism of those incompletions is because of his high standards. It didn't help that he barely had WR Jordy Nelson again this week, as he came out early after an ankle injury. Few teams can survive losing their top two receivers, and it's no surprise that he struggled a little.

The running game showed some signs of life, but unfortunately, the Cardinals were begging the Packers to run. They were much more concerned with the passing game, and during the first half, the Cardinals often played with only two defensive lineman. They sometimes left a linebacker standing over the center while their two lineman lined up over the tackles, so Mike McCarthy went to the ground game. RB James Starks had room to run as the offensive line pushed around the Cardinals' linebackers, but then he had to ruin it with a fumble (fortunately, it was recovered by Rodgers). Once the Packers had a second half lead, and the Cardinals started expecting the run, they began to line up with NT Dan Williams and the rushing attack slowed down. Also, the Packers failed to convert three times in the second half on 3rd and 1, so their power running game in short yardage situations still needs work.

RT Bryan Bulaga was lost for the game with a hip injury, and LG T.J. Lang played well as his replacement at right tackle. The offense didn't seem to miss a step with OL Evan Dietrich-Smith at left guard, but Lang has struggled in the past at tackle so hopefully Bulaga returns soon.

Allowing 306 yards to QB John Skelton might be seen as bad, but he almost had over 300 yards the previous week against the 49ers. He accumulates yards, but then struggles translating it into points. The Cardinals did manage a second quarter touchdown after an interception, and I don't think it was a coincidence that they had their two 3rd quarter scoring drives right after Matthews injured his hamstring. LB Erik Walden had a great game (3 QB hits, 1 interception) after a poor game last week against the Jaguars, but he and LB Dezman Moses weren't nearly as effective as Matthews (obviously). Going forward, they'll need Matthews back ASAP, but he's been limited by bad hamstrings in previous seasons so they might not be able to expect much from him the rest of this month.

After reading a lot of praise for rookie CB Casey Hayward over the last week, he struggled against the Cardinals. I didn't count all the completions he allowed, but it was several and at least one big one that set-up the first touchdown. Having said that, he did break up the pass on 4th down with two minutes left in the game and that play was the Cardinals' last gasp.

All the injuries were bad, but they did win the game and now enter their bye week on a four game winning streak. The Bears keep rolling, but the Packers still control their playoff destiny. Now they have a week off to get healthy before playing two tough road games (at Detroit, at NY Giants) as they finish out the month of November.

The Pro Football Focus Mid-Season All-Pro Team

Even among stat-heads, there can be some varying opinions on players. With that in mind, here's the Mid-Season All-Pro team according to Pro Football Focus. Only one player was named an All-Pro (LB Clay Matthews) but two other players received honorable mention (including one surprise).

Matthews is no surprise, while QB Aaron Rodgers (currently ranked No. 3 by Football Outsiders and in the Top 4 by Pro Football Focus) was only honorable mention. He's probably ranked behind Brady, Manning, the other Manning, and Ryan because of all the sacks he's taken, which is a fair enough complaint.

But the surprise mention is rookie CB Casey Hayward, who earned honorable mention at cornerback. He's played as well as I could have expected, and he's no doubt mentioned because he's currently ranked third in the NFL with 4 INTs. He's come a long way quickly.

The only notable omissions could be the Packers' trio of wide receivers who are currently ranked in the Top 10 by Football Outsiders (Nelson at No. 2, Cobb at No. 3, and Jones at No. 7). Maybe it was too hard for Pro Football Focus to pick one Packer receiver over another, and maybe they gave extra credit to other guys (Percy Harvin, Reggie Wayne, Brandon Marshall) because their teams have no other receiver on them that would be the focus of a defense.

Watching The Kids Play: Alex Green and Casey Hayward

The recent injuries to RB Cedric Benson and CB Sam Shields have opened up more playing time for others.

RB Alex Green. His line for 22 carries and 65 yards last Sunday against the Texans wasn't outstanding, but I'm still thinking back on his 41 yard carry against the Colts. It was the big run that set-up their final touchdown. If there's been one thing missing from the Packers offense over the past three seasons (since RB Ryan Grant circa 2009), it was the potential for a big play from the running game. Benson is stronger in between the tackles, but he's not a threat to go for 40+ yards (his long on the season is 11). Green's only had one great play so far, but he showed the potential in the past. Their other option, RB James Starks, ran one for 40 yards last season but I've never viewed him as a breakaway threat like Green. Is Green a legitimate starter or should the offense turn to Starks (assuming he's back from his turf toe injury)? Or should Benson return to the starting job as soon as he can?

CB Casey Hayward. Maybe the Texans game was a fluke, but 2 interceptions and 3 pass defenses in one game is pretty outstanding. It brings his total for the season to 3 interceptions and 6 pass defenses. For the sake of a rookie comparison, Cowboys CB Morris Claiborne (6th overall) has zero interceptions and 1 pass defense. Has Hayward moved ahead of Shields and should he play ahead of Shields even if he's healthy?

Will The Packers Bench Jarrett Bush?

I don't know what's going to happen on Thursday night, or if the coaches are just waiting for CB Davon House to get healthy, but here's one change we might see. I'm not placing all the blame at the feet of CB Jarrett Bush, but he wasn't part of the solution against the 49ers.

@jasonjwilde Would be shocked if Jarrett Bush is a starter next week. If he is, teams need to go at him hard in pass coverage.
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) September 10, 2012

Rookie CB Casey Hayward isn't ready and he'd get burned at least once against the Bears, but QB Jay Cutler is known for making some questionable pass attempts and Hayward came out of college known for his ball skills. If Hayward managed one interception, replacing him for Bush would probably be worth it.

Packers Lose Ugly In The Preseason To The Browns, 35-10

The good news is that the starters played well, with a couple exceptions. On the Packers's second offensive drive, WR Randall Cobb had the ball stripped and I expect he'll see more ball drills in his near future. Later in the second half, Aaron Rodgers failed to convert a 4th down play, on their side of the field, that the Packers would have never attempted during the regular season. Both plays gave the Browns great field position and led to two scores.

On defense, the Packers forced a fumble on the Browns' first drive. Though the defense held the Browns to only 39 yards on their next two drives combined, the Browns had great field position and kicked two field goals. Rookies Casey Hayward and Nick Perry had some struggles in pass coverage that set up the Browns's first touchdown, but overall the first team defense did a good job tackling and putting pressure on rookie QB Brandon Weeden.

So how bad was Graham Harrell? Pretty bad. Not Brian Brohm bad, but he'll have to show something over the remaining preseason games. Right now, I'm not a believer in him, but I don't think they'll make a trade or free agent signing at this point for the 2012 season.

And I'm starting to become a Jarrett Boykin fan. He made some nice grabs (5 for 63 yards).

Packers Preseason Preview: Browns at Packers

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

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

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

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

The Packers 90-man Roster: Cornerbacks

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Packers Biggest Question Mark Entering Training Camp

A few questions about the Green Bay Packers were pondered on by Tyler Dunne. I'm not worried about anything on the offensive side of the ball. My biggest question is: Did the Packers make the right decision on Nick Perry?

Based on the first team reps at OTA, it looks like Perry is locked in as the starter at outside linebacker opposite Clay Matthews. Both Frank Zombo and Erik Walden are back, but there's been no mention of either player in a significant role during the open OTAs. Perry might be sliding a little bit under the radar because he's just one of three early round defensive draft picks (Jerel Worthy and Casey Hayward being the others) and the out-of-nowhere performance by undrafted rookie Dezman Moses.

But Moses might still turn out to be nothing more than another Brad Jones. And Worthy was always going to get playing time as a rotational defensive tackle. Hayward might overtake Sam Shields on the depth chart in training camp, but the defense will only take a big step forward when Perry emerges.

Does Perry really want to play linebacker? While he didn't drop back into coverage much in college, all of the weaknesses mentioned by Dan Kadar sound like things that can be improved with coaching, but his speed off the snap cannot be taught.

Right now, I've got no answer to this question, and it won't be answered until he's playing in games next season. His ability to rush the passer, along with the additional depth on the defensive line and the return to health of CB Tramon Williams, could be the final piece needed to turn the defense back into a force. If he struggles, then they'd have to count on players like Williams, Charlie Peprah, and A.J. Hawk to bounce back from disappointing seasons, which might be too much wishful thinking.