Packers Trade Worthy to Patriots for Late Round Pick

The Packers, in a move that really needed to be made, have traded third-year DE Jerel Worthy to the Patriots for a potential late round pick, ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky reports. 

After being drafted 51st overall in 2012, Worthy hasn't done much for Green Bay, recording just 2 1/2 sacks in 14 games that season before suffering a severe knee injury in Week 17.

Since then, unfortunately, things haven't been too good for the 24-year-old, who ended up missing all of 2013 before appearing in just two contests last season. 

To make things even worse, the youngster also hasn't even practiced this summer, likely making this move an easy one for Green Bay, as it includes no risk and potentially high reward.

Position Review: Defensive LIne

Ever since the 2010 season, when B.J. Raji and Cullen Jenkins were a quality pass rush tandem in their nickel package, the Green Bay Packers's defensive line has been a disappointment. It was awful in 2011 and there wasn't much improvement in 2012.

Previously: Position Reviews - Offense.

B.J. Raji. He hasn't regained the form he showed during the 2010 playoffs, but he's still their best lineman and his 2011 decline was caused by massive overuse on an awful line. The Packers have re-stocked their depth and he could return to his 2010 level now that he's surrounded with better teammates.

Ryan Pickett. The 13 year veteran still provides a solid presence against the run, but hardly anything as a pass rusher. He's a free agent after this year and GM Ted Thompson doesn't usually keep veterans in their 30s, but he's still the same player that he was when he joined the team in 2006. I'm expecting more of the same in 2013 and maybe even a return performance in 2014.

Datone Jones. He looked really good at UCLA and could become their best pass rushing lineman since Jenkins left in free agency. All eyes should be on him this preseason.

Mike Neal. He was second on the team last season with 4.5 sacks, but his future on the line looks cloudy after the selection of Jones in the 1st round. He got some work at outside linebacker but that seems like an unlikely transition for a 294 lb. lineman. He's sure to get another chance in 2013 and it'll be up to him to take advantage of it before he hits free agency.

C.J. Wilson and Mike Daniels. They're different types of players, Wilson has more size and Daniels has more hustle, but they were about as equally productive. Neither one is going to be asked to anchor the middle of the 3-4 formation and both of them might have been pushed back by Jones. They both should make the team but it's not clear whether either player has a long-term future.

Jerel Worthy. I had really high hopes for the him after his 2012 selection in 2nd round, but his biggest impact last season was his inability to stay onside before the snap. A late season knee injury will probably keep him out next season so there's nothing to see here until 2014.

Johnny Jolly. If this was 2009, I'd be really writing about how he's a young anchor to build around. But the prime of his career has been wiped out by years of legal problems. At age 30, he's finally back but who knows how he'll look after missing three seasons. I can't think of another healthy player in recent years who has missed three seasons.

Josh Boyd. I'm not sure where he fits on the roster, but I would expect the Packers to keep their 2013 5th round selection. However, I'm not sure if he can overtake either Wilson or Daniels on the depth chart. If he does make the team, I can't imagine he'll do anything except provide depth.

Gilbert Pena. Packer fans should love a big defensive lineman named Gilbert. He's a big run stuffer who probably went undrafted because he's already 26 years old. Maybe he'll turn out to be a young Ryan Pickett type lineman.

Jordan Miller. He was signed to the practice squad late last season and he's probably the longest shot to stick with the team.

Once Worthy goes on I.R., the Packers will have ten lineman for what will likely be six roster spots. It's possible that someone like Neal or Wilson is released/traded depending on what happens during the preseason. That could open up a spot for Jolly, Boyd, or Pena. But probably those three players will be looking to resume their NFL careers somewhere else at the start of the regular season.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Could Mike Neal Help The Packers?

#Packers have activated DE @mneal96 and released DE Phillip Merling, the club announced. Neal now eligible to play vs. #Colts Sunday.
— Jason Wilde (@jasonjwilde) October 6, 2012

After he was a complete zero last season, and then suspensed four games to open 2012, I was on the fence whether the Packers would release DE Mike Neal. He hadn't been able to stay healthy in either of his first two seasons and he hadn't done anything memorable on the field. His only hope was that his status as a former 2nd round pick would give him another chance and then he'd have to stay healthy for an entire season.

The last defensive lineman in this situation was former first round pick DE Justin Harrell, and the Packers gave him four seasons to turn it around. So it seemed unlikely they would give up on Neal after only two. But the selection of DE Jerel Worthy and DE Mike Daniels, and the free agent signings of DE Anthony Hargrove, Merling, and NT Daniel Muir, gave Neal a lot of competition. However, Neal showed just enough during the preseason to stick ahead of Hargrove and Muir. He's now been kept ahead of Merling too.

Something that's really helped him is that none of the other players the Packers have added this year have made much of an impact. Worthy is often on the field, but he's more notable for jumping offsides. Daniels has shown hustle, but he's played little and only recorded 1 sack and 1 tackle on the season. Merling only recorded 2 tackles in his first four games. So if Neal is improved a year after knee surgery, and he can rush better than Worthy or Daniels (neither of them have shown much so far), then he could be a welcomed addition. I expect he'll still be behind Worthy on the depth chart, but Neal should get a chance or two against the Colts to prove that he can do more. We'll have to wait and see whether he can take advantage of it.

Two Key Young Players: Alex Green and Jerel Worthy

GM Ted Thompson and his staff have made few personnel mistakes, but the decision to let DE Cullen Jenkins leave in free agency has left it's mark on the pass rush. I'm not expecting anything from their Plan A, Mike Neal, but I'm watching Plan B, 2nd round DE Jerel Worthy, closely. There hasn't been much to watch so far.

The analysis at NFL.com from an anonymous scout was pretty spot: he's average, at best. That's similar to what PackApologist wrote a couple weeks ago; he's looked okay in camp but on at least one night, he made some noise. It's still early, but I'd be disappointed if Worthy didn't show something this preseason. The good news is that I've been impressed with Nick Perry so far; he might not be a future All-Pro, and he looked lost in coverage on one play against the Browns, but he'll be a strong pass rusher.

RB Alex Green hasn't been able to show much, the trainers are limiting his plays from scrimmage while he rehabs his knee, but I liked what I saw from him against the Browns. He almost broke one run off left tackle, an arm tripped him up before he was able to make a move in the second level, but he showed a potential explosive burst that looked like Ahman Green in his prime.

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 Football Outsiders 2012 Almanac: Looking At The Problems On Defense

July is a boring month for football, but it's also when the Football Outsiders Annual Almanac is released. It can be a tough read that makes me wonder if I've stumbled into a college textbook on statistics, but the team chapters are great, even if you're only skimming over the percentages. I'm not going to copy-and-paste the entire chapter on the Green Bay Packers, but overall it's going to reassure fans that they have a very good team.

I will bring up one group of players: the linebackers. Selecting Nick Perry in the 1st round has been a big first step towards improvement, but I've been worried about the return of A.J. Hawk at starting middle linebacker. However, according to Football Outsiders, he was better against the run and pass than any linebacker who wasn't named Clay Matthews last season.

Instead, the linebacker who came out with major egg on his face was Desmond Bishop, who graded out as poorly against the run (worst) and pass (bottom five) as any linebacker in the NFL. Bishop's never been great in pass coverage so it's not surprising to see he had some problems, and he'll much better in 2012 if the pass rush is improved. But I've always thought he was great against the run, so his terrible ranking was a surprise. However, plays like this one didn't help his stats.


Football Outsiders probably counted this play against him. Adrian Peterson ran right at the spot where Bishop should have been. Instead he was blocked out of the play, though he did manage to catch up 50 yards later to make the tackle. This is a really good example of his problems and why he needs more help from his teammates.

At the snap, Bishop's lined up behind B.J. Raji at NT, and Howard Green at DE. Green, who won't be back next season, was pushed outside by the left tackle while Raji did nothing against a double team. In fact, the center was able to come off Raji and move up into the second level to block Hawk too. Raji's poor effort was probably due to the fact that this was late in the game (the last play of the 3rd quarter) and it was the point last season when he was starting to look completely winded because he never left the field. With a wide open path on the left side, the full back ran untouched through the hole to knock Bishop off his spot and gave Peterson a lot of room to run. Charles Woodson and Morgan Burnett each missed an open field tackle that could have limited it to a 10 to 15 yard gain. To Bishop's credit, he disengaged quickly from the full back to get back into the play.

This, of course, wasn't the whole story. The Packers were among the league leaders by playing with five or more defensive backs on 70% of their plays, and they were one of the worst overall, as a team, allowing 4.7 yards per rushing attempt. As much as Bishop struggled against the run, the defense wasn't lined up to prevent the run, and overall did a poor job against it.

What should happen next season is that the Packers will have a better player (rookie 2nd round pick Jerel Worthy) at that defensive end spot, Raji won't be as worn down from playing so many reps, and they'll give Hawk or Bishop a much better chance at making a play. Now we have to wait a couple more months before that can become a reality.

The Packers 90-man Roster: Defensive Line

While the Green Bay Packers have created competition on the defensive line by drafting and signing several new players, there aren't enough roster spots for all of them. Most of the competition will be at defensive end, and these are the players from Packers.com that are considered at that position:

Player	Height	Weight	Age	Experience
Guy, Lawrence	6-4	304	22	2
Hargrove, Anthony	6-3	282	28	8
Merling, Phillip	6-5	315	27	5
Neal, Mike	6-3	294	24	3
Wilson, C.J.	6-3	290	25	3
Worthy, Jerel	6-2	308	22	Rookie
Wynn, Jarius	6-3	285	25	4

I'm expecting three of these players will make the 53-man roster, so the competition should be fierce. Guy was stuck on injured reserve last season, and now (assuming he'll return healthy), he has to fight for a spot on  the 53-man roster, though he still may be eligible for the practice squad. Hargrove and Neal are staring down suspensions. While Hargrove may have no chance of changing the commissioner's mind over his participation in the pay-for-performance scheme while he was with the Saints, Neal might have his suspension lifted on appeal because his situation is similar to Andre Brown's. Based on what I read during the open OTAs, Worthy might be considered the top defensive end because of his ability as a pass rusher. Merling, Wilson, and Wynn are going to have to give the team a reason to keep them this preseason, but they all have potential.

Here are the defensive tackles (plus Jones who's listed as a "DL"):

Player	Height	Weight	Age	Experience
Jones, Johnny	6-4	310	23	1
Daniels, Mike	6-0	291	23	Rookie
Muir, Daniel	6-2	322	28	5
Pickett, Ryan	6-2	340	32	12
Raji, B.J.	6-2	337	25	4

Three-and-three: the Packers should keep three defensive ends and three defensive tackles. Jones spent 2011 on the practice squad, and that's his only hope of staying with the team again in 2012. Muir only played in 4 games in 2011 before the Colts released him, so he'll have to prove that he still belongs in the NFL, which I don't expect he'll be able to do. That could make it easy to keep Pickett, Raji, and 4th round pick Daniels (assuming his lingering shoulder injury doesn't land him on the I.R.).

The wild card is former Packer Johnny Jolly. Reading between the lines on a recent comment from team president Mark Murphy, who mentioned that he just wants Jolly to "lead a productive life" and notes that Jolly's been out of football for a couple years, it looks like the Packers aren't including Jolly into their plans. He might have some football left to play, but it seems they don't want to take back a player who could easily provide more headaches.

Overall competition level: high at defensive end, low at defensive tackle. Other than Pickett, Raji, and Worthy (Daniels will stay either on the active roster or I.R.), the other three positions could be made up of any combination of these players. These two positions will be ones to watch this preseason.

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.

The First Open OTA of 2012: Packers Take The Field

This was the first week of scheduled organized team activities for the Green Bay Packers that will run over the next three weeks. It leads up to the mandatory mini-camp on June 12 through June 14. After that, the coaches and players will be out of sight until training camp opens at the end of July. Only three of the OTA's will be open the public, and today was the first of them.

Here's a recap from the Press-Gazette. With the arrival of first round pick Nick Perry, Clay Matthews has moved back to the right side, which was the side he played on during his rookie season. Back in 2009, Aaron Kampman was bigger (and less mobile in pass coverage) so he played on the strong (i.e. left) side. My recollection was that Matthews switched sides in 2010 so he'd lineup opposite Cullen Jenkins, and give the Packers a strong pass rusher from each side of the field. With no returning pass rusher worth mentioning on the defensive line, I guess it doesn't matter which side Matthews plays on. It's probably better to keep Perry on the strong side, which might give him fewer coverage responsibilities.

Another note was that C.J. Wilson remained the starting defensive lineman in the base defense, while rookie Jerel Worthy is the only defensive lineman alongside B.J. Raji in the nickel defense. This is really the most interesting note from practice. It appears that the Packers are going to rely primarily on the same defensive schemes they used last season. With the addition of Perry, it was possible that they could have used more 4-3 alignments. While I wasn't eager to see a new defensive scheme, though it would have been understandable after last season's poor results, it's not as important to change the scheme as it was the players. Hopefully Worthy will become the pass rusher they need, and he'll give them the pass rushing duo on the defensive line (Raji and Worthy) that's as good as the one that worked so well in 2010 (Raji and Jenkins).

2012 NFL Draft Rounds 2 and 3: Packers Add Jerel Worthy and Casey Hayward

After three picks for the Green Bay Packers, the remaining positions they should address in the draft are center and safety. Neither player would have to be ready to start in 2011, though it would help if a rookie could unseat Charlie Peprah, but they should look for a long-term solution at both positions. They also need a running back to replace Ryan Grant, and a backup quarterback to replace Matt Flynn. Those positions could be addressed after the draft in free agency or they could trade for Colt McCoy.

While the Packers haven't selected the exact three players I suggested in my mock draft, they have added depth to the top three positions I felt they had to improve. Though they added a cornerback instead of a safety, his arrival could mean the shift of another player to safety.

Round 2, pick 51, Michigan State DL Jerel Worthy. Questions about his work ethic pushed him back into the second round, but he's got first round talent. After Mike Neal flopped in 2011, the Packers needed someone to replace Cullen Jenkins. He won't be a Jenkins clone, he'll be more of a bull rusher than a pass rusher, but his size and strength will be a welcome upgrade on the defensive line. Outside of B.J. Raji and Ryan Pickett, I'm not sure any defensive lineman from last season should expect to return. It's too bad it cost them a 4th round pick to move up 8 spots for Worthy, but getting the right player is more important than having extra depth. I favored Penn State DL Devon Still in a mock draft, however they're similar players and the Packers went with their choice of them. I was more concerned that they added a top ranked defensive lineman than a specific player.


Round 2, pick 62. Vanderbilt DB Casey Hayward. NFL Network's Mike Mayock raved about Hayward's ball skills, which is something the Packers looked for two years ago when they traded up for S Morgan Burnett. The Packers didn't want to wait until the 3rd round, so they traded that pick, along with their 5th rounder, to the Patriots. I'd been hoping they would draft a defensive back who could compete at safety, but defensive coordinator Dom Capers says Hayward "will mostly work at cornerback." Maybe it's sign that Charles Woodson will move to safety (or second year player Davon House), but it could mean that they have less faith in Sam Shields than they did a year ago. If they feel Shields needs the competition, then it's a position they need to improve sooner rather than later.