Tolzien To Colts, Hundley To No. 2, and Two More 4th Round Picks

The 2015 preseason featured three of the better backup quarterback auditions I've seen in any preseason for the Green Bay Packers. The offense scored points with either QB Scott Tolzien or QB Brett Hundley under center, and Hundley's accuracy and athleticism stood out. But Hundley hasn't played in a football game in several months, so I wasn't sure if the Packers were ready to part with Tolzien. But apparently they are, and it's probably a good decision because Hundley looked ready to play last preseason.

QB Scott Tolzien is heading to the Colts: https://t.co/pxKRgokR5U pic.twitter.com/UPJeIoQoWT

— Green Bay Packers (@packers) March 11, 2016

I can't recall another tweet from the Packers official twitter account when a free agent leaves Green Bay. Apparently Tolzien was well well liked within the organization and they're wishing him well.

It was also reported that they received two fourth round draft choices for losing CB Tramon Williams and CB Davon House to free agency last year. I'd have been supportive if they had re-signed either of them last season, but to gain two 4th round draft picks is very sweet. I doubt the Packers could have traded either one of them for a selection that high, had they still been under contract.

#Packers get two 4th rd compensatory picks. Among 4th rd'ers under Ted: Daniels, Sitton, Lang, Bakhtiari, Tretter, Poppinga, Blackmon, Ryan.

— Jason Wilde (@jasonjwilde) March 11, 2016

Packers Cruise In Preseason Opener: 22-11 Over Patriots

During the 1st quarter, when QB Aaron Rodgers was in the game, the Packers couldn't score on multiple red zone opportunities. The backup defense failed to contain on either edge at the start of the 2nd quarter when RB Jonas Gray ran for a 55 yard touchdown and then a two-point conversion. The Packers also failed to convert on either of their two point conversion attempts. I mention these bad plays at the start of this post because other than those problems, the Packers were in control in every other aspect of this game and wasn't even as close as the score might indicate. Also the stats below don't reflect all the penalty yards the Patriots gave up.

A look at the final stats from tonight's #Packers victory: http://t.co/c6xQ2ymih4 #GBvsNE pic.twitter.com/AZNifadJf7

— Green Bay Packers (@packers) August 14, 2015

The backup quarterbacks. After a sloppy performance in the televised practice on Family Night, I was a little down on the backup QBs. But against the Patriots, Scott Tolzien and Brett Hundley each threw a touchdown pass and neither had a turnover. That doesn't sound like a major accomplishment, but these preseason games have featured a lot of bad backup quarterback play over the past couple seasons. That's promising.

The 2015 draft class. 1st round CB Damarious Randall sat out with a groin injury which probably gave more playing time to 2nd round CB Quinten Rollins and undrafted CB LaDarius Gunter, and both of them played like they were ready to start in Week 1. Gunter came away with a nice INT when he stole a bouncing ball right in front of the receiver, while Rollins seemed to be running the receiver's routes for them and missed out on an couple of interceptions in the 2nd quarter. 3rd round WR Ty Montgomery didn't light up the box score as a return man but he looked really comfortable on special teams, and he caught a couple passes too. 4th round LB Jake Ryan had 6 tackles, 1 sack, 2 tackles for losses, and 1 QB hit; he looked like the downfield, hard charging inside LB I've been hoping they would find for the past few seasons.

WR Jeff Janis. He's had some drops in camp and appeared to be on the outside of a roster with too many receivers, then he goes and catches a touchdown. He can be a deep threat with his speed and size (and single coverage) even if he isn't often a target.

The second string defense and second string offensive line. It's always a little deceptive to see the backups beating up on other backups (DE Jayrone Elliott's outside rush doesn't look as fast in the regular season) but they were flying around there and hustling to every play, like a pack of guys battling for a roster spot should look. There were a couple of free rushes to the quarterback and some blown blocking assignments, but mostly held up better than I've come to expect from preseason pass protection.

RT Don Barclay. He'll probably be given some slack for playing in his first game in over a year after a serious knee injury, but he was beaten badly on a couple plays. They have some good options (Taylor and Tretter) for the backup jobs on the inside, but Barclay's their best option as a backup tackle. LT Jeremy Vujnovich played better on the other side but he isn't obviously a better option at this time.

TE Andrew Quarless. He too probably deserves a break after a terrible past few weeks off the field, but he got off to a terrible start as the starting TE. He cut a route short of a 1st down on a 3rd down reception and then got blown up on his run blocking assignment when they went for it on 4th down. He also had a drop pass on the next drive. It took a while for TE Richard Rodgers to find the field, I didn't see him until after TE Justin Perillo got into the game, so Quarless should be the starter (depending on if he gets suspended to start the season).

RBs John Crockett and Alonzo Harris. They each scored a touchdown and they give the Packers a couple more running backs to think about. They were also facing a bunch of backups.  which included a keystone cops moment when on Harris's touchdown run, three Pats defenders ran into each other instead of tackling Harris.

It's just a preseason game, but there was very little bad to come out of it. No injuries and a really good showing from the 2015 draft class. Another preseason road trip is coming up to Pittsburgh on Sunday August 23rd.

Packers Backup QB Situation: Patriots Release Flynn and Sign Lindley

I had just wrote about how the backup QBs didn't impress on Family Night, and then this happened, but I don't think it'll change anything for the Green Bay Packers:

Bill Belichick says 1 of best traits QB Ryan Lindley has right now is health. Veteran QB Matt Flynn never passed his physical.

— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) August 10, 2015

If Matt Flynn was released because he was outplayed by Lindley, then that would be very bad. Ryan Lindley is a terrible NFL quarterback and Flynn should never lose a roster battle with him. But that does not appear to have been what happened.

I'm not exactly sure why Flynn didn't pass his physical but it might have something to do with his elbow and there might be something really wrong with it. The injury first surfaced in 2013 and he might have hurt it during a 2012 preseason game with the Seahawks. The Packers were so desperate for help in 2013 that they might have signed Flynn (and re-signed him in 2014) despite this concern. It might explain why they finally had to let him go and draft a young QB (Brett Hundley) in much better health.

I wish a healthy Matt Flynn were available to solidify the No. 2 QB spot while Hundley has time to develop as the No. 3, however, that doesn't look like an option. They probably have to get QB Scott Tolzien ready enough to be competent enough if he's forced to play.

Packers Family Saturday Night Practice

It's just another practice, but it takes place in front of 67,000 and is live streamed, so it's not just another day of training camp for the Green Bay Packers.

Check out our gallery from #Packers Family Night http://t.co/T4aYxNbxNG pic.twitter.com/kDccJQUbeK

— Packers News (@PGPackersNews) August 9, 2015

A few things I took away from the practice:

The backup quarterbacks struggled. QB Aaron Rodgers also threw a pick but I'm not worried about him. All three backups have NFL potential but none of them, so far, has shown that they can put it all together in a game setting. QB Scott Tolzien would seem to be the leader in that category since he's been with them since 2013, but he didn't get into the end zone on the two-minute drill to end practice, and he had a long discussion with Mike McCarthy afterwards, appearing to discuss what went wrong. McCarthy looked a bit frustrated during the conversation.

The backup wide outs dropped passes. WR Davante Adams put on a show during practice, and you know Nelson and Cobb are one and two on the depth chart. Rookie 3rd round WR Ty Montgomery has gotten off to a great start (and he was a great college player), and even practice squad WR Myles White has received praised. They look like the top five receivers and everyone else (Abbrederis and Janis being the most notable) appear to be on the wrong side of the roster bubble because they aren't healthy (Abbrederis has been recovering from a concussion) or been dropping passes.

NT B.J. Raji. I'm not his biggest fan, but it was good to see him back on the field. With the exception of second year DT Mike Pennel, who had a couple moments last season, they played without a nose tackle last season. Seeing Raji's large frame back on the field actually looked like a good sign for the defense.

Packers Change Their Minds; Keep Both Flynn and Tolzein on Roster

In spite of what they announced yesterday, the Packers have elected to keep both Matt Flynn and Scott Tolzein on their 53 man roster, ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky reports. 

This preseason, as we all know, Flynn and Tolzein played pretty well, making the decision to somehow not keep one of them an extremely tough one.

So, as was previously stated, the Pack have intelligently given each member of the duo a chance (although Flynn will apparently be used as the primary backup, according to the aforementioned Demovsky), something that should pay off this year if Aaron Rodgers gets hurt again.

Packers To Keep Just One Backup QB on 53-Man Roster

The Packers will keep just one backup QB on their 53-man roster this season, Pro Football Talk reports.

Currently, the battle for that spot is between veteran Matt Flynn and youngster Scott Tolzein, who both performed well this preseason.

Still, since this news appears to be legit it looks like the Pack have a tough decision to make here, as Aaron Rodgers getting hurt is obviously something they need to prepare for (just in case).

Flynn and Tolzein, who both started at times for the team last year during Rodgers' absence, each had big nights Thursday against the Chiefs, completing 7/15 passes for 102 yards and 12/18 for 139, respectively.

Notes From Packers' 34-14 Win Over the Chiefs

Some notes from the Packers' 34-14, preseason-ending win tonight over the Chiefs:

Matt Flynn and Scott Tolzein. Wrapping up their competition for the backup QB spot, Flynn and Tolzein both played well in this easy W, completing 7/15 passes for 102 yards and 12/18 for 139, respectively. 

LaDarius Perkins. Since Eddie Lacy didn't play this evening, it was inevitable that somebody else would steal his spotlight, with that someone eventually proving to be Perkins, who collected a team-high 45 rushing yards on 8 carries.

Jeff Janis and Davante Adams. Also stepping up to fill-in the spots vacated by the not-playing starters today were young WRs Janis and Adams, who each collected TD catches to end the contest early.

Flynn/Tolzein Competition To Go Through The Final Preseason Game

The competition for the Packers' backup QB job between Matt Flynn and Scott Tolzein will go through the team's final preseason game, QB Coach Alex Van Pelt recently told ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky. 

"I would think that would be the fair way to do it," Van Pelt said this week. 

In Green Bay's first two exhibition contests, as you probably already know, both of their possible arms have looked pretty good, likely meaning this decision will be hard to make two weeks from now.

Nonetheless, since a pair of contests do currently remain on the exhibition schedule a lot can obviously happen before actual play begins, with this Friday's hosting of the Raiders beginning what should be a very entertaining seven day period.

Packers Preseason: Beat Rams 21-7 in St. Louis

The headliners were the two starting QBs. It was the first preseason action for Aaron Rodgers, and the first time Sam Bradford played in a game since last October, when he tore his ACL. Rodgers looked great, but the offensive line gave him a time to throw and he made it look easy.

The biggest play of the game was made by the rookie, in his first preseason NFL game:

Find out what Davante Adams calls his speedy rookie teammate Jeff Janis: http://t.co/YVSHdCw25I #GBvsSTL pic.twitter.com/IPjtR5xcUd
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) August 17, 2014

Janis and WR Davante Adams stood out and took the lead in the battle for the No. 4 and 5 WR spot. Adams was always going to make the final roster, but he could still slip down the depth chart if he struggles in the final two preseason games.

On offense and defense, the first team players still look like the opening week starters. There are only two positions that still could change:

Tight end. TE Brandon Bostick was their lone reported injury, which was unfortunate because he probably had the best game among the top three TEs. Rookie Richard Rodgers wasn't even targeted and he didn't look good blocking. Andrew Quarless had a big gain at the end of the 1st quarter on a busted coverage, but he also committed offensive pass interference on a 4th quarter pass attempt. If Bostick can bounce back quickly, he's probably in the lead to start.

FS HaHa Clinton-Dix. On a 41 yard completion to Rams' WR Brian Quick near the start of the 2nd quarter, CB Sam Shields went underneath in coverage expecting safety help. Instead, Clinton-Dix didn't go for the ball or the tackle, and Quick ran right around him on his way to an extra 20 yards. It wasn't a great day for safeties, TE Lance Kendricks beat Micah Hyde for a touchdown later on the same drive, but Clinton-Dix isn't ready to start.

Speaking of 1st round picks, I expect him to start, but I still haven't seen much from DE Datone Jones. I don't know what to expect from him.

Matt Flynn vs. Scott Tolzien. Tolzien is the one who's making quick decisions and getting the ball out his hand. Flynn is the one throwing short, dump-off passes (Janis's TD pass was almost entirely yards after the catch) and he's holding the ball too long. But Tolzien's drives don't lead to touchdowns, though a Tolzien TD pass to WR Myles White was waived off because of a penalty on rookie C Corey Lindsay. Meanwhile, Flynn is more likely to lead them to points. They'll still need the final two preseason games to sort out who should be the backup, but I don't know who's in the lead.

As for the backups on offense, I already mentioned Janis, but elsewhere on offense RB DuJuan Harris fumbled away the only turnover in the game, which will put some pressure on him for the remainder of the preseason. OT Derek Sherrod struggled in pass protection on at least three occasions after a good game against the Titans. He's still the biggest lineman on the roster, and I don't expect them to give up yet on their former 1st round pick, but he's not ready to step in and start if needed.

As for the backups on defense, former 1st round LB Nick Perry is definitely on the second team now that LB Julius Peppers is on the roster, but the entire second team front seven looked good. I wasn't ready to jump on the NT Mike Pennel bandwagon last week, the guy couldn't get on the field at Arizona State in college, but he did look good again this week. His biggest problem is that I'm not sure whether the Packers intend to keep two nose tackles.

It was a sack-fest for undrafted LBs Jayrone Elliott and Adrian Hubbard, but they were rushing against a sieve of a left tackle for the Rams. They both showed speed around the edges, but it's not clear they're faster than either backup LB Nate Palmer or Andy Mulumba. A three sack performance (Elliott) would usually be enough for any player to earn a roster spot, however, Elliott will have to keep it up to prove this game was no fluke.

Notes From Packers' 21-7 Win Over The Rams

Some notes from the Packers' 21-7 win over the Rams this afternoon:

Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers looked like his usual self today, completing 11/13 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown.

Mason Crosby. Crosby continued his great summer in this W, successfully converting both a 31 and a 49 yard field goal while also making a pair of extra points.

DaJuan Harris. Harris led Green Bay with 32 rushing yards on 7 carries this afternoon.

Scott Tolzein. Tolzein wasn't necessarily great during his few drives, but since he did complete 10/15 passes for 107 yards you could definitely appreciate his performance. 

McCarthy: Tolzein Did A Lot of Good Things in Preseason Opener

After yesterday's preseason-opening loss to the Titans, Packers Head Coach Mike McCarthy told the Green Bay Press-Gazette that backup QB candidate Scott Tolzein "did a lot of good things."

As for evidence for his opinion, unsurprisingly, McCarthy pointed to Tolzein's conversion of a 2nd and 20 that got the Pack into the red zone, probably the team's offensive highlight of the night.

Overall, as I wrote yesterday, Tolzein impressively completed 8 of his 12 passes for 124 yards in the contest, numbers that, should they keep coming, will likely land him a place on the team.

Remember, going into this year's training camp #16's competing with fellow arms Matt Flynn and Chase Rettig for a spot on the main roster, something that'd be a pretty big upgrade from his third-string role last season.

Notes From Packers' 20-16 Loss to Titans

Some notes from the Packers' preseason-opening, 20-16 loss tonight to the Titans:

Scott Tolzein. In this evening's contest, surprisingly, Aaron Rodgers didn't play his normal one series, but that doesn't mean his position wasn't still fun to watch, with Scott Tolzein completing 8 of his 12 passes for 124 yards.

James Starks. Despite getting just 6 carries, Green Bay's backup for at least the next two years put up some pretty good numbers during this defeat, with his yard total reaching an impressive 49.

Dajuan Harris. Playing in his first game since 2012, Harris was also solid when it came to rushing the ball in this one, racking up 18 yards on 7 carries.

Mason Crosby. Crosby didn't do much tonight, but since he did make a go-ahead 32 yard field goal in the fourth quarter he did technically contribute.

Richard Rodgers and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix: Caught one pass for 10 yards and collected three tackles, respectively. 

Packers sign Boston College QB Chase Rettig as undrafted FA

The Packers have signed four-year Boston College QB Chase Rettig as an undrafted free agent, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's Tyler Dunne reports. 

In his career in Chestnut Hill, Rettig completed 55.2% of his passes and 52 TDs, helping his Eagles make it to two bowl games.

Last week, it was reported that Green Bay wanted to bring 4 QBs to training camp, with Pittsburgh's Tom Savage, San Jose State's David Fales, Ball State's Keith Wenning, and North Dakota State's Brock Jensen all being considered as possible acquirements.

Three of those four, however, were surprisingly drafted this weekend, with Jensen also being signed as a UFA by the Miami Dolphins.

So, it seems like Gettig was the best possible arm remaining. He's not incredible by any means, as no team he led in college won more than seven games, but since he is a decent scrambler and possesses a solid arm I guess he's an overall good signing. Again, he's no superstar, but him giving Tolzein a run for the practice squad this year wouldn't surprise me.

Anyway, since Gettig obviously wasn't the only prospect the Pack signed yesterday, I'll put a link for the rest here. Make sure to check it out.

Packers Free Agency: Matt Flynn to make over $1 million this season

The details of Matt Flynn's new one-year deal with the Packers have been released, and really, they come with no surprises. Apparently Flynn, who went 2-2 in 4 starts last season, will make just $730,000 in base salary this year, including a $75k signing bonus, a $25k workout bonus, and a per game active roster bonus of up to $138,125.

So yea, it certainly looks like the Pack got a good deal done with this guy. He's a solid backup, (either that or he just seems better since his alternative is Scott Tolzein) but here, as with every case of free agency, you gotta make sure not to overpay too much, especially in a league with a salary cap. 

Packers reportedly showing interest in North Dakota State QB Brock Jensen

The Packers are currently showing interest in North Dakota State QB Brock Jensen, ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky reports. According to his agent, the Pack worked out Jensen last Friday, making them the third team to do so. 

In his college career at NDSU, Jensen set an FCS record for wins, emerging victorious in 47 of the 52 games he played in. Right now, I'm not sure where he'd fit with the Packers, as they already have two backup-capable hurlers in Matt Flynn and Scott Tolzein on the roster, but since Mike McCarthy did say last month that he'd like a fourth quarterback I guess Jensen heading to the Cheeseheads is a definite possibility.  Again, I don't see how it'd help anything, but yea, it could happen.

Packers finally re-sign Matt Flynn

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Packers have finally re-signed Free Agent QB Matt Flynn. Last season, Flynn was the only decent backup the Pack had, going 2-2 in 4 starts with two one-point wins over the Falcons and Cowboys. 

Now overall, I wouldn't say Flynn's a great player, but still, in the end he does fit well in Green Bay. I mean, I still don't want him to have to play in a meaningful situation this season, but if Rodgers goes down I guess I'd rather him come in than Tolzein. That's not saying much, but hey, it's a fact, isn't it? Right now, whether we like it or not, Flynn's the lesser evil, so I guess the team might as well keep him on the roster for another year. 

Giants reportedly showing interest in QB Matt Flynn

The Giants are currently showing interest in Free Agent QB Matt Flynn, the New York Daily News reports. Right now, New York has Josh Freeman scheduled for a workout, so it's obvious that they're looking for a 2014 backup. 

To that, I'll I can say is: let's hope Freeman turns out to be better. Last season, Flynn played really well for the Pack, so if they end up missing out on him it'd definitely be a bad thing. I mean, who else is available to sign right now? It's not like they'll just settle for Tolzein after last year's injury to Rodgers, right?

Reaction: Packers get blown out by Lions, 40-10

I gotta say, yesterday's game was fun to watch. Not because it was competitive, but because it showed us all just how terrible these Packers really are. All day, they struggled with basic things like tackling, blocking, and caring. They're offense never did anything, while they're defense struggled to just stay with their receivers. Basically, the game was a comedy. The Packers, again, did not look the slightest bit professional. But am I mad? Of course not. I knew they would lose this one, so I'm still very confident in my prediction that they'll win the division. Matt Flynn and Scott Tolzein are terrible, while Aaron Rodgers is amazing. When Rodgers returns next week, we'll see a different team. I guarantee it. 

Matt Flynn to start today

Well, I guess Mike McCarthy has finally realized what all already know: Matt Flynn is better than Scott Tolzein. 

Yep, the title says it. Matt Flynn, after rallying the Packers to a tie last week, has been named the starter for the Pack's game this afternoon in Detroit. If you disagree with this decision, you must be completely delusional about the NFL. Flynn was good last week while Tolzein has been terrible since he first stepped onto the field. The only reason anybody liked him, at least in my opinion, was because he was a third-stringer. Had Seneca Wallace put up the same numbers, he'd be hated, not praised. So yea Tolzein-lovers, it's over. The Packers have finally woken up and decided that they want to win. 

McCarthy: "Slim To None" Chance Rodgers Plays on Thanksgiving

While Mike McCarthy almost completely shut the door on the possibility of QB Aaron Rodgers playing this Thanksgiving against the Lions, he did return to practice on Tuesday but not with the first team offense:

He's back.... #Packers pic.twitter.com/N8msjT7qHU
— Wes Hodkiewicz (@WesHod) November 26, 2013

It looks like both QB Matt Flynn and QB Scott Tolzien are going to prepare to start. I can understand the strategy in not tipping their hand about which one will actually start, but are the Lions really going to make a big change if it's Flynn instead of Tolzien? I guess they wouldn't have to worry about Tolzien putting a spin move on a defensive lineman if the less-mobile Flynn is starting.