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

Tramon Williams Leaves For The Browns

I'm more sentimental about players than GM Ted Thompson. CB Tramon Williams played more snaps on defense last season than any other Packer defensive player and was still one of their most valuable players last season. But that was last year and it's important to consider what you think he'll be worth in a couple years. Thompson considered it and thought Williams was worth $4 million annually over the next two years. This is probably the reason the Packers often don't give their own players a second multi-year contract after their rookie deals are over. The market inflates the value of older players based on past performance (see WR Greg Jennings as a recent example) while Thompson has a much better understanding of their future value.

Williams also visited with the Saints and was thought to be pursued by the Seahawks, the Patriots had interest too, but none of these typically better run organizations were willing to pay as much as the Browns, who just made one of the worst free agent decisions of 2015 by betting on QB Josh McCown.

Report: Ex-Packers CB Tramon Williams reaches 3-year, $21M deal with the Browns. http://t.co/Ryslpx7pZ8 pic.twitter.com/QKu5RnMOB3
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) March 16, 2015

He's been a great player for the Packers and I'm glad he's going to get paid, but that contract is based on his past performance. Thompson was praised by Bill Barnwell for negotiating only $8 million in guaranteed money for RT Bryan Bulaga (who almost certainly could have gotten a lot more from the Bills) and I bet Williams will have more guaranteed dollars in his new contract than Bulaga.

Like I said, I'm sentimental and I wanted him back for next season, but if the Packers had matched the Browns then his contract could have been a problem as soon as next season. Without Williams, depth is a major concern that will have to be addressed in the draft, but the Packers should be fine for next season with CB Micah Hyde sliding over into Williams's role.

Davon House Signs With Jacksonville, Tramon Williams Visits New Orleans

The defensive backfield might need a lot of help in the upcoming draft. When I read the words that CB Davon House wanted to be a starter, and knowing how the coaches gave him even less playing time down the stretch last season, it was only a matter of time before he went elsewhere. By the time he received an offer of $10 million guaranteed with a $6 million per year annual value, it was a done deal for him.

Davon's new House is @EverBankField! @DavonHouse is officially a member of the #Jaguars: http://t.co/hHlEufkLGk pic.twitter.com/VWV3zYJXF4
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) March 11, 2015

He's going to be a starter in Jacksonville, and good for him, but I think he's going to be stretched as a starter. He has some great moments, but he's not consistent and I wouldn't want him to be the 2015 starter in Green Bay.

I've been hoping the Packers would find a contract that would work for CB Tramon Williams. If House is worth $6 million per season then it shouldn't be impossible for Williams to find a similar annual contract with maybe fewer years and less guaranteed money. The Packers don't seem to be willing to go that high. No Packer defensive player was in on more plays last season than Williams, so while a huge multi-year contract is a big risk for a 32 year old cornerback, he's probably a solid option for the next year or two.

With House gone, and with Williams having one foot out the door, where does that leave the Packers?

CB Micah Hyde. He's been a jack-of-all-trades in his first two seasons, and he'd have to be the first choice to line up outside across the field from CB Sam Shields. Pro Football Focus gave him a higher grade in 2013, when he was primarily a cornerback, and a lower grade in 2014, when he was more of a hybrid safety/slot cornerback, so a move outside might be good for him.

CB Casey Hayward. The Packers haven't seemed interested in lining him up outside, and I've got no problem with that because he's been excellent against slot receivers in his first three seasons. With Shields/Hyde/Hayward at corner, and Clinton-Dix/Burnett at safety, the Packers top five defensive backs would be well set if Williams joins House in a free agent departure.

But there's no depth after the top five. DB Sean Richardson will return, he's a restricted free agent and the Packers offered him a 2015 contract, but no other defensive back currently on the roster played another snap on defense last season. They also have last year's draft choice, CB Demetri Goodson, who they kept all last season though he didn't play. The Packers don't have to use a high draft pick on a cornerback, but they'll have to draft at least two corners. That doesn't look like a tall order this year. CBS Sports lists thirty-eight cornerbacks who could be drafted.

While I hope they do bring back Tramon Williams, the Packers have enough depth to move on from him, and I'd expect GM Ted Thompson would do a good job of finding a couple defensive backs in the draft to replenish their depth.

Packers Injury Updates: Shields Out, Williams Questionable For Tomorrow

Some Packers injury updates for tomorrow's meeting with the Panthers, via the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Tyler Dunne. There's kind of a lot of them:

• CB Tramon Williams (ankle) questionable
• CB Sam Shields (knee) out
• DE Datone Jones (ankle) out
• WR Jarrett Boykin (groin) questionable
• LB Sam Barrington (hamstring) probable
• DT Josh Boyd (knee) probable
• LB Jamari Lattimore (neck) questionable

Williams and Shields, probably the two most notable names on that list, both went down in the second half of Sunday's Dolphins game. Boykin, meanwhile, hasn't played since Week 2's loss to the Lions, solidly being replaced by Davante Adams since. 

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.

Williams fined $26k for making contact with ref

Packers CB Tramon Williams has been fined $26,000 dollars by the league for making contact with a referee in last Thursday's loss in Detroit, ESPN.com reports. In most cases, contact with an official results in a suspension, but for some reason Williams was let off easy here. 

Earlier this week, Williams said that this whole thing was huge misunderstanding, but that lie clearly wasn't bought by Commissioner Roger Goodell. Now I personally did not see the contact made, but that doesn't mean I don't buy the NFL's story. It was a frustrating game for the Packers, so the fact that Williams temporarily lost his self-control isn't surprising. 

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.

PFF: Woodson and Williams Are Among The Best CBs Over The Past Five Years

It was a little sad to read this article, knowing that CB Charles Woodson is now a member of the Oakland Raiders, but over the past five years, Pro Football Focus has rated Woodson as the second best cornerback  in football (well behind No. 1; Darrelle Revis):

Check out 5 years of cornerback grading data here: https://t.co/odgleZ1mE2
— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) June 28, 2013

However, the article says that Woodson's high ranking is due in large part to his outstanding 2008 and 2009 seasons and he's now in the twilight of his career (obviously), so it's not expecting him to repeat that performance over the next five years.

At No. 7 is CB Tramon Williams. He might not be able to maintain that same level of performance over the next five years, there are questions being asked about him, but he's been consistent and able to play through injuries, so at least he has a chance.

Over the past five years, excepting the 2011 season, the Packers have had one of the best pass defenses. They were especially dominant in 2010, when a strong post-season from Williams helped carry them into the Super Bowl. The times are changing, three starters in their outstanding 2010 secondary (Nick Collins, Charlie Peprah, and Woodson) have been released in the last 12 months, and the players that will hopefully make them great over the next five years aren't the same ones.

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.

Injuries To Ponder and Winfield Might Be The Key To The Packers Playoff Game

My prediction was that if the Green Bay Packers stop QB Christian Ponder then the Vikings have almost no chance of winning. Here's what Bill Barnwell wrote at Grantland:

So if we assume that Peterson and Rodgers have productive days, it feels like the game falls on the shoulders of Christian Ponder. Ponder had just about the best game of his career on Sunday, and the Vikings were only able to win by three. Ponder went 16-of-28 for 234 yards with three scores and no picks, notably hitting Jarius Wright with a perfect 65-yard bomb up the seam.

CB Antonie Winfield's broken hand is another major concern, he was only able to play until halftime last week and QB Aaron Rodgers torched his replacement, but Ponder's the key. And the elbow injury he suffered last week on a hit by S Morgan Burnett might either limit him or keep him out of the game. From Kevin Seifert at ESPN:

I did a little snooping this evening, and here's what I can tell you: Ponder's injury is more than a simple bump or bruise, but if there is real concern about his ability to play, it's being kept well under wraps. The injury might be significant enough for the Vikings to have No. 3 quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson in uniform for the first time this season, but it would be a real surprise if Ponder doesn't start, as ESPN's John Clayton reports. 

His replacement would be QB Joe Webb, who's only taken 3 snaps this season and more of a threat as a runner than a passer. He might bring a new dynamic to the game, but Ponder's a good threat to run in his own right, so I don't think the Packers' defense would have to adjust much to Webb. Without any game reps, and probably few first team reps all year in practice, Webb's already questionable accuracy would have to be rusty. Plus, I don't think any NFL team should expect to win without the ability to pass under any circumstances.

The Packers have been dealing with their own injuries (CB Tramon Williams has been sick this week, WR Jordy Nelson has a bad knee, and WR Randall Cobb is coming back from an ankle injury) but all three should play on Saturday night. The Vikings would have been at a disadvantage if everyone is healthy, but injuries to Ponder and Winfield might cripple their passing offense and defense.

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.

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.

The Return of Tramon Williams in 2012

There might be no member of the Green Bay Packers that needed the long offseason more than CB Tramon Williams. Now that the 2011 season is long over, he told JS Online.com about the nerve damage he suffered last season that left him unable to bench press "35-pound dumbbells" and, most importantly, took away his ability to play press coverage.

Williams didn't become an NFL starter because of his amazing physical abilities; he was undrafted in 2006. He learned how to play aggressively alongside CB Charles Woodson, and when you take away his ability to be aggressive, you see his mediocre 2011 season.

Hopefully the offseason rest does him a world of good, and we can see more highlights like this in 2012.

Williams said "It just takes time. There's nothing you can do...The nerve pretty much has a mind of its own" which is pretty much the official treatment. Unfortunately, the recovery time is different everyone, and he might not be all the way back by the start of the season. Here's to hoping that he's fully recovered by September.