Preseason: Packers 19, New Orleans 14. I did not watch the game, so I don't have much to say. This is essentially a review from reading the game recap on jsonline.com and ESPN highlights.

First; the Packers are playing like a team in the preseason. Sloppy offensive line blocking and multiple defensive offsides, along with miscommunication between new and young players which should be expected by all. Hopefully the sloppy play is out of their system by week 1, unlike last season when the Packers played a poor first half and lost to Minnesota at Lambeau.

Second; the secondary is a work in process. This was expected, especially since the Packers have two rookie cornerbacks, CB Ahmad Carroll and CB Joey Thomas, who still have a lot to learn. It is unlikely that they will contribute much in their first seasons, although they might contribute later in the season in the dime and nickel packages. SS Mark Roman appears to be playing the same role as SS Antuan Edwards played last season; a safety with above average cover skills but not a big hitter, to complement SS Marques Anderson's big hitting but lesser coverage skills. It is unclear who can win the starting battle between them, because they are different players who bring different skills to the position. It will probably end up that the two rotate depending on the defensive scheme and opponent all season long. CB Michael Hawthorne is a good third cornerback, but when he has to start, he is beaten by starting wide receivers like WR Darrell Jackson of Seattle and WR Joe Horn of New Orleans. This is not a surprise; Hawthorne drew faint interest as a free agent this spring due to his lack of speed and it is why the Packers have been unwilling to trade CB Mike McKenzie. Jsonline.com had some McKenzie-is-preparing-to-report speculation, but it was all unconfirmed. Hawthorne is good as the third or fourth cornerback going against the slower third or fourth wide receivers, but he will be exposed all season long as a starter. The big 70 yard touchdown pass by New Orleans in the 4th quarter was not a big disappointment. Thomas, who still has a lot to learn, was beaten, and safety Kevin Curtis, who was just signed last week, missed the play in the open field. It was a lot to ask of them to play well together so soon with the Packers when they are not expected to be contributing in the starting secondary this season. The entire secondary is much better when ballhawking FS Darren Sharper is on the field.

Before the game, Chicago traded starting WR Marty Booker for Miami DE Adewale Ogunleye, who led the AFC last season with 15 sacks. Ogunleye fills a big need for Chicago, a proven pass rusher to ignite a morbid pass rush. The knock on Oguleye is that he is a product of a good team, and he was made better by rushing the QB opposite Pro Bowl DE Jason Taylor. Ogunleye had double digit sacks in 2002 and 2003, so he is not a fluke. This trade is a major improvement for an average defense's weakest attribute. Unfortunately, this trade makes a weak offense even weaker. Chicago is trying to ease QB Rex Grossman into starting in the NFL, but he is playing with two average running backs (RB Thomas Jones and RB Anthony Thomas), a rebuilt offensive line, and now he is playing without the two leading receivers from 2003 (WR Booker and WR Dez White). Booker and White did not play very well in 2003, but their likely replacements, WR David Terrell and WR Justin Gage, are not well regarded and Terrell was almost released this spring. At least Booker would deserve attention in coverage, but now opposing defenses can really attack Grossman and force him to make plays. Ogunleye is still a superior individual player to Booker, but this trade could really hurt Grossman plus Miami received a little kicker for the deal (a 2005 3rd round draft pick) that could make this trade a bad trade for Chicago. Overall, the trade is a mixed bag of bad and good, and it is unclear that it has improved Chicago.

The Packers signed safety Kevin Curtis. Curtis was drafted by San Francisco in 2002 in the 4th round and thehuddlereport.com rated him as the 85th best player in the 2002 draft so he was a value pick (although what does San Francisco know because they drafted bust K Jeff Chandler in the same round). Unfortunately he has never played in the regular season because he had two seperate knee injuries in each of the past two preseasons, as packers.theinsiders.com reported. His signing does not sound like any risk at all, but it is unlikely he contribute or make the team at this point. On the other hand, Curtis had been available since he reached an injury settlement with San Francisco back in August 2003 according to packers.theinsiders.com. why sign him right now? Is he finally healthy or is this just a desperate move to bring in more bodies into a backup secondary that underperformed in the first preseason game?

There was no previous mention about the Packers claim of WR Kelvin Kight off waivers from St. Louis last week, because there is little online about Kight. He was an undrafted free agent signed by St. Louis in April and played college ball last season at Florida, but that's about it. He was standing on the sidelines for most of the preseason game, and he might have had one pass attempt thrown at him. Unless injuries attack the wide receivers or Kight is a demon on special teams, especially as a punt or kick returner, he has little chance of staying with the team, although maybe he can stick on the practice squad.

What is going through the mind of CB Mike McKenzie? Jsonline.com reported that New Orleans is still interested in McKenzie but apparently will not trade a 1st round pick for him. Nonetheless, the recent story made me reexamine why McKenzie will not report to the Packers.

Enough has been reported about McKenzie to give the impression that he is someone who frustrates other people. He averages about one agent per season, and his last agent quit once McKenzie's current disagreement with the Packers was made public. On the other hand, not one Packer has said anything negative about McKenzie, other than that he should honor his contract. FS Darren Sharper appears to be the closest friend McKenzie has on the team, although Sharper appears to be an outgoing man who makes friends with almost everyone on the team. Sharper has been willing to talk to the media about McKenzie, but all he can say is that this disagreement is not about money.

It is reasonable to assume that their disagreement is about money. McKenzie's current contract is less than he would be paid if he had been a free agent this past offseason. If this is a holdout for more money, then it is unlikely that the Packers will rework the contract (other than to guaranty some money that is currently unguaranteed) and McKenzie is likely to report once he starts missing game checks. It is easy to assume that this is a contract disagreement, because most holdouts are about money, unfortunately, this disagreement seems to be about something other than money. Assuming money is not the issue, as McKenzie has told people (including Sharper), then only three other issues have been suggested.

The first possibility is that he is engaged in a battle of pride and ego with Mike Sherman. Sherman had problems effectively communicating with some players in the past, such as the time last offseason when he created a misunderstanding that led to LB Na'il Diggs signing an offer sheet with Detroit, before the Packers matched it and Sherman worked it out with Diggs. Would someone risk their career because of pride and ego? It has happened many times in many different situations outside the NFL, but it would seem ridiculous to people who are not personally involved in such a dispute. This possibility seems the least likely scenario, because Sherman has a history of working out misunderstandings with his players and McKenzie has never showed much ego or been very outspoken in the press.

The second possibility is that he was upset with the 4th and 26 meltdown in the Philadelphia playoff game and how the season ended. It wasn't the first blown coverage in NFL history and these mistakes are correctable through better practice and coaching, unless this was somehow the final straw for McKenzie in a pattern of poor play and coaching. Did McKenzie tell the team "I told you so" regarding the bad defensive scheme and then in the offseason the Packers failed to acknowledge that he was correct?

The third possibility is that he was upset with the defensive coaching changes. It has been mentioned that McKenzie wanted assistant secondary coach Lionel Washington promoted to either defensive coordinator or secondary coach, although McKenzie has not made any such demand public himself. Maybe he was disappointed in the firing of Ed Donatell? Maybe he thinks former secondary coach and new defensive coordinator Bob Slovak was responsible for the 4th and 26 blunder, and the fact that he got promoted despite his blunder is ridiculous. Maybe he thinks poorly of new secondary coach Kurt Schottenheimer, who he probably knows to some extent because Schottenheimer coached Detroit last season.

The third possibility seems the most likely situation at this point. If McKenzie thinks Slovak is part of the problem, Schottenheimer is not likely to help situation, and the Packers seemed headed in the wrong direction, then it is reasonably for someone to want to leave and start over with a new team. Such a situation would also make the problem impossible to correct. No amount of talking and listening can change the fact that the wrong men are in charge of the defense. This is not an attack on Slovak or Schottenheimer, because there is no way to know at this point whether they will coach the defense better than the Packers were coached in 2003 and McKenzie could be completely wrong in his assessment of both men, if McKenzie does in fact think they are the problem.

Another question is why has McKenzie drawn so little interest from teams around the NFL. Why isn't there a bidding war for him in trade? He's proven he can play at a high level, he's in his prime, and he's cheap. None of the cornerbacks drafted this past season are guaranteed to ever play as well as McKenzie has played in the past, and teams are just as likely to draft a bust with their first round pick as draft a talented contributor. If a situation like this occured in MLB, McKenzie would be traded within a week (see the meltdown between the Cleveland Indians and CF Milton Bradley for a comparable situation - and it wasn't just a salary dump because Cleveland acquired a legitimate and talented prospect in return for Bradley). Maybe it is because that there are so few trades in the NFL, few teams would ever consider trading for an established player under any circumstances.

This is all just speculation, because all the parties involved are keeping the whole story underwraps, which is probably the professional way to handle the situation. The Packers can have a good secondary in 2004 without McKenzie, but the secondary is probably better with McKenzie than without him. This situation cannot be compared with any player/coach dispute in recent history; it is not about money, contract, or playing time. It will be interesting to hear McKenzie's side of the story some day. Hopefully he and the Packers come to an understanding and McKenzie will play for the Packers in 2004.

It is no help to lose backup WR Shockmain Davis to a broken leg, as jsonline.com reported happened to Davis during practice. Davis actually has some NFL experience, and none of the wide receivers projected behind WR Donald Driver, WR Robert Ferguson, or WR Javon Walker have more than one year of NFL experience.

Theinsiders.com reported that P Nathan Chapman will get a chance this weekend. Why not? He is a longshot in the NFL, a 29 year old rookie with previous experience in Australian rules football, but rookie P B.J. Sander was dismal in the first preseason game. Chapman would have to resemble fellow Australian NFL punter P Darren Bennett to have any chance of playing in the regular season.

Last season, the Packers signed free agent FB Nick Luchey, and it appeared that FB William Henderson's days with the Packers were numbered. The Packers wouldn't pay for two starting fullbacks in the modern NFL which devalues the fullback position. Instead, Henderson kept his starting job last season, appears in no danger of losing it this season, and Luchey seems likely to remain on the roster as the backup fullback and special teams player. It is just surprising how this situation turned out.

Jsonline.com reported that the Packers cut LB Marcus Wilkins. Wilkins showed good speed off the corner on Monday night, but the Packers apparently did not like what they saw when he attempted to drop back in coverage. It is not surprising that Wilkins was cut as a linebacker, the Packers have a number of backup linebackers that are playing well in training camp, but Wilkins was one of the few situational pass rusher candidates in training camp.

Jsonline.com reported that the Packers are kicking the tires of free agent defensive ends Kenny Holmes and Chad Bratzke. Both players are over 30 and had major injuries in recent seasons. Holmes seems more likely at this point, because he visited the Packers and appears likely to take less than money than Bratzke. Holmes has played very well at times in his career while at other times seemed ineffective, unfortunately, he is coming off November knee surgery. Both players appear to have more reputation than ability at this point in their careers. Overall, the Packers do not appear satisfied with their depth at defensive end, especially with the severe hamstring injury to DE Chukie Nwokorie. The article did mention that DE Cullen Jenkins had some success against Seattle, but defensive ends Tyrone Rogers and Corey Williams didn't make much of an impression in the 2nd half. After the first preseason game, the only backup defensive lineman that played well were Jenkins, DT Kenny Peterson, and NT James Lee.

Preseason: Packers 3, Seattle 21. "Wretched. Just plain wretched" were the words used by Bob McGinn to open his column about the first preseason game. McGinn was primarily commenting on the awful performances by QB Tim Couch and P B.J. Sander. Overall, the Packers had a poor performance, but the first team offense played well, there were no turnovers, some players had outstanding individual performances, and the mental mistakes and penalties were as good as could be expected for the first preseason game.

First Quarter: The first team offense played well, although they only scored 3 points on 2 drives. QB Brett Favre threw 5 completions to 5 different receivers, the big one a 19 yard pass to RB Tony Fisher. Fisher was wide open because the Seattle cornerback to that side of the field blitzed late. Favre's two incompletions were an incomplete-almost touchdown to WR Donald Driver and an incompletion in the end zone to backup TE David Martin. On the pass to Martin, Seattle had starting CB Ken Lucas cover him, which should tell Favre (again) that the entire NFL knows he likes to throw deep to his tight end and that is hasn't worked since 1996. RB Ahman Green ran well considering C Mike Flanagan and LG Mike Wahle sat out. TE Bubba Franks had a great game; catching one pass and opening a giant running lane on a run off left tackle for Green.

The starting defense played flat, like it did during most 1st quarters last season. The Packers run defense played well (although ESPN's Paul McGuire thought otherwise) and RB Shawn Alexander only had 10 yards on 5 carries. Seattle tried to run at DE KGB but he played great run defense. On 3rd down, the Packers called on DE Cullen Jenkins (who?) to rush from right defensive end opposite KGB. Jenkins didn't have much success in the 1st quarter, but he showed why he had this opportunity in the 4th quarter. The Packers couldn't stop Seattle on 3rd down; on one play, a late cornerback blitz left WR Bobby Ingram wide open for the conversion, and on another play, a ineffective linebacker blitz left the middle open and WR Darrell Jackson blew by CB Michael Hawthorne for the reception. Seattle picked on Hawthorne, which should continue to happen in the regular season, unless CB Mike McKenzie returns. Seattle had some success throwing to TE Jerramy Stevens, but LB Na'il Diggs was not playing (is he injured?) who ordinarly would be responsible for the tight end. The blitzes were not hidden or very effective (I counted 2 out of 5 blitzes created QB pressure), but in the preseason, the Packers wouldn't show off their real blitz packages. The TD run by Seattle FB Mack Strong had to be a missed assignment (NT Grady Jackson jumped out of the way and it looked like LB Torrance Marshall didn't jump into the Jackson's spot fast enough).

Second Quarter: The wheels come off. CB Ahmad Carroll was returning kicks instead of RB Najeh Davenport. Why? Hopefully Davenport is still number 1 on kickoffs and Carroll is number 2, however Carroll needs the practice more than Davenport. The second unit offense, with who's that at left and right tackle (LT Atlas Herrion and RT Jason Jimenez), was awful. No running lanes for Davenport and weak pass protection. I would expect that OL Steve Morley is the real backup left tackle, OL Kevin Barry is the real backup right tackle, but they both played at guard tonight because they are the backups at those positions too and they need more practice at guard. QB Tim Couch was awful. Wretched. The rest of the second team offense didn't help him, but Couch was not following through with his passes, his accuracy was off, and that hitch in his delivery can't be helping him. Couch might be injured, but who knows. Let's see if he improves during the preseason. QB Seneca Wallace has little chance of success in the NFL (at best he will have QB Jeff Blake's career) but the Packers second team defense made him look respectable (and made ESPN's anchors gush about Wallace). Backup NT Larry Smith did not hold the line well and gave RB Maurice Morris some cutback opportunities, plus the 3rd quarter gave Smith reason to worry about his backup nose tackle spot and potentially his spot on the roster. Smith played well with limited opportunities in 2003, but he has a roster battle on his hands. CB Bhawon Jue looked awful Monday night, he had an awful (and wretched) 2003 season, and he missed at least two assignments and tackles in the 2nd quarter. Carroll got a big pass interference call, WR Alex Bannister actually started the grabing, but Carroll grabed last and drew the penalty. All the backups played in the secondary and they looked confused, for example when they forgot to cover WR Jerheme Urban for a wide open TD pass.

Third and Fourth Quarter: I decided to lump the two quarters together, because in both quarters the Packers second (third/fourth) team offense wasn't productive in any way (couldn't pass, couldn't run), and the Packers second (third/fourth) team defense played well but spent too much time on the field and got tired. The Packers offense gave Sander plenty of opportunity to punt and he looked awful. Wretched. He didn't kick a single punt longer than 40 yards, and only a couple of his 10 punts had good hang time. He is supposed to be a quality directional kicker, but none of his kicks were anywhere near the end zone (he was kicking from Packer territory) so it was hard to tell. Backups WR Carl Ford, WR Scotty Vines, and TE Tony Donald had plenty of playing time, but the offense was struggling so bad, it was hard to tell if any of them played well. QB Doug Pederson had a lot of opportunities, but he wasn't effective. The first play of the second half was a run that was stuffed when third string NT James Lee got into Seattle's backfield. It was like starting nose tackle Jackson was still in the game. Depth at nose tackle was a concern with the injury to rookie DT Donnell Washington, but Lee just turned the position into a strength. Lee repeatedly beat Seattle's offensive line into the backfield and had an effect on every run play Seattle ran in the 2nd half. The Packers secondary played much better in this quarter, which is not surprising since they had never played together before this game. LB Steve Josue had a big hit, but he still has a roster battle on his hands (the Packers have good depth at linebacker this season). LB Marcus Wilkens played well on the outside, and he looks recovered from his 2003 injuries. Jenkins, the defensive end who is the brother of Pro Bowl DT Kris Jenkins from Carolina, had a fantastic spin move in the 4th quarter and got a sack. Jenkins does not have a guaranteed contract, so he slipped through the cracks, and I hadn't noticed him yet this preseason. He looked good in the 4th quarter, played very well in NFL Europe this spring, played with the first team defense in the 1st quarter, and it looks like he will be in the Packers' defensive line rotation this season.

Overall, the Packers offense looked awful without Favre in the game, which should come as a surprise to no one. The Packers defensive line and linebackers played well, but the secondary is a work in progress, which is what should be expected of it at this point. The special teams didn't have any big kick returns, K Ryan Longwell looked as good as ever (accurate but without much strength), and Sander looked awful (which is disappointing but not unexpected because of his poor reviews so far in minicamps and training camp). The disappointments were not surprising and some players were much better than expected. It was a good start to the preseason, although it would be even better to actually win the game.

C Mike Flanagan thinks his current injuries, which have kept him out for most of training camp, were caused by the major leg injury he suffered in his 1996 rookie season, according to jsonline.com. Flanagan said "you start getting old, you start playing with stuff. It changed my gait, the way I ran, everything. So then I compensated with this leg. It has been years and years of playing." Although he expects to play through the aggrevation caused by this old injury and he is an excellent center who is clearly an asset to the team, you wonder if a friend or family member shouldn't intervene with Flanagan and ask him if he wants to retire now so he can walk when he is 50 years old.

Jsonline.com has had multiple articles in the last week about the quality play by backup linebackers Maurice Jones, Torrance Marshall, and now Paris Lenon. Its unlikely any of them will start, unless an injury happens to either linebackers Nick Barnett, Na'il Diggs, or Hannibal Navies. Overall its good to read that this group of linebackers appear to be talented and deep, because coming into last season, the linebackers were unproven and a concern.

Jsonline.com had some injuries to report coming into the preseason opener Monday night. Rookie CB Joey Thomas will sit out with a bum knee, but its not a long term concern. WR Robert Ferguson hyperextended a knee on a run play when he planted wrong. Ferguson didn't think much of the injury, but it sounded like the type of play that have caused some serious knee injuries, so its good to read that he isn't hurt for the long term.

It is anyone's guess who will play at quarterback tonight after QB Brett Favre takes a seat. Jsonline.com reported that QB Tim Couch still hasn't thrown much over the weekend with a "tired arm" injury. QB Craig Nall has a bad hamstring and he has sat out all training camp. QB Doug Pederson should get some playing time, but if Couch and Nall sit out, I have never seen a preseason game where Pederson has played 3+ quarters.

Jsonline.com's reporters should start reading each other's articles. On August 8th, Bob McGinn reported that "Camp has been going for a week and [RT Kevin] Barry is doing fine, but there appears to be no competition. Now 22 months removed from surgery, [RT Mark] Tauscher is getting back to his pre-injury level of performance and seems entrenched in the starting job that he assumed from Earl Dotson in Week 3 of 2000." However, on August 11th, Rob Reischel titled an article "Barry makes bid as a starter" and wrote that Tauscher "might have a fight on his hands to maintain his starting job. Third-year pro Kevin Barry continues to improve...". So which is it jsonline.com? Starting right tackle Tauscher or starting right tackle Barry? Tauscher started at right tackle in last Friday's scrimmage, while Barry played at right guard with the second unit, so right now it appears to be starting right tackle Tauscher.

Jsonline.com reported, again, that QB Tim Couch has so far sucked. Well they didn't write suck ("mediocre"), but that is just a diplomatic choice of words. Once again, QB Doug Pederson who should have never had a career as a quarterback in the NFL in the first place, who resigned with the Packers this offseason for a little insurance, who was all set to start his new career as a NFL coach (probably as a QB coach with another team, or with the Packers if current QB coach Darrell Bevell wants to move on), is the second best quarterback so far in training camp behind QB Brett Favre. Its likely the Packers will give Couch at least two preseason games to prove himself with the first unit, but so far it looks like Couch will be lucky to make the roster.

Jsonline.com reported that the Packers resigned salary gap guru (officially VP of Player Finance) Andrew Brandt this week. He was signed through the end of this season, but with the unexpected loss of Mark Hatley, the Packers front office couldn't be hurt by some stability. Brandt has done a good job of keeping the Packers out of salary cap jail since 1999, while working around some unexpected retirements (WR Robert Brooks, TE Mark Chimura, S LeRoy Butler) that could have forced some hard roster decisions. He has not appeared to defer many contracts into the future that could restrict the Packers in the future, but a sudden retirement by either FS Darren Sharper or Favre could be a possible salary cap disaster next season, if the Packers want to resign all their expected free agents next offseason. The Packers never have a lot of salary cap room (unlike Philadelphia) but they have never been in a position where they have had to let quality players go because of their poor salary cap management (unlike Tennessee). Brandt and Mike Sherman seem to work well together, so its good to read that Brandt will continue working with the Packers into the future.

Jsonline.com reported that rookie DT Donnell Washington suffered "arch damage" and that Washington said "they don't think it's surgical." This sounds like something that will heal on its own time given two months, but that would be about week 4. Washington was likely to see a lot of playing time this season, because he is the only obvious nose tackle to backup DT Grady Jackson. DT James Lee has the size to play nose tackle, but Lee has to prove he deserves to be on the roster first. Depth on the defensive line is very important in the NFL, the Packers rotate multiple defensive lineman in and out depending on the down and distance, so any injury that might hurt that depth is a concern.

Last week the Packers waived LB Armegis Spearman. Spearman was signed as a restricted free agent by the Packers in 2003, but Cincinnati matched the offer, however, Cincinnati proceeded to release Spearman after the 2003 season and the Packers signed Spearman this April. Spearman would have had the first shot at the middle linebacker position in 2003, and if Cincinnati had not matched the offer, the Packers might not have drafted LB Nick Barnett. Based on Spearman's quick departures from two teams since he signed as a free agent in 2003, Spearman has fallen far out of favor with NFL coaches and he would have not been a good choice as the Packers starting middle linebacker. Sometimes its better when your first choice (Spearman) doesn't work out, and your second choice (Barnett) turns out to be the better decision after all.

The first week of training camp has come and gone, ending with the Friday night scrimmage in Lambeau Field. Jsonline.com had several good articles reporting all of the activity.

C Scott Wells already has secured a roster spot. Wells was drafted in the 7th round and seemed like a long shot, but I thought he would make the roster all long because the Packers are somewhat thin on the interior of the offensive line. T Kevin Barry was expected to challenge RT Mark Tauscher, but jsonline.com reported that Tauscher has already won the position battle and now Barry is getting some playing time at guard. OL Steve Morley was a free agent from the CFL, he played tackle in the CFL but he too was reportedly taking reps at a guard position. Wells, Morley, and Barry should be the primary offensive line backups this season.

Surprisingly, WR Antonio Chatman appears to be the number 4 wide receiver, jsonline.com reported. The roster is thin at wide receiver behind top 3 WR Donald Driver, WR Robert Ferguson, and WR Javon Walker. Chatman did not look great during the brief time he played in 2003, instead he received most of his touches on punt returns and he remains the punt returner for the 2004 season. Last season, WR Antonio Freeman only had 1 or 2 catches per game as the 4th WR, so its not a substantial position, unless Driver, Ferguson, or Walker are injured. Behind Chatman is WR Carl Ford, who spent all 2003 on the IL, and practice squad WR Scottie Vines. Ford had a strong training camp in 2003, and I expected he would make the roster in 2004, but Vines has played well while still rehabbing from a knee injury, and Vines might kick Ford off the roster, jsonline.com reported.

QB Brett Favre abused the 2nd (3rd) string cornerbacks during the Friday scrimmage, jsonline.com reported. He abused CB Jason Horton, who I had forgotten about until the Friday scrimmage (he was signed in January along with a number of other NFL Europe candidates and I hadn't consider him likely to make it into training camp), and CB Chris Watson, who is coming back from injuries that wiped out his 2003 season while he was playing for Detroit. The injuries to starting CB Michael Hawthorne and rookie CB Joey Thomas made the cornerback depth look even thinner than expected. CB Chris Johnson showed some promise in 2003 in limited action, but he too is out with an injury, although his injury is more serious and he was placed on the IL. Espn.com reported that CB Mike McKenzie still has no intention of playing for the Packers again, but we shall see. The cornerback position should remain questionable at first, but as the season rolls on and rookie cornerbacks Ahmad Carroll and Thomas are worked into the nickel and dime packages, it should continue to improve.

LB Na'il Diggs and LB Nick Barnett were given blitz opportunities during the scrimmage, jsonline.com reported, that they didn't have in 2003. Diggs was resigned last offseason with the intention of giving him more pass rush opportunities, but it never materialized. Barnett had some opportunities in 2003, but he was injured midseason and he didn't seem to blitz much after he came back from it. Only DE KGB and DT Cletidus Hunt are reliable pass rushers on the defensive line, so if the Packers want to improve its pass rush, it will have to look to the linebackers for help.

P B.J. Sander uncorked two poor punts during the scrimmage, jsonline.com reported, while free agent P Nathan Chapman had one good 53 yard punt. Chapman isn't on the roster, so when the Packers released P Travis Dorsch last month, I thought Chapman had been released previously. It is good that the Packers have an extra punter in camp in case Sander falls apart, and Sander isn't off to a good start.

Jsonline.com had two stories on the other candidates to backup QB Brett Favre; QB Craig Nall and QB Scott McBride, one day after having a piece on backup QB Tim Couch.

Nall has an injured hamstring and will not start practicing until next week. Nall held off QB Akili Smith in training camp last season, because Smith was too inconsistant, however, Jsonline.com reports that Nall has the same problem as Smith (consistency), and Nall will have a difficult time making the team. It is surprising to read that Nall has not improved much since a promising season with NFL Europe in 2003.

McBride has started off training camp strong, which is not a surprise to his college coach, Maryland's Ralph Friedgen, who thought the Packers got a steal in signing McBride as an undrafted rookie free agent last April. Jsonline.com reported that McBride is throwing well and making good decisions, which is a contrast to what had been reported about Nall and Couch, however jsonline.com was quick to report that McBride is small for NFL QB standards (6'0", 188 lbs.). Both Couch and Nall are over 6' and 200 lbs. McBride did a good job in selecting the Packers as his first NFL team, because he is likely to see a lot of playing time in training camp and preseason while Favre is often sitting out. It will be interesting to see if the Packers give McBride a quarter or more audition in an early preseason game to see if he can make the roster.

I did not mention QB Doug Pederson, who I suspect remains in camp as a tutor for Couch, Nall and McBride, when he is not hanging out with Favre. Pederson does not need to show the coaches what he can do, although I am sure he is practicing in order to stay sharp in case he makes the final roster. The only way Pederson makes the roster is a collapse by Nall and McBride, along with a struggling Couch. If the final roster had to be set today, I would imagine the Packers would release Nall and McBride. It is likely Pederson will remain in camp for a while, and then end up accepting a position to remain with the Packers' coaches or front office for the 2004 season.

Jsonline.com had an article about QB Tim Couch and compared his arm strength to QB Doug Pederson. Ouch. How did this guy get picked first overall in 1999? The article suggested Couch's lack of arm strength in camp might be due to a lack of confidence while he learns the Packers offense. The article also reported that Couch has never been asked to run a naked (without blockers) bootleg to his left, something QB Brett Favre has excelled at for many seasons. It sounds like we should expect QB Craig Nall to outperform Couch this preseason and force the Packers to name Nall as the backup and Couch at third string. If Couch is named the third string QB, I would expect Couch to ask for his release.

It was good to read that CB Ahmad Carroll was signed right at the start of camp. Carroll needs as much time in camp as possible, if CB Mike McKenzie is serious about holding out all season.

P Travis Dorsch was released last week. It is a little surprising to see Dorsch cut loose so soon, but he was a long shot to beat out 3rd round pick P B.J. Sander. Dorsch outperformed Sander in the April mini-camp, but Sander's performance since April must have convinced the Packers that Dorsch wasn't necessary. Keeping Dorsch throughout training camp wouldn't have been a bad idea, because recent kickers that the Packers have drafted haven't been able to play in their first seasons. P Josh Bidwell was diagnosed with cancer in his first season, and K Brett Conway was injured in training camp and replaced by unsigned free agent K Ryan Longwell. Hopefully all goes well for Sander in training camp and the Packers aren't left scrambling for a new punter at the end of the preseason.

Jsonline.com had a story on the injuries suffered by C Mike Flanagan and OG Mike Wahle. Flanagan has tendinitis in his knee, and it sounds like a lingering injury that could stay with him all season. Wahle's injury, he was injured performing in a Strongman workout regimen, sounded more serious. Wahle had trouble walking right after the injury in early July, but now it sounds like he is almost over the injury. This falls under into the "ignorance is bliss" category, because if Wahle's injury was reported when it occured, it would have been a substantial concern for the Packers offensive line.

Jsonline.com had a bunch of Packers stories posted today.

The headline "McKenzie is unhappy camper" was stating the obvious, but it is not surprising that DB Mike McKenzie is aggressively training for the start of the season, because he has to give another team a reason to overpay for his rights in a trade.

Jsonline.com confirmed that the Packers offensive line is one of the best in the NFL.

The article on players who remain in Green Bay over the offseason had a great description of RB Najeh Davenport's inability to shovel his driveway.

More on Davenport: jsonline.com speculated that Davenport would be an excellent fit in Miami. In no way should the Packers trade Davenport now. He should be the number one kickoff return man in 2004 and he is an asset in the running game. He is only a restricted free agent after 2004 and he might become a number one running back if the Packers have concerns with resigning RB Ahman Green after 2005. If Davenport has a great 2004 season, it would not be surprising for the Packers to offer Davenport the top qualifying offer in the offseason and trade him for draft choices before next April, when they can draft another running back and/or kickoff returner.

The sudden death of VP of football operations Mark Hatley is a huge loss for the Packers. I knew next to nothing of Mark Hatley personally, go read Pat Kirwan's column on nfl.com for some personal background on Mark Hatley, so I will talk about what he did for the Packers.

Jsonline.com described Hatley as the "second in command" of personnel decisions behind Mike Sherman. Although Sherman is technically the GM and Coach, I believe Sherman is the head coach first and he has the final decision on personnel, but Hatley did much of the routine travel and day-to-day grunt work of a GM, because Sherman worked day-to-day as the head coach. I became familar with Hatley while he was in charge of player personnel for Chicago from 1997 to 2001. Hatley might always be remembered in Chicago for his bad decisions to draft RB Curtis Enis and QB Cade McNown in the first rounds, but Hatley did a good job of rebuilding Chicago from stratch after Chicago bottomed out in the mid-1990s post Dave Wannstedt. He drafted Chicago icon LB Brian Urlacher and assembled the great (and lucky) 13-3 Chicago team of 2001. It appears that Chicago improved every offseason under Hatley, and you can't yet say that about current GM Jerry Angelo. All the top players in Chicago over the last 3 seasons (LB Brian Urlacher, S Mike Brown, RB Anthony Thomas, C Olin Kreutz, WR Marty Booker) were drafted and signed during Hatley's tenure.

With the Packers, Hatley contributed to the draft classes of 2002-2004. The 2002 draft class netted star WR Javon Walker along with current Packers DB Marques Anderson, RB Najeh Davenport, and DE Aaron Kampman who are all likely to contribute significantly in 2004 (hopefully QB Brett Favre stays healthy and QB Craig Nall remains firmly on the bench). The 2003 draft class hasn't turned out as well, but it did net star LB Nick Barnett along with possible contributors DT Kenny Peterson and DT James Lee. Overall, the Packers roster has improved since Hatley was hired in 2001, and Hatley deserves credit for it as much as anyone. Hatley's death is a huge loss for the Packers.

One week to go before training camp opens. How's Drew Rosenhaus doing on trading his client, DB Mike McKenzie? I expect McKenzie will report to training camp a week or two before the start of the season, because he won't give up his money or pay back his prorated signing bonus to the Packers, and Rosenhaus won't be able to find a team willing to offer a useful current NFL player or a future number 1 draft pick for McKenzie.

The Packers signed former Cleveland DE Tyrone Rogers to a minimum contract. Cleveland couldn't come to terms with their free agent Rogers, the Packers didn't want DE Jamal Reynolds, so it ends up as a pseudo-trade of two defensive ends. Rogers just turned 30 so he probably won't be better with the Packers than he was with Cleveland. Rogers appears to have some pass rush ability; in limited playing time in 2003 he recorded 1 sack and 2 tackles for a loss, and in limited playing time in 2002 he recorded 3 sacks and 4.5 tackles for a loss, which out performed former top picks DE Courtney Brown and DT Gerard Warren that season. It would appear that Warren has as much ability to get into the backfield and make a play as DE Chukie Nwokorie, and he has better stats than starting DE Aaron Kampman. Rogers is a good size to play defensive end at 6'5" and 280 lbs. The Packers have a lot of defensive tackles on the roster but only 4 defensive ends, including Rogers. If Rogers has a good training camp and the Packers decide they need more depth at defensive end then at defensive tackle, its possible Rogers could take away a roster spot from someone like DT Larry Smith, DT Kenny Peterson, or rookie DT Corey Williams.

Jsonline.com had an article about RB Najeh Davenport opening training camp as the primary kick returner. Everything that special teams coach John Bonamego said in the article is true; "He's a big, powerful bull with speed." Last season, Davenport looked just as fast as any kick returner in the NFL, plus he has size and running back instincts that help him run through arm tackles and he has good vision in the open field. I thought footballoutsiders.com had him rated highly on kickoffs in 2003, but I can't find any mention of it on their website. Davenport could be the best kick returner in the NFL in 2004.

Jsonline.com also had an article about how TE Bubba Franks isn't a good fit in the Packers offense. Franks has been invited to a couple of Pro Bowls because this isn't a golden age of tight ends, and his 30 catches, 500 yards, a few TDs is good enough to make him one of the best in the non-TE Tony Gonzalez NFC. As a general rule, a team should never let a Pro Bowl talent in his 20s leave in free agency, because such players (who are healthy) are rarely available in free agency. Franks won't get a contract like Gonzalez in free agency, but he will get a big (for a tight end) contract because of his Pro Bowl appearances. Footballoutsiders.com ranked Franks very poorly in 2003, below TE Jason Witten and TE Mark Campbell, but surprisingly above even lower ranked Pro Bowl Baltimore TE Todd Heap. Heap was hurt in 2003 because although he caught 112 passes, he only caught a lowly 51% of the passes thrown to him, which is a criticism of Baltimore's offense (Heap was their only threat for 2/3 of the 2003 season in the passing game) as it is a criticism of Heap. Franks was ranked low by footballoutsiders.com because he didn't do much with the opportunites when they presented themselves. He is an asset to the Packers, but lesser players might be able to replace his current level of production in the Packers offense.

DE Jamal Reynolds was claimed by Cleveland off waivers, according to espn.com, who also report that Reynolds will be battling for a roster spot as a backup defensive end against former Dallas first round draft choice bust DE Ebenezer Ekuban. As I have said before, Reynolds's knee injuries have probably ended his NFL career before it ever started, and its unlikely Reynolds will beat out Ekuban and make Cleveland's opening 2004 roster.

The Packers picked up LB Tyreo Harrison on waivers from Philadelphia, who was probably released because Philadelphia signed LB Jeremiah Trotter. On a side note, Philadelphia's signing of Trotter has to be the best value signing in the NFL this offseason. Philadelphia reacquires a 27 year old former Pro Bowl linebacker who lead Washington in tackles in 2003 for under $1 million. For comparison, Cincinnati signed part-time starting LB Nate Webster, 26, from Tampa Bay as their new middle linebacker back in March for 5 years, $11.3 million with a $2.5 million signing bonus, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer online.

There is very little available regarding Harrison online. Thehuddlereport.com ranked Harrison as the 157th best player available in the 2002 draft, which would have projected out into the 5th round, and Philadelphia selected him in the 6th round. Harrison hardly played on defense at all for Philadelphia in 2003 and he was inactive for 4 of their 16 games, but he was activated for both of their playoff games. Its possible that the Packers remember his efforts on special teams in their playoff game against Philadelphia last season, and they think he could contribute on special teams for them in 2004. The Packers now have 8 linebackers on their roster, and it is likely that only 6 linebackers will make the opening roster. Harrison has some work ahead of him to move up the depth chart and make the opening roster in 2004.

The Packers lost out on free agent LB Jason Gildon. Gildon could have helped the Packers as a pass rusher on 3rd downs, opposite DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, and as an outside linebacker if the Packers occasionally switched to a 3-4 alignment. Gildon's career is winding down, and its possible that any number of players currently on the Packers roster can perform as well as Gildon and equal or exceed the 6 sacks Gildon recorded in 2003. Buffalo gave Gildon a $500,000 signing bonus, and the Packers might have had trouble fitting Gildon along with all the unsigned rookies under the salary cap.

Football announcers love to say that defense wins championships, but are the most consistant teams in the NFL great offensive teams? Aaron Schatz on footballoutsiders.com was writing about Baltimore and he hinted at a new projection system he is working on that projected Baltimore as the worst team in the AFC in 2004. Why? Baltimore has a 2000 yard runner in RB Jamal Lewis and the best defense in the NFL? Because defense is less consistant than offense says Aaron. He hasn't published his system yet, but his theory sounds reasonable.

How did Tampa Bay fall from Super Bowl champion in 2002 down to missing the playoffs in 2003? Tampa Bay's defense was ranked the second best in the NFL in 2003 according to footballoutsiders.com (ahead of 2003 Super Bowl winner New England) and the team was essentially the same roster in 2003 as in 2002. Tampa Bay's DT Anthony McFarland was on ESPN's Cold Pizza saying that Tampa Bay's defense was just as good in 2003 as in 2002, except for a few plays over the course of the season. That makes some sense, as Tampa Bay's defense slipped from a percentage ranking on footballoutsiders.com of -30% in 2002 down to -22.5% in 2003. A defense as good as Tampa Bay's defense should have carried that team into the playoffs, but a great defense appears to be no guaranty of success.

Aaron's theory also explains the Packers success with QB Brett Favre as a starting quarterback. The Packers have not had a losing record with Favre as their starting quarterback, which is a remarkable run of winning in the NFL. The Packers have only one championship during Favre's career, but only the 1996 defense could have been considered the best in the NFL. Maybe defense does win championships and maybe a team is unlikely to win the championship without a great defense, but the odds are long of making the playoffs without a consistant offense. Its just another reason that the Packers need to reassure Favre everyday that retirement isn't even an option for him.

DE Jamal Reynolds has come back (after flunking his physical with Indianapolis) and now has left again (having been released), according to various news sources. It is a weird situation because Reynolds was healthy enough to participate in two mini-camps with the Packers, but now Indianapolis is blaming a 2002 knee injury and surgery?

Maybe Reynolds was undersized to play at defensive end, but it could be that his knee injury ended his career before it ever started. Reynolds had microfacture surgery on his knee, the microfacture procedure attempts to regrow cartilage, and players have rarely come back from it to play at a high level.

Retired DT Eric Swann and DT John Randle never were the same impact players after they had the surgery. CB Jason Sehorn was a superstar, but now after the surgery he has been released by two different teams in two consecutive seasons. Denver OL Dan Neil has come back from it, but Denver's offensive line is only just slightly above average according to footballoutsiders.com. Carolina RB DeShawn Foster has come back from it to have an outstanding 2003 playoffs, but footballoutsiders.com rated him as one of the worst running backs during the 2003 regular season. LB Kevin Hardy has come back from it and had two solid seasons in Dallas and Cincinnati, but it does not appear that anyone considers Hardy a premier linebacker anymore.

Various articles on Reynolds over the years have questioned his work ethic, but even if that rumor is true, its hard for someone with superior physical skills to immediately turn himself around into an overachiever type player when suddenly the explosiveness that he used to take for granted is gone. It is unlikely that Reynolds will get a second chance in the NFL, because teams are unlikely to take chances on defensive linemen with knee problems (see fellow "can't miss" Florida State alum DE Andre Wadsworth as Exhibit A). In the end, Reynolds was a talented player who's career was derailed by injuries before it ever got a chance to start.

Publications are gushing about WR Robert Ferguson and WR Javon Walker.

Profootballweekly.com reported that a prominent agent said that Ferguson sold himself short (has an agent ever felt like a client got too much from a team?) while "one league source" said Ferguson is a "solid investment". Profootballweekly.com compared Ferguson to Pro Bowl wide receivers Rod Smith and Hines Ward. Its too hard to compare Ferguson to many NFL wide receivers because he came into the league a couple of years younger than most wide receivers and with so little experience. He had to sit out his first season entirely just to learn how to play. Its easy to compare Smith and Ward to Ferguson because they are all about the same size (6'0" 200 lbs. approximately), but both Smith and Ward were more productive in their first season as a starter than Ferguson was in his first starting season. Ferguson's lesser production could be the result of Ferguson younger age in comparison to the age of Smith and Ward in their first seasons as a starter. Overall, it was a risk for the Packers to reward Ferguson with a relatively large signing bonus (over $3 million) based on modest production so far in his career.

John Clayton reported on espn.com that Walker had "an exhausting offseason training regiment" and is ready to become the number one wide receiver for the Packers in 2004. Clayton reported that Walker "was virtually unstoppable against the Packers' cornerbacks in minicamp". Walker is a fantastic, but inconsistent, talent. Sometimes in 2003, Walker looked like a young Jerry Rice with his size and speed, and sometimes he looked lost. It should be expected that Walker will be "virtually unstoppable" at times in 2004, but it also should be expected that he will make some bad plays in 2004.

Former GM Ron Wolf rebuilt the Packers into a champion, but he had very little success with first round draft choices during his tenure. Although 6 of his 10 first round picks are still playing in the NFL, only TE Bubba Franks remains with the Packers, but he is the best of the bunch, and the only one of the six to be named to a Pro Bowl. Only T Ross Verba and DE Vonnie Holliday might be starting for other teams in 2004. It is highly unlikely that DE Jamal Reynolds will find himself starting for Indianapolis in 2004.

Still this was a nice trade for Indianapolis, who acquired a potentially useful situational pass rusher in Reynolds at a low price. Reynolds has sporatically shown some pass rush ability when given the opportunity and he only cost Indianapolis a modest roster bonus (espn.com reported it was just over $200,000) plus a low future draft choice. Reynolds has the potential to provide just as many sacks on 3rd down plays as any of the free agents currently available, such as LB Jason Gildon, but at a much lower price.

It was good to see the Packers receive something in return for Reynolds, when it was apparent all offseason that they did not have any plans for him in the 2004 season. While the Packers have a lot of options to play at defensive end on rushing downs, the Packers still need to find out who is going to be rushing the quarterback on 3rd down from the defensive end position opposite DE KGB. DE Chukie Nwokorie and DE Aaron Kampman had a lot of opportunities in 2003, but neither is a situational speed rusher. LB Marcus Wilkins was injured for much of 2003 and he would also be considered as the 3rd down pass rusher at defensive end if he is healthy. The Packers could find themselves mixing and matching a lot at defensive end in 2004, although the situation became clearer with the departure of Reynolds.

Well I was wrong about the signing bonus for WR Robert Ferguson, who I thought would receive a signing bonus slightly lower than the one given to Cleveland WR Dennis Northcutt ($2.25 million) back in May, but the Packers blew past that amount and gave Ferguson a $3.5 million signing bonus.

The Packers are paying for what Ferguson can become and not how he has performed over the last two seasons. If the Packers are paying Ferguson how he has performed over the last two seasons, his contract should have been similar to the following three offseason signings. WR Dez White signed for 2 years and $2 million total contract with Atlanta after catching as many TD passes and more receptions over the last two seasons in Chicago, and White is the same age (24) as Ferguson. Minnesota signed WR Marcus Robinson for a $2 million signing bonus after he caught 6 TD passes over the last 5 games in 2003 for Baltimore. Northcutt has caught far more receiptions for more receiving yards over the last two seasons, same number of TD catches as Ferguson, plus he established himself as one of the more dangerous return men in the NFL, but Ferguson received 50% more in signing bonus than Northcutt.

On the other hand, the New York Jets paid WR Justin McCareins a $7 million signing bonus after he broke out with 7 TD receptions in his third NFL season with Tennessee in 2003. Although McCareins had a great 2003 season, the New York Jets are paying him for what he could do over the next few seasons based on 2003 and his physical abilities. Similarily the Packers are paying Ferguson based on a solid 2003 season and what he could do over the next few seasons.

Overall, the Packers paid a premium based on Ferguson's past performance because they expect him to improve next season. He didn't improve much from 2002 to 2003 and he has had trouble staying healthy, so right now his contract extension looks like a risk.

It is surprising to see the Packers sign Robert Ferguson to a contract extension. Although Ferguson was drafted in 2001, he didn't start playing until 2002 and in the last two seasons he has averaged about 30 catches, 400 yards, and 3 to 4 TD receptions. Ferguson only played 1 year of major college football, so he has learned a lot in the NFL, but it would have been reasonable to wait and see how he plays in 2004 before committing long term to him. He has also had problems staying healthy, so that could be another concern.

On the other hand, the Packers are counting on him in 2004 because the Packers lack depth at wide receiver behind him, Javon Walker and Donald Driver. Ferguson has the size and speed that every NFL team wants at wide receiver, and if Ferguson had left after the 2004 season, then the Packers would have made wide receiver a priority next offseason and during the 2005 draft. Espn.com reported that Ferguson's base salaries over the 5 year contract are just over $6 million, and he couldn't have signed for a huge signing bonus. His signing bonus will not be as high as Driver's $4 million signing bonus that Driver signed in 2002, and should be less than the $2.25 million signing bonus given by Cleveland in May 2004 to WR Dennis Northcutt. If Ferguson received a $1.75 million signing bonus and can emerge in 2004 as a reliable and consistant deep passing threat, then this will be a great signing.

The Packers have been quiet since the end of the June minicamp and the signing of QB Tim Couch, not that it is unexpected since it is only the end of June and training camp hasn't opened yet. Looking around the rest of the NFC North, winning the division is more important than ever since realignment caused more competition for fewer wild card spots, here our some of the stories getting press this June.

Minnesota. The team released 2003 starting strong side LB Henri Crockett and 2003 starting middle LB Greg Biekert retired, leaving only LB Chris Claiborne as a return starter. Claiborne is moving to the strong side (over the tight end), second year LB E.J. Henderson (coming off May knee surgery) will start in the middle, and the weak side LB spot is a wide open battle between LB Mike Nattiel and rookie LB Dontarrious Thomas, according to profootballweekly.com. Minnesota's defense was awful after week 6 last season and a revamped linebacker group along with a very young defensive line will probably lead to a inconsistant defense in 2004.

Chicago. Their defense is getting younger and only LB Brian Urlacher is a true impact defensive player. No one on Chicago's offense could be accused of being an impact player yet. The defense is being revamped under new coach Lovie Smith, which is to be expected by the former defensive coordinator. Contracts for draft choices are slotted (based on last year's contract plus 5% or so increase for this season, therefore DT Tommie Harris should be paid the same as last year's 15th overall pick plus 5% approximately), and Chicago had generally worked out contract terms with Harris' agent in the minutes before they selected Harris in the April draft, but now Harris has a new agent, according to espn.com. As espn.com reported, it is probably not a problem, due to the slotting of draft choices' contracts, but it could delay Harris from participating in training camp from day 1.

Detroit. The biggest story for them is the weight of DT Shawn Rogers. I've read one story about it on profootballweekly.com and probably another on espn.com as well. Rogers should have been drafted in the first round a couple of years ago because he can dominate, but he has a history of injury and weight problems. He has the most potential of any player on Detroit's defense, but it is Rogers responsibility to make it happen. Another story is the charges of insurance fraud against new FS Brock Marion. Detroit has spent a lot of money to revamp their secondary, signing Marion and DB Fernando Bryant this offseason to play alongside last season's big free agent DB Dre Bly. Detroit was counting on Marion to solidify their secondary which has lacked consistant free safety play for a few seasons, but the criminal investigation against Marion probaly derailed those plans.

Overall, all three teams have question marks, which is to be expected because none of them made the playoffs last season, but all these changes are obvious attempts to improve their respective teams.

The Packers released their financial records for the fiscal year starting April 1, 2003 and ending March 31, 2004. Prior to the renovation of Lambeau Field, the Packers operating revenue had slipped in comparison to other teams due to many new stadiums (Seahawks Stadium, Reliant Stadium (Houston), Heinz Field (Pittsburgh), Ford Field (Detroit), Gillette Stadium (New England)) and the Packers would have probably slipped further this fiscal year if not for the Lambeau Field renovation with new stadiums opening in Chicago and Philadelphia.

I thought it was important for Brown County and the city of Green Bay to pass the sales tax referendum that kept the city's biggest source of civic pride financially able to compete in the NFL and not risk losing the team. Without the renovation, the Packers would likely be around 25th out of 32 teams in gross revenue.

However, when Packers treasurer John Underwood says that the team is "headed for financial oblivion" he is not being honest with Packers fans. I would define "financial oblivion" as bankrupt but Underwood's interpretation of it more analogous to driving a Mazda in a league full of Ferraris. The Packers still collect $100 million per season in TV revenue and would sell out Lambeau Field every Sunday even if the team returned to a post-Lombardi/pre-Favre level of performance.

Without the added income, the Packers probably wouldn't have the financial resources to keep players like DT Cleditus Hunt or DE KGB, or sign a free agent like DE Joe Johnson or DE Reggie White. Obviously some of the millions the Packers spend on signing bonuses are better spent than others, and having the most money in the NFL does not necessarily buy you a winner (just ask a Washington fan). The Packers would probably be able to retain one player like QB Brett Favre and try to build a team of cheaper and younger players around him.

I'm glad the Packers have the financial resources to maintain and improve their roster, but the Packers should be more honest as to what are the financial realities for the team.

QB Tim Couch finally signed with the Packers this week after months of negotiations. Back in March, I compared Couch to QB Donovan McNabb, and Couch has a higher career completion percentage (59.8% to 57%) and a high yards per attempt (6.49 to 6.16), but what ended Couch's career in Cleveland was his career 0.95 touchdown passes to 1 interception ratio. If Couch can show can take better care of the football and prove that he can lead a team, then he can turn his career around. The 1 year deal is a good start to see if Couch can actually beat out QB Craig Nall for the backup job and then determine what future Couch has with the Packers.

Last week the Packers signed TE Steve Bush. He's only caught 46 passes in his 6 year NFL career, but he is a giant at 6'3" 280 lbs. If he can show some strong run blocking, he will show something that neither TE Bubba Franks or TE David Martin specialize in. The Packers have two inexperience tight ends (TE Keith Willis and TE Tony Donald) on their roster competing for the 3rd tight end spot too, but if the Packers want someone with experience to backup Franks and Martin, Bush would be the man.

CB Derek Combs was cut this week by the Packers. He is the 3rd defensive back released since this April's draft (S Eric Crouch and CB/S Bryant Westbrook were the first two) and it is not a surprise that some defensive backs would be released after the Packers drafted two defensive backs (CB Ahmad Carroll and CB Joey Thomas) in the first and third rounds. Combs showed a little bit in 2003, but only on special teams or has the 4th cornerback. He would have had a hard time beating out CB Erwin Swiney for the last cornerback spot on the roster, so its not surprising that Combs has already lost that battle after the June mini-camp. Swiney, along with CB Chris Johnson, are both going to have a hard time making the Packers roster as it currently stands if CB Mike McKenzie returns to the team.

Jsonline.com had a number of articles from the June minicamp yesterday, but there are just a few points that caught my attention.

First was an article on DE Aaron Kampman. Sometimes Kampman seems to be everything an NFL team expects in a power defensive end because he won't be pushed off the corner while he forces the running back to go further outside before turning upfield and he generates some pass rush by pushing the offensive tackle back into the quarterback. Othertimes Kampman seems to be pushed around and it is obvious that isn't the strongest or most talented defensive end in the NFL. Kampman is only 24 years old and he is still learning how to play, but he will probably never be an anchor on the defensive line which is why the Packers spent most of this offseason looking at free agent defensive ends and drafted multiple defensive lineman in this April's draft who are being auditioned at defensive end and tackle. Kampman has shown the potential to be a reliable starter in the NFL and he has shown the dedication to working out and film study that coaches love. Kampman deserves to start in 2004 and be given the full season to show that he can be the Packers starting defensive end for the next few seasons.

Second was that Kampman really should never have had any opportunity to start with the Packers because the Packers signed DE Joe Johnson to start in Kampman's position the same year that the Packers drafted Kampman. Yesterday, the Packers release Johnson, who has been a big bust. He doesn't rank as one of the biggest busts ever in free agency because teams are paying too much for marginal or problem players every year. Denver's fiasco with DT Daryl Gardner is one recent example, while Dallas's signing of WR Joey Galloway for $42 million and 2 1st round draft choices and Carolina's signing of DT Sean Gilbert for approx $46 million and 2 1st round draft choices are probably the two biggest free agent busts ever. Teams that overpay for marginal talent (like Atlanta's signing of ex-Packer CB Tyrone Williams) hurts but not as bad as when a team spends top dollar on a truly talented player with a history of physical injuries or disciplinary problems. Washington seems to find new ways to burn money every offseason. For example, Philadelphia should have been wary of the injury history surrounding DE Jevon Kearse in Tennessee, but they still decided to pay him a $16 million signing bonus this offseason. Just as Philadelphia should have been concerned about Kearse, the Packers should have been careful with Johnson, who has a lot of talent but he had a lot of injuries even before he was signed by the Packers. The Packers took a gamble, just as many teams in the NFL have done in the past few years, and the Packers lost it.

Third was that WR Carl Ford has an injured hamstring. It doesn't seem to be too serious, but Ford has just reinjured it. Ford showed some promise last preseason before the Packers hid him on injured reserve for all of last season. Ford's injury wasn't too serious last season, but it was unlikely he would have made the roster because of the injury (he was expected to miss a few weeks) and he possibly would have been offered a contract by another team and wouldn't have settled for a spot on the Packers practice squad. This season he comes into the preseason as the likely number four wide receiver (clearly behind WR Donald Driver, WR Robert Ferguson, and WR Javon Walker). It can be a very important position, last season both Driver and Ferguson were injured by week 2 and the Packers had to sign WR Antonio Freeman. If Ford can't stay healthy or doesn't perform like he did last season, then its very likely the Packers look to sign a veteran free agent wide receiver again this season for some added depth.

Fourth, Cleveland finally gave up and released QB Tim Couch. Couch still wants a starting job or a one year contract so he can find a starting job in 2005. Its unknown how many teams will show interest in Couch now that he can be signed without trading a draft pick in compensation for him, but now it is possible the Packers will offer him a 1 year contract and let him compete with QB Craig Nall for the backup quarterback spot.

Both jsonline.com and packersnews.com reported that free agent LB Jason Gildon visited with the Packers last Friday. It really surprised me that Gildon would even visit, and that the Packers were the first team he visited after Pittsburgh released him. Gildon would not be a good fit for the Packers 4-3 defense, because its likely that Gildon has lost a step and would have trouble defending receivers and running backs near the sidelines. If Gildon started with the Packers in their standard 4-3 defense, it would be likely that Gildon would play the strong side linebacker and replace LB Hannibal Navies. Defensive coordinator Bob Slowik was reported by packersnews.com as saying that "he would consider using some 3-4 [defensive alignment]" and that Gildon could play in the dime (3 defensive linemen, 2 linebacker and 6 defensive backs). The Packers primary need for Gildon is as a situational pass rusher opposite DE KGB, but Gildon brings an added dimension as a pass rushing linebacker that the Packers do not currently have on the roster. Starting linebackers Na'il Diggs and Navies have combined for 9 sacks in their careers, while Gildon has averaged 9 sacks per season over his last 8 years starting with Pittsburgh. Gildon would be a tremendous addition to the Packers, adding an element to their defense that is currently absent, but it still seems unlikely that Gildon will sign with the Packers and more likely that he will end up in Houston, Cleveland, or Baltimore.

Its confusing keeping track of Keith Willis. Espn.com and yahoo.com list 44 year old DE Keith Willis on the Packers roster. Good old number 93. Except they mean rookie free agent TE Keith Willis from Virginia Tech who has taken number 81. DE Keith Willis had a solid 10 year career with Pittsburgh in the 1980s, but he retired in 1994 and probably is not part of the Packers plans for the 2004 season. However it is an open competition behind TEs Bubba Franks and David Martin for the 3rd tight end roster spot, and TE Keith Willis has a very good chance at making the 2004 Packers roster.

It was surprising that packersnews.com reported the CB Michael Hawthorne started with the first team defense in place of absent CB Mike McKenzie for the first week of the June minicamp. The Packers had given repeated indications that Hawthorne was a safety first and a cornerback second this offseason, even espn.com lists Hawthorne as a safety, although it might be temporary until rookies CB Ahmad Carroll and CB Joey Thomas learn the playbook.

Even more surprising was that when CB Al Harris sat out with a bad ankle on Friday, free agent CB Chris Watson played on the first team defense in place of Harris, according to jsonline.com. When the Packers first signed Watson before the draft, I compared Watson favorably to high priced free agent CB Jason Webster, who signed with Atlanta this offseason. Although Watson has proven himself to be a useful 3rd or 4th cornerback when he played in Buffalo, he is coming off a lost season in Detroit (injury) and he seemed like a longshot to make the Packers. Apparently Watson has showed more promise than second year CB Chris Johnson, and now Johnson has to be considered the longshot to make the Packers. Jsonline.com reported that former-CB Bhawoh Jue is out of the rotation at cornerback and working with the second team defense at free safety, and he will have to battle for a roster spot with S Curtis Fuller.

As far as starting off on the wrong foot: packersnews.com had a quote from defensive coordinator Bob Slowik that Carroll didn't play well in April's mini-camp because of "all those draft parties". Although Slowik followed up by saying "there's a noticeable improvement now" with Carroll, it sounds like Carroll is a early candidate for the doghouse and being deactived for Sunday ala DE Jamal Reynolds.

Current cornerback depth chart (excluding McKenzie) reads: 1. Harris; 2. Hawthorne; Nickel. Watson; Dime. Thomas.

So what did Minnesota do this offseason to address their team's weaknesses? Did they break up a strong unit?

Minnesota. I always like Minnesota's offseasons. They always seem to improve their team by drafting a promissing player in the first round but few of their other picks ever work out. RBs Moe Williams, Doug Chapman, and Ontario Smith have had some success over the last couple of years and they were all mid-round selections, but Minnesota's offense has been very kind to their running backs over the last decade and all of them have taken a back seat when star 1st round running backs Robert Smith or Michael Bennett have been starting. The only three current exceptions remaining on the roster from their poor post-1st round draft selections are C Matt Birk, TE Jimmy Kleinsasser, and LB Nick Rogers (and Rogers is in danger of losing his starting job). Minnesota has a pretty poor record of bringing in impact free agents either, with only ex-QB Randall Cunningham coming to my mind as a great signing. Their organizational inability to build depth around their usually excellent first picks has probably been the main cause for why Minnesota looks better on paper than in performance.

Minnesota has arguably the best offense (statistically) in the NFL. I placed the qualifier "statistically" on the assessment of their offense, because it seems to go through stretches where it can't be stopped (6-0 start last season) then stretches where it can't seem to get anything going (0-4 after 6-0 start). The biggest weakness it has had is replacing ex-WR Cris Carter as the receiver opposite WR Randy Moss. 2nd year WR Nate Burleson might take the step forward to fill this position, but he faded as the 2003 season went on. WR Marcus Robinson was signed as a free agent, but Robinson was given up for dead before he was reborn with a 4 touchdown domination of Seattle in week 12 last season. Robinson finished the 2003 season strong, but that was his first sign of life since his serious 2000 knee injury derailed his promissing career.

Minnesota's run defense was an interesting beast in 2003. Footballoutsiders.com rated it slightly above average (17th overall) but it was torched on big runs (only Kansas City was worse at giving up big runs). DT Fred Robbins left for big money in New York (Giants) and MLB Greg Biekert retired. Up the middle DT Chris Hovan remains, maybe ex-Packer DT Steve Martin can help, or maybe DE Kevin Williams moves over to tackle to help replace Robbins. MLB E.J. Henderson was projected as a 1st round pick last year, but Minnesota grabbed him in the 2nd round and are now hoping he can improve the run defense. Rookie linebacker Dontarrious Thomas was picked in the 2nd round this April, he has a lot of speed, and he could take a starting job away from weakside linebacker Rogers, which could improve the run defense. This year's first round pick DE Kenechi Udeze has pass rush ability and can play the run too. If Thomas and Udeze win starting jobs, then Minnesota will rely on four players 23 years old or younger (Udeze, Williams, Henderson, and Thomas) to anchor their run defense. Overall, it isn't clear whether this unit will be improved in 2004 and might have to wait until 2005 to see substantial improvement.

Minnesota had an average number of sacks in 2003 but were above average in sacks per pass attempt according to footballoutsiders.com. This unit can only improve with the top 2 sack men from last year returning (DE Lance Johnstone and Williams) and the addition of Udeze. Minnesota was 2nd in the NFL in interceptions (28) but footballoutsiders.com ranked the unit below average (17th) and their season was defined by the last second collapse by the secondary at Arizona in week 17. Gone is CB Denard Walker, in is CB Antonie Winfield. Winfield was highly regarded but he is short (5'9") and he reminds me of former Chicago CB Thomas Jones, another highly regarded Buffalo free agent but Jones flopped in Chicago after signing as a free agent. Winfield and Jones had one thing in common (other than starting their careers in Buffalo); they were regarded as exceptional in coverage although they recorded few interceptions. Winfield only has 6 interceptions for his career (58 starts in 72 games). Teams might have been avoiding Winfield, but that seems unlikely because Buffalo CB Nate Clements started opposite Winfield and he played like a number one cornerback (12 INTs and 40 pass defenses in 43 career games started and 48 games). The pass rush should be improved, but it is unclear whether Winfield can single-handedly improve the pass defense.

Minnesota's special teams were one of the worst in the NFL last season, ranked 31st overall according to footballoutsiders.com. They seemed to play pretty well against the Packers last season, so they must have sucked the rest of the season. No kicks were returned for touchdowns and K Aaron Elling made an unremarkable 72% of his field goals attempts. P Eddie Johnson was 2nd worst in the league in net punt average and 4th worst at kicks inside the 20 yard line, so P Darren Bennett was brought in to challenge Johnson. Bennett did very well in San Diego last season, 5th best at kicks inside the 20 yard line and while only 16th in net punt average. Bennett will probably win the punting job and he would be likely to improve the unit.

After the Packers drafted two cornerbacks with their top 2 draft picks, it was inevitable that the Packers clear out some of their marginal players in the secondary. First DB Bryant Westbrook was cut and now S Eric Crouch was cut. If CB Mike McKenzie returns, then him and CB Al Harris will start with rookie CB Ahmad Carroll and rookie CB Joey Thomas as the nickel and dime cornerbacks. If no McKenzie, then its possible second year speedster CB Chris Johnson is the dime cornerback, with recently resigned DB Michael Hawthorne and DB Bhawoh Jue battling with S Curtis Fuller and S Marques Anderson to backup FS Darren Sharper and SS Mark Roman. Crouch wasn't going to be given any opportunity at cornerback, so Hawthorne and Jue's flexibility to play cornerback or safety gave them an obvious advantage over Crouch.

More QB Tim Couch negotiating between the Packers and Cleveland. It is obvious that Couch will only accept a one year deal, so he can go find a starting job next season, and jsonline.com reported that the Packers won't trade for Couch unless he accepts a two year contract. Couch will not accept a two year deal, the Packers will start June mini camp this week, and the Packers interest in Couch will be over.

Jsonline.com reported the Packers had some interest in soon to be released LB Jason Gildon. He could be an effective situational pass rusher opposite DE KGB and could even push LB Hannibal Navies to the bench. But jsonline.com reported that three AFC teams (Baltimore, Cleveland, and Houston) that are very familiar with Gildon's abilities and have more salary cap room than the Packers are also interested. Baltimore would probably be his first choice, but I don't know where Gildon would fit in alongside linebackers Peter Boulware and Terrell Suggs. Houston seems his likely destination, where he can teach Houston's rookie 1st round draft choice LB Jason Babin how to play the pass rushing outside linebacker position in a 3-4 defense.

Profootballweekly.com posted that three teams have shown interest in trading for CB Mike McKenzie.

Houston. Their secondary is a work in progress, but they appear unlikely to be interested in McKenzie in any way other than as a 3rd cornerback. CB Aaron Glenn is coming back from a groin injury, but he has practiced in mini-camp and appears ready to play. CB Marcus Coleman is being moved to free safety, while rookie CB Dunta Robinson (10th player taken in 2004 draft) is the likely starter opposite Glenn. CB Kenny Wright seems settled in at 3rd cornerback after his 3 interception, 12 pass defense season in 2003. McKenzie would upgrade the cornerback position in Houston, he would likely start in 2004 while Robinson learns the position as the 3rd cornerback, but I can't imagine Houston would offer much in return for McKenzie.

Pittsburgh. McKenzie would start immediately in Pittsburgh. CB Chad Scott returns for his 8th season in Pittsburgh, but longtime cornerback CB Dewayne Washington left in free agency. Opposite Scott is 7th year CB Deshea Townsend who has only started 17 games in his career. There is very little depth at cornerback, although Pittsburgh did draft well regarded rookie cornerback Richardo Colclough in the 2nd round, who will probably have a steep learning curve after playing college ball at small Tusculum. Pittsburgh is not known for trading, but they are looking to release LB Jason Gildon and might be trying to trade Gildon for McKenzie, but the Packers wouldn't trade for a linebacker likely to be released on June 1 anyway. It seems unlikely that Pittsburgh would offer a high draft choice for McKenzie when they have made so few trades in the past.

New Orleans. New Orleans is one of the few teams in the NFL that commonly makes trades, although they are more likely to trade for a high draft choice (RB Ricky Williams for two 1st round picks, OT Kyle Turley for a 2nd round pick) than trade away a high draft choice (FS Tebucky Jones for 3rd, 4th, and 7th round picks, CB Jason Craft for a 5th round pick). New Orleans has some depth at cornerback with little experience and two veteran cornerbacks in Ashley Ambrose and Fred Thomas. New Orleans' pass defense was below average last season, and the only substantial addition was trading for reserve cornerback Craft. They also let CB Dale Carter leave in free agency, but Carter was not a factor in 2003 due to his umpteenth suspension by the league. The Packers would probably not want to trade McKenzie to New Orleans, because they both play in the NFC and New Orleans could potentially compete with the Packers for a wild card spot in 2004. New Orleans has salary cap room and would probably have no problem offering a package of middle round draft choices for McKenzie, similar to the package given up for Jones, but the Packers would be unlikely to accept that offer.

It seems likely that the Packers will wait McKenzie out rather than accepting any of the offers these teams would likely make to them.

Last Monday I started looking at the offseasons for the other NFC North teams. Did each team address their team's weaknesses? Did any team break up a strong unit?

Chicago. They almost had a .500 record (7-9) but the record masked a poor season. The other two NFC teams with 7-9 records, San Francisco and Tampa Bay, both outscored their opponents during the season, but Chicago was outscored by 63 points. Footballoutsiders.com ranked Chicago 25th between 4-12 Oakland and 5-11 Atlanta. No unit on Chicago could be considered a strength, although their run defense was solid and their special teams led by K Paul Edinger and P Brad Maynard was above average.

Chicago did address some weaknesses. Their biggest weakness last season was the terrible, eye covering performance by QB Kordell Stewart, and Chicago immediately improved the position by dumping Stewart. QB Rex Grossman didn't show much last season (QB rating 74.8 and completion rate of 52.8%) but it was a small sample size and there is no where to go but up from Stewart. Footballoutsiders.com rated Chicago's offensive line as one of the worst in the NFL (26th vs. run and 27th vs. pass) and Chicago spent $14 million in a signing bonus to acquire OT John Tait. Interestingly, Chicago signed OG Ruben Brown from Buffalo, who has been to many Pro Bowls but has long been regarded as overrated, while Buffalo signed ex-Chicago OG Chris Villarrial, essentially trading guards. Brown might have been a salary cap victim in Buffalo, but maybe Buffalo actually preferred Villarrial.

Chicago failed to address a couple of problem areas. Chicago created only 18 sacks last season, the same number of sacks as were recorded by DE Michael Strahan in 2003. Chicago used their top two picks on defensive tackles Tommie Harris and Terry Johnson, but rookie defensive tackles rarely record many sacks, but maybe their presense can help 2nd year DE Michael Haynes. Chicago had little production from their receivers, only WR Marty Booker (along with seldom used but now third WR Justin Gage) generated a positive ranking on footballoutsiders.com, but the entire group of receivers is due for improvement with the upgrade at quarterback (aka dumping Stewart).

Although Chicago didn't really have any strengths to break up, they tried nonetheless to weaken units that played better than average last season. Runstopping DT Keith Traylor left in free agency from the 11th best run defense (footballoutsiders.com ranking), but his loss could be offset by the rookies Harris and Johnson. RB Anthony Thomas had a good rebound 2003 from a slumping sophomore 2002 season, Thomas was ranked by footballoutsiders.com in 2003 between Charlie Garner and Travis Henry, and he establishd himself as a solid second-tier running back. So the first signing in free agency for Chicago is RB Thomas Jones to replace Thomas. Jones was given an opportunity in Tampa Bay in 2003 after it was obvious Tampa Bay was out of the playoffs, and Jones actually showed some signs of life compared to absolutely nothing in his first three NFL seasons in Arizona. However, Jones couldn't beat out RB Michael Pittman for the first three quarters of the 2003 season, and Pittman's ranking by footballoutsiders.com is similar to Thomas. In the end, Jones will probably lose the starting job to Thomas in the preseason and wind up as the 3rd down running back.

It was news on ESPN.com that QB Kerry Collins cancelled his planned visit with the Packers, but it was surprising Collins agreed to come and visit in the first place. If Collins was willing to be the backup quarterback and be paid like a backup quarterback, he would still be on the roster for the New York Giants. Collins and QB Tim Couch want exactly the same thing, to be a big money starting quarterback, and both have been surprised that no one is willing to pay big money for a quarterback prone to making turnovers. Its possible that both Couch and Collins remain free agents until the preseason starts, waiting for a preseason injury or ineffectiveness to open the door to a starting job. But they might be better off deciding before June 1, when QB Kurt Warner becomes a free agent.

Jsonline.com reported that CB Mike McKenzie hired Drew Rosenhaus as his fifth agent in five years. Rosenhaus has developed a reputation as one of the more aggressive agents in the NFL, so this is not a good sign that the Packers can expect McKenzie to return. Rosenhaus told jsonline.com that he was targeting teams with needs at cornerback, but they have to return equal value back to the Packers. That is a short list, when you consider salary cap considerations.

All of Rosenhaus's clients have ties to Florida, McKenzie lives there in the offseason, so I started with Jacksonville. They have the salary cap room, they are rebuilding their secondary, and they could trade disgruntled SS Donovan Darius, however, Darius' availability has been widely known in the NFL and if the Packers had really wanted Darius, they probably could have traded for him before now.

Miami has the salary cap room and a quality player, DE Adewale Ogunleye, that they are having trouble resigning, but no obvious need at cornerback.

San Francisco would have the salary cap room if they traded LB Julian Peterson for McKenzie, but they passed on resigning their CB Ahmad Plummer this offseason so they don't appear to be looking for a veteran corner.

Dallas might have an interest after losing CB Mario Edwards to Tampa Bay, they have the salary cap room, and Dallas is historically accurate in the trading market, but no obvious player they could trade back in return.

Some other teams: Arizona has salary cap room, but its unlikely McKenzie wants to play in Arizona; New Orleans has cap room and would probably listen to an offer, but they probably wouldn't trade anything higher than a 3rd round pick in next season's draft, similar to what they gave up for FS Tebucky Jones last season; Kansas City has salary cap room and still needs to improve their defense, but it isn't obvious what they could trade in return; Houston was interested before the draft according to jsonline.com, but they are pretty tight against the salary cap when you consider the cost of signing their rookies; Philadelphia, San Diego, and Seattle all have some salary cap room, but no other obvious reason to trade for McKenzie.

The entire NFL has known that McKenzie wanted a trade, and any sincerely interested team could have approached the Packers by this point, but apparently no one has done it. It seems unlikely that the Packers and McKenzie will find a trading partner that suits both of them.

As May is the dead time between the draft plus first mini-camp until the June cuts plus June mini-camps, I wanted to take a look at the rest of the NFC North. Did each team address their biggest weakness in the offseason? Did any team break up a strength?

Detroit. So many holes, so little time... Detroit had no running back deserving to start and no wide receiver deserving to start opposite WR Charles Rogers, so RB Kevin Jones and WR Roy Williams filled two needs. Detroit did not address their anemic pass rush. Detroit improved their run defense by drafting LB Teddy Lehman and their offensive line signing free agent OL Damian Woody, but both their run defense and the offensive line played well in 2003. Their biggest hole is at quarterback where QB Joey Harrington improved his completion percentage and QB rating in 2003, but regressed in Defense-adjusted Points Above Replacement as calculated by footballoutsiders.com. Unfortunately for Harrington, you can compare his career path so far to fellow Detroit QB Rick Mirer, which is not company Harrington should keep. Detroit should continue to struggle if Harrington stays on the Mirer career path while they continue to have no pass rush and their top rookies are learning their key offensive positions.

One mini-camp was all it took to tell the Packers that undrafted rookie free agent WR Chris Shreve was not meant to be on the team. Shreve had one asset, speed, but that was apparently all he had to offer. On the other hand, undrafted rookie free agent DE Jadae McGuire from Division II West Virginia Tech apparently showed enough to earn a contract. Defensive end is still wide open besides DE KGB, so who knows. Both the release and the signing were reported by jsonline.com.

Jsonline.com has a number of articles about what's going on with the secondary. The competition to start alongside CB Al Harris and FS Darren Sharper is wide open, and will probably remain so until the regular season starts. I'm not even considering CB Mike McKenzie because I still think he is crazy enough to sit out the season, although he hasn't missed a paycheck yet.

Jsonline.com also had another article trying to justify drafting P B.J. Sander. It can't be justified. He shouldn't have been drafted until the 6th or 7th round, and Sander is a longshot to be worth the 3rd round pick. If he really becomes the consistant directional punter the Packers think he can be, then he will be worth it, but the odds are against it happening.

At least the Packers haven't signed QB Damon Huard. QB Kerry Collins seems to be attracting attention from Oakland, according to Yahoo Sports, and when Al Davis wants someone, he usually gets him. Collins seems like a perfect Davis veteran, been to a Super Bowl, not much left in the tank, type of signing. Collins would probably be more interested in Oakland than the Packers because QB Rich Gannon is older and more fragile than QB Brett Favre. Plus, I think Oakland would consider making Gannon a cap casualty in June 2005, while the Packers would never let Favre end his days as a Packer because of the salary cap. QB Tim Couch is still looking for a job, but I haven't read about any teams other than the Packers and Chicago who are interested in him. Both Chicago and the Packers are strictly backup jobs, although its more likely Couch could start in Chicago. Right now I can't imagine any team trading for Couch, and more teams might appear as possible suitors once Cleveland releases Couch in June.

Overall, I would rather see QB Craig Nall have an opportunity than bringing in either Collins or Couch, while keeping QB Doug Pederson on as the 3rd quarterback and stashing rookie QB Scott McBride on the practice squad.

I'm getting inside the head of the Packers. I write an entry speculating that there is no way Michael Westbrook remains a Packer on the same day he is cut. There are probably a number of teams interested in Westbrook for depth in their secondary.

Jsonline.com reported that Damon Huard visited Green Bay as a possible backup quarterback. Ugh. Huard put up some respectable stats as a starter in 1999 for Miami (4-1 record along with 8 TD, 4 INT, 57.9% completion percentage, and 79.8 passer rating) before showing nothing for Miami in 2000 (60.2 passer rating) and finding himself released after the season. On the other hand, in 2003 he showed that 1 incomplete pass attempt for the season garners a QB the passer rating of 39.6. Huard's stats in 1999 and 2000 are very similar to the 62.9 rating in 1999 with Philadelphia and the 56.6 rating in 2000 with Cleveland that Doug Pederson managed to post on two bad offensive teams. Huard is a few years younger than Pederson, but it is unlikely that Huard is better than Pederson. Even with the talk surrounding Tim Couch and Kerry Collins as possible backups, it could be better to stick with the status quo and have faith in Craig Nall.

Jsonline.com reported that the Packers signed two more rookie free agents, WR Chris Day and LB Jermaine Taylor. Day is short (5'11") and small (178 lbs.) and has to be a real long shot to make the team. On the other hand, he is in good company with fellow short and small wide receivers Carl Ford, Antonio Chatman and Donald Driver. Taylor is short for a linebacker (5'10") and there are probably very few linebackers under 6' playing in the NFL. It doesn't help Taylor that he is trying to make the leap from Division III to the NFL.

Packersnews.com reported that Mike McKenzie's ex-agent Brian Parker was his fourth agent in the last five years? Very weird.

Jsonline.com reported that Bryant Westbrook is recovering from his second achilles tendon tear suffered last August, although he is unlikely to practice with the team until training camp. This was his second achilles tendon tear in three seasons. Westbrook is a lost superstar; in his first 51 NFL starts prior to turning 26 years old, he had 11 interceptions, 3 interception returns for touchdowns, and 66 pass defenses. In 2000, he was on pace for his third season of 20+ pass defenses in his first four seasons (he missed half of the 1999 season with injuries) before his first achilles tendon tear. Only 5 cornerbacks recorded 20+ pass defenses in 2003 in the NFL, only 4 cornerbacks did it in 2002, and none of the players who did it in 2002 repeated the feat in 2003.

Westbrook is not the same player he was before his injuries. His speed must be a shadow of its former self, because the Packers have no intention of keeping him at cornerback and he is only playing safety, according to jsonline.com. He was a great pickup in 2002, when the Packers were suffering from injuries in the secondary, but he will have a hard time keeping his job with the Packers this season. There are four safeties (Darren Sharper, Mark Roman, Marques Anderson, and Curtis Fuller) with swing men Bhawoh Jue and Michael Hawthorne likely to see time at both safety and cornerback. Westbrook probably has a couple of seasons left in him at a safety position, but probably not with the Packers.

Mike McKenzie fired his agent according to jsonline.com. It sounds like McKenzie isn't getting what he wants, a new contract and a trade to a new team. Neither of these things are going to happen for McKenzie, so it looks like the messenger was shot. He probably wasn't too thrilled to read that Brett Favre and Ahman Green were quoted on jsonline.com as saying McKenzie should honor his contract and report for mini camp. I don't know if this is a good sign that McKenzie wants to make some sort of a deal and report to camp quickly, or if he wants a new agent to force the Packers into trading him.

Jsonline.com is usually gushing with praise for the Packers front office and coaches, that is what beat writers are supposed to do, but they had an article that was very critical of drafting P B.J. Sander in the 3rd round, and especially critical of their decision to trade up to draft him. As I've said before, I would never draft a kicker, because punters and place kickers are too inconsistant. Sander can expect a lot of criticism because of his high draft selection. Its unlikely that the Packers 4th and 5th round picks would have made an impact on the team, only 6 players the Packers have drafted in the 4th or 5th round are still with the team, but still the Packers have success historically in these rounds. Excluding previous 4th and 5th round picks that are starting in the NFL, QB Mark Brunell, QB Aaron Brooks, and WR Corey Bradford, the Packers drafted DEs KGB and Aaron Kampman, LB Na'il Diggs, RB Najeh Davenport, QB Craig Nall, and DT James Lee. 6 of the 11 last picks by the Packers in the 4th and 5th rounds are still with the team. If the Packers have a 50% success rate with 4th and 5th round picks, then the Packers essentially traded one of those players for a punter.

Another problem with trading this draft's fourth and fifth round picks for the pick that brought in Sander is that the Packers could have used either of the picks to draft a wide receiver, and this year's draft was deep in wide receivers. The Packers are set at their top 3 receiver spots with WRs Donald Driver, Javon Walker, and Robert Ferguson, but after those three, its a bare cupboard. Only WR Carl Ford has showed any promise, and that was only during last preseason because the Packers hid him on the injured reserve for all of 2003. This explains why rookie free agent wide receivers Sam Breeden and Chris Shreve were brought into minicamp. The Packers have no intention of bringing back WR Antonio Freeman, they gave his number 86 to Ford, but Driver, Walker and Ferguson all missed time with injuries in 2003, so I would expect the Packers will be signing a veteran free agent to back them up at some point this summer.

Mark Hatley signed a contract extension to remain in the Packers' front office, acting as the number 2 personal guru behind Mike Sherman. Hatley did a good job rebuilding Chicago after the Dave Wannstedt era, acquiring all of the important players involved with Chicago's great 13-3 season in 2001. While in Chicago, he drafted such studs as Brian Urlacher, and he also drafted such duds as Cade McNown; such is the mixed resume that makes up every general manager's resume (although Hatley wasn't the "general manager" in title, because the McCaskey family were such control freaks that Chicago didn't have a general manager from 1985-2001). The Packers have become a better team since Hatley's arrival, so its good to see he will remain with the Packers.

One thing that was mentioned on ESPN during the draft was that the CB Ahmad Carroll played man-to-man coverage at Arkansas, and that was needed by all teams in the NFL because the league would be enforcing the rule that defenders can't put their hands on receivers after 5 yards from the line of scrimmage. This was an issue last season, especially since keeping their hands on the receivers during their routes was a main part of the strategy used by Carolina's secondary in the playoffs. As jsonline.com reports, this isn't a new rule, just an actual enforcement of existing rules. Who knows if the NFL will actually improve their enforcement in this area, but it might take away some of the glamour from cover 2 coverage schemes in 2004.

Nate Wayne won his dispute over a roster bonus according to jsonline.com . As usual, the lawyer screwed up. Apparently the NFL told the Packers they had until March 10 to make a roster decision with Wayne, while they actually had to make up their mind on March 9. I always expected the Packers to lose this battle, and it especially hurts because the entire reason why they cut Wayne was to avoid paying this bonus. The only consulation in this whole matter is that Philadelphia wasn't too impressed with Wayne's play last season, so Wayne isn't playing at the level he did a couple of seasons ago.

I forgot to mention one other player as a possible third tight end for next season. Jsonline.com reminded me that converted linebacker TE Tony Donald is playing in NFL Europe, and the Packers are keeping a close eye on him. Donald and rookie free agent TE Keith Willis will have to show something in camp to make an impression and make the roster, because the Packers are keeping the phone number for TE Wesley Walls handy. It didn't hurt the Packers last season, but with Walls and TE David Martin as the Packers options as the second tight end in short yardage situations, the Packers often brought in backup T Kevin Barry as tight end eligible. It limited the plays the Packers could run, and reduced the opportunities for QB Brett Favre to throw to the tight end. Martin and Walls bring the same type of game, weak in blocking but strong pass receiving skills. The fact that Walls isn't in camp makes it appear that the Packers would rather have Donald or Willis make the team, rather than ask Walls to return.