Packers offseason report lists B.J. Raji as "out of shape"

Yesterday, a Packers offseason report listed nose tackle B.J. Raji as "out of shape." In response to the semi-controversial report, Raji had this to say: 

"I think I'm in pretty good shape," he said. "I'm not going to say I was in tip-top shape coming back, but that's what the off-season's for. So everybody came back, and I know those reports got out there. I can't worry about that. I only worry about three or four people and that's Ted (Thompson), (Mike) McCarthy, Dom (Capers) and 'Trgo' (position coach Mike Trgovac). If anybody else has something to say, that's their business."

Whether he actually is in shape or not, it probably won't matter come preseason.

 

Position Review: Tight End

When the reporters got a chance to watch practice this week, one of the players who stood out was TE Andrew Quarless, who missed all of 2012 because of a 2011 knee injury.

Finally healthy, #Packers Andrew Quarless hopes to provide depth charge at tight end --- bit.ly/11ausIY
— Tyler Dunne (@TyDunne) May 29, 2013

While the big news in March was that TE Jermichael Finley is staying, and he should be the starter in 2013, he only has one more year on his contract. The future might belong to Quarless, who will turn 25 next season.

Previous Position Reviews: Wide Receivers, Offensive Line-Guards and Tackles, Offensive Line-Center

Quarless has the advantage because he's a complete player. He and free agent signee TE Matthew Mulligan are acknowledged as the blocking tight ends. As a rookie, he didn't shine as Finley's replacement in 2010 (21 catches for 238 yards and 1 TD), but he was a very good receiver in college (41 receptions in 2009). If he earns a featured role this season, he might never come off the field.

Prior to his 2010 knee injury, Finley looked like he was on his way to becoming a dynamic receiving threat. While that hasn't happened, he still had 61 receptions in 2012. Mike McCarthy said it was Finley's best season and he still considers him a "matchup challenge for defenses." He also improved as last season progressed, so it's possible his breakout is still coming (he just turned 26 in March). With WR Greg Jennings's free agent departure, it might lead to more two tight end sets that use both Quarless and Finley as receiving options.

Mulligan was mentioned earlier as the other blocking tight end. He looks like the replacement for TE Tom Crabtree, who received a two-year contract from the Buccaneers. But he'll be challenged for a roster spot by TE Brandon Bostick, who appears to have played fullback/H-back in college, and probably by the other fullbacks because they're just as likely to be used as an extra blocker and special teams player. He's not a lock for the roster and there's no salary cap implications if they release him (one-year, $820,000).

Then there are the receiving tight ends; Ryan Taylor, D.J. Williams, and Jake Stoneburner. I'm down on both Taylor and Williams. Neither one of them has shown much development over their two seasons, and over half of the passes thrown to Williams in his career have been incomplete. Taylor's seen even less playing time (2 career receptions) but I take it as a bad sign that he can't seem to move ahead of Williams. They might both be in trouble if the Packers decide to keep an extra linebacker or fullback instead. I'm a little surprised Stoneburner signed with the Packers, who obviously have a crowd at the position, but he's more potential than performance after an uninspiring college career.

Dom Capers wants Packers to force more fumbles in 2013

In an interview with ESPNWisconsin.com, Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers emphasized how much he wants his team to force and recover more fumbles in 2013. So far at the OTAs, the defense has done just that. 

“You see us going to the ball with a little more intensity, you see everybody poking at the ball, trying to get the ball out,” Capers said. “We’re just trying to get them conditioned mentally. You see us every time the ball is on the ground, you see someone scooping it. We’re treating it like it’s (a live ball) just to condition everybody to get to that ball, scoop the ball and to try to get the mentality of taking the ball away. In four years, we’re No. 1 in interceptions but we aren’t close in caused and recovered fumbles.”

In my opinion, the Packers don't necessarily need to force more fumbles to have success, but it'd definitely be a luxury. 

Packers, Eddie Lacy agree to four-year deal

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Packers and recently drafted Alabama running back Eddie Lacy have agreed to a four-year deal. Lacy is expected to compete with Alex Green, DuJan Harris, and 4th round draft pick Johnathan Franklin for carries in the Green Bay backfield. 

With the signing of the former SEC star, the Packers now only have one more draft pick left to sign: Datone Jones. While Jones hasn't been signed yet, it's a guarantee he will eventually. It really is only a matter of time. But forgetting Jones for a second, this signing is big. In my opinion, Lacy's the key to the Packers running game's success. 

Packers Raji wants to remain with team when his contract ends

According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal, longtime Packers defender B.J. Raji wants to remain with the team when his current contract ends. Here is his statement:

"Green Bay gave me my first opportunity, my first shot at this thing," Raji said. "Obviously I've had a great run here. I love the people here. It's a great organization, it's a great city for football. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."

The good news for him: the Packers and their fans probably want him back too. For his age, he's a very productive player. I see no reason why the Pack won't bring him back. 

The Press Got To Watch The Packers Practice

The Green Bay Packers are in the middle of their offseason program, which began on April 15th and it will end on June 14. Only a few practices are open to the public, and Tuesday May 28th was supposed to be one of them, until it got moved inside due to rain. So only the press got to watch it.

In position drills, Neal is with the OLB's.#Packers serious about the switch for now.
— Tyler Dunne (@TyDunne) May 28, 2013

Mike Neal's move from the defensive line to outside linebacker is probably the biggest story of the last two open practices. It's a little surprising, Neal did record 4.5 sacks last season, but his future probably isn't as a starter since they drafted DE Datone Jones in the 1st round. Of course, they drafted LB Nick Perry in the 1st round in 2012, so his future doesn't look promising as a linebacker either. This looks like a last chance for Neal.

There hasn't been much else to see or report, but Tyler Dunne has a good Twitter feed if you're interested. I'm glad to read that TE Andrew Quarless looks as good as ever, but you never know until you watch the preseason games. OL Don Barclay, after playing almost exclusively at offensive tackle last season, seems to be playing everywhere on the line. It's like they know they've got a good lineman in Barclay but they aren't sure what to do with him. DE Johnny Jolly, who's coming back from a three year suspension, still isn't with the team but Mike McCarthy didn't seem too concerned.

There's never much to see in May, but the coaches and players seem to be keeping busy and working to improve on last season. That's all that can be asked of them at this point.

Packers Ross moving on from crucial muff in playoffs

Remember Jeremy Ross, the guy who muffed that punt in the 49ers game that costed the Packers the lead? Well, today he told the Milwaukee JS that he's over that mistake. 

"I took one day after the game to kind of just feel bad about it, be discouraged about it, be upset, be sad, whatever," said Ross. "Then the next day I flushed it. I just tried my best to move forward. And think about OK, who am I trying to become now. What am I working toward?"

All I can say about this is, I'm happy for him. I hate it when athletes get death threats over stuff like this. Luckily, he didn't get any. If he did, he didn't deserve them. 

Packers want Dietrich-Smith to start at Center

According to multiple sources, the Packers want Evan Dietrich-Smith to start at Center for them in 2013. Smith took over the position late last season from Jeff Saturday. 

For the Packers, this move was an easy one. After Smith replaced Saturday last year, Rodgers got better protection and was able to run a much smoother offense. I guess there are some other options available, and I doubt that this decision is already official. But come preseason, expect to see Smith playing the first few series for the offense. If he is throughout the season, the longtime problem of protecting #12 will be near gone. 

Dumb rumor: Urlacher retired a Packer

It seems like every day this week some website somewhere has to poke fun at the recent retirement of Brian Urlacher. 

On Thursday, sportspickle.com reported that the longtime Bears LB had signed a one-day deal with the Packers in order to "go out a winner." Hopefully you already know this, but that report was obviously false. Anybody who's watched him in his career knows that he would never do something like that to Chicago. The article used a photoshopped picture of Urlacher wearing Packers apparel in the Lambeau Field press conference room, which you can see below. I don't know why I'm classifying this as news, but I might as well publish it now that it's done. 

Rodgers: "Urlacher was my favorite player to play against"

In an interview with CBS Sports' Jim Rome, Packers QB Aaron Rodgers praised former Bears LB Brian Urlacher, calling him "his favorite player to play against."

"I just have the utmost amount of respect for him, the way he plays the game," Rodgers told Rome on Wednesday. "A lot of memories come to mind. He picked me off a couple times, maybe more than anybody else has. But I had one really bad play in the NFC Championship [after the] 2010 season and was able to somehow grab his knee/thigh area enough to trip him up for a tackle [and prevent a touchdown]. One of my favorite memories going against Brian."

I can see why he says this. Urlacher was a good player. 

   

Rodgers: Packers should retire Favre's number

According to Bleacher Report, the richest player in the NFL, Packers QB Aaron Rodgers, wants the team to retire former QB Brett Favre's signature number 4. 

"I look forward to him being back in the fold, as Mark Murphy has said," Rodgers said, per ESPN. "I think it's time for our fans, this organization and Brett to heal through this and to move forward together before he gets the greatest honor of being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame."

In my opinion, they should do that. It's time for us to forgive Brett. He did a lot for the organization. 

Position Review: Wide Receivers

This week, the Green Bay Packers signed another wide receiver to bring the total number of wide receivers in camp up to 11. While the top three are locked in, the bottom six are all rookies who probably have to shine during the preseason to stick with the team.

Previously:
Position Review: Offensive Line Guards and Tackles
Position Review: Offensive Line-Center

Starters: Randall Cobb, James Jones, Jordy Nelson. No doubt about it.

The Packers will probably keep three other receivers, two on the 53-man roster and one on the practice squad, and here are the other eight candidates.

Jarrett Boykin. A late season ankle injury ended his rookie campaign early, but before that he looked like a reliable player who ran good routes without dropping passes. He's the early favorite to become the No. 4 wide receiver.

Jeremy Ross. The Packers didn't sign him to the practice squad until October 17, 2012 but he ended up playing in five games (plus playoffs). While he didn't have a single pass thrown to him, he looked like a dynamic return man after big games against the Titans and Vikings. Until this happened against the 49ers. He'll get another chance, but if he drops a punt or two during the preseason, I wouldn't be surprised if he's released.

Charles Johnson and Kevin Dorsey. The two receivers the Packers drafted in the 7th round. Johnson was a small school guy who impressed Mel Kiper Jr. (and obviously the Packers' scouts) while Dorsey was a No. 1 college wide receiver during an epic quarterback injury situation. They might find themselves on the practice squad at the start of the season.

Sederrik Cunningham, Alex Gillett, Tyrone Walker, Myles White. Gillett was just signed this week as he makes the switch from college QB to NFL WR. All four players are going to have a very hard time making even the practice squad.

In the end, while the players will have to learn the offense and train hard, what's going to separate them is whether they drop passes or fumble the ball during the preseason games. It wouldn't be a surprise to see them all stay in camp until the very last preseason game so the Packers can find out who they can trust with the ball.

Free agent LB Brian Urlacher retires

After 13 NFL seasons(all with the Bears), longtime LB Brian Urlacher has retired. Urlacher was expected to play somewhere next year, but couldn't find a team that wanted him enough. 

In those 13 years, Urlacher made 8 Pro-Bowl teams, 5 All-Pro teams, won the Brian Piccolo Award, won the Ed Block courage Award, won the Defensive Player of the year Award, and was a part of the '06 Bears team that made it to the Super Bowl. While everything he did in his career was against and not for the Packers, I will always respect him. He was a great player. 

Rookie Lineman Tretter Breaks His Ankle

I wrote on Monday about the offensive line and how it was going to be a topic of conversation at the start of OTAs. Unfortunately, I was not hoping that an injury would be the reason it's talked about:

Fourth-round draft choice JC Tretter is the Packers’ first casualty of the year: pckrs.com/z9g6
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) May 21, 2013

Given time, Tretter should make a full recovery. According to the Journal-Sentinel, his recovery should take several months, but he could return to the field this season. Tretter's injury was compared to Ryan Grant's broken ankle that he suffered during the first week of the 2010 season. Grant was placed on I.R. and there were rumors that Grant could have returned for the playoffs, if the Packers hadn't placed him on I.R. However, assuming Tretter can return this season, I can't imagine the Packers relying on an inexperienced lineman who's barely practiced all year during a playoff run. Even if Tretter can return in 2013, his season is effectively over.

It's not a big deal because this is what agent's do, but Tretter's agent did question why his client was practicing to slide anyway. Maybe this will make the coaches re-think some of their drills, but otherwise that probably won't be an issue.

It's too bad to lose a promising young lineman so early in the season, but these things happen in football. We'll just have to wait until 2014 for our first look at him.

Charles Woodson signs 1-year deal with Raiders

Finally, all this drama is over. In case you didn't hear, the Raiders, the only team who actually wanted Charles Woodson, have signed him to a 1-year deal. Woodson spent the first 8 years of his career in Oakland followed by 7 in Green Bay. 

While I'm happy our old friend finally found a home, I don't care a ton about this. In the upcoming season, Woodson probably won't play much or have a legitimate effect on the team. So again while I'm happy for him, this stuff isn't news. All the Raiders did was sign a guy nobody wanted.

Lester Bagley: We'll beat the Packers in the new stadium's opener

In a recent interview with a Minnesota news station, Vikings VP Lester Bagley stated that his team will beat the Packers when their new stadium opens in the fall of 2016. 

"The way the league is structured ... our very first regular-season game likely will be against the Green Bay Packers," Bagley said. "So it will be good to see Adrian Peterson break loose and score the first touchdown in the new stadium and run over Clay Matthews on his way to the end zone. We'll see. Hopefully we'll have the last word when we get to opening day in (September) 2016."

I won't argue this just because it can't be argued. But I do find this story interesting. 

Position Review: Offensive Line Guards and Tackles

When the OTAs (organized team activities) start this week for the Green Bay Packers, who's playing where on the offensive line will be a topic of conversation because Mike McCarthy said that Bryan Bulaga and Josh Sitton are moving to the left side of the line and the Packers drafted two rookie lineman in April. It's clear Bulaga and Sitton will be the starters, along with T.J. Lang at right guard, but the position (guard or tackle) and future of every other lineman on the roster is an open question.

Position Review: Offensive Line-Center. Though I wrote earlier about Evan Dietrich-Smith and Greg Van Roten, they're both listed as G/C so it wouldn't be a surprise to see either of them playing guard in the future. But right now, they're the top two centers.

Marshall Newhouse and Derek Sherrod. While their situations are different, Newhouse was displaced by Bulaga on the left side and Sherrod hasn't been able to get his career back on track after a major leg injury, they're probably options 1A and 1B at right tackle. Newhouse can certainly play there but they'd rather see Sherrod show the promise they saw when selected him in the 1st round in 2011. This is a big offseason for both players. The loser will probably wind up on another team's roster in 2014.

David Bakhtiari and J.C. Tretter. The problem for the winner of the Newhouse/Sherrod battle is that they might only win the starting job for one season before Bakhtiari and Tretter are ready. GM Ted Thompson has had success finding offensive lineman in the 4th round (Sitton, Lang) and he found two more in 2013. Both players look more talented then their draft selection would indicate. They might have been available in the 4th round only because it was a strong draft for offensive lineman and they played at two little watched schools (Bakhtiari at Colorado, Tretter at Cornell). Their futures might be at guard, so they should play both guard and tackle this preseason as the coaches get a better look at them. I wouldn't be surprised to see both of them become long-term answers on the offensive line.

Don Barclay, Andrew Datko, Kevin Hughes, Lane Taylor. Barclay beat out Datko last year to become their emergency starter at right tackle, but Datko might look better this year if the shoulder he injured during his senior season is stronger. The problem for all four players is that the Packers have more depth now then they've had over the past few seasons. There might not be any room for undrafted or former practice squad players this year. I count nine lineman ahead of these four players, and the Packers have only kept seven to eight lineman at the start of the last two seasons. Even if they kept nine, these players probably wouldn't make the cut.

The starting five aren't settled like they were a year ago, but there's more depth then ever and it could lead to a surprising mix on the offensive line in 2013.

Packers Bishop believes he's "capable" of winning defensive MVP

Around the time of the draft, the Packers were actively shopping their starting linebacker, Desmond Bishop. But now that he's still in Green Bay, the man who got hurt in last year's first preseason game has inflated his ego. Saying that he is "capable" of winning the defensive MVP Award in 2013. 

"Seriously," he said. "Why not? I know I'm capable."

While Bishop is overall pretty good, I don't think he's that good. He might have a good season, but he won't be an All-Pro type of guy. But on the bright side, at least he seems healthy. That can't be bad. 

Dwight Freeney signs 2-year deal with Chargers

After 11 seasons, 7 Pro Bowl appearances, and a Super Bowl title with the Colts, veteran NFL linebacker Dwight Freeney is leaving Indianapolis for the Chargers, agreeing to a two-year deal with the team yesterday. The deal is worth at least $8.75 million total plus incentives. 

"It's great to add a solid veteran who brings valuable experience to our defense," said Chargers coach Mike McCoy. "His proven pass-rush ability is a perfect fit for our defense."

In my opinion, this deal won't really help the Chargers but, like with the current Charles Woodson situation, Freeney deserves to play somewhere. 

Seahawks Irvin suspended four games for violating league's PED policy

Yesterday, the Seattle Seahawks announced that their second-year defensive end, Bruce Irvin, had been suspended four games without pay by the league for violating the NFL's PED policy. In the wake of the announcement, Irwin had this to say:

"I want to apologize to my teammates, coaches and Seahawks fans for making a mistake when I took a substance that is prohibited in the NFL without a medical exemption," Irvin said in a statement released by the team. "I am extremely disappointed in the poor judgment I showed and take full responsibility for my actions. I will not appeal the discipline and instead will focus my energy on preparing for the season so I can begin earning your trust and respect again. I look forward to contributing to the team the moment I return."

It's only four games, so it probably won't hurt them too much. But still, it's sad that a problem that we all thought was limited to baseball has stretched into the NFL.