Packers to open 2008 in primetime

The Packers will open their 2008 season on Monday Night Football on September 8, 2008 against the rival Minnesota Vikings. Kickoff time is slated for 7 PM ET at Lambeau Field. This is the fourth time the Packers will open their season on a Monday Night. In their previous tries the team is 3-0. The Packers last Monday night opener was a 24-14 win over the Carolina Panthers in 2004. The last Monday night home game for the Packers came November 21, 2005, also against the Minnesota Vikings. There is speculation on whether or not the Packers will use this occasion to retire Brett Favre's #4.

This game will also be a pressure cooker for Aaron Rodgers, who will be making his first career NFL start. This will be the first time a quarterback other than Brett Favre was started a game for the Packers since September 1992.

In their previous five Monday night meetings with the Vikings, the Packers are 2-3, dating back to 1997. The most memorable meeting between these two teams was on November 6, 2000, when Antonio Freeman made a juggling/diving 43-yard touchdown catch to give the Packers a 26-20 victory.

My early prediction: Green Bay 27, Minnesota 20

PPP: Wide Receivers

Excuse the interruption please.

Wide receiver was probably the most successful position for the Packers in 2007. Donald Driver continued to show he is one of the best in the league, while Greg Jennings emerged as a star. Rookie James Jones started out hot but faded for a bit. He still played an intricate role in the offense. After coming back from suspension, Koren Robinson teamed with Ruvell Martin to round out the dangerous Big 5 offensive formation.

Donald Driver
Rec: 82
Yds: 1,048
TDs: 2
AVG: 12.8
Long: 47

Driver continued to lead a young Packers receiving corps in 2007. Driver's play was phenomenal down the stretch, especially in games such as the Thanksgiving matchup against the Detroit Lions where Driver recorded 10+ receptions and 100+ yards. Age is slowly catching up with Driver, but he remained Brett Favre's favorite target even though Jennings emerged as a more than viable option. I expect that next year Driver will take on the roll of the second receiver and be new quarterback Aaron Rodgers' veteran presence.

Greg Jennings
Rec: 53
Yds: 920
TDs: 12
AVG: 17.4
Long: 82t

The 2007 season was Jennings' breakout performance. He became Favre's big play target while establishing himself as one of the NFL's best WRs. He's young and fast and could be poised to take over the number one receiver spot from Driver. Jennings could definitely be a Pro Bowl receiver next year.

James Jones
Rec: 47
Yds: 676
TDs: 2
AVG: 14.4
Long: 79t

Jones came out of nowhere as a third-round pick from San Jose State and showed he could be a good wide receiver. He got off to a fast start, but after the Chicago game in which he fumbled on two consecutive possessions in the red zone, his looks diminished extremely. Favre compared him to former Packers wide receiver Sterling Sharpe and it is said that Jones has "hands of glue." Jones should get more chances next year as he grows, gets mature, and, hopefully, gets better.

Koren Robinson
Rec: 21
Yds: 241
TDs: 1
AVG: 11.5
Long: 43

I have read that Robinson will not be back next year, but I have yet to read into that claim. After he came off of suspension, Robinson gave the Packers their much needed fifth option to create mismatches. Robinson also boosted the kick return game. Robinson would be missed if he does not come back, but he would leave a void for Martin to fill.

Ruvell Martin
Rec: 16
Yds: 242
TDs: 4
AVG: 15.1
Long: 36

At 6'4", Martin is oozing with potential. He has shown just flashes of brilliance to the disappointment of many, but he became a great red zone target with his four touchdown receptions in 2007. If he continues to develop and build up a rapport with Rodgers, he could have a very bright future ahead of him.

2007 Grade: A-

2008 Outlook
Next season looks very bright for these young stars as they continue to develop. Driver is getting old, but the emergence of Jennings and Jones can help offset Driver's negative progression. There will be growing pains as many of these guys are young, and they will have to deal with a new quarterback in Rodgers. However, we can still expect these receivers to produce in 2008.

2008 Projected Grade: B+

Draft Needs
I suggested in a past entry that James Hardy be the solution for the Packers wide receivers, as he would join Martin as a big physical presence. He is slated as late first-round, early second-round pick, and the common consensus is the Packers will draft a cornerback with their first round pick, making it unlikely they will draft him. Other potential draft picks could be Andre Caldwell from Florida, Earl Bennett from Vanderbilt, Mario Manningham from Michigan, and Jordy Nelson from Kansas State. Those are the wide receivers I would see them taking in the second/third-round time period. Other wide receivers that could be available later in the draft are Louisville's Harry Douglas, Coastal Carolina's Jerome Simpson, Appalachian State's Dexter Jackson, Oklahoma State's Adarius Bowman, and Michigan's Adrian Arrington. I almost definitely see the Packers picking up a wide receiver at some point during the draft.

PPP: Fullbacks

Although I did not put this position on the initial PPP introductions, I feel it is necessary to cover the fullback position, at is one of the most underappreciated, yet important, positions on the football field. The Packers carried two fullbacks on their roster in 2007: Korey Hall and John Kuhn. Hall, a rookie from Boise State who was converted from linebacker, was the opening day starter. He combined with Brandon Jackson for first rookie backfield on opening day in Packers history (correct me if I am wrong). Kuhn was acquired from the Pittsburgh Steelers the week before the season started.

Korey Hall
Rushes: 0
Yards: 0
AVG: 0.0
TDs: 0
Long: 0
Rec: 8
Yards: 49
TDs: 0
AVG: 6.1
Long: 10
ST Tackles: 12

As evidenced by the stats of both Kuhn and Hall, the fullbacks in the Packers system are used more for blocking than for receiving or rushing. Hall saw the most action this season, playing in 14 games (10 starts), primarily as the blocking back for Ryan Grant. He suffered a few nagging injuries at the end of the season, but was back for the playoffs. Hall played linebacker at Boise State and made a great conversion over to the offensive side of the ball. The coaches raved about his ability to change over to the offensive side of the ball. Hall was still able to use his defensive prowess, however, as he ranked tied for third on the team in special teams tackles. Hall's role will proceed to grow next season, both on the offensive side of the ball and on special teams.

John Kuhn
Rushes: 0
Yards: 0
AVG: 0
TDs: 0
Long: 0
Rec: 2
Yards: 7
TDs: 0
AVG: 3.5
Long: 5
ST Tackles: 11

Kuhn was acquired shortly before the season start and found it hard to find game action. He appeared in all 16 games, starting one. Kuhn found a niche on special teams, finishing tied for sixth on the team in special teams tackles. I'm not sure if the Packers expect to bring him back next season to continue in his role backing up Hall.

2007 Grade: B-

2008 Outlook
Both fullbacks will get better with experience. Once Hall and running back Ryan Grant develop a rapport, the duo should take off. Hall is one of the brightest prospects on the Packers and has a great future ahead. For Kuhn, I am not really sure what 2008 brings. He is under contract, but I am not sure if he will make it through camp. The Packers do like to use two fullback sets, so he should have a pretty good chance to return.

2008 Projected Grade: B

Draft Needs
None.

PPP: QBs Re-evaluated

With the retirement of Brett Favre, I have decided to re-evaluate the position of quarterback for the Packer Position Profiles series, as Aaron Rodgers is the new starter. I'm not going to re-do the whole blog, just a few sections.

2008 Outlook
With the aforementioned departure of Favre, Rodgers is now "the man." Rodgers will be counted on to replace some of Favre's production on the field. However, the emergence of Ryan Grant at running back significantly reduces the pressure on Rodgers. The key to Rodgers' performance will be the regression or progression of the offensive line. Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher are aging, while Scott Wells, Jason Spitz, Darryn Colledge, and Junius Coston were very inconsistent last year. The key for a young quarterback's success or failure in the NFL usually depends on offensive line play. That will be the key for Rodgers. The Packers only carried two quarterbacks on their roster last season, until Rodgers' hamstring injury, but I expect the Packers to carry three this season. Craig Nall could re-sign now that he has a chance to compete for the job or the Packers could make a deal for a veteran quarterback.

The Green Bay Press-Gazette is reporting that the Packers could go after veteran quarterback to provide more leadership and mentoring for Rodgers. Among the mentioned quarterbacks are Mark Brunell, Gus Frerotte, Trent Green, Kelly Holcomb, Jamie Martin, and Vinny Testaverde. Other younger quarterbacks mentioned are Byron Leftwich, Daunte Culpepper, and J.P. Losman. In my opinion, none of these options are particularly appealing. To me, the best option would be to bring Brunell in to mentor Rodgers and be the backup. Brunell, a former Packer, does not have anything left in the tank and would not be brought in to start, giving him opportunity to be a mentor, a job I think he could handle. Signing Leftwich or Culpepper would only be necessary in an emergency, as neither of these guys really wants to be a backup, and fact is, neither are that good of a quarterback either. If need be, they could probably hold down the fort for another year or two for Rodgers, but their addition would be totally unnecessary. All I have to say about Losman is that if the Packers traded for him, Ted Thompson would lose a lot of credibility.

2008 Projected Grade: B- (down from B+)

Draft Needs
In the initial edition of PPP: Quarterbacks, I said that the Packers could take a flyer and possibly select someone like Ricky Santos or Josh Johnson in the later rounds. Now I feel that the Packers almost definitely will. With Johnson's combine performance, I do not think he would be available in later rounds and his does not seem like it would be a good fit for the Packers. His 4.4 speed would be nice, but it is not what the Packers need. I could see the Packers taking a risk on Penn State's Anthony Morelli or San Diego State's Kevin O'Connell. Both are big (Morelli is 6'4" while O'Connell is 6'6") and have great arms. The Packer taking a quarterback above the third round would be a reach in my opinion. I will predict that a quarterback will be picked between the third and fifth rounds. Johnson, Santos, Morelli, or O'Connell are the top four I see the Packers choosing from, if they do choose a quarterback.

Your thoughts on the Packers quarterback situation?

Passing of the Torch

With the retirement of Brett Favre, the Aaron Rodgers era officially begins. As I said before, I am perfectly fine with Brett's retirement, but the adjustment is still there. As Packer fans, it is time to accept the Aaron Rodgers era with open arms. We know Brett had an amazing career and there are not enough superlatives to describe it. So I'm not going to try. There are plenty of people singing his praises already, and I will choose to do so, only not on this blog.

So without further a due, Aaron Rodgers, starting quarterback of the Green Bay Packers.

At a Super Bowl press conference, coach Mike McCarthy said that Rodgers is "the man" after Favre's retirement. Well Mr. Rodgers, you are officially "the man." So let's learn a little about the man.

Aaron Charles Rodgers was born December 2, 1983 in Chico, California. Rodgers was a two-year starting quarterback at Pleasant Valley High School in Chico, where he set state records with 440 all-purpose yards and 6 touchdowns in one game and 2,466 total yards in a season. Rodgers gained 4,419 passing yards in his two years at quarterback. Lightly recruited out of college, Rodgers' only offer was to walk-on at Illinois, an offer which he declined. Rodgers attended Butte College, leading them to a 10-1 record, and decided to transfer to a Division I school after his sophomore year.

California coach Jeff Tedford discovered Rodgers while recruiting another player, and offered him a scholarship. Rodgers arrived on campus in 2003 and started in the fifth game of the season against Illinois. Rodgers started the rest of the year leading Cal to an 8-6 record, including a victory over USC in his second start. Rodgers also started the Insight Bowl against Virginia Tech, a game which the Golden Bears won. He tied the school record for 300-yard games with five and had only 1.43% of his passes intercepted, a school record.

In his junior campaign, Rodgers helped Cal acquire a No. 4 ranking in the regular season. The Golden Bears lost only one game that year, a 23-17 overtime heartbreaker to USC, a game in which he completed 23 consecutive passes. Rodgers also set a school record for completion percentage in that game, completing 85.3% of his passes. Rodgers shared Cal's Offensive MVP award in 2004 while being named First Team All-Pac 10 and Honorable Mention All-American. After a 45-31 Holiday Bowl loss to Texas Tech, Rodgers decided to enter the 2005 NFL Draft.

Going into the draft, the San Francisco 49ers were thought to pick either Utah quarterback Alex Smith or Rodgers with the first pick in the draft. This decision was a hot news story in the days leading up to the draft, creating much debate on who should be picked first. San Francisco opted to choose Smith, who has had a below-mediocre career, over Rodgers. Thus began Rodgers' freefall to the Packers at the 24^th pick. Rodgers was at the draft, which created one of the worst P.R. nightmares in draft history, as he was ushered off into a side-room during the draft.

He signed to a rookie contract worth $7.7 million with $5.4 million guaranteed over five years. The contract could be worth up to $24.5 million if all incentives were met. Rodgers spent the Packers 4-12 season as backup to Favre, and saw limited game action against the New Orleans Saints and Baltimore Ravens. In his second year, Rodgers relieved Favre after an injury in a 35-0 loss against New England and broke his foot, ending his 2006 campaign. In 2007, Rodgers was again relegated to backup duty, but got his first taste of the spotlight. Against Dallas on November 29, 2007, Favre suffered an arm injury and Rodgers rallied the Packers from a 17-point deficit to within three points, before the Packers succumbed 37-27. Rodgers oozed potential in this game, completing 18 of 26 passes for 201 yards and his first career touchdown. The next week in practice, Rodgers pulled his hamstring and did not see action for the rest of the season.

If Rodgers wants to be "the man" in Green Bay, he will have to overcome many different obstacles. First off, he has an unreasonably large pair of shoes to fill. Second, he has plenty of doubters. Scouts criticized his size before the draft, saying that, at 6'2", he was too small to play quarterback in the NFL. There are also questions about his pedigree, as many speculate he is just a Tedford product. In his career as a college coach at Fresno State, Oregon, and Cal, Tedford has had six quarterbacks picked in the first round, including Rodgers, Trent Dilfer, Akili Smith, Joey Harrington, and Kyle Boller. Quite the list there, eh?

However, Rodgers is not that green. He has sat for three years behind one of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time. Although Favre was initially reluctant to help Rodgers learn the ropes, he came around and provided some leadership to the young quarterback. Rodgers has a multiple offensive weapons at his disposal as well. Ryan Grant will take a huge amount of pressure of Rodgers, giving the Packers a reliable running game and easing reliance on the pass. Rodgers has one of the best young corps of receivers to rely on as well, with Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, and James Jones. However, if the Packers want Rodgers to be able to do anything, they will need to shore up a mercurial offensive line. The key to Rodgers' performance will be the aging Mark Tauscher and Chad Clifton along with the young guys up front. If they are not able to mesh, Rodgers will be taking a seat. Often.

Brett Favre is gone. We must accept that, as hard as it is. I myself may be taking this a little hard, as I am in a four-day mourning period where I am wearing my Favre jersey non-stop, before putting it away until the first Packers game of next year.

As Packer fans and PackerNation, we must give Aaron Rodgers our full support.

And yes, ladies, he is single.

The End of an Era

On March 4, 2008, at approximately 11:34 AM, I learned the shocking news that Brett Favre is walking away from the game after 17 years in the league when my AP Euro teacher logged onto Yahoo! I shortly confirmed the story thereafter.

Due to the fact that I am still in school and should be studying for a Spanish test, I will post more later updating the developments of this news story that has yet to sink in. Please stay with PackerNation for more developments in this turn events.

Thanks.

And please, PackerNation, be rational. No suicides.

--DJ

Poll Results: March 3, 2008

The first PackerNation poll has come to a close. The question "Will Brett Favre return next season?" received 57 responses. Fifty (50) voters, or 87% of the vote, said that Favre will indeed return next season while seven (7) voters, or 12% of the vote said that Favre will not return next season.

Many people inside and outside the Packers organization feel that Favre will return, including new team president Mark Murphy who told the Associated Press that he is confident about Favre's return. Others, including head coach Mike McCarthy do feel that Favre will return, but that he needs his space and to take his time in the decision.

On Sunday, NFL.com's Adam Schefter reported that Favre would not return if the Packers did not acquire or at least try to acquire New England Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss in free agency. I feel that the Packers do need a big Moss-like wide receiver in their corps, although Ruvell Martin could eventually fill that bill. Someone like Indiana wide receiver James Hardy, whom I have already mentioned, would be a great addition. I feel that Favre's decision should not totally hinge on the addition of Moss, but it would definitely help the team to add him.
This week's poll is "Was trading Corey Williams to the Cleveland Browns a good move?" The poll will stay up for approximately one week, until March 10, 2008. Vote, and make your opinion heard on the matters of the Packers.

Goodbye, franchise

The Green Bay Packers traded franchised defensive tackle Corey Williams to the Cleveland Browns on Friday for a second-round draft pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. The Packers had franchised Williams, who was set to start free agency, earlier in February. Williams was set to earn $6.363 million as the Packers franchise player, but the mega-deal received by Raiders defensive tackle Tommy Kelly obviously scared the Packers off a bit, as it did seem logical to for the team to pump that type of money into a player who has limited action under his belt. Making the decision easier for the Packers is the amount of depth at the defensive tackle position. Colin Cole and Johnny Jolly are the favorites for next year's starting jobs, as both performed very well in 2007 before being derailed by injuries. The Packers 2007 first-round pick, Justin Harrell, looks to also be a major player in the defensive line rotation in 2008.

The Browns signed Williams to a six-year contract worth $38 million with $16.3 million guaranteed. The Browns look to have one of the top defensive lines in 2008, also acquiring Shaun Rogers from the Lions in exchange for Leigh Bodden and a third-round pick.

PPP: Running Backs

The second in the Packer Position Profiles series.

The Packers opened the 2007 season with multiple question marks at running back after the departure of long-time running back Ahman Green. The Packers came into camp with two rookies and injured veteran vying for the open position. Noah Herron was placed on injured reserve during training camp, taking him out of the running for the job and possibly ending his Packers career, while Vernand Morency suffered a knee injury in camp, effectively removing him from the race. The two horses left in camp were Brandon Jackson, a second-round pick from Nebraska, and DeShawn Wynn, a seventh-round pick from Florida. Jackson was the victor coming out of camp, but a little-thought of wild-card was entered into the draw with the acquisition of Ryan Grant from the New York Giants one week before the season opener.

Jackson earned the start for the first three games of the season and performed questionably before he was usurped by Wynn. Wynn started four games before being injured in Week 8 against Denver. This gave Green Bay their third starting running back of the season with Grant. Grant almost single-handedly (I know some credit has to go to a young and developing offensive line) turned the Packers non-existent running game into one of the most feared in the league, balancing out one of the league's top offenses. Grant took pressure off of Brett Favre and the passing game, making the offense even more effective. After returning from injury, Morency was primarily used as a third-down back and had more receiving yards than rushing yards.

Ryan Grant
Rushes: 188
Yards: 956
AVG: 5.1
TDs: 8
Long: 66t
Rec: 30
Yards: 145
TDs: 0
AVG: 4.8
Long: 21

Best Game: Week 14 vs. Oakland
Rushes: 29
Yards: 156
AVG: 5.4
TDs: 1
Long: 26
Rec: 2
Yards: 6
TDs: 0
AVG: 3.0
Long: 5

Grant proved to be somewhat of a savior for the Packers offense in 2007. At the beginning of the season, the Packers offense was almost strictly one-dimensional, but after Week X vs. Denver, Grant helped turn the tide of the offense. Despite his great performance, Grant displayed some glaring inconsistencies. He never ran for more than 100 yards in consecutive games, and his statistics were the benefactor of the big play multiple times. In Week 16 against Chicago, Grant ran 14 times for 100 yards, an average of 7.1 yards per carry. However, 90 of those yards came on two carries, his 66-yard touchdown run and a 24-yard scamper later in the game. That leaves him with 12 carries for 10 yards, and average of 0.83 yards per carry. If Grant wants to stick around and be a great back, he will have to avoid more situations such as this one. Regardless of these problems, Grant proved he could be an NFL running back. He does require an insurance policy in my opinion, however.

Brandon Jackson
Rushes: 75
Yards: 267
AVG: 3.6
TDs: 1
Long: 44
Rec: 16
Yards: 130
TDs: 0
AVG: 8.1
Long: 16

Best Game: Week 17 vs. Detroit
Rushes: 20
Yards: 113
AVG: 5.6
TDs: 0
Long: 46
Rec: 2
Yards: 22
TDs: 0
AVG: 11.0
Long: 13

Jackson left camp as the starter, although he was on rocky footing for most of the time. As three games as the starter, he failed to perform up to expectations. Jackson was then demoted to spot duty and special teams. Coach Mike McCarthy feels that Jackson could become a special teams ace in the future.

DeShawn Wynn
Rushes: 50
Yards: 203
AVG: 4.1
TDs: 4
Long: 44
Rec: 9
Yards: 73
TDs: 0
AVG: 8.1
Long: 18

Best Game: Week 5 vs. Chicago
Rushes: 13
Yards: 78
AVG: 6.0
TDs: 1
Long: 44
Rec: 1
Yards: 13
TDs: 0
AVG: 13.0
Long: 13

Wynn seized the starting job in Week 4 after seeing limited action in the first three games of the season. Wynn was successful, but was injured on his first carry in Week 8 at Denver. If he had not been injured, he most likely would continued to be the feature back in McCarthy's system, and we would have never heard of Ryan Grant. I would expect Wynn to be the second string running back at camp next year unless Jackson makes significant strides.

Vernand Morency, the primary third-down running back last year, is expected to leave in free agency, along with Noah Herron, was put on IR after a knee injury in training camp.

2007 Grade: B

2008 Outlook
The outlook for 2008 is much clearer than it was for 2007. In 2007, no one knew who the starting running back would be week-in and week-out. After Week 8, however, Grant emerged and helped carry the team into the playoffs. I do not think Grant will be able to repeat his 2007 performance. People now know who he is and they will be sure to put someone on him and start to gameplan around him. Grant will not be able to take the league by storm as he did in 2007. Also, Grant needs to develop some consistency and gets his yards per carry average up and not rely on really long runs for most of his yards.

2008 Projected Grade: B

Draft Needs
None at the moment. I could see the Packers making a minor veteran pickup in free agency or drafting one the guys ranked outside the top 15 on NFL Draft Watch in the late rounds.