Aaron Rodgers at Packers Family Night

Back for it’s twelfth year, the Packers’ Family Night festivities will take place on Friday, August 3rd, 2012. The festivities will include fun-filled activities for the kids,  the Packers intra-squad scrimmage, jersey give-aways and a fireworks show.

If the evening is anything like other recent Family Nights, rain may also be on the program. To that point, Packers president mark Murphy quipped, “We are guaranteeing good weather this year.”

Tickets will cost $10 and will go on sale at 9:00AM on June 25th. They can be purchased through Ticketmaster or in person at the Packers’ ticket office.  There is no ticket limit on purchases and special plans for groups of 50 or more are also available.

The festivities begin at 5:30PM, followed by practice drills at 6:30, the intra-squad scrimmage at 7:30 and finally the fireworks show to close out the evening.

For those unable to attend, the evening will be televised statewide by WLUK-TV FOX 11.

Full details can be found at Packers.com.

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'Packers Announce 2012 Family Night on August 3rd

Johnny Jolly has been released from prison on "shock" probation.

Johnny Jolly, a former defensive end for the Green Bay Packers, has been released from prison and given 10 years of “shock” probation by a judge in Houston, Texas.  This comes after serving only six months of a six-year sentence for numerous charges related to the controlled substance Codeine.

While I’m no legal expert, “shock” probation is given to first-time offenders who have been “shocked” by their prison experience, which would then hopefully bring about a change. Jolly gets 10 years of shock probation along with 200 hours of community service.

Jolly was originally drafted by the Packers in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL draft.  The two years before Jolly was suspended indefinitely by the NFL in 2010, he played in all 32 games and was a key contributor to the defense.

The chances of Jolly ever returning to the NFL or Green Bay are slim to none, but it is always encouraging when a human being makes a genuine change in their life.  Hopefully, this is just the beginning to a new life for Jolly.

'Former Packers DE Johnny Jolly Gets Early Release From Prison

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Sam Shields sends the Packers to the Super Bowl.

Think back to the beginning of the 2010 season for a minute. The Packers defense was coming off an embarrassing playoff loss to the Arizona Cardinals and the secondary faced many of the same questions that the pass rush faces today.

But instead of answering those questions in the draft, Ted Thompson’s solution was to plug in an undrafted rookie free agent that few people had heard of and actually had more experience as a wide receiver than a defensive back. Sam Shields came into camp with the reputation as a speedster, and that’s about it. Besides his ability to run really fast, nobody knew much else about him.

“This is how you’re going to fix the secondary, Ted?” Packers fans asked.

“Yup,” Thompson replied before taking another sip from his bottled water and turning away.

“Improving from within” was a talking point that Thompson and Mike McCarthy hammered home through training camp and the preseason. By 2010, most reasonable Packers fans understood that Thompson was rarely going to sign a free agent or make a trade that grabbed headlines.

But Sam Shields? Really? The Packers were supposed to be a Super Bowl caliber team and Thompson’s answer to the team’s main weakness was an undrafted converted receiver? This decision really put the “In Ted we Trust” mantra to the test.

Well, we know how it worked out. Shields had an excellent rookie season and sealed the Packers trip to the Super Bowl with a game-clinching interception in the NFC championship. Shields was so good, the Packers cut fan favorite Al Harris halfway through the season.

The Packers improved from within, alright. But it was Shields — an unknown outsider — who kickstarted some of that improvement.

The following season didn’t go so well for Shields, or the entire Packers defense. There were too many games where the defense looked outmatched like they were against Warner and the Cardinals. But instead of taking the improve from within approach again, Thompson used almost all of his draft picks on defense. He even signed a few free agents.

That doesn’t mean improving from within doesn’t apply to this group. Nick Perry, Jerel Worthy, Casey Heyward and the others are nice additions, but they’re not going to rescue this defense by themselves. Several players are going to have to get better, or improve from within. Shields tops the list.

No longer is Shields is an unknown commodity with low expectations. He showed what he can do in 2010 and set the bar high for himself. Then he stumbled in 2011.

Yes, it’s true that some of those stumbles can be blamed on an anemic pass rush and an overall decline from everyone on defense. Not having a full offseason program probably didn’t help, either.

Those excuses won’t fly this time around.

To get better, Shields has to get more physical and do a better job of finding the ball when it’s in the air and making an aggressive play on it. Speed is nice, but when matched against a bigger receiver when the ball is in the air, it doesn’t do you much good. Opposing teams figured that out against Shields.

How confident are you that Shields can return to his 2010 form this season? On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being very confident, I’d put myself at a 7.5. Generally, defensive backs under Thompson have played well if they showed signs of life earlier in their careers, even if they regressed a little somewhere along the way.

And Shield’s problems appeared to come more from fundamentals and a lack of aggression instead of a drop off in raw talent. Fundamentals can be coached. Speed cannot.

The Packers proved that improving from within can result in a Super Bowl in 2010. If Shields improves from within in 2012, it very well might happen again.

Adam Czech is a freelance reporter and a Packers fan living in the Twin Cities. Follow Adam on Twitter. Read more of Adam's writing on the Packers here.

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'It’s Sam Shields’ Turn to “Improve From Within”

Donald and Peta reached a new season high with a score of 29 from judges Carrie Ann Inaba (10), Len Goodman (9) and Bruno Tonioli (10). Goodman has still not awarded the pair a 10, consistently finding something technically imperfect with Donald and Peta’s performances.

Follow @JerseyAlGBP You can follow Jersey Al on Facebook and Twitter .

#82914 on the Packers Season Ticket Waiting List.

Be sure to bookmark Jersey Al’s AllGreenBayPackers.com where we are "All Packers All the Time"

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'Watch the Video: Week 9 (Semi-Finals) of Packers’ Donald Driver on Dancing With the Stars: Samba

Green Bay is getting ready for the offseason

With the signing of five tryout players, the Green Bay Packers have reached the limit for their offseason roster with 90 players.  The NFL increased the allowed amount of offseason players on a roster from 80 to 90 this year.

The five tryout players signed were offensive tackle Shea Allard of Delaware, wide receivers Jarrett Boykin of Virginia Tech and Curenski Gilleylen of Nebraska, offensive guard Grant Cook of Arkansas and cornerback Otis Merrill of Illinois State.  It shouldn’t come as too big of a surprise that four of the five players are on the offensive side of the ball since the Packers only drafted two (both seventh-round selections) during the 2012 NFL draft.

The Packers will have until their four preseason games are played to get down to their final 53-man roster, which I’m sure we’ll continue to keep you up to date on.

So, what does this exactly mean for Green Bay?

For starters, it means that we won’t be hearing about many, if any, new signings from here on out.  The few weeks after the draft but before training camps begin are usually riddled with signings, but that will slow down dramatically now.

Also, the roster that they currently have is the roster that we’ll likely see for the remainder of the offseason.  Of course, they could decide to cut a player to make room for someone else (possibly Ryan Grant), but that would be the only likely way that the roster changes from here on out.

From this point forward, Mike McCarthy, Ted Thompson and the rest of the Packers’ coaching and front office staff will be looking to trim that number from 90 to 53.  Last year the Packers were one of the first teams to have their 53-man roster finalized, and we could very well see the same thing happen again this year.

For the entire Green Bay Packers’ roster separated by position, take a look here.

'Green Bay Packers Fill Roster to 90 Players

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Rookie OLB Dezman Moses

Ted Thompson and the Green Bay Packers have signed a total of 27 rookies to contracts within the past week. Eight of those were his 2012 NFL Draft picks, while the other 19 were undrafted free agents picked up immediately after the draft or brought in as tryout players during Rookie Orientation Camp. With the roster now at a full 90 players, it’s time to get to know some of these new faces.

First up is outside linebacker Dezman Moses.

Born on Jan. 4, 1989,  Dezman Mirrill Moses hails from Willingboro, N.J., where he played wide receiver and inside linebacker at Willingboro High. He was named first-team all-county, all-conference and All-South Jersey as a senior, when he hauled in 35 passes for 596 yards and 10 touchdowns as a wideout while recording 87 tackles and five interceptions – including two returned for touchdowns. Dezman is the son of Vernon and Valerie Moses and brother to two sisters, Lauren and Shaina.

Moses graduated with scholarship offers in basketball, football and baseball. He made the decision to play football at the University of Iowa, but transferred after two seasons to Tulane in 2009 and sat out that fall per the transfer rule.

Making an immediate impact as left defensive end with the Green Wave, Moses would go on to record 114 tackles, 24 1/2 tackles for loss, 15 sacks, six forced fumbles and two fumbles recovered across two season. In 2011, he led Tulane’s defensive line in total stops and ranked fifth overall in tackles. Moses ranked third among C-USA players and 17th nationally in sacks. His 15.5 sacks in two seasons ranks fifth among Tulane’s career leaders, and his sack total in 2011 ranks third all-time.

Moses was also suspended by Tulane coach Bob Toledo for the first two games of 2010 for a prior incident of public intoxication.

At 6-2, 239 lbs., Dezman Moses’ lowest recorded 40-yd. time was 4.82 on his Pro Day, and he benched 225 ponds 22 times. Based on his body type, he was projected as 3-4 outside linebacker, which is where the Packers currently have him.

Said NFL scout Chris Landry, “I think he will work really hard. What I hope for him is he’ll get a chance to come and show real good effort, intensity and production on special teams and be a backup linebacker somewhere where he can learn the linebacker position, where he can learn the drop to cover the curl in the flat and play over a tight end and do some of those things and develop — that’s what I hope for him. I think that’s the best case scenario for him.”

Both the New England Patriots and Houston Texans also expressed interest in signing Moses as a rookie free agent.

After signing with the Green Bay Packers, Moses commented, “This is a great opportunity, and I feel honored and blessed to have the opportunity to play with the Green Bay Packers. I got a call from my agent and then the Packers about 10-15 minutes after the (NFL) draft.

“I have been talking to the Packers throughout the process, and they believe in me and are willing to give me a chance, so I am definitely going to make the best of it. My family is very excited, and this is a lifelong dream for me.”

When asked by New Era Scouting’s Scott Porter who he models his games after, Moses responded, “There are a few guys I like to watch and pick tips up from. DeMarcus Ware and Clay Matthews are to players I like to watch. Both of these players are technicians and students of the game. I like to consider myself similar to them in those terms and I watch a lot of film on those two and try to pick up things from them to enhance my overall game.”

Dezman Moses’ primary contribution, according to the National Football Post scouting report, is as a 3-4 rush OLB. He has an above-average first step of the football and possesses good lateral quickness, but his natural instincts and pad level are negatives for him. Moses will also have to improve his technique in run support if he wants to be more than a backup or situational player.

You can follow Dezman Moses on Twitter (@DezmanM).

Chad Toporski, a Wisconsin native and current Pittsburgh resident, is a writer for AllGreenBayPackers.com and The Packer Backer. You can follow Chad on twitter at @ChadToporski

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'Packers Rookie Bio: LB Dezman Moses

Donald and Peta received a total score of 28 from judges Carrie Ann Inaba (9), Len Goodman (9) and Bruno Tonioli (10). This matches their high overall score of the season, recorded just last week.

Follow @JerseyAlGBP You can follow Jersey Al on Facebook and Twitter .

#82914 on the Packers Season Ticket Waiting List.

Be sure to bookmark Jersey Al’s AllGreenBayPackers.com where we are "All Packers All the Time"

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'Watch the Video: Week 9 (Semi-Finals) of Packers’ Donald Driver on Dancing With the Stars: Waltz

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2012 NFL Draft

So here is part II of the reasons behind the draft picks (see part I here)  Again, I’m not assigning grades to the draft or to the players because I don’t believe you can tell whether or not a player will pan out within the first 30 something days.  What I am interested in is what the Packers were thinking of when they decided to draft a player; with that in mind, this is what I think the Packers want to accomplish with each draft pick and which player each rookie could be potentially be replacing.

Jeron McMillian – Projected Strong Safety – Round 4, Pick #38 (#133 overall) – Replaces Pat Lee

Rationale: First off let’s be honest here, I don’t think we have the next Nick Collins in McMillian; I was actually very surprised that McMillian was drafted at all by the Packers simply because he doesn’t fit into the mold of what the Packers look for in safeties.  The Packers are probably more interested in playing two free safeties (which there really wasn’t one this year in the draft), consider their preferred pairing of Collins and Morgan Burnett (who ironically never really played together): both have good ball skills and the ability to jump passing routes.  What McMillian does best is run support, which is almost the exact opposite of a ball hawk.   Then again even if McMillian is the next Collins I highly doubt that the Packers can afford to stick him out there in his first year, which is even more reason why I think Woodson will have to make the move to safety.

What McMillian can do, and almost immediately, is play on special teams.  One of the less covered bits of news in the offseason was that cornerback Pat Lee was not resigned by the Packers but was curiously signed by the Oakland Raiders; many assumed this was just because of new Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie’s background knowledge of Lee, but I think its apparent that Lee is always going to be a liability in coverage so more realistically McKenzie wanted his special teams ability.  Lee actually was the gunner opposite of Jarrett Bush and it’s an important position, just look at who was the Packers priority signing this offseason (and it wasn’t Matt Flynn).  My assumption is that the Packers are hoping that McMillian contributes immediately to special teams as a gunner while refining his coverage technique and perhaps becomes a starter on the defense in the future, but anything more than special teams ace in his first couple of years is probably wishful thinking.

Terrell Manning – Projected Inside Linebacker – Round 5, Pick #28 (#163 overall) – Replaces AJ Hawk (sometimes)

Rationale: While Manning played weak side linebacker in college, the Packers have stated that he’ll most likely move to inside linebacker and presumably backup AJ Hawk and Desmond Bishop with D.J. Smith.  What’s a little more interesting is that again Manning really doesn’t fit the mold of what the Packers look for in middle linebackers.  The thing that strikes me as the forte of Bishop and Smith is that they tackle so well, especially in the run game (you could also say that it’s Hawk’s “strong” suit as well as it sure as hell isn’t rushing the quarterback or dropping back in coverage).  Manning on the other hand has shown glimpses as a nascent pass rusher and in what I’ve seen of him he has also dropped back into coverage quite a bit.

People were pretty happy with the backup combination of Smith and Francois last season, so why draft another backup middle linebacker?  It again goes back to the nickel package.  While Desmond Bishop emerged as essentially the #2 option for rushing the passer behind Clay Matthews, Hawk has never shown much acumen for the getting to the quarterback (though I do feel when the Packers run the double A gap rush, Hawk is the one who usually holds up the blockers for Bishop, so really it probably wasn’t his job all that often to rush the quarterback) and Hawk has never been all that great at dropping back in coverage (see 8 interceptions in 6 years) so if Manning really shines during the preseason, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Bishop take over play calling and line up next to Manning in the nickel, who can either rush the passer or drop back into coverage.  Presumably Manning isn’t going to be able to fill this role in his first year, so figure to see him contribute immediately on special teams (as most rookie linebackers do) and slowly work his way into certain packages and maybe in the future take over for Hawk.

Andrew Datko – Projected Right Tackle – Round 7, Pick #34 (#241 overall) – Replaces Marshall Newhouse

Rationale: With Chad Clifton’s release due to failing a physical and Marshall Newhouse presumably getting first crack at taking over as the starter the Packers were in need for a back up right tackle to play behind Bryan Bulaga and drafted Datko, a talented but oft injured tackle that conceivably could play both edges.  I like this pick since Datko’s stock obviously dropped due to his injury history and the Packers were able to get a quality player at a bargain price; much like James Starks, who was another potential high draft pick who missed his senior year due to (ironically) a shoulder injury was scooped up by the Packers and became the starting running back in his second year.  Regardless of whether or not you think Starks is the back of the future, he has definitely lived up to his draft status as a 6^th round pick.

If anything I would expect Datko to receive a “medical redshirt” if he indeed makes the 53.  My reasoning is that offensive linemen are essentially useless on special teams (where the majority of rookies make their living for the first couple years), the fact that there’s no indication that he can play any of the interior line positions (though I’m sure we’ll see Campen give him a shot as per tradition), and with so much invested in 1^st round pick Derek Sherrod, who will almost definitely be the backup swing tackle if healthy.  If Datko makes it to the 53, I’d be willing to bet that he’ll be one of the first players inactivated every game and in all honesty, it might be for the best.  With more time to properly heal and the benefit of a NFL weight room and training staff, Datko might finally have the luxury to full regenerate from the shoulder injury that has dogged his career.

B.J. Coleman – Projected Quarterback – Round 7, Pick #36 (#243 overall) – Replaces Graham Harrell

Rationale: The Packers have always believed in the principle of “draft and develop” and nothing epitomizes that more than at the quarterback position.  Aaron Rodgers sat behind Brett Favre for 3 seasons before becoming the starter, Matt Flynn sat behind Aaron Rodgers for 3 seasons before becoming a starter (presumably in Seattle) and Graham Harrell has sat 2 seasons behind Rodgers and Flynn and now has a chance to take over as the #2 quarterback.  B.J. Coleman becomes the next quarterback on the ladder, and again is another low-risk, high-reward pick by Thompson since Coleman likely fell due to shoulder injury he sustained during his senior season.

One way or another either Coleman or Harrell will likely be the backup to Rodgers next season, with the other likely spending time as the “3^rd quarterback” stashed on the practice squad (and going along with the current trend in the NFL, only two quarterbacks will likely be kept on the active roster).  My assumption is that Harrell will likely win the spot, not only does he have way more experience with the Packers offense than Coleman, but Harrell also impressed during the pre-season last year and I would think that the fact that the Packers did not sign serious competition for Harrell likely means that they are happy with Harrell’s development so far.  On the negative side, if Coleman is kept over Harrell, Harrell likely will not stay on the practice squad; Harrell already has turned down offers from other teams to stay with the Packers (and was rewarded by landing a roster spot near the end of the season), but Harrell is near the end of the 3 season practice squad maximum, so he needs to make an impact now.  Unfortunately, Harrell is also in the last year of his contract, so if Harrell does end up lighting it up like Flynn did in his last year, the Packers may be in the same spot again in 2013.  The Packers do have one advantage over Harrell that they didn’t have with Flynn is that Harrell will be a restricted free agent, so it’s likely that Harrell will be here for at least another 2 years.

Thomas Hobbes is a contributing author for Jersey Al’s AllGreenBayPackers.com.

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'Green Bay Packers 2012 NFL Draft: The Reasons Behind the Picks Part II

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Surviving Sundays With No Packers Football

Last week I used this space to discuss dead wrestlers, concussions and the suicide of Junior Seau. It was some heavy and serious stuff, so serious that I didn’t have the will to keep the post going and talk about Packers news.

To make up for it, this edition of Surviving Sunday will be nothing but Packers.

Enjoy.

Rookie Camp
All eight Packers draft picks signed contracts and are participating in this weekend’s rookie camp. From a fan’s perspective, rookie camps and mini camps are a nice reminder that football season is getting closer, but that’s about it. It’s impossible for us outsiders to glean too much from offseason camps. The quotes from coaches are the same every year. Everybody looks great. Everybody is in amazing shape. Everybody looks real focused. Everybody just wants to help the team win. Yawn……

Alex Green and Ryan Grant
Alex Green wants to return by training camp according to Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. If he’s putting in the effort and work necessary to make it happen, I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see Green make it back for camp. It sounds like Adrian Peterson has a legit shot at playing in week one after ripping up his knee at the end of last season. Obviously, no two knee injuries are the same, but if Peterson can return that quickly, I like Green’s chances of being ready to go by August.

Meanwhile, Ryan Grant remains unsigned and at least two prominent Packers bloggers have a feeling he’ll be back with the Packers. I’m in wait and see mode with Grant. No bold predictions from me. Talent-wise, I think Ted Thompson is fine with Green, James Starks and Brandon Saine. But he’s probably uncertain if Green and Starks can play a full 16 games.

Vikings Get Stadium
 The Vikings are staying in Minnesota, which is good news for the Packers for multiple reasons. 1) Keeping the Vikings in the NFC North means a guaranteed 60 wins for the Packers over the next 30 years; 2) We can point and laugh at people like this for the next 30 years; and 3) the stadium deal gave us this amazing .gif.

Finishing Notes

• I wrote about the Packers undrafted free agent RBs this week. I had a conversation with Phil Miller – the Gophers beat writer for the Star Tribune — Friday night about one of those RBs: Minnesota’s Duane Bennett. For what it’s worth, Miller doesn’t think Bennett has much of a shot at making the team. Too small.
• If you ever feel like you’re falling behind on your Packers news or need to catch up after a day or two of being offline, a good place to start is acmepackingcompany.com. Kevin links to the stories of the day and provides easily digestible nuggets of analysis to bring you up to speed. Of course you should come to this site first, but if you insist on cheating on us, make sure it’s with a site that’s at least as good as acmepackingcompany.com.
• Here’s the transcript from an Aaron Rodgers radio interview. Sounds like he’s friends with Michael Jordan now. Oneida Casino better up the limits on its black jack tables in case Jordan ever visits Green Bay.
• I need to finish reading this and this, but once I’m done, I’m starting Brian Carriveau’s book, “It’s Just a Game.” If you enjoy Brian’s work over at CheeseheadTV, show him some love and buy his book. Also, get in touch with your local library and tell them to order a copy.
• Ok, I can’t resist. I need to provide one non-Packers link. I saw Mastodon at the Myth in Maplewood, Minn., this week. They opened with Black Tongue. Here it is. Crank it up and frighten everyone in your house or office.

Adam Czech is a freelance reporter and a Packers fan living in the Twin Cities. Follow Adam on Twitter. Read more of Adam's writing on the Packers here.

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'Surviving Sunday: Packers News, Notes and Links for the Football Deprived

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GREEN BAY PACKERS 2012 ROSTER

(click here for a list of all Packers Players Transactions)

(For the latest updates/changes, see our Roster Page)

LAST UPDATED:
May 15, 2012

Current Player Total: 86
Rookies: 22

*** Players in GREEN are rookies. ***

Follow @JerseyAlGBP You can follow Jersey Al on Facebook and Twitter .

#82914 on the Packers Season Ticket Waiting List.

Be sure to bookmark Jersey Al’s AllGreenBayPackers.com where we are "All Packers All the Time"

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'Green Bay Packers 2012 Roster by Position