That’s all well and good, but I’m sure a lot of fans ask upon reading that, “How?”

It’s a legit question and it’s one that is far more complicated than I am able to answer with any kind of authority, but I can give you an idea of what Capers means when he says those words.

One of the most oft-discussed topics early in the off-season was Al Harris and his supposed deficiency in zone coverage. Packer fans, and many media members as well, have openly questioned Harris’ ability to play the zone concepts asked of the defensive backs in Capers’ scheme. (You might remember Harris’ colorful response to one such inquiry from one Mr. Rob Demovsky) Harris playing zone is not the problem. The problem is when the Packers ask him to do it. Harris is right when he says that zone is much easier to play than man - physically, it is. One of the things you’ll hear repeated is how much easier it supposedly is for cornerbacks to be able to face the quarterback because they are not running with receivers all over the field with their back to the offensive backfield. However, playing a zone concept or even man coverage with your eyes in the backfield on 2nd down in the 1st quarter of a game is much different than playing zone on 3rd and long in the 3rd quarter of a tight ball game. Too many times in the last few years, we have seen Harris mentally implode in such a scenario. (For reference, check out this play from the Jacksonville game from last season or this one from the Thursday night game against the Cowboys two years ago when Harris completely blew an EASY 3rd and 19 coverage by getting caught lost with his eyes in the backfield and completely disregarding his assignment, which called for him to switch men on motion)

So how does Capers address this?

One way, but by no means the only way, will be for Capers to utilize what is known as a ‘combo coverage’. In most cases this is designated to have either the strong or weak side of the defensive formation play zone while the opposite side plays man. Sometimes, this might even entail only the weak-side corner, in the best-case scenario for the Packers it would be Harris, playing man coverage while the strong side of the formation plays some type of zone. A generic call for this would possibly be ‘Zone strong, man weak’. (This is a major oversimplification, as there’s not even a line call there, but you get the point) Capers would have this in his back pocket for calling at the most pressure filled points of the game, just enabling Harris to worry about sticking on his man and not worrying about anything else. Of course, after awhile, offensive coordinators would notice this tendency and try to take advantage of it, causing Capers to adjust - but I think you get the idea.

Yes, this is a gross oversimplification, and it’s only one player in one type of scenario. But it illustrates the possibilities of how Capers will attack his defensive game-planning this upcoming season.

I know many fans (and Bloggers) were critical of Poppinga’s extension last offseason. I understood it from a rewarding a good-locker-room-guy standpoint, not to mention I (mistakenly) thought Poppinga was improving at the end of 2007 and would continue to do so in 2008. Unfortunately, Brady seemed to not only plateau last season, but his level of play declined as the season went on, to the point where the coaches tried him at right defensive end in passing situations the last few games of the season, a move that bore no fruit whatsoever.

I would not be surprised in the least to see him cut during training camp. But I think his salary will play minimal to no part in any move of that nature, despite what Rob Demovsky writes here. Yes, it’s a lot to pay for a backup linebacker, but it’s not like the Packers don’t have the room under the cap. Thompson kept KGB on the roster at the beginning of last year despite an incredible disparity between his salary and his playing time. (Granted, the argument could be made that he should have been cut during camp due to his inability to generate a pass rush, the one thing he was on the roster to do, but I digress…) I also think the argument for cutting Poppinga does not take into account the type of people Thompson likes to have on his football team. Brady will do anything the coaches ask. He’s a team-first guy all the way who gives everything he’s got on every play. Yes, he has some severe limitations, but he’s a prototype in many ways of the type of try-hard, football-first player Thompson wants. That plays a much bigger part in Thompson’s decision making than most NFL GMs. Poppinga, for all his faults, is valuable as a backup to Kampman if for no other reason than he has actually played with his hands up since getting drafted and is much more comfortable dropping into coverage. Combined with his intensity and combativeness, he’s worth keeping around as quality depth in a linebacking corps that will run 9-10 deep.

That said, again, it would not shock me to see him cut toward the end of training camp if Thompson and the Packers feel they have all they need at the linebacker spot without Brady in the mix. I just don’t think his salary will have much to do with the decison.

• Andrew Brandt Interview starts @ 9:09.
• Greg Bedard Interview starts @ 32:41.

This video is great. Greg Jennings is the man.

I’ll let Bedard’s response say it all:

So the Packers should have chucked their carefully crafted strategic plan and spent foolishly in just this offseason thereby ruining the chances of signing any of those and their many other free-agents-to-be, just so the other 31 teams — many of which are greedy and/or poorly run — can keep more of their money down the road under a new CBA?

And just because the Packers are the lone publicly-owned team, while other teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are OK doing the same thing because they’re privately owned?

That’s what you’re telling me?

Yeah, that makes sense. I mean, maybe in theory there is something to what Tucker is saying. But not in reality. No way.

We interview Andrew Brandt in the 1st segment and talk Greg Jennings new contract as well as other rumblings around the NFL. In the 2nd segment we talk to Greg Bedard of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel about the Packer’s latest practices, Bob McGinn and what’s in store for Packer’s Training Camp. Podcast version coming soon. Be sure to subscribe in Itunes to get it as soon as possible. Big thanks to Andrew & Greg for joining us. You can also see a full version of Thursday’s Blogcast including another great LIVE blog directed by Brian Carriveau here.

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Go to our LIVE Page for a better/bigger experience.

Thanks to all of you who have joined us at some point over the course of the last month for our weekly live broadcasts during OTAs and Mini-Camp. We’ll be wrapping up our own offseason program live tonight at 9pm edt/8pm cst. We’ll be joined by former Green Bay Packers Vice President and current President of the National Football Post Andrew Brandt, along with Packers beat writer Greg Bedard of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. We’ll be talking about all-things-Packers as well as NFL topics as they relate to the leagues smallest market, not to mention a complete review of what went on during OTAs and Mini-Camp. We hope you’ve enjoyed all the shows up to this point and we hope you’ll join us tonight before the long, horrible break until training camp begins. See you there!

So it was with great interest that I read, yes, Rob Demovsky’s piece over at PackersNews.com regarding quarterbacks coach Tom Clements’ list of 10 things he’s asked Aaron Rodgers to work on over the course of the offseason. I found this of particular interest:

Clements came up with his list after watching every snap Rodgers took last season. He wouldn’t say how high footwork was on that list, but Rodgers indicated it was a significant part of their offseason work.

“It was on the list,” Clements said. “He had a tendency on a certain type of pass he threw to not use the proper footwork, so we worked on that.

As I wrote in Part 1:

You’ve no doubt heard many a color commentator on television talk about the 3, 5 and 7 step drop. (What they sometimes forget to mention is the fact that the receivers’ patterns are timed to the number of steps the quarterback takes) Rodgers did quite well on his 3 and 7 step drops, but his internal clock on the 5 step drops definitely needs speeding up.

This is just one thing, but as Rodgers indicates, it seems to be a primary focus, which is encouraging.

I only point this  out to illustrate the point that, no matter how much a player achieves on the field, no matter how big a star he becomes, he should ALWAYS be looking for ways to improve. Bill Walsh asked his players to strive for perfection. That drive, that determination to improve, to get better, is what will propel players like Rodgers to become champions which, of course, is the whole point.

The video below is a rare treat, in that it is actual coaches film, not the broadcast stuff most of us are used to. There are about 50 things I could talk about in the video below, but right now I want to concentrate on one. Watch the top two receivers in the formation, Donald Driver and James Jones. Watch them run their routes with absolute precision and timing. Watch them break at EXACTLY the same time. That’s not Madden you’re watching (though it is the footage Madden uses as a model). Those are real human beings. That kind of synchronization doesn’t magically happen on game day. It doesn’t happen in training camp, though it does get perfected there. That kind of timing is created in OTAs and Mini-Camp and it’s a testament to the work of wide receivers coach Jimmy Robinson, offensive coordinator Joe Philbin and Mike McCarthy.

I feel the power.

Here is a compilation video of today’s practice. We will have more during the show Thursday at 9pm EST. Thanks to Yuk Nasty and Alex Tallitsch for all of our Cheesehead Nation practice videos.

Even before the Packers drafted Raji, McCarthy had Ryan Pickett locked in as the nose tackle for the defense. When Raji came on board there was some question as to who would start and there were even rumblings that Pickett and Raji would take turns out at end. Then OTAs and Mini-Camp came and went with Raji playing mostly end and Pickett playing nothing but nose. Seifert seems to think that this could change come training camp, but I don’t anticipate that at all. I think, and I’ve written about this before, that the Packers knew all along that if Raji did indeed fall to them in the draft, they would take him and groom him to become the man in the middle eventually, especially due to the fact that Pickett is in the final year of his contract. Again, we’ve seen teams do this on the offensive line, drafting a guy and playing him at right tackle before moving him over to the much more difficult left tackle position. Same concept here.

One thing Seifert gets absolutely right is his take on McCarthy and Capers wanting to get their best defensive linemen on the field. I think McCarthy in particular always has had this mindset, no matter the position. It must be noted that this has gotten him into trouble both on the offensive line and, most regrettably, when he moved Charles Woodson to safety for several games late last year. That was just a case of over-thinking your personnel options. It will be interesting if, come August, Raji is simply unblockable when he does get the chance to play nose, (something else I don’t anticipate) if McCarthy and Capers will make a move there. I doubt it, but it bears watching.

From his chat over at PackersNews.com this afternoon:

[Comment From Geoff]
Am I a bad Packer fan if I feel like hating Favre for the number of years he plays with the Vikings x 2? If they happen to win the SB, it would be number of years x 10.

Rob Demovsky: Shouldn’t you be mad at the Packers — not Favre — for letting him go? Let me ask you this: If you worked for K-Mart and they decided they didn’t want you anymore, why not go work for WalMart? Isn’t it basically the same thing?

No, Rob, actually, it’s not. It’s not even close.

What is this, Come-Up-With-A-Horrible-Working-Man-Analogy week? Did I miss a memo? How awful is that, seriously? Am I going blind? Dance with me.

Now it all makes sense.

So this morning the Packers wrapped up their offseason work with their final Mini-Camp practice. Players will be heading out of town, coaches will sort things out before going off on their vacations…but here at Cheesehead TV and Cheesehead Nation we have one final live broadcast to bring you before we wrap our coverage of OTAs and Mini-Camp. Join us tomorrow night, Thursday June 25th at 9pm edt/8pm cst for a live Cheesehead Nation production. We have former Packers Vice President and current National Football Post President Andrew Brandt set to join us along with everyone’s favorite Big Lebowski-quoting Packers beat reporter Greg Bedard from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. We’ll look at everything that happened over the course of the offseason up until this point and look at what the future has in store for not only the Packers but the NFL in general, so be sure to be here tomorrow night at 9pm edt/8pm cst. You won’t want to miss what can only be described as a truly unique event dedicated to die-hard Packers fans everywhere.

The point is - Grant’s job is secure. That said, there is one player who can possibly make a case for taking carries away from him on a regular basis, and it’s Brandon Jackson. Not Wynn, not Lumpkin. Jackson. One need look no further than last year’s game against Carolina to see how much Jackson has improved from his rookie year. His biggest deficiency is his lack of power, especially inside the 10 yard line. Yes, he can hit a backside crease and get the ball down to the one or two yard line. But once it’s goalline time, he just does not have the juice necessary to punch it in. Grant, on the other hand, has more than enough power to get the job done down there, and has shown that on numerous occasions.

Of course, another big problem out of the backfield is  the lack of a bona fide pass catching back. Jackson has the reputation there, but really, his hands are mediocre at best. He’s not a natural pass catcher. Grant is no better, and much worse at setting up his blocks when he does catch the ball. People are right to decry the death of the screen game in Green Bay and one has to wonder where the disconnect is. McCarthy seems to have them well designed. But none of the backs seem to show the requisite patience with the ball in their hands. Both Grant and Jackson turn and sprint once they catch the ball, never allowing the blocking to materialize downfield. A common site on a Packers’ screen these days is a back caught from the side or behind by guys who should have been blocked by the lineman standing a yard or two behind the play. The kid from Northwestern, Sutton, could help in this regard. He has soft hands and seems to be a natural catching the ball out of the backfield. But it’s hard to see how they keep him ahead of Wynn. Maybe Lumpkin.

Overall, the running backs on offer are more than adequate. They are serviceable.  None of them are special. It will be great to watch how the backfield situation plays out over the course of training camp and preseason, but all the armchair coaches and GMs who think that there will be some amazing ascension from deep down the depth chart are in for a long wait….

The Green Bay Packers’ right tackle job is Allen Barbre’s to lose.

We don’t get anything definitive from any member of the coaching staff. We do get some cliched platitudes from offensive line coach James Campen about the job Barbre’s done during OTAs and Mini-Camp, but other than that, as far as I can tell, no member of the staff is on record saying it is Barbre’s job to lose.

Is this Pelissero’s estimation? Possibly. It’s an unfortunate omission of distinction either way.

Much is being made about the possibility of Jennings becoming the second highest paid wide receiver in the league. That may seem surprising until you realize that currently numbers two and three on that list belong to Antonio Bryant (via his franchise tag) or T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Armed with that fact, Jennings coming in behind Larry Fitzgerald makes perfect sense. Naturally, the contract will seem quite different when the actual numbers make their way out into the light of day. But at first blush, the Packers have done right both by Jennings and by the club. (Of course, only in Packer Fandom could news this good be  turned into a reason to rip Ted Thompson. Go look at the comment section in the second link above. Just who the hell are these people? Thompson gets untold amounts of grief for never spending any money, and then when he signs arguably the best player on the roster to a contract extension, all these so called fans can summon is bile. The mind boggles…)

Now, of course, comes the next question for Ted Thompson and the Packers. Who’s next?

Obviously, the obvious answer would be Nick Collins. But for some reason, I don’t think we’ll see any movement on Collins’ contract any time soon. Both he and Kampman need to show how they fit into the new scheme before Thompson starts thinking about extending their deals. I would look for some second-tier players such as Daryn Colledge or Will Blackmon to get looked at before either Kampman’s or Collins’ contracts are addressed.

Though he seemed to do a bit better in the red zone drill, throwing for a touchdown and also running one in, during full team sessions, Brohm reportedly struggled mightily, holding the ball too long, staring down receivers and generally looking unsure in his play over all.

Now, it’s June. It’s shorts. And he’s not exactly working with the ‘A’ team. (I mean, he threw a touchdown to Devin Frischknect for Gods sake *apologies, it was actually Kole Heckendorf - Who? Exactly* who, to his credit, apparently made an amazing catch with Tramon Williams all over him) But for Brohm to come out in mini-camp and still be struggling with many of the same parts of the game that he did last pre-season is disconcerting to say the least.

I found this Tweet from Tom Pelissero of particular interest:

Will blackmon came untouched on slot blitz. Brohm would have been annihilated in a game

When a corner comes on a blitz from the slot, that is more often than not the quarterback’s responsibility. (hattip:  Chris over at Smart Football)

Now, in the video above, Logan is scheming against a 4-3 defense, and the blitzer in question is a LB instead of a corner, but the concepts are the same. No doubt Brohm is seeing things a bit muddier due to Capers 3-4 scheme and hard-to-determine blitz tendencies. But make no mistake, that is a rudimentary concept displayed in the video above. Brohm should be at least at the level where he knows to check a corner in the slot and to get the ball out to his hot read if he comes on any blitz.

Don’t color me panicked on Brohm, but color me concerend.

I heard a rumor that Brett Favre signed with the Vikings - It doesn’t matter because Aaron Rodgers is still the best QB in the division!

Dougherty has a brief mention of Cullen Jenkins and how a deeper defensive line rotation should help solidify the run defense. But Jenkins is what is worrying me. This isn’t Bob Sanders’ scheme where he can line up at end, read the play and then rush the passer or contain the run against an outside tackle, one on one more often than not. In this scheme, he will be asked to take on multiple lineman, not to mention steamrolling fullbacks. That is not Jenkins’ game. Yes, he is used to playing inside, and has done well in the past when inserted in sub-packages. The problem is, on those occasions he has been inside on mostly passing downs where his responsibility honoring the run was minimal. He was allowed to slice into the backfield as quickly as possible and make plays. And from all accounts, this will still be his role when the Packers go to nickel and dime. But in base, I worry that opposing offenses will target Jenkins in the run game.  How? The easiest way will be to use the Packers new tendency to keep their guys ‘left’ and ‘right’ against them. Lining up the tight end away from Jenkins will ensure he is on the weakside of the offensive formation, which is traditionally where you want to run the ball against a 3-4 defense. Sure, he may hold up at first, and Capers can counter that tendency by adjusting any number of front calls to compensate. But make no mistake, until he shows that he can hold the point against sure-to-come double teams, offensive coordinators will target Jenkins early and often in the run game.

How are things going on Greg Jennings’ contract extension? Likely not great judging by the facial expression he made the other day. I kidded him about buying up all the auction items at James Jones’ recent charity event. Jones and I both said Jennings’ big money must be close to fruition. A dead-serious Jennings replied, “Then you guys must know something I don’t, that’s for sure.”

The next Tuesday morning, Jennings gives us this:

We’ve been working on some things. We’re coming pretty close, as far as my understanding is, to some type of a deal…But when I say close, we could still be far?.?.?. if that makes sense. But I think we’re coming close. You just never know how long ‘close’ can take to actually closing the deal.

Needless to say, I think Jennings and his agent Eugene Parker had a little con-fab on the phone over the weekend.

Who the hell does Collins think he is? He is being paid a little more than $3 million to play for the Green Bay Packers in 2009. But that fact has not stopped Collins from pouting about wanting talks to begin, and begin immediately, on an extension to his existing contract. He has shown his displeasure by staying away from all the installs of a new, complicated, defensive scheme. He has now shown up for mini-camp only because it is mandatory and he does not wish to be fined. And now, he is making rumblings about holding out during training camp.

If Collins follows through on that threat, he is dumber than I ever thought - and trust me, I already thought he was pretty damn dumb.