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Flashback to the April 2007 Draft: Defensive Line Busts

2010-03-12T13:00:29Z

Everyone reading this post is probably quite aware that the Green Bay Packers wasted their 2007 1st round draft choice on DE Justin Harrell. You might have even forgotten he was still on the roster as one beat writer did recently. The news that the Rams are looking to trade fellow 2007 1st round DL bust Adam Carriker made me realize how bad a year that was to draft a defensive lineman in the 1st round. Here's the complete train wreck:

No. 4 overall, DE Gaines Adams. He underachieved in Tampa, was shipped off to the Bears for a 2nd round pick last season, and tragically passed away last January.

No. 8 overall, DE Jamaal Anderson. 2.5 career sacks in 3 seasons was not what the Falcons were expecting from a Top 10 pick. It looks like the Falcons plan on using him as an undersized DT against the run in 2010.

No. 10 overall, DT Amobi Okoye. "Here is your enigma," according to Battle Red Blog. A defensive tackle who's bad against the run, and sometimes shows flashes as a pass rusher. It must be maddening to watch him.

No. 11 overall, LB Patrick Willis. Adams, Anderson, and Okoye over Willis...

No. 13 overall, DT Adam Carriker. He might be in the rotation for the Rams in 2010, if he's healthy, or he might be shipped off to Washington for a bag of peanuts.

No. 14 overall, CB Darrelle Revis. At least he was gone by the time the Packers picked.

No. 16 overall, DE Justin "Bustin" Harrell. Keep moving, nothing to see here...

No. 17 overall, DE Jarvis Moss. He's now playing LB for the Broncos, he's only recorded 3.5 sacks in his first 3 seasons, and he contemplated retirement last season. And the Broncos traded up to get him.

No. 18 overall, CB Leon Hall. The Packers didn't have the chance to pass on Revis, but they did manage to pass on another elite cornerback.

No. XX overall. I'm sure the Packers missed out on many other players they could use now.

I've got no bigger point to this post other than I was struck by how bad a draft it was for defensive lineman. I haven't kept up with all the 2007 draftees, but I didn't see an obviously good defensive lineman drafted until Seattle's DT Brandon Mebane at No. 85 overall, and he's only good if put into the right situation. There are many exceptions, but the 2007 draft class sure looks like a poor one overall.

Will The Packers Resign RT Mark Tauscher?

2010-03-12T05:47:51Z

More photos » Morry Gash - AP

5 months ago: FILE -- This is an Oct. 19, 2008, file photo showing Green Bay Packers' Mark Tauscher (65) lining up against the Indianapolis Colts during an NFL football game, in Green Bay, Wis. After giving up 20 sacks in their first four games, the Packers brought back Tauscher on Monday, Oct. 12, 2009. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File)

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I've assumed RT Mark Tauscher would be resigned for 2010 because it appears he wants to keep playing, and last season was a disaster without him. But he remains unsigned and Mike Vandermause is penciling in OL T.J. Lang at right tackle. Lang is a good player, but I'd rather he provide depth as a backup next season because there's no one else behind him on the depth chart.

The draft is one option because It's a great one for offensive lineman, and it looks like Idaho's G Mike Iupati (as one example) will be a good one. There isn't much left in free agency beyond Tauscher either. The only offensive lineman it looked worth pursuing was OL Rex Hadnot, but the Cardinals just signed him for 3 years and $9 million.

Can the Packers afford to go into next season without Tauscher? Or is it time to draft for depth and let the Lang era begin.

Mock Draft: Four Potential Players Available At No. 23 Overall

2010-03-11T13:00:48Z

More photos » Charlie Litchfield - AP

2 months ago: Idaho offensive lineman Mike Iupati talks with Bowling Green football coach Dave Clawson during the Bowl for Beef charity event at Westy's Bowling Alley in Garden City, Idaho on Saturday, Dec. 26, 2009. (AP Photo/Idaho Press-Tribune, Charlie Litchfield)

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There's been a lot of free agent news over the past week, but Wednesday featured a number of Pro Days. GM Ted Thompson was at the Alabama Pro Day. The biggest star at their Pro Day was ILB Rolando McClain who should be long gone by the time the Packers pick. A future replacement for NT Ryan Pickett might be NT Terrance Cody, who is listed at a massive 6'4" 354 lbs.

As far as who might be available at the end of the 1st round, NFL Draft Scout has a mock draft page with four drafts to choose from, and four different selections for the Green Bay Packers at No. 23 overall:

Idaho G Mike Iupati. According to Mocking The Draft, he could probably come in and start at left guard immediately, or be a future left tackle prospect. I'm no fan of LG Daryn Colledge, though he could lose his starting job to G Jason Spitz next season, so Iupati would immediately improve a weak spot in the lineup. As much as I'd like to see the Packers draft for defense in the 1st round, Iupati is very appealing.

Florida C Maurkice Pouncey. If anything the Packers have wanted more bulk inside to handle strong nose tackles, and that's the one thing Pouncey struggles with according to Mocking The Draft. But he does sound like a heck of a player. I'm impressed that he was a starter at Florida since his true freshman year.

Boise State CB Kyle Wilson. According to Mocking The Draft, "he was, without a doubt, the top cornerback [at the Senior Bowl]." Though the Packers need help in the secondary, safety depth is the top priority. Cornerback isn't the biggest need position for 2010, with CB Al Harris and CB Pat Lee both expected to return from injury. But Wilson could be a great pick for the future. Mocking Dan said that Wilson can struggle with zone coverage, so it sounds like he could use at least one season to get used to the NFL.

Oklahoma OT Trent Williams. He isn't listed at the top of the 1st round because of his limited college experience at left tackle, but as Brian at Buffalo Rumblings says, "don't sleep" on him. He's a great tackle prospect.

Of all those players, Iupati got my attention because he could improve the left guard spot immediately in 2010. If he really is good at pulling, then his agility may help a dormant screen passing game come to life.

Lets have fun- You be the Lions GM for the upcoming draft

2010-03-11T01:59:28Z

Alright, I figured I'd get something started so we can have a little fun. I know, the team I picked (Lions) happen to be a division rival, but what they do in the upcoming draft is actually more interesting to me than what St. Louis does with the #1 pick in the draft. For those of you living under a shell, Detroit signed DE Kyle Vanden Bosch and traded for DT Corey Williams. They already have their LE position situated with Jason Hunter starting (better run stuffer) and Avril playing on obvious passing down (he's quick). In the middle, they have Sammie Hill being their best run stuffer and he will start if not be apart of a solid rotation. So, the question is, who do you draft if you were in charge? You could draft LT Russell Okung, then move Jeff Backus to the LG position, thus solidifying their OL and protecting their investment in Matt Stafford. To contradict that though, he's not the best player on the board. You could draft S Eric Berry, but they spent their 2nd Round pick last year on Delmas and could probably get a Safety just as good as Delmas in the 2nd Round this year. Last but not least, you could draft Suh or McCoy to make Detroit's DL a very solid line. Suh could be the next Warren Sapp or he could flop. McCoy could be the next Kevin Williams or he could flop. One problem with drafting one of these guys is they would only play part time. The pro side of drafting one of them is they are the best player on the board.

Considering the Rams pick has a large effect in what Detroit does, lets have 2 scenarios to make this interesting. If the Rams draft QB Sam Bradford, who do you draft as the Detroit GM? If the Rams draft DT Ndamakong Suh, who do you draft?

Please explain why you choose to draft your specific player.

This is definately weird playing it out as a rival, but it stirs up a good debate and should be a little fun. Happy Debating!

Packers Sign Nick Collins and Charles Dillon

2010-03-10T18:00:50Z

More photos » Jeffrey Phelps - AP

3 months ago: Green Bay Packers' Nick Collins (36) intercepts a pass intended for Baltimore Ravens' Mark Clayton (89) in front of teammate Tramon Williams (38) during the first half of an NFL football game Monday, Dec. 7, 2009, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

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The Green Bay Packers signed two players: one is looking to reach his third straight Pro Bowl and the other will be lucky to reach the practice squad.

Why did they decide to sign WR Charles Dillion now? He was 6'0" 186 lbs. back at the 2008 NFL Combine, according to NFL Draft Scout, but apparently he's up to 200 lbs. as an Arena League player. He hasn't been on an NFL roster since August 2008. It will be surprising if he makes it past the April mini-camps.

Back to the real signing, FS Nick Collins signed his one-year tender contract. He really had no choice. Another team would have to surrender their 1st and 3rd round draft choices to sign him, and the going rate for a quality safety is only a 4th and 7th round pick, which is what the Cardinals had to trade for S Kerry Rhodes. No team was going to go up to a 1st and 3rd for Collins. Glad to have him back, but he can't be too happy with his options at this point.

Rumorville- Marshawn Lynch

2010-03-10T16:51:13Z

Rumor Is, Marshawn Lynch, 2007 12th overall pick, is available for a fourth round pick. If any of you followed the draft in 2007, you will probably recall a strong following of Packer fans for HB Marshawn Lynch from the University of California. We all had our hopes on him, but Buffalo drafted him and we ended up getting DT Justin Harrell. Well guys, Lynch is available for taking. Buffalo is apparently asking for a 4th Round Pick for Marshawn Lynch. You can see the stats below, and that is behind a pretty bad offensive line. I'm not sure if he's worth it or not because he does have off field issues, but he is a proven back and he's still young yet which is very important.

Season	Team	Games		Rushing					Receiving					Fumbles
Season	Team	G	GS	Att	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	Rec	Yds	Avg	Long	TD	FUM	Lost
TOTAL				650	2,601	--	56	17	93	663	--	42	1	7	3
2009	BUF	13	6	120	450	3.8	47	2	28	179	6.4	35	0	3	1
2008	BUF	15	15	250	1,036	4.1	50	8	47	300	6.4	42	1	2	1
2007%3loop-even ">6.4	35	0	3	1
2008	BUF	15	15	250	1,036	4.1	50	8	47	300	6.4	42	1	2	1

How To Approach Free Agency: The Broncos

2010-03-10T16:00:48Z

As the Green Bay Packers still need to resign NT Ryan Pickett, though he won't leave now that he's been made the franchise player, I was interested in the news that the Broncos signed a similar player, former Charger NT Jamal Williams to a three-year, $16 million deal with $7 million guaranteed. At first it seemed like a good move, signing a three-time Pro Bowl player away from a division rival, but there was a reason why the Chargers released him:

If the big NT really is being released by the Chargers, I get the feeling it's going to be more of a retirement. The man has had so many injury issues in past seasons, it makes sense that he would be done with the rehab and would want to get out while he can still walk.

The Broncos also announced the signing of DE Jarvis Green for four-years and $20 million. Green is a 31 year old DE who has only had 3 sacks in the past two seasons and is coming off a knee injury. It doesn't sound like a good way to spend $5 million per season.

The signing of Williams and Green also hammers home the point that the Broncos will have a lot of starters on the wrong side of 30 in 2010. The Broncos are certainly doing things differently than the Packers would. Instead of looking to young starters they've recently drafted, they are plugging every hole on the roster with a veteran stop-gap. If it gets them to the Super Bowl, good for them, but it looks likely they'll have a case of buyer's remorse in a year or two.

Around The NFC North: Bears and Vikings Are Quiet While The Lions Are Busy

2010-03-10T13:00:48Z

Well the Vikings did sign a kickoff specialist. UPDATE: RB LaDainian Tomlinson is scheduled on Thursday to visit the Vikings. Obviously he's not a feature back anymore, but he would replace departed RB Chester Taylor. While Tomlinson used to be a great receiver, he fell off a cliff last season and only recorded 20 receptions. He was the worst receiving RB according to Football Outsiders. Taylor did most of his damage as a receiver, so signing Tomlinson doesn't seem a good fit.

The Bears haven't made a signing in days! It appears that their No. 1 remaining priority is to find help at safety. Bears S Kevin Payne is very excited about his team's moves so far. And Panthers S Chris Harris thinks DE Julius Peppers is a great addition to their defense.

Meanwhile the Lions keep signing and trading for players this week. I noted last week that they had a dire need at cornerback, but instead of trading for CB Antonio Cromartie, they signed CB Jonathan Wade and traded for CB Chris Houston. Sean at Pride of Detroit likes the moves, but Rams fans are not sorry to see Wade go, and one Falcon fan described Houston as "uber weak in pass coverage."

Packers to wear throwback jersey in 2010

2010-03-10T05:46:46Z

Packers to wear throwback jersey in 2010

When it comes to alternate jerseys to me, I'm a big fan of a team going retro with it. As a Blackhawks fan as well, it's been nice in the past to see them go old school with their alternate jersey because it was way for me to connect with a past I don't know much about. These jerseys are supposed to be older looking than the ones we saw in 1994. Hopefully they do it as accurately as possible. Sometimes teams (mostly the NBA) do an alternate retro uniform, but because of uniform standards the uniforms get lost in translation. What are people's thoughts?

What Were The Packers Offering To Aaron Kampman?

2010-03-10T05:28:33Z

Here's what DE Aaron Kampman said on his departure from the Green Bay Packers, from Mike Vandermause at the Press-Gazette:

Kampman acknowledged that the Packers were going to make him a contract offer, but he wasn’t interested in staying in Green Bay.

"The better fit was down here," Kampman said. "The direction of that organization didn’t include me as much as it had in the past."

Usually when I hear about a better fit and a team's direction, I assume it's all about the money. I was willing to make an exception in Kampman's case because he was a poor fit for the 3-4, and he'll be better off playing end in a 4-3 defense. But after reading Andrew Brandt's column, I think it was all about the money:

Kampman’s deal is being reported as four years, $26M with $11M guaranteed, again virtually the same deal as Vanden Bosch with the Lions. This is a far cry from the one-year deal offered by the Packers before the start of free agency.

The Packers were crazy if they expected Kampman to accept a one-year contract. It's a good idea to sign a player coming off a major knee injury to a short-term deal, but it was obvious Kampman would certainly receive a multi-year deal from some team. They had a lot of free agents to resign, but this has basically become a choice of LB Brandon Chillar and his four-year contract over Kampman. Chillar is a good middle linebacker, but isn't exceptional at anything while Kampman is their best pass rusher. Unless Kampman is done, and the Packers knew better than the Jaguars, I don't like that trade at all.

Free Agency Ideas For The Packers

2010-03-09T17:01:28Z

Well I was off by only $1 million. According to the Times-Union, DE Aaron Kampman officially received 4 years, $26 million, and $11 million guaranteed. The article quotes Gene Smith, the Jaguars GM, who called it a "calculated risk." There certainly is some risk involved. My first choice would have been to keep Kampman, but after watching knee problems turn DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila from an effective pass rusher in 2007 to absolutely useless in 2008, I'm worried about knee problems for defensive ends.

I asked for suggestions in my previous post for free agent ideas. I'm a fan of RB Brian Westbrook, but I hope he retires due to his concussion history. Otherwise he'd be a great back for the Packers. While I'd be happy if they didn't sign any free agents from other teams, after resigning all of their own current free agents, here were some other good suggestions from the comments:

Danniel Manning is a restricted FA the Bears put a 3rd round tag on. The Bears who do a poor job of "coaching up" their players have bounced him around from nickel back, free and strong safety and back again. So I’m not sure he even knows what is his best position. He’s athletic and if the Packers could decide on a position and "coach him up" he should be a reliable backup/potential starter. He’s an excellent kick returner. McCarthy said this year he was one of the games dangerous KR’s. He therefore would address two areas of need.

As was mentioned later, giving up a 3rd round pick to the Bears in a deep draft might not be wise, but it would be like acquiring a healthy version of CB Will Blackmon.

When they let Orlando Pace go, I laughed, because I knew last season was a wakeup call and would bet this next season will be a good one for him. Orlando has one, maybe two good years in him, I reckon and rotating him at Tackle might save some wear on the Pack’s O-Line.

Is Pace willing just to play out his career on someone's bench? If so, then the idea of acquiring a backup offensive lineman with some actual experience has some appeal to me. Though that hasn't been GM Ted Thompson's style, he did try it last year when he signed former Bill starter Duke Preston who was released during the preseason.

I guess I’m still hoping that he’ll try and sign a Cb who can come in and play a nickel or dime spot for us like Philip Buchanon, Benny Sapp, or Lito Sheppard...

Personally, I think Leigh Bodden would be a good addition, if the price is right. If still around in a week or 2 and price is commensorate w/ production… He might be a good fit.

While I don't know if any of those particular guys are on the radar, this may be the one area you see a veteran free agent signing. Last season, they signed S Anthony Smith and brought in Browns S Mike Adams for a visit.

I don’t think a lot of teams are gonna be beating down his door so we have time to see how Jones does in the offseason workouts and mini-camps and also see how the draft shakes out. If he is still on the market in June and we feel like we need a boost at LOLB then yes, we should look at Joey Porter.

I'm not a fan, but I can certainly understand the appeal.

I would like them to take a chance on Jake Delhomme. Maybe he’s had better years, but at least he’s got experience. I cringe at the thought of Rodgers going down and who would come in to guide the Packers at that point.

With the Brian Brohm error over, I'm not sure what GM Ted Thompson is going to do. Draft another QB with a late round pick? Find a good QB for the practice squad? Stick with only 2 QBs? Sign a veteran like Delhomme?

Move Al Harris to Safety

2010-03-09T03:07:53Z

There's a big mystery hovering over Ted Thompson's plans this off-season, and one of the biggest issues is at the secondary. The Packers can do a number of things to address the problem: sign free agents Bigby, Collins and Blackmon; Draft DB's in the first rounds; Draft 'em late; sign free agents from other teams ('though the pool is trimming).

But one option I have yet to encounter is moving Al Harris to the strong safety position alongside Nick Collins. Not only is Harris 35 years-old, he is coming off an ACL, so it's difficult to imagine him back at full speed and strength come training camp.

Al is arguably the Packers best tackler and run stopper among DB's, so you know he's well equipped to play strong safety. Meanwhile, Tramon Williams showed he is more than capable to be a starting CB in the NFL and has long years ahead of him as a top notch CB - so all that's left is to fill the depth chart with a couple of good rookies with plenty of upside. And of course, probably the most asked-for move - release Jarrett Bush!

What you think?

Packers Free Agency: Going Into Week 2

2010-03-08T14:00:33Z

In the first few days of free agency I've only read news regarding unrestricted free agents, the one lone restricted free agent who's getting interest is Broncos's WR Brandon Marshall. Things could change re: the Packers restricted free agents, only S Derrick Martin has official resigned so far, but it's unlikely to happen in the next few days.

So here are the five unrestricted free agents for the Packers: NT Ryan Pickett, LB Aaron Kampman, LT Chad Clifton, RT Mark Tauscher, and RB Ahman Green. Pickett will return as the franchise player, either signing the one-year tender contract or agreeing to a NT Casey Hampton type 3 year, $21 million, $11 million guaranteed contract. Kampman has been signed by the Jaguars. Clifton has been resigned. Green will probably resign with the Packers or retire.

That leaves Tauscher. I've read nothing to indicate he's in talks with another team, or planning to visit one. The resigning of Clifton may have erased any doubt he'll return next season, assuming the Packers want him. I do really hope the Packers want him back because finding his replacement last season was a disaster. From Tom Silverstein:

[Clifton's] best friend, Mark Tauscher, probably will be back with the Packers. He has a home in Green Bay. He has never lived in a city bigger than Knoxville, Tenn. He is 33 years old and his goal is to play with just one team his entire career.

The one loss in free agency was Kampman, so if there was a position to target in free agency, outside linebacker would be it. The last time the Packers lost a starter as good as Kampman and attempted to replace him with a veteran free agent was in 2005, when LG Mike Wahle and RG Marco Rivera were allowed to leave and replaced with the inept duo of Matt O'Dwyer and Adrian Klemm. The other notable free agent departure in 2005 was FS Darren Sharper, and they did a good job in drafting FS Nick Collins as his replacement.

Pro Football Focus lists the Top 5 unrestricted, 3-4 defense, linebackers. LB Tully Banta-Cain was resigned by the Patriots. LB Jason Taylor will never leave Miami. LB Derrick Burgess isn't really a linebacker. LB Mike Vrabel was resigned by the Chiefs. That leaves former Dolphins LB Joey Porter, who left his previous team on very bad terms. I can't imagine Porter having interest in the Packers, or visa-versa. It looks like his first choice is the Cardinals anyway, and Kampman's replacement will be LB Brad Jones or whoever they may draft in April.

I expect we'll hear some names rumored to the Packers in the coming weeks, but they'll all be considered for backup roles. It's possible we don't hear anything because there are so many additional restricted free agents this season. Is there anyone left out there that you'd like to see the Packers pursue?

SB Nation 2010 NFL Mock Draft 1.0

2010-03-07T15:00:22Z

More photos » Mike Roemer - AP

10 months ago: Green Bay Packers fan Maggie Fisher shows her excitement for the Packer first round draft pick in the NFL Draft, Saturday April 25, 2009, at a draft party in the Lambeau Field Atrium in Green Bay, Wis. The Packers selected B.J. Raji, a defensive lineman from Boston College, with the ninth overall pick in the first round (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)

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Our SB Nation NFL Draft site, Mocking The Draft, asked all the SB Nation NFL writers to comment on MTD's most recent mock draft.

Our responses are posted here at SB Nation.com. I gave a thumbs down to the choice for the Green Bay Packers.

It's Over: Aaron Kampman to the Jaguars

2010-03-07T07:37:42Z

It's been reported by the Times-Union that the Jaguars have agreed to terms with Aaron Kampman. The terms of the deal are not yet known, but it's likely in the neighborhood of the 4 years, $26 million, $10 million guaranteed deal that the Lions just gave to DE Kyle Vanden Bosch.

This move means Kampman will play on a 4-3 defense in 2010 and return to defensive end, which might have been his top priority this offseason. While the Packers will miss his ability as a pass rusher, assuming it returns next season after his ACL injury, they won't miss his struggles as an outside linebacker. Or the potential risk of overpaying a player on the wrong side of 30. The 3-4 defense was a pleasant surprise last season, but the thing I miss most about the 4-3 defense is watching Kampman play defensive end.

Unfortunately this isn't a discussion on the merits of resigning him. I've been resigned to his departure for the last three weeks. He might have been someone the Packers could have afforded, but money wasn't the main issue. Greg Bedard sent out another tweet about it tonight:

And for the record I'm not saying who is to blame. Sometimes it's just time to move on. For both sides.

Good luck to him. He had a great run as a Packer, and he was their best defensive player for the middle part of the last decade. Now they can focus on finding his replacement: someone to provide a pass rush from the left side of the defense. Maybe that player is already on the roster? Or does this become their top priority in the April draft?

Aaron Kampman In Jacksonville

2010-03-06T20:49:44Z

While the Bears and Lions did their best to get free agency off to a fast start, LB Aaron Kampman wasn't the first priority for either team, the Bears went for DE Julius Peppers and the Lions for DE Kyle Vanden Bosch, so now Kampman is making the rounds. He was in Jacksonville on Saturday according to Jacksonville.com:

At 30, Kampman appears to be in the prime of his career. He'd be a welcome addition to the Jags, which are coming off a disappointing season in which they produced a league-low 14 sacks.

It doesn't feel like Kampman's in the prime of his career. Maybe I'm just accustomed to the recent Packer teams with an average age around 26 years old. Though River City Rage at Big Cat Country described Kampman as "older" and concluded his signing would be questionable.

Jacksonville.com has a nice roundup of all the recent Kampman rumors:

Kampman had been rumored to be drawing interest from Tampa Bay, Philadelphia and Seattle. But by coaxing Kampman to take his first free agent visit to Jacksonville, the Jags may have increased their chances of landing him. Kampman’s representatives remain in contact with Philadelphia, but it’s unclear whether he plans to visit the Eagles or any of the other teams that have expressed interest.

Dumb Free Agency Moves

2010-03-06T16:19:29Z

1. The Bears thowing out close to $20 million/ year on a DE, TE, and RB when the team's offensive line, recieving corp, and secondary are all terrible.

2. The Giants and Dolphins making Antrel Rolle and Karlos Dansby the highest paid players in NFL history at their respective postions. Neither of these players are even true Pro Bowlers (maybe with injuries and Super Bowl players missing out), and I don't consider either even Top 5 at their position in the league, so why are they being paid like future Hall of Famers? Both are solid starters, but ARZ's defense was never even that good. This move is actually really bad for us because Nick Collins deserves and is going to want more money than Rolle. I was suprised to find out that $7 million/ year would make Rolle the game's richest safety ever, but it is still a lot. I think Collins is worth that kind of money, but Rolle definitley isn't.

3. This move may bother me the most. The Cardinals trading Anquan Boldin for 3rd and 4th round draft picks. I understand that they wanted to get rid of Boldin. ARZ couldn't pay him and L-Fitz, not to mention Breaston is a great player and very underrated. It's the first day of free agency, so why be so aggressive to trade away a great player who many would want to pursue and offer more to attain. They definitley could have gotten a second round pick and maybe even a first. I would have loved to see us get Boldin for a 2nd and a 4th. How could the Cardinal's expect to not recieve a better offer than a 3rd and a 4th, when Roy Williams was traded for a 1st and 3rd.

Packers Release Two: DE Michael Montgomery and S Matt Giordano

2010-03-06T15:00:32Z

Nothing personal towards either of them, but it's about time the Green Bay Packers released DE Michael Montgomery and S Matt Giordano.

Montgomery was a good backup defensive end in the 4-3, but he was out of place in a 3-4 defense. He wasn't a good fit when he was resigned back in March, and he rarely played last season. It didn't make any sense to pay him $1.325 million for 2010.

Giordano was signed with a reputation as a special teams ace, but he was rarely left active to play on defense or special teams, and he did nothing when he was actually on the field.

Packers Resign LT Chad Clifton

2010-03-06T04:51:37Z

When LT Chad Clifton was allowed to test the market as an unrestricted free agent, I assumed it was a sign the Packers considered him done due to his age and recent injuries. But apparently they did think he was worth keeping. From ESPN's Adam Schefter:

Packers re-signed OT Chad Clifton. 3 years, $20 million, 7.5 million guaranteed.

This was announced shortly after Clifton spent the day visiting the Redskins. That's certainly a fair deal. The $7.5 million guaranteed amount is less than the 2010 franchise tag of $10.731 million for an offensive lineman.

Clifton can still play, but he's unlikely to ever start 16 games in a regular season again. That's OK so long as OL T.J. Lang is available for spot duty, or the Packers look for another young tackle in the draft. It's much better to have Clifton return than to watch a 2010 version of Allen Barbre (or potentially even Barbre himself) try and take over as the starting left tackle.

It's certainly a better move than taking that same $7 million in guaranteed money and giving it to RB Chester Taylor. Without a hint of irony, it's said that the Bears offense is now "very scary" after they "add a couple offensive lineman."

Analyzing Day 1 of Free Agency and how it affects the Packers

2010-03-06T04:01:51Z

The first day of Free Agency is complete and we know the NFC North will be much different. The Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions were very aggressive on Day One in desperate hope of turning their fortunes around.

Detroit struck first quickly signing WR Nate Burleson to compliment their #1 WR Calvin Johnson. While Burleson isn't an elite WR, he is still decent and he does improve Detroit's WR corp. Perhaps Detroit's biggest move was signing former Pro Bowl DE Kyle Vandenbosch. While Vandenbosch has been rather inconsistent over the years and is coming off a dissapointing season, one thing that he does bring to Detroit is a motor. He is the kind of player that never gives up on a play and is always attacking. With that said, he does have a flaw. One thing Vandenbosch does on a consistent basis is he lines up at a good distance away from his DT and far outside of the OT. He loves to do this to better utilize his speed rush and get around the OT. While this has proven to be an effective method in pressuring the QB, it puts the defense in a bad situation in defending the run. If the OLB playing on his side is out of place in this situation, it can result in a long run for the opposing team's offense. Last but not least, Detroit traded for a player us Packer fans are all familiar with...Corey Williams. A once rising star in Green Bay was traded after the 2007 season for a 2nd Round draft pick. While in Cleveland, he fell off the map as he couldn't adapt to the 3-4 scheme. With him in Detroit, Williams will have a chance to resurect his career in the 4-3 defense. The question is will he regain his old form and play with intensity as he did in Green Bay or did he lose his edge and swagger? Prediction for the draft: Considering the upcoming draft has a deep class of DT's, I see Detroit drafting OT Russell Okung from Oklahoma State to anchor the left side of their line and protect their franchise QB in Matt Stafford. In the 2nd Round, I see Detroit going after a DT such as Dan Williams.

In case you have been living under a rock, I'll be the first to let you know that Chicago wasted no time in making a big splash and signed both DE Julius Peppers and HB Chester Taylor. As you may have suspected before free agency began, Julius Peppers was going to get a lucrative deal. A lucrative deal is what Chicago gave him, signing Peppers to a 6 year $70 Million contract. He upgrades the Bears defensive line immediately and his ability to play both LE and RE makes this deal scary for the Packers. With this deal, the Bears now have the best DE in the NFC North. Considering the Packers ongoing issues at the OT position, this is not a good sign for Green Bay. One positive aspect to this is the fact that Chicago is stuck paying enormous cash towards a DE that performs in some games, but quits in others. Hopefully in the games against Green Bay he chooses not to show up. Chester Taylor was also signed and he will compete with Matt Forte for the starting HB position. Even if he doesn't beat Forte he gives Chicago a solid 1-2 punch in the running game. However, Chicago's offensive line is still a train wreck, so this signing doesn't worry me too much. Precition for the draft: Chicago's first draft pick is in the 3rd round, so don't expect anything.

So how does this affect the Packers and the Packers plan in the offseason? I just heard Chad Clifton was resigned for a couple more years, so we know what we are getting from our LT. Although I am not a fan of Clifton as he is not the same player he once was, we know what we are getting out of him. We do after all need solid play out of our LT if we are to challenge for the NFC North title. Considering Peppers can play both LE and RE, we need to make sure our RT position is set as well. Do we resign Tauscher and rotate him with Lang again or let Lang have the job? I said it once and I'll say it again, I am not one that drafts for needs. I prefer to draft the best available player and that's what I hope TT and McCarthy do. I think we can get quality OT's in the 2nd round though. With all this occuring in Day 1 though, what do you want Green Bay to do to improve not just for next season, but for the long term as well? The only free agent sI think I'd consider would be Aaron Kampman and Lito Sheppard, but I honestly would prefer to just resign our current players, including unrestricted free agent Kampman, and build through the draft.