March 12, 2014 /
Adam Czech
/
Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers
Safety Jarius Byrd signed a monster NFL free agent contract on Tuesday, but not with the Packers.
C’mon, folks. You didn’t REALLY think that the Packers and general manager Ted Thompson were going to make a splash on the first day of NFL free agency, did you?
No way Thompson was going to fork over $56 million ($28 million guaranteed) like the Saints did for safety Jarius Byrd.
Give defensive linemen Lamarr Houston (5 years, $35 million, $15 million guaranteed) and/or Arthur Jones (5 years, $30 million) deals like they got from the Bears and Colts, respectively? Not on Thompson’s watch.
What about safety T.J. Ward? The Packers desperately need a safety and Ward’s deal with the Broncos (4 years, $23 million, $14 million guaranteed) is much more reasonable that Byrd’s. Sure, Ward came at decent market value, but Thompson wasn’t going to pay that much for a box safety.
The list could go on and on. Aquib Talib (6 years, $57 million, $26 million guaranteed), Linval Joseph (5 years, $31 million), Paul Soliai (5 years, $33 million, $14 million guaranteed). The prices were outrageous and the potential return on investment far from guaranteed. Hell, the Jaguars gave Toby Gerhart 3 years and $10.5 million. Toby Gerhart!
You didn’t REALLY think Thompson was going to suddenly start gambling on the high-risk game known as Day 1 of NFL free agency, did you?
If you did, hopefully you learned your lesson (again) for next time. If you’re upset that Thompson didn’t deviate from his norm and dive into Tuesday’s madness, don’t be.
There is still a long way to go in free agency. I do think Thompson is going to step outside of his comfort zone and bring in some free agents, but it sure wasn’t going to happen on day 1.
Once the chaos of the opening of free agency calms down and the funny money goes away, Thompson’s real work begins. That’s when bargains can be found and holes on the Packers roster plugged with players who sign contracts more in line with their true value.
But isn’t now the time to take a risk and overpay for a major free agent or two? After all, Aaron Rodgers isn’t getting any younger and the Packers have a few obvious holes.
There is never a good time to pay airport restaurant prices for hot dog stand talent like most teams do on the first day of free agency.
Because Thompson refuses to get caught up in that rat race, he’s never had to cut a quality player because of salary cap issues or desperately re-negotiate existing contracts so he can retain his own guys.
Thanks to Thompson’s philosophy, Packers fans will likely never have to wave goodbye to players like Clay Matthews, Josh Sitton, Randall Cobb, Jordy Nelson or Eddie Lacy because there wasn’t enough cap room to keep them after a recent free-agent spending spree gone wrong.
Despite the consternation over the lack of free agency moves, the Packers are in the playoffs every season and are perennial Super Bowl contenders. They have a ton of talent. The costs of retaining that talent add up in a hurry and you need to manage the cap in order to not back yourself in a corner.
Yes, I realize the comments section to this post will probably light up with all kinds of negativity toward Thompson and another early free-agency that went by without a whisper of anything happening at 1265 Lombardi Ave. That’s fine. Let it all out. Some of you may even have valid points.
But be patient. Just because Thompson didn’t sign that big name you had your eye on, it doesn’t mean he’s already thrown in the towel on free agency.
March 9, 2014 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers, Surviving Sunday
Surviving Sundays with no Packers football.
With Sam Shields locked up for the next four years, it’s time to focus on the Packers other free agents.
News of the Packers offering B.J. Raji a short-term contract to return as the team’s nose tackle brought out all kinds of reactions. Many Packers fans want nothing to do with Raji after he fell off the face of the earth midway through last season.
Other Packers fans are willing to stick with Raji if all it takes a relatively cheap, low-risk one-year deal.
I’m in the latter category. There is rarely such a thing as a bad one-year contract. If Raji flops again next season, you’re not tied to him long-term. If he’s horrible in training camp, and a good portion of the contract isn’t guaranteed, the Packers can just cut him.
That might make me sound like a Raji defender, but I am anything but. There were several times in the second half of last season where I wanted Ted Thompson to enter the Packers defensive huddle and cut Raji on the spot. He was that bad.
One talking point from Raji defenders that drives me crazy is the notion that it’s his job to “occupy blockers” so the middle linebackers can make plays. Yes, often in a 3-4 defense, it is the job of the defensive lineman to absorb double teams and sacrifice a little bit of personal glory to free up teammates.
But most people don’t understand what “occupying blockers” really means. It doesn’t mean you stand there and belly bump with other fat guys. It doesn’t mean you simply take up space. It doesn’t mean you never get to make a tackle for a loss or pressure the quarterback.
It definitely doesn’t mean you end up on your backside or blown off the ball like Raji is all too often.
The best way to “occupy blockers” is to kick their ass, to win your match-up, whether it’s against a single offensive lineman or a double team. Knock your man back a step and force the running back to alter his course, even if it’s a minor detour. Anchor yourself in the hole. Split that double team.
A 3-4 defensive lineman who does that often enough will get a tackle behind the line or a sack every now and then. He’ll also be doing a fine job of “occupying blockers.”
Raji hasn’t won many individual matchups since 2010. Yes, it’s might be unfair to expect him to put up big sack numbers or pile up tackles. But his lack of production recently isn’t because he’s been busy “occupying blockers.” He’s just been getting beat.
That said, if the Packers want to give him one more year to figure things out, I’m cool with it.
Packers news, notes and links
- WTF is Aaron Rodgers doing in this picture?
- The Packers need to re-sign Evan Dietrich-Smith. Sure, J.C. Tretter might be a viable replacement, but is it really wise to hand over the center job to a kid who snapped his ankle during a fumbling drill in mini-camp? Of course, declarations of re-signing any player comes with the caveat of “if the price makes sense.” Here’s hoping the price makes sense to bring back Dietrich-Smith.
- Jason Wilde continues to hold out hope that Morgan Burnett can turn into a quality safety and live up to the contract extension he signed last offseason. It was around year four that Nick Collins morphed into a pro bowler for the Packers after an up-and-down start. I don’t see Burnett in Collins’ league, but like Wilde, I’m not giving up on Burnett yet.
- This tweet from Sam Shields got Packers fans hopes up. Unfortunately, those hopes were dashed a few hours later. Thankfully, I checked Twitter while I was waiting for my wife to finish feeding the baby Saturday evening, and I saw that the Packers and Shields have agreed to a 4 year, $39 million contract. That’s a lot of money, but a deal that the Packers probably had to make. Here’s hoping Shields makes the leap from an up-and-coming cornerback to elite.
- Brian Carriveau at the new-look CheeseheadTV makes his case for the Packers to sign free-agent safety Jarius Byrd. Not happening, in my opinion.
- The Packers Talk Radio Network did another mega podcast this week, and once again, it’s a must-listen. This one features an interview with NFL insider and former Packers vice president Andrew Brandt.
- John Kuhn is set to hit the free-agent market. Besides the Vikings, who enjoy signing as many ex-Packers as possible, who is going to sign Kuhn? He doesn’t really fit on any other team besides the Packers.
- Um, Mr. Barnwell? You forgot about David Bakhtiari, who started as a rookie at left tackle for the Packers all of last season. Might want to consider that before opining about the Packers signing tackle Anthony Collins and assuming that Derek Sherrod (Derek Sherrod!) is penciled in as a starter next season.
Non-Packers links and other nonsense
- Former AWA wrestling jobber Buck “Rock ‘n Roll” Zumhofe tried to flee after being convicted on 12 charges of criminal sexual conduct this week. Zumhofe molested a close female relative over a period of several years. Disgusting.
- Take a few minutes to read this piece from Matt Bowen about the other side of NFL free agency, the side that isn’t all about multi-year deals and mega contracts.
- The season finale of HBO’s True Detective airs tonight. However, this person already figured out who the Yellow King is.
- This is true on many issues: Facts and science often cause people to become even dumber than they already are.
March 8, 2014 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers
Packers CB Sam Shields re-signed with Green Bay for $39 million.
The Green Bay Packers have re-signed up-and-coming cornerback Sam Shields to a 4 year, $39 million deal. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the deal includes a $12.5 million signing bonus.
Shields’ agent Drew Rosenhaus confirmed the deal via Twitter.
That’s a lot of dough for a corner who has the talent to be one of the best, but isn’t quite there yet. But this is a deal that the Packers probably had to make.
Now it’s time for Shields to 1) stay healthy for a full 16-game season + playoffs, and 2) take the next step and become an elite cornerback.
March 7, 2014 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Authors, Packers
Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers
1) Introduction: Ever since the Packers won the Super Bowl in 2011, Capers’ defenses have been banged up, overmatched, pushed around and just plain lousy. The backlash against Capers has gotten so loud in Green Bay, there is actually a small backlash to the backlash going on. You know the backlash is bad when people start backlashing against the Capers backlash.
2) Profile:
Dom Capers
- Age: 63
- Born: 8/7/1950, in Cambridge, OH
- NFL Coaching Experience: 28 years
Biography and more
3) Expectations coming into the season: Build a more physical defense. It worked the first part of the season. Then injuries started wiping out key players and most of the middle of the defense completely disappeared.
The Packers in 2013 weren’t a complete mess on defense like they were in 2011. At times they were even better than they were in 2012. But at no point in the season did you ever feel like this defense was good enough to step up and carry the team for an extended stretch, if needed. They just weren’t good enough.
4) Season Highlights/Lowlights: With Aaron Rodgers out and the Packers needing late defensive stops to have a shot at stealing games against Chicago and Philadelphia in weeks 9 and 10, Capers’ defense went in the tank. The Bears held the ball for almost 9 minutes to seal the game and the Eagles for 9 minutes, 32 seconds to wrap up the victory. The defense also looked absolutely helpless in a blowout loss to Detroit on Thanksgiving.
Highlights included holding the Lions (without Calvin Johnson) to nine points in week 5 and coming up with a gritty performance the following week against Baltimore to help the Packers win despite several key injuries.
5) Contribution to the overall team success: I don’t know…do we give Capers credit for Sam Shields’ interception against the Cowboys? Do we pat Capers on the back for not allowing the Bears to score after the Rodgers-Randall Cobb miracle in Chicago?
This is where it gets tricky with Capers and why the people backlashing against the Capers backlash have a point: We get all ticked off at Capers when the Packers defense gets run over, then give credit to individual players instead of Capers when the Packers defense does something positive.
Is there a defensive coordinator in the league who could have success with Clay Matthews out, BJ Raji taking half the season off, and bad to mediocre players up the middle like A.J. Hawk, Brad Jones, Morgan Burnett and M.D. Jennings?
Then again, doesn’t Capers deserve blame for the aforementioned players underperforming or not developing?
There’s also the question of Capers’ scheme being overly complicated, and the general perception that the Packers just try to hang on when on defense instead of taking it to the opposing offense.
Yes, people backlashing against Capers and the people backlashing against the backlash both have points. Bottom line: The Packers defense once again wasn’t good enough in 2013.
6) Contributions in the playoffs: The playoffs were another sort of bright spot for Capers. The playoff loss to the 49ers was on the offense. Rodgers and the offense should’ve been able to muster more than 20 points and win that game. But when the game was on the line, the Packers defense couldn’t reign in Colin Kaepernick (again) and lost.
Season Report Card:
(D-) Level of expectations met during the season
(D) Contributions to team’s overall success.
(B-) Contributions to team during the playoffs
Overall Grade: D
March 2, 2014 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers, Surviving Sunday
Surviving Sundays with no Packers Foo
The WWE Network debuted on Monday and my wife immediately began filling out divorce papers.
I try to limit my classic wrestling viewing to the television in our room before bed or my iPad if I have a free minute or two in the living room. With WWE Network, I can now literally watch old (and new) wrestling whenever I want. On my phone, in the car, at church, during family dinners, or waiting to check out at the grocery story. Thousands of hours of wrestling footage is at my fingertips.
There is no way my wife is going to be able to deal with me watching wrestling when we’re supposed to be having a serious conversation about buying a new house or finding a good school for our kid.
While I’m reliving classic moments like this, my wife will be packing up her things and relocating as far away from me as possible.
I wonder if the NFL would ever give something like the WWE Network a try? On the surface, it makes sense that they would. But if you really think about it, you realize how silly the league would be to abandon the golden goose it currently has with its traditional television package.
In 2013, the WWE made about $168 million from its television deal. That’s a great deal for the networks that air WWE programming like Monday Night Raw and SmackDown, and not all that great of a deal for WWE.
Ninety-percent of WWE viewers watch shows like Raw and SmackDown live or less than a day after airing. That’s on par with professional sports like football or basketball. The majority of WWE viewership is also under 34 years old and ethnically diverse, two key components that prominent advertisers are looking for. Networks are also looking for more “DVR-proof” programming, or shows that are watched live instead of recorded and watched days or weeks later.
So why doesn’t the WWE have a more lucrative TV deal? Because it’s professional wrestling, duh! Nobody — especially fancy schmancy television executives and big corporate advertisers — has ever taken professional wrestling seriously. Sure, they might back-handedly acknowledge its solid track record of reliable TV ratings and a dedicated and loyal fanbase, but they’re not going to back it up with dollars.
It’s just dumb wrestling. You know, men in their underwear pretending to beat each other up. In the eyes of the big-wigs, only idiots watch wrestling; not people who are well off and might be interested in buying nice cars, shopping at decent stores or enhancing a respected brand.
Vince McMahon and the higher-ups at WWE likely realized that they’re never going to get the giant TV deal they feel they’re worth. So, McMahon — the man who invented Wrestlemania and put wrestling on the mainstream’s national radar — figured he might as well see if creating his own Netflix-style mobile network could boost revenues to where he wants them to be.
The NFL doesn’t need to take such risks. Its TV deal literally prints money.
The NFL currently has a TV deal that runs through 2022 and totals $27 billion. Football makes more in about a month with its TV deal than WWE made in all of 2013. Give up a good portion of that just to create their own network and deal with pricing, marketing, customer service, infrastructure and who knows what else? It ain’t happening.
I could maybe see something similar to the WWE Network happening with the NFL’s out-of-market Sunday Ticket package. Right now, DirecTV holds exclusive rights to Sunday Ticket, but that agreement ends in 2014. Perhaps the NFL could opt for some type of multi-platform delivery system that allows fans to access out-of-market games whether they have DirecTV or not.
But even that could open up several cans of worms: Will the NFL build its own “network” to stream games? What would the networks who are paying $27 billion to the NFL think of this? Isn’t it just plain easier for the NFL to collect a giant check from DirecTV and let them worry about delivering the package and everything else that comes with it?
In a perfect world, NFL fans would have it just as good as wrestling fans currently have it with the WWE Network. What NFL fan wouldn’t want the ability to access any game he wanted from any device for a reasonable price? But unless the market forces the NFL to adopt something similar to the WWE Network, it’s never going to happen. No matter how happy it might make us fans.
Packers news, notes and links
- No surprise here: It sounds like Sam Shields will hit the open market. Now before you start panicking, remember that Shields is not yet a dominant corner and he’s missed games with various injuries every season of his young career. The Packers also still have Tramon Williams, Micah Hyde, and a returning Casey Hayward. It’s not the end of the world if Shields bolts of Green Bay. Don’t get me wrong, I hope the Packers re-sign Shields — they should re-sign Shields — but it’s not the end of the world if they don’t.
- The NFL salary cap is officially set at $133 million and the Packer have about $34.7 million in cap space. Prepare for the free-agent spending spree, right? I doubt it. I’m guessing a good chunk of that cap space goes toward news deals for Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb and to re-sign Sam Shields and a few of the other 17 free agent Packers. I could see Ted Thompson signing a few free agents during the second or third wave of free agency, but I’ll be shocked if he breaks the bank for anyone in that first tier.
- We finally know what was up with Johnny Jolly’s neck at the end of the season. Turns out, he had a neck fusion procedure similar to what safety Sean Richardson underwent early last year. Neck fusion surgery ended Nick Collins’ career and may end Jermichael Finley’s career. Richardson returned, however, and it sounds like Jolly has a good chance to resume playing as well. Will the Packers want to bring back a defensive lineman on the wrong side of 30 who is coming off a major surgery? We’ll see.
- Washington State safety Deone Bucannon could wind up with the Packers if both Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Calvin Pryor are off the board by the time the Packers pick at No. 21 in the NFL draft. Brian Carriveau at CheeseheadTV goes in-depth on Bucannon in this excellent post.
- It sounds like the Packers want to bring back LB Jamari Lattimore, but not for the $1.389 million price tag of a restricted free-agent tender. Lattimore could wind up back on the Packers roster the same way Robert Francois did last offseason: by re-signing for slightly more than the minimum once free agency opens. I’d like to have Lattimore back. He’s good on special teams and capable of filling in at inside linebacker for short stretches.
- The Packers re-signed safety Chris Banjo and signed running back Michael Hill this week.
- This Darren Sharper thing keeps getting uglier and uglier.
- Need something to keep you entertained while you’re shoveling snow or cleaning off the roof? Check out the latest round of podcasts from the crew at the Packers Talk Radio Network.
Non-Packers links and other nonsense
- Holy crap I don’t ever want to go to prison.
- Breaking news from the world of fast food and expanding waistlines: Taco Bell will soon start serving breakfast and McDonald’s might serve its breakfast menu all day.
- The Packers have been plagued by injuries the last four seasons, but thankfully, no Packers player has come down with this injury…yet.
- Hannibal Buress is one of the best (and most underrated) stand-up comedians around and he absolutely killed on the Tonight Show this week.
February 28, 2014 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Authors, Packers
Tim Masthay
1) Introduction: Tim Masthay gets the job done. That’s probably the best way to describe him. He doesn’t drastically tilt the field with his powerful punts and pinpoint accuracy, but he does an adequate job. Masthay doesn’t give you much to leap out of your chair and cheer about, but he also doesn’t give you a reason to hurl your TV through the wall after consistently poor punts.
2) Profile:
Timothy James Masthay
- Age: 26
- Born: 4/16/1987 in Pittsburgh, Penn.
- Height: 6’2″
- Weight: 198
- College: Kentucky
- Rookie Year: 2010
- NFL Experience: 4
Career stats and more
3) Expectations coming into the season: Just keep doing what he does. Masthay has a lot of games where he punts in cold weather and his always hold up well.
4) Player’s highlights/low-lights: Masthay’s net average has gotten better every season, topping off at 39.0 yards in 2013. He also notched 17 touchbacks on 34 kickoffs to start the season. If you’re looking for lowlights…well, it’s always a lowlight when Masthay comes on the field because it means the Packers are punting.
5) Player’s contribution to the overall team success: Masthay’s consistency was a bright spot on an otherwise shaky special teams unit. If there was a special teams breakdown, it was rarely because of something Masthay screwed up.
6) Player’s contributions in the playoffs: Unfortunately, Masthay contributed too much and the Packers didn’t score enough points in their playoff loss.
Season Report Card:
(B) Level of expectations met during the season
(B-) Contributions to team’s overall success.
(B) Contributions to team during the playoffs
Overall Grade: B
February 27, 2014 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Authors, Packers
1) Introduction: Packers kicker Mason Crosby saw his lucrative contract tore up over the offseason and replaced with an incentive-laden deal. Message received. Crosby connected on 33 of 37 field goal attempts and even sent two 57-yarders soaring through the uprights. If Johnny Jolly wasn’t on the roster, the Packers comeback player of the year award would have probably gone to Crosby.
Packers K Mason Crosby
2) Profile:
Mason Walker Crosby
- Age: 29
- Born: 9/3/1984 in Lubbock, Texas
- Height: 6’1″
- Weight: 212
- College: Colorado
- Rookie Year: 2007
- NFL Experience: 7
Career stats and more
3) Expectations coming into the season: Get beat out in training camp by the Italian guy with the cool name. Packers fans were done with Mason Crosby and were itching for somebody to replace him. Crosby outlasted Giorgio Tavecchio and went on to have a career season.
4) Player’s highlights/low-lights: Crosby hit all five field-goal attempts with a long of 52 yards in week 5 against Detroit. He made his first 10 attempts and even hit 5 of 7 from beyond 50 yards after going 14 for 33 on attempts of 50 yards or more in his first six seasons. Crosby’s lowpoint came against the Eagles in week 10 where his missed kicks from 53 and 42 yards.
5) Player’s contribution to the overall team success: The Packers comeback against the Cowboys might have fallen short if Crosby doesn’t nail a 57-yard field goal earlier in the game. Unlike in 2012, you can’t really point to a game where Crosby had an overly negative impact. Crosby took over again on kickoffs midway through the season. I guess the Packers prefer Crosby’s directional kicking over Tim Masthay’s powerful leg.
6) Player’s contributions in the playoffs: Crosby made both of his field goal attempts against the 49ers and was fine kicking the ball off.
Season Report Card:
(A) Level of expectations met during the season
(A-) Contributions to team’s overall success.
(B) Contributions to team during the playoffs
Overall Grade: A-
February 27, 2014 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers
Could Packers GM Ted Thompson take a WR like LUS’s Odell Beckham, Jr. in the NFL draft?
It’s obvious to both diehard and casual Packers fans that the team desperately needs to upgrade at the safety position and also on the defensive line. Middle linebacker or tight end (if Jermichael Finley can’t play) could use upgrades as well.
With Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb returning at wide receiver, and Jarrett Boykin emerging last season, nobody is clamoring for the Packers to add another receiver. But the upcoming draft is overflowing with receiving talent, and Packers general manager Ted Thompson might not be able to help himself.
If the Packers take a wide receiver in the first two rounds, I’ll have no problem with it. Sure, it might not fill an immediate need, but Thompson’s batting average in drafting receivers is one of the best in the league. It’s definitely a lot higher than when he tries to draft a pass-rushing complement to Clay Matthews, a dynamic defensive lineman or an offensive tackle.
If Thompson does take a wide receiver early in the draft, here are five guys that I think would be good selections for the Packers.
Odell Beckham, Jr., LSU
5-11, 198
Combine results
Fit with the Packers: I thought Beckham could possibly be a second-round target for the Packers, but he has rocketed up draft boards in recent weeks. After an impressive performance at the NFL Combine, he might be gone by the time the Packers pick in the first round. What I like most about Beckham is the consistency of his speed. Aaron Rodgers takes his footwork and timing on passing plays seriously. When Rodgers is in position to make a throw, he needs his receivers to be where he expects them to be on the route. Beckham’s quickness off the ball and smoothness in his acceleration makes that possible. He’s not herky-jerky in his movements and won’t be a half-step off when Rodgers is ready to throw.
Davante Adams, Fresno St.
6-1, 212
Combine results
Fit with the Packers: Adams has long arms and catches everything thrown his way. He’s also physical and should be productive in the red zone thanks to his ability to time leaps and go get the ball at its highest point. And you can’t ignore the guy’s production: 3,030 yards and 38 touchdowns in two seasons. Adams isn’t a speedster, but could fill the James Jones role of providing Rodgers with a big, tough and physical target. Some scouts knock him for being a “system wide receiver,” but that might be a plus in the Packers’ view. Thompson tends to draft receivers who are fundamentally sound and would be good fits for the Packers’ “system.”
Mike Evans, Texas A&M
6-5, 231
Combine results
Fit with the Packers: What I’ve liked best about watching film on Evans is his mastery of the back-shoulder catch. If Rodgers watches film on Evans, he might personally demand that Thompson takes him in the first round based solely on his ability to catch back-shoulder passes. Evans knows how to use his size and strength to box out defenders, while still having the hands and arm length to reel in those back-shoulder throws that appear to be zooming out of bounds. At 6-foot-5 with NBA-style leaping ability, Evans would be another option for boosting the Packers production in the red zone. So what’s the downside? Evans is far from polished. The Johnny Manziel-led offense at Texas A&M featured a lot of improvisation. He’s also not very fast. McCarthy and Bennett would have some work to do with Evans in making him a better route-runner and understanding the nuances and tricks of operating in traffic with less-than-superior speed. The Packers tend to draft more polished route-runners when they pick wide receivers in the early rounds, but Evans’ physical skills might be too good to pass up.
Jarvis Landry, LSU
5-11, 205 pounds
Combine results
Fit with the Packers: Landry ran the slowest 40-yard dash (4.77 seconds) of any receiver at the combine. What he might lack in speed, he makes up for in route-running, toughness and intelligence — all traits Thompson likes in wide receivers. Landry also was a special teams standout and doesn’t hesitate to lay someone out blocking on running plays or bubble screens. A faster 40-time at his upcoming pro day will help alleviate concerns about Landry’s speed. But even if his time doesn’t improve much, Landry’s college production and his toughness will resonate with Thompson. He’s a good all-around football player.
Brandin Cooks, Oregon St.
5-10, 189
Combine results
Fit with the Packers: Cooks wasn’t thought of as a receiver with blazing speed heading into the combine. Then he posted the fastest 40-time (4.33 seconds) of any receiver in Indianapolis. He followed that up with impressive showings in the 20- and 60-yard shuttles, demonstrating that not only is he fast, but he can also change direction and pivot without slowing down. Combine the speed he showed at the combine with the elusiveness and craftiness he shows running after the catch on film could turn Cooks into a special receiver pretty quick. With Cobb on the roster (but set to hit free agency next offseason), perhaps Thompson won’t want to add another slot-type receiver. But there are so many good ones in this year’s draft that he might do it anyway. I’m sure Rodgers and McCarthy would find a way to make it work.
Brandon Coleman, Rutgers
6-6, 225
Combine results
Fit with the Packers: I’ll throw in Coleman as a bonus because I think he’s more of a fourth or fifth-round option. It’s impossible not to like a guy who is 6-foot-6 with the strength to break through jams at the line and who averaged almost 22 yards per catch in college. He was slowed by a terrible offense and a knee injury his junior season. Many analysts thought he should have stayed at Rutgers one more year. But he didn’t, and if the Packers take him, Rodgers will have a big target with a lot of untapped potential. Coleman won’t blaze by anybody over the top, but he might be a good option to replace the physicality the size of James Jones.
February 23, 2014 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers, Surviving Sunday
Surviving Sundays with no Packers Football
So yesterday I accidentally scheduled my Surviving Sunday post to run on Saturday. It was a brain freeze similar to what happens when Mike McCarthy calls for the fullback dive on 3rd-and-short.
Hopefully you enjoyed your Saturday edition of Surviving Sunday. Now that it actually is Sunday, here is a bonus Sunday edition of Surviving Sunday.
Packers news, notes and links
- Reports surfaced on Saturday that Packers free agent cornerback Sam Shields is seeking a deal similar to the 4 years, $22.4 million contract signed by the Bears’ Tim Jennings. If that’s truly the case, then the Packers need to get this deal done ASAP. I’m guessing the overall guarantee on Shields’ deal would be bigger than Jennings’, but even if that’s true, that’s a perfectly fair deal for both sides and still leaves the Packers salary cap room to make other moves this offseason.
- Might new Giants offensive coordinator and former Packers QB coach Ben McAdoo try to sign James Starks and Evan Dietrich-Smith away from the Packers? It’d be nice to keep Starks around, but with Eddie Lacy on the roster and DuJuan Harris and Jonthan Franklin returning from injury, Starks is more of a luxury than a necessity. Then again, Starks ran at turbo speed last season. Given his injury history, a part-time role is probably best for him and he sure excelled filling in for Lacy. I don’t like playing musical chairs at center, but is Dietrich-Smith worthy overpaying if another team dumps a big offer on him? I don’t think so. I’m willing to see what J.C. Tretter can do at the position.
- According to a study from Rick Gosselin at the Dallas Morning News, the Packers have lost a league-high 153 games by injuries to preferred starters over the last two seasons. So what are Mike McCarthy and the Packers going to do about it? Who knows. In this interview with Jason Wilde, McCarthy vowed to figure out what’s going on and make changes. He said the same things last offseason. The most logical change at this point might be to just hire the training and medical staff from Stanford University.
- If you’re still holding out hope that the Packers will sign Jarius Byrd to fix their issues at safety, this Tweet might squash that hope.
Non-Packers links and other nonsense
- This is an interesting read about losing the passion you have for your favorite team once you grow up. I wonder how many young Packers fans see their passion dwindle once they get older?
- I’m really looking forward to Jeff Pearlman’s new book on the Showtime-era Lakers.
- Does this offer even apply to writers who publish Surviving Sunday posts on Saturday?
February 22, 2014 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers, Surviving Sunday
Surviving Sundays with no Packers Football
Note: Relax, no need to go check your calendar – it’s not Sunday. Just a little scheduling snafu. Look for a bonus edition tomorrow, though…
I’m going straight to the Packers news and commentary this week. No time for a long intro rant or rave. There is snow to shovel. More and more snow to shovel.
By the time this winter is over, my back is going to snap in half from shoveling and Dr. Pat McKenzie will refuse to clear me in time for training camp.
Packers news, notes and links
- Tyler Dunne at the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel talked to a bunch of folks about Sam Shields. Is Shields worth a mega-contract? You might not find a faster corner in the league. But Shields also has missed games every season with various injuries. And he has a little ways to go before truly being one of the league’s top corners instead of having the potential to be one of the league’s top corners. As with any free-agent decision, it all comes down to value. I’d like to see Shields re-signed, but if he walks, the Packers still have Tramon Williams, a returning Casey Hayward, Micah Hyde and Davon House at cornerback.
- Mike Mccarthy sounded optimistic in an interview at the NFL Scouting Combine that Jermichael Finley would play again. Finley had the same two vertebrae fused that ended Nick Collins career. I’m rooting for Finley to make it back, but I still have doubts that, if he does return, it’ll be with the Packers. Either way, I’m curious what kind of offer he gets in free agency if he is cleared.
- Ted Thompson also spoke at the combine. As usual, he said nothing.
- I agree with John Rehor over at Packerstalk.com: Let’s calm down about Ted Thompson preparing to go all nutso in free agency. I don’t see it happening. I do think Thompson will sign a few guys. There has been value in some under-the-radar veterans in recent years that don’t completely blow up a team’s payroll. Thompson has missed the boat on some of these guys and won’t want to miss it again. At least I hope he won’t…
- As always, when you’re at Packerstalk.com, check out the latest podcasts from this week.
- This is an interesting post from Brian Carriveau at CheeseheadTV examining Nick Perry and the three-point stance. Should Perry go back to putting his hand on the ground as a defensive end instead of standing up as an outside linebacker? Who knows. Either way, he needs to stay healthy. That’s priority No. 1.
- Ian Rappoport from NFL.com reported this week that one of the Packers top priorities is signing Jordy Nelson to a contract extension. Thompson will probably have to open up his wallet after re-signing Nelson (4 years, $14 million) for way below what his market value eventually became halfway through the 2011 season. Randall Cobb wants a new deal too, but it sounds like those talks haven’t started yet. I say sign both of these guys ASAP.
Non-Packers links and other nonsense
- If you’re not watching HBO’s True Detective, you’re missing out on an amazing hour of television every week.
- This Brian Williams mashup to “Rapper’s Delight” is good, but I prefer The Wolfe of Wall Street Meshuggah face.
- What’s the first old-school wrestling pay-per-view that you’re going to watch when the WWE Network launches on Monday? I’m going to watch Wrestlemania VIII. Ric Flair vs. Macho Man Randy Savage was a classic.
- Looking to maximize your profits on selling Girl Scout cookies? Set up shop in front of a pot dispensary.
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