ANGELO JONES PROFILE (MORE...)

If you are interested below is a link to a photo gallery of Angelo's family.

(More...)

MASTERMIND

Supposedly Brett Favre is eyeing a comeback with the Minnesota Vikings.

And if he decideds to return, it is only a matter of time before Green Bay's fallen hero begins pumping the iron and throwing the ball around to local high schoolers.

It seems if you hate something or someone so much you dedicate your efforts to destroying it.

Favre will be back.

Here is my conspiracy.

1. Favre announces retirement

2. Jets are unsatisfied with their quarterback situation without Favre. They trade up and draft Mark Sanchez. No need for Favre.

3. The Jets, satisfied with the quarterback position, release Favre upon his request.

4. Old Baldy to the west catches wind and suddenly begins fueling a plane scheduled to Hattiesburg.

Be skeptical my friends, Favre has orchestrated exactly what he wants.

Read the next post to see if it even matters to the Pack.

WHYYYYYY!!!! TED!!!

I believed him. I looked into Ted Thompson’s beautiful eyes and he captivated me. He took me with his arm around my shoulder and said it is here and we are ready.

Since the Packers made the switch to the 3-4 defense, they claimed to have the pieces in place to begin running their new defensive system.

Well Ted…you lied to me.

With the draft more than a week over, Thompson spent five out of eight picks on defense with four of those picks addressing various areas in the front seven. Interesting. Thompson also traded back into the first round to draft outside linebacker Clay Matthews Jr. Trading up was a bit of a shock but how about everything Thompson gave up to get to the 26 position. One second round pick and two third round picks.

Thompson also ignored his draft board when the Packers selected defensive tackle B.J. Raji with the ninth pick, passing on wide receiver Michael Crabtree. Thompson is notorious for staying true to his board.

Raji and Crabtree are both players with similar skills at their respective positions. But on most people’s boards, such as Scouts Inc. and Kiper’s Big Board, Crabtree was consistently ranked as the second best player with Raji as the fourth or fifth best player.

For Thompson to pass on the second best available player, he must have felt pressing needs at other positions on defense.

Now that the Packer’s first rookie camp concluded Sunday, they have added several undrafted free-agent rookies, the most notable being former Maryland defensive tackle Dean Muhtad, who at 6-3.5 and 288 pounds has the size to play one of the defensive end spots.

The Packers are also bringing in former Oak Creek start Rhyan Anderson, a former defensive end for the University of New Mexico, for a tryout. Anderson played two seasons at the University of Miami before transferring to New Mexico.

They have also brought in several outside linebackers to compete for potential roster spots.

With Thompson making the claim that the Packers are ready, he has spent not only a majority of his draft picks but money, signing players to fit into the front seven of the Packer’s defense.

After the last two weeks, it is clear the Packers were not ready.

Even though Ted Thompson played spin master for a few months. We must get behind him. He did turn our deficiencies into potential strengths.

Ted…I forgive you.

Sincerely,

Mike Haberle

FIRST ROUND

Alright let's get it started a little early. Draft starts in about 10, and last night the Lion's reached a deal with Matthew Stafford, so right now the Rams are on the clock. Also be sure to check out our grades of the Packer's draft.

Pick 1: Lions - Matthew Stafford (3:00)
- Quite a bit of boos when they called Stafford's name. Not as bad as when Donovan McNabb's name was called.
Pick 2: Rams - Jason Smith (3:16)
- No real surprise, everyone saw it coming. Decent crowd reaction.
Pick 3: Chiefs - Tyson Jackson (3:26)
- Predicted in Mel Kiper's latest mock. A surprise because he was projected as a mid-first rounder. Probably not the best value at the 3rd spot.
Pick 4: Seahawks - Aaron Curry (3:33)
- Good pick! Regarded as the best linebacker and player in the draft. Clearly a high character guy that should become one of the better players to come out of the 2009 draft. (Here come the Browns, let's see what they do, should be interesting.)

Jets trade for Browns pick. (Cleveland picks at 17 and get Jets 2nd rounder and three other players.)

5: Jets - Mark Sanchez (3:42)
- Wow!!! Good pick by the Jets. they need a face for the franchise, they just drafted one. Wow!!! Best crowd reaction so far.
Pick 6: Bengals - Andre Smith (3:51)
- Good player, good run blocker. Outland Tropy winner. Stock recovered considering how bad the draft process went for him. Good pick.
Pick 7: Raiders - Darrius Heyward-Bey (3:57)
- Shocker. Terrible value for the spot. Good height, weight, and speed but has trouble catching the ball sometimes. Had games where he didn't catch the ball. Two to three better wider reciever prospects available. (Packer fans watch out for the possibility of the Packers selecting Michael Crabtree.)

I must say an exciting draft so far. A few things have not gone as "scripted."

Pick 8: Jacksonville - Eugene Monroe (4:07)
- A little surprised they didn't go Crabtree since they don't have any real receivers. Still, they needed a tackle.

Could the Packer's go with Crabtree. Thompson sticks to his board and at this point, he has to be the highest rated player on the board. Crabtree may not have a huge 40 but Thompson has drafted receivers that have ran high 4.5, so Packers are not worried about 40 as much as others are.

Pick 9: Packers - B.J. Raji (4:15)
- Great pick!!! Have a nose tackle that can eat up blockers. Love it, for now can rotate with Ryan Pickett at the nose. Good choice. Grab a good rush linebacker in the 2nd round. Packer fans this was a needed pick, may not be flashy but trust me, this is a good pick.
Pick 10: 49er's - Michael Crabtree (4:22)
- The best player on most team's boards is finally off the board. Great value. Now whoever their quarterback is, he has a potentially great target in Crabtree.

I always feel uncomfortable watching players sit around for so long. It is nice to see them get picked. With regards to Crabtree starting to wonder about his character as far as pre-madonna type. Hope not.

Thinking Orakpo could be Maybin though. We'll see. They need a DE opposite Aaron Schobel.

Pick 11: Bills - Aaron Maybin
- Good value. Surprise they didn't go with Orakpo, his injury issues must have scared some teams off. Good pick though. Gives them a good pass rush. Won't be good against the ground game right now. Needs to put on productive playing weight to become a complete player.
Pick 12: Broncos -Knowshon Moreno (4:32)
- This franchise is taking a turn for the worse. They miss out on Tyson Jackson and B.J. Raji guys they needed. They lose a franchise quarterback. McDaniels is running this franchise into the ground within a matter of months. McDaniels seems to be too arrogant for having done so little as a head coach.
Pick 13: Redskins - Brian Orakpo (4:34)
- Good pick. A lot of scouts think he is better as a DE in the 4-3. Great value for the spot. Might be the best value so far. Good pick. They now have a very good defensive line with Carter,
Griffin, Haynesworth, Orakpo.

Could this next pick be Beanie Wells. Might want to replace Duece McCallister.

Good draft so far. Very entertaining. Just can't get the Broncos personnel moves over the last few months out of my head. They are switching to the 3-4 where they have few personnel that fit that scheme and then they go offense. They should've went outside linebacker. However, I will say the players that were available at that spot where gone, which was surprising to most.

Pick 14: Saints - Malcolm Jenkins (4:41)
- Great football player. Projected as a safety, give him a try at cornerback. Does not have top end speed but will be a solid player. He will be a great leader in a few years once he is more of a veteran.
Pick 15: Texans - Brian Cushing (4:46)
- Good football player. Plays hard and looks to deliver big hits. He has had injury problems in the past. First USC linebacker to come off the board.

Maybe Maualuga? Would be Junior Seau type, imagine him paired with Merriman, might be the one of the harder hitting linebacker corps in the league. Could look at a running back possibly. Don't forget Maclin is still on the board. They can go a lot of ways. Don't think Harvin will be an option this early, has had character issues.

Pick 16: Chargers - Larry English (4:52)
- Is a surprise pick so far. Will play outside linebacker in a 3-4. Surprised maybe, thought he would be later in the first round or early second. Too bad for the Packers.

Does ESPN have a camera in the home of ever possible first round pick? Sure seem likes it. Interesting how they use it as a tool to almost know the pick before it is officially announced.

Quarterback. Could Josh Freeman come off the board.

Browns move down two spots and get a sixth round pick.

Pick 17: Bucs (trade with Browns, trade with Jets) - Josh Freeman (5:02)
- Great arm. Needs to sit and be developed. Start him in his second or third year while Leftwhich plays. Probably a reach, but if you want a guy - go get him.

Still liking this draft so far. Lots of trades and very unpredictable, although some people saw Freeman going to the Bucs.

Pick 18: Broncos (trade with Bears) - Robert Ayers (5:07)
- Good value. Will play outside linebacker in the 3-4. Good recovery pick for the Broncos. Long way to go.

Browns, for the third time, trade down in the first round. Do they ever want to pick in the first round?

Pick 19: Eagles (trade with Browns, trade with Bucs) - Jeremy Maclin (5:14)
- Good pick for the Eagles, could have went with Chris "Beanie" Wells. Will pair nicely with Desean Jackson. Could have used another back. Westbrook is getting older and has had a lot of injury problems. Still great value at that spot.

Were the Eagles worried about the Lions picking a wide reciever? Or maybe they were worried about the Vikings coming up and taking Maclin.

Pick 20: Lions - Brandon Pettigrew (5:20)
-Complete tight-end. Not a burner at the TE position but a good all-around player. I like what Detroit is doing. They might going to the offensive or defensive line. Good job Detroit.
Pick 21: Browns (trade with Eagles) - Alex Mack (5:25)
- Decent pick, might have been a little early. But decent. Nice job at collecting picks. Is Braylon Edwards going to be traded soon? - maybe to the Giants.
Pick 22: Vikings - Percy Harvin (5:29)
- Great player, I wonder about his character. Will be good on special teams, might take some time to develop as a receiver.
Pick 23: Ravens (trade with Patriots) - Michael Oher (5:37)
- Good pick. Difficult upbringing, had to be mentally tough. Scouts wonder if he tries hard all of the time. Still has a lot of ability.

Oher teared up after getting picked. Good for him. Happy to see this kid get picked.

Pick 24: Falcons - Peria Jerry (5:42)
-Good pick. good pass-rusher as a tackle. Falcons line has gotten better of the past few years. Will be a good 4-3 tackle.

Should be interesting pick. Wonder how Parcells will continue to build the Dolphins. Might go Hakeem Nicks. Big, physical wide receiver out of North Carolina, seems like a Parcells-type of guy, tough and productive.

I think the green room is fairly cleaned out, might be a player left. Not sure who though.

Pick 25: Dolphins - Vontae Davis (5:48)
- Good player with great physical ability. Not a technician and scouts wonder about his character. Great upside and great value at this point.

Parcells should get the most out of Davis. Good situation for him.

Patriots picked up 5th rounder in their earlier trade with the Ravens.

Surprised that Beanie Wells is still on the board. Could he go to the Patriots who have had trouble, as far as injuries are concerned, at the running back position? If Wells makes it past the Patriots, look for him to go to the Cardinals.

Pick 26: Packers (Pakers trade with Patriots, trade with Ravens) - Clay Matthews (5:56)
- I'm loving it. Great pick. Great athlete the 3-4 is slowly taking shape. He will play the right side opposite Aaron Kampman. Good move by Ted Thompson. Packers are at the top for best draft so far. Good pick, great value, and great character. Surprised the Patriots didn't go after him. Seemed like a Patriot kind of guy.

This is a Packer site, so don't mistake my praise as just being a fan but I think the Packers are taking great steps so far. Look for them to go after Jarron Gilbert a big 6-6 280 pound DE. He would be a great addition and help round out the front seven.

Pick 27: Colts - Donald Brown (6:00)
- A well rounded player. Good addition with Joseph Addai considering how much he has gotten injured lately. Though they might look for wide receiver or go after Everrette Brown a small speed rusher. Still, good value and I can't argue with Polian's first round picks.

Fantastic all-around draft. Lot of excitement and a lot of trades. Fun to watch. Bills on the clock, might go tackle with Ebben Britton, Maualuga could be a possibility at linebacker.

Pick 28: Bills - Eric Wood (6:05)
- Good four year starter. Snuck into the first round over the past few weeks. Good player good value.

Listen closely, here comes the Giants. Can't wait to see the fan reaction depending on what their pick is. Might go with Kenny Britt at wide receiver or Beanie Wells even. Must say I am surprised how long Wells has stayed on the board have teams forgotten about him. 12 picks away from the Packers.

Pick 29: Giants - Hakeem Nicks (6:10)
- Good pick by the Giants. Good crowd reaction behind Sanchez. Big, physical receiver. He does not have top end speed. Might be too strong to say but is probably a poor man's Michael Crabtree. Like the pick. I think they should have made a big push for Braylon Edwards. Still good value pick. For the Packer fans, think James Jones.

Just thinking about the possibility of the Vikings picking up Plaxico Burress. I know they drafted Harvin but they always seem wide receiver desperate. Let's see. (It depends on how the legal situation of Burress pans out.)

I'm seeing Wells on the phone, could he go to the Titans. Two running backs in two years.

Pick 30: Titans - Kenny Britt (6:19)
- Good pick, good value. Finally go after a wide receiver in the first round. Big, physical receiver. Like the pick not sure the Titans had any other options at that particular spot.
Pick 31: Cardinals - Chris "Beanie" Wells (6:28)
-Great pick, great value. Not sure this could have worked out any better for the Cardinals. I thought wells would be long gone. This likely means the end of Edgerrin James in Arizona. Wells is what the Cards need. I am concerned about his ability to stay healthy in a league that is more physical than college.
Pick 32: Steelers - Evander "Ziggy" Hood (6:34)
-Surprised, but good pick good size. Will play DE in the Pittsburgh. Can't argue with their picks.

Well the Packers are done for today, they traded their second and third round picks. I had fun and hope you enjoyed following along.

Bye

DRAFT UPDATE

Be sure to check in throughout the draft on April 25, 26 as we will update pick by pick throughout the first round.

PACKER'S SCHEDULE

Here is the Packer's 2009 schedule, tell me what you think.


Chicago Bears
Cincinnati Bengals
@ St. Louis Rams
@ Minnesota Vikings
Bye
Detroit Lions
@ Cleveland Browns
Minnesota Vikings
@ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Dallas Cowboys
San Francisco 49ers
@ Detroit Lions
Baltimore Ravens
@ Chicago Bears
@ Pittsburgh Steelers
Seattle Seahawks
@ Arizona Cardinals

DRAFT PROVIDES SOME ANSWERS

Green Bay Press Gazette looks at how the draft may provides some answers to the holes on defense. (More...)

IT WAS INEVITABLE

It's easy to forget baseball is a business. Most of us even say, professional baseball players are men playing a boys game. It maybe true.

But don't forget that owners are profiting from Major League Baseball, and don't forget about the players profiting from their success too. Everyone involved with making the baseball world turn is a business man. From the umps, to the players, to the owners, everyone is in baseball to make a buck.

So the strike of 1994 shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone, it was inevitable.

The theory of revenue sharing created problems among all sides. Revenue sharing is currently used in baseball, and it is the idea that large teams exceeding a set payroll-dollar amount would be forced to pay a portion of their revenue to a pool, which usually consists of four to six teams. There the money is equally divided.

When it came to this idea, owners could not collectively agree themselves. Teams with large payrolls were reluctant to lose money, and teams with small payrolls were obviously in favor of receiving money.

Factor in that players were against revenue sharing because they felt it threatened the increase in player salaries. With revenue sharing, it was thought spending would go down.

On the other side, there might be the notion that a salary cap may have been the answer. Teams could have, for the most part, a set idea of how much money would be available to them and it would keep salaries from continually rising. The players could also receive contracts with guaranteed money.

The problem is both sides were split on this issue as well.

First, the players knew a salary cap would keep contracts low, with teams having a set amount of money available for player salaries.

Thanks to Marvin Miller's earlier years of "Baseball is a Business 101" players were adamantly opposed to the idea of limiting their opportunities to make money. The salary cap would undoubtedly limit an increase in player salaries.

And why would the players opt for non-guaranteed contracts. Sure these contracts may have forms of guaranteed money but every dollar in their current baseball contract was already guaranteed.

To the players, a salary cap would have been a step in the wrong direction.

Aside from proposed ideas, owners and players just didn't get along when it came to the business of baseball.

Here is a quick history lesson. The owners took advantage of the players in baseball's early years. In the 60's things started to change. Curt Flood wanted to become a free agent, Marvin Miller became head of the players' union, and the players wised-up. Free agency started along with salary arbitration, and since then players have had a choke-hold on the bargaining table.

These shifts of power led to a common dislike for one another, which kept the chess board of bargaining at a constant stalemate.

The only way this would have been avoided is if both sides could have employed the services of Doc Brown and his Delorian -- to get back to the future.

YOUR TAKE

I am satisfied GM Ted Thompson continues to build through the draft and opts not to spend large amounts of money in free agency. Why?

1. Players are generally overpaid, just look at Albert Haynesworth.
2. Players are often over-hyped. Larry Brown was an average cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys that had an above average Super Bowl game where he was named the Super Bowl MVP. After becoming a free-agent he used the SB MVP to sign a huge contract with the Oakland Raiders. After 12 games in 2 years he was cut and finished his career back in Dallas.
3. You still have to evaluate whether the player will fit into your system. A year ago Cato Junes was an attractive free agent to some teams. After a good start to his career in Indy June signed with the Bucaneers, he played one year and has since been cut. He finished the year with a lowly 69 tackles.

Tell me what you think about Ted Thompson's approach to free agency and if you think it should change.

WHO DO YOU HAVE

The draft is less than a month away and with pro-days coming to an end, from the available choices, who do you think the Packer's will take with the ninth pick in the NFL Draft.

Malcom Jenkins
Everette Brown
Brown Orakpo
Aaron Maybin
Andre Smith
Rey Maulauga
Brian Cushing
Clay Matthes
Jeremy Maclin
B.J. Raji
Knowshon Moreno
Chris Wells

MOCK DRAFTS

Below are some reputable mock drafts.

ESPN.com
- Mel Kiper and Todd McShay(more...)

NFL.com
- Pat Kirwan(more...)
- Steve Wyche(more...)
- Jamie Dukes(more...)
- Charles Davis(more...)

TOURNEY TIME

LEAVE A POST AND TELL US WHO WILL MOVE ON FROM THE SWEET 16 AND WIN THE TOURNEY.

YEAH BAYBIE...

I wanted to break out of the mold at The Other America’s Team and get into the madness that is March. And because of the harsh economic times, we thought a great way to supplement some of our lost income would be to bet on sports games.

Since the Packers are a NFC North team, I’ll choose a game in the Big 10, and because I’m a Hawkeye fan I’ll be betting on the #7 seeded Michigan Wolverines versus the #10 seeded Iowa Hawkeyes.

Also, because The Other America’s Team headquarters is so closely located to the University of Iowa campus it just made sense to interview the students. Oh and we’re not interviewing them because I want to make small talk, I’m interviewing them because I need some odds BAYBIE. I won’t be using a spread or any other crazy Vegas invention, I’m just betting straight up.

I made it out to the campus this morning to start my interviews and let’s say that Hawk Fever is still in a very dilapidated, rundown state. If the basketball enthusiasm had to be rated on a scale of 1 to 10, I’d give it a 13 because that’s probably how many people believe the Hawks have a shot at winning the tournament, and yes, those 13 people are all on the team.

However, there were a few out there that gave Iowa a chance.

Kyle Bowlsby, a junior at the UI, left the outcome of the game to a flip of the coin.

“I’d say 50/50,” Bowlsby said. “They’re rebuilding and getting better.”

Alright so there’s one on the board. I made my way down the hall of the journalism building with notebook in hand and met a young woman named Olivia Petersen who was able to offer some of her insider knowledge.

“I didn’t really know there was a game, “Petersen, a junior at the UI said.

OK

Let’s just keep moving on. My next two victims were both in the throes of school work, so it only made sense that I interrupt them.

“Excuse me,” I said. “Can I ask you about the basketball game going on today?”

The student I asked, Jason Manola a junior at the UI, turned and looked not surprised that I had asked him for a smoke of his basketball knowledge, but rather that I must have been smoking something other than knowledge to ask a question about a team who placed second to last, right above an Indiana Hoosier team that saw no longer Head Coach, Kelvin Sampson, illegally messaging anyone in the state of Indiana that had college basketball illegibility.

“What are the chances Iowa wins,” I said.

“I’d say 10 percent,” Manola said. “But you never know.”

And thus I stumbled upon the crux of my problem. I believe that Bowlsby was right in saying that it was 50/50, so I chalked that up to a win for Iowa but then Manola told me Iowa had a 10 percent chance at winning and said anything can happen. And let us not forget the wonderful Ms. Petersen who had no idea that a game was going on.

I needed a tie-break and I found one.

When I reached Shawn Reader, a senior at the UI, he was clearly working on something more important than the contents of this story. Now I’m not saying this for sure, but he was working on a paper that was filled with complex formulas and graphs and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to weigh the insight of a possibly gifted mathematician.

So I introduced myself, and asked him my first question.

“Odds Iowa wins today, “I said.

Reader turned from his work and said…

“They’ll lose because that seems to be their trend.”

“So what odds would you give them?”

“.1 percent,” Reader said.

(So that’s how my day started. Since then, I’ve made it back to the office and have started to place my bet.)

And here I am on the phone ready to place my bet and all I can think about is Reader giving Iowa a .1 chance.

“Sir?” the woman on the phone says. “Who will you be betting on.”

With Reader’s words bouncing through my head I knew I should be rational and make the right decision.

“Ahhh… put me down for Iowa.” I said in a confidently, forgetful matter.

- Shawn Reader
- Kyle Bowlsby
- Olivia Petersen
- Jason Manola

KIRWAN HAS JENKINS GOING TO THE PACK

Pat Kirwan a writer for NFL.com, who projected the Packers taking Justin Harrell two years ago, currently has Malcom Jenkins going to the Packers with the ninth pick. (More...)

LOOKING AT LINEBACKER

Team looking to bring in middle linebacker Kevin Burnett sometime during the beginning of next week if he doesn't not sign elsewhere.

SMITH A PACKER

The Packers made their first free agent signing with former Steeler safety Anthony Smith. (More...)

REALLY WYCHE?

Recently Steve Wyche, a senior writer for NFL.com, has been missing big with some of his Packer analysis.

First, he thinks Michael Boley the UFA linebacker from the Falcons will be a free agent target for the Packers. How? Boley is 6-foot-3 but he only weighs 223 pounds. Weight is often an issue in the 3-4 defense and Boley is about 20 pounds too light to play inside linebacker and is 30 to 40 pounds too light to play outside linebacker. So really?

Second, Wyche has Brian Cushing going to the Green Bay Packers with the ninth pick. Not going to happen. Cushing is no doubt a great football player and physical specimen but he is not the best value on the board at the ninth spot. The Packers will also be targeting a cornerback at that spot or possibly a left tackle if one of the top players falls. I will say that I wouldn't mind have Cushing in a Packer uniform.

THANK GOD!!!

It cost me about $70 to attend a Packers game -- a preason game that is. So it is nice to hear that they will not be raising ticket prices. (More...)

TO THE TED THOMPSON HATERS

I have kicked around the idea of writing about my love for Ted Thompson and the hate that I have toward the short-sided fans who would rather see him fired than continue on. And I will eventually get around to that, but for now, here is a column written by Mike Vandermause. It says what I want to say but with less anger. (More...)

DON'T GIVE UP ON HAWK...

An article by the Green Bay Press Gazette says Hawk will benefit from the switch to the 3-4. (More...)

JENKINS MEASURES UP

Jenkins measures in at 6 feet, 204 pounds at the Combine. Numerous mock drafts, including those of Mel Kiper and Todd McShay, have Jenkins going to the packers with the number nine pick.

Results reported by NFL.com

HOW THEY FIT...

McCarthy gives his thoughts on where each player will fit in the new 3-4. (More...)

Reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

THE PACK MIGHT BE OKAY

NFL.com writer Pat Kirwan looks at why the Packers might be well suited to make the transition to the 3-4. More...

PROBLEMS THE PACKERS WILL ENCOUNTER WITH THE 3-4

NFL.com writer Steve Wyche looks at some problems the Packers will encounter with the 3-4. More...

TOP THREE DEFENSIVE NEEDS: #1

CORNERBACK

This may be somewhat surprising to say the Packers number one need is at the cornerback position, especially since they need rush linebackers with the 3-4. But consider this:

1) Al Harris is 34 years old, and has never been known for his speed. There is no doubt that he is one of the best man-to-man cover corners in the league but how long can he keep that up? Secondly, the Packers will no longer be exclusively playing man-to-man, as the 3-4 defense the Packers will be using also calls for playing zone. With little to no experience, will Harris be able to play cornerback in such a different scheme?

2) I am a huge Charles Woodson fan but he is also getting older as well. Currently 32 years of age, Woodson will be 33 midway through next season. Woodson, while he has not missed significant time, has been constantly slowed down by toe and shoulder injuries. He is still one of the best corners in the league and has the athleticism and instincts to play in the new scheme but he is on the back-end of his career.

3) Who else is there? Tramon Williams looks like he will be an above average NFL cornerback after filling in for several games while Harris was out. He has speed, athleticism, and average size at about 5-11, 190 pounds. He also showed that he has above average hands with 5 interceptions recorded this past season. I have no doubt that Williams will be a successful NFL player once a spot in the starting lineup is available.

Other than Williams who else is there? Will Blackmon has been said to be the best athlete on the team but he has only shown his return abilities on special teams, and has yet to make a name for himself on defense. Jarrett Bush has been moved to safety and according to reports is making progress at his new position. Patrick Lee, a second round pick last year out of Auburn, played special teams last year, and was never able to crack the defensive lineup.

What to do?

The Packers could look to free agency and go after a cornerback such as Nnamdi Asomugha but he will want big money. Dunta Robinson is also a possibility if the Texans do not franchise tag him. Other than that, there are really no outstanding free agent cornerbacks available, which is why the Packers will add to this position through the draft. A lot of mock drafts currently project the Packers taking Ohio State cornerback Malcom Jenkins with the ninth pick. Vontae Davis, widely considered the player with the most upside, could also be a possibility. But his stock has dropped with concerns regarding his character.

In the end, the Packers draft Jenkins out of Ohio State.

TOP THREE DEFENSIVE NEEDS: #2

OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS

Now that the Packers are in the 3-4, they need to find outside linebackers, think Demarcus Ware or Terrell Suggs. Currently, the Packers will be putting Kampman at one of the outside linebacker spots, where I expect that he will be very successful. So that leaves the other spot open. As of right now, Brady Poppinga, Brandon Chillar, Jeremy Thompson, and possibly Desmond Bishop are likely candidates for the last spot.

Of those candidates, Brandon Chillar probably has the best shot at winning the spot for next year. He is a good blitzer from his days as a Ram and he is the best coverage linebacker that the Packers have on the roster. That said, I also like Jeremy Thompson who is six feet, four inches, 270 pounds. With Thompson, there would be no problem with rushing the passer. The biggest question mark for him would be dropping into coverage, an areas where he has little to no experience.

The other route is for the Packers to either sign a free agent outside linebacker or to draft one. If they went the free agent route they could possibly sign Suggs, however from his recent remarks, it sounds like he would prefer to stay in Baltimore. There is also the possibilty of signing Julius Peppers the defensive end from the Panthers, who has recently expressed an interest in playing in the 3-4. However, if the Packers continue their recent free agent signing trends, which I don't mind, then they will have the opportunity to choose from several players in the draft. Aaron Maybin, Brain Orakpo, and Everrette Brown are all college defensive ends who are currently projected as outside linebacker prospects. Brown leads Maybin and Orakpo as a better pro prospects according to Scouts Inc.

So what will the Packers do? I expect that they will entertain the thought of signing a Suggs or Peppers because of the pressure put on the organization by the fans, but in the end, Thompson will stick to his guns and draft the Packers next outside linebacker.

TOP THREE DEFENSIVE NEEDS: #3

DEFENSIVE LINE

Now that the Packers will be making the switch to the 3-4 defense, they will need to look for much bigger bodies to play the defensive line. As of right now, Justin Harrell, Johnny Jolly and the recently injured Cullen Jenkins are expected to compete for two of the defensive end spots. Then in the middle, the Packers expect Ryan Pickett to be a more than adequate nose tackle. The first problem is that while I will not consider Justin Harrell a bust, he has missed significant time because of injury. So, he is definitely a question mark. Secondly, Pickett has been slowed down the past two years with knee injuries. You just wonder how his knees will hold up as a nose tackle, where he will be expected to take on two blockers at a time. And then there is Cullen Jenkins who is coming off a torn pectoral muscle.

At this point in time, there are some adequate solutions currently on the roster in Colin Cole who could possibly play nose tackle, and Michael Montgomery, a defensive end who saw his playing time increase as the Packers experienced more injuries along the line.

Therefore, the Packers will need to do one thing along the offensive line and that is add depth. Last year, reguardless of the system, the Packers experienced a lot of trouble on defense simply because they lacked the depth needed to stay competitive.

FOLLOW-UP ON KAMP

Kampman's career like evolution is slowling evolving. Instead of spending time on all four appendges, like our predecors, Kampman will make the move to his feet, joining the rest of his counterparts. More...

5 RULES TO SUCCESS: THE AVERAGE FAN'S GUIDE TO A SUCCESSFUL NFL DRAFT

Recently, I was going to post the draft needs of the Green Bay Packers, but I thought I would be able to produce a much better post if I got the opinion of the average NFL fan. So for the past two years, I have conducted countless interviews and as a result, have collected invaluable information. Here are the top five pieces of information that I will be using to produce my next post.

- RULE 1: Don't draft lineman.

They're not that necessary, right? I mean they're not flashy, they don't score touchdowns, and let's be honest most of them are kind of, well... ugly. So remember no lineman.
-Anonymous Raider fan, this interview conducted just two minutes ago. Seemed to become very upset when I was about to mention Robert Gallery.

RULE 2: Exclusively draft offense.

If you just draft offense then you don't have to worry about the defense, because the best defense is a good offense, makes sense right?
- Gene Chizik respsponding to accusations of prostitution and gambling while at Iowa State University.

RULE 3: Only draft beautiful quarterbacks.

- Listen...when conducting hours of interviews and research this is a point that constantly came up. Obviously this is integral part to building an unstoppable franchise.
-Joe Namath in an interview conducted with Suzy Kolber of ESPN.

RULE 4: Ummm... (This was a great rule and unfortunatley I have forgot it. I did have it written down but my cat Soxs spilled coffee on it. I would like to apologize to Terry Donahue, the man or woman that was kind enough to provide me with this quote. Again I am deeply sorry.)

RULE 5: Always draft in the first round.

Never trade first round picks for anything, unless, it is to move up higher in the first round. Once you get out of the first round the players are terrible. Basically, you can only find starters in the first round, just look at Tom Brady if you need proof.
- Chilli Palmer, a waiter and dancer at the Sugar Shack, a male strip club. Please do not send emails on how I got this interview.

On behalf of those who I interviewed, I will be sending this to all GMs as preparation for the 2009 NFL Draft.

Thanks,

Mike Haberle

WILL KAMPMAN FIT?

So now that the Packers are going to the 3-4, much of the talk has been about whether or not Aaron Kampman will fit within the defense. As of right now, Kampman would project as an outside linebacker rather than a defensive end. And to answer the question of whether he's got what it takes...the answer is yes. Here's why...


First, the Pack just made a huge hiring by adding Kevin Greene as outside linebackers coach. And for those of you who don't remember, Greene was a nasty player who played the outside linebacker spot for Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Carolina, and San Francisco. Oh, and he is third all-time in career sacks behind Bruce Smith and Reggie White. So look for Kampman to get a grade A education when it comes to playing the outside linebacker spot.


Second, Kampman is just a ball-player. He just has the ability to go out there and play football. Line him up at safety, cornerback, linebacker, and heck maybe even quarterback and he will find a way to get the job done. See in the NFL, there are three kinds of players, guys that just suck, guys that are athletes, and guys that just know how to play the game of football, and that is Kampman.


So don't worry...because I feel that the 3-4 gives Kampman the chance to be even more productive. But we'll have to wait and see.

OUT WITH THE OLD IN WITH THE NEW

Well, a few weeks ago the Packers revealed that they would be releasing much of their defensive staff(more...) and I could not be happier. Let me tell you why.The Packers were very good against the pass this past year. However, it wasn't the opponents passing attack that hurt the Packers, it was the opponent's ability to run the ball, averaging 131.6 yards per game. Because the Packers were not able to stop the run and show absolutely no defensive improvement over the past few seasons, it was time for a change.

And because of those firings the Packers have added Dom Capers as the defensive coordinator. What's not the love. Capers is the man who converted the Pittsburgh Steelers, one of the best defenses in the NFL, into a 3-4 defense. He was the head coach of the Carolina Panthers when they were beaten by the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship game and most recently, Capers spent the last season with the New England Patriots as a special assistant/secondary coach. Just imagine the things he may have learned from Belichick in New England.

So what does the hiring of Capers ultimately mean. Well, the Packers over the course of the next few seasons will be making the transition to the 3-4 defense. The 3-4 is run by many of the top defenses in the NFL, the Steelers, Ravens, Patriots, and Dallas among other teams. In a 3-4 defense there are three down lineman and four linebackers, as opposed to a 4-3, which calls for four down lineman and three linebackers. What I love the most about the 3-4 is the success that other teams have had with it. When announcing the hire of Dom Capers, head coach Mike McCarthy noted that, "It's an excellent run defense [and] it creates [a] pass rush on the quarterback," something that the Packers lacked throughout the year with the exception of Aaron Kampman.

So, it should be fun to see the Pack implement this defense over the next season or so...but...the one drawback is they will have to go out and get players that fit a 3-4 defense, which is something that we'll get a look at in the next post.

GETTING STARTED

There is this misconception that the Dallas Cowboys are America's team, sorry Troy Aikman, that just ain't true. So we don't want to cause any confusin among the masses that have been brained washed, so, I will sadly refer to the Green Bay Packers as America's other team...but those that bleed green and gold know that it is far from the truth. Sorry. So here it goes.