MVN - Most Valuable Network

The Young and the Favreless: ’08 Packers even younger

On opening day in 2006, the Green Bay Packers were the youngest team in the NFL. Average age = 25.57.

And boy did they mature in 2007. Average age = 25.72, which again made them the youngest NFL squad.

It doesn’t take a mathematician, then, to predict that the Pack will again field the youngest team heading into ’08, considering the losses of Brett Favre (38), Rob Davis (39), Bubba Franks (30) and Koren Robinson (28) – all of whom will be replaced by much younger players.

Who’s the oldest now? Out of the nearly 80 guys currently on the roster, Green Bay has only six players 30 years of age or older. Read the rest of this entry »

Green Bay’s top 5 position battles heading into ’08 camp (and more)

The Packers have an even stronger team in many areas than the 2007 squad that finished 13-3. With so much depth at numerous positions, there will be no lack of competition for playing time. The following are what I see as the top 5 position battles, followed by others to also keep an eye on. Let us know if you agree. Also try to predict which Packers will emerge victorious.

1. Linebacker (strong-side, a.k.a. “Sam”): Brandon Chillar, the Packers only significant free agent signing this offseason, will be in a very close competition to unseat ’07 starter Brady Poppinga at strong side linebacker. Regardless of who emerges as the starter, the Packers have added valuable depth, which should help improve what has been disappointing pass coverage against tight ends.
Who Wins: Chillar

2. Defensive tackle: Even after trading Corey Williams to the Browns, the Packers have four legitimate starters at defensive tackle. When healthy Ryan Pickett is great at plugging up the middle. But will last year’s first round pick, Justin Harrell, be able to beat out Colin Cole and Johnny Jolly for the second spot?
Who Wins: Pickett and Harrell

3. Cornerback (nickel and dime backs): Read the rest of this entry »

Green Bay’s quarterback quandary: Is a veteran needed?

Following the retirement of Brett Favre, the Green Bay Packers went from fielding one of the most experienced quarterbacks in the NFL to heading into the 2008 training camp with three greenhorns.

This could be problematic should a run of bad luck strike Titletown. Would it be beneficial for general manager Ted Thompson to sign a veteran signal caller to serve in a guidance role?

Although Favre’s replacement, Aaron Rodgers, has shown promise at times, particularly in the week 13 game at Texas Stadium last year, he is wholly untested. Entering his 4th season with the Packers, Rodgers’ career stats – 35 for 59 for 329 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT – resemble the kind of numbers guys like Favre, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady put up in a single game. In total, Rodgers has appeared in just seven games since entering the NFL – most of which were in mop up roles. Read the rest of this entry »

Packers get even younger, cut Koren Robinson

I didn’t know whether to be surprised or not when I read today on ESPN.com that Koren Robinson had been released by the Packers. The previously tipsy wide receiver had a well documented torrid past filled with booze and swerving, but he hasn’t made a media blip since arriving in Green Bay in 2006. It had generally been accepted that he had cleaned up his life and was determined to help the Packers deepen their wide out core. He just couldn’t seem to creep high enough on the rotation.

Robinson really never turned into the solid number 3 or even 4 the Packers had hoped he would be. He shored up a return game that had been stagnant and inconsistent, but that was about it. His 21 catches for 241 yards and one touchdown made his numbers almost equal to Ruvell Martin who had 16 receptions for 242 yards and 4 touchdowns. It should be noted that Martin is also two years younger than Robinson.

Another reason it was not surprising to see Robinson go was the selection of Jordy Nelson with the Packers first pick in the NFL draft. The Kansas State superstar picked early in the second round is sure to slide into the number 4, if not 3 hole on the Packers depth chart. This had easily become one of the deepest positions on the roster and also made Robinson that much more expendable.

Read the rest of this entry »

Packer fantasy

Every year I try to get at least one Packer on my fantasy football team. Usually it’s Donald Driver, whom I had the last three seasons. Last year was very disappointing for Driver as far as fantasy numbers went. My draft is just around the corner and this got me thinking. Which Packer do I want to pick? Will I get a stud starter or a late round backup? There will be at least one.

Aaron Rodgers is a very tempting Packer to nab. I would guess he will not be selected early unless another Packers fan in my league jumps on him. Considering all but two fantasy members are Green Bay fans, he could go earlier than he’s worth. That really goes for all the Packers. We fall in love with the idea of that player playing for us every time we watch the game. Rodgers may be tempting, but his injury issues and many questions about how he’ll handle being the every day starter make him a gamble.

All Packers receivers are fairly productive. The question is how will Rodgers affect their numbers? Driver has always been solid, but he’s obviously number two now that Greg Jennings has turned into a touchdown factory. I’d take Jennings by round three if he’s there. Driver by five. Jordy Nelson is very tempting just because of his phenomenal college production. Could he put up numbers like Brandon Stokley did in Indy? Doubtful in his rookie year, but still tempting.

Read the rest of this entry »

Packers draft grade: after the dust has settled

Depending on which so-called expert you ask, the Packers draft grade was either below average or near the top of the class (Clifton Brown from Sporting News gave them an A-minus, for example).

Our very own writer here at The Frozen Tundra, Casey Burkett slapped them with a B-minus, although he mentioned that it’s not until “two years down the road when we can really see how a particular draft affects a team.” Mike Vandermause of the Green Bay Press-Gazette wrote of a similar philosophy in a recent column:

“How did the Green Bay Packers fare in the NFL draft? If you want an informed and definitive answer, kick back and patiently wait three years to find out.”

While I agree with Vandermause, I simply don’t have his patience. Plus, grading a draft immediately after it happens is fun guesswork. It’s an opportunity for me to publicly present my opinion for either future bragging rights or future scorn and ridicule. I’d rather be wrong than be silent. Let the speculation (and the disagreements) begin!

Andy’s 2008 Packers’ draft grade: B

After Day 1, I gave the Packers a B-plus for their picks (but I like them even better now). Read the rest of this entry »

History shows chances of making hometown team not good for DeBauche

It is the dream of most athletes to some day don the jersey of a professional team. But few players leave college and pursue a profession in the sport they played. For someone like Ken DeBauche, that dream not only became a reality, but an especially sweet one.

The former punter for the Badgers was signed as a free agent following this weekend’s NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers. Growing up in Suamico, Wis.,—minutes away from Green Bay—the former Bay Port standout not only has the chance to move on to the professional ranks, but with his hometown team.

However, the fairytale ending that can easily be envisioned for DeBauche is anything but certain, and as history has shown, he has a tremendous hill to climb in order to make an impact in the NFL.

Read the rest of this entry »

David among Goliaths: Rooting for UW-Whitewater’s Justin Beaver

Every year, hundreds of dream-filled collegiate players watch the draft go by without ever hearing their names called, many hailing from small schools belonging to the NAIA or DI-AA, DII or DIII. The small school guys, the long shots, are always the most enjoyable to root for.

One of the DIII guys who is trying out for the Packers, UW-Whitewater running back Justin Beaver, tops my list this year – in large part because he’s a Wisconsin native. Beaver was the star athlete for UW-W, leading the Warhawks to a national championship his senior season – a game in which he ran for a measly 253 yards. Beaver won the DIII equivalent of the Heisman Trophy, called the Gagliardi Trophy, last year as well.

And get this: Beaver is a 191-pound load but stands a mere 5’7”. Nonetheless, that didn’t stop him from rushing for 2,455 yards last year. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, his combine numbers are comparable to the premiere rookie running backs as well: 4.45-second forty, 32” vertical and 225-pound bench 25 times. Compare that to Arkansas back Darren McFadden who was taken by Oakland fourth overall in the first round. McFadden’s numbers: 4.33-second forty, 33” vertical, but he benched 225 pounds only 13 times.

Beaver has yet to sign a contract – likely because his small stature creates doubt – but the Packers have invited him to try out for the team along with 14 undrafted free agents who have signed contracts (and other UDFAs like Beaver without contracts). The hope is that Beaver will do well enough in tryouts at this weekend’s rookie minicamp to land a contract. Below, I’ve posted a video on Beaver’s improbable path in trying to make it to the NFL, and I’ve also included a list of the 14 UDFAs currently under contract with the Packers. Read the rest of this entry »

What did you do on draft day?

I have to admit it. I didn’t watch the draft. I don’t have cable, and my computer wasn’t working right, so I had to drive to my office in order to even get the news and write a blog piece. This is not to say I don’t love football in every way, shape and form; it’s just that I don’t find the draft as enthralling as actual game action. Especially with a general manager like Ted Thompson running the show. You just know he’s going to go with some players you’ve never heard of, or players you just don’t understand. I prefer to let it all happen and then look at the draft as a whole. Then you can truly appreciate the weekend’s work.

The draft in recent years has really transformed itself into must-see TV. The NFL is obviously a mastermind at making itself relevant at any day or time. The hoopla surrounding the draft has almost become laughable on a day when only a small handful of players are known enough to titillate the football senses. I figure I can get just as excited and get just as much info reading about the draft as a whole on either Sunday night or Monday morning.

If you were to tell me that at any time a Packer was drafted this weekend you said, “Ooooohhh, alright!” I would say that is a surprise to me. With no first rounder that type of pick is hard to come by. Thompson did what he does best. He picked mostly unheralded players who he thinks will make up a strong nucleus instead of a nuclear reaction. Players who test high in character and low in street cred. When you talk about such players you use analysis like “game speed” instead of 40 times. These types of players are hard to get juiced up for but easy to accept as good decisions. Thompson has turned the Packers into a unit of football players instead of former GM Mike Sherman’s premadonnas.

Read the rest of this entry »

That’s all folks: Packers trade last pick to Saints

Considering the Packers had already selected nine players in the draft, general manager Ted Thompson felt confident enough with his new crop of rookies to trade away Green Bay’s final selection, pick 237 overall, to the New Orleans Saints for a 6th round pick in 2009 – a wise move considering the field had pretty well been picked through.

The Packers used their nine picks to land two quarterbacks, two wide receivers, two offensive tackles, one cornerback, one tight end and one defensive end.

For a team that finished 2nd overall in offense last season, the Packers surprisingly used seven of their nine picks to bolster the offense – a strategy Brett Favre seemed to be calling for in previous years but which didn’t play out. My initial feeling in evaluating the Packers 2008 draft class is certainly positive. After the dust settles and I’m able to do some more research, I’ll be back with a more detailed analysis, as I’m sure will the other writers here at The Frozen Tundra.