A lot of Green Bay Packer Fans can rest easy now that two pivotal parts of the Packers Defense have been extended long term contracts. The news that DL Ryan Pickett and FS Nick Collins both will be extended today came from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s columnist, Greg A. Bedard.

It is reported that DL Ryan Pickett has received a four year extension worth a total of $28 million.  FS Nick Collins accepted a three year extension worth a total of 23 million dollars.

Quotes:

“I signed the papers today, We’ve been working on this off and on for a year.” I’m just happy to stay in Green Bay.” It meant the world to him to be here, his family likes it here; he loves to fish, he’s a small town guy, he loves being part of the Green Bay community.” – Ryan Pickett

“love this defense, I think I was built for it…I think the defense is going to grow leaps and bounds from last year.” – Ryan Pickett

“Our No. 1 goal is to get to the Super Bowl.”- Ryan Pickett’s response when asked if he and Collins made the decision together.

This Move will go a long way in helping the Packers return to the post season and compete for a Super Bowl championship.  Once again, the Ted Thompson haters have to eat a little bit of humble pie after this deal.  He’s done an excellent job of retaining quality talent on favorable deals.  Way to go Teddy. Go Pack!

The Green Bay Packers off-season figures to be a an interestng and, most likely, long process.  The buzz is that the Packers are quickly working to grind out deals with NT Ryan Pickett and FS Nick Collins . So Im going to assume that those deals get hammered out and are of no concern come draft day.  So, when referring to Adam “Big A” Maritato’s article, I concluded that the Packers have two glaring weaknesses that they must address on the first day of the draft.  Those two areas of need are Offensive Tackle and Corner-back.  With many of our offensive linemen entering un/restricted free agency, we can’t assume that they will

Can Al Harris be the same player he was?

all be brought back.  The packers have made it clear that they want to build through the draft and avoid long, expensive contracts, especially with the possibility of an un-capped year.  We also cannot assume that CBs Al Harris, Will Blackmon, and Pat Lee will all recover from their injuries and be productive members of this team by next season, if at all.  These positions must be filled and I believe that there are plenty of talented, young prospects in this years draft to fill the void.  So with out further ado…….

The Packers Selections Round 1-3-

Round 1: (in order of preference)

OT Anthony Davis- Rutgers- 6’6, 328 lbs

Bruce Campbell is a beast!!

OT Bryan Bulaga- Iowa- 6’6, 311 lbs

OT Bruce Campbell- Maryland- 6’6, 312 lbs.

I think with the likely departure and age of the packers current Offensive Tackles, this position needs to be addressed in the 1st round of this years draft.  Although, I was quoted on the Podcast saying that the Packers true needs lie in the defensive backfield; this years draft seems to be loaded with 1st round caliber Offensive Tackles and the Packers can’t afford to let one of those gems slip by.

Round 2:

CB Kyle Wilson- Boise St.- 5’10, 190 lbs

CB Devin McCourty- Rutgers- 5’11 190 lbs.

CB Javier Arenas- Alabama- 5’9 200 lbs.

What I love about this group of Cornerbacks is that they are described as strong tacklers.  Part of the reason the packers were great against the run was because

Kyle Wilson

Charles Woodson was exceptional at taking on blockers and making tackles on ball carriers.  Kyle Wilson may go higher than this because his stock is at an all time high Following an excellent showing at the Senior Bowl.  But He, Devin McCourty and Javier

Devin McCourty is Sick!!

Arenas would easily be able to step in and contribute as a Nickel or Dime back next season.  All of these guys are great athletes and projected as future starters in the NFL, save for a few reviews on Arenas.  All three of these Cornerbacks double as Kick/Punt returners for their respective college teams and all possess “home run” capability.  I would love any one of these picks.

Round 3:

Dexter McCluster is a big play waiting to happen

RB  Dexter Mccluster- Ole Miss- 5’8, 165 lbs.

S Darrel Stuckey- Kansas- 6’1, 205 lbs.

ILB Daryl Washington- TCU- 6’3, 234 lbs.

Dexter McCluster may be small, but this little rocket runs a 4.32 40 yard dash.  This Kid has the agility and the speed to break one for a touchdown on any play.  Many compare him to Darren Sproles, which I would have to agree with.  If the packers arent confortable with the playmaking ability of one of their earlier picks and this guy is still on the board; they have to take him.  Darrel Stuckey is known as a safety that can cover a lot of territory in a short amount of time.  Stuckey has topped out at 4.4 in the 40 yard dash but consistently runs around a 4.5.  If he runs 4.5 at the combine, I would expect him to be around in the 3rd round when the Packers select.  Daryl Washington is an interesting pick because he’s got excellent side-line to side-line speed and is described as an excellent tackler.  The Packers need to evaluate ILB, AJ Hawks progression and decide whether this season was just a hiccup in what will be a productive career or if this season was a foreshadow for what to expect long term. I personally feel that a replacement, at the very least, needs to be considered.  AJ hawk repeatedly over – pursues running lanes which results in him getting blocked out of the play entirely.  He’s no stalwart in pass coverage either; AJ struggles in Man and Zone.  If the Packers feel the same way I do,  Daryl Washington makes a lot of sense here in the 3rd round.

Ted's got his work cut out for him

While the Packers have just finished a successful season ( in most terms) they now must focus on next year and that entails the re-signing of key free agents who made this team become as dangerous as it was.  There are 13 overall free agents while they are broken down into  two different categories of unrestricted, where they are free to sign anywhere, and restricted which are free agents where Packers can match an offer the player receives.  For all the rules of free agency check out the NFL rules here.

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS (UFA)-

Ryan Pickett

Chad Clifton

Mark Tauscher

Aaron Kampman

Ahman Green

Aaron's O-Line could look a lot different next year

RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS (RFA)-

Daryn Colledge

Jason Spitz

Johnny Jolly

Nick Collins

Atari Bigby

Derrick Martin

Will Blackmon

John Kuhn

For me Nick Collins is the most important free agent we should retain.  But he may not be the first to be re-signed.  The Packers will try to get there UFAs settled quick and early while negotiations with Collins are supposed to be somewhat of a long ordeal.    For the UFAs, Ryan Pickett and one of either Clifton or Tauscher will be back for sure.  Although we picked BJ Raji with our first pick last year, there is always the need for quality depth along the defensive line in the 3-4 system so I feel Pickett is a priority.  Then we must bring back one of the tackles.  I would prefer Tauscher to re-sign, but i think Clifton would be the first guy they would go after to sign.  I also wouldnt be surprised at all if they both come back, hell, both are old and Clifton aint gunna make it a full season (couldn’t last year).  With TJ Lang backing them up for another year he should be a very solid replacement if one gets hurt or does not re-sign.

Re-signing Aaron Kampman would the wrong move.  Re-signing him is absolutely pointless from both a financial and personnel stand point because it was clearly a failed experiment when the Packers tried to convert him into a 3-4 OLB.  Combine that with the fact that he’s coming off of an ACL tear at age 30 and that he was terrible in coverage before the injury and re-signing him becomes moronic.  Also, you expect players to have career years in their contract year.  Most players do because they know this is their opportunity to get paid.  So I feel we should let him explore free agency, and if he can’t find any suiters, we could then sign him for cheap.  A low risk, potentially high reward type of move.  One team expected to make a run at Kampman is the Chicago Bears.  Which would be just fine with me and almost any other Packer fan I know.

Ahman made him better

Then Ahman Green also shouldn’t be retained.  One thing with Green though is that Ryan Grant picked up his pace once the Packers signed Green.  In the five previous games to Green signing, Grant ran for an average of 69 yds per game, while after he ran for a little over 82 yds a game.  Although Green pushed Grant to be a better player and ran hard in short yardage situations; re-signing him may take meaningful time away from the playmaking RB the Packers should look to select in the draft.  I expect this “RB to be named at a later date” to help out in the return game (both kicks and punts) and help out in passing situations as well.  Two things Ahman is unable to help with at this point in his career.  .

Now onto the RFAs-

Our main overall free agent priority, as I said earlier, has to be Collins.  He is a 2 time pro bowler and will command a lot of money on the open market.  The Packers have the ability to use thier franchise tag on him ( Which is when you sign the player for the next season and you pay him the average of the top five players at his position in the league).  Collins, on the other hand, wants the security of having a long term deal in place.  Some players do not like the franchise tag because if they get hurt they would lose millions in the following year. Collins is all over the place, hes a ball hawk, and when he gets the ball he knows what to do with it.  We need him on this defense for years to come especially with our cornerbacks getting a year older.

Next on the list is Daryn Colledge.  He played multiple positions but mostly was our Left Gaurd.  I thought he played well and was at his best at Left Gaurd.  He has good lower body strength and gains alot of leverage thats goes along with his technique.  One problem with this here is that Jason Spitz can also play Left Gaurd and he is also a RFA.  Spitz also can play center, so its not unlikely that both could be re-signed.  But it all depends on who the Packers value.  from what I can tell, the Packers value guys who can play multiple positions and both of these guys fit that bill.  Of course Colledge could feel he is being under appreciated and become a UFA next year.  I still think its the Packers best option to sign both of these guys for multi-year deals.  I hear McCarthy always talking about having continuity and familiarity along the OL, this would ensure that for years to come.  Johnny Jolly is also a RFA, this here is a guy who was in a contract year and made the most of his opportunities and had a career year.  He has always shown flashes but this year he was consistent.  Again you cannot have enough depth along the DL.   Jolly plays the end in the 3-4 and his job essentially is to take up bodies and have the linebackers make the play.  Jolly made a living batting down passes this year and made many plays in the opponents backfield.  Jolly was key this season and I want to re-sign him but he does come with baggage.  His legal issues, which consists of possession of 200 grams of Codeine and is still pending decision, raises huge questions about his character.  Also, in every post play scuffle amongst players this season, Johnny Jolly could be found right in the middle.  He’s a good player but his off and on the field issues raise questions and this being his contract year scares me a little.

Sorry Ahman

Next on the list is a big question mark, and his name is Atari Bigby.  He plays strong safety and fills the billing of strong.  Yes, he makes good plays against run and lays the wood when receivers come through the middle, great.  The thing i cant stand about him is that he is just awful in pass coverage and does not have ideal speed to cover alot of ground.  I don’t know how much they will value Bigby, it will also depend on what Nick Collins does on the market.  The Packers cannot lose both safeties because the likelihood of them replacing them with players on the same talent level would be slim to none.  Another safety is Derrick Martin, he played very well on special teams and i wouldn’t mind having him come back for a small fee.

John Kuhn was very valuable in the red zone this year and was a solid blocker.  This is the same predicament that we were in in training camp.  The problem is that we would be carrying 3 fullback on our roster.  I feel that they should bring Kuhn back and let one of either Corey Hall or Quinn Johnson go sometime in training camp.

Finally to me Will Blackmon has no value because he can’t stay healthy for even half a season, let alone a whole one.

Heres how I would prioritize our offseason moves:

1. Collins

2.Pickett

3. Jolly

4.Colledge

5. Spitz

6.Tauscher

7. Clifton

8.Bigby

9. Kampman

10. Martin

11.  Kuhn

12. Green

13. Blackmon

• The Offensive Line is playing more cohesively as a unit. Even without T.J. Lang, who I believe will be a good starter for years, the Big Guys up front continue to improve. Tackles Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher are anchoring the line as they have for a decade (yes, they were both drafted in 2000 – ain’t that some shit!?). The running lanes between the tackles are staying open noticeably longer, which is allowing Ryan Grant and now Ahman Green, who has run and blocked very well in limited time, to have more patience behind the line.  Sure, it didn’t hurt the Packers that All-Worlders S Ed Reed and OLB Terrell Suggs were inactive last night. But you can’t help but be impressed with how much this once horrible Offensive Line has improved in the second half of the season.

• The Packers have rediscovered their bread and butter:  the West Coast offense. After straying from their dangerous short passing game for several weeks in the second quarter of the season, the Packers are back at it. The five-yard slants are once again the staple of this offense, which means teams are going to have a hard time stopping the Pack in December. Armed with two of the most dangerous receivers after the catch in the league, Greg Jennings and Donald Driver, the Packers are better off letting their playmakers turn slants into big plays than forcing big plays downfield.
• But the Playmakers need to catch the ball first! While the Packers’ receivers have shown on a weekly basis that they have one of the deepest corps in the league, they have been dropping the ball too much. It seems that Jennings, Driver and crew often forget that they have to catch the ball before they rack up the YAC. (Jermichael Finley, I love you, but this applies to you more than anyone). And the Ravens game is not the only game the Packers receiving corps has had “Troy Williamson Moments” – there have been several “say whaaa” drops in each of the past five games. I know it sounds like I’m nitpicking here, but come January an easy drop in the second quarter could end up spelling the end of the season.

• At times, Jermichael Finley looks like a Pro Bowl playmaking tight end. But other times he looks like a second
  

  Once Finley becomes more consistent...watch out!

  year player who is still adjusting to the fact that linebackers can actually run with him at this level. While Jerry-Mike has the occasional drop and the occasional missed block, he is only a second year player who was drafted out of Texas with the future in mind. As he continues to improve his blocking, the sky is the limit for Finley in this offense (think Mark Chmura pre-high school graduation party). Every game you can see the immense potential this athletic tight end has, and in two years I think GerMickey will be one of the top receiving tight ends in the league.

• Mike McCarthy must take pride in losing challenges.  OC Joe Philbin: “Mike, I’m positive that we didn’t catch that ball.” McCarthy: “You know this is my thing Joe. Losin’ another challenge, one game at a time.” It’s hard to blame Mike on some of his challenges. Some key plays are worth risking a timeout to be sure that they end in the Packers’ favor. But other challenges this year, like the Kelley Washington catch last night, have been flat-out stupid. The ESPN guys should be doing a whole “C’mon Man!” segment on McCarthy’s dumb challenges this year. If McCarthy throws out the red flag, then you know the chances of the Packers losing a timeout and wasting everybody’s time are prettttty pretttty pretttty good.

• The defensive line is playing really well. Cullen Jenkins, B.J. Raji, Ryan Pickett, Johnny Jolly, and the whole crew have had the trenches on lock down for several weeks. The D-linemen are putting some pressure on quarterbacks, but most importantly, they are commanding attention opening up lanes for stunts and linebacker blitzes. The negative: Pickett and Raji could miss a few games with injuries.

• Clay Matthews is going to be a pro-bowl linebacker for years to come. The guy just doesn’t quit. I geeked during the play when he literally ran in circles after Joe Flacco. The guy really plays with reckless abandon — he can take on blocks, make all the tackles in the running game, and already looks like a seasoned pass-rusher at times. As Clay continues to gain experience and master some of the nuances of the game that made his position coach Kevin Greene a pro-bowl pass rusher, he is only going to improve. Players with that kind of aggressiveness and intensity don’t fall by the wayside. They flourish.
  

  Clay Matthews has one hell of a future with the Packers

• Brad Jones looks like he has a bright future with the Packers. Size, speed, awareness — Brad Jones has it all. People are probably beginning to wonder how he dropped to the seventh round of the 2009 NFL draft. He seems to fit this defense very well and is starting to look like another seventh round steal for the Pack. His pass rushing ability fits our defensive scheme perfectly, and there is a reason why Brandon Chillar, Desmond Bishop, etc. are on the sideline — because this guy is damn good.

• HOLY COLUMBUS!!! Did A.J. Hawk just make a big play!? After being drafted by the Packers #5 overall in 2006, A.J. Hawk has done little to stand during his four years as a starter. While he is, for the most part, a solid “gap responsibility” linebacker, he hasn’t made nearly enough plays to warrant the #5 overall pick. Not only does Brady Quinn’s brother-in-law struggle shedding blockers, but his downfield coverage has been a weakness for years. With that said….A.J. made a big interception on Monday Night Football! And it was actually great coverage. Let’s not expect this often, but it was certainly nice to see a play out of Hawk.