News From The Pack

The Green Bay Packers Board of Directors held a quarterly meeting at Lambeau Field Thursday and made some changes at the top of the organization.  The team is governed by a 45 member board which elects a 7 member executive committe which in turn, chooses a president and chief executive officer.   CEO Mark Murphy announced the executive committee is undergoing a couple of changes because long time board and committee member Peter Platten has reached the mandatory retirement age and will become a member emeritus.  Current committee member Larry Weyers will become the Vice President and lead director and 61 year old Mark McMullen will ascend to the executive commitee as treasuruer.  Murphy also announced three candidates who will be presented to shareholders at the annual meeting in July for seats on the board.   Thomas Cardella, Jeffrey Jorres and Thomas Kunkel would take the spots of three other board members who have reached emeritus status, Robert Buchanan, Virgis Colbert and John Dickens.

While football fans won't notice the changes, the moves are important for the corporation.   The executive committee in particular, has undergone quite a transformation over the past couple of decades.  Time was the group more often than not stuck their noses in the football operations, stunting the ability of the coach or general manager to put a successful product on the field.  Under the guidance of former President Bob Harlan, the committee took on more of a "caretaker" role over the entire operation, concentraing more on the business side of the franchise and community involvement.   Leaving the football operations to football people, as Harlan did with the hiring of Ron Wolf in 1991, and continues today with GM Ted Thompson, responsible for selecting the head coach, the team has been able to remain competitive on the field and financially solvent.

Bundle up Super Bowl fans, the NFL owners awarded Super Bowl 48 in 2014 to New York/New Jersey and the brand new Meadowlands Stadium opening this fall as the home of the Giants and Jets.  It will be the first outdoor, cold weather site for the championship game.   The Big Apple beat out bids from Super Bowl regulars Miami and Tampa Bay.   Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy voted for the idea.  Why not?  He hopes his team which calls the frozen tundra home just might be a contender for that game and they might as well play in the elements.  The average high temperature in metropolitan New York the first week of February is around 34 degrees.  Don't forget the game kicks off after sunset so it will probably be cooler than that.  The league is already thinking ahead, planning to pass out hand warmers and heated seat cushions as souveniers.

On more pressing matters, the NFL owners tabled the overtime rule change to include the regular season.  In March, the league decided to alter it's OT format for only the playoffs.  A team that wins the toss and settles for a field goal, has to allow the opponent one shot with the ball.  Any touchdown will still end the game.  Owners fumbled the ball by not including the regular season to make it consistent.  Expect the first team to lose the regular season finale in overtime by not touching the ball on offense and getting denied a playoff spot to whine mightily.

Commissioner Roger Goodell also announced Tuesday the league and the NFL Players Association will sit down for substantive talks on a new collective bargaining agreement early in June.  The negoitations have been very tepid to date and time is running out.  Already headed into an uncapped year, the CBA expires after the 2010 season and considering how much is on the table, a work stoppage appears inevitible if the talks don't start moving forward soon.

The Packers will premier their 2009 highlight film next Wednesday night, June 2 at the Lambeau Field atrium.  Nick Barnett will be the host for the free event at 7:00 PM.  The title of the film is "12 days to contenders" referencing a stretch of three wins against the Cowboys, 49ers and Lions in a 12 day stretch that propelled the Pack back into the playoffs.

The first open practice of the Packers organized team activites took place on a beautiful day at Ray Nitschke Field Wednesday.  Attendance in the voluntary workouts was extremely high.  The only players missing were Atari Bigby, Johnny Jolly and Tramon Williams, veterans who haven't signed their restricted free agent tender offers yet.  Charles Woodson was in for Tuesday's practice, departed and plans to return for the final three weeks of the OTA's next month.  Wide Receiver Shawn Gore from Bishop's University in Canada was also missing.   Several players coming off injuries from the 2009 season didn't participate in the practice.  

Teaching old dogs new tricks

The defensive line is undergoing a makeover.   B.J. Raji is pegged to open the season at nose tackle in the 3-4 front as veteran Ryan Pickett worked exclusively at defensive end.  Coordinator Dom Capers likes big bodies on the end with Cullen Jenkins and Jolly manning the position last year.   Pickett will have to work on pass rushing skills to become an effective edge player.  Both Pickett and Raji will rotate iniside and outside along the line during the course of the season and with the vareity of fronts Capers deploys.   Defensive back Will Blackmon, rehabilitating his knee injury from last season, will learn the safety position when he's well enough to return later this summer.  Blackmon is also being counted on to handle the return game.

A new QB

The Pack signed Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell Wednesday after he worked out for the team.   After leaving the Red Raiders, Harrell played for Saskatchewan in the Canadian Football League and also had a tryout with the Cleveland Browns.  There was a report Green Bay released Chris Pizzotti of Harvard, a quarterback who was on the practice squad last year.

Draft picks mixing in

This is the first time the rookies worked with veterans on the practice field.  First round pick Brian Bulaga took reps at left tackle behind Chad Clifton.  Third round choice Morgan Brunett, the Georgia Tech safety, got some reps with the first team defense.    With Bigby not attending, and Derrick Martin using a wheeled cart to keep weight off his booted left foot, Brunett should get plenty of reps in the off-season program.

High praise

The players and even McCarthy downplayed a story from Peter King of Sports Illustrated who tabbed the Packers as the early line favorite to win the NFC Title in 2010.  McCarthy joked it's only May but its nice to be in the ballpark.   Bart Starr also had glowing praise for Aaron Rodgers.  Starr was quoted as saying Rodgers "will be a great quarterback" in the NFL.    "Kind words," said Rodgers who says Starr is respected more a person than he was as a five time NFL champion quarterback.

Week on, week off

Following Thursday's review practice, the team will take a one week break before returning for the final three weeks of the OTA's in June.   McCarthy said this is a change from last year because they thought the team was overconditioned and it may have been a factor in some injuries last season.

Inside the locker room

You can hear what some of the players and McCarthy had to say about the opening week of the OTA's on the link below..

The Packers off-season program resumes this week with the start of the Organized Team Acitivities.  NFL rules allow coaching staffs to work on the field for up to a dozen practices over the next three weeks.   Team meetings are also scheduled to go over the basic installation of the Pack's offensive, defensive and special teams systems.  Head coach Mike McCarthy is expecting another strong turnout for the voluntary workout sessions.  The 2010 draft class, rookie free agents and returning veterans will spend most if not all of the OTA time in Green Bay.   Three veteran players may not be coming however.  Atari Bigby, Tramon Williams and Johnny Jolly have yet to sign their restricted free agent tender offer sheets from the Packers.  Each is looking for a long term deal instead.  Only Williams appears to have strong bargaining power.  Considering Al Harris is coming off major knee surgery and Charles Woodson will reach his 34th birthday later this year, Williams has proven his value by handling the primary nickel job and being a part time starter over the past two years.   Bigby is expected to be challenged for his starting job by third round pick Morgan Burnett of Georgia Tech. The Packers drafted two defensive ends, Michael Neal of Purdue and C.J. Wilson of East Carolina, possibly as insurance in light of Jolly's upcoming trial in Houston, Texas on codeine posession charges.  Even if Jolly is aquitted, he may face league sanctions for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy.  Fans will be able to get a glimps of the Pack as practices on the next couple of Wednesday's will be open to the public.  You can hear comments from McCarthy on the arrival of the OTA's below.

It's a nice way to reach and out and touch the fans.   The Packers annual Tailgate Tour rolled out of the Lambeau Field parking lot Tuesday.  President and CEO Mark Murphy along with players Chad Clifton, Nick Collins, James Jones and John Kuhn spend the next week touring the state, visiting with fans, stopping at schools and attending pep rallies.  Proceeds help local organizations in each community.  Before departing, Clifton talked about how his farm outside Nashville was overrun by flood waters.  The 160 farm is located near Chad's hometown of Franklin.  While he doesn't have any livestock, the property experienced a lot of water damage with fences and propane tanks washed away.  Clifton said he doesn't have flood insurance and the repairs will be costly.  Good thing he signed a three year contract extension this off-season.  Clifton said he was wooed by the Washington Redskins and was close to leaving before the Packers reached out with a deal that will have him end his career in a Green Bay uniform.  Clifton said while he will help number one pick Brian Bulaga along as his eventual successor, he has no designs on giving up his starting job at left tackle just yet.

Guard T.J. Lang had wrist surgery last month.  The team never disclosed the operation which was performed on April 5.  Lang apparently broke a bone during a practice last December and it never healed properly.   He's going to miss the organized team activities and mini-camps but should be ready by the start on training camp in July.  Same for safety Derrick Martin.  He underwent ankle surgery this off-season and will not take part in the off-season practice schedule.

Left with no choice other than to sign or to sit, veteran offensive lineman Daryn Colledge has agreed to sign the one year, restricted free agent tender offer from the Green Bay Packers.  Colledge will play the 2010 season for the tender of 1.759 million dollars.  He says he will check in to the Pack's off-season training program, underway for the past three weeks, and take part in the organized team activities which begin next week.   Colledge is among a large group of NFL players who found themselves in negotiating no man's land this year with the collective bargaining agreement heading into its final year.  When owners opted out of the deal last year, if left the 2010 season as an uncapped year with the CBA set to expire in February of next year.   The deadlines also triggered a change in free agency, allowing only players with 6, not four years of vested service able to negotiate with any other team.  Colledge just finished his 4th year in the league and was only a restricted free agent.  That allowed the Packers to retain negotiating rights by offering a tender offer, giving them an opportunity to match an offer from another team or decline and receive a draft choice as compensation.  The deadline for restricted free agents to talk to other teams expired last month so Colledge could only sit out or sign.  He signed because the Packers are going to step up the competition for his starting left guard job.  Jason Spitz is expected to battle Colledge for the position.  The Packers are waiting for signatures from the final three veterans, Atari Bigby, Johnny Jolly and Tramon Williams.   All three are expected sign as Bigby could be challenged by third round draft choice Morgan Burnett of Georgia Tech, Williams might be in line for a big free agent pay day in another season if Al Harris and Charles Woodson inch closer to retirement.   Jolly may wait to sign his tender.  He has his trial on codiene posession charges coming up this spring in Houston.

Clay Matthews finished third in the AP Defensive rookie of the year balloting following the 2009 season.  The winner of the award, Matthews' USC teammate Brian Cushing, will have to give the trophy back.   Cushing has been suspended for the first four games of the 2010 season by the NFL for violating the league's substance abuse policy after testing positive last September.   Because he appealed the violation and played the final three months, the Associated Press has announced it will recast all votes.   Balloters can still choose Cushing in the do-over but that appears unlikely. Buffalo defensive back Jarius Byrd finished a distant second with Matthews coming in third in the original vote.   Matthews led the Packers with 10 sacks and made the Pro Bowl after his first season.

The Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame has announced Aaron Rodgers was the team's most valuable player in 2010 and Clay Matthews was the team's rookie of the year.  Both selections were slam dunks.  Rodgers reached his first pro bowl while leading the Packers into the playoffs and Matthews was the team leader in sacks with 10.  Both players will be recognized on July 17 when the Hall of Fame welcomes its class of 2010 inductees, Marv Fleming, Greg Koch and Mark Chmura.

Nick Rodgers was a linebacker from Georgia Tech who appeared in 10 games, mostly as a special teams player in the 2004 season in Green Bay.  Early Monday morning, Rodgers was involved in a one car crash in Atlanta and died from his injuries.  He was 30.  Rodgers also played for the Vikings, Colts and Dolphins.

First impressions on the Green Bay Packers from this weekend's rookie orientation camp were varied.   To begin with, it's awfully hard to tell what kind of football player you have when only helmets are worn and most of the on-field work is fundamental drills.  You do get a glimpse of the athleticisim of some, the size of others but we're a long ways away from determining if the draft class, undrafted free agents or longshots in for a tryout have a future in the NFL.  Head Coach Mike McCarthy thought it was very good weekend, "I was happy with the quality of work," he said. There's not questions number one pick Brian Bulaga looks the part.  The offensive tackle from Iowa looked the fittest of all the offensive lineman as he lined up exclusively at left tackle.   5th round pick Marshall Newhouse opened at left guard but also took a few reps at left tackle.  Tight end Andrew Quarless of Penn State runs fluid routes but his hands battled a few too many passes.   Safety Morgan Brunett of Georgia Tech and running back James Starks had their moments and the pair of defensive linemen taken, Mike Neal in round 2 and C.J. Wilson in the 7th were both active and energetic.   Most of the 57 players taking part were in on a tryout basis only this weekend but the Packers have apparently plucked one for a contract.  Wide receiver Shawn Gore played collegiately at Bishops University in Canada.  He was the 10th overall choice in the recent CFL draft after catching 37 passes in his senior season.  Two positions in particular drew my attention at the one practice open to the media on Friday afternoon.   Tim Masthay of Kentucky and Chris Bryan from the Australian Football League have launched the battle to become the team's punter.  Veteran Jeremy Kapinos was cut in the off-season.   Bryan is a huge bloke from down under who routinely rocketed balls off the Hutson Center ceiling, but Masthay, who was in an NFL camp last summer, was far more consistent.    The search for a third quarterback is also on after the Packers realized Brian Brohm wasn't going to cut it before he was picked off the practice squad by the Buffalo Bills last year.   Chris Pizotti, a big 6-5 kid from Harvard who was added to the practice squad late last season, and participated in the quarterback school already this spring, appears to have the inside track.   Noah Shepard, an undrafted free agent signed from South Dakota, shook off an inaccurate Friday practice and showed good athleticism and arm strength over the final two practices.  Both will get a much closer look at the organized team activities that begin in a couple of weeks.   McCarthy wrapped up the camp with a news conference Sunday afternoon and here are some of the highlights: