Green Bay Packers (Last Year: 13-3)

2008 NFL Draft Grade:

Good Moves: The Packers added a solid group of mid-round prospects to their roster, led by cornerback Patrick Lee. Lee's talented enough to start once Al Harris moves on ... Green Bay found its new pass-catching tight end in Jermichael Finley. Let's just hope he doesn't regress every year into eventual nothingness like Bubba Franks ... Jeremy Thompson was a bargain at No. 102. He'll take Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila's spot in the near future.

Bad Moves: Look, I understand why the Packers took Brian Brohm, I just don't really agree with pissing off your starting quarterback. When Aaron Rodgers' contract expires, is he going to remember this move? Green Bay showed absolutely no confidence in him when it snagged Brohm off the board ... Interesting choice to go with Jordy Nelson over Limas Sweed, DeSean Jackson and James Hardy. Maybe Ted Thompson knows something I don't. ... The only mid-round pick I wasn't a fan of was Josh Sitton. I'm not saying he won't emerge as a solid pro; I just feel like Green Bay took him 80 selections too early.

By the way, you may find this interesting. When people ask me why the Packers drafted Brohm, I just shrug my shoulders and respond, "As Charley Casserly once said, 'You can never have too many quarterbacks.'" Casserly said this after drafting Dave Ragone in the third round one year after selecting David Carr first overall. Oops! Ironically, both Brohm and Ragone are from Louisville. Coincidence? I think so.

Grade give on 4/28/08: B



2008 NFL Draft Picks:

36. Jordy Nelson, WR, Kansas State
I was "blowed away" when the Packers took Jordy Nelson with Limas Sweed, James Hardy and DeSean Jackson all left on the board. Ted Thompson loves taking the best player available, so I'm shocked he settled on Nelson. Most had Nelson as a third-rounder. (Pick Grade: C)

56. Brian Brohm, QB, Louisville
Look, I understand that taking the best player available is Ted Thompson's MO. But what about the second-best player available? Brian Brohm was a steal at 56, but pissing off a former first-round pick who looked great against Dallas last year doesn't seem like such a great move. Maybe Thompson just forgot about Aaron Rodgers, seeing as how he was rotting on the bench for so long. (Pick Grade: C)

60. Patrick Lee, CB, Auburn
The Packers needed a cornerback behind Charles Woodson and Al Harris, and they got a pretty good one in Patrick Lee. (Pick Grade: A)

91. Jermichael Finley, TE, Texas
A solid tight end who figures to be a great target for either Aaron Rodgers or Brian Brohm. (Pick Grade: A)

102. Jeremy Thompson, DE, Wake Forest
Some had Jeremy Thompson in the second round. Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila won't be around much longer and Thompson figures to be his replacement. (Pick Grade: A)

135. Josh Sitton, OT, Central Florida
This is the first Packers pick I wasn't a fan of, but they usually draft well, so it wouldn't shock me to see Josh Sitton emerge as a starter in a few years. (Pick Grade: D)

150. Breno Giacomini, OT, Louisville
Decent depth pick for the Packers. This is about right where Breno Giacomini should have went. (Pick Grade: B)

209. Matt Flynn, QB, LSU
I don't think the Packers have enough quarterbacks. (Pick Grade: C)

217. Brett Swain, WR, San Diego State
No one had this guy being drafted, but it's the seventh round, so it doesn't really matter. (Pick Grade: C)





Season Summary:
Excluding everyone outside the state of Wisconsin, no one gave the Packers much of a shot prior to the 2007 campaign, so it's pretty tough to say that their loss in the NFC Championship was a huge disappointment. But for some reason, Mike McCarthy shied away from the run and Brett Favre inexplicably reverted to 2005-2006 form and began carelessly tossing the ball downfield into triple coverage. The defense also sucked and couldn't get off the field on third down, but that had more to do with Eli Manning emerging as one of the top quarterbacks in the league.

Offseason Moves:

Packers cut WR Koren Robinson

Packers cut G Tony Palmer

Packers re-sign DT Colin Cole

Packers re-sign RB Vernand Morency

Packers re-sign WR Ruvell Martin

Packers re-sign SS Atari Bigby

Packers re-sign FB John Kuhn

Packers sign OLB Brandon Chillar

Packers re-sign OLB Tracy White

Packers announce retirement of QB Brett Favre

Packers cut WR Carlyle Holiday

Packers trade DT Corey Williams to the Browns for a second-round pick (No. 56)

Packers franchise DT Corey Williams

Packers cut TE Bubba Franks


Offseason Needs:

1. Cornerback: Charles Woodson and Al Harris may both miss some time next year due to AARP meetings. The two corners will be 32 and 34 at some point during the season. Plaxico Burress abused Harris in the NFC Championship, so I don't see how the Packers don't utilize their No. 1 selection on a cornerback like Antoine Cason. Drafted Patrick Lee
   
   
2. Offensive Tackle: Mark Tauscher and Chad Clifton will be 31 and 32, respectively, at the beginning of the 2007 campaign. It's not like the Packers have tons of needs, so they can afford to spend a second- or a third-round pick on a tackle. Drafted Josh Sitton and Breno Giacomini
   
   
3. Outside Linebacker Depth: Brady Poppinga played extremely well in the "Doggone Playoff." Until then, I had the Packers drafting a strongside linebacker pretty high in the draft. Regardless, they still need depth there. Signed Brandon Chillar
   
   
4. Re-Sign Corey Williams: The Packers should try to re-sign Corey Williams, the second-rated defensive tackle in the 2008 NFL Free Agent class. However, he could command tons of money, and while Green Bay can afford it, the team may just let him walk. If that happens, it will need depth at the position.
   
   
5. Fullback: I'm pretty confident Brett Favre wouldn't mind a pass-catching fullback like William Henderson coming out of the backfield. Peyton Hillis comes to mind as a possible candidate in Round 4. Re-signed John Kuhn
   
   
6. Tight End Depth: I'm not sure if Bubba Franks is sticking around. He has a huge salary for a tight end, and his knee is an issue. If he doesn't take a pay cut, he will be released. If that happens, the Packers will need a backup tight end. Drafted Jermichael Finley
   
   
7. Quarterback: With Brett Favre retiring, the Packers will need a solid backup quarterback behind Aaron Rodgers. Drafted Brian Brohm and Matt Flynn
   
   

Green Bay Packers Free Agents:

Salary Cap (As of Feb. 13): $18.37 million

1. Ryan Grant (ERFA), RB. Age: 25.
   Ryan Grant rushed for 956 yards and eight touchdowns last year, gaining 5.1 yards per carry. The thing is, he only saw extensive action in eight week. If you project his numbers over a 16-week campaign, you get about 1,750 yards and 14 touchdowns. That's not horrible, is it?
   
   
2. Corey Williams, DT. Age: 28.
   Packers trade Corey Williams to the Browns for a second-round pick (No. 56)
   
   The Packers are not expected to re-sign Corey Williams, as they have tons of quality defensive tackles on their roster and cannot afford to keep him. Given that Albert Haynesworth will likely remain a Titan, Williams will be the top defensive tackle on the market.
   
   
3. Atari Bigby (RFA), SS. Age: 26.
   Re-signed with Packers (1 year, $445,000)
   
   The beleaguered Atari Bigby shocked everyone with an outstanding playoff run. The Packers have to hope that this will translate into a solid 2008 campaign.
   
   
4. Colin Cole (RFA), DT. Age: 28. - Re-signed with Packers (1 year, $1.417 million)
5. Frank Walker, CB. Age: 27. - Signed with Ravens (2 years, $3.5 million)
6. Vernand Morency (RFA), RB. Age: 28. - Re-signed with Packers (1 year, $927,000)
7. Ruvell Martin (ERFA), WR. Age: 26. - Re-signed with Packers (1 year, $445,000)
8. Bubba Franks, TE. Age: 30. - Signed with Jets (1 year, $1.65 million)
9. Craig Nall, QB. Age: 29.
10. Tracy White, OLB. Age: 27. - Re-signed with Packers (2 years, $1.8 million)
11. Koren Robinson, WR. Age: 28.
12. Tyson Walter, OT. Age: 30.
13. Tony Palmer, G. Age: 25.
14. Ryan Krause, TE. Age: 27.
15. Carlyle Holiday, WR. Age: 26.

Divisional Rival History:
Chicago Bears: Brett Favre dominated the Bears for years. That's not the case anymore. Under Lovie Smith, Chicago is 6-2 against the Packers.
Detroit Lions: The Lions' ineptness has no limit. The Packers have won 13 of the last 15 meetings.
Minnesota Vikings: Remember when Favre couldn't win domes? Yeah, not the case anymore. The Packers have won four in a row and six of eight.



Features to be Posted This Offseason:

1. Detailed season preview
2. Fantasy football projections
3. Positional rankings
4. Daily updates on free-agent signings

More 2008 NFL Offseason Pages:

DAL / NYG / PHI / WAS
CHI / DET / GB / MIN
ATL / CAR / NO / TB
ARZ / SF / SEA / STL

BUF / MIA / NE / NYJ
BAL / CIN / CLE / PIT
HOU /IND / JAX / TEN
DEN / KC / OAK / SD


Back to the 2008 NFL Offseason Page

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