The Packers are expected to begin speaking with free agents Sunday April 24th after the conclusion of the draft.
Here’s my problem as clearly as I can break it down, looking for any advice.
I have a mid-2009 20″ iMac (2.66 Core 2 Duo) which I regularly run both Snow Leopard and Windows XP Professional(SP3). I am using the Apple extended 10-key aluminum keyboard, which is relevant for my question.
When I’m booted into OSX, I can use the built-in hub on the keyboard to power essentially any USB device, like charging an iPhone. OSX reports it is seeing 500 mA of power going to the hub. However, when I boot into XP, suddenly the current drops to 100 mA, which is not enough for high powered USB devices. So the issue clearly relates to XP. I’m up to date on all drivers and other software. The problem exists both with the extended and mini keyboards (the one that comes with the iMac).
I know I can get a powered USB hub, and I have one. However, for the way I normally work, it would be a lot more convenient to use the keyboard hub for high powered devices. Anyone know a solution?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MQWFiIrBLA
There’s the commercial, go check it out before you read any further.
Now, CBS has said they refuse to run this commercial during the Super Bowl. That’s their decision and I feel they have a right to make it. However, what message does this send about CBS as a company? They’re running the equally controversial commercial featuring Florida football star Tim Tebow telling a dramatic pro-life story. They’ll no doubt run numerous ads featuring women with very little clothing trying to sell domain names, beers, animal rights, etc. Yet, a rather silly and non-graphic ad featuring two men kissing is beyond what they deem acceptable for public viewing (on a side note, apparently another gay themed ad from godaddy.com was banned, but we all know they rely on pushing the boundaries of what is inappropriate for shock value and the American public can’t handle sexuality).
Now, while I definitely don’t agree with CBS’ clearly bigoted decision, I’m a realist. I’m not going to expect people to boycott the Super Bowl or stop watching shows like the Big Bang Theory or CSI or whatever else you enjoy. However, I would encourage people to keep this in the back of their minds going forward. If CBS is premiering a new show and you’re on the fence about watching it, I say skip it, there’s plenty of entertaining programming elsewhere. If a major CBS sponsor wants to sell you a product, look at the competition. If a major event like a presidential address is airing on CBS along with other networks, watch the coverage on one of them. I know those are things I’ll be considering from now on.
With the Saints going to their first Super Bowl after 43 years in the league (only 2 teams have existed longer without one), what better time to review some of the milestones in Saints history.
1965: The city of New Orleans votes on the name of their upcoming football team. The final ballot included “New Orleans Frenchies,” “The Confederate Football Team of New Orleans” and “Noluns Bouyatoufees” (that’s the best written translation of whatever those people were trying to say). Not seeing a suitable option, the NFL picked “Saints” out of a hat.
1967: The Saints set the tone for the next 40 years by losing their first game.
1972: QB Archie Manning becomes the best player in Saints history by leading the league in pass completions and games lost.
1979: Local professional basketball team, the Jazz, moves to Utah. Left with no other option, New Orleans sports fans immediately turn their support to LSU.
1979: After drafting punter Russell Erxleben with the 11th pick in the draft, coach Dick Nolan was quoted as saying “it’s getting harder and harder to have a white guy as the best player on your team.”
1980: Unsure about their direction, the Saints hold a public raffle to become the next head coach.
1982: The famous “Who Dat” cheer is adopted in reference to the Saints. The phrase was popularized by New Orleans residents expressing shock/confusion when they were told they had a professional football team.
1983: Zara’s Super Market in New Orleans launches a successful promotion: Buy $50 worth of groceries, get 4 Saints tickets free (And we’ll throw in a paper bag!).
1985: Local man Tom Benson purchases the Saints for $681,200 and a Chevy Caprice with a full tank of gas.
1985-1996: As part of the NFL’s new campaign to boost fan morale, the Saints are granted their first winning season, first division title and first playoff appearance during the Jim Mora coaching era.
1999: Mike Ditka trades 8 draft picks, 300 lbs of crawfish and $500,000 for Ricky Williams and a 10lb bag of pot.
2002: After achieving success and winning the NFL Executive of the Year award, GM Randy Mueller is promptly fired.
2006: Having had previous success with one-armed quarterback Bobby Herbert, the Saints take a chance signing the injured Drew Brees.
We all know the story… a great career that tapered toward the end. Coaching and management changes along with age contributed to a lack of significant production for much of the 2000’s (specifically post-season wins). It all ended after the 2007 season on a pair of interceptions that gave the NFC Championship to the Giants. The Giants won the Super Bowl, Favre had a tearful retirement. Although we all hope for stars to go out on top, the reality is they rarely have the chance. Favre leading an over-achieving Packers team within a few plays of a Super Bowl is far better than most players fair when they decide to leave the game.
Then it all went wacky. Regardless of which side you take, logical people need to admit that nobody knows what really happened between Favre and the Packers. All we know is that after retiring, Favre decided he wanted to keep playing. The Packers and Favre could not agree to a mutual resolution and Favre was traded to the NY Jets. A disappointing season resulted in another retirement speech. Right around the start of the 2009 pre-season Favre decided he wanted to play again. The Jets had previously agreed to cut Favre, leaving him free to sign with any team that would take him (something the Packers tried to avoid when they traded the quarterback). So Favre did the unthinkable and signed with the hated division rival. The Vikings previously made the playoffs with a misfit cast of players at quarterback and were clear Super Bowl favorites with a healthy Brett Favre leading the offense.
This sent fans into a frenzy. While some fans abandoned their support of the Packers after they traded, Favre, many took the side of both their team and their favorite quarterback. Fans who loyally supported the Packers since the 60’s turned on the team in favor of a player who had only been around since the 90’s. Season ticket holders were suddenly wearing purple instead of green. From the perspective of fan reaction, it was clearly one of the oddest events in sports history. Surely fans have given up on their team or turned against them, but to switch your support to that of the team’s most relevant rival? For fans who turned against Favre, it was an extremely rare instance where fans so strongly turned against one of the best players their team had ever put on the field.
And all that lead us to today. Almost suspiciously, the 40 year old Favre overcame a serious shoulder injury to have the best regular season of his career. A fantastic showing in the divisional round put the Vikings against the Saints for the right to play in the Super Bowl. As expected, the game was close and prominently featured each offense. Favre had to fight through numerous brutal hits that left him limp on the field. He had to overcome a crucial interception late in the 3rd quarter. Favre could only watch as teammates, namely Adrian Peterson, routinely fumbled. While he stayed in the game, Favre suffered an injury to his left ankle and appeared to hurt either his arm or midsection during the game.
In what couldn’t have been scripted better by Hollywood, Favre and the Vikings had the ball with two minutes left in the game and the score tied. Through his career, Favre had earned the reputation of being incredibly reliable during these situations in regular season games. However, in the playoffs he regularly struggled, having only been to two Super Bowls, winning one. That shouldn’t matter today. This was a brilliant season and a story of redemption and revenge for Brett Favre. This was his chance to prove he is the best quarterback ever to play the game. The drive went brilliantly. Favre made some fantastic throws and put the Vikings in position to play it safe with the run game. But they found themselves with a 3rd and 10 and only in position for about a 51 yard field goal. Then it happened. After a timeout, the Vikings were confused and broke the huddle with 12 players. Favre tried calling a timeout, but couldn’t (rules prevent calling consecutive timeouts, it would’ve been the final one for the Vikings anyway. The Vikings were out of any realistic field goal range and had a 3rd and 15. Favre had to throw. He rolled out of the pocket and threw the ball right to Tracy Porter of the Saints. With almost no time left in regulation, Favre’s mistake had taken the game away from the Vikings and sent the game into overtime.
Now, Brett Favre could certainly come back and play another year. The Vikings are a talented team and would certainly welcome him back for the 2010 season. Or, he could demand the chance to play for his fourth team in four years. But as wise people always say, you cannot predict the future. There’s no saying Favre’s team would be one of the best teams in the league next year. A more competitive division, injury to Favre or a teammate or just a string of bad luck could send next year into turmoil. The future is uncertain and time is short. Regardless of his decision, playing this year did nothing to help his legacy. On the other hand, it tarnished it in the minds of many Packer fans as well as fans around the league. Whenever Favre decides to retire for real, many of those detractors will eventually forgive him. One day #4 will be added to the Ring of Honor in Green Bay. This season will just end up going down as an unusual and overall disappointing footnote in the career biography of Brett Favre.
According to the Daily Herald, Jay Cutler is somehow involved in the interview process of the Bears’ next offensive coordinator. I shouldn’t need to say one more word beyond that to prove how inept the Chicago staff is, but let’s look closer. Some of you might think it a good idea to involve your franchise quarterback in the hiring process of the guy who will design the offense. If your franchise quarterback went by the name of Brady, Manning, maybe even Brees or Favre, sure, it’s a great idea. Those guys have (most of them, anyway) won titles and MVP awards. They’ve played the game for a long time with a great amount of success and witnessed every offensive scheme imaginable. Three of those guys are first ballot Hall of Fame players. If your franchise quarterback is Jay Cutler, the story is different. Cutler is entering his 5th year (4th as a starter) and has amassed a 24-29 record, never had a winning season (in college either), throws an interception for every 1.29 TD’s and has yet to play an entire game without crying on the sidelines or insulting a teammate’s mother (I might have exaggerated on the last part, but admit, you believe it). Essentially, Cutler doesn’t have a successful track record. He’s new to Chicago and has done nothing to prove he’ll be a starting quarterback 3 years from now. By involving Cutler in this process, Angelo and Smith are saying that A) They are afraid of upsetting Cutler, B) They are not in complete control of the team and C) They are not capable of hiring a quality offensive coordinator.
Of course, all of this equates to more great news for myself and any fan of another NFC North team. Coupled with Angelo’s regular failings in the early rounds of drafts, the disaster the Bears created on the offensive line, Lovie’s inability to get defensive players to meet their potential, the Bears are almost assuring another sub-500 season in 2010.
How bad is life for Chicago fans though? Neither baseball team looks like a division winner in 2010, the Bulls are playing better but their best player doesn’t want the ball in the clutch and it’s extremely unlikely they’ll come away with anyone in free agency this year, now the Bears are further punishing their season ticket holders with their inability to make a quality decision. At least the Blackhawks are good. Too bad the NHL still isn’t relevant.
In the last release of the Facebook app for the iPhone (V 3.1) a new feature was added under the “Friends” tab, allowing you to sync your iPhone contacts with your Facebook contacts. The biggest impact is that when a friend appears on Facebook as well as in your phone contacts, their photo will be downloaded from Facebook and used with the contact profile. The sync will also add a link to facebook profiles in your contacts. This is nothing that couldn’t be handled with a 3rd party application in the past, but now it’s integrated into Facebook. If someone is your friend on Facebook but not in your contacts, a contact will not be created.
Pretty handy feature, until you go to activate it. We’ve all heard cautionary tales of Facebook and their privacy policies in the past, so it was a little alarming when the following message popped up:
“If you enable this feature, contacts from your device will be sent to Facebook and your friends’ names, photos, and other info from Facebook will be added to your iPhone address book. Please make sure your friends are comfortable with any use you make of their information.”
That’s kind of an ominous TOS statement. What happens to my contacts once they’re sent to Facebook? What do they mean by “make sure your friends are comfortable with any use you make of their information?” Does that mean I’m giving Facebook and its advertising partners full access to phone numbers and e-mail addresses stored in my phone? Facebook has pulled off some really unethical moves like that in the past, so it wouldn’t surprise me. It will be very interesting to see if anything comes of this.
Call it what you will, “co-sleeping” (as the local major media would say) or “drunken baby squashing” (as the conservative radio hosts call it). Regardless, babies dying from sleeping with their parents is the story that local media is currently trying to push above all others. Recently, a fourth baby in the Milwaukee area died while sleeping in the same bed as an adult. Essentially, these parents either lack a sufficient crib or simply fail to use it. The parent either rolls over onto the child or the baby simply suffocates on the pillows, blankets or other parts of the bed. In one case, the parents admitted to consuming alcohol before taking their baby to bed. In years past, this situation would have been lumped in as another SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) case. Yet, in the early part of 2010, we have made a distinct effort to make a separate issue of these incidents.
The real concern is what results from all this hysteria. As this story continues to pick up steam, one can just feel some sort of regulation coming. In our society, it pains us to believe that people could have such poor parenting skills that lives could be in jeopardy. Whenever we face a social epidemic like this one, the gut reaction is to throw a lot of money at the problem. While a great argument could be made for making this a crime, the parents will likely be portrayed as victims. Tax dollars will almost certainly be used to create more websites, more pamphlets and more training videos. We may not be far from a world where hospital or police/fire officials will need to come home with you from the hospital to inspect your living conditions. Essentially, having a child will be a process similar to getting your driver license. Yet, despite our spending, the problem will continue. The sad reality is that these people are not mentally ready to care for another life. Countless references already exist to help new parents avoid potential disaster. The city and county of Milwaukee have several resources available to get a free crib. Even the means of finding these resources, a computer with internet access, is freely available at a public library. With all of this at our disposal, can we really call these people victims? Why not be honest and admit that these parents negligently cared for their offspring. Research proves that sleeping in an adult bed with your newborn is dangerous. So rather than spending millions to attempt to educate these inept parents, let’s instead spend thousands and open up a jail cell for them.
For years now, we’ve been inundated with the eerie statements of Jose Canseco. Steroids are rampant in baseball and over the last 10-20 years, virtually all of our favorite players were using needles, pills or cream to recover from injuries, build muscles, hit home runs and throw strikeouts. The “Steroid Era” was seemingly so widespread that the Onion recently proclaimed Craig Counsell to be the best clean player of the steroid era. Humorous as that may be, it could be closer to the mark than we’d like to admit. You cannot look at one great player from the last decade and say with absolute certainty they were clean.
However, the problem runs deeper. Far deeper. Deep into the underground of American society. Into a place many of us pretend does not exist. It starts, with a trip to the grocery store. You see, I needed to buy some eggs a few days back. I have no different a routine than most of you. I grab a carton, check the condition of the eggs, move on. Yet, on this trip to the market, something was different. Upon selecting my carton of eggs and opening the container to look for cracks, I almost lost my grip. It wasn’t a moment of clumsiness, oh no, it was a case of unexpected weight. Like going to pick up a very small box filled with unexpectedly heavy auto parts, your whole balance is thrown for a moment as your brain tries to process the concept of a lot of weight in a small package. There was something different about these eggs and it was incredibly obvious as soon as I gazed into the carton. They were colossal. The label proclaimed them to be “jumbo” but a more appropriate term might be “Egg-Kong” or maybe “Eggdingo.” The sheer mass of these eggs made me nervous. I’ve seen chickens before and I’d hate to know the condition of their hind-quarters after laying just one egg of this magnitude.
However, the concern didn’t just stop with the hens. Again, this is about sports. What do giant eggs have to do with sports? Very simple. These enormous embryos could only mean one thing: PEDs had found their way into American cock-fighting. Take a deep breath, but it’s true and it’s probably been that way a lot longer than we’d like to admit. I know most of us think US cock-fighting is pure and the drugs and weapons are only a by-product of the inferior Mexican version of the sport. Think about it though, where did cock-fighting come from? Isn’t it natural that trends from Mexico would find their way up here?
If the eggs are exhibit A, I’d like to submit exhibit B. A reference that flew right under our collective noses back in the 90’s.
A chicken the size of a man that knows karate. Was this just a silly cartoon? Weird foreshadowing of the future? Or was it the reality that none of us wanted to acknowledge?
Let’s face it, we all got caught up in the rush of the sport. We all wanted the next fight to be better than the one before it and didn’t care how it happened. Are the chickens suffering because of all this? We can’t say. Nobody knows for sure what impact the steroid era will have on humans and especially not chickens. That’s a choice where the fighters will have to live with unknown consequences. But it’s not the chickens I fear for. Indeed it’s all of us. By pushing the boundaries of fowl athletics, we’ve forever tainted one of the oldest sporting traditions in North America. We’ll never be able to take our grandchildren to a cockfight like our granddads did with us; because doing so would be embracing cheating. Shame on all of us, we did it to ourselves.
With the Packers winning 6 of their last 7 games, there is a sudden change of opinion for the team. Many have even dared to mention the “D” word after watching the play of young stars like Aaron Rodgers and Greg Jennings. With that in mind, let’s look at where the team stands for the long term. Some anecdotal references to talent will be made, but this outlook is primarily on the basis of the players in each position category and where they are in terms of experience and contract status.
Offense: Overall, the offense could potentially be in a very delicate balance. The team faces the strong likelihood of needing to find two new starters at tackle, which could devastate any team. The Packers seemingly have long-term starters at running back and quarterback, but could face some degree of turmoil at receiver with starter Donald Driver getting toward the end of his career.
Offensive Line: The team will face a very difficult decision this offseason with regards to the starters on the offensive line. 10 year left tackle Chad Clifton is in the final year of his contract. Although he has been injured this year and last, he’s been fairly durable over his career, having started at least 15 games per season from 2003-2008. His salary this year is a bit over $6m and even hitting his mid 30’s, a starting left tackle isn’t likely to take much of a pay cut. On the other side, Mark Tauscher was re-signed for a 1 year contract part way through the season due to ineffective play of Allen Barbre. Tauscher has been serviceable, but also in his 30’s and coming off his 2nd major knee surgery, it’s unclear whether the team would want to invest long-term money. The team also has rookie TJ Lang, who seems to fit the profile of a guard, but may end up being a career tackle with Green Bay due to the age/contract situations of the current starters.
The interior of the offensive line seems stable for years to come. While Jason Spitz was named the starter this year after playing mostly at guard, Scott Wells has replaced him due to injury and by all accounts performed well enough. New starter Josh Sitton is in his 2nd year and has held the right guard spot all season. Daryn Colledge has taken a lot of criticism from fans and scouts, but has also had a lot of turmoil in the spots to either side of him. He’s also been asked to fill in at left tackle occasionally but each time has not been up to the task. Colledge is in the final year of his rookie contract and will be a restricted free agent in 2010. The team will need to decide whether to keep him at left guard or look at moving TJ Lang into his spot.
The team also has rookie center/guard Evan Dietrich-Smith and 2nd year tackle Breno Giacomini. Both players are inexpensive and at this point are development projects.
Receivers: Greg Jennings recently signed a 4 year contract extension that makes him, at least financially, our #1 receiver for years to come. On the other side, Donald Driver is arguably #1b on the depth chart. His numbers have cooled over the last 6 weeks, as it seems defenses started focusing on him more than Jennings. 2010 will be a big year for Driver as he will be turning 35 and looking at the final year of his contract, which will pay him at least $7 million. Similar to Darren Sharper a few years back, the last year of Driver’s contract will pay a very high amount in hopes of persuading the team to offer an extension. While Driver has shown little or no drop-off in performance over recent years, it is fairly uncommon to give a long-term contract to a 35 year old receiver. The Packers may likely pay the high salary next season and revisit the situation in 2011.
Behind the starters, the two notable receivers are James Jones and Jordy Nelson. Jones and Nelson are in their 3rd and 2nd seasons respectively and neither projects to be a starter in the future. Jones has been the primary 3rd option at WR. Nelson has shown good flexibility, filling in at punt and kickoff return duties due to Will Blackmon’s season-ending injury earlier this year. Because of the Driver situation and the somewhat limited potential of these players, look for the Packers to draft another receiver with a high ceiling that they can develop into an eventual starter.
At tight end, 2nd year player Jermichael Finley has already developed into the starting tight end. He has become the primary receiving option in many situations. Due to several injuries, he has only played 12 games but still has 51 catches for 642 yards. Over a 16 game season, that would project to 68 catches for 856 yards. Each of those numbers would put him as a top 10 tight end, statistically. As the starter the majority of the year, Donald Lee has proved to be a solid option at his position. He is signed through the 2011 season at a reasonable price and thus far has not complained about the increased attention Finley has received.
Running Back: Ryan Grant is in a somewhat unique situation. For carries among running backs, he has received 78% of the workload this year. Around the league, unless teams have a major playmaker like Jones-Drew or Peterson, carries are split closer to 50-50. While Grant doesn’t have the huge play-making ability that elite running backs possess, he has had back to back 1200 yard seasons. 3rd year player Brandon Jackson has gotten more involved as a 3rd down back, but the results have been mixed (3.0 rushing avg, 19 catches). The Packers seem content with Grant getting the bulk of the carries, but may be pressed to find another 2nd option if Jackson doesn’t start showing more potential.
The Packers are also one of fewer and fewer teams that heavily use a fullback. The position is used heavily in the run game as well as in pass protection out of the base offense. This trend will likely continue well into the future as long as Mike McCarthy designs the offense. Rookie Quinn Johnson looks to be the future starter, but because of his inexperience the team kept both John Kuhn and Korey Hall on the roster this year. Look for one of those two to be cut next year as Johnson takes over the starting roll.
Quarterback: The Packers have seemingly succeeded where nearly every other team fails. They’ve replaced a Hall of Fame QB with, at least, a star player at the position. In his 2nd year starting (5th overall), Aaron Rodgers has made his first Pro Bowl, completed well over 60% of his passes, thrown for over 4,000 yards (each of his first two years) and most importantly, has led the team to the playoffs. He has a contract with the team through the 2014 season that pays him among the level of the 2nd tier of starting QBs. If he continues to improve his win totals, he will likely outplay that contract. Backup Matt Flynn offers little in terms of talent or experience (this is his 2nd season) but being a former national champ from LSU, he offers a lot in terms of intangibles and the ability to win.
Defense: One of the top defenses in the NFL during their first year as a 3-4 team, there could be a lot of new faces next season. 2 of the 3 current starters on the defensive line will be free agents, and the 3rd starter will be entering the final year of his contract. The starters at cornerback entering this season are both 35 and one will be coming off reconstructive knee surgery. One of the NFL’s leaders in sacks over the past several years, Aaron Kampman, has not transitioned well to linebacker and will likely not be back. The Packers also have a lot of money committed to their middle linebackers. Bottom line is that the week 1 starters on defense in 2010 could be vastly different compared to 2009.
Defensive Line: The defensive line is one of the positions of greatest concern for the Packers going into the 2010 season and beyond. The team had a lot of large bodies up front which eased the transition to a 3-4 scheme, but will now face a couple key contract decisions. Of the top 4 defensive linemen, BJ Raji is the only one with a contract extending beyond 2010. Starting nose tackle Ryan Pickett will be entering his 10th season as an unrestricted free agent. The Packers drafted BJ Raji from Boston College to address the Pickett situation and be the anchor of the defensive front for years to come. While Pickett has played extremely well, look for him to leave in free agency and be replaced by Raji next season. On the left side, Johnny Jolly is also in a contract year and has been having probably his best season. The Packers can minimize some risk with Jolly if there is no new CBA before the off-season as the current rules would make him a restricted free agent in 2010. If the Packers offer him a restricted tender, they can avoid any financial penalty should Jolly’s play drop off next year. However, if he performs at a similar level he will command a lot more money in a long-term deal. On the other side, Cullen Jenkins has also performed well. He is in his late 20’s and 2010 will be the last year of his contract which paid him a modest $15.8m over 4 years. The team would be wise to look at an extension for Jenkins this off-season to avoid the possibility of losing all 3 starters over a 2 year period.
Behind those 4 players, the Packers lack any promising depth on the defensive line. Rookie nose tackle Anthony Toribio was recently promoted from the practice squad. His size (6-1 315) puts him somewhat out of character for any position on the line. He’s too small to play the nose and too short to play end (compared to typically 3-4 linemen). The team will likely give up on Justin Harrell after another season spent on IR. Defensive ends Jarius Wynn and Mike Montgomery have seen little playing time and it’s unclear how they fit in going forward.
Linebackers: There will also be many major financial decisions regarding the linebacker position this off-season. Aaron Kampman, who was hopefully going to be the pass-rushing outside linebacker in the new defense, has made a shaky transition at best. Before his season ended due to a knee injury, he looked slow in all phases of his game. Scouts noted that much of his pass-rushing ability came from the way he was able to quickly gain leverage from a 3 or 4 point stance. Playing from an upright position, he’s been unable to accelerate past linemen and has been stiff in coverage. Since the loss of Kampman, two rookies have performed quite well at the position. On the right side, 1st round pick Clay Matthews Jr is making a solid run at defensive rookie of the year. On the other side, 7th round pick Brad Jones hasn’t played outstanding, but does everything well. Both players will likely be starters again next year as it’s unlikely the Packers would risk offering any sort of contract to Kampman in the event they could not trade him.
In the middle, expect more turnover. Current starters Nick Barnett and AJ Hawk have played well enough, but with backup Brandon Chillar recently receiving a contract extension, it’s possible that somebody could be out the door in 2010. Barnett and Hawk will make $4.5 and $4.1 million respectively in 2010, which is a high portion of the salary for one position. Hawk has recently been used heavily in pass coverage and has occasionally done well. However, Chillar seems to be very similar to the way Hawk is being used, for less than half the money. 3rd year player Desmond Bishop has shown playmaking ability as a pass-rusher up the middle, but his inconsistencies elsewhere have kept him off the field.
Defensive Backs: Yet another area of the defense that could be in for a transition. Al Harris will only make $2.5 million next season, but he is 35, coming off a major knee injury and has shown a decline in his performance. Charles Woodson is having a career season, but is also 35 and regardless of him playing corner or safety, he is not a long term option. 3rd year player Tramon William is filling in for Harris at the 2nd corner spot and shows promise. Most of his shortcomings at present are a result of teams not throwing in the direction of Woodson. Williams will be a free agent in 2010. Behind Williams, the team struggles to cover opponents 3rd receiver. Return specialist Brandon Underwood was lost early in the year to injury, but when healthy is not likely to make an impact outside of special teams. 2nd year player Pat Lee was also put on injured reserve and might be our nickel corner right now were he healthy. The team is not sure what they have with rookies Trevor Ford and Brandon Underwood. Josh Bell was signed to fill in for all the backfield injuries but hasn’t been able to stay on a team in only his 2nd year. 4th year player Jarrett Bush is a liability in coverage. If Harris is released, Woodson (who will turn 36 next year) and Tramon Williams will likely be the only corners from the current roster with any significant playing experience.
At safety, Nick Collins has shown for the 2nd year that he is capable of big plays. Under the current CBA, he would be a restricted free agent in 2010 and the Packers are likely banking on that until they can work out a long-term deal with the free safety. On the other side, Atari Bigby has been effective when healthy, but has missed significant playing time this year and last. Bigby will also be a free agent in 2010 and looking for a long-term deal. Behind the starters, the Packers have rotated several players on and off the roster. The current backups are Matt Giordano and Derrick Martin. All of the players at safety are fairly young, but the team will need to address the contract situations of the starters.
Special Teams: Once again, the Packers have a poor special teams unit. The return game cannot be condemned much as star player Will Blackmon went on injured reserve early in the season. However, the kicking and coverage units have not performed well. On Kickoffs, Mason Crosby is toward the bottom of the league, averaging only 62.3 yards. The Packers are in the middle of the league giving up 22.9 per return. That puts opponents typically past the 30 yard line for starting field position. Crosby has also come under fire for his field goal performance. He is toward the bottom of the league at 74%. 21 teams are at 80% or better for field goals. Crosby was under 80% each of his previous two seasons. Performing in the bottom 1/3 of the league your first 3 seasons must be cause for concern. At the very least, the Packers will look at replacements next season.
The punting game is also a problem, for another year. Jeremy Kapinos is dead last in the NFL with a net average of 33.8 yards per punt. He is also toward the bottom of the league with only 14 punts landing inside the 20 yard line compared to 10 touch-backs. The Packers will almost certainly be starting 2010 with a new punter.
Head Coach: Mike McCarthy, in his 4th year as head coach, is 37-26 in the regular season and 1-1 in the playoffs. He has coached the youngest or 2nd youngest team in the NFL each year, which is likely a strong factor in his teams being among league leaders in penalties. This year he is again at the helm of one of the top offenses in the NFL, but the unit leads the league in sacks allowed. He is under contract for the next 4 seasons.
