Is it Deja Vu All Over Again?

Ever have the feeling you've been somewhere before? Like a threat of a holdout if a contract isn't re-negotiated? Sure, it's a common enough tactic in sports these days. Especially so in those days of yore when that Drew Rosenwhoisheagain was the agent flavor of the day. When impressionable -- and egotistical -- young players such as, oh, let's say...ummm...Javon Walker believed he was worth x-dollars and, despite a multi-year contract already in place, felt he was worth more than what he had already agreed to.

Well, Packer fans, here we go again. According to a report cited tonight by WTMJ-Radio sports guru, Bill Michaels, Walker and his new agent are again spouting some of the same rhetoric as last year. OK, this is Walker's last year of his contract. But it also coincides with a year in which he is coming off a serious knee injury. Will he regain his outstanding ability? Or will the injury leave him as just another run-of-the-mill receiver? Nobody knows. Including Walker. His strategy is to try to get the Pack to ante up before he has to show whether he can perform at the same level he did prior to the injury. In other words, take the money and run before you have to run. The Packers, especially GM Ted Thompson, will no doubt take a wait and see attitude, which is definitely the prudent thing to do. Walker probably won't report until he has to. That means he will probably miss camp and run the risk -- again -- of possible injury by not being in game shape when he does finally get thrown into the game. If Walker shows flashes of his old self, the Pack can try to re-sign him during the season -- although Walker's ego would no doubt have been so offended he will test the open market after the season ends. If, on the other hand, Walker fails to regain his former ability, the Packers are better off having kept the money in the bank. Keeping Walker, at that point, may or may not be in the Packers' best interests. And that, after all, is what it's all about...not assuaging Mr. Walker's ego.

If You're Anticipating the Draft, Check This Out

If you're one of those fans who gets into studying the draft, mock drafts, the annual scouting combine, etc., you might be interested in checking out this ongoing column from Yahoo Sports. The author says, "The plan is to update the first-round forecast roughly every two weeks, with changes reflective of free-agent signings, personnel tips, scouting reports, player visits and various pro days over the next two months." It starts with initial impressions and a mock draft. As with a number of other mock drafts, he also shows Mario Williams, defensive end from North Carolina State, coming to the Pack with the #5 draft pick. He acknowledges that Ohio State linebacker, A. J. Hawk, would also be a great pick up for the Packers given needs at linebacker. But he then points out that some scouts think Williams could be the next Julius Peppers. He notes that, "Hawk is more polished at his position and has a more consistent track record, but Williams could be a major game-changer." Stay tuned.

If you want to watch the actual draft combine events, you can check out the NFL Network. You can find the schedule of combine events carried by the NFL Network here.

Aikman Thinks Favre Will Retire

In an AP interview, former Cowboys QB, current TV analyst, and newly-elected Pro Football Hall of Famer Troy Aikman (whew!) says he thinks Packers QB Brett Favre will retire. Not because he still can't play; Aikman says he believes Favre is still one of the best QBs in the game. Rather, he thinks the Pack's struggles this last season and perhaps going forward in the next year or two, will play into Favre's decision. He compared where Favre's at in his career with where he himself was at the end of his career. "Health was a small factor in my decision," Aikman said. "But it had more to do with, I just didn't think that we were doing what was necessary to be competitive any longer. And I know that Brett is dealing with that currently." He continued, "I don't know then if you ever get back to the level of 100 percent commitment to say, 'Yeah, this is what I want to do,"' Aikman said. "Because usually what happens is that no matter how good your season is, you always go through periods where it's a struggle. The best years we had, with our Super Bowls, we had periods where things were tight. When you're not 100 percent committed, then when you hit those periods, and you're asking yourself, 'Why am I doing this?' And I don't know if you can have your quarterback asking some of those questions."

You can read the entire story here.

Carroll Busted

Packers alleged cornerback Ahmad Carroll was busted in Fayetteville, AK, for allegedly arguing with a police officer in a local drinking establishment. Details here.

As Carroll has been known to say, "C'mon dawg."

Packers odds of winning next year's Super Bowl: 100-to-1

The early Las Vegas odds on next year's Super Bowl have the Colts as the favorites at 4-to-1 with the Steelers and Patriots next up at 8-to-1 (depending upon which bookmaker's odds you are looking at). The Packers? Oh...how 'bout 100-to-1. Every other team in the North Division is favored ahead of the Pack. Holy kick in the groin, Batman! But at least the Saints and 49ers have even worse odds. Small consolation. What does this all mean? Clearly that the odds prognosticators think the Pack is on a downhill slide. They appear to also be assuming that ol' #4 is going to retire, and that the Pack's free agency situation (see yesterday's blog entry) will be a mess. Let's hope that new Coach Mike McCarthy can prove the oddsmakers wrong.

Free Agency Decisions Coming Up

With the free agency signing period kicking off March 3, the Packers have many decisions to make. Everyone -- including by this time GM Ted Thompson -- knows the team blew it last year by letting both starting guards Mike Wahle and Marco Rivera depart. Free agent replacements Adrian Klemm and Matt O'Dwyer didn't fill the holes...literally. Actually, O'Dwyer didn't even make it out of training camp. Bad decision, Ted. Bad! Losing Darren Sharper to the ViQueens, despite his Pro Bowl year, seems to have been less of a blow given the overall problems in the secondary as a whole.

This year, Thompson faces decisions on such Packer veterans as Aaron Kampman, Grady Jackson, Paris Lenon, Ahman Green, William Henderson, Najeh Davenport, Tony Fisher, Mike Flanigan, Craig Nall and Ryan Longwell. Can't keep 'em all. The question is which ones do you really go after and which ones do you keep at a reduced rate given age, injuries, performance, etc. And to whom do you say, bye-bye now?

It would seem that Kampman and Jackson are integral parts of that defensive line which came alive late in the season. Resigning both would be a plus. On the offensive sides of the ball...not easy calls. If you can get Green, Henderson and Davenport back at reduced cost, that would be a real plus, especially given the potential for Samkon Gado when he returns from injury rehab. Fisher is no more than a third-down back. Not what's needed, given the other needs on offense. Flanigan has been a great center, but Scott Wells performed admirably as a stand-in. As for Nall, if Favre returns, Nall is probably gone and the Pack will look to later rounds in the draft to pick up a number three quarterback. If Favre retires and the Pack starts Aaron Rodgers they may very well keep Nall as an experienced number two behind Rodgers...or as the starter if Rodgers falters. Longwell had his worst year as a Packer, arguably because of the change in holders. Despite being the team's all-time leading scorer, he's also made it known he'd like to kick in warm weather or a dome. Given his proven reliabililty over the years, especially given the challenges of kicking late in the season at Lambeau, the Pack should do what they can to keep Longwell on the roster. There will likely be a change at punter this year (see prior blog entry). Changing both parts of the kicking game at the same time might be a real recipe for disaster on special teams. And given the razor-thin margin for error the Pack will have this coming season -- with or without Favre's return -- that might just be the difference between another dismall year or a shot at the playoffs.

The next month or so will tell a lot about whether the Pack is going to try to get back to a playoff caliber team this year or...gulp...start to re...reb...rebui...I can't bring myself to say it. For the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's take on things, check out there story here. (And if you want to get a near-daily report on possible draft picks, check out the MJS's analysis here.)

Packers sign a big leg from Canada.

OK, Packer fans, it's hard to get too jazzed by a street free agent signing -- especially when it's a punter. But given the sorry state of the Pack's punting ever since former GM Ron Wolf let Craig Hentrich depart, this signing may have finally filled a big hole in special teams. The Pack signed Jon Ryan, who the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel describes as "a record-setting punter from the Canadian Football League." That's pretty good, considering he's only been in the CFL for two years!

Ryan had a long punt of 82 yard this past season punting for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, and a punt of 92 yards in his rookie season. He had a CFL record 50.6 gross yards average this past season (compare vs. current Packer punter B. J. Sander's gross of 39.2 yards). His strength is distance not hang time...but if you're booming it that far down field it has to take a bit of time, too, right? Obviously, kicking in the CFL means Ryan is also used to kicking in bad weather, a definite plus for success in Green Bay. You can read Ryan's Blue Bomber player bio here.

Ryan joins Sander and two other free agents in battling it out during training camp for the starting job. You can read the full story here.

Oh oh...Favre to go?

Well, Packer fans, we all knew that the time would come when ol' Number 4 steps off the gridiron and onto his lawn tractor for good. According to an interview with ESPN's Chris Mortensen, Favre says, "If I had to pick right now and make a decision, I would say I'm not coming back." Ouch!

In another telling part of the interview, Favre said he had a conversation with old coach Mike Holmgren in late November or early December: "I told him, 'It might be my last game and that I was so thankful you'll be there for it.' He said, 'If it is, I'll be glad I was there for it, too.'" Favre added, "The game meant nothing, but in a lot of ways it meant a lot."

You can read the article here, and also see a video clip of the interview.

I didn't think Favre would want to go out with a season like last year. On the other hand, he makes it clear that he just isn't sure that he has the competitive fire any more. Years ago he said that's when he'd know it's time to go. Sounds like he knows.

Thanks, Brett. It's been a privilege to watch you and root for you all these years. Thanks for being a part of the greatest franchise in sports, the Green Bay Packers, and for being one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game. See you in Canton!

Sanders is the new defensive coordinator.

According to a notice from the Green Bay Packers eNews:

"After a week of interviews that included several qualified candidates, Head
Coach Mike McCarthy on Saturday named Bob Sanders defensive coordinator.

"Coming into the interview process for the defensive coordinator position,"
McCarthy said, "I did not know much about Bob Sanders other than I had been
told he did a good job here last season. Bob and I met for several hours every
day last week. We talked about everything from defensive philosophies and
schemes to our own coaching and personal backgrounds. I was impressed with
Bob's football knowledge and, equally, with him as a person and his character.
I felt like this is someone I could have a partnership with and who I would
have great confidence in to run our defense."

Sanders, 52, brings continuity to a defense that ranked seventh overall and
first against the pass in 2005, his first season as Packers defensive ends
coach. A protégé of former coordinator Jim Bates, who parted ways with the team
Monday by mutual agreement, Sanders has been coaching for 30 years. In four of
his five seasons in the NFL, Sanders has coached on defenses that finished
among the league's top eight in yards per game."

More here.

D-Coordinator still up for grabs; "Super Mario" on tap?

After nailing down most of his coaching staff this past week, new Packers head coach Mike McCarthy still has yet to settle on perhaps his most important staff pick: defensive coordinator.

According to reports, the following are the top four candidates still in the running for the job: Packers defensive line coach Bob Sanders, former Buffalo defensive coordinator Jerry Gray, former New York Jets defensive coordinator Donnie Henderson and former Houston Texans defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. McCarthy held personal interviews with each candidate, which seems like something any coach would do. But apparently, this is not always the case. Tennessee refused to let the Pack interview assistant head coach/linebackers coach Dave McGinnis and Tampa Bay refused to let the Pack interview linebackers coach Joe Barry. According to reports, both would have been strong candidates for the job.

Sanders seems to be the leading candidate based upon his familiarity with the team, reputation within the organization, and knowledge of the scheme former defensive coordinator Jim Bates used.

While the defensive coordinator is a key to shaping the personality of the defensive unit, the personnel available to the coordinator is the ultimate determiner of how successful a defense can be. That's GM Ted Thompson's job. With a boatload of money available and the #5 draft pick, it's time to upgrade the defense. Mel Kiper, Jr.'s and other initial mock drafts have the Pack picking "Super" Mario Williams, defensive end out of NC State. If you care to read a draft report about him, click here. Can't be all bad picking for not only a great need on the Packers, but also a player that is described in some reports as "the best defensive end in college football."

Bates bids adieu. Singletary on deck?

In a totally unsurprising development, spurned head coach candidate and GB defensive coordinator, Jim Bates, announced that he would not be returning to the team next year but would instead pursue head coaching opportunities elsewhere. Bates described his rejection as being very disappointing given his record. Can't blame him a bit.

But now the rumor mill is circulating that Coach Mike McCarthy might try to lure his old San Francisco coaching buddy, Mike Singletary, to be the new defensive coordinator. That could be an interesting hire for GB. Bringing in a Bearz legend to scheme against his old employer, among others of course. Ah, the irony of it all!

Oh, by the way...do da Bearz have a bye this next weekend? (smile) As I think I predicted here, da Bearz were one and done in the playoffs. And all those fair-weather Bearz fans -- aren't they all? -- starting ripping the team immediately. Ah, sweet home Chicago!

Introducing Coach Mike McCarthy

The Mike McCarthy era begins in Green Bay, Packer fans. And according to his comments at the introductory press conference, he has an "unconditional commitment to bring the world championship back to Green Bay." Ya gotta like that!

Packers GM, Ted Thompson, introduced the 14th head coach in Packers history, saying McCarthy had the "Pittsburgh-macho, tough guy" quality he liked in a coach. McCarthy also is now the youngest head coach in the NFL at age 42. One of his first tasks will be to hire his assistant coaching staff. According to reports, two candidates for offensive coordinator are Atlanta offensive line coach Jeff Jagodzinski, a former Packers tight ends coach from 1999-’03, and Tampa Bay quarterbacks coach Paul Hackett, who worked with McCarthy at Kansas City in 1993.

McCarthy also made it a point to say that one of the first things he'd like to do is sit down with spurned head coach candidate and Packers defensive coordinator Jim Bates and try to convince him to stay on. Admirable. But given how Bates must feel after being the fan favorite for the position and being rejected by Thompson, we shouldn't hold our collective breaths about Bates returning.

At 42 and with this his first head coaching gig, McCarthy certainly fits the "new face" criterion that Thompson said he wanted when he fired Mike Sherman. We'll have to wait to see what results come along with that new look.

Breaking News: Mike McCarthy is New Packers Head Coach!

According to WTMJ-TV 4 in Milwaukee tonight, Mike McCarthy is the new Packers Head Coach.

McCarthy had been serving as San Francisco's offensive coordinator. He had previously spent one year -- 1999 -- as the Pack's QB coach. There is some feeling, apparently, that McCarthy's close relationship with Brett Favre might help in keeping Brett around for at least one more year.

This selection may come as a bit of a surprise to some -- including the author of an article in today's Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel Online -- who felt that current Packers defensive coordinator, Jim Bates, perhaps had the inside track on the job.

The official announcement of McCarthy's hiring might come as early as a Thursday morning press conference.

One of McCarthy's first tasks will be to put a staff in place. He will be looking for a new QB coach as reports indicate that the Pack's current QB coach, former Badger QB Darrell Bevel, will be named the ViQueens new offensive coordinator under their new head coach, Brad Childress.

Stay tuned as the McCarthy era commences.

Coaches, coaches everywhere!

The coaching prospect carousel moves along in GB. Lots of folks coming into GB to pitch their coaching acumen. Some offensive coaches, some defensive. Interestingly, Packer fans in an online poll today at the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel Online site are basically all across the board, with no clear favorite. In fact, 12.5% of those responding (more than 16,000 votes at the time of this writing), indicate they "don't like any of them (the prospects)." Current Packers defensive coordinator, Jim Bates, has a slight edge over Dallas O-C, Sean Payton, and SF O-C, Mike McCarthy.

Whoever gets the crown will have the task of trying to work with GM, Ted Thompson, to get Brett Favre back for just one more year to keep the team's marketability up while the rebuilding task commences. It could be quick if the right coach and the right personnel moves are made. If not...yikes! This is a big hire for Thompson. He can decide the fate of the Pack for the next decade. Let us pray...

We have a by this week...

...and next week...and the week after...oh, until about something like mid-August for pre-season play. And what changes will take place by then!

New head coach and probably entire coaching staff. Possibly a new kicker and punter. Possibly a new starting running back and fullback combo. Possibly a new center, new linebackers, new defensive backs, new D-linemen. And, lest we forget, perhaps even a new QB. Wow! It is all a bit much to contemplate. And it seems more like that dreaded word, "rebuilding," starts to enter our collective Packer consciousness. This is the legacy of the Mike Sherman as General Manager era.

But now it's up to Ted Thompson to hire the best coach possible, to find an up-and-comer who will generate excitement and most importantly, wins. It's also up to Thompson to deal with all the free agent issues, those possible departures or re-signings on the Packer roster, as well as bringing in the necessary talent through free agency and the draft so that this last season becomes like Da Bearz' winning seasons: a one-year anomaly.

So, Packer fans, enjoy your weekends free of football for a while. Do all the things you might have put off while the Pack was playing. We can continue to watch the coaching situation and speculate on how any of the coach prospects might impact the Pack in the future. But until the roster situation comes more fully into view later this Spring, we really won't have much of a sense of what the 2006 Packers might be able to do. Still...it's better being a Packer fan than...who are those other teams in the division again???

Sherman's march is over.

Packers GM, Ted Thompson, just announced that he has made the decision to go in a different coaching direction and has fired Coach Mike Sherman. Thompson gave no indication at this time who the next coach might be. He also said that he had not discussed this decision with Brett Favre, stating that he felt it wasn't appropriate to discuss these decisions with any player.

So, after 6 years -- with one losing season -- Sherman's era is over. Some radio pundits actually hit it on the head, saying this is probably more a result of Sherman's failure as a GM than as a coach...the caliber of players he was responsible for drafting and signing has brought the Pack to the position that it is in today.

Make no mistake, Sherman was and is a class act. He lived for the Packers, appreciated its history and place in the NFL. But as Thompson said, "At the end of the day it's time for a new face."

The 2006 Packers will be a very different team than what we have seen before, both from a coaching and player standpoint. One can only hope that the rebuilding effort in both phases happens quickly. Now Thompson is on the hook for making that happen.

Pack wins...Favre exits?

Packers beat the spread courtesy of second half reserve play by the Seahawks and a somewhat inspired effort by the Pack...perhaps to send Brett Favre off with his last victory as a member of the Packers. His exist from the game and his wave to the crowd almost looked like a final exit. I hope not. But we shouldn't be surprised if it is. Thanks, Brett, for all the memories. I hope you're back, but if not, you've done all you can do for this team, Green Bay, Wisconsin and the NFL.

It's only a game.

Well, Packer fans, this is it. The end of one of the worst seasons in Packers' history. Surprisingly, the Pack is picked by 5 points over the Seahawks in today's game. The only way this will happen is if the Seahawks play their reserves. Game is underway...more later.

With respect to The Doors...

"This is the end...". A great and haunting song by The Doors. Not so great when applied to the feeling many Packers fans have after yet one more loss at home, one more game filled with missed opportunities and turnovers, one more almost-but-not-quite comeback. Da Bearz looked liked and played like the Packers used to; the Pack looked and played like Da Bearz used to.

Actually, you could see the difference before the kickoff even took place. Cameras showed Da Bearz coming through the tunnel onto the field and they looked pumped, the body language was energetic. Cut to the Pack coming down the tunnel: heads were down, shoulders almost seemed slumped. To their credit, the Pack played much better than that initial impression would have led one to expect.

If there was any bright spot to yesterday it was that the ViQueens were knocked out of the playoffs in the late game vs. the Ravens.

One more week of a season to forget. The Seahawks come to town and will take a win back with them to Seattle as they get ready for the playoffs. Then the post-season analysis begins...or perhaps continues, as the season in effect ended months ago. The off-season will offer fans the opportunity to vent on coaching and player changes, and speculate on the upcoming draft (see this story for more). As it would look now, the Pack will get a top 5 pick, but could drop to a couple spots depending upon game outcomes next weekend. The draft won't fix all the things that are currently broken with the Pack, but it does give fans a sense of optimism. The Pack has a lot of money available under the salary cap going into next year to sign the players they want to keep, bring in free agent upgrades, and make whatever other personnel moves they feel will help bring the team back to its rightful place at the top of the NFC North. The biggest boost the Packers will get, though, is getting back the 17 players -- one-third of the team in effect -- that at one time or another were on the injured reserve list for this season. That in itself will win games. The rest should be gravy.

2006: Da Bearz are one and done, the ViQueens will continue in their usual muddle, and the Lions will flounder as long as Matt Millen is GM. C'mon, Packer fans! Looking at the future through Green'n'Gold-colored glasses is just the remedy we need for a season to forget.

Make the bad man stop!

Add to the list...and you know what list I'm talking about...Samkon Gado, Bubba Franks and B.J. Sander are placed on injured reserve.

Add to the team...yes, the MASH unit known as the 2005 Packers...a new punter, a new receiver, and a new running back. Ryan Flinn will be the new punter and perhaps field goal holder, Noah Herron will likely start at RB, and newly-signed receiver Rod Gardner may add some punch. Herron would be the Pack's 6th different starting running back this year...that about sums up the season right there. Gardner was the 15th overall pick in the 2001 draft and is not the usual waiver wire pick up. A load of demonstrated talent that for some reason didn't stick with either the Redskins or Panthers. He sounds excited about the opportunity to be in GB. And the Packers hope to evaluate a possible productive long-term addition to the team during these last 2 games. You can check out the story here.