The Packer Pundit

QUARTERBACK
If it's January... it must be 'Brett Favre Retirement Rumor Season'. I myself, would have bet the house on Brett's returning next year. I mean... all the signs were there. The 'Driver Fireman's Carry'... the talk of how much fun he's having this season... and the Pack's strong finish down the stretch.

But yikes on a stick... that post game presser he gave the the NBC babe has shook me and PackerNation to our very green and maze core. I mean... what would life be like with no Brett? Well... allow me to put my experience as the third string outside linebacker for my 9th grade Junior high's football team (Goooo Golden Tigers) to work and analyze this puppy and break it down pimp style!

Brett had a better than usual season... his INT's were down and his W's doubled from last year. Still... it would behoove Brett to stick more closely to the 'McCarthy Brand' of football. More dinky ball and less 40 yard bombs. You could see the frustration in M&M's eyes every time Brett tossed an errant pass or threw into double/triple coverage. You'd think a veteran of Brett's stature would have learned to take more of what they give ya... instead of trying to force things. Gunslinger or not... give me those 5 or 6 yard 'safe passes' over the 25 - 30 yard homeruns. On the positive... aint too many QB's can read a defense better than #4. You aint gunna fool him. Secondly... yeah... go ahead and blitz Brett. Just like Mongo from Blazing Saddles... you're just gunna piss him off. Brett actually throws better under duress and he has Houdini like escapability.

As to Brett's backups (or as they're lovingly referred to... Tits on a Boar) we still haven't had a real good look at 2005's Numero Uno draft pick Aaron Rodgers. Now Aaron's forte in college was his accuracy. That would bode well for the M&M offense. However... Aaron did not look that impressive in his one extended rehearsal agaisnt the Pats. But then again... Brett was getting killed in that one too. 'Member... Brett got hurt so Aaron had to come in. I will give Mister Rodgers props for playing the entire game on a broken foot. Dude has heart. Behind Aaron is this years drafty Ingle Martin. He looked real good at the end of the Bear game last Sunday... handing it off once and taking a knee. Especially the knee part... very good form! Obviously I'm being sarcastic but my point is... we have no idea how goo Ingle is.

Taking all that into consideration... if Brett retires we could be looking at a very long 2007. At best... Aaron's going to need to be 'brought along' and teams are just not going to respect his arm until he gives them cause to do so. On the plus side... hey we need to find out what kind of prospect we have in Rodgers... and possibly he'll be more disciplined than his gunslinging mentor. More dinky... less bomby.

Free Agency
The best of the 2007 FA bunch is matt Schaub of the Falcons. He's a RFA so it's going to cost the team that signs him, a draft pick (I think like a 3rd? The round he was drafted in) Schaub has been on everybody's shopping list that needs a QB so competition will be fierce. After Matt the next best possibilities are Jeff Garcia, Damon Haurd or possibly Tim Rattay. The eagles just re-uped Detmer and I doubt they'll let Garcia go after what all he's done this year. However... if Garcia is given a shot at starting in Green Bay...? Who knows. As far as Cap room... if Brett retires we gain 10 million in cap dollars. Plenty enough to throw at a quality veteran.

Draft
Obviously the top two QB's (Brady Quinn and JaMarcus Russell) will both be snapped up early. Oakland and Detroit both need quarterbacks. Possibly... Louisville's Brian Brohm will be available when the Pack picks at number 16. He's an impressive figure and his stock is on the rise. This year's Jay Cutler. In the 2nd round... look for Ohio State's Troy Smith to get drafted. I wouldn't mind seeing the Pack grab him if available. I mean... all he's done is led Ohio State to the number one ranking and possible national championship... oh... and he won that Heisman thingie too. Still... his height could be a concern (possibly 5'11"). Ted Thompson is a Ron Wolf disciple... so expect him to continue the Ron Wolf tradition of drafting a QB in the later rounds. (like Ingle Martin) Regardless... if Brett retires... on he promises to let us know earlier this year... we may need to address the quarterback position through the draft. Russell and Brohm are both Juniors but are expected to entire the draft.

Grade
If Favre returns we're a solid A in the quarterback position. I don't have to explain Brett's creds for giving him such a high grade... this is the PackerPundit web site and if you're here reading about the Packers because you're a Packer fan... then Brett's rep and accomplishments speak fo themselves. If Brett retires... we're in some deep doo doo. I'd give us a C- with expectations that we try to upgrade through the draft (later rounds) as opposed to a high priced Free Agent. That's just how Ted Thompson rolls!







Brett Favre Nominated For
FedEx NFL Player Of The Week

Click here to vote now!

Quarterbacks BRETT FAVRE of the Green Bay Packers, A.J. FEELEY of the Philadelphia Eagles and JON KITNA of the Detroit Lions are the finalists for FedEx Express NFL Player of the Week honors for games played on December 30-31, while running backs TIKI BARBER of the New York Giants, STEVEN JACKSON of the St. Louis Rams and LARRY JOHNSON of the Kansas City Chiefs are the finalists for FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week honors, the NFL announced Tuesday. Fans can vote for one player in each category on NFL.com from 9am EST on Tuesday through 6pm EST on Thursday to determine the FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week. The winners will be announced Thursday afternoon on NFL.com. In addition, NFL fans may cast their votes for the FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week using Sprint or Nextel wireless service - an opportunity available only to Sprint customers. This fast, convenient voting method involves texting the word FEDEX to short code 7777. Sprint customers will then receive an interactive text message that links fans to the ballot with the six finalists each week. Data and text messaging rates may apply. Fans will be voting for more than their favorite player. For the third season in a row, the weekly FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week Awards are a win for the local community. Along with the award, FedEx will donate $5,000 every week to the local children's hospital in each winning market. The children's hospitals in the two season-long winner's markets, announced at this year's Super Bowl, will be awarded $25,000 each. That means that FedEx will deliver nearly $250,000 to local children's hospitals around the country in recognition of the FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week Award winners.






Favre's surgery still on hold
Quarterback Brett Favre's ankle surgery remains on hold and no one in the Green Bay Packers organization is saying when or if he'll have it. It appears it was Favre's decision not to have the surgery as scheduled Monday, and although there were reports Monday that he had left for Mississippi, it's thought he was still in town on New Year's Day. Favre has put off the surgery for four years despite the urging of his wife, Deanna, to have the ankle cleaned out so it stops aggravating him during the off-season. But he's generally eager to get home immediately after the season ends and it's possible he chose to delay it until another time. Coach Mike McCarthy is scheduled to conduct his season-ending news conference today and might shed some light on it. General manager Ted Thompson said he wasn't reading anything into the delay in the surgery and he didn't think it was related to whether Favre would return next season. He said no specific deadline was given to Favre for making a decision, although Favre agreed not to let it drag on. Thompson said he wasn't sure whether Favre stuck around or was headed for his home in Hattiesburg, Miss. "I don't think that's unusual," Thompson said of the surgery delay. McCarthy said on his television show that he had made it clear that he wants Favre to return next season, but he said there were many factors involved and that Favre would make a joint decision with Deanna. When he spoke with Favre just before the Bears game Sunday, he told Favre not to make any rash decisions. "Our conversation was to take your time and take the emotion out of it," McCarthy said.

Punch alleged
A Milwaukee woman said she was punched in the face by a Packers player on Monday, WTMJ-TV reported Tuesday. The alleged punch was thrown after a fight broke out at linebacker Nick Barnett's Five-Six Ultra Lounge in Green Bay. The woman said that during the fight, a Packers player grabbed her by the throat and punched her in the face. Barnett's agent told WTMJ that Barnett tried to break up the fight and was hit in the lip. Green Bay police were called to the club because of the fight, WTMJ reported, but were still investigating. The player was not identified.

Packers Sign Eight To Future Contracts
The Green Bay Packers have signed wide receiver Carlton Brewster, linebacker Spencer Havner, offensive lineman Travis Leffew, safety Alvin Nnabuife, wide receiver Calvin Russell, guard Adam Stenavich, tackle Orrin Thompson and cornerback Tramon Williams to reserve/future contracts. The signings were announced Tuesday by Executive Vice President, General Manager and Director of Football Operations Ted Thompson. All eight players concluded the 2006 season on the Packers' practice squad, and all but Thompson, who was a first-year player, were rookies in 2006. Brewster and Russell were with the Packers in 2006 training camp. Brewster joined the club in an Aug. 22 trade from Cleveland, then spent the season's final 11 weeks on the practice squad. Russell, on the practice squad for all 17 regular-season weeks, originally signed as a non-drafted free agent. Leffew had two stints on the practice squad, sandwiched around a stretch on the 53-man roster of the Dallas Cowboys, who signed him Nov. 21. Nnabuife (pronounced nah-BOO-fee), Havner (HEY-vner), Stenavich, Thompson and Williams (trah-MAHN) all signed to the practice squad during the regular season.

A good year
Defensive tackle Ryan Pickett said his decision to sign with the Packers as a free agent was one of the best of his career. Coming to Green Bay was the boost he needed, he said. "This has been my most fun season ever playing football," Pickett said. "I enjoy my teammates here and the coaches. I felt like I had a re-start to my career. It was a great year. Next year will be even better." Pickett started all 16 games at right defensive tackle and was sixth on the Packers with 87 tackles, 44 of them solo. He also had seven passes defensed and recovered one fumble.

Winning the division
The standings say the Chicago Bears won the NFC North Division, but the Packers and Bears were tied with a 5-1 record against divisional opponents, a fact hammered home to the Packers' players. "We beat Minnesota (twice) and we beat Chicago, I think everyone can hold their heads high," Henderson said. "We tied for the division as far as wins, so it wasn't a bad season at all. Unfortunately, we didn't have a chance to go further and the younger guys didn't have a chance to experience the postseason."

Contemplating the future
When linebacker Ben Taylor signed with the Packers as a free agent during the offseason, he saw himself as a starter. That didn't happen. Taylor was beaten out by Brady Poppinga during training camp. "It wasn't what I envisioned, as far as playing time and stuff like that," Taylor said. "Once the decision came down, I was going to do whatever I could. I helped Brady whenever he needed it." Taylor played in 10 games, mostly on special teams, where he made 13 tackles and was among the team leaders. He also had two tackles on defense. Taylor said he was glad he signed a one-year contract. "You want to keep everything open and available," he said. "But I'd love to come back here. I'll look at all of the options and then go from there."



Henderson mulls future
He may not return in '07,
so he's looking at TV career
By Dylan B. Tomlinson
Gannett Wisconsin Newspapers
Veteran fullback William Henderson may have played his last game for the Green Bay Packers. Henderson, 35, a third-round draft choice in 1995 and one of two players left from the Packers' 1996 Super Bowl championship team, lost his starting job to second-year man Brandon Miree and could retire or be released. For the time being, Henderson said he's going to try to enjoy the offseason and not worry about what the future might hold for him. "It's time for me to give my son his due and my daughter her due, and give my wife some time," Henderson said. "I'm hopefully going to be working on my other career, getting in front of the camera some more, doing some things." An aspiring broadcaster, Henderson has since 1999 co-hosted a weekly Packers show during the season for WBAY-TV in Green Bay. He also worked as a draft-day analyst for ESPN last April. Henderson played in 14 games this season, starting nine, and caught 12 passes for 62 yards. He had no carries. -- Story






Rookies given hard line
Colledge, Spitz, Moll told not to be content
By TOM SILVERSTEIN / journalsentinel.com
Posted: Jan. 2, 2007
When his three promising rookies checked out of Lambeau Field for the off-season this week, Green Bay Packers offensive line coach Joe Philbin had a message for them that they probably weren't expecting to hear. Be prepared for a fight for your job, Philbin told them. As much progress as Daryn Colledge, Jason Spitz and Tony Moll made during their first season in the National Football League, starting a combined 38 games, the clock starts ticking on next year in a couple of weeks. If they think they're guaranteed of anything, Philbin said, they're mistaken. "They're going to need a little time away; they've been in this building a lot the last 5½ months," Philbin said. "I think they'll need a little time to catch their breath. But the big thing we stress with these guys is there is going to be a new competition; it's not quite like college football. Even though as nice a job as they did, and I impressed upon them today, when you come back March 20, understand there's going to be a different environment." -- More



Jenkins hits QBs and will hit the jackpot
By Dylan B. Tomlinson
Gannett Wisconsin Newspapers
Cullen Jenkins' timing is impeccable. Through the first eight games of the Green Bay Packers' season, Jenkins started twice, was inactive for two games and had 10 tackles and one sack. But Jenkins finished the season on a tear. He finished with 32 tackles and 6½ sacks, third most on the team, and moved from defensive tackle to right defensive end to replace Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila as the starter. Jenkins' move coincided with the Packers' season-ending four-game winning streak. His breakout performance came just in time for him to be a restricted free agent. "I'd play my tail off (too) if I had the chance to become a restricted or a free agent in this business with all of the money that's out there for these guys," defensive ends coach Carl Hairston said. "I think he's going to have a chance — if he can keep his strength up — to be a dominant player." Hairston said the biggest issue with Jenkins was knowing how to use him. At 6-foot-3 and 290 pounds, Jenkins was a bit of a "tweener," a little too small to play defensive tackle and a little too big to play defensive end. Hairston said Jenkins' ability to play both positions is "a huge positive," but said his ability to stop the run makes him better suited to play end. "I think we had to find a way to get him on the football field," Hairston said. "We tried him inside and outside, and we thought that he could hold up better against the run than Kabeer on the outside. Not that Kabeer did a bad job, but that helped Kabeer be fresher to pass rush. With this guy, he has a chance to be a pretty good football player at that spot." -- More







Packers have lots of needs for 2007
By Chris Havel
The mood in the Green Bay Packers' locker room on Monday was as even-keeled as the team's 8-8 record. There was no shame in finishing on a four-game winning streak, or in securing a respectable 5-1 record within a woefully weak NFC North Division. Then again, there was no reason to celebrate a .500 season that exceeded low expectations but little else. To coach Mike McCarthy's credit, the Packers exited the 2006 season in much better shape than they entered it. The penalties, defensive lapses and special teams gaffes were down. The optimism, team mentality and attention to detail were up. It was important for McCarthy to win games, but not as important as it was for him to win the players' respect. McCarthy's greatest accomplishment wasn't proving he could coach. It was getting his players to believe he could coach. McCarthy didn't pretend to have all the answers, and at times it appeared he wasn't entirely sure of the questions. But through it all, McCarthy trusted his instincts, his assistants and his players. "All the players love playing for him," defensive tackle Ryan Pickett said. "He's young, he knows his stuff and the players can relate to him. It's the most fun I've ever had in my (six-year) career. The coaching staff, the environment, the atmosphere in the locker room, the way we finished — it was all positive." Everyone from high-priced free-agent acquisitions such as Pickett and cornerback Charles Woodson to rookies such as Tony Moll and Jason Spitz rang in the New Year with positive vibes. That was the first step. The next step is realizing that the Packers, at 8-8, are as close to being on the bottom as they are to being on top. -- More



Tears or no, Favre should be back
By Jim Stingl
This time around I was determined to resist the angst surrounding Brett Favre's future. He is playing great football, so of course he'll be back again next season. Then Favre goes and starts crying right in the middle of my New Year's Eve party and tossing around expressions like, "I couldn't ask for a better way to go out." Now, like much of Packer Nation, I'm worried again. And not just because I've seen how easily backup quarterback Aaron Rodgers breaks. Go out of what exactly? Chicago? This season? His career? Once Favre had regained his composure during the post-game interview on the field, Wisconsin's favorite Mississippian wouldn't say. Here we go again, although the 37-year-old Favre promised he'd decide quicker than last year, when it was April before we knew he was putting off retirement. -- More





Meet Karen
Oakland Raiders
Cheerleader

Karen, originally from Eugene, Ore., is starting her first year with the Silver and Black. She attended Oregon State University, where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Merchandising Management. While in college she was a professor's assistant for the Business Statistics department and also participated on the cheerleading and dance team. Karen also was a member of Alpha Gamma Delta Sorority, where she held the positions of VP-Finance and VP-Recruitment. Karen currently works for a large department store chain as an assistant buyer. She hopes to advance her career as a buyer. Since coming to California, Karen was a member of the San Jose Saberkittens, where she was named Rookie of the Year and an Arena Football League All-Star cheerleader. She is also involved in community service and donates time to the San Francisco Food Bank.