I think it is, “It’s better to get rid of a guy a year too soon than a year too late.”

That is how I feel about Al Harris. I know this the third-day take on Harris’ release, but life has gotten in the way of commenting on it earlier. Yesterday, Chris [...]]]> What is the old cliche?

I think it is, “It’s better to get rid of a guy a year too soon than a year too late.”

That is how I feel about Al Harris. I know this the third-day take on Harris’ release, but life has gotten in the way of commenting on it earlier. Yesterday, Chris did a great job of paying homage to one of the great Packers of this decade. Now since Harris has taken his talents to South Beach and not to another NFC North locale, I really hope he has a great season for the Dolphins, I truly do. There cannot be enough good things said about Harris’ time in green and gold.

However, that is all on a personal, human level of things. There is always a business level to professional athletes that many times supersedes that personal attachment. That is exactly what has happened to Harris.

From all accounts, it seems that fans have been split on the surprising decision to cut Harris. I never really gave much thought to the idea of cutting him because I thought he would be activated or put on IR. However, when the news broke it all made sense. While a little disappointed because Harris was one of my favorite players, it was a smart business decision.

Immediately, I thought this is exactly a move Belicheck and the Patriots would make. Not a bad franchise to model after.

Just a quick look at the particulars and you saw a 36-year-old cornerback coming off a destructive knee injury that hasn’t played football in a year.  Let’s also not forget that Harris struggled at times adapting to the 3-4 before his injury and it can even be said that Tramon Williams was already outplaying him last year.

We also only heard reports from Harris about his health, never from the Packers. If Harris was truly healthy before the season started, which he claimed, the team would have put him on the active roster for a couple reasons: 1) Williams had yet reached the level he is playing at now and 2) an unproven Sam Shields was the nickel back. Unfortunately for Harris, Williams is playing at a Pro Bowl level and Shields is emerging more and more every week.

Depth at the position is still a big concern because one injury to Charles Woodson, Williams or Shields and you are looking at Brandon Underwood, Pat Lee or Jarrett Bush getting significant playing time. However, while Harris said he didn’t expect to start with Williams playing at such a high level, he would still have to fight off Shields for playing time. Even for a great character guy like Harris, being a third or fourth option at the position would be tough to grasp. The guy was a starter when he got hurt and deep down still wanted to be a starter. Any veteran with his resume would want the same if they said it or not. If one of the three go down, I trust Dom Capers to do his magic like he has with all of the other injuries.

He would also take valuable snaps from the developing Shields, who played a big factor in Harris’ release. Like the Patriots, Ted Thompson kept his eye on the future. I remember seeing a negative tweet when Harris was released that Thompson can’t ever think about the NOW because he always is thinking about the FUTURE. I don’t look at that as negative, but rather as a positive trait. Teams and GM’s who are always mindful of the future and make tough decisions with veterans at times always keep their teams in the mix. You don’t have to look further than the Patriots to see how the successful the model is. Shields is the future and the defense is playing a high level right now, so why make a change to fit in Harris?

The Packers are competing for a championship right now and bringing back Harris would have not changed that, but the team didn’t really need him. They are not desperate like some organizations, like the Vikings, whose window of opportunity is closing fast.  It is because of tough decisions like this one that keeps the window open much longer for teams like the Packers and Patriots.

Sure, Thompson can be frustrating at times and comparing him to Belicheck may be going too far, but he has a young, injury-riddled roster competing right now. There is also no reason not to believe that they will be competing at this level for a while either.

It is tough to see a guy we all liked in Harris go, but by keeping an eye on the future the Packers are winning right now and will keep on winning once Harris hangs it up for good. That is what we should all want as fans.

-Adam Somers

Al Harris was a Green Bay Packer no more.

The team officially released Harris, ending the 36-year old cornerback’s eight-year tenure with the club. The team had until Tuesday to decide if it wanted to active Harris, coming off reconstructive knee surgery, from the PUP [...]]]> What was first reported early Monday morning became official later Monday morning.

Al Harris was a Green Bay Packer no more.

The team officially released Harris, ending the 36-year old cornerback’s eight-year tenure with the club. The team had until Tuesday to decide if it wanted to active Harris, coming off reconstructive knee surgery, from the PUP list. He will now be placed on waivers.

A multitude of factors likely went into Harris’ release. The strong play of undrafted rookie Sam Shields, as well as Harris’ age, salary and the serious injury he suffered roughly a year ago against San Francisco are chief among them. While this is pure speculation on my part, it’s also entirely possible Harris was not comfortable with being relegated to a No. 3 or (possibly) No. 4 corner role.

But, enough about that. Let’s talk about Harris’ seven seasons with the team. It was a run that began under somewhat dubious circumstances.

In 2003, Harris – a then-28-year old nickel back for the Philadelphia Eagles – was acquired, along with a fourth round pick, for Green Bay’s second round selection in that year’s draft. Secondary help is almost always needed, to be sure, but boy, that seemed like a steep price to pay for a relatively unproven player. At the time, the move looked like yet another gem courtesy of the king of such gems, then-general manager Mike “A punter in the third round? I’ll take it!” Sherman.

It did not take long to figure out that Sherman had, in fact, pulled off a steal of a trade. Almost instantly, Harris made a major impact for Green Bay’s defense. Never the fastest corner around, Harris made his name as a physical, nasty bump-and-run specialist. The numbers for opposing teams’ top wideouts began dropping rapidly. Hey, this cat with the dreads was pretty good. Harris picked off three passes, returning one for a score, in starting all 16 regular season games that year.

But it was week one of the postseason that year in which Harris delivered his signature moment.

Packers. Seahawks. Overtime. 27 all. Seattle facing a third-and-11 at their own 45. Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck went to his hot route, wideout Alex Bannister, after Green Bay unleashed an all-out blitz (i.e., the “thriller blitz”). Bannister was unaware he was supposed to cut his route short. Harris jumped the route, snagged the ball and housed it for the walk-off score, causing a then 23-year old Chris Lempesis to briefly think he’d broken his arm after tripping while running around the house screaming.

That alone gave Harris legendary status in my book. But he was just getting started. Over the six seasons that followed, Harris just continued to shutout top receivers week-in and week-out. At one point, Chad Ochocinco called him the toughest corner in the league to face. And, in case you have forgotten, Ocho doesn’t praise many corners.

His interception totals were never very high. He never recorded more than three in any of his seasons with the team and totaled just 11 after that first year. But, dig deeper – look at some of his passes defended totals. He had 20 in 2004, 17 in 2006. Those numbers are astounding. Charles Woodson made the sexy plays, but remember, until a year ago, Woody did so as the team’s de-facto No. 2 corner. Not a dig at Woodson at all – just saying.

It wasn’t all rosey for Harris, however. On more than one occasion, he was absolutely shredded in a big game. Plaxico Burress destroyed him throughout the NFC Championship Game in ‘08, as did Terrell Owens in a game at Dallas earlier that year. Brett Favre did the same to his former teammate in a Monday night contest at Minnesota early last season, as well.

But what I always admired most about Harris was his ability to bounce back, his “short-term memory”, as they like to say. Whether he’d just played his best game or his worst, Harris was always going to give you the same effort every week. In a league where guys are wrecked by singularly bad performances all the time, Harris never was.

After his career-threatening injury last year, Harris allowed us to follow him on his road to recovery. Through a series of internet videos, we were able to witness first-hand the struggles he went through on his journey to reach the field once again. Although the odds were ridiculously stacked against him, watching him work, you got the feeling he’d make it back. And when he ran out on to the field for that first time in green and gold, oh, what a moment it was going to be.

Sadly, it’s there that the realities of NFL life interjected. “It’s a business,” yada, yada, yada – you know the drill.

But for seven seasons, the tall, thin man with the wirey dreads was an absolute joy to watch. His time in Green Bay is done, but his playing days are not. Wherever he lands, I can only hope he brings those fans one-tenth the joy he brought us.

I have a feeling he will.

-Chris Lempesis

Were you worried about the offense? No, not at all. The group was deep, talented and just hitting its stride. Scoring 30 a week? Why not?

What you worried about was the defense. You worried about the pass rush, [...]]]> Think back, for a second, to late August. What were your worries regarding the 2010 Green Bay Packers?

Were you worried about the offense? No, not at all. The group was deep, talented and just hitting its stride. Scoring 30 a week? Why not?

What you worried about was the defense. You worried about the pass rush, the secondary depth, no Johnny Jolly. If someone were to tell you this team would be 5-3 at the midway point and rapidly on the verge of becoming a force in the NFC, you would have likely said it was because of a fast-improving defense.

How wrong you would be.

The story of the Packers’ emergence is one being written by the same group riddled with question marks just two months ago, a group devastated by injury, one largely comprised of rookies, no-names and nobodies. That unit led the way yet again Sunday in Green Bay’s 9-0 road win over the New York Jets.

The Packers’ defense came though with its best effort of the season – perhaps its best effort in years – in this one, recording their first road shutout since 1991 and the first shutout by any team in the 2010 season. It is a unit that continues to fight, claw and battle its way to wins.

Consider the following: No one – and I mean no one – thought Green Bay’s battered, tattered front seven could withstand the onslaught it was sure to face from New York’s top-notch running game, one powered by two good backs and an elite offensive line. Withstand the Packers did, holding New York’s duo of Shonn Greene and LaDainian Tomlinson to just 76 yards on 22 carries. Those two had success, on occasion, but more often than not, the holes they targeted were simply unavailable. 

That was due to the work of players like C.J. Wilson, Howard Green, A.J. Hawk and Desmond Bishop, players expected to contribute little, if anything, over the summer. Actually, you can say even less about Green since, you know, he was just signed last week.

By shutting down the run game, a door was opened for some “no-names” to step up and makes plays against the pass. Charlie Peprah’s name comes to mind here, carrying over his very strong showing from the Minnesota game. It’s becoming readily apparent why he was kept around so long, despite his various injury troubles. The guy can play, delivering both strong coverage and some seriously big hits.

Of course, Green Bay’s defense is not entirely composed of nobodies. Charles Woodson. Tramon Williams. Clay Matthews. These are names everyone knows. And names that certainly made big plays Sunday.

Woodson and Williams both came up with picks that altered the course of this game, Woodson’s pick a display of freakish athleticism and Williams’ a display of pure toughness and never-say-die grit.

And when you can combine the traits shown on those two interceptions in someone, you have a great player. What you have is Matthews. Despite being kept down most of the day by right tackle Damian Woody, Matthews kept on fighting. And fighting. And fighting, until finally he broke through for a crushing, drive-killing sack of Mark Sanchez late in the game.

Overseeing this group is a man turning in the best work of his illustrious career: Defensive coordinator Dom Capers.

Somehow, someway, Capers continues to get strong, hard-nosed performances out of this group. I am only half-kidding when I ask aloud if the 2010 NFL Coach of the Year award can be given to a coordinator. If so, here’s your winner, gang.

And Capers has just one more game to get through before honest-to-God reinforcements arrive in the form of Al Harris and Atari Bigby. One more game to get through before players like Ryan Pickett can get back near 100 percent. That has to excite you.

But, even without those guys, it’s becoming clear the players in place - this rag-tag group of oddly assembled parts - have begun rallying together, determined to prove that they can play, your opinion of them be damned.

The defense has already far exceeded any expectations placed on it back when the temperature gage was still high. If the offense can ever live up to theirs, oh what a team this could be.

-Chris Lempesis

Wednesday, we learned that outside linebacker Brad Jones’ season is indeed over. Jones has been placed on injured reserve and will undergo surgery on his damaged shoulder. The injury initially occurred in camp and was apparently significantly re-injured in Sunday night’s win [...]]]> Okay, now we can say the Green Bay Packers’ defense is devastated by injury.

Wednesday, we learned that outside linebacker Brad Jones’ season is indeed over. Jones has been placed on injured reserve and will undergo surgery on his damaged shoulder. The injury initially occurred in camp and was apparently significantly re-injured in Sunday night’s win over Minnesota.

Jones is the 10th Packer to go on I.R. this season. Six of those players – Jones, Nick Barnett, Morgan Burnett, Mike Neal, Brady Poppinga and Justin Harrell – were expected to be at least somewhat significant contributors for that unit in 2010. And don’t forget Brandon Chillar, Cullen Jenkins, Ryan Pickett, Clay Matthews – my God this list is long – Nick Collins and Charles Woodson. Every single one of those players has either missed time, will miss time or been at least semi-affected by injury.

Oh, by the way – Al Harris and Atari Bigby still haven’t been activated from the PUP list yet. With the Packers quickly signing (or claiming off waivers) four defensive players this week – three linebackers and a defensive tackle – you have to wonder just where those two are at in the recovery process. I have a bad feeling that it could be awhile until either of those two are on the 53-man roster. Like, “after the bye week” bad.

Yet, through all of this, defensive coordinator Dom Capers has somehow, someway, managed to keep Green Bay in the middle of the pack (no pun intended) on that side of the ball. The Packers are tied with New England for 16th with 136 points allowed, 19.4 per game. Green Bay is also 18th in total yards per game allowed (338.4). Now, I can’t say I’ve studied the numbers/performance of every defense he’s ever led, but one has to think this seven-game stretch is one of the best coaching jobs he’s ever turned in.

Here’s the thing, though: I’m not sure Capers can keep this up much longer. That’s not to question his smarts, because we know he has those in abundance. I’m not sure any defensive mind could keep this up. The depth is just so paper-thin. And, who knows if the injuries will ever stop for the defense? What happens if a crucial piece – say Matthews, Tramon Williams, Collins or Woodson – gets hit with a season-ender?

But, as always, I’m not going to paint a picture of a totally baren landscape. There’s hope for this defense – and it lies in an unexpected place.

The other side of the ball.

After seven games of fits, starts, heat, cool, north and south, the time for Green Bay’s offense to become the monster we all thought it could is now. That group simply can not turn in any more uneven performances if the Packers are to make this season a special one.

The biggest thing that must now happen is an honest-to-God dedication to dominating the time of possession. Seven games in, the Packers stand just 17th in average T.O.P. at 30:06 per game. The New York Giants lead the league in this category at 33:23 per game. Doesn’t seem like much, on the surface, but as we’ve learned this season, 3:17 can be a lifetime, especially if you’re playing with a battered defense. Imagine an extra three minutes-plus in Green Bay’s favor against Miami. Or Washington.

In order to boost those T.O.P. numbers, a re-tooling of Mike McCarthy’s approach to gameplanning is in order. Stubborn as he is, you might think this impossible. But, actually, it’s not. McCarthy took some fairly major steps in this direction against the Vikings, showing more dedication to the run game than at any previous point this season. In his Wednesday presser, McCarthy hinted that we’ll see more Brandon Jackson this Sunday against the New York Jets.

Whether it works this week or not, it’s something he needs to go with the rest of the way. Jackson has shown some flashes of real potential. He won’t likely overwhelm anyone with his size, speed or toughness, but has just enough of each quality to make him intriguing (and his vision’s not bad, either). Like all backs, he’ll only get better as the carries pile up. And Bryan Bulaga’s emergence at right tackle gives Green Bay a solid side of the line to rush off of as Bulaga and Josh Sitton are both quick, tough and nasty run blockers.

The passing game, Mike Mac’s pride and joy, must also be re-worked. Simply put, this team continues to chase the home run ball far more often than is necessary. It’s killing drives and causing turnovers. Considering how far Aaron Rodgers and his receivers appear to be off in the chemistry department, it’s surprising how many deep shots this offense continues to take. Those are low-percentage throws and do nothing to get things back in-synch. If you were a basketball player, would you continue to chuck threes up on a cold shooting night? You’d try for as many layups as possible to get yourself back into a rhythm, right?

For the Packers, these layups consist of  throws within the six-to-15 yard range. This offense lived there during last season’s 7-1 finish to the regular season. And when things were looking bleak in the wild card game, how did the offense get itself back on track? Exactly.

Somewhere between the wild card loss and the start of the 2010 season, the Packers became convinced that a passing attack can only be considered great if it goes shotgun, five-wide and racks up 25 yards on every dropback. That just isn’t true (see: the San Francisco 49ers of the 1980s). Look at golf, for example. Any pro can step up to the tee and crush it. The great ones separate themselves through the short game.

Getting back to that 7-1 mindset puts the ball in the hands of your playmakers quicker, thus allowing them to do what they do quicker. This approach makes for plays that, while not as sexy as the home run ball (something Rodgers seems way too preoccupied with, anyways), can be run in higher quantity. More plays equals more time of possession and a tired opposing defense.

By re-dedicating themselves to the little things – more handoffs here and more seven-yard throws there – the Packers can fully utilize the considerable talent they have on offense, even without Jermichael Finley and Ryan Grant.

For a defense that becomes exponentially less considerable in the talent department seemingly by the day, it’s the least they can do.

-Chris Lempesis

That being the case, there’s quite a bit of news surrounding the Green Bay Packers, a team that’s lost three of four and desperately needs to right the ship.

What better time than now to make a trip back to the question department, right? After all, [...]]]> And Vikings week, chapter one (technically, chapter three) has officially begun.

That being the case, there’s quite a bit of news surrounding the Green Bay Packers, a team that’s lost three of four and desperately needs to right the ship.

What better time than now to make a trip back to the question department, right? After all, it’s been awhile since we’ve been here.

• Question: Are we witnessing the decline of Charles Woodson?

Answer: Sadly, maybe. The reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year just has not been anywhere near as much of a factor as he’s been in previous seasons thus far. Woodson has recorded just one interception, against Detroit, and five passes defended through six games. As always, those numbers only tell part of the story. Woodson, always a physical corner, has been drawing penalties left and right this season, mostly of the “illegal contact” variety. Can’t remember where I read this, but one of the Packers’ beat writers proposed the theory awhile back that Woodson – pushed around by Larry Fitzgerald in the wild card loss – is hellbent on making sure that never happens again. Thus, he’s taken his physicality to another level. If that’s true – and even if it isn’t – he needs to dial things back a notch or twelve. He’s really hurting the defense. More than that, teams are simply not afraid to throw at him this season, something that isn’t going to change until he turns in a clean game and starts making some big plays. He’s been rather good in run support, so he’s still bringing value. But for the defense, wrecked by injuries, to get back to where it was last season, he has to be better. Period.

• Question: Should we be firing up the “Fire McCarthy” bandwagon yet?

Answer: We haven’t quite reached that point yet. It’s mid-season and the Packers are once again underwhelming, so it’s natural that some fans would be calling for Mike Mac’s dismissal. I can’t lie – I’ve thought about it a time or two myself already. He’s certainly given us plenty of reason to think such thoughts, hasn’t he? Unbalanced, arrogant playcalling; a complete inability to win close games; a team that continues to take bad penalties at crucial times (if not for the entire game). The 3-3 record is bad enough, but what’s really damning is that the same problems exist with this team five years into McCarthy’s time at the helm. You can’t help but wonder if a new direction is needed. That said, it’s far too early to be calling for his firing. This was a playoff team last year and, as bad as things have been, a win Sunday night changes everything. Now, with an extremely tough schedule the rest of the way (and injuries mounting), there’s always a chance this team bottoms out. If that happens – say, they finish 7-9 or 8-8 and miss the playoffs – then it would be time to discuss firing him. But I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. Famous last words, probably.

• Question: What can we honestly expect from Al Harris, Atari Bigby, and James Starks?

Answer: To hear McCarthy tell it in his Monday presser, it sounds like all three have rehabbed their injuries as much as possible and are ready to begin practicing. What happens after Wednesday is anyone’s guess. I have a feeling Harris is closer to returning than the other two and will see the field in some capacity Sunday night. He won’t start, but could see considerable time as the nickel back. But for a player of Harris’ age, coming off of that type of injury, it seems unlikely he’ll be able to go every snap in that role. Sam Shields has been decent in that role this season, when healthy, so I’d expect that he and Harris will rotate. Bigby seems further away – they wouldn’t have traded for Anthony Smith, otherwise. Still, it wouldn’t shock me if he played a portion of the game Sunday night. His biggest strength is playing the run, after all, and that Peterson guy is pretty good. It’s important for the Packers to not overuse these two right away. It’s a big game, no question, but it’s more important to get these two ready for the second half. Don’t expect much from Starks. The guy hasn’t played a meaningful snap since early in 2009. It’s going to take at least a couple of weeks for him to shake off the considerable rust he’s accumulated. If he makes any impact, it likely won’t happen until after the bye early next month.

• Question: What should we expect from the newly acquired Smith?

Answer: Don’t expect him to be a savior, but he is an upgrade. Smith – yes, that Smith, the one signed by the Packers before being released late in camp last year – knows this scheme inside and out from his time in Pittsburgh/brief time in Green Bay. If you don’t remember the story of why he was cut, well, it seemed to come down to this: While certainly capable of making big plays, Smith also allegedly freelanced too much for the coaches’ liking. There was also some issue with his apparent reluctance to play special teams. All along, though, it seemed like Ted Thompson sort of new he made a mistake in cutting Smith, so it’s not a shock that he’s back in the fold. I’m guessing he’ll start Sunday night, so here’s to hoping he can be better than Charlie Peprah. It’s hard to imagine he won’t be.

• Question: Where is this team at, health-wise?

Answer: The two key injuries to watch, obviously, are those of Ryan Pickett (ankle) and Clay Matthews (hamstring). McCarthy told reporters Monday that the two may be ready to practice later in the week. The key day, as always, to focus on is Friday. If a player practices Friday, he usually goes Sunday. Matthews’ injury seems less serious than Pickett’s, so my guess is that he’s more likely to go. Good, because this team can not win without him. Doesn’t sound like any update was provided on Mike Neal (shoulder). Neal and Pickett hopefully can go – you need all the big bodies you can get against Peterson. No word on the status of Brandon Chillar (shoulder) and Mark Tauscher (shoulder) doesn’t sound likely to play. Donald Driver (thigh) and A.J. Hawk (groin) could miss practice time, but should be fine. Brady Poppinga (knee) is going to have surgery, so he’ll be out awhile, if not the rest of the season. Finally, Jermichael Finley (knee) is officially done for the year. He’ll be placed on injured reserve to make room for Smith. Whew.

• Question: How does Shawn Slocum continue to have a job with this team?

Answer: Your guess is as good as mine. Incriminating photos of Thompson and/or McCarthy, perhaps?

-Chris Lempesis

The Green Bay Packers took a different approach. They cut no one.

Instead, the Packers placed three players on the PUP list and one more on injured reserve (they had only 79 players [...]]]> Tuesday was the first of two scheduled cutdown days for NFL teams, with every team mandated to get down from 80 to 75 players.

The Green Bay Packers took a different approach. They cut no one.

Instead, the Packers placed three players on the PUP list and one more on injured reserve (they had only 79 players to begin with, not 80).

Cornerback Al Harris, strong safety Atari Bigby and running back James Starks were put on the PUP, meaning each player will be unavailable to practice and play with the team for the first six weeks of the season. They will all be eligible to return for the start of Vikings week, part one, in late October. Even if they aren’t quite ready yet at that time, each player is given three weeks to practice – without counting on the roster – before the team has to make a decision. The player has to be cut, activated to the roster or placed on injured reserve after those three weeks are up.

Speaking of injured reserve, that’s where promising rookie running back Quinn Porter found himself Tuesday. His season is now over.

Now that we’ve taken care of the specifics, let’s break down what this all means for the Packers.

Obviously, the biggest name on this list is that of Harris.

We heard roughly a million different timetables/possible return dates for Harris during camp. At first, the PUP list seemed to be his likely destination. Then, two weeks ago, we heard – from the National Football Post, a site run by Harris’ agent, Jack Bechta – that Harris could be back on the practice field before the Seattle game. That led many, myself definitely included, to say that Harris would surely be back for the season opener. That was as good as things got, though.

Harris couldn’t pass a recent physical and, with seemingly little progress made, the team decided to take the cautious approach and scratch him for the first six weeks instead of keeping him on the roster and hoping he’d be back for, say, the Chicago game in week three. The Packers are taking the smart angle here, even though it’s causing much hand-wringing amongst fans. The team simply does not face any deep, high-powered passing attacks until Favre comes to town in week seven.

With opponents like New England, both New York teams, Atlanta and, of course, the aforementioned Vikings (twice) littering the schedule from week seven on, Green Bay is deciding to save Harris until it really counts. Smart, smart, smart. This puts more pressure on the youngsters (Sam Shields, Brandon Underwood and Pat Lee), of course, but the early schedule should allow them to gain valuable NFL experience against teams that don’t appear capable of eating them alive. This wiil benefit the defense, as a whole, later.

The Bigby move, on the other hand, comes as no surprise. We’ve all known for awhile now that this is where he’d end up and he did. As I’ve said before, Bigby misplayed his hand in hoping for a new deal, which is why he didn’t get the ankle cleared up earlier. As a result, Bigby could find himself on the bench even if he returns healthy. Morgan Burnett has struggled at times, but has also shown huge upside. By week seven, Burnett could have the job locked up to the point where the team won’t want to mess with chemistry by giving Bigby his job back. At the very least, he will provide good depth.

I have to admit, I was surprised Starks ended up on the PUP list and not IR. His hamstring simply has not gotten much better during camp, from the sounds of it, and the Packers have a recent history of placing youngsters who are struggling with injuries on IR even if the injury isn’t necessarily a season-ender. Still, the move makes some sense after further examination. Starks, if healthy, should bring good value as a pass-catcher. And with only Kregg Lumpkin and fullback John Kuhn ahead of him on the depth chart, as of now, Starks could be a definite upgrade at the position come week seven.

Finally, we come to Porter. As stated before, he showed some promise, especially early in camp. His impact faded a bit over recent weeks and when he suffered the ankle injury, you knew that’d be a wrap for him this season. Clearly the team likes his upside, though, or else it would have cut him outright. A player to watch in years to come.

The Packers now have until Saturday afternoon to cut down from 75 to 53. Allen Barbre – I hope your house is drawing some offers.

-Chris Lempesis

(One more game and it’s finally over.)

That changed Sunday.

The Packers got back to work on the practice field and there was some fairly significant news to come out of it. So, that being the case, we’ve decided to whip [...]]]> The Green Bay Packers had been very quiet since Thursday night’s preseason pounding of the Indianapolis Colts.

(One more game and it’s finally over.)

That changed Sunday.

The Packers got back to work on the practice field and there was some fairly significant news to come out of it. So, that being the case, we’ve decided to whip up a batch of training camp stew for you. Not a bad way to start off the week, right?

As always, the information in this report comes courtesy of the fine folks at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Green Bay Press Gazette and ESPN Milwaukee’s Jason Wilde.

• Well, we have a winner in the left guard battle: Daryn Colledge. Head coach Mike McCarthy made the announcement after practice today and, really, it comes as no surprise. Colledge, despite getting a better-than-expected (at least in my mind) test from Bryan Bulaga, has been solid in camp for the most part. And with the offensive line, as a whole, playing so well, McCarthy clearly did not want to mess with that, even if it means rolling the dice with a player who has experienced an up-and-down career. The move also means Bulaga can fully heal up, as he’s been dealing with a hip flexor throughout camp.
• Still, even with Colledge winning the job, I don’t think his leash is all that long. Bulaga has shown he can play the position – and play it well – and my best guess is that McCarthy won’t be afraid to go to him at that spot if Colledge has a tough start to the season.
• The Al Harris saga continues. Sunday we found out that Harris is likely out for the season opener and the team is now faced with the decision to either put him on the 53-man roster or place him on the PUP list, making him unavailable until week seven. Quite honestly, I’ve been wrong so often on Harris that, at this point, I am not totally sure what the team should do with him.
• One thought, though: If he’s unavailable for the Philly game, don’t you then have to look at the schedule? Buffalo, Chicago, Detroit, Washington and Miami would be the five games he’d miss. How many of those teams have deep receiving corps? By my count, none. In that case, it seems to make sense to put him on the list and have him ready for Minnesota on Oct. 24. He’d surely be 100 percent by then. Again, just a thought.
•  Of course, that decision would be easier if Brandon Underwood wasn’t struggling with a shoulder injury. But he is, meaning Sam “My Guy” Shields is getting a look at the nickel spot. I like Shields, but as a nickel? Hopefully, Underwood’s shoulder isn’t that bad.
• Let’s break up the injury news and talk about punters. Tim Masthay outboomed (not sure if that’s a real word) Chris Bryan again Sunday and appears to have taken the lead in the battle there (remember, Masthay was better Thursday, as well). I thought Bryan had the job locked up after his nice start to camp. But Masthay’s gaining on him steadily. No clear winner yet, but I’d guess that will change by Friday morning. In fact, I’d say one of the last decisions the coaches make will be on this position.
• Back to the injury news that’s bad. Cullen Jenkins continues to miss time with his calf injury. He’s all but out for Thursday at Kansas City. Fortunately, though, he should be locked-and-loaded for Philly. And, really, isn’t that all that matters? Seriously, can you imagine the d-line without Jenkins? Scary thought.
• On the bright side, Brad Jones and Clay Matthews appear ready to return, possibly as soon as Thursday night. As much as I don’t want anyone of note to play in this game, I do think it’s important for those two to get a handful of snaps in to shake off the accumulated rust.
• Anyone else starting to worry about Will Blackmon’s knee injury that still isn’t up to par? Anyone else thinking Jason Cherry could crack the roster as a return guy if he turns in another good showing Thursday?
• Should I talk about Quinn Porter’s apparently serious ankle sprain or save it for an updated 53-man roster for Tuesday? I’ll save it, but I think Kregg Lumpkin should be happy about this news.

-Chris Lempesis

Good thing Morgan Burnett got all those offseason reps with the starters, huh?

I say that because, on Thursday, we found out Atari Bigby’s [...]]]> (Two notes: First, the Stew will return next week. Second, big props to OBOD reader Kathy Wutkowski, who gave me the idea for this post. Writer’s block hits us all, sometimes, you know?)

Good thing Morgan Burnett got all those offseason reps with the starters, huh?

I say that because, on Thursday, we found out Atari Bigby’s return from ankle surgery could be much later rather than sooner. Originally told he’d be out until early September, we’ve now learned Bigby is indeed a candidate to be placed on the PUP list, meaning he may not be available to return to the Green Bay Packers until week seven, at the earliest.

Bigby told reporters he was unaware his ankle injury was as bad as it was. He also said that, had he known it was that bad, he would have opted for surgery much sooner than the Aug. 6 date of his procedure.

And, as an old friend of mine used to say, I’m calling shennanigans on this one.

That’s right – I think Bigby is lying through his teeth.

The ankle was a problem all along. Bigby and his camp – remember, he switched over to super agent Drew Rosenhaus awhile back – purposely kept the ankle injury a guarded secret, as they were pushing hard for a new deal from the team. That’s why he sat out all the offseason activity. To show up with a bad ankle would sink his chances of receiving an extension. But, again, they couldn’t tip their hand on that point, hence, he and Rosenhaus took a hardline stance with the Packers.

But, once the team traded up to get Burnett  and continued refusing Bigby’s advances for a new deal, he was left with two options: Sign the reduced one-year RFA tender (down to $1.55 million from the original $1.759 million) or put $0 on his 2011 tax return. Bigby took the former of the two, inking his tender in late July. Of course, there was the little matter of passing a conditioning test first. Bigby and the team led us to believe that it is here where he re-injured his ankle.

Are you serious?

After spending months and months of avoiding any sort of real football activity, you mean to tell us Bigby hurt his ankle so badly that surgery was required during a conditioning test? Even Brett Favre would shake his head if you told him he had to pull off a bluff like that.

If this all sounds a little too, “The Government was behind the Kennedy assassination” for your taste, keep this in mind: Rosenhaus knows a thing or nine about bending the rules of basic human health in order to get his guys bigger deals. The most famous example of this came when he conned the Buffalo Bills into using a first round pick on running back Willis McGahee in 2003, despite the fact that McGahee was only a few months removed from having his knee destroyed.

No doctor on the planet would tell you a recovery was possible that fast, but Rosenhaus – the master of turning chicken you-know-what into chicken salad – threw up some video of McGahee working out a little bit and fielding some calls on his cell phone and PRESTO! A guy who should have fallen to round two at the earliest was gone before round one was up. More money for everyone, nevermind the fact that McGahee played in exactly no games his rookie season because of said knee injury.

He’s doing it now, too, with Minnesota Vikings wideout Sidney Rice. Rice hasn’t practiced at all during camp with an alleged hip injury, yet to read various media reports here in the Twin Cities, it sounds like some within the organization don’t think the injury is that bad at all. No, it has nothing to do with the fact that Rice is coming off a season in which he recorded 83 catches for 1,312 yards and eight touchdowns, yet is only scheduled to earn $550,000 this year. Nope – nothing at all.

Quite honestly, I’d have a great deal more respect for Bigby if he just said the following:

“You know what, guys? I’m busted. I tried to hide the injury because I wanted more money. The team called my bluff, the money didn’t come, I had to show up  and the injury got exposed. I got bad advice, completely overplayed my hand and now the team could be hurt, as a result. It was stupid of me and I apologize.”

They never say that, though, do they?

Now, compare what Bigby’s going through to the various struggles of Al Harris. Harris, who in 2008 told the team to remove his injured spleen so he wouldn’t have to miss any time (sorry, I know I mentioned this Wednesday, too, but I think it speaks volumes), has spent the offseason vigorously rehabbing his destroyed knee in order to live up to his pledge that he’d be ready for opening day.

You could point to Harris’ contract security and salary – he’ll make $2.5 million this year, the fourth year of a five-year, $17.8 million extension he signed in 2007 – and Bigby’s lack of those luxuries as a reason for the disparity in urgency between the two. Is there some truth in there? Yeah, a little bit.

But, to me, it’s more than that. It’s about a desire to play, a desire to win, a desire to not let the other guys down. Harris has that; Bigby doesn’t. Sure, the players publicly say they understand such situations as part of the “business” of football, but privately, you know they feel differently. They’re there. They showed up. They’re working. Why isn’t he?

And I’m no fool, either. I understand the pending labor unrest plays a part in all of this; guys are trying to get the money now before the salary landscape is potentially altered for years to come.

Of course, there’s the nagging optimist in me that says this team has a shot to be great, a shot to win the whole damn thing. Wouldn’t you want to do all you could to be a part of that, money be damned? Besides, even if the landscape is altered, if you’re a key player on a world championship squad – something Bigby could be if he returns to his ‘07 form – someone will pay you.  

“Super Bowl or die” has become the rallying cry for the 2010 Packers. Nick Barnett’s even had t-shirts made that you can buy.

Let’s get Bigby his own shirt: “Super Bowl or die…as long as I get mine first.”

-Chris Lempesis

(Seriously – did you read Gene’s fantastic post from Tuesday? If not, scroll down a bit after reading this. And, to all of our new readers, thanks for checking [...]]]> The past few days at OBOD haven’t been incredibly Green Bay Packers-centric, what with our “Know Your Enemy” series and the return of Brett Favre and all.

(Seriously – did you read Gene’s fantastic post from Tuesday? If not, scroll down a bit after reading this. And, to all of our new readers, thanks for checking us out. Now…stay!)

Now that that’s all over and done, though, we think it’s a fine time to get back to discussing the activities of the actual team to beat in the NFC North – the Pack.

It’s been a busy couple of days in Titletown – “title” is another word for championship, Vikings fans – and we’re going to catch you up on everything that’s gone down (and of, course, offer our opinions, as well):

• The biggest news of the past couple of days is that, shockingly, Al Harris could return to the field by Monday. That is, if you believe the fine folks at the National Football Post (and you probably should, since Harris’ agent, Jack Bechta, is a co-founder of the site). He was also seen doing some light jogging earlier in the week, which only furthers that possibility. Coming off one of the most gruesome knee injuries you can imagine, I was certain Harris would be placed on the PUP list, hence making him unavailable until week seven. Now though? I’m thinking I was wrong. Even if Harris isn’t back that quickly, he still has 25 days until the Philly game and you have to think he’ll be good to go by then.
• This is a major boost for Green Bay’s defense, even if Harris only comes back as the nickel at first (a definite possibility). The two youngsters currently manning the nickel and dime spots, Brandon Underwood and Pat Lee, have been turning in very solid camps thus far. Those two then move down a peg with Harris returning and, all of a sudden, the secondary doesn’t appear to be a glaring question mark at all, does it? And, if the secondary is secure, Dom Capers can do even more, schematically, in terms of blitzing, which is good because the outside linebacker spot is still a concern. 
• A final note on Harris: How tough is this guy? Remember, this isn’t the first time he’s done this. This is the guy who once, back in 2008, told the team to remove his reptured spleen so he wouldn’t have to miss any time (the team declined his offer). Now there’s a chance he’ll return less than a year removed from completely destroying his knee. But, yeah, Favre is tough for fighting through some ankle surgery.
• Other injury news, and this, too, is positive: Ryan Grant, Jason Spitz, Will Blackmon, Nick Barnett and Tom Crabtree have all returned to practice this week. Blackmon, believe it or not, might be the most important player out of that group to return. His injury (knee) was the most serious of the five players – he’d missed over a week of practice – and, seeing how badly the returners struggled against Cleveland, he fills the biggest need. If he can stay healthy, yet another major question mark for the team begins to fade. The other returners are either not very good (Sam Shields, Brandon Jackson) or too valuable to be returning (Tramon Williams).
• Of course, it’s not all good news on the health front. If you had August 17 in your “Which day will Justin Harrell’s back start to bother him again?” pool, please collect your winnings. A tight back kept Harrell out of both practices Tuesday. As usual, the team is taking the “Relax, all is well” approach in the media with regards to the injury. But many fans are concerned (you can count me among that group). Any back problems with Harrell, no matter how big or small, always, always end up being big problems, eventually. Sadly, I have no reason to think otherwise here, but we’ll see.
• Alright, alright, enough injury talk. Let’s close this out by discussing a pair of position battles, one known and one not-so-known.
• The known is the left guard tussle between Daryn Colledge and Bryan Bulaga. This week, it appears as though Colledge is getting more of the starting reps. Head coach Mike McCarthy told the media that the battle is ongoing and that there is no timetable to picking a winner. He may believe that now, but I think he’s bluffing a bit, too. The group that appears in the third game is – barring injury – almost always the group that starts the season, so I think we’ll see a winner by then. Both played well against Cleveland and, obviously, Saturday’s game at Seattle will go a good distance in deciding who has the edge. But it just seems like the Bulaga movement is gaining steam, doesn’t it? The coaches clearly love him and you have to wonder if they prefer his upside over Colledge, who’s likely as good as he’s ever going to be. Again, count me in that group with the coaches as I am really coming around to the idea of Bulaga being the left guard.
• It may not necessarily qualify as a battle, but there’s something interesting going on further down the depth chart at wideout. Charles Dillon has been turning in a very good camp, for the most part, and could force the team to keep him on the 53-man roster. I doubt he topples Brett Swain for the No. 5 receiver spot – even with Swain coming off an ACL tear – because the team clearly loves Swain’s special teams value. But if Dillon can keep improving over the next two weeks, there’s a chance the team keeps six wideouts, especially if it only goes with nine linemen and/or two quarterbacks.
• Finally…actually, that’s it. Isn’t it nice to be talking about the Packers again?

-Chris Lempesis