Why do trade rumors follow around Ted Thompson like Linus and his blanket when he has never had a history of making trades? [...]]]> There has been enough talk about Aaron Rodgers on this site in the past 24 hours and I have nothing left to add to about the Miami aftermath, so I’ll pose a question:

Why do trade rumors follow around Ted Thompson like Linus and his blanket when he has never had a history of making trades?

Jason Wilde mentioned yesterday that Chris Mortensen reported that the Packers and Cowboys have had talks about Marion Barber.  Makes sense on the peripherals. The Cowboys are going nowhere and are splitting carries among three backs. The Packers need a spark and a little more toughness on offense, Barber represents that.  Outside of that none of this makes sense.

We all know Thompson’s reluctancy to trade away draft picks, so we can start there. The Seahawks gave up a 4th and conditional 6th for Marshawn Lynch. If that is the market, I am going to go out and predict that it will take a conditional 5th that can be moved up to a 4th based on incentives and such.

Not a large asking price, but if Thompson didn’t land Lynch, who has a lot more tread on his tires and a history with Rodgers, why would he pull the trigger on Barber? They are different styled backs and Barber would complement Jackson better, but Lynch also carries a far lesser salary, which leads to us the next myth-buster.

Dallas would most likely pick up most of the remainder of Barber’s 2010 salary, so let’s look ahead to the rest of his deal. 2011: $4.25 million, 2012: $5.75 million, 2013: $6.25 million, 2014: $7 million (from: RotoWorld).  Barber is 27, so there is no way he sees the last two years of this contract, probably even the last three.  If Thompson surrenders a pick for Barber, it won’t be for a 10-game rental, so is $4.25 million next season worth it for a part-time back when Grant makes about the same and will be back healthy in 2011? Doubtful.

But let’s focus on this season, would Barber help the Packers in 2010? This one is harder to answer than you would think. As Chris tweeted earlier today, Barber would bring some needed toughness and grit to this offense. He also is great in third and short conversions, which has been a struggle this season for the Packers. As much as I love what John Kuhn has done this year, Barber is a far superior talent and would command more respect from defenses.

All that being said, who says McCarthy would even utilize Barber the way he should? McCarthy does not want to run the ball and it is obvious.  It is not because he doesn’t have the backs or a line, it is because of his stubbornness. Run blocking is far easier than pass blocking and in the past two games whenever Jackson seems to get going it seems that McCarthy says, “That’s enough, my run quota has been met.” Do we even know what we have with Jackson yet? He may be the answer in the running game, but how are we suppose to know if he only gets 10 carries a game?

To quote the great Chris Lempesis from Sunday, “Running backs are like cars in the winter time, you need to let them run a little bit to get them going.”

Based on that analogy if Jackson is a sedan, Barber is a mack truck. He would help on the goaline and in short yardage situations, but if he only gets a handful of carries a game what good will he do? If McCarthy showed any sign in giving the running game a chance, I would be more optimistic about Barber’s effectiveness. In this current scheme, he would be a more talented Kuhn and that’s it.

Don’t get me wrong, I would love to give Barber a chance on this team. I saw firsthand as a fan and reporter what Barber did all through college when my alma mater Minnesota still had a football team earlier this decade. He was a beast and had great work ethic, traits he carried over in the NFL.

However, what proof is there that Thompson would make this trade like this? None. What proof is there that McCarthy would actually utilize Barber? None.

Thankfully the trade deadline is tomorrow, so we don’t have any more rumors to dispel.

-Adam Somers

Let’s get to the rest of it, quick-hit, bullet-point style right now:

Mike McCarthy said he and Aaron Rodgers are “on the same page” [...]]]> Outside of the disappointing news regarding Morgan Burnett – no link, you can just scroll down – there was a lot going on with the Green Bay Packers on Monday.

Let’s get to the rest of it, quick-hit, bullet-point style right now:

• McCarthy downplays Rodgers’ comments

Mike McCarthy said he and Aaron Rodgers are “on the same page” on Monday, a day after Rodgers questioned the playcalling in Green Bay’s win over Detroit. It sure sounds like Rodgers wants to see more of the offensive attack Green Bay ran in its loss to Chicago, one that almost completely relies on Rodgers throwing out of shotgun formations. I agree with QB12 – to a point.

If the team is really committed to going with Brandon Jackson and John Kuhn as its backs the rest of the way, then yeah, having Rodgers throw 90 percent of the time is a smart call. With those two, things should not be like they were Sunday (18 runs, 17 passes, with three runs from Rodgers, also). But I still feel this team needs to run the ball – it just needs a legitimate threat at running back to do so. I still think it needs Marshawn Lynch. McCarthy may not want to run the ball – okay, he really doesn’t want to – but a player like Lynch helps the passing game, too. Teams would have to respect him, thus taking away the option of nickel-and-diming Green Bay to death (something that’s only going to happen more and more). That only furthers the chances of success for Rodgers and Co. And, oh, by the way – Lynch is a pretty good pass-catcher, too.

• Agent: Chillar’s injury may be more serious than initially thought

Great item in the Green Bay Press Gazette Insider’s Blog Monday, in which the agent for linebacker Brandon Chillar, Jim Ivler, said Chillar’s shoulder injury could be rather serious. Chillar injured his shoulder against the Bears.

Ivler, from the post: “I hope it isn’t season-ending, don’t think it is, but I’m not going to rule out that it’s not possible. By Wednesday, we’ll probably have a better idea.”

Unlike those season-ending injuries suffered by Ryan Grant and Burnett, Chillar’s injury would not significantly damage the position he plays at. Linebacker, outside of maybe wide receiver or offensive line, is the Packers’ deepest position. There are more than enough options to fill his void, should his season be over.

And, besides, it’s not like Chillar was setting anything on fire with his play. For all his athleticism, Chillar hadn’t been much of a factor at all so far this season. Even worse, his coverage skills – supposedly the best part of his game – had suffered, for some reason.

• McCarthy thinks the Packers need a dose of reality

Backtracking to McCarthy’s Monday presser, there was another bit of interesting info: McCarthy thinks the Packers need to relax a bit after Sunday’s close win.

McCarthy: “I’ll just say this: I think we need to get a little more realistic, and I haven’t talked to the team yet. I’ll touch on this when I get in there, but we came in the locker room, we always pray when we come back in, and usually there is some excitement. You would have thought we lost in the locker room, and I think that is unrealistic and we need to get in touch with reality.”

You know what? He’s dead-on. Sunday’s win was not wonderful, to say the least, but it’s a win. It’s something to build off of. No point in getting too down over it. I’m sure the folks in San Francisco, Carolina and Detroit would gladly trade places with Green Bay.

• Rodgers voted union rep for the team

Rodgers now replaces Mark Tauscher, who had filled that role for the past couple of years.

Greg Bedard of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has more about the situation, and what it means as far as the team’s stance in the pending labor situation, here. Sad that you’re leaving us, Greg, but best of luck.

• Packers’ fans in D.C., look out!

OBOD is heading your way this weekend. There is talk of a meet up – or Tweet up, as the kids like to call ‘em – somewhere Saturday night in the D.C. area. We’ll hopefully know more shortly. When we do, we’ll pass it along.

For now, I’m just worried about how I’m going to handle the two-and-a-half hour flight Saturday morning. I’m utterly, completely terrified of flying. Any suggestions? If not, can you at least pray for me?

-Chris Lempesis

We give out donuts.

And, with the Green Bay Packers improving to 2-0 on the season with a 34-7 win over Buffalo on Sunday, we’d like to do just that.

Now.

(Also, we’re no longer giving away bad donuts to every group. Only one player will get the bad donut from [...]]]> We here at OBOD don’t give out gameballs.

We give out donuts.

And, with the Green Bay Packers improving to 2-0 on the season with a 34-7 win over Buffalo on Sunday, we’d like to do just that.

Now.

(Also, we’re no longer giving away bad donuts to every group. Only one player will get the bad donut from now on.)

Offense

A chocolate covered chocolate donut goes to…Aaron Rodgers. QB12 responded from a weak first half performance rather nicely, chucking the lights out in the second half. Rodgers went 11-of-13 for 145 yards and two touchdowns (plus a rushing score). More importantly, he played with confidence and seemed dead-set on getting the ball to whoever happened to be open, instead of just focusing on one or two players (something he’d done for much of the previous six quarters of 2010). Fans of other teams may mock the love Rodgers receives – yeah, ’cause no one in the press worships Fav-ruh or anything – but with showings like this, it’s easy to see why many feel the way they do.

Defense

A bearclaw goes to…Clay Matthews. Really, do I even need to tell you why anymore? Did you read my game recap? If not, scroll down – I can wait.

Special teams

A multi-colored sprinkled donut (they are the special teamers, remember) goes to…Jordy Nelson. Remember when I said I wanted anyone but Nelson handling return duties before the season started? Yeah, me neither. Nelson only returned a pair of kicks Sunday, but still managed to average 30.5 per return (with a long of 34). He’s averaging 31 yards per return this season, as well. More than just the numbers, though, Nelson is making up for his less-than-blazing speed with great shiftiness, vision and awareness. And, as my father would say, you have to love his straight-line style. No side-to-side crap from Jordy. If he can stay anywhere near where he’s at – and continue to show good ball security – he’ll be a great weapon for this team moving forward. This offense with good starting field position? Yikes.

Finally, a two-day old, plain donut goes to…Brandon Jackson. Didn’t Jackson get a good donut last week? Why, yes he did. But on Sunday, Jackson simply wasn’t very good. A portion of that blame falls on an offensive line that didn’t generate a ton of push, but still, this was Jackson’s first chance to prove the team doesn’t need to make a move for a Marshawn Lynch-type player. Consider him 0-for-1. With just 29 yards on 11 carries, Jackson couldn’t even do enough to keep the team from going to John Kuhn almost as much (nine carries, 36 yards for him). Unless he wants trade geeks like me to keep on talking, he’d better get better in a hurry.

-Chris Lempesis

This week’s Wednesday special is going to be all about the running backs. No injury reports. No mention of Mason Crosby winning NFC Special Teams Player of the Week (outside of that one, of course). Nothing but running backs.

And, really, why not? The position is the focus of [...]]]> Don’t worry – you didn’t misread the title.

This week’s Wednesday special is going to be all about the running backs. No injury reports. No mention of Mason Crosby winning NFC Special Teams Player of the Week (outside of that one, of course). Nothing but running backs.

And, really, why not? The position is the focus of conversation involving the Green Bay Packers right now as they prepare for Sunday’s home opener with the Buffalo Bills. There are multiple layers to this and we’re going to attempt to get to them now.

Let’s first talk about the situation, as it currently stands. While the Packers moved extremely quickly in signing Dimitri Nance off Atlanta’s practice squad Tuesday, it’s highly unlikely Nance plays Sunday. He’ll need at least a little time to learn everything and five days is simply not enough. That means the duo of Brandon Jackson and John Kuhn will once again handle the position against Buffalo. That shouldn’t be a problem this week.

Still, I can’t see a scenario in which Nance is strictly a “warm body”, at least for the time being. Otherwise, the Packers would have simply kept that roster spot open for Ryan Grant, who could have been ready to return from his injury before the end of the regular season. Plus, Green Bay moved so fast on him, you have to think it’d been targeting him for awhile now. And with only one true running back – Jackson – Nance will see game time sooner rather than later (I know we all love Kuhn, but give me a break – there’s no way he’ll be the No. 2 back much longer). How Nance performs in whatever time he gets will determine a lot going forward.

I say that because, after the Miami game on Oct. 17, James Starks is eligible to return from the PUP list. His hamstring injury never seemed to improve much during camp, but the team must have received a good prognosis or else it would have placed Starks on injured reserve. If Nance is playing well enough, the Packers can slowly work Starks back into the flow of things. That’s extremely important. Remember, Starks saw no real action in camp and hasn’t played a down of meaningful football since the end of his junior year at Buffalo (missed all of 2009 with a shoulder injury). Expecting him to be ready to roll right away is asking an awful lot of the youngster.

If Nance pans out decently and Starks can regain his footing soon enough, could I envision a scenario in which the team goes with Jackson, Nance and Starks as its three backs the rest of the way? Yes, I could. As Gene brilliantly pointed out Tuesday, the Packers are simply not that concerned with running the ball, no matter how much they say they are.

But perhaps the more important question is: Is that the right call to make? That’s really the most important question. Jackson’s never been a featured back in the pros and has had some durability issues. Nance is a complete unknown. Starks is, well, see above.

As good as the passing game is and as weak as the early season schedile appears to be, the fact is the schedule gets really tough really quick. And, at some point, Aaron Rodgers is going to have a bad game or two. In those spots, you’d like to have a little more than Jackson/Nance/Starks to lean on.

You’d like to have Marshawn Lynch.

Since the moment we found out Grant was done for the year, Lynch’s name has been thrown around a lot as a possible trade target for Green Bay. Wednesday, rumors were running rampant on the ‘net that a potential Lynch-for-A.J. Hawk swap was in the works (still not sure were that rumor exactly came from, but I digress). Hawk’s agent, Mike McCartney (no I’m not making that name up) said that Hawk would be open to a trade and there are reports that Hawk has put his house in Green Bay on the market.

Still, that seems unlikely to me. While Hawk did not play a single defensive snap against the Eagles, he plays an important role as a run stopper in the base scheme. And he’s a Ted Thompson guy. We all know how much Teddy hates to part with one of his own.

But trading a draft pick for Lynch? Ah – now you’re talking.

The Bills are dying to rid themselves of Lynch, a former Pro Bowler who is now, essentially, the team’s No. 3 back. It wouldn’t take much to get him (a third round pick, maybe, but a fourth seems more likely to me). Thompson has clearly been a longtime follower of Lynch, as well. It’s been long suggested that Green Bay panicked in taking Justin Harrell in the ‘07 draft because the player it really wanted – guess who? – went off the board. And there were rumors before this year’s draft that the Packers were kicking the tires on a potential Lynch trade.

And, before you go any further, please do not give me the “that’s not Teddy’s way of doing business” line. Actually, it is. Thompson has aggressively chased trades for both Randy Moss and Tony Gonzalez in his tenure, only to lose out at the last minute. He may hate free agency, but trades are a different story. And, by handing out big contracts/contract extensions to older players (Chad Clifton, Mark Tauscher, Ryan Pickett, Charles Woodson), Thompson is making it known he thinks this current group has a shot to win it all.

If that’s the case, why not tack on one more guy to further solidify things? Lynch has some character issues, but the Packers have enough leaders to keep him in line (plus he knows Rodgers and Desmond Bishop from their days at Cal). On the field, he’s an absolute beast, blessed with both power and speed and an ability to make plays in the passing game, a potentially nice thing to have on those crappy weather days late in the season.

Any move for Lynch isn’t likely to happen right away. The Packers will take their shot with their current group of backs first. In the end, though, I just can’t shake this feeling that the move makes too much sense not to happen.

Lynch rolls into town Sunday. In a perfect world, it’s not long before he heads back.

-Chris Lempesis