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

Well, it certainly sounds like Desmond Bishop is upset, eh?

Only this time, his beef does not lie with yours truly.

The fourth-year inside linebacker [...]]]> (Before we begin: Our “2010 training camp stew” posts will begin Tuesday night. At that point, the Packers will have practiced six times – enough where we can start weighing in on some specifics.)

Well, it certainly sounds like Desmond Bishop is upset, eh?

Only this time, his beef does not lie with yours truly.

The fourth-year inside linebacker vented his frustrations with his current role on the team to reporters after practice Monday. From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

“I know what I can do, but I’m not sure they do. I think I’m just caught in a situation where my talents can’t flourish here. It’s frustrating because I love the guys that we have and everything, but I feel like I can be, and I will be one of the top tier linebackers in the NFL if I get the opportunity.”

You don’t have to read between any lines to see that Bishop is definitely reaching his breaking point with the organization. In a sense, I can see why.

Over the course of his first three seasons, Bishop has shown some flashes of real potential. He’s consistently turned in solid training camp/preseason performances. The majority of his regular season playing time came during the second half of 2008 after Nick Barnett tore his ACL. Bishop was, for the most part, solid in those showings, highlighted by a 12-tackle, two forced-fumble, one sack performance against the Houston Texans in early December.

He’s got good size (6-feet, 2-inches, 238 pounds), solid athleticism and he knows how to deliver some big hits. And, really, the two guys directly ahead of him on the depth chart – A.J. Hawk and Brandon Chillar - are certainly not All Pros or anything.

But. for whatever reason, these factors have not been enough to move Bishop past the No. 4 position on the team’s depth chart at ILB. Bishop, who just turned 26, likely feels the clock is ticking faster and faster on his pro career and he’d like his shot now, please.

Again, I see his point. But expressing such displeasure via the media is never the correct way to go about things. That’s true even if you’ve already made your feelings known to the coaches/other players on the team (something Bishop almost certainly has done).

When a player puts that stuff out there through the press, it creates a level of distrust between himself and the organization. The team could very well start to wonder whether or not Bishop is truly in it for the good of the group or just the good of himself. Last time I checked, that’s not a quality coaches want in the players on their squad. Again, it’s different if a player keeps those issues in-house. At least the trust is still there, somewhat.

The value of zipping one’s lips with the press is worth its weight in gold in the NFL, remember. Bishop didn’t. Will the coaches look at him differently now? That’s hard to say, but it wouldn’t be surprising if there’s some backlash from these statements. And an already uphill battle will have been made worse for Bishop. So, sure, he got if off his chest – but what good will it have done?

Players in these situations need to simply keep quiet and go out and do their damage on the practice field. If you do that, your current team will either be forced to play you or forced to trade you as someone will want you and will make an offer your current team can’t refuse (see: Hasselbeck, Matthew).

In our little Twitter clash, Bishop told me he was going to make me “eat my words” after I joked about his inability to see regular playing time.

On Monday, someone should have told Bishop to eat his own words before he spoke them. He’d have been a lot better off.

-Chris Lempesis

I’m serious, guys!

Also, please note that this closes out the offensive and defensive part of the roster. There are three special teams spots left – you didn’t really think I’d leave those guys off, did you? – and they will be unveiled [...]]]> Okay, no more stalling. It’s time to unveil the cornerbacks for the all-time defense.

I’m serious, guys!

Also, please note that this closes out the offensive and defensive part of the roster. There are three special teams spots left – you didn’t really think I’d leave those guys off, did you? – and they will be unveiled later in the week.

Alright, everyone ready?

And, here…we…go!

Cornerbacks

Starter: Herb Adderly (1961-1969) – Yesterday, I made an error in writing that Willie Wood was drafted as a running back. Actually, that was Adderly.

(Although Wood played quarterback in college before converting to safety, so I was at least kind of correct. Sorry for the error.)

The presence of Paul Hornung and Jim Taylor allowed the Green Bay coaching staff to move Adderly over to corner. He re-paid them by becoming the best cornerback in franchise history.

The guy was, simply put, a playmaker of the highest order. Seven of his 39 interceptions (third all-time for the team) went back the other way for touchdowns. That touchdown mark was tops in team history until Adderly was tied last year by a guy you’ll hear more about later. He led the team in picks four times and was rewarded with seven All-Pro selections.

He capped off his sterling career with a 1980 induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Starter: Bob Jeter (1963-1970) – It’s hard to earn any notice when you’re playing opposite a guy like Adderly. It’s even harder when you played running back in college and earned your first pro duty at wide receiver.

But Jeter, who became a cornerback before the 1965 season, was ultimately able to earn plenty of attention.

His speed and hands made him a major threat at the position. Jeter used those assets to pick off 23 passes in six years as a corner with the Pack (returning two for scores). He earned two Pro Bowl trips for his efforts.

How good was Jeter? So good that I’m willing to overlook the fact that he ended his career as a member of the Chicago Bears. That’s not easy to do, but for Jeter, it was well worth it.

Backup: Al Harris (2003-Present) – Okay, so Harris has a tendency to get too keyed up for certain big games (see: 2008 NFC Championship Game).

That does not erase the fact that, week-in and week-out, he’s one of the most consistent corners in the league – remember, Chad Ochocinco once said Harris was the toughest corner to face in the entire league – and has been since he arrived in Titletown. A physical, bump-and-run specialist, Harris has never been a big factor on the stat sheet (just 14 interceptions in seven seasons with the team). But he’s always been a master at keeping the other team’s top guy off the sheet, as well.

And, for good measure, his walk-off pick-six of Matt Hasselbeck in the 2004 NFC Wild Card Game at Lambeau is one of my all-time favorite moments as a fan. Here’s to hoping Harris, who turns 36 in December, can return from last season’s gruesome knee injury and return to form.

Backup: Charles Woodson (2006-Present) – If you had told me, shortly after Woodson signed with Green Bay in 2006, that he’d one day make this list, I likely wouldn’t have believed you. After all, Woodson seemed to have no interest in being a Packer, even after he signed on.

My, how things change.

Woodson has been an absolute force of nature in Green Bay’s secondary throughout his four years with the team. He’s intercepted 28 passes (returned seven for scores, tying him with Adderly atop the team’s all-time list), forced eight fumbles and had five sacks. He’s proven himself to be one of the smartest players in the league, thriving in multiple formations and playing well against a variety of offenses.

Last season was his best yet, as he was named 2009 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He turns 34 in October and is showing no signs of slowing down.

Backup: Willie Buchanon (1972-1978) – Buchanon’s time as a Packer was certainly filled with ups and downs.

On the downside, he broke his left leg – twice. Those injuries – a broken leg is still one of the most wince-inducing injuries, isn’t it? – caused him to miss time in two different seasons.

There were plenty of ups, as well, though. They come in the form of 21 career interceptions (including four in a 1978 game against the San Diego Chargers, tying him for the NFL record for picks in a single contest). There’s also three Pro Bowl selections and the 1972 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award. 

Backup: Bob Forte (1946-1950, 1952-1953) – Like many players in his day, Forte was a multi-purpose threat for the Pack. At various times, he played quarterback, running back and wide receiver.

But cornerback was where Forte really excelled (you could even say it was his “forte,” but that would be waaaay to ridiculous to write, even by OBOD standards).

Blessed with excellent size for his era (6-feet, 195 pounds), Forte totaled 22 interceptions in his time with the team (which was interrupted by Forte’s service in the Korean War).

That’s all for our look at the corners. Again, check back later in the week for our special teams players.

-Chris Lempesis

The highlight of the schedule comes on Thursday, Aug. 26, as the Pack will battle Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis [...]]]> While we’re still waiting for the announcement of the 2010 regular season schedule (something that should happen within the next two weeks), the Green Bay Packers found out who they’ll face in the preseason Wednesday afternoon.

The highlight of the schedule comes on Thursday, Aug. 26, as the Pack will battle Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts at Lambeau Field. The contest – this year’s Bishop Charities Game – is the all-important third preseason game (i.e., the one where the starters play the longest). The game will also be nationally televised and should provide at least a fleeting glimpse as to how much the pass defense has improved. Or something like that.

Green Bay begins its preseason slate at home, as well, with a game against the Cleveland Browns. The exact date is still unknown, but the contest will occur sometime during the weekend of Aug. 12-15. That game is this year’s Midwest Shrine Game (available to Gold Package ticket holders only). Mike Holmgren returns to Lambeau…for about the 20th time since he left…and he won’t be on the sidelines so you probably won’t even see him.

The Pack then heads to Seattle (sometime between Aug. 19-23) for their second preseason game. There’s at least a 50 percent chance Matt Hasselbeck won’t have injured himself yet and we’ll get an early glimpse at Pete Carroll’s transition back to pro coaching. Wait – I’m actually not sure either of those things is true.

After the game against the Colts, Green Bay closes things out on the road in Kansas City (either Sept. 2 or 3). This game is almost as big as the one against Manning and Co. First, the starters will play about 30 seconds each. And, good God, it’s against the powerhouse Chiefs, so I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t want to check this one out.

And, finally, if you think the somewhat bitter tone of this post stems from the way last year’s preseason went for the Pack – hot as a pistol before stumbling out of the gates in the regular season – well…you’re right.

-Chris Lempesis

I say that because, on the same day we kicked off our list of the top moments/games of the decade, Green Bay Press Gazette sports editor Mike Vandermause wrote a column in which he listed the top 10 Packers-related stories of the decade. Vandermause’s column also focused on off-the-field [...]]]> Funny how things work out sometimes, isn’t it?

I say that because, on the same day we kicked off our list of the top moments/games of the decade, Green Bay Press Gazette sports editor Mike Vandermause wrote a column in which he listed the top 10 Packers-related stories of the decade. Vandermause’s column also focused on off-the-field stuff, such as the respective retirements of Brett Favre and Ron Wolf, so the list’s aren’t really that similar.

Hopefully, though, the list we came up with at our little dog-and-pony show here will provide a nice compliment to Vandermause’s list in order to give people a more thorough view of the decade that was for the Green Bay Packers.

With that said, it’s time to unveil the final part of our list of the top 10 moments/games of the decade.

(Fair warning: The descriptions for these ones are a bit longer than in the first part, so strap in.)

Again, enjoy.

5. “Dan Marino – Step Aside” – at Minnesota, September 30, 2007. In week three of the ‘07 season, the Packers earned a heartstopping 31-24 win at Lambeau over the mighty San Diego Chargers. It was a huge win as it announced to the rest of the league that Green Bay was, in fact, for real. Lost in all that excitement – at least for a minute or two – was the fact that Favre’s fourth quarter touchdown pass to Greg Jennings was the 420th of his career, tying him with Dan Marino for the all-time mark. He would have a chance to break the record the next week on the road against the hated Vikings. And it didn’t take him long to do just that. With five minutes left in the first quarter, on a third-and-7 from Minnesota’s 16-yard line, Favre made a last-second adjustment before hitting Jennings on a slant route (fitting that it would come on a slant, no?). Jennings did the rest, sprinting into the endzone and allowing Favre to surpass Marino once and for all. The crowd, comprised of at least 50 percent Packers’ fans (I know this because Adam and I were at the game), erupted before Marino himself paid tribute to Favre via a taped announcement on the Jumbotron at the Metrodome. The Packers went on to win, 23-16, improving to 4-0 on the season. Watch it here.

4. “He Did What?!?!” – vs. Minnesota, November 6, 2000. The Packers looked to be in trouble heading into this “Monday Night Football” affair. The game was at Lambeau, yes, but the Pack - under first-year head coach Mike Sherman - stood at just 3-5 while the Vikings came in a pistol-hot 7-1. Green Bay, surprisingly, held its own in the first half, trailing just 13-10 at the break. Trailing 20-13 in the third, the Packers evened the score on a two-yard touchdown run from Ahman Green. It appeared to be all-for-not when Gary Anderson headed out for a 32-yard field goal with just seven seconds left in the fourth. Remember, though, it was raining pretty hard in Titletown that night. That rain caused Minnesota holder Mitch Berger to lose control of the snap and attempt a crazy heave of desperation. Tyrone Williams picked him off and we were headed to overtime. The Pack won the toss and slowly made their way into Minnesota territory. On a third-and-4 from the Vikings’ 43, Favre looked to his right and threw one up for Antonio Freeman. Enter Lambeau magic. At first, Minnesota cornerback Cris Dishman appeared to pick Favre off. But he couldn’t get a grip on it and the ball darted towards the turf, where Freeman was already on his stomach. The ball bounced off Freeman’s shoulder, arm and facemask before finally resting in his right hand. Freeman, realizing the play was live, got up, made a move on a Vikings’ defender and sprinted into the endzone for the game-winning score as the Packers had earned a 26-20 victory. In the more than nine years since that night, I’ve seen the replay of that catch roughly eight million times – and I still have no idea how he caught it. I do know that I’m sure glad he did. Watch it here.

3. “Nate Poole Is Our Hero” – vs. Denver, December 28, 2003. The outlook was bleak for the playoff hopes of the 2003 Packers heading into the final week of the regular season. Here is a quick refresher of what needed to happen. Green Bay, sitting at 9-6, needed to beat Denver and:

A)  hope that a good Seattle team lost to a bad 49ers squad. Didn’t happen. Seattle won, 24-17.

B) hope that a good Dallas team would defeat a mediocre Saints bunch. Didn’t happen. Dallas lost, 13-7 (again, thanks for nothing, Dallas).

The failure of those two scenarios left the Packers with one, and only one, shot to get into the tournament: Beat Denver and hope that the Vikings – somehow, someway – would lose to the 3-12 Arizona Cardinals. Sure, Minnesota (also at 9-6) had sputtered after starting the season 6-0 – but, I mean, come on, the Cardinals? No way the Vikes lose that one. In a delicious bit of scheduling, the Vikings game (at Arizona) and the Packers game (at Lambeau) were both scheduled for late starts. The game itself at Lambeau on this day was not extremely memorable (outside of a 98-yard touchdown run by Green). With the Broncos’ playoff position already solidified, Denver rested most of its starters as the Packers rolled to a 31-3 win. In the desert, though, things were more than interesting. The Vikings, after falling behind 6-0, scored 17 unanswered points and held a commanding fourth quarter lead. It looked like Green Bay was about to walk away empty-handed, despite closing the season on a four-game win streak. Just then, though, Arizona scored. The two-point conversion failed, but the Cards were still within striking distance at 17-12. But there was just so little time left. The Cards would have to recover on onside kick, then go down and score, all in less than two minutes. Well, they got the onside kick and on a fourth-and-25 – fourth-and-25!! – at the Minnesota 27, Arizona quarterback Josh McCown lobbed a prayer into the endzone that was pulled down by Nate Poole with no time remaining. Poole didn’t get two feet in, but it was ruled a score because of the push-out rule (which no longer exists). Cards win 18-17. The news reached a frenzied Lambeau in about .5 seconds. Despite nearly impossible odds, the Packers had made the playoffs as the 2003 NFC North champs. And, if only for a day, Nate Poole was the hero of an entire fan base. Watch it here (and, just for fun, watch this too).

2. “We Want the Ball and We’re Gonna Score” – vs. Seattle, January 4, 2004. Sure, the events of week 17 of the 2003 season played to Green Bay’s benefit. But they simply got the Packers into the playoffs. If they were to advance, they would have to get past a more-than-formidable Seattle team that finished second in the NFC West with a 10-6 record. After 30 minutes of football at Lambeau, the Packers were looking good. Two Ryan Longwell field goals and a 23-yard touchdown pass from Favre to Bubba Franks (not sure if anyone else remembers that pass, but it was an absolute rocket, even by Favre standards) powered Green Bay to a 13-6 halftime advantage. If the Packers could just get one more score, they’d likely have the game in the bag. Then came the third quarter and a pair of one-yard touchdown runs from Seattle’s Shaun Alexander. Green Bay, on the other hand, was held scoreless. This massive sea change resulted in the Packers trailing 20-13 heading into the fourth. The sea shifted again, this time in Green Bay’s favor, in the fourth. Two one-yard touchdown runs from Green gave the Pack a 27-20 lead with just 2:44 to play. The defense just could not hold, though. Seattle ripped off a seven-play, 67-yard drive in less than two minutes, capped off by Alexander’s third one-yard touchdown run of the day. The Packers drained the final 51 ticks off the clock and we were headed to overtime. Seattle won the toss, prompting quarterback Matt Hasselbeck to utter eight words that will never be forgotten by Packers fans (and, probably, Seahawks fans, too): “We want the ball and we’re gonna score.” Well, as Gene likes to say, somebody scored alright. On a third-and-11 at the Seattle 45, Green Bay went with an all-out blitz (dubbed the “Thriller blitz” by the defense). Hasselbeck went to his hot receiver, Alex Bannister, who was supposed to cut his route short. He didn’t. Al Harris jumped the route, picked the pass off and returned it 52 yards for the walk-off score. Lambeau erupted as the Packers had advanced with a 33-27 win. Watch it here.

1. “Snowglobe Game” – vs. Seattle, January 12, 2008. If someone had said, 4:59 into this game, that this would ultimately end up as the Packers’ No. 1 moment of the decade, you would have smacked them in the mouth. And, really, you would have had good reason to do so. After all, a pair of Ryan Grant fumbles on Green Bay’s first two drives of the game – which, by the way, happened to be a divisional playoff game AT LAMBEAU – led to two Seahawks’ touchdowns, giving the visitors a 14-0 lead. All the goodwill we’d built up, all the joy we’d experienced during the regular season seemed to be all for nothing. Adam was actually at this game and he said you could hear a pindrop after Hasselbeck hit Bobby Engram for Seattle’s second score of the day. But just then, something happened. The Packers got to driving and ended up scoring on a 15-yard pass from Favre to Jennings. The next Green Bay drive also ended in a score – this time it was Grant from one-yard out – and, all of a sudden, the game was tied. Had we really taken their best punch and remained in the game? As it turned out, we indeed had, as the next four – FOUR! – Packers’ drives all ended in touchdowns. Seattle mustered but two field goals in the midst of that onslaught. The final score? 42-20, Packers. But those aren’t the only reasons this earns the top spot. There was also Grant, bouncing back from his horrendous start to turn in a once-in-a-lifetime performance for a running back (an astounding 201 yards and three touchdowns on just 27 carries). There was the defense holding a good Seahawks’ offense to just 200 total yards. Finally, there was the environment in which the game took place. A wicked snow storm – even by Wisconsin standards – blasted the Fox Cities with inches upon inches of snow that day, turning Lambeau into a snowglobe of sorts as the game went on. People said they had to watch the scoreboard to see what was actually taking place. It was insane (photographic evidence soon to follow). And when you add this all up, could there really be a better moment of the past 10 years? Absolutely not. Watch it here.

That concludes our list. I hope you had as much fun reading it as I did writing it. What will the next 10 years bring us? Aaron Rodgers getting some face time with the Lombardi Trophy, perhaps? As always with sports, you never know. But you can always hope – and that’s the best part.

-Chris Lempesis

While not a big area of need, the selection of Jordy Nelson [...]]]> After trading defensive tackle Corey Williams and trading out of the end of the first round in the 2008 draft, Ted Thompson armed himself with three second-round picks, not a bad scenario for a team that was an overtime away from the Super Bowl.

While not a big area of need, the selection of Jordy Nelson worked out as he contributed nicely in the recieving corps and special teams last season and showing a lot of promise.  The selection of Pat Lee also is justifiable, even if he hasn’t done much yet.  Cornerback was an area that needed youth and depth (the resigning of cornerback/safety/bain of my existence Jarrett Bush does not improve this). Thompson drafted the right choice of position, now Lee just needs to prove himself.

But the move that scrated the most heads then and even more so now is Brian Brohm.  The move could have been defended on draft day.  Recalling a draft-day phone converstation with Chris, the facts brought up were:  Best player available, which Thompson follows like scripture; Trade bait for future; Better than any free agent on the market at the time to back up Rodgers; Don’t know 100% what you have in Rodgers yet.  Chris wasn’t entirely talked off the ledge, but at least now he had to get a running start.

Fast forward one year later and almost of those above-mentioned points have fallen through.

Best Player Available:  Hardly, especially when seventh-rounder Matt Flynn beat Brohm out for the #2 job.  There is no point going through a list of rookies drafted after Brohm who had more  impact last season because Rodgers was the starter all year.  However, Chad Henne, selected one pick after has shown more promise in Miami than Brohm in Green Bay.

Trade bait:  If Thompson looked at Brohm as soley as trade chip for the future, that’s could be somewhat justified.  There have been enough scenarios where this has happened, most notably in Green Bay with Matt Hasselbeck and recently with Atlanta trading Matt Schaub to Houston.  However, Brohm’s value has dipped so low that it would be hard to anything close to equal value in return right now.  Best case scenario is that he lights up training camp and preseason the next two years and ups his value to at least the level he was drafted at.

Better than any free agent back up:  This is the only point that hasn’t gone bad.  At the time Brohm showed a lot of promise and remember that shortly before the draft the team was interested in bringing in Daunte Cullpepper.  Seeing what was out there, Thompson made the right move to gamble on Brohm instead of brining in any retread or washed up quarterback.

Don’t know what you have in Rodgers:  There were plenty of question marks with Rodgers going into last season.  How would he handle the pressure of following Favre?  Has he had enough live game experience?  What if he is a bust?  Is he an injury-risk?  And the list goes on.  However, from the beginning Thompson and McCarthy showed ultimate faith in Rodgers suceeding.  If that is the case, why draft a quarterback in the secon- round for competetion?  Well, as it turned out there was no competition, Rodgers had a border-line Pro Bowl season, and Thompson and McCarthy misjudged badly that Brohm could have an impact.

All is not lost for Brohm.  In reality, he is only a second-year quarterback and rookie seasons like Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco had in 2008 are very rare.  However, with Flynn beating Brohm out for the #2 position does raise some red flags.  This is not a shot at Flynn, who may develop into a solid NFL quarterback, but Brohm was once considered a can’t miss prospect and far from being raw out of college.

After his junior year at Louisville, Brohm was talked about in the breath as first-round picks JaMarcus Russell and Brady Quinn, and some ranked him ahead of one, if not both players.  Playing in an NFL-style system in college, Brohm earned Orange Bowl MVP honors after leading the Cardinals to victory over Wake Forest as a junior.  It was widely speculated that he would enter the NFL draft and be among the top picks selected, but decided to return for his senior season.

A player coming back for his senior year shouldn’t be looked down on, but like Matt Leinart, Brohm saw his draft stock worsen his senior year despite setting numerous school and Big East Conference records, including most career passing yards, completions and attempts.  Brohm also said on draft day that returing for his senior year helped him improve and mature as a player, so at the time some could say the Packers got a steal.

Well, it is only a steal if they can trade him for equal or greater value than when they drafted him.  The day Rodgers signed his new exentsion, Brohm’s value dropped even more and don’t think other NFL teams in need of a young quarterback didn’t take notice.

The question has never been about talent with Brohm, who has as much upside as almost any young quarterback in the league.  The questions are is if he can put it all together and if he will get the opportunity in Green Bay.  With Flynn as the #2, Brohm is getting less reps with the team’s top unit.  Also, if Rodgers gets hurt Flynn is the first off the bench, as was seen in the Tampa Bay game last year.

The Packers need Brohm to be the #2 this year in more ways than one.  While Rodgers stayed relatively healthy last season, he isn’t Favre and fans will have expect him to miss some time in the future.  Flynn has been solid in his back-up role, but Brohm presents more talent and potential.  If Rodgers goes down (God help us that he doesn’t), it could give Brohm the chance he needs.  However, he needs to prove himself first in the pre-season where he was awful last year.  The front office also need him to improve his trade value, so it doesn’t look like they wasted a second-round pick.

Coaching plays a vital part in this happening.  Can McCarthy, offensive coordinator Joe Philbin, and quarterbacks coach Tom Clements coach Brohm up enough to take over as the #2 and prove to the rest of the league that he isn’t a bust?  With Rodgers entreched as the Packers starter for the foreseeable future, Brohm’s stay in Green Bay will not be long.  When a quarterback is drafted in the second-round the hope is that he will be a future starter, or they can show enough to garner a high return in a trade. 

Right now Brohm and the team can’t do either, which means the 2009 season is arguably as critical to Brohm as it is to any current Packer.

-Adam Somers