2011 Green Bay Packers Initial Player Rankings

Since this post is going to get lengthy, I will make the introduction short. These rankings are based on a combination of ability, age, contract Status, and strength at the position. With that in mind, here are my initial rankings of the 2011 Green Bay Packers roster:

#53) M.D. Jennings (S) - The biggest surprise to make the 53-man roster might only be on the actual roster for a short time because the Packers need to add at least one more interior offensive lineman.

#52) Evan Dietrich-Smith (G/C) - Another surprise member of the 53-man roster ahead of Nick McDonald (cut) and Caleb Schlauderaff (traded). Dietrich-Smith can play guard and center so versatility is probably the main reason why he made the 53-man roster.

#51) Jamari Lattimore (OLB) - With Frank Zombo hurt, Lattimore gives the Packers depth at outside linebacker. Once Zombo is healthy, look for Lattimore to get cut and hopefully added to the practice squad.

#50) Pat Lee (CB) - Did not start at Auburn till his senior year yet the Packer used a second round draft pick on him in the 2008 NFL Draft. This will be Lee's fourth year in the league but unfortunately he has more years in the NFL than memorable plays.

#49) Brad Jones (OLB) - Has struggled to regain his form in 2011 after a promising start to the 2010 season (started five games and appeared in seven games) was cut short by injury. Some Packers coaches compared Jones to Chad Brown (former Steeler and Seahawk) but he is a homeless man's Chad Brown at best. It is put up or shut up time for Jones because the Packers have a ton of young outside linebackers vying for playing time.

#48) D.J. Williams (TE) - An undersized, athletic tight end that needs to prove the Packers made the right decision keeping him as their 5th tight end.

#47) Robert Francois (MLB) - After Nick Barnett and Brandon Chillar were cut the Packers suddenly went from having the deepest group of middle linebackers in the NFL to being rather thin at the position after their two starters. Francois showed promise in the preseason but still looks like a mediocre backup at best.

#46) Davon House (CB) - A fast (4.41 second 40-yard dash) rookie cornerback with raw athletic talent that is an unknown commodity because injuries limited his repetitions throughout the preseason.

#45) C.J. Wilson (DE) - Registered 21 tackles, six QB hits, and one sack in 2010. Those are not terrible numbers since the 3-4 defense is not set-up for defensive lineman to put up big numbers. It is more important that Wilson eats up blockers in running and passing situations to open up big play opportunities for linebackers and defensive backs.

#44) D.J. Smith (MLB) - A bit undersized (5'11" and 240 lbs) for a prototypical 3-4 middle linebacker that makes up for being undersized by being an absolute tackling machine.

#43) Tom Crabtree (TE) - Not the most polished tight end on the roster but does a little bit of everything well. Crabtree's strongest asset is his blocking ability, which makes him a candidate to play both tight end and fullback since the Packers traded Quinn Johnson.

#42) Alex Green (RB) - The departure of Brandon Jackson left the Packers searching for a new 3rd down back. Green is trying to prove that he is not a one-hit wonder that benefited from playing in a pass first offense at Hawaii. If Green can improve his blocking ability he looks like the ideal candidate to be the new 3rd down back.

#41) Ryan Taylor (TE) - A few weeks ago it looked like Taylor was fighting for a practice squad spot and now he is fighting for the backup tight end spot behind starter Jermichael Finley. Much like Crabtree, Taylor blocks well so he has a chance to play tight end and fullback.

#40) Jarius Wynn (DE) - Defensive lineman in the 3-4 defense are asked to do all the dirty work (eat up blockers) without having free reign for any of the glory (sacks and tackles for a loss) most of the time. That doesn't diminish how important defensive lineman are in the 3-4 defense though. Look for Wynn to continue to do the dirty work along the defensive line for the Packers in 2011.

#39) Derek Sherrod (OT) - At 6'5" and 320 pounds, Sherrod is the left tackle of the future in Green Bay after struggling at left guard throughout the preseason. The coaching staff should not be surprised that Sherrod struggled as a left guard because he started 47 games (appearing in 49 games total) at left tackle at Mississippi State. Hopefully Sherrod will settle in at left tackle because the Packers are one Chad Clifton injury away from needing a new blindside protector for Aaron Rodgers.

#38) Frank Zombo (OLB) - Transitioned to playing outside linebacker in his rookie season in the NFL in 2010 after playing defensive end in college. Zombo had four sacks (including the only sack in Super Bowl XLV), six tackles for a loss, two forced fumbles, and seven quarterback hits. Unfortunately Zombo broke his shoulder blade in the preseason and his availability for 2011 is up in the air otherwise he would be ranked 10 spots higher.

#37) Marshall Newhouse (OT) - The 3rd tackle on the depth chart despite the fact that the Packer drafted Derek Sherrod in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft. Look for Newhouse to fill in at either tackle position as opposed to Sherrod if either Clifton or Bulaga get hurt in 2011.

#36) Randall Cobb (WR) - Although he might not be healthy enough to play in the season opener, when healthy, Cobb will help the Packers improve in the return game because they were horrible in 2010: 26th in kickoff return average and 22nd in punt return average. In fact the Packers have not had a kickoff return for a touchdown since Allen Rossum's 92-yard return against the Colts in November of 2000.

#35) Vic So'oto (OLB) - The pleasant surprise of the 2011 preseason for the Green Bay Packers played well against the Colts and the Chiefs to not only secure a roster spot but also serves as the primary backup spot at outside linebacker. I know it seems crazy but So’oto looks like the second coming of James Harrison.

#34) Andrew Quarless (TE) - A homeless man's Jermichael Finley has a ton of young competition (Williams, Crabtree, and Taylor) for playing time in 2011. Look for Quarless to improve his blocking or find his playing time severely limited.

#33) John Kuhn (FB/RB) - The only fullback on the 53-man roster is really more of a tweener fullback/running back then a true blocking fullback. Look for Kuhn to fill multiple roles (fullback, running back, and special teams) in 2011 to justify his three-year, $7.5 million contract extension.

#32) Jarrett Bush (CB/S) - Is the hardest non-starter on the roster to figure out. Bush plays great on special teams most of the time. Unfortunately on defense Bush is like temperamental14-year-old girl, sometimes he plays great on defense and sometimes he looks absolutely lost. Bush's special teams makes him worthy of a roster spot, the wild card is how he will do on defense in 2011.

#31) Brett Goode (LS) - Clean as the long snapper for the last three years (89 punts and 94 place kicks), hopefully Goode can continue that form in 2011 because you never want to hear the long snapper talked about because if his name comes up it means he made a horrible gaffe.

#30) Charlie Peprah (S) - Signed a two-year, $2 million contract ($150,000 guaranteed) in the off-season to give the Packers a quality back-up safety to Collins and Burnett.

#29) Matt Flynn (QB) - At some point Flynn will be an NFL starter but for all the praise he got after his performance against the Patriots with Rodgers sidelined with a concussion at the end of last season, Flynn is still a bit of an unknown commodity. Hopefully Flynn will not get any extended looks in 2011 besides moping up in garbage time because that would mean Rodgers was seriously injured again.

#28) Howard Green (DE/DT) - Big Sexy of the defensive line will be called upon often to play in 2011 because he is the primary back-up at both defensive end and defensive tackle.

#27) Mason Crosby (K) - Moving the kickoff to the 35-yard line will help Crosby but that doesn't mean he is worth the five-year, $14.75 million deal ($3 million guaranteed) he signed after the lockout was lifted. Compare that deal to the four-year, $12 million deal ($3.5 million guaranteed) that Ryan Longwell got from the Minnesota Vikings. I guess that is the going rate for a kicker but Crosby has only converted 78.1% of his FG attempts and 219 of 220 PATs. Crosby’s below average numbers are due in part to kicking in Green Bay but he is still an average kicker at best that is being paid like a borderline Pro Bowl kicker. Let’s compare recent Packer kickers. Crosby is better than Chris Jackie who converted 76.4% of his kicks in Green Bay from 1989 to 1996 but not better than Ryan Longwell who converted 80.9% of his kicks in Green Bay from 1997 to 2005. Crosby makes the kicks he should make (67 of 75 (89.3%) inside 40-yards and makes some of the longer kicks 26 of 37 (70.4%) from between 40 and 49-yards. Unfortunately Crosby is only 1 for 4 in game winning kicks as well (made a 42-yarder in his NFL debut but missed from 52, 38, and 53). There are only 32 starting place kickers in the NFL and Crosby has been below average since the Packers drafted him: 2007 - 26th (79.5%), 2008 - 28th (79.4%), 2009 - Tied for 25th (75.0%), and 2010 - 26th (78.6%).

#26) Mike Neal (DE) - Missed three games with an abdominal strain to start his NFL career in 2010. When Neal returned he registered three tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble. Unfortunately Neal suffered a season ending shoulder injury Week 5. Keep all of that in mind as you try to process that the Packers are expecting Neal to start at defensive end in place of the now departed Cullen Jenkins. Unfortunately Neal is not even a lock to be healthy enough to play in the opener so you can see why Big Sexy (Howard Green) is so important to the 2011 Green Bay Packers.

#25) T.J. Lang (OG) - After an early camp battle with rookie Derek Sherrod for the starting left guard spot, Lang beat out Sherrod with a good performance against the Arizona Cardinals earlier in the preseason. Hopefully we get the impressive 2009 version of T.J. Lang as opposed to the lackluster 2010 version.

#24) Ryan Grant (RB) - The Packers paid Grant a big roster bonus ($1.75 million) at the start of training camp and then re-negotiated Grant's contract so that he makes $1 million less in 2011 but the entire contract is guaranteed. Grant turns 29 during the 2011 season but Grant's body is not really that old because he has only played a few full NFL season. How well Grant and Starks play in 2011 will go a long way towards determining where Grant plays in 2012.

#23) James Jones (WR) - After catching 50 passes for 679 yards and five touchdowns as a borderline starting wide receiver for the Packers in 2010, it looked like Jones was going to break the bank to become a primary receiver for another team. Thanks to one of the deepest groups of free agent wide receivers in NFL history, Jones didn’t break the bank and ended up signing a three-year, $9.6 million deal ($1.5 million guaranteed) with the Packers. Jones needs to limit his drops in big situations because he dropped 10 balls in 2010, five that could have gone for TDs (against Dolphins, Jets, Giants, Eagles in the playoffs, and Steelers in Super Bowl XLV). If Jones limits his drops, he signed one of the most club friendly contracts ever.

#22) James Starks (RB) - Adopted a gluten free diet during the lockout and gained eight pounds to tip the scales at 225 pounds. After a number of impressive performances at the end of the 2010 season, look for Starks to pick up where he left off with an improved body physically to become the primary ball carrier by the end of the season.

#21) Tim Masthay (P) - Preformed very well in 2010: 13th in gross punt average (43.9 yards), 18th in net punt average (37.6 yards), and 16th in placing punts inside the 20 yard line (25 times). If Masthay kicks as well in 2011 as he did in 2010, look for the Packers to sign Masthay long-term.

#20) Donald Driver (WR) - The "starter" at wide receiver opposite Greg Jennings is just 41 yards shy of breaking James Lofton's teams record for most receiving yards in franchise history (9,656 yards). Kudos to Driver in advance of breaking Lofton's record, he is one of the classiest guys in franchise history. For everyone that is anointing Nelson and Jones as bigger threats than Driver, slow down because Driver has been defying the odds his entire career. I expect Driver to have a great bounce back season in 2011.

#19) Morgan Burnett (S) - After an lost rookie season to a knee injury, Burnett opens 2011 as the starter at safety opposite Nick Collins. As long as Burnett can stay healthy, he looks like the next great safety in the making in Green Bay.

#18) Erik Walden (OLB) - It is nice to have some consistency opposite Matthews with Walden because last season the Packers started four different guys (including playoffs) opposite Matthews: Robert Francois (1 game), Erik Walden (5 games), Brad Jones (5 games), and Frank Zombo (9 games).

#17) Jordy Nelson (WR) - For all the praise Nelson is receiving throughout the preseason let's not forget that he did not put up huge numbers in 2010 with 45 catches for 582 yards and two touchdowns. I know Nelson had a nice statistical performance in Super Bowl XLV with nine catches and 140 receiving yards but he dropped a sure touchdown in that game. Let's hope Nelson can have a breakout season in a contract year in 2011 to earn the big extension the Packers presumably already have in the works.

#16) Sam Shields (CB) - Allowed four TDs and 10 plays of 20-yards or more in 2010. Those stats don't seem great but Shields played much better then just the raw statistics. In fact, Peter King ranked Shields as the 100th best player in the NFL in 2010. Not too shabby for a guy that wasn't even drafted in the 2010 NFL Draft. The Packers lured Shields to Green Bay with a $7,500 signing bonus that might go down as the most cost effective signing bonus in franchise history.

#15) Ryan Pickett (DT) - Registered a tackle every seven snaps in 2010. Although Pickett will be a big part of the defensive line in 2011 if he stays healthy, look for him to regress statistically in 2011 because he is moving from defensive end to defensive tackle.

#14) Chad Clifton (OT) - In what might be Clifton's last season in Green Bay let's hope he can stay healthy for the whole season because an injury to Clifton might force the Packers to shuffle the entire offensive line (move Bulaga to left tackle, move Lang to right tackle, and insert a new player at left guard) because Newhouse and Sherrod don't look like starting left tackles in the NFL yet.

#13) A.J. Hawk (MLB) - The Business HJ of middle linebackers signed a five-year, $33.75 million contract ($10.95 million guaranteed) right before the start of the lockout. Hawk plays almost every down contributing 666 tackles, 33 passes defended, 15 tackles for a loss, 10 sacks, 8 INTs, 4 fumble recoveries, and 2 forced fumbles for his career. That seems great but Hawk was the 5th pick in the 2006 NFL Draft. When you are picked that high, you expect more explosive plays.

#12) Bryan Bulaga (OT) - The new school Mark Tauscher in Green Bay sans the glorious neck beard had an all-around impressive rookie season in 2010. In fact a very compelling argument could be made that without Bulaga in the fold, the Green Bay Packers would not have won Super Bowl XLV.

#11) Desmond Bishop (MLB) - Following former starting middle linebacker Nick Barnett's season ending injury, Bishop shed the "Mr. August" title making 150 tackles, 3 sacks, and a pick-six in the final 16 games of the season (including playoffs). The Packers rewarded Bishop with a four-year, $18 million extension. Having Bishop and Hawk in the fold made Nick Barnett expendable but it was still sad to see Barnett go after all he contributed in his Packer career (started 107 of 128 regular season games, registered 575 tackles, 15.5 sacks, and 9 interceptions. Barnett was healthy at the start of his career, he only missed two games in his first five years in the league but a torn ACL in 2008 (missed 8 games) and wrist injury in 2010 (missed 12 games) made him expendable. Barnett signed a three-year, $12 million deal with the Buffalo Bills ($6 guaranteed) after getting cut by the Packers. It will be interesting to track Bishop and Barnett the next few years to see if the Packers made the right decision going with the younger guy.

#10) Scott Wells (C) - Despite trying to replace Wells every year with a bigger guy, Wells (6'2" and 300 lbs) continues to anchor the offensive line. With Evan Dietrich-Smith as the only real back-up at guard or center, if Wells is lost for an extended period of time the Packers season could go south in no time.

#9) Jermichael Finley (TE) - Reminds me of Rickie Weeks. There is no denying his talent but Finley missed 15 games in three years and only finished one season healthy. Finley needs to prove he can stay healthy before the Packers invest a large amount of money in Finley since he is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent following the 2011 season.

#8) Nick Collins (S) - Has a knack for getting his hands on the ball, whether he catches it is another story. Although Collins had four interceptions in 2010 (remember the pick-six in Super Bowl XLV), that total could be even bigger because Collins dropped five interceptions in 2010.

#7) Charles Woodson (CB) - Has been an absolute turnover machine since joining the Packers. Woodson has 48 takeaways in five seasons in Green Bay (including playoffs). For all those that think Woodson is getting a little long in the tooth, let’s not forget that Woodson set season career highs in 2010 with 115 tackles and five forced fumbles. Woodson will play in the slot in 2011 to allow him to continue to play as a hybrid cornerback/safety.

#6) B.J. Raji (DE) - Lead all defensive lineman with 1,070 snaps in 2010 where he registered 6.5 sacks, 12 QB hits, and 12 QB pressures. The Packers moved Raji to defensive end to let him get after the quarterback more in 2011 so look for Raji to increase his sacks, QB hits, and QB pressures.

#5) Josh Sitton (OG) - With the influx of big, fast defensive tackles there has been a waterfall effect that impacted offensive guards. Six or seven years ago guard was not that highly paid of a position but the only way to counteract the influx of stud defensive tackles is an influx of big offensive guards. As a result the undisputed stud of the offensive line just signed a five-year extension with the team keeping Sitton in Green Bay through the 2016 season. The numbers of Sitton's extension have not been revealed but look for Sitton to justifiably be one of the highest guards in the NFL.

#4) Tramon Williams (CB) - In 2010 Williams only gave up one touchdown and six plays of 20-yards or more. The Packers rewarded Williams with a nice contract extension last year before a myriad of cornerbacks signed even more lucrative deals. As crazy as it sounds, Williams is the undisputed best cornerback on the roster (sorry Chuck) so if Williams continues to play as well has he did in 2010 the Packers might have to renegotiate the extension that Williams signed in 2010 sooner rather than later.

#3) Greg Jennings (WR) - The offense struggled to utilize Jennings and Finley while Finley was healthy for the first part of the 2010 season. The only positive thing about losing Finley last year was that Jennings thrived in Finley’s absence. The Packers will need to get Jennings and Finley to co-exist in 2011. If they can, the Packers will have the most explosive offense in the NFL.

#2) Clay Matthews (OLB) - In only two years in the NFL Matthews already registered 23.5 sacks. Very accomplished former outside linebacker and current outside linebacker coach Kevin Greene called Matthews the most complete OLB he's ever seen. I could say more but Clay's numbers and Greene's quote says it all.

#1) Aaron Rodgers (QB) - I mean this in all sincerity, if Rodgers plays anything like he did against the Falcons in the playoffs last year he is going to start collecting Lombardi and MVP trophies yearly for the next decade.

Check back Wednesday for more Packer coverage ahead of their season opener Thursday in Green Bay against the Saints that pits the last two Super Bowl champs.

2011 Green Bay Packers Initial 53-Man Roster

Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson cut 23 players*, placed two players on injured reserve**, and traded two players*** to trim the roster from 80 players to 53 players. Although there is a good chance that the 53-man roster will change in the next 24 hours, here is your first look at the 2011 Green Bay Packers:

QBs (2): Matt Flynn and Aaron Rodgers

RBs (4): Ryan Grant, Alex Green, John Kuhn, and James Starks

TEs (5): Tom Crabtree, Jermichael Finley, Andrew Quarless, Ryan Taylor, and D.J. Williams

WRs (5): Randall Cobb, Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, James Jones, and Jordy Nelson

OLs (8): Bryan Bulaga, Chad Clifton, Evan Dietrich-Smith, T.J. Lang, Marshall Newhouse, Derek Sherrod, Josh Sitton, and Scott Wells

DLs (6): Howard Green, Mike Neal, Ryan Pickett, B.J. Raji, C.J. Wilson, and Jarius Wynn

LBs (10): Desmond Bishop, Robert Francois, A.J. Hawk, Brad Jones, Jamari Lattimore, Clay Matthews, D.J. Smith, Vic So'oto, Erik Walden, and Frank Zombo

DBs (10): Morgan Burnett, Jarrett Bush, Nick Collins, Davon House, M.D. Jennings, Pat Lee, Charlie Peprah, Sam Shields, Tramon Williams, and Charles Woodson

STs (3): Mason Crosby, Brett Goode, and Tim Masthay


Here are a few things that stood out to me about the roster moves:

- The last three guys cut were probably: Ray Dominguez (T/G), Graham Harrell (QB), and Nick McDonald (C/G).

- The last three guys kept were probably: Evan Dietrich-Smith (G/C), M.D. Jennings (S), and Jamari Lattimore (OLB).

- I hope Graham Harrell (QB) makes it through waivers to the practice squad because the Packers are one Aaron Rodgers concussion away from only having one healthy quarterback on the roster.

- Aaron Rodgers will have 10 weapons (5 WRs and 5 TEs) to throw the ball to but only 8 guys to potentially block for him. Look for the Packers to add another offensive lineman to the roster at the expense of a linebacker.

- If Vic So'oto (OLB) and Charlie Peprah (S) look good week one as the primary backups at their respective positions, look for a few OLBs (Jones and Lattimore) and DBs (Jennings and Lee) to be among the first guys cut when injuries inevitable happen.

Check back tomorrow, I will have a ton more to say in my Sunday Funday post where I rank the initial 53-man roster for the 2011 Green Bay Packers.


Footnotes:
* = Diondre Borel (WR), Anthony Bratton (S), Chris Campbell (T), Ray Dominguez (T/G), Chris Donaldson (NT), Ricky Elmore (LB), Sampson Genus (C), Josh Gordy (CB), Tori Gurley (WR), Graham Harrell (QB), Jon Hoese (FB), Cardia Jackson (LB), Eli Joseph (DE), Elijah Joseph (LB), Anthony Levine (S), Nick McDonald (C/G), Dimitri Nance (RB), Brandian Ross (CB), Jay Ross (NT), Brandon Saine (RB), Kerry Taylor (WR), Brandon Underwood (S/CB), and Chastin West (WR)

** = Lawrence Guy (DE) and Shaky Smithson (WR)

*** = Quinn Johnson (FB) to the Tennessee Titans and Caleb Schlauderaff (G) to the New York Jets for conditional draft picks

2011 Green Bay Packers Roster 4.0

Welcome to the 4th and final installment of What Ted Thompson Should Do. Thompson had to trim the roster down to 80 players by Tuesday, August 30, 2011. Thompson accomplished that by cutting six guys*, which were the easy decisions. The harder decisions will play out in the next few days because Thompson has to cut 27 more guys to trim the roster down to 53 by 5 p.m. on Saturday, September 3, 2011.

With three preseason games in the books (Week 1 @ Cleveland, Week 2 hosted Arizona, and Week 3 @ Indianapolis), the opening day 53-man roster is starting to take shape. If you want a brief refresher, take a look back at all my previous thoughts about the 53-man roster at various points throughout the last few months: Version 1.0, Version 2.0, and Version 3.0. Here are my updated thoughts on what the 53-man roster and 8-man practice squad should look like for the 2011 Green Bay Packers:

Quarterback: Aaron Rodgers, Matt Flynn, and Graham Harrell
Analysis: After playing mediocre at best for his first few series against the Colts last week, Graham Harrell's heroics leading the Packers over the Colts erased any doubts of whether Harrell will make the roster.

Running Back: Ryan Grant, James Starks, and Alex Green
Analysis: Often times the 4th preseason game is essentially a useless game for determining starters because the starters usually sit out the game but the Packers need to consider giving all their running backs a look because we are no closer to knowing who will actually start at running back (Grant or Starks) or who will be the 3rd down back (Starks, Green, or Kuhn).

Fullback: John Kuhn and Quinn Johnson
Analysis: The Packers have high expectations for Johnson that so far have gone mostly unfulfilled. Johnson has the body to be a sledgehammer as a fullback but so far Johnson has been unable to put it all together. Hopefully Johnson can sort it out sooner rather than later or he will join Justin Harrell on the free agent scrap heap.

Wide Receiver: Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, James Jones, Jordy Nelson, and Randall Cobb
Analysis: Some of the undrafted free agent wide receivers (Diondre Borel, Tori Gurley, Shaky Smithson, Kerry Taylor, and Chastin West) showed flashes of brilliance, the best example is Chastin West's 97-yard touchdown reception against the Cardinals. All the undrafted free agent wide receivers showed promise throughout the preseason but the Packers have a ton of talented wide receivers already essentially guaranteed roster spots. Although there has been a ton of talk about keeping a 6th wide receiver, since the Packers have a ton of money invested in their top five wide receiver, only the household names look like they are going to make the roster at wide receiver.

Tight End: Jermichael Finley, Andrew Quarless, D.J. Williams, and Ryan Taylor
Analysis: With Spencer Havner getting cut the Packers have five tight ends on the roster but it only looks like there are four roster spots at this point. Since Tom Crabtree is an undrafted player while the rest of the tight ends were drafted, Crabtree is the odd man out. Sleep easy though Tom Crabtree, when the dust settles Ted Thompson will probably keep all five tight ends by making cuts somewhere else.

Tackle: Chad Clifton, Bryan Bulaga, Derek Sherrod, and Marshall Newhouse
Analysis: The Packers shuffled Derek Sherrod, their first round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft between left guard and left tackle all preseason. Instead of picking up a little bit at both positions, Sherrod struggled mightily. The Packers need to keep Sherrod at left tackle, the position they drafted him to play. With how much Sherrod has struggled, if the Packers lose one of their starting tackles (Clifton or Bulaga) for an extended period of time they might actually turn to Marshall Newhouse instead of Sherrod meaning the Packers are in a unique position to essentially red-shirt Sherrod.

Guard: Josh Sitton, T.J. Lang, and Caleb Schlauderaff
Analysis: Nick McDonald and Evan Dietrich-Smith are listed as C/G on the roster. Their versatility over Caleb Schlauderaff who only plays guard almost made me keep both of them ahead of Schlauderaff but the Packers always choose the younger guy (Schlauderaff) ahead of the older guy (Dietrich-Smith).

Center: Scott Wells and Nick McDonald
Analysis: Although Evan Dietrich-Smith pushed Nick McDonald for the backup center spot, it looks like McDonald did just enough to beat out Dietrich-Smith.

Defensive End: B.J. Raji, Mike Neal, Howard Green, C.J. Wilson, and Jarius Wynn
Analysis: The Packers had their defensive ends set heading into camp when they decided to let former starting defensive end Cullen Jenkins leave via free agency so apparently they feel comfortable with the group. I do not share that same comfort level because besides Raji, every other player has at least one question mark. I can only hope that the Packers look at defensive lineman following NFL roster cut downs.

Defensive Tackle: Ryan Pickett
Analysis: Each week I continue to list Howard Green as a defensive end but technically Green is a defensive tackle so the Packers have some depth at the position. As I said under the defensive end analysis, look for the Packers to scour the waiver wire if another legitimate 3-4 defensive lineman becomes available.

Outside Linebacker: Clay Matthews, Erik Walden, Brad Jones, Vic So'oto, and Jamari Lattimore
Analysis: I had a hard time picking between So'oto and Lattimore in version 3.0. With how well So'oto and Lattimore played against the Colts last week, I gave them both a roster spot this week. This is all assuming that the Packers do in fact decide to put Frank Zombo on the physically unable to perform list. If Zombo makes the 53-man roster the Packers will only be able to keep two of the following three: Jones, So'oto, and Lattimore.

Middle Linebacker: Desmond Bishop, A.J. Hawk, D.J. Smith, and Rob Francois
Analysis: Another week with the same four guys making the team as middle linebackers. The Packers like both Smith and Francois but if wither Bishop or Hawk were hurt for an extended period of time look for them to pick up another linebacker or try Brad Jones at middle linebacker.

Cornerback: Charles Woodson, Tramon Williams, Sam Shields, Devon House, and Josh Gordy
Analysis: It was a real tough call between Josh Gordy and Brandian Ross for the 5th cornerback spot because both have shown flashes of being the 2011 version of Sam Shields. Gordy was on the practice squad in 2010 so he got the nod over Ross.

Safety: Nick Collins, Morgan Burnett, Charlie Peprah, and Jarrett Bush
Analysis: Collins and Burnett deserve to be the opening day starters. Look for Peprah to serve as the primary backup at both free safety and strong safety because for how well Bush plays on special teams and how well he played in Super Bowl XLV, Bush has still been a liability in coverage throughout the preseason. The Packers claim Bush is playing cornerback this year but I expect Bush to get more snaps at safety than cornerback in 2011.

Specialists: Mason Crosby (K), Tim Masthay (P), and Brett Goode (LS)
Analysis: With Crosby signed through 2015, look for Masthay to get a contract extension if he plays well through the first half of the season.

Practice Squad: Ray Dominguez (G/T), Ricky Elmore (LB), Lawrence Guy (DE), Anthony Levine (S), Brandian Ross (CB), Jay Ross (DT), Brandon Saine (RB), and Chastin West (WR)
Analysis: some of those guys will probably get signed to another NFL team's 53-man roster so other options for the practice squad are: Diondre Borel (WR), Chris Campbell (OT), Chris Donaldson (DT), Tori Gurley (WR), Jon Hoese (FB), Shaky Smithson (WR), and Kerry Taylor (WR).

The Packers host the Chiefs on Thursday in a game that will be make or break for a few guys that are right on the bubble of making the 53-man roster or the 8-man practice squad. Check back on Sunday for my initial rankings of the 53 players that made the opening day roster for the 2011 Green Bay Packers.


Footnote:
* = K.C. Asiodu (LB), Adrian Battles (G), Spencer Havner (TE), Antonio Robinson (WR), Theo Sherman (T), and Brett Swain (WR)

2011 Green Bay Packers Roster 3.0

Welcome to the 3rd installment of What Ted Thompson Should Do. If you want a brief refresher, take a look back at Version 1.0 and Version 2.0. With two preseason games in the books, the opening day 53-man roster is starting to take shape. Here are my updated thoughts on what the 53-man roster and 8-man practice squad should look like for the 2011 Green Bay Packers:

Quarterback: Aaron Rodgers, Matt Flynn, and Graham Harrell
Analysis: Matt Flynn has about as much of a chance of being on the 2012 Packers roster as Prince Fielders does of playing for the Brewers in 2012 so the Packers need to see what they have in Graham Harrell.

Running Back: Ryan Grant, James Starks, and Alex Green
Analysis: The Packers restructured Ryan Grant's contract to pay him $1 million less ($3.8 million instead of $4.8 million) in 2011 so that should end the speculation about whether the Packers will cut Grant. Despite Starks looking good, it seems downright foolish to even entertain cutting Grant. Now that Grant restructured his deal, the questions surrounding the running back position are who actually starts (Grant or Starks) and who is the 3rd down back (Starks, Green, or Kuhn).

Fullback: John Kuhn and Quinn Johnson
Analysis: Look for Kuhn to play on special teams, as a full back, and even get an occasional carry as a running back. On the other hand stay tuned on Quinn Johnson because Johnson is hanging on the 53-man roster by a thread.

Wide Receiver: Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, James Jones, Jordy Nelson, and Randall Cobb
Analysis: Brett Swain was the 5th receiver for the 2010 Green Bay Packers and looked like a virtual lock to make the opening day roster in 2011. Oh how things have changed. The Packers used a second round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft to select Randall Cobb. Add in that there are a ton of undrafted free agent wide receivers (Diondre Borel, Tori Gurley, Shaky Smithson, Kerry Taylor, and Chastin West) that have shown promise so far in the preseason and the Packers look stacked at wide receiver. There has been a ton of talk about keeping a 6th wide receiver but that Packers already have a ton of money invested in their top five wide receiver so despite all the promise that some of the lesser known wide receivers are showing, the Packers should stick with the household names at wide receiver.

Tight End: Jermichael Finley, Andrew Quarless, Tom Crabtree, D.J. Williams, and Ryan Taylor
Analysis: Part of the reason why Quinn Johnson's roster spot is not guaranteed is that if Crabtree or Taylor play special teams, tight end, and fullback then Johnson might not be versatile enough. Successful franchises like the Patriots and Packers start trends instead of following trends. One of those trends that both the Patriots and Packers started is using athletic tight ends in multiple ways, which gives them a ton of roster flexibility.

Tackle: Chad Clifton, Bryan Bulaga, Derek Sherrod, and Marshall Newhouse
Analysis: The Packers really like Newhouse at left tackle. Unfortunately for Newhouse he was a 5th round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft and Derek Sherrod was a 1st round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. So even though Newhouse looks better at left tackle than Sherrod right now, Newhouse will have to perform well at right tackle if he wants to make the opening day roster.

Guard: Josh Sitton, T.J. Lang, and Caleb Schlauderaff
Analysis: Thanks to a good performance against the Arizona Cardinals, absent injury, Lang will be the starter at left guard ahead of rookie Derek Sherrod. The competition for the 3rd guard spot is heating up so the next two weeks will be very important for Schlauderaff because his roster spot if far from guaranteed.

Center: Scott Wells and Nick McDonald
Analysis: Much like Schlauderaff's roster spot, McDonald's roster spot is not guaranteed either because the gap between McDonald and Evan Dietrich-Smith for the backup center spot seems to be narrowing.

Defensive End: B.J. Raji, Mike Neal, Howard Green, C.J. Wilson, and Jarius Wynn
Analysis: Hopefully Neal will be healthy for the start of the regular season. If not, the Packers will probably look to add another body along the defensive line.

Defensive Tackle: Ryan Pickett
Analysis: A few years ago I waited in line behind a guy that had "Big Daddy Pickett" on the back of his jersey and kept talking about how he can't wait to see his son play on our way into a game at Lambeau Field. I assumed that it was Pickett's father but I didn't want to bother him since he was with a bunch of family members. Whether or not he was Ryan's father, he sure earned the "Big Daddy" title.

Outside Linebacker: Clay Matthews, Erik Walden, Brad Jones, and Vic So'oto
Analysis: Last week Zombo suffered a broken shoulder but somehow still played in the game. Although heroic, the injury makes Zombo a prime candidate for the physically unable to perform list. With Zombo injured, it was hard to choose between So'oto and Jamari Lattimore so it looks like Ricky Elmore is a long-shot at best to make the roster with So'oto and Lattimore outplaying him throughout the preseason.

Middle Linebacker: Desmond Bishop, A.J. Hawk, D.J. Smith, and Rob Francois
Analysis: Much like the defensive ends, nothing new to add at middle linebacker. The only thing that might change this list is if a young, talented middle linebacker somehow becomes available. I know that seems like a long-shot but the Packers would pick up a guy like that in place of Smith or Francois in a heartbeat.

Cornerback: Charles Woodson, Tramon Williams, Sam Shields, Devon House, and Josh Gordy
Analysis: After Pat Lee struggled against the Browns in the Packers' first preseason game, less heralded cornerbacks like Josh Gordy and Brandian Ross were given stronger consideration. At this point Gordy looks better than Lee so Gordy took Lee's roster spot.

Safety: Nick Collins, Morgan Burnett, Charlie Peprah, and Jarrett Bush
Analysis: I thought it was going to be hard for the Packers to choose between Underwood and Levine for the 4th safety but Levine has been injured and Underwood has a ton of off the field problems. Instead of rolling the dice with either, the Packers should keep Bush as their special teams/defensive jack-of-all-trades like rookie tight ends Ryan Taylor. Although Bush technically moved to cornerback this year, look for the Packers to use Bush as the poor man's Charles Woodson as a hybrid cornerback/safety.

Specialists: Mason Crosby (K), Tim Masthay (P), and Brett Goode (LS)
Analysis: Injury is the only way we see a different person at kicker, punter, or long snapper in 2011 for the Packers.

Practice Squad: Ray Dominguez (G/T), Ricky Elmore (LB), Lawrence Guy (DE), Jamari Lattimore (OLB), Anthony Levine (S), Jay Ross (DT), Brandon Saine (RB), and Chastin West (WR)
Analysis: Thanks to So'oto and Gordy making the 53-man roster there was a little shake-up on the 8-man practice squad. There is a good chance that a number of the players I put on the practice squad won't make it through waivers so some other options for the practice squad are: Diondre Borel (WR), Chris Campbell (OT), Chris Donaldson (DT), Jon Hoese (FB), Brandian Ross (CB), and Shaky Smithson (WR).

The Packers travel to Indianapolis on Friday for a game that will go a long way towards determining some of the position battles mentioned above because the Packers will play their starters at least the entire first half. Win or lose, let's hope the Packers or Colts do not suffer any serious injuries. Check back next Wednesday to see my updated predictions for who should make the 53-man roster and 8-man practice squad.

2011 Green Bay Packers Roster 2.0

As I said in my 2011 Green Bay Packers Roster 1.0 post, I am never shy about giving my thoughts on what Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson and company should do. With the craziest free agent period in NFL history nearly complete and one preseason game in the books, I thought I would give my updated thoughts on what the 53-man roster and 8-man practice squad should look for the 2011 Green Bay Packers:

Quarterback: Aaron Rodgers, Matt Flynn, and Graham Harrell
Analysis: Matt Flynn continues to impress as a back-up. I know it is only a small sample size against a bunch of back-ups (besides the Patriots regular season game in 2010) but Matt Flynn is starting to become the new-school version of Matt Hasselbeck in Green Bay.

Running Back: Ryan Grant, James Starks, and Alex Green
Analysis: If the Packers kept a 4th running back it would be a two-horse race between Dimitri Nance (holdover) and Brandon Saine (undrafted rookie free agent) for that spot. Unfortunately for Nance and Saine the Packers are loaded on offense at all the other skill positions so the odds are somewhere between slim and none that they keep four running backs.

Fullback: John Kuhn and Quinn Johnson
Analysis: With the emergence of rookie tight end Ryan Taylor I contemplated cutting Quinn Johnson but the Packers already invested a bunch of time and energy in trying to make Johnson the next William Henderson. Based on Johnson's large body of work, pun intended after he showed up to camp over weight, he has a long way to go before he will ever be compared to Henderson.

Wide Receiver: Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, James Jones, Jordy Nelson, and Randall Cobb
Analysis: The rich get richer because the depressed free agent market for James Jones cost Brett Swain a roster spot. Instead of having an open competition for the 5th wide receiver spot the Packers have a number of wide recivers fighting to make the practice squad at this point.

Tight End: Jermichael Finley, Andrew Quarless, Tom Crabtree, D.J. Williams, and Ryan Taylor
Analysis: Speaking of the rich get richer, the Packers are stacked at tight end too. Much like there is a small chance that the Packers keep four running backs, there is a small chance that the Packers actually keep five tight ends. By the end of training camp it is going to be a four horse race between Crabtree, Quarless, Taylor, and Williams for three roster spots.

Tackle: Chad Clifton, Bryan Bulaga, Derek Sherrod, and Marshall Newhouse
Analysis: The Packers are flirting with starting Sherrod at left guard but based on his play so far Sherrod really belongs at his natural position, left tackle. With Clifton entrenched as the starter at left tackle, Sherrod might get a shot at right tackle. If Sherrod played well at right tackle that would allow the Packers to move Bulaga to left guard. Unfortunately if things play out that way there would be a ton of shuffling of positions along the offensive line with very little time before the home opener against the New Orleans Saints for Sherrod and Bulaga to get settled. Absent injury, look for Bulaga to stay at right tackle no matter how well Sherrod does at right tackle.

Guard: Josh Sitton, T.J. Lang, and Caleb Schlauderaff
Analysis: With Sherrod struggling at left guard Lang will most likely take over as the starting left guard for the departed Daryn Colledge. That leaves the Packers searching for an adequate back-up to Sitton and Lang. With McDonald getting a ton reps at center the Packers need someone else as a backup at guard. Since Schlauderaff was drafted and Ray Dominguez is an undrafted rookie free agent, I gave the roster spot went to Schlauderaff.

Center: Scott Wells and Nick McDonald
Analysis: It looks like McDonald went from being the left guard of the future to the center of the future. Either way the Packers must see something they like in McDonald to not only keep him around but give him a bunch of practice reps.

Defensive End: B.J. Raji, Mike Neal, Howard Green, C.J. Wilson, and Jarius Wynn
Analysis: With Raji moving back to defensive end and Pickett moving back to defensive tackle the Packers are counting on Mike Neal to be fully recovered from injury by the end of training camp to replace the departed Cullen Jenkins. Wilson and Wynn are having a mediocre camp so look for the Packers to add another defensive end after roster cut downs unless they both really pick things up.

Defensive Tackle: Ryan Pickett
Analysis: Moving Pickett back to nose tackle is one of the smartest decisions the Packers made in a long time. Pickett eats up multiple blockers but does not actually get to the quarterback like he did earlier in his career. With Pickett eating up blockers the rest of the defense is going to benefit and hopefully cash in with a bunch of sacks and turnovers. Look for Raji and Green to slide over to defensive tackle to give Pickett an occasional breather.

Outside Linebacker: Clay Matthews, Frank Zombo, Erik Walden, and Brad Jones
Analysis: After Zombo and Walden preformed better than Jones the Packers need to see how versatile Jones can be otherwise Jones will go from being a promising starting outside linebacker to a free agent in less than a year.

Middle Linebacker: Desmond Bishop, A.J. Hawk, D.J. Smith, and Rob Francois
Analysis: The Packers need to replenish their depth at middle linebacker with Nick Barnett and Brandon Chillar gone. While the Packers are high on Smith despite him being short for the position, Francois is really going to have to fight for a roster spot because the Packers would replace him with a better option at middle linebacker in a heartbeat.

Cornerback: Charles Woodson, Tramon Williams, Sam Shields, Devon House, and Jarrett Bush
Analysis: Look for Bush to claim the 5th cornerback spot and challenge rookie Devon House for the 4th spot on the depth chart. Keep an eye on Josh Gordy, Pat Lee, and Brandian Ross too because there is a chance that the Packers keep six cornerbacks and possibly only three safeties since Bush could fill in at safety in a pinch.

Safety: Nick Collins, Morgan Burnett, Charlie Peprah, and Anthony Levine
Analysis: Tough to choose between Levine and Underwood for the fourth safety spot. Look for that battle to continue throughout the preseason. All things being equal I kept Levine because he is the guy without the police record.

Specialists: Mason Crosby (K), Tim Masthay (P), and Brett Goode (LS)
Analysis: Crosby just cashed in. Look for Masthay and Goode to follow suit if they perform in 2011 like they did in 2010.

Practice Squad: Ray Dominguez (G/T), Ricky Elmore (LB), Josh Gordy (CB), Lawrence Guy (DE), Jay Ross (DT), Brandon Saine (RB), Shaky Smithson (WR), and Chastin West (WR)
Analysis: There is a good chance that a number of the players I put on the practice squad won't make it through waivers so some other options for the practice squad are: Diondre Borel (WR), Chris Campbell (OT), Chris Donaldson (DT), Jon Hoese (FB), Jamari Lattimore (OLB), and Vic So'oto (OLB).

The Packers host the Arizona Cardinals on Friday in a game that will go a long way towards determining some of the position battles mentioned above. Check back next Wednesday to see my updated predictions for who should make the 53-man roster and 8-man practice squad.

2011 Green Bay Packers Roster 1.0

Since I am never shy about giving my thoughts on what Ted Thompson and company should do, I thought with the 2011 NFL Draft complete for the Green Bay Packers, I would give my thoughts on what the 53-man roster* and 8-man practice squad** should be for the 2011 Green Bay Packers:

Quarterback: Aaron Rodgers, Matt Flynn, and Graham Harrell
Analysis: With the lack of quality quarterbacks in the NFL the odds are that Harrell would not make it through waivers so the Packers could place him on the practice squad again. As a result I see the Packers keeping three quarterbacks.

Running Back: Ryan Grant, James Starks, and Alex Green
Analysis: Will the Packers keep three running backs or four running backs? Obviously I think they should keep three. That means that Alex Green will beat out Dimitri Nance based on draft position alone. How crazy is it that Brandon Jackson went from being the starting running back for the Green Bay Packers in Week #2 of the 2010 NFL season to being potentially unemployed in 2011?

Fullback: John Kuhn and Quinn Johnson
Analysis: The Packers would obviously need to sign Kuhn to a new contract but I am 95% sure he will be wearing the Green and Gold again in 2011. Besides that, sorry to see you leave Korey Hall but you just never stayed healthy enough to merit a second contract in Green Bay like Kuhn does.

Wide Receiver: Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, and Brett Swain
Analysis: Jennings, Driver, and Nelson are no brainers. The only question for the aforementioned group is whether the Packers should start working on a contract extension with Nelson because he will most likely become a free agent following the 2011 season. Although James Jones is clearly more talented than Cobb and Swain today, the Packers should save some money by letting him leave via free agency unless he accepts a very cheap contract extension.

Tight End: Jermichael Finley, Andrew Quarless, Tom Crabtree, and D.J. Williams
Analysis: If the Packers have a ton of quality depth at wide receiver, they have even more depth at tight end. The Packers are so stacked at tight end that when they drafted D.J. Williams (2010 John Mackey Award recipient given to the best collegiate tight end) in the 2011 NFL Draft, they took a player that isn't even guaranteed to make the 2011 opening day roster.

Tackle: Chad Clifton, Bryan Bulaga, Derek Sherrod, and Marshall Newhouse
Analysis: Sorry Mark Tauscher it pains me not to keep you on the roster but with Bulaga, Sherrod, and Newhouse in the fold the Packers need to start their youth movement along the offensive line.

Guard: Josh Sitton, T.J. Lang, Nick McDonald, and Caleb Schlauderaff
Analysis: Odd are that Thompson will relent and give Colledge an extension but if I were in charge I would let Colledge leave via free agency and let the young guys compete for the starting left guard spot.

Center: Scott Wells
Analysis: Lang, McDonald, and Schlauderaff are going to have to wear multiple hats if they want to stay on the roster. Pick one or two of the aforementioned guys to groom as the back-up center for 2011 with the thought of them starting down the road.

Defensive End: Ryan Pickett, Mike Neal, Howard Green, C.J. Wilson, and Jarius Wynn
Analysis: Unfortunately after Pickett there are question marks surrounding the rest of the defensive ends: Neal (coming off an injury), Green (weight problems always just around the corner), and Wilson/Wynn (need to show that 2011 is the rule not the exception). That is a problem because defensive end is one of the most underrated position in the 3-4 defense because they act like the offensive tackles on defense with the linebackers and defensive backs acting like the running backs and wide receivers on defense. Much like letting Tauscher go, it pains me to let Cullen Jenkins leave via free agency but Jenkins will demand more money than the Packers are willing to commit to him.

Defensive Tackle: B.J. Raji
Analysis: As I said above, quality defensive lineman eat up space and make the linebackers, cornerbacks, and safeties look good in the 3-4 defense. Pickett and Green can slide over to defensive tackle but the Packers still need more quality depth at defensive tackle unless they want to run B.J. Raji into the ground.

Outside Linebacker: Clay Matthews, Brad Jones, Frank Zombo, Erik Walden, and Ricky Elmore
Analysis: Aaron Rodgers makes wide receivers/tight ends look good with how well he throws the ball. The same thing applies to Clay Matthews, he makes the other outside linebackers look better than if they played for another team. The Packers have a ton of options to pair with Claymaker so health will probably be the determining factor of who emerges from the group of young and talented outside linebackers to start opposite Claymaker.

Middle Linebacker: Desmond Bishop, A.J. Hawk, Nick Barnett, and Brandon Chillar
Analysis: As crazy as it sounds the Packers will have back-ups (Barnett and Chillar) that would start for most teams at middle linebacker. As I said many times, the Packers only play the 3-4 defense on about 33% of their defensive snaps so they should get Matthews, Bishop, Hawk, and Barnett on the field at the same time as much as possible in 2011. The aforementioned group is schedule to make a ton of money in 2011 so they need to be on the field as much as possible to earn their hefty paychecks.

Cornerback: Charles Woodson, Tramon Williams, Sam Shields, Pat Lee, and Devon House
Analysis: Woodson, Williams, and Shields are the only locks to make the roster while House is a virtual lock since the Packers used a 4th round pick on him in the 2011 NFL Draft. After that it really comes does to Underwood or Lee. Since Lee was drafted in the second round and Underwood was an undrafted free agent you would assume that Lee will get the nod. That is too bad though because Underwood looks like a potential starter but the off the field issues continue to plague him so the Packers will most likely move on without Underwood.

Safety: Nick Collins, Charlie Peprah, Morgan Burnett, and Jarrett Bush
Analysis: In a little more than only one season Atari Bigby went from the starter opposite Nick Collins to just another guy fighting for an NFL roster spot. Part of that comes from Drew Rosenhaus giving Bigby bad advice about holding out for a contract extension and part of that comes down to Bigby's inability to stay healthy. As a result the Packers will most likely move on without Bigby and Anthony Smith. That leaves an open competition between Peprah and Burnett for the starting spot opposite Collins with Bush continuing to serve as the special teams maven.

Specialists: Mason Crosby (K), Tim Masthay (P), and Brett Goode (LS)
Analysis: Masthay and Goode look like the right guys for the job for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately the same can't be said with 100% confidence for Crosby. Since there aren't many better options the Packers need to sign Crosby to a four-year extension that allows them to cut Crosby without a ton of salary cap ramifications if Crosby struggles in 2011 or 2012.

Practice Squad: Chastin West (WR), Ryan Taylor (TE/FB), Chris Campbell (OT), Jay Ross (DT), Lawrence Guy (DE), D.J. Smith (OLB), Josh Gordy (CB), and Anthony Levine (S)
Analysis: With all of the quality, young talent the Packers have on their current 80-man roster they could fill two practice squads. That is what made it so hard to get rid of guys like Antonio Robinson (WR), Adrian Battles (G), Curtis Young (DE/OLB), Cardia Jackson (LB), and Michael Greco (S). The Packers have such a talented 53-man roster though that worrying about who should make the practice squad is less of an issue than having to get rid of quality veterans like Bigby, Colledge, Jenkins, Jones, Nance, Poppinga, Smith, and Spitz.

Hopefully there will actually be a 2011 NFL season so periodically I will update my predictions for who should make the 53-man roster once the lockout is resolved and players get back on the field.


Footnote:
* = I decided to keep 26 players on offense, 24 players on defense, and 3 specialists

** = Unless something changes with the new collective bargaining agreement between the owners and the players, every team is allowed to place eight players on their practice squad.

2011 First Round NFL Mock Draft

There are a million Mock Drafts out there (take a look back at my 2010 Mock Draft), so I decided to do something a little different this year. Instead of trying to predict what teams are going to do, since I have no real inside information, I am going to serve as every team's general manager for their pick. I am not going to make trades despite the fact that I think a number of teams are going to trade, especially towards the end of the first round. Here is what I would do if I was in charge of each team when they pick in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft:

#1) Carolina Panthers: Patrick Peterson (CB, LSU) - This would mark the first time a cornerback was selected #1 overall. Peterson looks like the next Charles Woodson in the making that can contribute all over the defensive secondary and in the return game. I know they will probably take Cam Newton but since the Panthers have a ton of needs, I would take the best player in the draft if I was in charge.

#2) Denver Broncos: Marcell Dareus (DT, Alabama) - It was hard to pass on linebacker Von Miller and defensive tackle Nick Fairley but Dareus had more consistent production in college, which gives Dareus a slight edge over Miller and Fairley.

#3) Buffalo Bills: Von Miller (LB, Texas A&M) - An impact defensive player is not as sexy as taking a flashy quarterback like Cam Netwon. With a feisty quarterback (Ryan Fitzpatrick) already on the roster, its smarter for the Bills to target the next potential Clay Matthews as opposed to a potential franchise quarterback that has all the makings of being the next Vince Young.

#4) Cincinnati Bengals: A.J. Green (WR, Georgia) - Despite their unrest at quarterback with Carson Palmer saying he will retire instead of playing another down for the Bengals, A.J. Green is the last of my four "close to can't miss prospects" in the 2011 NFL Draft. The Bengals might be forced to trade back into the first round to get a quarterback but Green projects to be a much better player than the quarterbacks available.

#5) Arizona Cardinals: Blaine Gabbert (QB, Missouri) - There was a huge drop off from 2009 to 2010 following Kurt Warner's retirement. As a result, this is a need pick as opposed to taking the best player available (Julio Jones or Nick Fairley) so it makes sense to draft their next potential franchise quarterback.

#6) Cleveland Browns: Julio Jones (WR, Alabama) - With A.J. Green off the board, the Browns take the other stud receiver in the 2011 NFL Draft to help their second-year quarterback Colt McCoy.

#7) San Francisco 49ers: Nick Fairley (DT, Auburn) - Last year the 49ers added two offensive lineman (Anthony Davis and Mike Iupati) so this year they need to improve their defensive line. Part of the reason I took Fairley as opposed to Cam Newton is that I think rookie head coach Jim Harbaugh wants to wait for 2012 to take his former quarterback at Stanford Andrew Luck. Oh that and I think Newton is going to be a bust as an NFL quarterback.

#8) Tennessee Titans: Robert Quinn (DE, UNC) - Much like the 49ers, the Titans need a quarterback but I see too much Vince Young in Cam Newton. Despite being suspended for the 2010 college football season, Quinn is still one of the best players in the entire draft.

#9) Dallas Cowboys: Tyron Smith (T, USC) - Let me give you the understatement of the year, one way to keep franchise quarterback Tony Romo healthy is to add an offensive lineman that can block. Smith is a young, athletic offensive lineman that has a chance to be a once in a decade offensive lineman.

#10) Washington Redskins: Cam Newton (QB, Auburn) - Is Newton the next Josh Freeman or the next Vice Young? I am not a big Newton fan but I was also the same guy that didn't like Josh Freeman coming out of Kansas State. I see Newton turning out more like Freeman as opposed to Young. After screwing up the McNabb trade, there is no way owner Daniel Snyder could pass on Newton.

#11) Houston Texans: Prince Amukamara (CB, Nebraska) - Gary Kubiak is turning into the Mike D'Antoni of the NFL...puts up big numbers on offense but also yields a ton of points on defense. With new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips in the fold, Amukamara gives them a corenerback they desperately need.

#12) Minnesota Vikings: Aldon Smith (DE/OLB, Missouri) - The day after the 2010 NFL Draft every draft expert had Washington QB Jake Locker as the #1 pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. Unfortunately everyone got to see Locker play last year and his draft stock has plummeted. Smith is the smart pick but the Vikings have proven not to be the smartest organization over the last decade. Does that mean the Vikings "reach" for Locker?

#13) Detroit Lions: Anthony Castonzo (OT, Boston College) - If Matt Millen were still in charge the pick would be Pittsburgh wide receiver Jonathan Baldwin. Much like the Dallas Cowboys, the Lions need to keep their franchise quarterback healthy and that is why they are going to take the best tackle left.

#14) St. Louis Rams: Corey Liuget (DT, Illinois) - The biggest beneficiary of the time between the combine and the draft vaulted Liuget from a borderline first round pick to a mid first round pick. Liuget has the tools to be a good player at the next level. For a little more insight into Corey Liuget, check out my chat with him.

#15) Miami Dolphins: Mike Pouncey (C, Florida) - If Maurkice Pouncey had a mediocre year in the NFL last year for the Pittsburgh Steelers then Mike probably doesn't go till the end of the first round...what are brothers for?

#16) Jacksonville Jaguars: Ryan Kerrigan (DE, Purdue) - A perfect complimentary player to Tyson Alualu and Aaron Kampman gives the Jaguars one of the best defensive lines on paper in the NFL. Thought about Washington quarterback Jake Locker but barring a trade, no team between 16 and 25 needs a quarterback, so the Jaguars (and other teams) could trade back into the first round to get a quarterback depending on how the rest of the first round plays out.

#17) New England Patriots: Cameron Jordan (DE, California) - This is the pick the New England Patriots got when they traded defensive end Richard Seymour to the Oakland Raiders. At the time the Patriots thought they would net a Top 5 pick for Seymour but only getting the 17th pick for Seymour looks like the Raiders actually got good value in trade. Jordan has a chance to be a good NFL defensive lineman but would be shocked if he ever approached being as good as Seymour.

#18) San Diego Chargers: J.J. Watt (DE, Wisconsin) - This would set-up the Jordan v. Watt debate. Watt will do everything physically possible to make it in the NFL. Watt may never turn out to be a flashy player but he will give maximum effort and make everyone around him better.

#19) New York Giants: Gabe Carimi (LT, Wisconsin) - Eli Manning had to get rid of the ball faster than he wanted to all last year. Carimi gives the Giants a quality offensive lineman that can start right away and perform.

#20) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Da'Quan Bowers (DE, Clemson) - The Brandon Roy of the 2011 NFL Draft finally comes off the board. There are rumors that Bowers will need microfracture surgery, which is why he dropped out of the Top 5. The Buccaneers finished 30th in the NFL in sacks in 2010 so when a guy like Bowers is available at 20 you have to pick him. For a little more insight into Da'Quan Bowers, check out my chat with him.

#21) Kansas City Chiefs: Nate Solder (OT, Colorado) - I like Carimi more than Solder but the Chiefs have a need at offensive tackle that has to be addressed if they expect Matt Cassel to succeed so I took the best one left.

#22) Indianapolis Colts: Derek Sherrod (OT, Mississippi State) - Speaking of the best one left...every year there is a run on specific positions. The 2011 NFL Draft is going to go down as the year of the lineman.

#23) Philadelphia Eagles: Jimmy Smith (CB, Colorado) - A head case with the potential to be a shutdown cornerback. On talent alone Jimmy Smith is every bit as good as Patrick Peterson and probably more talented than Prince Amukamara. Unfortunately Smith's off the field issues caused him to drop 10 to 15 slots in the 2011 NFL Draft.

#24) New Orleans Saints: Mark Ingram (RB, Alabama) - With all the injury trouble the Saints had at running back last year, Mark Ingram is the perfect guy for the Saints to add. The knock on Ingram is that he doesn't have top end speed but with the quality interior line that the Saints have Ingram will excel running up the middle for the Saints.

#25) Seattle Seahawks: Jake Locker (QB, Washington) - Oh if it were only 2010. In a perfect world the Seahawks would undue their trade for quarterback Charlie Whitehurst and take Locker 25th overall. Instead of dwelling on the negative, the Seahawks should snag the guy that all draft experts had as the #1 pick of the 2011 NFL Draft following the 2010 NFL Draft.

#26) Baltimore Ravens: Muhammad Wilkerson (DL, Temple) - Much like Liuget, Wilkerson has benefited from having the time between the combine and draft. The versatility of Wilkerson fits the scheme the Ravens like to play with the 3-4. For a little more insight into Muhammad Wilkerson, check out my chat with him.

#27) Atlanta Falcons: Adrian Clayborn (DE, Iowa) - The Falcons are rumored to be trying to trade into the Top 10 to snag either wide receiver A.J. Green or Julio Jones. Assuming the Falcons keep the 27th pick, Clayborn provides the Falcons another pass rusher they desperately need. For a little more insight into Adrian Clayborn, check out my chat with him.

#28) New England Patriots: Danny Watkins (OG, Baylor) - With all the uncertainty surround guard Logan Mankins long-term in New England, the Patriots add a perfect pass protector to keep Tom Brady upright.

#29) Chicago Bears: Phil Taylor (DT, Baylor) - With all the good offensive lineman off the board, the Chicago Bears add a defensive tackle to pair with Julius Peppers to create pressure.

#30) New York Jets: Akeem Ayers (OLB, UCLA) - We all know that Ayers had a below average combine workout but as many draft experts say, the game tape never lies. Ayers is the perfect outside linebacker for the 3-4 defense and that makes Ayers the perfect player for the Jets.

#31) Pittsburgh Steelers: Aaron Williams (DB, Texas) - The secondary swiss army knife of the 2011 NFL Draft is the perfect player for the Steelers. Whether Williams plays safety or cornerback doesn't really matter since Dick LeBeau's defense allows defensive backs to move all over the field.

#32) Green Bay Packers: Cameron Heyward (DE, Ohio State) - With most of the guys that I thought the Packers would target off the board, I took the "safest" player left. With the uncertainty surrounding Cullen Jenkins returning to the Packers and 2010 second round pick Mike Neal returning from injury the Packers add quality depth along their defensive line by taking Heyward.

In case you missed my look at potential Day 1 picks in the 2011 NFL Draft for the Green Bay Packers, click here.

In case you missed my look at potential Day 2 picks in the 2011 NFL Draft for the Green Bay Packers, click here.

In case you missed my look at potential Day 3 picks in the 2011 NFL Draft for the Green Bay Packers, click here.

2011 NFL Draft Day 1 Preview for Ted Thompson

Barring a trade, which is a distinct possibility, Green Bay Packer general manager Ted Thompson is scheduled to make the last pick of the first round in the 2011 NFL Draft. The reason why I say that it is a distinct possibility that Thompson will trade back is that he has done it before and there are a number of team that have quarterback needs picking at the top of the second round that might want to jump back into the end of the first round so they can selected their quarterback of the future.

It is unrealistic to think studs like A.J. Green (WR, Georgia), Patrick Peterson (CB, LSU), or Nick Fairley (DT, Auburn) will get past the 10th pick in the draft. Even Cheesehead favorites defensive end J.J. Watt and offensive tackle Gabe Carimi will most likely be off the board by the 32nd pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Based on absolutely no inside information, just pure speculation on my part, here are some players that Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson could draft with the 32nd pick of the 2011 NFL Draft:

Derek Sherrod (OT, Mississippi State): Don't grade Sherrod as high as Tyron Smith, Anthony Castonzo, Gabe Carimi, and Nate Solder. That said, getting Bulaga and Sherrod in consecutive drafts would give the Packers their bookend tackles for the next decade to protect Aaron Rodgers.

Mike Pouncey (C/G, Florida): Pouncey's versatility is attractive. Most likely a mid-first round pick thanks to having a brother that excelled in the pros as a rookie last year for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Danny Watkins (OG, Baylor): With Daryn Colledge's future uncertain, Watkins could start at left guard right away in 2011.

Phil Taylor (DT, Baylor): B.J. Raji was on the field for way too many downs last year. Taylor would give the Packers a young one-two punch at defensive tackle that would be almost impossible for teams to deal with.

Muhammad Wilkerson (DE/DT, Temple): Most likely gone by the time the Packers pick, Wilkerson has had a meteoric rise up draft board in the last few weeks because he provides nice versatility along the defensive line. Wilkerson was nice enough to answer one of my questions in a recent ESPN chat, a step in the right direction by Wilkerson if he wants to endear himself to the Green Bay Packer community.

Marvin Austin (DE/DT, UNC): Many people projected that Austin would be a first round pick last year but he decided to go back to school. Unfortunately for Austin the NCAA found him guilty of taking improper benefits so Austin was suspended for the entire 2010 NCAA season. Despite the suspension, Austin could be an impact player all along the defensive line for the Packers in 2011.

Adrian Clayborn (DE, Iowa): Despite what Clayborn said to me in a recent chat, Clayborn looks like a perfect replacement for defensive lineman Cullen Jenkins who will most likely leave via free agency whenever that starts. Much like Austin, Clayborn would be another quality defensive lineman to add to the young Packer defensive line.

Cameron Heyward (DE, Ohio State): The son of Ironhead Hayward would continue the bloodline theme the Packers have with their draft philosophy. Heyward is not as sexy as a number of the other defensive lineman projected to go in the first round but Heyward's bust potential is also much smaller.

Justin Houston (DE/OLB, Georgia): If Justin Houston was entering the NFL in 2005 most draft experts would say he doesn't project to a specific position in the NFL and would most likely be a second or third round pick. Luckily for Houston it is 2011 and the proliferation of the 3-4 defense across the NFL has inflated the value of combo defensive end/outside linebackers.

Akeem Ayers (OLB, UCLA): After a mediocre combine workout, Ayers started to drop on most draft boards. Anyone that lines up opposite Claymaker is going to look better than they might look on another team...think Jones, Walden, and Zombo...so Ayers would fit nicely at outside linebacker for the Packers.

Brooks Reed (OLB, Arizona): Probably a reach at the end of the first round, but Reed sure looks like he should start opposite Claymaker. Reed has a similar motor to the Claymaker so teaming up Claymaker and Reed would drive offensive coordinators nuts.

In case you missed my look at potential Day 2 picks in the 2011 NFL Draft for the Green Bay Packers, click here.

In case you missed my look at potential Day 3 picks in the 2011 NFL Draft for the Green Bay Packers, click here.

2011 NFL Draft Day 2 Preview for Ted Thompson

Based on absolutely no inside information, just pure speculation on my part, here are some players that Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson could draft on Day 2 of the 2011 NFL Draft:

2nd Round:
Ryan Williams (RB, Virgina Tech): My sister-in-law Sarah taught him at Virgina Tech...good enough reason for the Packers to draft him. Oh yeah and he has a chance to be a game changing running back but that is a distant second.

Jon Baldwin (WR, Pittsburgh): Would have been a first round pick because he is big, strong, and fast but he is also a head case.

Titus Young (WR, Boise State): A nice game changer at wide receiver that could fill in well for James Jones.

Leonard Hankerson (WR, Miami): I don't see much of a difference between Baldwin, Young, and Hankerson on the field...it might come down to off the field stuff.

Stefen Wisniewski (OG/C, Penn State): The Clay Matthews of offensive lineman could play right away at left guard or center.

Benjamin Ijalana (OT/OG, Villanova): Projects better at guard than tackle...hopefully he is not the next Daryn Colledge.

Stephen Paea (DT, Oregon State): An absolute physical freak that did 49 reps on the bench press at the combine, that kind of strength would fit well along the defensive line for the Packers.

Jabaal Sheard (DE/OLB, Pittsburgh): A rush end that reminds me a little bit of Aaron Kampman.

Mason Foster (OLB, Washington): A talented outside linebacker that gives the Packers a bookend outside linebacker opposite Clay Matthews.

Curtis Marsh (CB, Utah State): Not really a position of need so it might be a bit of a luxury pick for the Packers.


3rd Round:
Randall Cobb (QB/WR, Kentucky): An athletic freak that is a potential rich man's Pat White.

Niles Paul (WR, Nebraska): Would fit well in the Packers' offensive system.

Tandon Doss (WR, Indiana): Injury issues have hurt his draft stock.

Kendall Hunter (RB, Oklahoma State): A potential game changer but more of a luxury pick than a need with Grant and Starks in the fold.

Jason Pinkston (OT, Pittsburgh): Another nice offensive line prospect that could help the Packers down the road.

Marcus Cannon (OT, TCU): Similar to Pinkston, more of a long-term prospect in the pros as opposed to a plug and play prospect.

Kenrick Ellis (DT, Hampton): A big, strong defensive lineman that would fit well all along the defensive line.

Bruce Carter (OLB, UNC): Another outside linebacker prospect that could take advantage of all the extra blockers that Clay Matthews draws.

In case you missed my look at potential Day 3 picks in the 2011 NFL Draft for the Green Bay Packers, click here.

2011 NFL Draft Day 3 Preview for Ted Thompson

Based on absolutely no inside information, just pure speculation on my part, here are some players that Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson could draft on Day 3 of the 2011 NFL Draft:

4th Round:
Jordan Todman (RB, UConn): Game changer at running back that could be a versatile option to go along with Grant and Starks.

Edmond Gates (WR, Abilene Christian): Is he the next Johnny Knox?

Cecil Shorts (WR, Mount Union): Small school standout with a chance to step in and play right away.

Jordan Cameron (TE, USC): Complete luxury pick but a freakish athlete cut out of the same cloth as Jermichael Finley.

DeMarcus Love (OG, Arkansas): A gifted athlete with some real health issues, one of the biggest risk/reward lineman picks of the draft.

John Moffitt (OG, Wisconsin): Ready to play at guard or center right away in the NFL.

Lee Ziemba (OG/OT, Auburn): Possibly a luxury pick but worth taking a look.

James Brewer (OT, Indiana): Similar to Ziemba, another possible luxury offensive line pick.

Marcus Gilbert (OT, Florida): Ditto...see above.

James Carpenter (OT, Alabama): I promise this is the last potential 4th round offensive lineman that I am going to highlight.

Dontay Moch (OLB, Nevada): A fast, small school guy that played defensive end that projects as an outside linebacker in the NFL. Are we looking at the next Frank Zombo?


5th Round:
Stephen Schilling (OG, Michigan): Is he the next Steve Hutchinson?

Orlando Franklin (OG/OT, Miami): With Colledge most likely on the way out, Franklin could be a more athletic version that projects to play guard.

Mark Herzlich (LB, Boston College): Cancer free and a great story to sell to the fans while the NFL is in the midst of a public relations nightmare with the lockout.

Ross Homan (LB, Ohio State): It seems like you can never have too many outside linebackers with all the injuries the Packers had at outside linebacker last year.

Rob Housler (TE, Florida Atlantic): Hard to tell the difference between a slot receiver and tight end split out in the Packers' offense so why not add another athletic tight end.


6th Round:
Dion Lewis (RB, Pittsburgh): Highly touted running back coming into college, might be a difference maker for the Packers in 2011.

DeMarco Murray (RB, Oklahoma): Ditto.

Kris O'Dowd (C, USC): Could be the perfect center prospect to groom behind Wells.

Jah Reid (OT, UCF): Another offensive line prospect that could be a starter down the road for the Packers.

Ugo Chinasa (DE, Oklahoma State): Big, fast guy that could play a number of positions for the Packers.

Cortez Allen (CB, The Citadel): Quality, disciplined player to add to the secondary.

Alex Henery (K, Nebraska): Not sure whether Crosby will be resigned, why not create a little camp competition even if the Packers bring Crosby back?


7th Round:
Scott Tolzien (QB, Wisconsin): Is Tolzien better than Harrell?

Courtney Smith (WR, South Alabama): Tall (6'4") and well built (220 pounds) wide receiver with a chance to become the next James Jones in Green Bay.

Josh Davis (OT, Georgia): Coming from the SEC, Davis has faced some of the best talent in college football.

David Mims (OT, Virgina Union): Tall (6'8") prospect that could be another nice developmental tackle along with Marshall Newhouse.

Bill Nagy (OG, Wisconsin): Barry Alvarez always said he gets his offensive lineman from Wisconsin so why can't the Packers do the same?

Steven Friday (OLB, Virgina Tech): Another healthy body to throw in the mix opposite Clay Matthews at outside linebacker.

DeMarcus Van Dyke (CB, Miami): Not saying he will ever turn out as good as Sam Shields but it worked last year so why not roll the dice?


Trick Play Prospects:
Tyrod Taylor (QB) from Virgina Tech: Love the versatility Taylor would provide the already potent Packers' offense.

Will Yeatman (TE/OT) from Maryland: May be a tackle, may be a tight, or a little bit from Column A and a little bit from Column B. Either way, Yeatman is an interesting prospect that could help the Packers in short yardage situations, which they were horrible at throughout their Super Bowl XLV run.