The 53 - Post Bye Week Potential Roster Move

The 2013 Green Bay Packers limped into their bye week with a record of 1-2.  As I mentioned last week in my review of the Packers/Bengals game, I never thought having a bye after three games of a 16 game (17 week) regular season would be so beneficial but since the Packers were nursing so many injuries, I hope the bye week allowed those players to get healthy.

Packers general manager Ted Thompson cut average wide receiver and below average kick returner Jeremy Ross heading into the bye week, which left the Packers with 52 players on their active roster so there is currently an open spot on The 53.  Since the Packers were off this week, it is really hard to change any of the other rankings besides moving everyone up one spot to account for the departure of Ross (was ranked 42 last week) from The 53 so instead of writing about players currently on The 53, here are five potential ways Thompson can fill the open spot on The 53:

The 53

1. Aaron Rodgers (QB, LW 1) 2. Clay Matthews (OLB, LW 2) 3. Randall Cobb (WR, LW 3) 4. Morgan Burnett (S, LW 4) 5. Jermichael Finley (TE, LW 9) 6. B.J. Raji (DL, LW 6) 7. Jordy Nelson (WR, LW 5) 8. Sam Shields (CB, LW 11) 9. James Jones (WR, LW 7) 10. T.J. Lang (G, LW 8) 11. Josh Sitton (G, LW 10) 12. Tramon Williams (CB, LW 14) 13. David Bakhtiari (T, LW 12) 14. Evan Dietrich-Smith (C, LW 13) 15. Brad Jones (MLB, LW 27) 16. Nick Perry (OLB, LW 15) 17. Casey Hayward (CB, LW 16) 18. Datone Jones (DL, LW 17) 19. Tim Masthay (P, LW 18) 20. Eddie Lacy (RB, LW 19) 21. Ryan Pickett (DL, LW 20) 22. Don Barclay (T, LW 21) 23. Micah Hyde (CB, LW 22) 24. Johnny Jolly (DL, LW 23) 25. A.J. Hawk (MLB, LW 24) 26. M.D. Jennings (S, LW 29) 27. Mike Daniels (DL, LW 25) 28. James Starks (RB, LW 26) 29. C.J. Wilson (DL, LW 28) 30. Jerron McMillian (S, LW 30) 31. Mason Crosby (K, LW 31) 32. Mike Neal (DL/OLB, LW 32) 33. Jonathan Franklin (RB, LW 45) 34. Brett Goode (LS, LW 33) 35. Jarrett Bush (CB, LW 34) 36. Ryan Taylor (TE, LW 35) 37. Jarrett Boykin (WR, LW 36) 38. Davon House (CB, LW 37) 39. Robert Francois (MLB, LW 38) 40. Chris Banjo (S, LW 39) 41. Andrew Quarless (TE, LW 41) 42. Jeremy Ross (WR, LW 40) 42. John Kuhn (FB, LW 42) 43. Marshall Newhouse (T, LW 43) 44. Greg Van Roten (G, LW 44) 45. Seneca Wallace (QB, LW 46) 46. Jamari Lattimore (LB, LW 47) 47. Andy Mulamba (LB, LW 48) 48. Sam Barrington (LB, LW 49) 49. Brandon Bostick (TE, LW 50) 50. Nate Palmer (LB, LW 51) 51. Josh Boyd (DL, LW 53) 52. Lane Taylor (G, LW 52)

#1) Sign wide receiver Tyrone Walker: I thought Walker should have made The 53 to start the 2013 season but Thompson obviously felt differently since he kept the newly departed Ross ahead of Walker on The 53.  Thompson can right that wrong by adding Walker as a straight replacement for Ross despite the fact that there are a ton of talent pass catchers (tight end Jake Stoneburner, wide receiver Charles Johnson, and wide receiver Myles White) that Thompson could promote from the practice squad.  I would still favor adding Walker instead of any of the pass catchers currently on the practice squad but since Thompson didn't even sign Walker to the practice squad, I obviously have a higher opinion of Walker than Thompson.  Adding Walker or one of the pass catchers currently on the practice squad is the most logical move of the five so I am going to keep the post moving since the other moves will require much more explanation and justification to convince Thompson.

#2) Sign a veteran pass rusher to a one-year, veteran minimum contract: The Packers have struggled to create a pass rush from any of their other outside linebackers besides Clay Matthews.  At some point the Packers need to get production opposite Matthews instead of trying to groom Andy Mulumba, Mike Neal, and Nick Perry as their rush linebacker of the future.  Sure Mulumba, Neal, and Neal could be a long-term solution but so far they do not look like a viable option in 2013.  As a result, the Packers should deviate from their path of continuing to go young and sign one of the veteran defensive ends that could also serve as rush outside linebackers in a 3-4 (Mark Anderson and Andre Carter) or a traditional 3-4 rush outside linebackers (Michael Boley, Jo-Lonn Dunbar, Leroy Hill, and Thomas Howard).  I know all of the aforementioned guys have some issues otherwise they would not be free agents, I would favor adding Anderson ahead of the other veteran pass rushers mentioned.  Whether it is Anderson or another one of the guys just mentioned I would just be excited if Thompson finally signed a veteran to fulfill a need instead of continuing to try to fill holes with undrafted rookie free agent.

#3) Bring back former Packer quarterback Brett Favre...just kidding...the Packers should actually bring back former Packer quarterback Matt Flynn: Despite Bus Cook's (Favre's agent) comments about how good Favre looks, I hope he is done playing but with Favre you never know.  In terms of Favre and the Packers, I just hope the Packers can retire Favre's number in a nice ceremony that leads to healing for both sides before Favre enters the Hall of Fame.  Moving onto Flynn, since he left Green Bay via free agency (signed a three-year, $26 million contract with $10 million guaranteed with the Seattle Seahawks before the 2012 season and was traded to the Oakland Raiders before the 2013 season) he has struggled whenever he actually played while the Packers continue to struggle to replace Flynn with a with a viable backup quarterback.  The Packers continue to trot out Seneca Wallace as their only backup quarterback on The 53.  The Packers also have Scott Tolzien on the practice squad and I actually think Tolzien is more worthy of a spot on The 53 than Wallace.  With all due respect to Tolzien and Wallace, Flynn is still a better quarterback than both of them.  Flynn was presumed to be the starter for two years in a row by two different teams but was beaten out by a contender for the starting quarterback job each time (last year by Russell Wilson for the Seahawks and this season by Terrelle Pryor for the Raiders).  Sure Flynn just played in this weekend (went 21 for 32 throwing for 227 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception) for the Raiders in a loss at home to the Redskins but that was only because the got that beat him for the starting quarterback job was out with a concussion.  Despite having a fairly large salary cap number for the next two seasons ($3.875 in 2013 and $7.625 million as a part of a two-year, $11.5 million restructured contract when traded from the Seahawks to the Raiders), ever since Flynn left the Packers he's made a ton of money but his performance on the field has not been commensurate to his compensation.  I could see Flynn re-working his contract to drop his salary cap number in 2014 just to rejoin the Packers.  Since Reggie McKenzie, the general manger for the Raiders is not only a former member of the Packers front office but is also in the midst of a huge rebuilding project, every draft pick helps.  Given their professional relationship I am sure Thompson and McKenzie could come to some type of deal to trade Flynn back to the Packers.  I would presume the trade would be a 7th rounder that turns into a 6th rounder if certain performance conditions were met by Flynn.

#4) Sign running back Joe McKnight to a one-year, veteran minimum contract: At the end of training camp the Packers gave McKnight a tryout as a running back and kick returner but decided not to sign him to The 53.  Instead the Packers went with a backfield of Johnathan Franklin, John Kuhn, Eddie Lacy, and James Starks.  All four current members of the backfield are hampered by injury so hopefully all four will be healthy following the bye week. Sure the Packers could promote running back Michael Hill from the practice squad no matter the health of the backfield following the bye but I like the versatility that McKnight offers as a running back/kicker returner more than what Hill offers.

#5) Sign a veteran safety to a one-year, veteran minimum contract: Heading into 2013 there was a very good chance that safety Morgan Burnett was going to miss some time after playing every defensive snap last season but I never thought it was going to be this bad.  Burnett has not even been active this season due to (what else) a hamstring injury and there is no guarantee that he will be healthy following the bye week.  After three weeks it looks like M.D. Jennings has separated himself from Chris Banjo and Jerron McMillian as the best healthy safety on the roster but all three have been fairly underwhelming this season, which highlights the lack of depth the Packers have at safety.  Much like my discussion of pass rushers above, the Packers could really use a quality veteran safety instead of continuing with their youth movement at safety.  Keep in mind the Packers finished last year with a quality veteran safety opposite Burnett in Charles Woodson.  During the off-season the Packers cut Woodson presumably, in part, because of their faith in Jennings and McMillian.  Unfortunately for the Packers, Woodson has been the most effective of the safeties discussed so far this season but he is playing for the Raiders instead of the Packers.  There are a ton of veteran free agent safeties (Kenny Phillips, Kerry Rhodes, and James Sanders) worth signing and playing ahead of all the safeties on the roster besides Burnett.  I favor Phillips ahead of Rhodes and Sanders but I don't hold out much hope that the Packers actually add a veteran since they are obsessed with youth over experience.

As I've mentioned in previous posts, Cheesehead Chick and I head to South America in a few days for two weeks so this might be my last post till the middle of October.  I will do my best to carve out some time from our vacation to post if something major happens in Cheesehead professional sports.  If I am not able to post I apologize in advance.  No matter how much I post while on vacation, I promise to post tons of advice for Cheesehead sports general managers when Cheesehead Chick and I get back from vacation.

The 53 - Packers lose to Bengals on the road

The Green Bay Packers won the toss and deferred to the second half, which means the Packers kicked off to the Cincinati Bengals to start the game.  The Bengals had an impressive opening drive that resulted in a touchdown.  On the ensuing kickoff, Packers wide receiver Jeremy Ross fumbled the kickoff and the Bengals recovered.  The Bengals capitalized on the turnover to go up 14-0 just six minutes into the game.  The Packers followed that up with 30 unanswered points to go up 30-14.  The Bengals struck back with 20 consecutive points to make the score 34-30 (would have been 21 but rookie defensive lineman Datone Jones blocked an extra point) with just over three minutes remaining in the game.  The Packers failed to score on the ensuing drive so they lost 34-30 to the Bengals to head into their bye week with a record of 1-2.

With the quick rundown of the game out of the way, here are my thoughts along with updated rankings to The 53 following the Packers/Bengals game:

The 53

1. Aaron Rodgers (QB, LW 1) 2. Clay Matthews (OLB, LW 2) 3. Randall Cobb (WR, LW 3) 4. Morgan Burnett (S, LW 4) 5. Jermichael Finley (TE, LW 9) 6. B.J. Raji (DL, LW 6) 7. Jordy Nelson (WR, LW 5) 8. Sam Shields (CB, LW 11) 9. James Jones (WR, LW 7) 10. T.J. Lang (G, LW 8) 11. Josh Sitton (G, LW 10) 12. Tramon Williams (CB, LW 14) 13. David Bakhtiari (T, LW 12) 14. Evan Dietrich-Smith (C, LW 13) 15. Brad Jones (MLB, LW 27) 16. Nick Perry (OLB, LW 15) 17. Casey Hayward (CB, LW 16) 18. Datone Jones (DL, LW 17) 19. Tim Masthay (P, LW 18) 20. Eddie Lacy (RB, LW 19) 21. Ryan Pickett (DL, LW 20) 22. Don Barclay (T, LW 21) 23. Micah Hyde (CB, LW 22) 24. Johnny Jolly (DL, LW 23) 25. A.J. Hawk (MLB, LW 24) 26. M.D. Jennings (S, LW 29) 27. Mike Daniels (DL, LW 25) 28. James Starks (RB, LW 26) 29. C.J. Wilson (DL, LW 28) 30. Jerron McMillian (S, LW 30) 31. Mason Crosby (K, LW 31) 32. Mike Neal (DL/OLB, LW 32) 33. Jonathan Franklin (RB, LW 45) 34. Brett Goode (LS, LW 33) 35. Jarrett Bush (CB, LW 34) 36. Ryan Taylor (TE, LW 35) 37. Jarrett Boykin (WR, LW 36) 38. Davon House (CB, LW 37) 39. Robert Francois (MLB, LW 38) 40. Chris Banjo (S, LW 39) 41. Andrew Quarless (TE, LW 41) 42. Jeremy Ross (WR, LW 40) 43. John Kuhn (FB, LW 42) 44. Marshall Newhouse (T, LW 43) 45. Greg Van Roten (G, LW 44) 46. Seneca Wallace (QB, LW 46) 47. Jamari Lattimore (LB, LW 47) 48. Andy Mulamba (LB, LW 48) 49. Sam Barrington (LB, LW 49) 50. Brandon Bostick (TE, LW 50) 51. Nate Palmer (LB, LW 51) 52. Josh Boyd (DL, LW 53) 53. Lane Taylor (G, LW 52)

2. Clay Matthews (OLB, LW 2): After two fairly quiet weeks to open the 2013 season, Matthews put together a huge game with two forced fumbles (an assist from rookie defensive lineman Datone Jones on one of them).  The first forced fumble lead to a recovery and return for a touchdown by safety M.D. Jennings.  Matthews was on the sidelines at the start of the second half with the 10,001 hamstring injury for the Packers in 2013.  The absence of Matthews was felt in the second half as the Packers struggled to contain the Bengals offense.

5. Jermichael Finley (TE, LW 9): I am sure the main game-plan for the Packers was to work Finley over the middle but since he was lost on the first offensive series to a concussion, head coach Mike McCarthy had to modify his game-plan.  We know in-game adjustments are not McCarthy's forte.  Much like safety Morgan Burnett, Finley's stock rose when he was out due to injury.  After dropping a couple balls, backup tight end Andrew Quarless seemed to be benched in favor of Ryan Taylor.  The drop-off from starter (Finley) to backup (Quarless and Taylor) is very pronounced at tight end.  Sure the backups had a couple catches but they do not possess Finley's rare combination of size and speed.  Add in that the Bengals have such slow linebackers and if Finley were healthy, I honestly think he would have had a career day and the Packers would have won by two touchdowns.  That may sound like sour grapes but it just goes to show you how valuable Finley is to this offense despite the Packers having arguably the best quarterback in the NFL and three stud wide receivers.

8. Sam Shields (CB, LW 11): Until this season cornerback Tramon Williams covered the opposing team's best wide receiver.  Starting this season Shields handles that assignment, which shows you how much the Packer value Shields.   Despite giving up a touchdown to Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green late in the 3rd quarter, today's performance by Sheilds against Green (blanket coverage along with an interception) shows that he is a special player.  Despite all the talent the Packers have at cornerback, since Shields is in a contract year, they need to workout a long-term deal with Shields before the end of this season.

15. Brad Jones (MLB, LW 27): I've been very critical of Jones. In fact, before the seasons, I wrote that he has the 4th worst contract on The 53.  My issue with paying middle linebackers is that besides former Packer Desmond Bishop, the Packers have been unable to create big plays from the middle linebacker position.  Jones did his best Bishop impression against the Bengals registering 11 tackles, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.

26. M.D. Jennings (S, LW 29): With safety Morgan Burnett missing his third consecutive game, the Packers are still trying to get settled at safety.  The emergence of Chris Banjo has given the Packers three safties competing one position next to Burnett once he is healthy.  A fumble return for TD, a sack, and four tackles allowed Jennings to stake his claim to line-up next to Burnett at safety following the bye.

33. Johnathan Franklin (RB, LW 45): The running back position continues to be the definition of "next guy up".  Last week the Packers lost rookie running back Eddie Lacy to a concussion.  Running back James Starks ran very well in place of Lacy last week but got hurt at the end of the first half against the Bengals, which left Franklin as the only healthy and active running back or fullback.  After a lackluster preseason, Franklin performed well until he fumbled on a 4th and 1 that was returned for a touchdown to give the Bengals a 34-30 lead.  That was ultimately the winning scoreline.  Franklin ran for 103 yards (a touchdown but he broke off a 51 yard run) and caught three passes for 23 yards.  Franklin running for over 100-yards against the Bengals gave the Packers consecutive games with a 100-yard rusher for the first time since December of 2007.

42. Jeremy Ross (WR, LW 40): After fumbling on his first touch of the game on a kickoff return, McCarthy stuck with Ross.  Fumbles in general, let alone on special teams, are inexcusable so luckily Ross atoned for his fumble by properly fielding a kickoff out of bounds to give the Packers the ball on their own 40-yard line instead of essentially the goal line.

There were five guys inactive against the Bengals that if healthy would have been active: Morgan Burnett (S), Jarrett Bush (CB), Casey Hayward (CB), John Kuhn (FB), and Eddie Lacy (RB) while Josh Boyd (DL) and Lane Taylor (G) continue to be healthy scratches.  The Packers suffered three more important injuries against the Bengals: Finley (concussion), Starks (knee), and Matthews (hamstring).

Before today I was super salty about the Packers having a bye week so early in the season season for one selfish reason and one practical reason.  Selfishly, Cheesehead Chick and I are going on a two week vacation to South America in early October.  Somehow our bye week fell even before that trip so I am not going to see the Packers until I go to the game on October 20th against the Browns in Green Bay.  That means after the bye week next week, I am going to miss two Packers games (at home against the Detroit Lions and on the road against the Baltimore Ravens).

The practical reason I was salty about the Packers having a bye so early was that I did not think it would help them rehab injuries since it fell so early in the season but with a number of players hobbled, the bye week came just in time.

Check back if the Packers make any roster moves over the next few weeks before they host the Lions at home on October 6th.  If not, check for a bunch of other Cheesehead sports related coverage.

The 53 - Packers lose to 49ers in 2013 opener

Last year the Green Bay Packers opened the season with a home loss to the San Francisco 49ers and closed the season with a playoff road loss to the 49ers as well.  Unfortunately 2013 started just the way 2012 ended for the Packers with a road loss to the 49ers.  Here are my thoughts along with updated rankings to The 53 following the Packers/49ers season opener:

The 53

1. Aaron Rodgers (QB, 1) 2. Clay Matthews (OLB, 2) 3. Randall Cobb (WR, 6) 4. Morgan Burnett (S, 7) 5. B.J. Raji (DL, 4) 6. Jordy Nelson (WR, 11) 7. T.J. Lang (G, 8) 8. Jermichael Finley (TE, 5) 9. Josh Sitton (G, 3) 10. James Jones (WR, 9) 11. Sam Shields (CB, 10) 12. Tramon Williams (CB, 12) 13. Evan Dietrich-Smith (C, 13) 14. David Bakhtiari (T, 17) 15. Nick Perry (OLB, 15) 16. Casey Hayward (CB, 14) 17. Datone Jones (DL, 18) 18. Tim Masthay (P, 19) 19. Eddie Lacy (RB, 16) 20. Ryan Pickett (DL, 20) 21. Don Barclay (T, 21) 22. Johnny Jolly (DL, 32) 23. A.J. Hawk (MLB, 22) 24. C.J. Wilson (DL, 23) 25. Brad Jones (MLB, 24) 26. Mike Daniels (DL, 26) 27. M.D. Jennings (S, 25) 28. Jerron McMillian (S, 27) 29. Micah Hyde (CB, 28) 30. James Starks (RB, 43) 31. Mason Crosby (K, 38) 32. Brett Goode (LS, 29) 33. Jarrett Bush (CB, 30) 34. Ryan Taylor (TE, 31) 35. Jarrett Boykin (WR, 33) 36. Robert Francois (MLB, 34) 37. Jeremy Ross (WR, 35) 38. John Kuhn (FB, 37) 39. Marshall Newhouse (T, 36) 40. Greg Van Roten (G, 39) 41. Davon House (CB, 40) 42. Chris Banjo (S, 51) 43. Jonathan Franklin (RB, 41) 44. Andrew Quarless (TE, 42) 45. Seneca Wallace (QB, 44) 46. Jamari Lattimore (LB, 46) 47. Mike Neal (OLB, 47) 48. Andy Mulumba (LB, 53) 49. Sam Barrington (LB, 49) 50. Nate Palmer (LB, 50) 51. Lane Taylor (G, 52) 52. Brandon Bostick (TE, 48) 53. Josh Boyd (DL, 45)

2. Clay Matthews (OLB): Bill Barnwell of Grantland.com, one of my favorite football writers, usually reviews bad coaching decisions in a weekly article called "Thank You For Not Coaching".  I presume that Packers head coach Mike McCarthy's decision to accept a penalty that gave the 49ers a 3rd and 6 instead of a 4th and 1 at the 5 yard line with the score tied 7-7 early in the second quarter will end up in that column.  I am not sure Barnwell's thoughts yet but here are my thoughts.  Following McCarthy accepting a penalty to set-up 3rd and 6 instead of 4th and 1, Matthews committed a personal foul tackling 49ers quarterback Colin Kapernick out of bounds.  A scuffle ensued. Somehow 49ers offensive lineman Joe Staley got an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and Matthews was not ejected despite the fact that Matthews punched (a weak attempt but a punch nonetheless) Staley.  As we know now, the officials erred in replaying the down because of the off-setting penalties occurred after the play was over so it really should have been 4th and 2 from the Packers' 6 yard-line.  Obviously if McCarthy declines the penalty none of this ever happens because the 49ers face a 4th and 1 on the Packers' 5 yard line.  Odds are the 49ers go for it and most likely pickup the first down but if the Packers stopped the 49ers in that spot, they give themselves a huge boost in confidence instead of giving the 49ers two chances to go six yards.  Obviously McCarthy is a quality NFL head coach but some of his in-game decisions continue to perplex me.

4. Morgan Burnett (S):  Despite not playing against the 49ers, Burnett moved up three spots thanks to the horrible performances of the safety tandem of M.D. Jennings and Jerron McMillian.  Even with Charles Woodson on the roster last season, Burnett was clearly the best safety on the team.  Although Jennings and McMillian showed flashes last year, they could never put together consistent performances.  When the Packers cut Woodson, I was shocked that the Packers did not bring in another veteran at safety given the uneven play of Jennings and McMillian.  Hopefully once Burnett returns that will elevate the play of the other safeties, otherwise general manager Ted Thompson is going to rue not only cutting Woodson but failing to replace him with a veteran.

9. Josh Sitton (G): The 49ers have arguably the best defensive line in the NFL but that still does not excuse the three penalties (one for illegal hands to the face and two for holding) that Sitton committed.  This off-season the Packers flipped Sitton to left guard and T.J. Lang to right guard, which still makes no sense to me since both guys were so comfortable in the positions they finished at in 2012.  Despite flipping sides, on paper the Sitton/Lang combo still forms the best pair of guards in Green Bay since Mike Wahle and Marco Rivera, now we just need to see it in live action.

37. Jeremy Ross (WR): The Packers handed Ross the return job on a platter but after week one they might be looking for another return man.  In the preseason the Packers gave rookie running back Johnathan Franklin a shot at returning kickoffs but Franklin was underwhelming.  If the Packers think Franklin can hold onto the ball, they might as well give him another shot because Ross averaged just over 13 yards on kickoff returns, which is the definition of underwhelming so Franklin can't do much worse. 

42. Chris Banjo (S): Less than a month ago the Packers brought Banjo in as essentially a camp body with an outside chance to make the practice squad.  Not only did Banjo make The 53, but if Burnett is out against the Washington Redskins next week, the Packers should consider giving Banjo some snaps on defense in place of Jennings or McMillian given how much both struggled last week.

48. Andy Mulumba (LB): Every NFL team has a 53-man roster but a silly NFL rules prevents every player form being active for each game.  Two of the seven inactive players (Morgan Burnett and Casey Hayward), when healthy, will always be active.  The other inactive players (Sam Barrington, Brandon Bostick, Josh Boyd, Nate Palmer, and Lane Taylor) will have to show something during practice each week to be active.  I highlight Mulamba because he was active this week but will battle with Barrington and Palmer on a weekly basis to be active gameday.

Make sure to check back for my full breakdown if Thompson makes any significant roster moves this week, otherwise check back next Monday for my thoughts on the Packers/Redskins game.

Ranking "In Memoriam (Part II)" Packers through 2012

I had a mid-season "in memoriam" post before my mid-season player rankings to break down the fact that the Packers replaced six guys (Brandian Ross, Phillip Merling, Brandon Saine, Cedric Benson, D.J. Smith, and Nick Perry) on initial their 53-man roster with Andrew Quarless (TE), Mike Neal (DE), Greg Van Roten (OG), Erik Walden (OLB), Johnny White (RB), and Frank Zombo (OLB).

As it turns out, two of the six guys added by mid-season (Quarless and White) were not on the 53-man roster at the end of the season.  All told, four players that were on the roster in the middle of the season were either cut or put on injured reserve.  To get a feel for how much the Packers are missing each of the four players, here is a quick look at where I ranked the four of them in my mid-season rankings:

INC) (NR) Vic So'oto (OLB) - The number assigned to So'oto was "INC" because he joined the Packers 53-man roster after my mid-season rankings but was cut, signed to the practice, and ultimately ended the season on the Washington Redskins' 53-man roster.  I had to include So'oto because he is the ring leader of the defensive end turned outside linebacker that was supposed to be the next James Harrison (undrafted free agent turned franchise player) for the Packers.  Sadly So'oto will never be even a poor man's version of Harrison, which is probably why he decided to pursue a career as a professional wrestler in the WWE.

#52 (51) Sean Richardson (S) - After one season, it looks like Richardson is the James Starks of the secondary sans a memorable playoff run that resulted in a Super Bowl.  That is a long way of saying Richardson looks physically gifted but is always injured.  That is too bad because Richardson's combination of size and speed make him an enticing player in the secondary.

#51 (NR) Johnny White (RB) - Being the 7th or 8th best running back roster is never a compliment, especially with the rag-tag bunch that the Packers had in 2012.

#50 (NR) Andrew Quarless (TE) - The Packers knew that Quarless had some off the field issues when they drafted him in 5th round of the 2010 NFL Draft.  It turns out that Quarless has been a good citizen off the field but has had a number of injury issues on the field.  For his blocking ability alone, the Packers will give Quarless another shot in 2013 but if he suffers any more injuries I see the Packers reaching an injury settlement with Quarless to let him try to resurrect his (health) career elsewhere.

#17 (10) Bryan Bulaga (T) - Originally it looked like losing Bulaga was going to be the biggest loss of the season but undrafted rookie free agent Don Barclay performed well in place of Bulaga.  In fact, Barclay played so well that the Packers might have to entertain playing the short armed Bulaga at left tackle to keep Barclay at right tackle.

Losing Richardson, White, and Quarless was not a big deal.  Even losing Bulaga did not turn out to be as big of a loss as first thought thanks to Barclay so although the Packers were ravaged by serious injuries to key players (Bishop, Benson, Smith, and Perry) throughout the first half of the season, they stayed relatively healthy in the second half of the season.  General manager Ted Thompson replaced the players discussed above with DuJuan Harris (RB), Jeremy Ross (WR), Ryan Grant (RB), and Jordan Miller (DT).  Check back tomorrow to see where I rank the new roster additions along with their 49 teammates in my final rankings for the 2012 Green Bay Packers' 52-man roster.

2012 Week 15 - Packers beat Bears to Clinch the 2012 NFC North Title

As a Packer fan and resident of Chicago since 2003, every Packers/Bears game feels like a playoff games, especially the ones played in Chicago.  Thanks to having uncles with Bears season tickets, I have been to nearly every Packers/Bears game in Chicago for the last decade.  Usually I've taken Cheesehead Chick or a buddy but this time I really wanted to go with Papa Cheese.  Luckily schedules worked out so Papa Cheese and I could enjoy the 186th installment of the Packers/Bears rivalry together at Soldier Field.

The Packers beat the Bears 21-13 to narrow the Bears' lead in the series to 92–88–6.  Instead of giving a blow-by-blow game recap of the game, which felt like a bigger blowout than the final score indicated, I decided to employ a gimmick of my favorite national football writer Peter King that he calls "10 Things I Think I Think":

#1) Three touchdown receptions by James Jones helped erase some of the horrible memories of him fumbling away a regular season win at Soldier Field in 2010.  I was dead wrong when I said that James Jones was the 4th most overpaid Packer going in the 2012 season.

#2) Rookie cornerback Casey Hayward's 6th interception completely changed the complexion of the game because it gave the Packers good field position in the waning moments of the first half, which they took advantage of by scoring a touchdown to take a 14-7 lead.  Bears quarterback Jay Cutler has taken some heat over the years for his horrible body language but his reaction to Hayward's interception might have been an all-time low for Cutler.

#3) There is no doubt that Ryan Grant gives the Packers a fresh set of legs at running back but let's not get too excited about Grant.  There is a reason why Grant was a free agent for most of the season.  That doesn't even factor in Grant's fumble as the Packers were about to put the game out of reach.

#4) The Packers notching their 12th straight division win while clinching their 2nd straight NFC North title with two games left to play still does not mean they should get complacent, especially when a first round bye is within reach if the Packers win out and the 49ers lose one of their last two games.

#5) Head coach Mike McCarthy has made some bold special teams calls this season (think fake field goal against Bears and fake field punt against the Saints) that worked out, but dialing up a trick play with the Packers leaning 21-10 midway through the 4th quarter was downright foolish.  For those that don't know what I am talking about, return man extraordinaire Randall Cobb fielded the punt then threw the ball all the way across the field to Jeremy Ross for Ross's first touch in the NFL.  Some speculated that McCarthy called the fake because Rodgers tweaked his ankle but that presumes that McCarthy's high risk play call would definitely result in a touchdown, which is a stretch.  The smart play is to let Cobb return the kick and have back-up quarterback Graham Harrell play for a series while Rodgers received medial attention.  Thankfully the defense held the Bears to a field goal, otherwise the special teams blunder could have cost the Packers the game.

#6) Wow is it nice to have a healthy Clay Matthews.  Not only is Matthews one of the best pass rushers in the NFL, but you would be hard pressed to find a better rush outside linebacker that defends the run so well.  The only chink in Matthews's armor is that he does not drop into coverage very well.  I support Matthews occasionally spying the quarterback in passing situations but having him drop into coverage seems like a waste.

#7) Although Bears fans hate to agree, it was nice to finally see offensive pass interference called in an NFL game.  I get that three offensive pass interference calls against Alshon Jeffrey feels like too much since refs rarely call offensive pass interference but I applaud the referees for making the right calls.  Plus, if anyone deserves to get a few calls in their favor it is Sam Shields.

#8) Another game, another dreadful performance by placekicker Mason Crosby.  The first miss rivaled Crosby's miss as time expired against the Colts for the worst kick of his career.  The second miss struck the upright to make Crosby 0-2.  I hope I am wrong, but it feels like Crosby is going to have at least once kick with the game on the line in the playoffs, which gives me nightmares.

#9) There is no doubt that the Packers/Bears rivalry is the most historic in the NFL but it has been one sided, both ways, for long periods of time.  Take the current streak for the Packers, they just beat the Bears for the 6th straight time and it was their 8th win in their last 9 tries (only loss was the James Jones fumble game discussed above) to push head coach Mike McCarthy's record against the Bears to 10-5.

#10) Usually Peter King talks about non-football things for #10 so if I am going to borrow his column gimmick, I might as well do it properly.  If you've never been to Chicago, please put it on your bucket list for next summer.  The winters are harsh in the Midwest but the summers make up for it.  Do yourself a favor, come to Chicago the weekend of the Old Town Art Fair.  Besides checking out the art fair, try to catch (no pun intended) a Cubs' game from the bleachers at Wrigley Field, check out a concert at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, tour one of the many museums in and around Grant Park (can't go wrong with the Art Institute, Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium, or the Field Museum), grab a bite to eat in Greek Town or Little Italy, attend a show at Second City, grab a night cap at the Hancock Tower, and grab brunch at one of the many tasty breakfast spots (I highly recommend Orange, Wishbone, or Yolk) on your way out of town.  I know some of those things sound touristy, but they are all worth it.

I am going to the Packers/Titans game next week at Lambeau so check back for my review of (hopefully) another Packers' win.