The 53 - Packers lose to Eagles at Lambeau Field

After missing the Packers/Lions and Packers/Ravens games while I was in South America with Cheesehead Chick, I made up for lost time seeing the Packer beat the Browns at Lambeau Field and the Vikings at The Humpty in-person.  After watching the Packers lose to the Bears on television,  I topped off my crazy run of seeing the Packers play in-person three times in four weeks by going to the Packers/Eagles game with Brad, Sug, and Sug's father aka The Governator.

Brad, Sug, and I did not leave Chicago till after 7 am so by the time we picked up The Governator in Hubertus and hit a little traffic just south of Green Bay, we didn't even get to the parking lot until a little after 11 am.  That left us less than an hour to tailgate and get to our seats.  The Governator made the judgment call to buy all the fixings for steak sandwiches instead of brats.  Although it seemed odd to eat steak sandwiches instead of brats before a Packer game, it was absolutely the right call.  Not only do the steaks cook much faster than brats, they were super tasty topped off with some grilled onions and mustard.  Despite having a decent walk from the parking lot to Lambeau Field and a long security line once we reached the stadium, we still got to our seats right as the game started.

The inactives for the Packers against the Eagles were: Josh Boyd (DE, healthy scratch), Chris Harper (WR, healthy scratch), Andy Mulumba (LB, ankle), James Nixon (CB, healthy scratch), Aaron Rodgers (QB, broken collarbone), Derek Sherrod (T, healthy scratch), and C.J. Wilson (DE, healthy scratch).  I would estimate that I've seen at least 25 Packer games at Lambeau Field.  The Packers/Eagles game had the most injury timeouts of any game I've ever attended at Lambeau Field, so I expect to see some names added to the inactive list for next week on the road against the Giants.

The beginning and end of the last two games for the Packers were carbon copies of each other.  In each of the last two weeks the first offensive series saw the Packers lose their starting quarterbacks, Aaron Rodgers against the Chicago Bears and Seneca Wallace against the Philadelphia Eagles.  Wallace didn't play very well against the Bears in place of Rodgers so losing Wallace against the Eagles was mitigated by a decent performance by former Wisconsin Badger quarterback Scott Tolzien in his first regular season action of his NFL career.

Home loses are always a bummer but the way the games were salted away by the Bears and Eagles made them downright painful to watch.  Last week the Bears got the ball on their own 20-yard line with 9 minutes and 48 seconds left in the game leading the Packers 24-20.  An 18-play drive resulted in a field goal that put the Bears up 27-20 with 50 seconds left in the game.  On the following possession the Packers took more sacks than positive plays as the game ended in a whimper.

Before the last drive of the Packers/Eagles game the Packers dominated time of possession (26:04 for the Eagles v. 34:24 for the Packers) and total yards (340 yards for the Eagles v. 396 yards for the Packers) but still trailed by 14 points due to leaving at least 20 points on the field: Tolzien's interception in the red zone, a turnover on downs in the red zone, and two missed field goals by Mason Crosby.

The Eagles got the ball with 9 minutes and 32 seconds left in the game and managed to gain 70 yards on 15 plays to seal a 27-13 victory without the Packers ever touching the ball again.  I hate to leave games early but with a few minutes left in the game I knew that the Eagles were going to continue to pound the ball en route to victory.  Given the long drive back, I am sad to say we (gulp) actually left the game early.

What made the loss even more of a bummer was the number of serious injuries the Packers suffered against the Eagles: Wallace (groin injury), center Evan Dietrich-Smith (knee injury), right tackle Don Barclay (knee injury), defensive lineman Ryan Pickett (knee), defensive lineman Johnny Jolly (groin), outside linebacker Nick Perry (foot), and cornerback Casey Hayward (hamstring).  Apparently Wallace's groin injury was the worst of the bunch because Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson placed Wallace on injured reserve.  At this point we do not know the severity of any of the other injuries.

Just two weeks ago it looked like the Packers were on their way to winning their third consecutive division title, my how things have changed.  After the Packers lost to the Bears and Eagles at home in consecutive weeks they fell to 5-4.  If the season were to end today, the Packers would miss the playoffs for the first time since 2008.  There is a chance that Dietrich-Smith and/or Barclay might be out an extended period of time so the playoff may no longer be within reach even if Rodgers returns by the beginning of December.  Here are my updated player rankings and thoughts following the Packers/Eagles game:

The 53

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

Physically Unable to Perform

1. Jerel Worthy (DE) 2. JC Tretter (T) 3. Sean Richardson (S)

IR, Designated for Return

1. Randall Cobb (WR)

Injured Reserve

1. Jermichael Finley (TE) 2. Bryan Bulaga (T) 3. DuJuan Harris (RB) 4. Robert Francois (MLB) 5. Greg Van Roten (C/G) 6. Sam Barrington (LB) 7. Seneca Wallace (QB) 7. Kevin Dorsey (WR) 8. Sederrik Cunningham (WR)

Cut

1. Jeremy Ross (WR, Lions) 2. Michael Hill (RB, Practice Squad)

#3) Jordy Nelson (WR, LR 4): For the day Nelson had six catches for 56 yards and almost two touchdowns.  I say almost two touchdowns because at the end of the first half Nelson made an acrobatic catch that left him off-balance as he attempted to score a touchdown.  Ultimately the Packers settled for a field goal to go into halftime down 10-3.  The bigger almost touchdown came with the Packers facing a 4th down and four on the Eagles' 7-yard line with less than ten minutes to play. Tolzien found Nelson in the corner of the end zone right in front of where we were sitting.  On a close call the pass was ruled incomplete instead of a touchdown.  Given that the Packers were trailing by 14 points in the 4th quarter, head coach Mike McCarthy was almost forced to challenge the call.  None of the replays looked definitive till the last frame that they played over and over again on the new jumbotrons.  I know I am biased but the last replay made it look like Nelson kept his hand between the ball and ground for a touchdown catch.  Unfortunately the only person that matter, head referee Mike Carey disagreed.  Quick side note on automatic booth reviews.  All turnovers and scoring plays are automatically reviewed.  Unfortunately there is a carve out for "turnovers on downs" because McCarthy was forced to use his challenge to change a call on a play from a turnover to a touchdown.

#5) T.J. Lang (G, LR 9): Suffered a concussion against the Bears, which put his status in doubt to play against the Eagles.  On a personal level I hope that the Packer did not rush Lang back given how much we are learning about the long-term ramifications of concussions, especially when players suffer multiple concussions in a short period of time.  If Lang did not play against the Eagles though, I am not sure the Packers would have been able to field five healthy offensive lineman at the end of the game.  Sherrod probably would have been active if Lang was inactive but after the Packers lost center EDS to a knee injury in the second quarter, the Packers would have been forced to move Don Barclay or Lane Taylor to center instead of Lang.  Despite never playing center before in his entire life, Lang moved from right guard to center when EDS went down with a knee injury.  Barclay moved to right guard and Marshall Newhouse was inserted at right tackle.  When Barclay went down early in the fourth quarter, the Packers were forced to use their last healthy offensive lineman, Lane Taylor.  Without the benefit of re-watching the game yet, it looks like Lang handled the center responsibilities pretty well given that he has never played that position in a live game at any level in his entire football career.  I wish the same could be said for Newhouse because for the second week in a row, Newhouse struggled at right tackle. Not sure the status of EDS and Barclay for next week but it is time to see if Sherrod can give the Packers anything.  Sure offensive lineman are going to give up sacks but Newhouse didn't even get a hand on Vinny Curry when he sacked Tolzien.

#7) Morgan Burnett (S, LR 3): Sure the Packers are not doing Burnett any favors by lining him up next to one of the trio of their sub par safeties (Chris Banjo, M.D. Jennings, and Jeron McMillian) but giving up two long touchdown catches and a long run is unacceptable for a player of Burnett's caliber.  The Packers currently have safety Sean Richardson on the PUP list.  As long as Richardson is healthy, they might as well elevate him to The 53 to see if they can get even decent play at safety opposite Burnett.  The lack of pass rush always has a waterfall effect that is felt most by the safeties.  Rookie defensive lineman Datone Jones had two sacks but they seemed like the quietest sacks in NFL history given how easily the Eagles were able to throw against the Packers.  When the Packers knew the Eagles wanted to run they moved an extra safety in the box but they were unable to hold Eagles running back LeSean McCoy (25 carries for 155 yards) in check.

#13) Tramon Williams (CB, LR 14): The Eagles lucked into the first score of the game when Williams and safety Morgan Burnett ran into each other going for an interception that fell right into Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson's hands for a 55-yard touchdown. Jackson showboated into the end zone and somehow avoided a personal foul for taunting all on a play that was gift wrapped by Burnett and Williams as opposed to a stellar play by Eagles quarterback Nick Foles or Jackson.  Later in the game Williams had a chance for a pick that he just missed that turned into a nice gain for the Eagles on their drive that put them up 27-10.  Both of the interceptions discussed are plays that Williams would have made in years past.  The Packers have an NFL low three interceptions so far in 2013 after averaging 26 per season since 2009.  In fairness to Williams, he did create and recover a fumble on a sack later in the game.  McCarthy had to challenge the play to give the Packers the ball with a little less than 11 minutes remaining in the game.  Unfortunately those types of players are few and far between for Williams and secondary this season, which is a big factor in their defensive woes the last few weeks.

#26) Jarrett Boykin (WR, LR 28): The Packers got another solid performance out of Boykin with 8 catches for 112 yards on 13 targets.  I like Boykin as a 3rd or 4th option but given how much he is targeted, some of his chances are coming at the expense of targets of wide receiver James Jones.  I know Boykin's role would increase with Cobb and Finley injured but I did not think it would come at the expense of Jones.  Although Boykin has played well in his expanded role, I would still like to see the Packers get Jones more involved.

#32) Mason Crosby (K, LR 26) : As I said last week, Crosby was going to regress to the mean after starting the season almost perfect (19 for 21) en route to being named NFC special teams player of the month for October.  Crosby hit the upright on his first attempt from 53 yards and was wide right from 43 yards on his second attempt.  Crosby finished 2 for 4 on the day converting ship shots from 26 and 35 yards out.  Crosby picked the absolute worst time to regress since the Packers had their 3rd string quarterback under center and a defense that could no longer stop the run.  Apparently Crosby is a cat or has blackmail worthy dirt on one of the high-ups for the Packers, otherwise how is he still on the roster?  Crosby used up one of his nine lives against the Eagles, let's just hope someone can destroy the dirt he has on the higher-ups so the Packers can move forward with a different placekicker.  This may seem like an irrational swing by me but kickers are like closers in baseball, once things start going sideways it is time to move on.

#38) Scott Tolzien (QB, LR N/A): Trailing 7-0, the Packers had the ball on the Eagles' 5-yards line facing a 3rd and three down 7-0 with eight minutes and 57 second left in the first half.  For some reason McCarthy called a pass instead of a run.  Tolzien under threw Nelson so Eagles cornerback Brandon Boykin undercut the route, intercepted Tolzien's pass, and returned it 76 yards to the Packers 27 yard-line.  Rodgers threw a ball just past the defender's ear against the Vikings for a touchdown.  I don't expect Tolzien to be able to throw like Rodgers but I do expect that he puts the ball where either Nelson makes the catch or the ball falls incomplete instead of giving the defender a chance to undercut the route.  In his first regular season NFL action Tolzien went 24 for 39 throwing for 280 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions.  If healthy, Tolzien actually looks like he gives the Packers a chance to win next week on the road against the Giants.

#40) Matt Flynn (QB, LR N/A): Quarterback Seneca Wallace went from being the first ever African-American quarterback to start for the Packers to being placed on injured reserve in less than 48 hours. McCarthy named Tolzien the starter for next week in his post-game new conference and Thompson signed former Packer quarterback Matt Flynn to The 53 in place of Wallace.  I've been calling for this move since the end of September.  At that point Rodgers was the starter, Wallace was the backup, and Tolzien was a member of the practice squad.  In recent weeks there have been reports that Flynn has an elbow issue but his medical must have checked out because although Thompson waited a little over a month more than I wanted, he was able to sign Flynn off the street instead of giving the Raiders or Bills a conditional draft pick for Flynn.  Hopefully Flynn is fully healthy because he is the only backup to Tolzien this week.  If Tolzien gets injured, which seems very likely give than the Packers have lost their starting quarterback in consecutive games, some will question why the Packers did not bring Flynn back in the fold earlier to get him acclimated to the offense.

A big thanks to Sug for doing all the driving.  An even bigger thanks to The Governator for getting us tickets and running the most efficient tailgate I've been to in a long time.  I hate to sound like a spoiled brat because any day at Lambeau Field is a good day, especially a sunny one in early November, but a loss coupled with all the injuries that the Packers suffered made the Packers/Eagles the most frustrating game I've ever seen in-person at Lambeau Field.  I try to look for silver linings in demoralizing home loses like the Packers suffered in consecutive weeks at the hands of the Bears and the Eagles.  At this point my only solace was the steak sandwich.  My Father-In-Law loves to get steak sandwiches before Notre Dame home games so next time we go to a Packer game together I am going to grill some steak sandwiches along with brats.

I was going to buy a Lacy jersey at the Packers Pro Shop at Lambeau Field but I thought the jersey would be cursed if I bought it during/after a Packer loss.  Although Cheesehead Chick wanted me to agree that the Packers/Eagles game was my last Packer game at Lambeau Field in 2013, now I know I need to go to at least one more game to lock down the Lacy jersey.

Building The 53 - Finley & Barrington Out, Sherrod & Tolzien In

Whenever a roster spot on The 53 opens up, I am never shy about giving my thoughts on how Green Bay Packer general manager Ted Thompson should fill that spot.  After starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers suffered a broken collarbone against the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football on the same day that former Packer backup quarterback Matt Flynn was cut by the Buffalo Bills, speculation started to swirl about whether Thompson would put in a waiver claim on Flynn.  As it turns out the Packers did what they usually do and promoted a member of their practice squad to The 53, in this case quarterback Scott Tolzien, instead of putting in a claim on Flynn.

Although promoting Tolzien instead of putting in a claim on Flynn is going to grab the headlines, Thompson made a series of other important moves before that move that I thought were much more interesting.  After a few weeks of speculation, Thompson finally placed tight end Jermichael Finley on injured reserve.

Finley signed a two-year, $14 million "prove-it" deal after the 2011 season.  That contract was never about Finley's on-field potential/ability, it was all about seeing whether Finley would mature off the field enough that the Packers could justify committing a ton of guaranteed money as a part of a long-term contract.

Coming into this season it seemed like Finley was taking care of business off-the-field and was in sync with Rodgers so he looked poised for a huge year on the field.  Oh how things change in two months.  After suffering a concussion against the Bengals and spinal cord injury against the Browns, there is a chance that Finley will never play football again.

Apparently Finley took out a $10 million insurance policy on his football health.  Wise move by Finley because best case scenario doctors confirm that he is healthy enough to return to the football field so he signs a one-year incentive laden contract with the Packers.  Worst case scenario, doctors cannot give Finley a clean bill of health and he goes down as arguably the most athletic tight end in franchise history that was unfortunately forced to retire at the age of 26 due to injury.  Sure the $10 million insurance policy will serves as a nice pension of sorts if Finley can never play football again but if Finely stayed healthy in 2013 I bet he would have signed a deal that rivaled Jason Witten's seven year, $50 million contract.

Besides replacing Finley with Tolzien, Thompson made another move to The 53.  Turns out Rodgers was not the only player that suffered a serious injury against the Bears.  Rookie linebacker Sam Barrington, taken in the 7th round of the 2013 NFL Draft, suffered a serious hamstring injury and was placed on injured reserve.  Placing Barrington on injured reserve opened another spot on The 53.

Thompson activated offensive tackle Derek Sherrod off the physically unable to perform in place of Barrington, which completed Sherrod's almost two year journey back to the football field.  For some quick background, Sherrod broke his leg on the road against the Kansas City Chiefs on December 18, 2011 in the team's only regular season loss that year.  Sherrod was not even the starter that day.  The only reason that Sherrod was in the game was because Bryan Bulaga suffered a knee injury at the start of the second half.  It will be interesting to see how Sherrod responds after such a long layoff because expectations were high for Sherrod after the Packers selected him in the first round the 2011 NFL Draft.

Just a week ago the Packers looked set at offensive tackle with rookie David Bakhtiari at left tackle, Don Barclay at right tackle, and Marshall Newhouse as each of their primary backups.  Unfortunately last week the Packers were forced to move Barclay to right guard after starting right guard T.J. Lang suffered a concussion against the Bears.  Head coach Mike McCarthy inserted Newhouse at right tackle when he moved Barclay over to right guard in place of Lang.  At this point Lang's status for next week at home against the Philadelphia Eagles is up in the air so despite having three other quality tackles ahead of Sherrod on The 53, Sherrod will most likely be active this weekend and might even play.

It makes sense that the Packers went with Tolzien ahead of Flynn since Tolzien has been on the practice squad since the start of the season so he knows the offense.  Juxtapose that with Flynn who has been a member of three other organizations (Seahawks, Raiders, and Bills) since leaving the Packers after the 2011 season.  Thompson would rather take a chance on an undrafted free agent (Tolzien) than a veteran retread (Flynn) so unless the Packers suffer another injury at quarterback, I do not expect to see them signing Flynn.

I also understand getting Sherrod back on The 53 as soon as possible because Newhouse is set to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season so the Packers need to see what they have in Sherrod before deciding to let Newhouse leave via free agency.  Also don't forget that former starting right tackle Bryan Bulaga is rehabbing a torn ACL in hopes of playing in 2014 so the future looks bright at offensive tackle and that doesn't even factor in the 2014 NFL Draft when the Packers might add another offensive tackle.  At this point the quintet of Bakhtiari, Barclay, Bulaga, Newhouse, and Sherrod are all fighting for four spots on The 53 in 2014.  My early money is on Bakhtiari, Barclay, Bulaga, and Sherrod with Newhouse leaving via free agency.

I hope to attend the Packers/Eagles game in-person this weekend with Sug, still waiting to hear back whether I have a ticket aka a Phatty Miracle if you are in the parking lot of a Phish concert.  Either way, check back on Monday for a recap along with my updated player rankings that takes into account the loss of Finley and Barrington along with the addition of Sherrod and Tolzien.

The 53 - Packers lose to Bears at Lambeau Field on MNF

The Green Bay Packers were favored by 11 points over the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football at Lambeau Field mostly because the Bears were without their starting quarterback Jay Cutler due to a groin injury.  Coming to the game the Bears were a mere 2-10 without Cutler under center since 2010, unfortunately the Packers lost their starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers for the game and most likely longer on a sack by defensive end Shea McClellin on their first offensive series of the game.  That meant both teams were without their starting quarterbacks for essentially the entire game so fans were treated to Seneca Wallace v. Josh McCown instead of Rodgers v. Cutler.

Some quick stats on the longest rivalry in NFL history.  Heading into the game the Bears lead the all-time series 92-88-6 but the Packers have won their last six meetings. including winning the NFC Championship Game in Chicago en route to winning Super Bowl XLV.  This was the 11th time the teams met on Monday Night Football with each team previously winning five times.

The inactives for the Packers against the Bears were: Josh Boyd (DE, healthy scratch), Jermichael Finley (TE, spinal injury), Chris Harper (WR, healthy scratch), Clay Matthews (OLB, thumb), James Nixon (CB, healthy scratch), Nick Perry (OLB, foot), and C.J. Wilson (DE, healthy scratch).  Besides losing Rodgers, the Packers also lost starting right guard T.J. Lang to a concussion so they were forced to move starting right tackle Don Barclay to right guard and backup tackle Marshall Newhouse to right tackle.

With their first home divisional loss since 2009 the Packers snapped their 10-game home winning streak, which was the 3rd longest active streak in the NFL, in their loss to the Bears in at Lambeau Field for the first time since 2007.  Here are my thoughts on the game along with my updated rankings to The 53:

The 53

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

Physically Unable to Perform

1. Jerel Worthy (DE) 2. Derek Sherrod (T) 3. JC Tretter (T) 4. Sean Richardson (S)

IR, Designated for Return

1. Randall Cobb (WR)

Injured Reserve

1. Bryan Bulaga (T) 2. DuJuan Harris (RB) 3. Robert Francois (MLB) 4. Greg Van Roten (C/G) 5. Kevin Dorsey (WR) 6. Sederrik Cunningham (WR)

Cut

1. Jeremy Ross (WR, Lions) 2. Michael Hill (RB, FA)

#1) Aaron Rodgers (QB, LR 1): I actually wanted the Packers to consider drafting McClellin in the 2012 NFL Draft when the Bears took him 19th overall.  With McClellin off the board, the Packers added outside linebacker Nick Perry with the 28th pick.  So far McClellin and Perry have been mild disappointments in the NFL but McClellin sure made a name for himself against the Packers.  Losing your quarterback is usually a big loss but in the case of Rodgers it is even more pronounced because he has absolutely owned the Bears going 9-2 against while completing 68.1% of his passes en route to throwing for 19 touchdowns and 8 interceptions.  It looks like Rodgers will be out at least a few weeks so they will be paying him a ton of money to rehab because according to ESPN's Darren Rovell, the Packers owe Rodgers $40 million over the next 245 days, which is $163,26.30 per day.

#7) Eddie Lacy (RB, LR 12):  I wanted the Packers to draft Lacy in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft so when Lacy fell into their lap after they traded back in the second round I was almost positive that if I bought a jersey this season it was going to be a Lacy jersey.  Lacy amassed the most rushing yards of any running back in October so it should come as no surprise that Lacy was named the NFL offensive rookie of the month for October.  With Rodgers out, Lacy had his best performance of the season carrying the ball 22 times for 150 yards and a touchdown.  I talked about unsuccessfully buying a Lacy jersey in my review of attending the Packers/Browns game.  There is a good chance that I am going to the Packers/Eagles game next weekend with Sug.  If I go to the game, I will 100% be wearing a Lacy jersey.

#21) Datone Jones (DL, LR 23): The Packers finally got some production out of their rookie defensive end with his first ever sack in the NFL against the Bears.  What was particularly impressive about the sack by Jones is that the Packers dropped him into coverage to spy Bears quarterback Josh McCown.  Thanks to good coverage by the secondary, which was a rarity against the Bears, Jones was able to spy and close on McCown to register a spy sack.  The Packers were expecting more plays like that spy sack out of Jones when they drafted him in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft.  Unfortunately that was the only sack of the game for the Packers, which shows you how much they miss the pass rush tandem of outside linebackers Clay Matthews and Nick Perry.  After holding the Browns and Vikings without a 20-yard gain on offense for consecutive weeks for the first time since the mid-1990's, the Packers gave up a number of big plays to the Bears' offense.  Despite being without Matthews and Perry, defensive coordinator Dom Capers still should have been able to put together a game plan to contain McCown.  Unfortunately the lack of consistent pass rush meant that McCown had all day to pick apart the Packer secondary.

#24) Jamari Lattimore (LB, LR 26): With A.J. Hawk and Brad Jones the starters at middle linebacker heading into training camp, I thought Desmond Bishop and Terrell Manning would win the backup middle linebacker spots.  Instead the Packers kept middle linebackers Robert Francois (currently on injured reserve) and Lattimore ahead of Bishop and Manning.  So far Lattimore has shown that he deserves a spot on The 53.  Lattimore registered a blocked punt and recovered an onside kick against the Bears so at the very least he gives the Packers a core special teams player.  Add in that Lattimore played well at middle linebacker in the base 3-4 defense when Jones was out with a hamstring injury and I can see Lattimore being a quality starting middle linebacker in the NFL down the road.  Speaking of middle linebackers, it is worth noting that last night the Packers faced a Bears defense sans Brian Urlacher for the first time since 1999.

#26) Mason Crosby (K, LR 29): Avid readers of this space know that I am often critical of Crosby and head coach Mike McCarthy.  I am critical of Crosby because he has been so inconsistent the last two years.  Crosby was named NFC special teams player of the month for October.  Unfortunately I think that means we have some big misses coming up soon because Crosby has been almost perfect in 2013 so he will have to regress to the mean at some point.  For how inconsistent Crosby was as a place kicker in 2011 and 2012, he has always struck a great onside kick, which I actually think is a repeatable skill.  I am often critical of McCarthy's decision making process so let me be the first to give him credit for calling the perfect onside kick that Crosby executed it perfectly.  Even if the Packers did NOT recover the onside kick, I actually still would have complimented McCarthy and Crosby because I thought they both followed the right process.

#34) Andrew Quarless (TE, LR 35):  The Packers sorely miss tight end Jermichael Finley.  Case and point, the ball that Quarless bobbled but I think ultimately caught on the sideline for a first down was ruled incomplete on the field on a critical 3rd down in the first half.  Don't get me wrong, Quarless should have cleanly caught the pass but even with Finley's shaky hands he makes that catch in his sleep.  Leaving that aside, I still think McCarthy should have challenged the ruling on the field so despite all the praise I gave McCarthy in my recap of Crosby, that is somewhat mitigated by his decision not to challenge the ruling on Quarless's catch.

#45) Seneca Wallace (QB, LR 45): The Packers decided to sign Wallace as their backup quarterback at the end of training camp instead of keeping Vince Young or Graham Harrell because Wallace is supposed to be a veteran that can perform in a pinch.  Wallace is one of only three players along with Kuhn and Pickett on The 53 that played on The 53 of another team.  There is no other team in the NFL with more than 40 players that fit that bill.  Unfortunately Kuhn and Pickett have had a much better tenure than Wallace so far after he went 11 for 19 throwing for 114 yards and 1 interception in place of Rodgers.  Although those numbers look decent, I can;'t remember Wallace throwing a ball more than 15 yards down field against the Bears.  Plus Wallace's interception came when he checked out of a run to a pass on a 3rd down play.  The pass was tipped and intercepted by Bears defensive end Julius Peppers.  When the Packers cut wide receiver Jeremy Ross it opened a spot on The 53.  One of the ways I suggested the Packers should fill that spot on The 53 was to trade for former Packer quarterback Matt Flynn while he was still playing for the Oakland Raiders.  The Raiders subsequently cut Flynn and the Packers decided not to add Flynn to The 53.  Ultimately Flynn signed with the Buffalo Bills but was just released.  Before we kick Wallace to the curb, let's not forget that Flynn struggled when he first filled in after Rodgers suffered a concussion on the road against the Lions in 2010.  Flynn went 15 for 26 throwing for 177 yards and 1 interception in relief of Rodgers against the Lions before he played the game of his life in the 2011 NFL regular season finale against the Lions going 31 for 44 throwing for 480 yard, six touchdowns and 1 interception at Lambeau Field.  Assuming Rodgers is out for an extended period of time, I would not only sign Tolzien off the practice squad in place of cornerback James Nixon but I would claim Flynn off waivers in place of tight end Jake Stoneburner to add two new quarterbacks to The 53.

#53) James Nixon (CB, LR 53): I know I've beaten the backup quarterback position to death already but one thing I did not mention is that practice squad quarterback Scott Tolzien recently got a huge raise to stay on the 8-man practice squad.  I am not sure why the Packers didn't just add Tolzien to The 53 instead of keeping cornerback James Nixon on The 53.  I know it is easy to say that now given the fact that the Packers lost Rodgers for the game and possibly longer but even if Rodgers was healthy is a 7th cornerback back really more valuable than a 3rd quarterback?  Either way, I hope Nixon enjoyed his stay on The 53 because he is getting cut sooner rather than later.

As you can tell I would be shocked if the Packers did not make a move to The 53 to cover themselves in case Rodgers did in fact break his collarbone.  I would be equally shocked if Rodgers was able to play next week against the Philadelphia Eagles at home.  Either way, make sure to check back next Monday for my review of the Packers/Eagles because I plan to attend the game in-person with Sug and his family.  If the Packers make any other changes to The 53 before the Packers/Eagles game I will have the full breakdown in this space.  Let's hope the Packers receive some good news today on the Rodgers injury because if not, the Packers are in danger of missing the playoffs.

Building The 25 - Advice for Doug Melvin heading into 2014

Expectations were high for the Milwaukee Brewers going into 2013 but the season ended up being the most trying season in the last decade.  The 65-game suspension of left fielder Ryan Braun, the face of the franchise, exacerbated an already hopeless season.  I have to admit that even before Braun's suspension, my interest in following the team on a daily basis waned.  I did my best to keep up but the product that Brewers general manager Doug Melvin put on the field was less than stellar despite having huge seasons from shortstop Jean Segura and center fielder Carlos Gomez.  All of that meant I couldn't wait for the 2013 World Series to finish so that we can look towards 2014.

The 2013 World Series pitted the Boston Red Sox against the St. Louis Cardinals.  Going into the 2013 World Series, each team won two World Series titles in the last nine years.  I know New England sports fans have become downright intolerable given that they've won a championship in each of the four major sports in the last decade but at least the Red Sox are not a divisional opponent like the Cardinals.  From a Cheesehead perspective, if the Cardinals would have won the 2013 World Series, it would have been their third World Series in eight years.  The Brewers have only made the playoffs twice over that time-frame without even coming close to winning a World Series so that meant I actually wanted to see the Red Sox win their third World Series title in the last decade.

Thankfully the Red Sox defeated the Cardinals in six games to win the 2013 World Series.  I am sure you will read glowing takes on the 2013 World Series but I was quite underwhelmed with the play on the field even though all the games besides the first and last of the series were close.  That may sound like sour grapes given what a nightmare last season was for the Brewers or it may be that my interest in baseball in general is decreasing.  Either way, the one thing I know for sure is that with the 2013 World Series in the books, we can finally look towards the 2014 season.

Here are five general rules for how Melvin should approach the off-season to build The 25 for 2014.  When Melvin starts making moves, I will review those decisions through the lenses of my five general rules.  Without further adu, here are my five general rules for Melvin.

#1) Do NOT hand out any long-term, expensive contracts this off-seasons.  Fan always clamor for general managers to sign the biggest free agents thinking that will be a long-term solution. Unfortunately in baseball, given that players are under team control for seven major league seasons, most free agents are already in decline when they are available for the other 29 MLB teams to sign.  Before the start of last season Brewers owner Mark Attanasio apparently went behind Melvin's back to sign former Cardinals starting pitcher Kyle Lohse to a three-year, $33 million contract that also cost the Brewers their first round pick in the 2013 MLB Draft.  Although the Lohse signing will most likely not turn out as bad as the four-year, $42 million contract the Brewers gave former Cardinals starting pitcher Jeff Suppan, both show how much the Brewers have to overpay in the free agent market for starting pitchers on the decline.  Even when the Brewers proactively lock in players long-term like they did with Braun twice, having those guaranteed deals on the books are always a risk too.  The way MLB's revenue structure is so dependent on local revenue, small market teams like the Brewers can barely afford expensive, long-term deals.  When those deals go bad like they did in Suppan's case, it hampers the franchise for a number of seasons, which is why they are not worth the risk for the Brewers.

#2) Give young players every chance to start, within reason.  As mentioned above, there are varying reports on whether Attansio signed Lohse without consulting Melvin.  Even if that is not true, Attanasio clearly did not believe in the starting pitchers that Melvin assembled going into 2013.  In 2014 the Brewers need to see if Mike Fiers, Wily Peralta or Tyler Thornburg can finally give the Brewers a legitimate starting pitcher out of their farm system for the first time since Yovanni Gallardo.  In terms of positional players, the Brewers are high on outfielder Khris Davis, second baseman Scooter Gennett, and shortstop Jean Segura.  Of all the players just discussed, after just one season, Segura looks like a superstar in the making.  The Brewers need to approach Segura soon about an extension because he is about to price himself out of any kind of Evan Longoria-eque six-year, $17.5 million contract that contained three expensive club options at the end of the six-year deal ($7.5 million in 2014 with $3 million buyout, $11 million in 2015, and 11.5 million in 2016).  If that's the case, the Brewers might as well go year-to-yea with Segura knowing he will leave a free agent following the 2018 season.

#3) Hoard all cheap contracts.  The Brewers have a couple of great contracts with right fielder Norichika Aoki signed to a two-year, $2.5 million contract with a club option for 2014 and catcher Jonathan Lucroy signed to five-year, $11 million through 2016 with a club option for 2017.  The Brewers picked up what turned out to be a little less than $2 million option (thanks to some performance bonuses) on Aoki for 2014.  That gives the Brewers a leadoff hitter and starting right fielder on the cheap.  Although the Brewers like Davis and Aoki is in his early 30's, they should approach Aoki about signing a two or three year contract extension that averages around $2 million a season since he will be a free agent after 2014.  In my previous general rule I said to give young players every chance to start so even if Davis is effective in the outfield in 2014, the Brewers could use Aoki as a 4th outfielder for the next couples seasons if they pay him $2 million or less a year.  Moving to Lucroy, the Brewers have him under control for a manageable number though at least 2016.  Even if injuries prevent Lucroy from catching through 2016, for how much they are paying him, they could move him to first base while having him serve as a backup catcher.

#4) Sign cheap, short-term deals to reload the bullpen. Almost every season Melvin remakes the bullpen with a combination of resurrecting careers of players that were left for dead like John Axford or signing somewhat cost-effective free agents like left-hander Tom Gorzelanny (two-years, $5.7 million).  Part of why Melvin has to remake the bullpen is that the lack of quality starting pitching taxes the bullpen so by the end of the season, the bullpen arms are maxed out.  I know it is fairly simplistic to say a bad starting rotation leads to a bad bullpen but it is true, which is why the Brewers need to see if they can actually build a starting rotation through their farm system to help them from burning out and rebuilding their bullpen on an annual basis.

#5) If you decide to ignore #1, at least sign players to front-end loaded deals. The Brewers signed third-baseman Aramis Ramirez to a three-year, $36 million contract.  As a part of that deal Ramirez earned $6 million in 2012, $10 million in 2013, and is scheduled to earn $16 million in 2014 with $6 million of his 2014 compensation deferred into the future.  Ramirez and the Brewers hold an expensive mutual option with a $4 million buyout for 2015.  Sadly, Ramirez doesn't have the worst contract on the books for next season since often injured second basemen Rickie Weeks is hopefully finishing the four-year, $38.5 million deal he signed in February of 2011.  Weeks earned $3.5 million in 2011, $10 million in 2012, $10 million in 2013, and is scheduled to earn $11 million in 2014.  There is an $11.5 million vesting option for 2015 with a $1 million buyout that the Brewers will make sure does not vest.  That means the Brewers will pay Ramirez and Weeks $5 million in 2015 to play elsewhere.  I understand the time value of money but that runs completely contrary to the value players as they age.  Although I still think baseball players will find a way to skirt MLB's testing and use performance enhancing drugs, long gone are the days of players in their mid-30's having "career" years.  The Brewers need to stop getting stuck on the back end of horrible contracts like they are right now with Ramirez and Weeks.  If those deals were front-end loaded, they could flip either of those guys to an American League team looking for a designated hitter in the midst of a playoff run for a pretty good minor league prospect.  Instead the Brewers are mostly stuck with both guys unless they eat almost the entire contract in a trade that nets them a low-level minor league prospect.

Make sure to check back as the off-season unfolds for my full thoughts on each move made by Attanasio and/or Melvin viewed through the prism of the five general rules provided above.

Building The 15 - How We Got Here

The 2013-14 Milwaukee Bucks open the the season on the road tonight against the New York Knicks. There are just four players left on The 15 from the 2012-13 Milwaukee Bucks so I expect there to be some chemistry issues.  Despite the fact that I already looked at some of the moves Milwaukee Bucks general manager John Hammond made earlier this off-season, I thought it made sense to take a total look at all the moves that netted the 2013-14 Milwaukee Bucks 11 new players on The 15.

It is well known by now that Milwaukee Bucks owner Herb Kohl would rather see the Bucks creep into the playoffs as an 8th seed and get swept by the Miami Heat again like they did last year than bottom out.  Almost every move this off-season by Hammond looked like another middling move that caused me to try to get #FearTheMediocreDeer trending as a hash tag on Twitter.

Whether you view the moves that Hammond made as an attempt to pacify Kohl's mandate to stay relevant instead of bottom out or middling moves that will help the Bucks long-term, I find a few of the moves sensible but most of them and others downright ridiculous.  Here are my rankings (worst to best) of every move made between the end of last season and the start of this season to cobble together The 15:

Hire Larry Drew as head coach: For some reason teams would rather give retread coaches another chance instead of rolling the dice on a young, hungry defensive minded coach.  I gave a number of suggestions for where the Bucks should go at head coach, unfortunately Hammond ignored my suggestions.

Signed Zaza Pachulia (C ) to a three-year, $15.6 million contract: The Bucks are paying Pachulia a ton of money despite the fact that they have a bunch of young talent in the front that needs to play in order to see if their potential translates into production.  Given how much the Bucks are paying Pachulia, if he sits on the bench then he is most expensive insurance policy in the NBA or will take away valuable minutes from one of the young front court players that should learn on the job this season.

Waived Gustavo Ayon (C): The Bucks could have had a decent, young backup center on the roster for $1.5 million.  Instead they Bucks waived Ayon before his contract was guaranteed for the season.  I know $1.5 million is a lot of money in the real world but that is a pittance in the NBA for a legitimate backup center.

Renounced the rights to Joel Przybilla (C): Waiving Ayon made even less sense with Przybilla no longer on The 15.  I know Pachulia is a much better player than Ayon or Przybilla but I would rather pay Ayon or Przybilla 20% of what they are paying Pachulia since Ayon or Przybilla are are about 80% as effective as Pachulia.

Traded Viacheslav Kravtsov (C) and Ish Smith (G) to the Phoenix Suns for Caron Butler (SF): Given that Butler is a starting small forward, the Bucks got a ton of talent in return for spare parts in this trade but it came at a cost since Butler is due $8 million this season on his expiring deal.  I hope the Bucks added Butler in hopes of flipping him to a contender at the trade deadline because the goal this season is to hand out playing time to younger players not guys pushing their mid-30's.

The 15

1. Ersan Ilyasova (PF) 2. Larry Sanders (C) 3. John Henson (PF/C) 4. Brandon Knight (PG) 5. Giannis Antetokounmpo (SF) 6. Gary Neal (SG) 7. O.J. Mayo (SG) 8. Caron Butler (SF) 9. Nate Wolters (PG) 10. Khris Middleton (SF) 11. Luke Ridnour (PG) 12. Carlos Delfino (SG/SF) 13. Zaza Pachulia (C) 14. Ekpe Udoh (PF) 15. Miroslav Raduljica (C)

Signed O.J. Mayo (G) to a three-year, $24 million contract: For those that are unable to read between the lines, I would much rather see the Bucks sign one-year deals instead of shelling out large, multi-year deals.  In this instance the Bucks took a calculated risk on a player in his mid-20's that could actually improve over the life of his contract.  I think the odds are slim (not a word used to describe May's current weight) that Mayo ever turns into a superstar but I would much rather the Bucks pay Mayo instead of their other shooting guards (Monta Ellis and J.J. Redick) from last season.

Traded Luc Mbah a Moute to the Sacramento Kings for two second round draft picks: I am an unabashed lover of The Prince for the mere fact that he is a defensive stopper that can guard almost anyone in the NBA very well.  Injuries have limited his effectiveness over the last few seasons but when healthy, The Prince is one of the better one-on-one defenders in the NBA.  Despite The Prince's limited offensive game, two-years for $9 million feels about right.  I get trying to cut costs but it is hard to reconcile the decision with how much the Bucks overpaid Mayo and Pachulia.

Renounced the rights to Marques Daniels (SG/SF): The Bucks decided to upgrade this spot by signing slightly more expensive players in place of Daniels but I would have just brought Daniels back on a one-year deal for the league minimum to save money.

Traded J.J. Redick (G) for two second round pick: I guess it is better to get something instead of nothing for Redick since he was going to leave as a free agent but when you factor in that the Bucks got two second round draft picks for Tobias Harris and Beno Udrih, the Redick for Harris and Udrih doesn't look very good.

Renounced the rights to Mike Dunleavy (SF): According to various reports, the Bucks wanted Dunleavy to return but he wanted to play for a winner so I can't blame him for signing with the Chicago Bulls.

Signed Miroslav Raduljica (C) to a veteran minimum contract: For how horribly the Bucks messed up the Pachulia instead of Ayon or Przybilla move, they saved themselves slightly with the Raduljica signing.  My expectations for Raduljica are low in terms of on-court production but like the contract and extra six fouls he brings to The 15.

Renounced the rights to Samuel Dalembert (C): The Bucks traded Jon Brockman, Jon Leuer, Shaun Livingston, and the 12th pick in the 2012 NBA Draft to the Houston Rockets for Samuel Dalembert, the 14th pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, a future second round pick, and cash considerations.  Let's not forget that Dalembert said he wouldn't mind playing for the Miami Heat during the playoffs.  Keep in mind Dalembert was a member of the Bucks as they were getting swept by the Heat when he made that comment.  The Bucks fined and suspended Dalembert a number of times throughout the season so this move was a no brainer.  Funny that the Heat thought so little of Dalembert that they rolled the the perpetually injured Greg Oden instead of signing Dalembert.

In a three team deal the Bucks traded the Oklahoma City Thunder the rights to Szymon Szewczyk (C) for Luke Ridnour (G) and a second round draft pick from the Minnesota Timberwolves: The Bucks facilitated a sign-and-trade between the Thunder and Timberwolves so they got a quality backup combo guard and a second round pick for their trouble.  I don't mind bringing Ridnour back into the fold, especially because he is the perfect mentor for the young Bucks back court since he is the older version of rookie Nate Wolters.

Signed Carlos Delfino (SG/SF) to a three-year, $9.75 million: Much like Hammond, I've always been a fan of Delfino's game.  When healthy, I would much rather pay $3 million for Delfino than $8 million for Mayo.  This move would have been even higher on the list but the Bucks are without Delfino's services through at least the first month of the season, if not longer, due to a foot injury

"Drafted" Nate Wolters (G) in the second round of the 2013 NBA Draft: The Bucks actually drafted Ledo and then traded his rights along with a future second round pick for Wolters.  Originally I wished the Bucks just held onto Ricardo Ledo instead of trading for Wolters because it cost them a future second round pick despite the fact that they own roughly 500 second round picks in the next dozen drafts.  I can't kill the trade because as I discussed in the Ridnour trade, Wolters looks like a potential ten year veteran that could be the 7th or 8th guy on a championship team.  As long as Ledo doesn't turn out to be a complete stud, I am fine with the transaction.

Signed Gary Neal (G) to a two-year, $6.5 million contract: The only player on The 15 that played meaningful minutes in the playoffs last season was Neal, which is why I was shocked the Bucks were able to get Neal for such a reasonable price.  Neal's shot selection is questionable but that is also what makes him a potential instant offense guy off the bench.

Traded Brandon Jennings (PG) to the Detroit Pistons for Brandon Knight (PG), Khris Middleton (SF), and Viacheslav Kravtsov (C): Some might like the versatility of Middelton's game but I have very low expectations for him so this trade will boil down to how Jennings and Knight pan out long-term.  Jennings is a shoot first point guard that did not want to be in Milwaukee so even though Knight has been underwhelming so far in the NBA, I look at this trade as getting something for nothing.  If Knight flames out at least the Bucks are not sullied with a high-volume shooter like Jennings.  The Bucks already exercised their option on Knight for next season.  I would much rather pay Knight $12 million than Jennings $24 million through 2015/16.

Named Scott Williams assistant coach: For how much I hated hiring Larry Drew as a retread head coach, I love adding Williams to Drew's staff.  Williams worked in the media at various spots for the Phoenix Suns and Bucks after retiring from the NBA.  Last season Williams was an assistant coach for the Idaho Stampede in the NBDL, which was his first real taste of professional coaching.  When Williams played for the Bucks he had a sweet baseline jumper that would be a great shot for Sanders to add to his offensive game. Sure guys like Jim Cleamons, Bob Bender, and Nick Van Exel are going to get more acclaim than Williams but he was my favorite Buck of all time besides Big Dog so yes, I am excited to see him on the coaching staff.

Signed Larry Sanders (C) to a four-year, $44 million contract extension: The last two off seasons the Bucks committed long-term to Ersan Ilyasova and Sanders.  If the Bucks could somehow morph Ilyasova's offensive game and with Sanders' defensive game into one player, they would have the perfect two-way NBA player.  The ceiling for Sanders is much higher than Ilyasova but the floor is also much lower for Sanders.  For how good Sanders is defensively, unfortunately he still struggles offensively and always seems to get in trouble off the court.  As long as Sanders can keep his off-the-court issues in check and improve offensively, the sky is the limit so I like the calculated risk of the contract extension.

Exercised contract option on John Henson (F): If they choose, the Bucks could have Henson under contract through the 2016/17 season on his rookie contract.  I never thought the Bucks would get Henson with the 14th pick in the 2012 NBA Draft but luckily he fell into their lap.  Henson has not been a stud by any means so far in the NBA but looks like a front-court starter, which is a pretty nice haul with the 14th pick in a nine player draft.

Signed Jeff Teague (G) to a four-year, $32 million offer sheet: The Jennings/Knight trade never happens if the Atlanta Hawks declined to match the Bucks offer.  If you take salaries out the equation I like Teague slightly more than Knight although Teague has a lower ceiling than Knight.  When you factor in contracts, I favor Knight just a little more than Teague.

Renounced the rights to Monta Ellis (G): A high-volume shooter is the last thing the Bucks need.  Add in that Ellis was one of the worst three-point shooters in the entire NBA and I am happy to see the Ellis-era end in Milwaukee.  Sure trading for Ellis cost the Bucks center Andrew Bogut but given Bogut's injury history and their front-court depth, the Bucks are better off long-term without Bogut and Ellis.

Amnestied Drew Gooden (F), which wiped two-years and $13.4 million off the books: Kohl still owes Gooden the money, we luckily just don't have to watch Gooden languish on the bench any longer.  In what turned out to be another Dan Gadzurich-esque overpay with the mid-level exception, hopefully Gooden is the last incarnation of 

Drafted Giannis Antetokunbo (SF) with the 15th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft: Despite only playing in the second division in Greece, I love that the Bucks rolled the dice by taking The Greek Freak with the 15th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft.  Small market teams cannot attract free agents so taking flyers on potential studs like The Greek Freak is a no brainer in my book.  With The Prince in Sacramento, if I had to buy a Bucks jersey there is no question it would be The Green Freak's jersey.

I thought Hammond was trying to follow Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey's model of amassing assets in hopes of making a bigger move down the road but there are two problems with that approach for a small market team like the Bucks.  One, there is always pressure to put a winner on the court to keep fans going to the games.  Two, no big-time free agent will ever sign in Milwaukee.  Unless the Bucks are perfectly healthy throughout the season, I could see them severely regressing this season.  That would not be the worst thing though because the Bucks need to bottom out and get a Top 3 pick this off-season to build a long-term winner.

Much like I do with The 53 for the Packers, I plan to do the same thing with The 15 for the Bucks.  I probably will not update the rankings on a weekly basis unless there is a sudden string of moves over a short period of time.  I want to see the Bucks play in-person before updating my rankings so look for updated rankings in late November or early December once I get to see the totally revamped roster in-person.