News From The Pack

They will be the longest of long shots come summertime.  Five players invited to the Green Bay Packers rookie orientation camp last weekend on a tryout basis, have been extended contracts to join the team for training camp.  They are Shea Allard, a 6-5, 305 pound offensive tackle from Delaware who was a three year starter at left tackle for the Blue Hens.  Guard Grant Cook of Arkansas (6-4, 318) who started all 13 games as a senior for the Razorbacks last season.  Wide receiver Jarrett Boykin (6-2, 218) is Virginia Tech's all time leader in catches (184) and receiving yards (2884).  Curenski Gilleylen (5-11, 213) is another wide receiver from Nebraska who played in 30 games for the Cornhuskers.  The final player is defensive back Otis Merrill of Illinois State (5-11, 188) who was named second team all Missouri Valley Conference.  Merrill started his college career at Wisconsin before transferring.  One player not offered a contract was defensive linemen Drew Vanderlin of Michigan Tech who played his high school ball at Green Bay Southwest.  Offensive tackle Chris Campbell, a member of the practice squad for parts of the 2010 and 2011 seasons, was waived.  The moves puts the roster at 90 players, the maximum allowed for training camp.

The Packers Family Night, presented by Bellin Health, will take place on Friday night, August 3.  Proceeds from the team practice and scrimmage inside Lambeau Field will benefit the Wendy's Wonderful Kids foster care adoption program.   Family Night is now in it's 12th year.   Stadium activities begin at 5:30 PM with on field drills starting at 6:30 with the scrimmage taking place at 7:30 PM.  Tickets, $10.00 each, will go on sale June 25.  The night will end with up to 20 player's jerseys given away to fans and a fireworks show.

The Packers packed a lot into the weekend for their rookie orientation camp.  First things first, all eight draft choices agreed to terms on contracts before the first practice of Friday.  That's a far cry from days gone by.  The new collective bargaining agreement, worked out after last off-season's lockout, all but eliminated the negotiation process.  Rookie salary pools are fixed and terms are limited to four year deals for the most part.  Once the slotting begins, the contracts fall into place.  League-wide, many of the number one picks still need to be worked out but the hangups are over signing bonuses.  The majority of the camp indoctrinated the players into the Green Bay way of doing things, from the playbook and its terminology to the weight room rules and the training table menus. Three practices were conducted over the weekend, all in shorts and helmets.  Aside from checking out the athleticism of the players, not a whole lot can be gleaned on potential productivity but a few players stood out.  Number one draft choice Nick Perry of USC worked exclulsively at left outside linebacker.  Mike McCarthy called it a starting point, leading to speculation that Clay Matthews may move back over to the right side, the spot he piled up sacks in his rookie year. Second round pick Jerel Worthy of Michigan drew early praise from McCarthy.  One of his strengths is what coaches call "get off".  He flashed plenty of quickness at the snap.  7th round quarterback B.J. Coleman out of Tennessee-Chattanooga displayed a strong arm and weak feet.  His footwork fundamentals need some attention but he's very eager to learn and he's also landed in a system that knows how to develop quarterbacks.  Just one draft pick did not work, Mike Daniels, the defensive tackle from Iowa actually failed his physical because of shoulder surgery last year.  He should be cleared well before training camp arrives. 29 players were in camp as tryout invitees, among them, Drew Vanderlin of Michigan Tech.  The defensive end played his high school football at Green Bay Southwest and the former Trojan was thrilled to get a shot with his hometown team.  Only a handful of the tryout players will be offered contracts and at least one, guard Grant Cook from Arkansas, earned one.  He tweeted Sunday that he had a deal.  At the conclusion of the camp, McCarthy was asked about a couple of veterans coming off season ending surgeries.  Running back Alex Green (knee) and tackle Derrick Sherrod (broken leg) are both progressing well and should be ready by camp.  Tight end Andrew Quarless is another story.  He ripped up his knee late last season and might be a candidate for the physically unable to perform list.  If placed on that list at the start of camp he can come off whenever he passes his physical but if Quarless is on the PUP list at the start of the regular season, he would have to miss the first 6 games.  The team is protected at the position however with Jermichael Finley, Tom Crabtree, Ryan Taylor and D.J. Williams all returning.  Most of the signed players will stay in town this week in advance of the organized team activities which welcome the returning veterans next week.  On the link below, some quotes from McCarthy and selcted players on the first camp of the 2012 campaign.

Fans of the Green Bay Packers and history buffs will soon be able to literally, stroll down memory lane.  The Packers Heritage Trail was launched today and the self-guided, walking tour of historically significant locations in the Packers history between 1919-1968 will be launched on June 15.  The brainchild of former Packers beat writer for the Green Bay Press Gazette and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Cliff Christl and his wife Shirley, the heritage trail is patterned after the Freedom Trail in Boston.  Each stop of the tour will be marked by a bronze plaque with at least a 250 word narrative of the location's impact on the NFL's most storied franchise.  Christl enlisted the help of a volunteer board of directors for the Packers Hertiage Foundation and quickly realized how much local government, business and the general public were behind the idea.   An avid historian of the franchise, Christl narrowed down a list of sites to 22, with 17 of those locations still standing.  From the original Press Gazette building where the franchise was formed in August of 1919, to Curley Lambeau's birth home, the Indian, then Acme Packing company, Hagemeister Park, Bellevue Park, city stadium, St. Willebroad's Parish, the Elks Club lodge, the Hotel Northland just to name a few.  The Neville Public Museum will serve as the trail head, with two spurs.  One covering the franchise's earliest days with locations near downtown Green Bay.  A second branches all the way to Allouez, where Vince Lombardi lived, to St. Norbert College in De Pere.  The walking tour downtown covers approximately four and a half miles.   The trail, it's locations and details on each stop are highlighted on the foundation's new web site, PackersHeritageTrails.com.   On the link below, you'll hear more about the trail from Christl, Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy and Brad Toll, president of the Green Bay Convention and Visitors Bureau.  Happy trails Packers fans!

It doesn't appear Anthony Hargrove has much of a leg to stand on with his appeal of an 8 game suspension for his role in "Bounty Gate" while a member of the New Orleans Saints.  Hargrove was signed by the Packers as a free agent from Seattle but he played with New Orleans in 2009 and 2010 when defensive coordinator Gregg Williams apparently ran the bounty program, cash payouts for knocking out or injuring opposing players.  Hargrove, along with current Saints players Jonathan Vilma and Will Smith along with Scott Fujita, now with Cleveland, all appealed their discipline on Monday.   Vilma was suspended for the entire season, Smith got four games, Fujita three.   They claim commissioner Roger Goodell doesn't have the authority to suspend because the alledged incidents took place before the most recent collective bargaining agreement was signed.   The league claims the conduct was "detrimental" to the league and falls under the CBA's current language.  In Hargrove's case, there's a damning piece of evidence against him.  The league has a copy of a signed declaration from Hargrove which details how he was told by Williams and assistant coach Joe Vitt to deny the existence of the program in 2010.   That statement was dated April 13, about two weeks after he signed his free agent deal with the Packers.  Vitt, along with New Orleans GM Mickey Loomis and head coach Sean Payton all had their appeals denied by the league.  Williams, suspended indefinately, didn't appeal his punishment.  Payton is already serving a one year suspension while Loomis will miss 8 games and Vitt 6 once the 2012 season begins.   The Packers and Hargrove have not commented on the case since the suspension was announced.

Ryan Longwell scored more points than any player in Green Bay Packers history during his nine year career with the Pack.   1054 points from his rookie year of 1997, when the Packers went all the way to Super Bowl XXXIII which they lost to Denver, until he departed as a free agent after the 2005 season.  He signed with the dreaded Minnesota Vikings and scored another 633 points in purple and gold, third highest in that franchises' history behind Fred Cox and Cris Carter.  Last year, Longwell signed a four year contract extension, but he won't see it through. He was due about 7 million dollars on the final three years, scheduled to make 1.75 million in 2012.  After the Vikes drafted Georgia kicker Blair Walsh in the 6th round of last month's draft, Longwell received his walking papers on Monday.  Longwell ruffled a few feathers on his way out of Green Bay, claiming Applebee's was considered fine dining in Titletown.  He was also a persnickaty placekicker, often blaming misses on the others involved in the "operation", namely the snapper and holder.  But he was mighty consistent, scoring over 100 points a year until his final season in Green Bay.  Before nearly every Green Bay-Minnesota game at the Metrodome, I would seek out Ryan during his pre-game warmup to catch up.  Longwell enjoyed his time with the Vikes but admitted the front office structure was a mess, with a half dozen people considering themselves the man in charge, with more often than not, disappointing results.  Whether it was the collapsed dome roof, the Brett Favre circus, the firings of Mike Tice, then Brad Childress and the infamous "Love Boat" scandal, there were very few dull moments in the Twin Cities.  He ranks 13th all-time in points scored, 4th among active players and age 37, still has a few swings left in his right leg, I hope he catches on somwhere else this fall.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell handed down discipline against defensive players of the New Orleans Saints who took part in the bounty scandal from 2008-2010.  Among the four players getting suspended is current Green Bay Packers defensive end Anthony Hargrove.  He will sit 8 games, half the 2012 regular season.  Hargrove was signed as a free agent by the Packers after playing one season with the Seattle Seahawks.  He was a member of the New Orleans Super Bowl championship team and involved in the two playoff games against Arizona and Minnesota where the pay for injury scandal took root.   Packers General Manager Ted Thompson, through the team's public relations department, declined to comment on the Hargrove suspension when contacted this afternoon.  Thompson drafted a pair of defensive linemen last weekend and also signed former Colt Daniel Muir in the off-season, perhaps anticipating doing without Hargrove for a while.   Current Saints players, linebacker Jonathan Vilma and defensive end Will Smith along with linebacker Scott Fujita, now with Cleveland, were also punished.  Vilma will sit out the entire season while Smith was suspended four games and Fujita 3.  Representatives for Hargrove, Smith and Fujita say they all plan to appeal.   Former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, now with St. Louis was suspended indefinately for orchestrating the bounty program.   New Orleans head coach Sean Payton is already serving his one year suspension, General Manager Mickey Loomis will have to leave the organization for the first 8 games of the season and interim coach Joe Vitt will be suspended the first six games of the year.

To sum up the draft in a word....aggressive.   General Ted Thompson aggressively traded up three times to bring that type of player to the roster.   It cost him four picks all told leaving Green Bay with 8 choices.  They also added more than a dozen undrafted college free agents. Here's some final thoughts on the players who are just beginning their dream to play in the NFL.

Round 1   Nick Perry.   The USC linebacker has an impressive combination of size (6-3, 271) and speed.  He should be penciled in as the immediate starter at right outside linebacker.   He will need a lot of coaching to learn how to drop and cover, but the Packers like how he runs forward much better.  The team's biggest need was to find pressure on opposing quarterbacks and Perry will give them that.

Round 2   Jerel Worthy, Casey Hayward.     Scouts loved Worthy's get off.  So eager to penetrate the line of scrimmage at the snap cost Jerel a bunch of offsides penalties for Michigan State but as defensive line coach Mike Trgovac said, you can live with a guy going too fast versus one who can't get off the ball.   He'll open at right defensive end and move inside on passing downs.   In this pass-happy era of pro football, you can never have enough corners.  Hayward picked off 15 passes at Vanderbilt in the tough SEC and it's not inconceivable to think he can get on the field quickly in the nickel and dime packages, utilized in a majority of snaps last year.

Round 4  Mike Daniels, Jerron McMillian.    Another inside pass rushing defensive tackle from Iowa, Daniels recorded 9 sacks last year.  Thompson loves Hawkeyes, he's the third Iowa player drafted (Abdul Hodge, Bryan Bulaga).   He could take Howard Green's spot in short yardage work as a roookie.  McMillian is an interesting prospect from FBS Maine.  With Nick Collins' career over in Green Bay, he has an opportunity to get on the field early and possibly do what Collins did from small college Bethune-Cookman, start from game 1.

Round 5   Terrell Newman.    Thompson obviously saw something in this kid, giving up three picks to climb back up into the 5th round to get him.   The weakside linebacker at North Carolina State, Newman will move inside to backup Desmond Bishop and A.J. Hawk.  While he might not push D.J. Smith, he could squeeze past Robert Francois for a roster spot and chase down punts and kickoffs initially.

Round 7   Andrew Datko, B.J. Coleman.   Tackle insurance arrives in the 6-6, 321 Florida Stater.   Not a candidate for guard so he will really have to impress to stick.  Bulaga, Marshall Newhouse and Derrick Sherrod are the top three tackles, keeping a fourth is unlikely.   Coleman was one of two, late round developmental quarterbacks we covered in our draft preview (Ryan Lindley, San Diego State was the other).   The Tennessee transfer has the size and the arm that is worth refining. UT Chatanooga and the Southern Conference aren't exactly quarterback hotbeds but Coleman is in a terrific system that knows how to coach and develop the position.  A good bet to stick and possibly supplant Graham Harrell for number 2.

Undraft Free Agents.  The position got a pass in the draft but the Packers still want a running back to push James Starks and Alex Green.   They signed three, Duane Bennett of Minnesota, Marc Tyler of USC and Nicholas Cooper of Winston-Salem State.  Bennett gained 639 yards as a fifth year senior for the Gophers while Tyler, the son of former NFL'er Wendall Tyler picked up nearly 1500 yards in his final two seasons with the Trojans.  Cooper weighs 240 and ran for 1808 yards but may be looked at as a fullback. Two wide receivers and two tight ends will get a look, including Dale Moss of South Dakota State.  He was a four year basketball player for the Jackrabbitts and with one year of athletic eligibility left, went out for football.   The 6-3, 213 pounder caught 61 passes for nearly a thousand yards.  The other receiver is Darius Reynolds of Iowa State.  43 receptions for 695 yards and seven TD's with the Cyclones.  The tight ends signed were Cameron Ford of Wake Forest and Eric Lair of Minnesota.   Three offensive linemen signed were tackle Don Barclay of West Virginia, a two year starter and first team all Big East, Tommie Draheim of San Diego State, first team in the Mountain West, and James Brooks, and interior lineman from Virginia Tech.   Defensive additions inlcuded Jaymar Latchison, a linebacker from New Mexico, Dezmon Moses from Tulane and safety Sean Richardson, a teammate of second round pick Casey Hayward at Vanderbilt.  Finally, some local flavor as the Packers signed Drew Vanderlin to a free agent contract.  Vanderlin is a 6-3, 280 pound defensive end who played collegiately at Michigan Tech and prepped at Green Bay Southwest High.  All of the rookies will be in town for the orientation camp on the weekend of May 11-13.

Packers head coach Mike McCarthy finally emerged from the war room at the conclusion of the NFL draft Saturday night.  In a 20 minute session with reporters, McCarthy talked about the 8 choices and the look of his team heading into the 2012 season.  On the link below, you'll hear the highlights.

The defensive emphasis continued on the final day of the draft as the Packers extended their run of defensive picks to six.  In the 4th round, Green Bay had back to back selections and took Iowa defensive tackle Mike Daniels and safety Jerron McMillan from the University of Maine.    After giving up a fifth round pick in Friday's climb up in a deal with New England, Ted Thompson got the same pick back in a second trade up with the Patriots, taking North Carolina State linebacker Terrell Manning.  It cost the Pack their 6th and 2, 7th round picks.  Left with only their compensatory choices at the end of the day, the Packers grabbed offensive tackle Andrew Datko from Florida State and finished the draft with a quarterback, B.J. Coleman of Tennessee-Chattanooga.  On the link below, you'll get more details on every selection Saturday, along with comments from each of the players, assistant coaches and finally, wrap up comments from Thompson on the class of 2012.

The defensive emphasis continued on the second day of the NFL draft as Packers General Manager Ted Thompson twice moved up with trades in round 2.   Holding the 59th pick in the second round, Thompson watched several defensive lineman come off the board so he made a deal with the Philadelphia Eagles to climb up 8 spots to select Michigan State defensive lineman Jerel Worthy.  It cost the Packers their original second round pick and a 4th round choice.  Worthy was a dominant player for the Spartans, earning All American and All Big Ten honors.  The 6-2, 308 pound native of Huber Heights, Ohio started 38 of 40 games in East Lansing, displaying a powerful burst off the line of scrimmage.  He piled up 27 and a half tackles behind the line during his career, along with 12 quarterback sacks.  Considered by many to be a first round prospect, Worthy slid to the middle of the second and Thompson feared he might not be left on the board if he stood pat.  While he played primarily inside at Michigan State, with big games against Wisconsin in the conference championship game and against Georgia in the Outback bowl, the Packers plan to have play the defensive end in the 3-4 scheme.  As the second round wore on, the Packers pulled off another, even more surprising trade, giving up their third round pick and their choice in the 5th round to the New England Patriots to jump back into the second at pick number 62.  Thompson selected Vanderbilt defensive back Casey Hayward.  The 5-11, 192 pound corner was a quarterback in high school who transitioned to defense very well.  The Perry, Georgia native was the captain of the Commodores defense his senior year, developing into a top flight, shut down corner in the rugged SEC.  Opponents completed only 19.5 percent of the passes thrown in his direction and he wound up with 15 career interceptions, showing a knack for the ball.  He knocked down a school record setting 46 passes, tied for the most among all FBS level players.  Hayward, blessed with outstanding speed, started all 37 games beginning with his sophomore season.  He was a second team, all conference selection who played some at free safety and even ran a couple of plays on offense.  Secondary coach Joe Whitt said Hayward is a willing tackler in the run game evidenced by his 18 tackles for losses during his career.  

Two Wisconsin Badgers were taken on day two, center Peter Konz was selected in the second round by the Atlanta Falcons and quarterback Russell Wilson was a third round pick of the Seattle Seahawks, entering camp with former Packers quarterback Matt Flynn.

On the link below, you'll hear quotes from the Pack's second round picks, assistant coaches and GM Ted Thompson on what has been to this point, a defensive minded draft.

The glamour boys came early, the pressure to find pressure built in the middle and the opening round of the 2012 NFL draft got offensive again at the end.  The Green Bay Packers grabbed USC linebacker Nick Perry at number 28, standing pat after teams pulled off eight trades on the night to position themselves for the player they coveted.  Here's a pick by pick round up of round one.

Indianapolis - Andrew Luck QB Stanford.   Welcome to the world of Aaron Rodgers, following a legend will not be easy, at least Rodgers had talent around him, the Colts cupboard is bare and this will take some time.

Washington - Robert Griffin III  QB Baylor.   The Heisman winner was pegged by the Skins as soon as they mortgaged their future two weeks before the draft sending a boat load of future picks to St. Louis.   It's the 4th time since 1967 quarterbacks have gone 1-2, and one of these two might not cut it based on history.  I'll give you 1971 when both Jim Plunkett and Archie Manning had fine careers, but Manning never won in New Orleans.  In 1993, Drew Bledsoe was OK, Rick Mirer was not and in 1998, Peyton Manning set his course for the hall of fame while Ryan Leaf entered the hall of shame.

Cleveland - Trent Richardson  RB Alabama.    Mike Holmgren got nervous over another team dealing with Minnesota to get the best back coming out.   He guaranteed the pick by moving up one spot with the Vikings to take what nearly everyone believes will be a franchise runner.

Minnesota - Matt Kalil  OT  USC.   The first pick in the NFC North will be asked to do what he did in practice the last couple years at Southern Cal, try and block Nick Perry.  Christian Ponder is breathing easier with a blind side protector on board.

Jacksonville - Justin Blackmon  WR Oklahoma State.   Another trade up with Tampa.  In the mold of Larry Fitzgerald, Andre Johnson and Calvin Johnson, big, tall and fast.  The Jags offense just got some juice.

Dallas -  Morris Claiborne  DB LSU.   The most surprising jump as Dallas deals with St. Louis to climb 8 spots to get the best cover corner in the draft.

Tampa Bay - Mark Barron S Alabama.   The Bucs fell off a cliff, losing their last 10 last year by giving up huge plays.   Barron is a physical centerfielder at the back end of a national championship defense.

Miami -  Ryan Tannehill QB Texas A & M.  Former Packer offensive coordinator Joe Philbin's first pick as the Dolphins head coach.  Ex-Packer boss Mike Sherman coached Tannehill with the Aggies and will now be his offensive coordinator.

Carolina - Luke Kuechly LB Boston College.  One scout told me this is the closest thing to a sure thing in the first round, and old school, all football linebacker.

Buffalo - Stephon Gilmore DB South Carolina.   Opposing teams shuffled through Buffalo's secondary last year.

Kansas City -  Dontari Poe  DT Memphis.    How many defensive linemen can this team draft?  Since 2006, they've taken Tamba Hali, Glenn Dorsey and Tyson Jackson.   At 6-3 and 345, Poe is as big as all 3 combined.

Philadelphia - Fletcher Cox  DT Mississippi State.   Yet another trade up, the Eagles move up three spots with Seattle to take a safe, sound and badly needed defensive linemen.

Arizona - Michael Floyd WR Notre Dame.   Not sure if GM Rod Graves or pro bowl receiver Larry Fitzgerald made this call.   Fitzgerald lobbied hard for the Golden Domer and Graves obliged.

St. Louis - Michael Brockers DT LSU.   The defensive run gets into high gear as the Rams go D-line for the fourth time in the last 6 years.  Brockers is considered the best against the run.

Seattle -  Bruce Irvin DE West Virginia.  The stunner of the night, considered a third, maybe a second round prospect,  former Packer personel man and Seahawks GM Jon Schneider really reaches for a kid who's production slipped as a senior and has character issues galore, a high school dropout who was arrested for robbery and after supposedly getting straightened out in Morgantown, was charged with disorderly conduct again about a month ago.  Schneider may have to draft a probation agent in round 2.

New York Jets - Quinton Coples  DE North Carolina.  Knocked for issues with his motor, he'll be welcomed by the motor mouth, Rex Ryan to a defense on the rise.

Cincinnati Bengals - Dre Kirkpatrick DB Alabama. Among the tallest corners coming out, third member of the Tide rolling into the NFL.

San Diego - Melvin Ingram  DE South Carolina.   Considered a top 10 prospect because of his athleticism, Ingram settles for number 18.

Chicago - Shea McLellin LB  Boise State.  Brian Urlacher's clone may have arrived.  A squeaky clean charachter who is all football.  Deemed a perfect fit for the Pack's 3-4, McLellin will bring much needed enthusiasm to an aging, Lovie Smith defense.  Really like this guy, may hate seeing this guy twice a year for who knows how long in Chicago.

Tennessee - Kendall Wright  WR Baylor.  RG3's favorite target with the Bears, a downfield threat for Matt Hasselbeck for a while, Jake Locker for a while longer.

New England - Chandler Jones DE Syracuse.  The first of two, opening round trades by the Patriots,  jumping up 6 spots with the Bengals to get one of the many very productive front 7 players.

Cleveland -  Brandon Weeden  QB  Oklahoma State.  Colt McCoy may not be the real McCoy for the Browns after two seasons and even though he'll be 29 when camp opens, the strong armed Cowboy will be in the mix to start as a graybeard rookie.

Detroit -  Riley Reiff  T  Iowa.   Despite shortcomings on defense, a smart pick by GM Martin Mayhew.  That's why the Lions are becomming dangerous, he's made several like Matt Stafford and Calvin Johnson.

Pittsburgh -  David DeCastro  G Stanford.   The Steelers are sick and tired of watching Ben Roethlisberger limp around the field every December.  The beatings will slow with a really good lineman on board.

New England - Dont'a Hightower  LB  Alabama.   The Pats defense was miserable and while their first number one will help soon, this guy will help right away.

Houston -  Whitney Mercilus LB  Illinois.  Exploded into the first round as a one year wonder, piling up sacks for the Illini last year.  The Texans immediately fill the hole left by the departed free agent Mario Williams.

Cincinnati - Kevin Zeitler G Wisconsin.  The only round one Badger.  Another in the long line of road graders from Madison.

Green Bay - Nick Perry  LB  USC.  The last time Ted went to Southern Cal for a linebacker, it worked out pretty well.  He's hoping this will be a compliment to the Clay-maker.

Minnesota -  Harrison Smith S Notre Dame.  Oh, those sneaky Vikings, making another deal to jump back into the first round to get a savvy, solid player.   I was hoping the Packers might find a way to climb in the second round to find Nick Collins' replacement.

San Francisco - A.J. Jenkins WR Illinois.  Alex Smith may have a completely new receiving corps next season.  Jenkins goes at least a round higher than I figurerd, joining veteran arrivals Randy Moss and Mario Mannigham.

Tampa Bay - Doug Martin  RB Boise State.  Clear case of best player on the board. Packer fans may never forget LeGarrette Blount's rumble on the tundra for a touchdown last season.  It's now a Buccaneer 1-2 punch on the ground.

New York Giants - David Wilson RB Virginia Tech.  The new compliment to Ahmad Bradshaw in the champs' backfield with Brandon Jacobs cut loose.  Great on his feet and good with his hands, Wilson was the ACC player of the year.

So it's one down and 6 rounds to go.  Watch for the Packers to add even more to it's front seven on defense, they've got to find a safety, a running back, offensive line depth and yes, a quarterback will be taken by Saturday.

The last time the Green Bay Packers tapped into the University of Southern California for a linebacker, lightning struck in the form of two time Pro Bowler Clay Matthews.   General Manager Ted Thompson is hoping for lightning to strike twice.  His 2012 number one draft choice is another USC Trojan, linebacker Nick Perry.  Considered by many scouts to be the most explosive pass rushing defensive end and linebacker in the draft, Perry was selected 28th in the first round by the Pack.   The Detroit, Michigan native will be much bigger than your average outside backer, standing just under 6-3 and weighing in at 271 pounds.  Yet Perry blistered the 40 yard dash at the NFL combine in 4.58 seconds.  The long armed defender has a wing span nearing 78 inches and he bench pressed 225 pounds an impressive 35 times.  The redshirt junior came out early after dominating the Pac 12 conference last fall, racking up 9 and a half sacks, 13 tackles for losses, registering 23 quarterback pressures and forcing three fumbles.  He started 21 of 24 games over his sophomore and junior years and during his freshman season, worked alongside his new running mate at linebacker, Matthews.  Perry finished his collegiate career with 21 and a half sacks and 29 tackles behind the line of scrimmage.  He was named the defensive linemen of the year in the conference and a unanimous all Pac 12 first teamer.  While he has a blinding upfield burst, he'll be asked to stand up and cover in space as a linebacker, not to mention thwart the running game directed at him.   The Packers are confident he can handle it.   The first round of the draft featured the big two quarterbacks at the top but was dominated by defensive pressure specialists in the front 7.   12 defensive linemen or linebackers were chosen and in the middle of the round, a real run was on, 10 of 11 picks were on the defensive side of the ball.  Thompson said the team talked a bit about both trading up, there were a total of 9 deals made by teams, and trading down, but nothing came of the discussions.   He felt it was best to stand pat and take the best player on the board, which also happens to fill a huge need on a defense that stastically speaking, was among the worst in the league despite a 15-1 record.    On the link below, you'll hear from Thompson, defensive coordinator Dom Capers and the man of the hour, Nick Perry, the Green Bay Packers number one draft pick.

Inside the draft room at Lambeau Field, the Packers have two walls literally covered with names of college football players.   One board ranks the players vertically, the top NFL prospect in their minds, followed by the second best player and so on.  There's another, horizontal board that grades players across based on the position they play.  Once the Indianapolis Colts take Andrew Luck's name off the board to open the 76th draft tonight, the fun begins.   General Manager Ted Thompson removes Luck's name on both boards and as the process continues, he can, at a glance, see which player is highest rated when number 28 comes around, based on overall ability, and compared to similarly ranked players at other positions.   So when the Packers pick, they'll have to decide if, hypothetically, Guard David DeCastro of Stanford is still out there, and he's highest rated on the vertical board, versus Nick Perry, the USC Defensive End or Shea McLellin of Boise State, the top linebacker on the horizontal comparison, it's time to decide on value versus need.   Not an easy proposition and it actually gets easier the deeper the draft goes.  That's because no two teams have players ranked equally when you're talking the 120th or 200th ranked player.   Names get plucked in short order unless deals are made to go up and grab the player you have ranked highly, or trade down in the hopes that a player you've ranked high is falling and likely to be around when your turn comes up again in the next round.   Where teams hurt themselves in this process, is to reach for a player who is well below your list of the top athletes remaining, just to cover a need.   If that pick doesn't pan out, it's double trouble, the hole still remains on the roster and you've missed out on a good football player you didn't need at the time, but certainly could use a year or two down the road.  Thompson will stay true to his boards.   There will be a handful of defensive players on those boards when pick 28 arrives tonight, will it be McLellin? Perry? Perhaps Jerel Worthy, the big Michigan State defensive lineman, or Devon Still of Penn State.  Safety Harrison Smith of Notre Dame is a player I like a lot, but maybe not at 28.  Which such a glaring hole at safety, Thompson might consider trading out of round 1, picking up a couple more choices and grabbing Smith at say, number 35 overall.  He's done this before, with Jordy Nelson in 2008.  He went from 30 to 36 with the Jets to pick a player at a position that already had Donald Driver, Greg Jennings and James Jones.  Keep in mind, tonight is the splash, the meat follows with rounds 2 and 3 Friday night and the final four rounds Saturday.    On the link below, comments of Thompson on the final installment of our draft preview series which has been sponsored by Nicolet Bank.