NFC

According to Adam Schefter, Donovan McNabb is now a Washington Redskin and the Kevin Kolb era is officially set to begin in Philly.

Schefter reported the news via his Twitter account saying.

"Filed to ESPN: Donovan McNabb has been traded to the Washington Redskins. Compensation still unknown. But McNabb's a Redskin."

He then followed up with the following.

"The Kevin Kolb Era is now underway in Philadelphia."

McNabb being shipped out of town is of no surprise but it is somewhat of a surprise that he was sent to the 'Skins. The trade marks Kevin Kolb's journey as the Eagles new quarterback and they certainly hope he is their guy to win a Super Bowl.

The Eagles and Skins trade for McNabb is a blockbluster in-division trade which is most likely to involve the Redskins' second round pick in this year's draft.

Schefter reports that McNabb's contract is set to have him being a free agent after the 2010 season, and he is also due a $6.2 million roster bonus on May 5.

With new Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan trading for McNabb, they get a Pro Bowl quarterback and one that has a winning record. While McNabb has yet to win a Super Bowl, he has to be considered a upgrade over Jason Campbell.

Speaking of Campbell, this trade certainly marks the end for Campbell in Washington and shakes the up the NFL draft which takes place in a few short weeks.

Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen and Texas quarterback Colt McCoy had been in direct talks with Washington. Now, it's almost certain that the soon-to-be NFL rookie quarterbacks will call a different team home come draft day.

For more info involving the trade follow ESPN NFL Guru, Adam Schefter: http://twitter.com/Adam_Schefter  

As Green Bay Packers fans might imagine, the month of March is “quiet time” at 1265 Lombardi Ave.

Office personnel are busy playing solitaire on their computers, and the water cooler continually plays host to bored employees looking to eat up some minutes.

The St. Patty’s Day office party, with Mike McCarthy dressed as a leprechaun, is always the highlight of the month.

Every day, Ted Thompson is seen entering the building in the morning and leaving at night, but little else is known of what he’s doing in his office.

Watching re-runs of Gomer Pyle? Playing waste-basket-ball? Who knows?

The marketing department probably has all-day brainstorming sessions on how to keep the Packers in the news. College interns secretly scour the news wires and keep track of other teams’ free agent signings, wishing they could have landed a gig with those organizations.

Of course, I’m just being facetious here, but this imaginary Lambeau office scene of previous months of March provides a stark contrast to how March 2010 started for the Packers.

This March, I can imagine employees struggling to keep up with the workload.

In 2009, the biggest March news was signing Anthony Smith and retaining Jarret Bush (groan). Looking back further, not since 2006 has there been such a flurry of March activity from our beloved Green Bay Packers.

Here’s a quick synopsis:

2006

Packers sign: Marquand Manuel, Ryan Pickett, Tracy White, Billy Cundiff, Ben Taylor

Packers re-sign: Ahman Green, Aaron Kampman, William Henderson, Cullen Jenkins, Colin Cole, Najeh Davenport

Packers release: N’ail Diggs

Packers lose: Antonio Chatman, Mike Flanagan, Tony Fisher, Craig Nall, Ryan Longwell

2007

Packers sign: Frank Walker

Packers re-sign: Tyson Walter, Noah Herron, Colin Cole, Tory Humphrey

Packers release: William Henderson, Kurt Campbell

Packers lose: David Martin

2008

Packers sign: Brandon Chillar

Packers re-sign: John Kuhn, Tory Humphrey, Ruvell Martin, Atari Bigby

Packers lose: Frank Walker

Packers trade: Corey Williams

Brett Favre “retires”

2009

Packers sign: Anthony Smith, Duke Preston

Packers re-sign: Jarret Bush, Mike Montgomery, Jason Hunter

Packers release: n/a

Packers lose: Colin Cole

2010

Packers sign: Charles Dillon, Chris Bryan

Packers re-sign: Chad Clifton, Nick Collins, Ryan Pickett, Mark Tauscher

Packers release: Matt Giordano, Mike Montgomery, Jeremy Kapinos*

Packers lose: Aaron Kampman

*An interesting side note about Kapinos: Nowhere on the Packers' official website, Packers.com , is there a story about his release. No news story, no press release; just an entry on the transactions list.

DeShawn Wynn, who was also not tendered a contract, is still listed on the Packers roster. Kapinos is not. Obviously, the Packers are quite pissed about his comments and the ungraceful exit he made after his release.

So what does this flurry of March activity mean?

With the potential prospect of very turbulent waters between the NFLPA and the NFL in 2011, it seems logical for teams that think they are close to making a Super Bowl run to take their shot now.

For some teams, this means signing big name free agents (Chicago) or collecting Packers castoffs (Minnesota). For the Packers under Ted Thompson, it mostly means re-signing their own free agents and then taking a nap.

Forgive my sarcasm.

Of course the Packers are busy preparing for the NFL Draft, otherwise known as “the only hope Packers fans have of seeing Green Bay fill some of those holes we all know exist.”

Yes, the Packers’ March started out with a flurry of activity. The 10 transactions listed above all occurred from March 1 to March 16.

Since then…crickets.

What began as a loud roar for the Packers has turned into a quiet little whimper.

Hey, it’s what we all expect this time of year, anyway.

Yawn…

You can follow Jersey Al on Facebook and Twitter . Visit Jersey Al's Packers Blog for more in-depth Packers commentary.

Jersey Al Bracco is the Green Bay Packers Draft Analyst for Drafttek.com. You can find more of Jersey Al ’s articles on several sports websites: NFL Touchdown , Packers Lounge , Packer Chatters ,  and Bleacher Report .

Game 1: Cleveland Browns at Green Bay Packers
Game 2: Green Bay Packers at Seattle Seahawks
Game 3: Indianapolis Colts at Green Bay Packers (ESPN - Thursday Night)
Game 4: Green Bay Packers at Kansas City Chiefs

So there it is. The first pre-season game will highlight Mike Holmgren's return to Lambeau in his new position as President of the Cleveland Browns.

Holmgren came to Cleveland for the challenge and I'm sure he hasn't been disappointed. Turning around the God-forsaken Browns franchise will take a few years, at least, and one can expect a big change in Cleveland's personnel from last season.

In the second game, the Packers travel to Seattle to play Holmgren's former team. Seattle is now led by new head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider, who spent 12 seasons in the Packers organization.

Game three is a marquee matchup (for a pre-season game), as Peyton Manning and the Super Bowl runner-up Indianapolis Colts come to Lambeau Field.

This game is scheduled for Thursday Night and will be televised nationally on ESPN. This will be a fantastic test for the Packers in game three, where starters traditionally see their most playing time of any pre-season game.

This game should be a good measuring stick for Dom Capers' defense and the embattled secondary in particular. Will the secondary get torched by another top quarterback? or will the Packers have developed enough of a pass-rush to stifle manning? Can't wait for this one! This game is also the 50th annual Bishop's Charities Game, a charitable event started in 1961 by Vince Lombardi.

Finally, in the last pre-season game, the Packers break their eight-year love affair with the Tennessee Titans in game four of pre-season. Much has been written of the difference in philosophy between the Titans and most NFL Teams, as Tennessee tends to play their starters deep into the game. The result has been that the Packers have started six of the last eight seasons coming off of a loss. Does that have any psychological effect on the players? Probably not, but there is certainly nothing positive about it. A change of venue has been long overdue and personally, I'm glad to see it.

Only four loooonnnnngggg months to go...

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You can  follow Jersey Al on Facebook and Twitter . Visit Jersey Al's Packers Blog for more in-depth Packers commentary.

Jersey Al Bracco is the Green Bay Packers Draft Analyst for Drafttek.com. You can find more of Jersey Al ’s articles on several sports web sites: NFL Touchdown , Packers Lounge , Packer Chatters , & Bleacher Report .

In what seemed highly unlikely among majority of NFL owners, the NFL Committee persuaded all but four in just a short few days to agree on passing the new OT Rule change.

The change is supposed to be a step in the right direction for the better of the game, the teams and the fans.

What an amazing turnaround on cooperation. Either it's just that simple, or maybe this NFL Committee should be running this country's more important decisions. 

Why the long process of advanced and over—scrutinizing of details as if it were trying to pass a united health care reform bill through Congress? This is just football after all.

Does the Competition Committee really need to fill their days up with something to do that badly?

The need to make a simple, long overdue OT rule change seemed to be a much harder process over the last decades than was needed.

Roger Goodell pointed out that this is not attempting to perfect anything, but a compromising step in the right direction as they were at least smart enough to leave the door open for future improvements.

I guess we all need some sort of job security in these times.

C'mon guys, this is just football were talking about here.

Have "the powers that be" in the elected leaders of this country really poisoned the way in which we process every simple and commonsense decision?  

I personally like the step forward towards what I feel is the right rule for OT in the NFL.

In fact, just about anything would be an improvement in comparison to leaving the winning score to rely more heavily on the flip of a coin.

Unlike the college playoff/championship system, I think the college OT rule is more in line with the right way of playing it on the field, with equal opportunity for both teams. Not perfect, but better.

Here's my take on what would be the best guideline for the NFL

1. 10 minute quarter for max allowable time (regular season only) with one timeout per team.

a) a regular season game would end as a tie if not won after that time limit.

b) playoffs, obviously continue until a team wins and start a new quarter.

2. Both teams get at least one possession to start the OT period. This gives both an opportunity to score no matter what with no altering the game rules from normal play.    

a) if the first team to get the ball scores a TD or FG, the other gets just one chance to meet it to continue play or beat it to win as both teams get at least one opportunity to equally win it or lose it with the chance to score and defend using all aspects of the game.   

b) this avoids losing the game without touching it if the opening receiving team happens to score a TD. 

c) coin-flip only factors first choice of who receives or kicks-off.

d) if a team receiving the first kickoff either fumbles or somehow loses the ball on a turnover  (including an on-side kick), or receives the ball and it's offense gives up a safety, all count as a possession opportunity.

3.  if neither team scores after their first possession opportunity or if its still tied, the first to score in any way from that point on wins..game over.

I believe this is the most simplistic and best guideline for a football OT rule and can put this issue to rest for good.

It takes absolutely nothing away from the normal aspect of the game and provides just as much or even more excitement.

Why the NFL needs to make small changes here and there to make it incomplete,complicated and alter the game is beyond me. 

It is the closest to perfect there is from my experience. I don't consider it a "discovering a new universe" science or concept, but maybe more people like me should be employed by the NFL or US Congress instead of a lot of the "rocket scientists" we have in place now.              

The running back used to be the premier position in the National Football League, but in recent years teams have adopted a platoon or running back by committee approach. Not long ago we were talking about Emmitt Smith, Barry Sanders, Herschel Walker, and players of that caliber.

Not anymore.

Every year there is a new young running back that breaks on the scene; Chris Johnson, Beanie Wells, and Ray Rice. Those names do not invoke the type of nostalgia, or even excitement for the most part.

Yes, Chris Johnson had a good season, coming close to breaking the single season rushing yardage record and many exciting runs of 50-plus yards along the way. But none of the players I named have any signature moments that will last for decades, because in the next four years most of them will have diminished playing time or looking for another team.

If you doubt this theory, see if you can name the backup running backs for Emmitt Smith, Barry Sanders, Herschel Walker, and Eric Dickerson. But I am quite sure you can name the backups for the former three players I mentioned.

Teams are finding more creative ways to save money and maximize their talent, but to in essence de-emphasize a position across the board is almost unheard of.

This strategy has reached a new level in the past few weeks as Brian Westbrook, former standout running back for the Philadelphia Eagles, LaDainian Tomlinson of the San Diego Chargers, and Thomas Jones from the New York Jets were all cut by their respective teams.

If you had to name the top 10 running backs in the NFL a few years ago, all of these players would be in the conversation, but only a few seasons later all of them are looking for a new beginning with a new team.

There are inherent problems with this philosophy. Sure, any team with a good offensive line can put even a decent running back in there and he will have success. Having an elite running back is not just about running the football; the biggest thing young running backs struggle with is the pass protection and hot reads that are required from the running back position.

This is of paramount importance because your $100 million dollar quarterback’s last line of defense is most often times the running back blocking for him or catching a dump pass out of the back field. Now, in order to save a little change they want to roll the dice with inexperienced players protecting the backside of your highest paid one?

The myth that running backs get burned out at age 30 is a bit of a white lie. What has started to happen is teams migrate to run primarily a passing offense because the Colts, Patriots, and others have been successful with it. This is de-emphasizing the running game, as New England, Arizona, and Indianapolis have never really been known for their running game.

As a result, these teams have not given these running backs the same amount of carries that they had in previous years, so of course their numbers are going to drop. On top of that, teams have started to acquire pass blocking specialists at the offensive line positions, and some of these players are only average run blockers.

Thomas Jones did more to dispel the myth than anyone else last season; he rushed for over 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns. This was the best season of his career, and he is 31 years old, so is Jones some type of exception to the rule?

His career was average before the past two seasons, and he all of a sudden turns in his rocking chair for a career season?  Even with all of that, the Jets still jettisoned him in favor of Shonn Greene, who has yet to play a 16 game season in the NFL.

I think Greene is a good player, but he does not have the experience of Thomas Jones and has not proven he can make it through an entire season healthy. He fumbled away the game against the Dolphins earlier last season, and had his moments where he was lost in pass protection.

Jones signed with the Chiefs, taking about a $4 million dollar pay cut in the process. All of these signs point to one truth; Emmitt Smith’s career rushing record will last for decades.  No running back for the foreseeable future is going to get the same opportunity to be the featured guy for over 13 years.

Emmitt Smith ran for a total of 18,355 yards during his 15-season NFL career; LaDainian Tomlinson (who just signed with the Jets) has rushed for only 12,490 yards and is now considered “over the hill.” There is no way Tomlinson will get another 5,000 or 6,000 rushing yards because he will not get enough opportunities to get to that number.

Looking at the statistics, the only active players who have over 10,000 yards are as follows:

LaDainian Tomlinson (Jets) – 12,490

Edgerrin James (No Team) – 12,246

Fred Taylor (No Team) – 11,540

Jamal Lewis (May Retire) – 10,607

(Statistics courtesy of http://www.pro-football-reference.com)

As you can see, none of them are even close to Emmitt and the only one that has a real shot is LT, but his contract in New York is only for two years and he isn’t the featured guy.

The NFL running back is now dead or in a state of hibernation depending on how you look at it. Maybe in the next five to 10 years the league will change back to a more balanced set of offenses that once again emphasize the run.

NOBODY...

Although it's not an option in this Mock Draft, if the Packers were to arrive at pick #23  and  Sam Bradford has not been selected, it's time for a good old-fashioned quarterback auction.

Who needs a quarterback out there? I'm talking to you, St. Louis. And you, Washington. Helloooooo Buffalo! Anyone else looking for a franchise quarterback bargain?

Step right up folks, and claim your quarterback. All you need is an early 2nd round and early 3rd round draft pick.

But barring such an unlikely scenario, lets look at who has not been selected that could be of interest to the Packers:

OT Charles Brown, USC
OT Bruce Campbell, Maryland
RB Jahvid Best, California
LB Sergio Kindle, Texas
LB Jerry Hughes, TCU
CB Devin McCourty, RU
DE Carlos Dunlap, DE
S Taylor Mays, USC

Looking at the value board over at DraftTek.com, that's a heck of an interesting group.

I'll start by eliminating two players right off the bat, Taylor Mays and Jahvid Best. As far as Taylor Mays goes, there are just too many questions about him and spending a #1 pick on a safety is not something many NFL GMs like to do.

Jahvid Best, for all his speed and playmaking ability, has some serious warts. He can make people miss, but if a defender gets a hand on him, he's not breaking any tackles.

He runs with no power at all and was taken off the field on downs when the possibility of having to help with the pass blocking was there. He has also had too many injury issue the last two years. Too many warts for a first round pick.

Moving on, recent developments at 1265 Lombardi Ave. have forced me to re-evaluate the Packers primary need. With Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher both signed for at least another 2 years, the Packers don't need to reach in the first round for a possible year-one starter at left tackle.

That means the Packers can look for a promising tackle in rounds two or three that has positive upside but needs some seasoning, perhaps a Roger Saffold or Jason Fox or Jared Valdeheer.

Their next most pressing need would appear to be a cornerback, where the uncertainty surrounding Al Harris, Pat Lee, Brandon Underwood and Josh Bell screams out for some cornerback depth. After all, SOMEONE has to push Jarret Bush off of this roster - PLEASE!

But after Joe Haden and possibly Klye Wilson, is there another cornerback that is a sure-fire round one value? No. Are there a plethora of good CB prospects that will be available in rounds two through four? Yes.

So selecting a cornerback with this pick would be a reach for the Packers. I happen to like Devin McCourty a lot, he's fluid, blankets receivers, a tough tackler, a kick returner and kick blocker specialist. He's a versatile guy that can contribute in multiple ways, but probably not a future All-Pro. So, he's a reach at pick #23.

Almost as big of a need as cornerback for the Packers would be adding a pass rusher on the left side. Carlos Dunlap has the size and athletic ability to be a prototype 3-4 left DE.

With Johnny Jolly headed for a court date and an uncertain future, the Packers may consider a guy that scouts and defensive line coaches are drooling over. While his production has not been what you might demand from a first round pick, any NFL DL coach with confidence in his teaching abilities would love the opportunity to coach the physical speciment that is Carlos Dunlap.

But in the final analysis, the best way for the Packers to create the fierce pass rush Dom Capers covets, would be to find a bookend OLB for Clay Matthews on the left side.

That leads us to two players; Sergio Kindle and Jerry Hughes.

Either player would be a boost to the Packers pass rush. But which one would be the most complete player and has Pro Bowl potential? I think Kindle is that player hands down.

Hughes was a sack machine, but is a bit undersized, has had little experience in pass coverage or at LB, and has struggled against the run.

Kindle has played the hybrid DE/LB elephant position at Texas, has great lateral movement and fluid change of direction skills. A star running back as well as linebacker in high school, Kindle possesses elite athleticism, maybe even more so than his Texas teammate from last year, Brian Orakpo of the Washington Redskins.

To these eyes, Sergio Kindle looks like another Clay Matthews.

Sergio Kindle Highlights:

Jerry Hughes Highlights:

Combine videos can be seen here (notice how much more fluid Kindle looks):

Sergio Kindle

Jerry Hughes

So, as stated earlier, if the Packers were to find themselves in the position this mock draft puts them in, a Sam Bradford auction for more picks would be in order. Trading down into the early second round would still get them one of the players listed above, plus an early third round pick. With four picks in rounds two and three, the Packers could fill multiple needs at OT, LB, CB, S or RB.

But for the purposes of this mock draft...

With the 23rd pick in the NFL Draft, the Packers select:  Sergio Kindle, LB, Texas.

Here are the selections leading up to this pick:

22. Patriots Select Jared Odrick

21. Bengals Select Jermaine Gresham

20. Texans Select Kyle Wilson

19. Falcons Select Sean Weatherspoon

18. Steelers Select Mike Iupati

17. 49ers-pick-17-trent-williams" target="_blank">49ers Select Trent Williams 

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You can  follow Jersey Al on Facebook and Twitter . Visit Jersey Al's Packers Blog for more in-depth Packers commentary.

Jersey Al Bracco is the Green Bay Packers Draft Analyst for Drafttek.com. You can find more of Jersey Al ’s articles on several sports web sites: NFL Touchdown , Packers Lounge , Packer Chatters , & Bleacher Report .

It would be difficult to dispute that Mason Crosby had a bad year kicking field goals for the Green Bay Packers. Among kickers with at least 15 attempts, his 75 percent average field goal percentage (FG%)  was better than only six other kickers in the NFL. Towards the end of the season, Crosby collected “votes of confidence” from Packers coaches like Ted Thompson collects wide receivers (more than should be necessary).

Despite his less than eventful 2009, Crosby somehow triggered incentives in his contract that has doubled his salary for 2010, from $500K to $1M. As Don King loves to say, God Bless America!  And from Mason’s perspective, God Bless his agent. What a great contract he negotiated. His client can have a bad year and still manage to earn a 100 percent raise.

I can only sit and wonder what those incentives were? Did he have to…

Finish higher than 30th in the league?
Hit 90 percent of his kicks into the practice net on the sideline?
Hit 95 percent of the footballs he swung his leg at?
Kick the ball with his right leg 95 percent of the time?
Never put his pants on backwards?

In all seriousness, when compared to the rest of the kickers in the league, Crosby is in the lower 20th percentile. In his three years with the Packers, he has never made more than 79.5 percent of his field goals. For a quick comparison, Ryan Longwell averaged 80 percent, 88 percent, 83 percent, and 87 percent in his first four years with the Packers.

I’ve always considered 80 percent to be the lowest field goal percentage an NFL team should tolerate. in my book, a FG percentage of less than 80 percent is like a batting average below .250 in baseball.  Anyone can have a bad year, but three years in a row makes a bad career.

And yet, Crosby has his defenders. Mason Crosby will be fine, I hear over and over. He just has to work on the mental side, just has to straighten out the right hashmark issue, just needs a better holder, etc. My question for those people is, what evidence do you have that Mason Crosby is capable of being better than he has been? When has he shown that he can be an 85 percent kicker? NEVER, is the answer.

In the last three years, here’s how many NFL kickers had a FG percentage of 85 percent or higher:

2007    16
2008    17
2009    11

Looking back at Crosby’s career as a place kicker, starting with his senior year in High School, here are Crosby’s FG percentages:.

HSY4    63.6 percent
CY1    77.8 percent
CY2    82.6 percent
CY3    75.0 percent
CY4    67.9 percent
NFLY1    79.5 percent
NFLY2    79.4 percent
NFLY3    75.0 percent

Sophomore year in college was the only time Crosby has EVER broken 80 percent. So tell me, Crosby defenders, what makes you think he is just an adjustment away from even being a “good” NFL kicker?

Even before his poor 2009, I questioned why there was no competition brought in during the 2009 training camp to push Crosby. As I wrote during the first week of camp, “I feel Crosby is being given an undeserved pass and there should be another kicker in camp to push him, if nothing else.”

Yes, a little competition can be a great motivator. Instead, the Packers just handed the job to a kicker that finished in the bottom 20 percent of NFL kickers his first two seasons.

So what will happen in 2010? While there are a few unrestricted free agent kickers that would be an improvement over Crosby (Shayne Graham and Jay Feely, for example), they will both command higher salaries than even Crosby’s 2010 overpaid $1M contract will provide. That, of course, makes it extremely unlikely that Ted Thompson will be calling their agents anytime soon.

Looking at the NFL draft, it’s not a strong year for placekickers. There aren’t any kickers that would warrant using anything other than a late sixth or seventh round pick. With Ted Thompson having used a sixth round pick just three years ago to select Crosby, I think it’s unlikely Ted Thompson would use another pick so soon on a kicker.

So, it appears a street free agent or an undrafted placekicker after the upcoming draft would be the most likely method Ted Thompson uses to bring in some competition for Crosby. But will he even do that?

When I called for some kicking competition for Crosby last year, some readers pointed out that most teams don’t want to waste one of those 83 valuable training camp roster spots on a second kicker.

Fair enough, I say, but do the Packers really need to bring 11 wide receivers to camp like they did last year? I’d would opt to go with 10 and bring someone in to give Crosby something to worry about. Maybe he’ll have the motivation to find that magic adjustment you Crosby defenders are waiting for. Imagine what he’ll make in incentives then…

You can  follow Jersey Al on Facebook and Twitter . Visit Jersey Al's Packers Blog for more in-depth Packers commentary.

Jersey Al Bracco is the Green Bay Packers Draft Analyst for Drafttek.com. You can find more of Jersey Al ’s articles on several sports web sites: NFL Touchdown , Packers Lounge , Packer Chatters , & Bleacher Report .

This is the first of a seven part series, looking back at Ted Thompsons draft selections, round by round since his appointment as Green Bay’s General Manger in 2005.

It is six weeks to the day of the 2010 NFL Draft and this series will every week cover a round at which Thompson has selected.

Each round will be graded A-F and in a nut shell will be looking back at Thompsons hits, misses, busts and gems of his five year tenure at Green Bay.

Starting off the series are Thompsons seventh round draft selections.

Round Seven   - (number selected)

2005 – LB Kurt Campbell, Albany (245) and G William Whitticker, Michigan State (246)

2006 – DE Dave Tollefson, Northwest Missouri State (253)

2007 – RB DeShawn Wynn, Florida (228) and TE Clark Harris, Rutgers (243)

2008 – QB Matt Flynn, Louisiana State (209) and WR Brett Swain, San Diego State (217)

2009 – LB Brad Jones, Colorado (218)

Draft Grade - C

Selections - 8

Starters in 2009 – Brad Jones (week 12 onwards)

Roster made in 2009 – Matt Flynn, Brett Swain, Brad Jones, and DeShawn Wynn (IR)

The arrival of Brad Jones in week 12 was a much needed silver lining in Green Bay. Packer favourite Aaron Kampman sustained a season-ending injury during the week 11 matchup against the 49ers, leaving Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy to ponder at who would replace the two-time Pro Bowler.

Whether Jones can replace Kampman and become Green Bay’s staring OLB, come 2010 is yet to be seen. What Jones has shown is that can be a solid back up in the NFL and has proven to be a nice selection by Thompson.

On paper Jones’ production looks solid; four starts, 33 tackles, four being sacks at OLB looks promising. However at times Jones struggled against the run and didn’t win enough one on one battles with opposing tackles. His lack of quarterback pressure allowed teams to double fellow rookie Clay Matthews, who excelled in Green Bay’s new 3-4 defense.

2007 selection DeShawn Wynn looked promising in his rookie season, rushing for 203 yards, averaging 4.1 yards per carry, recording four touchdowns. However Wynn struggled staying healthy for Green Bay and with the acquisition of Ryan Grant in 2007, Wynn lost his starting job and any chance of having a future in Green Bay.

Former LSU quarterback Matt Flynn and San Diego State wide out Brett Swain have yet to show Packer fans their true potential. Thompson rewarded Flynn to play back-up to Aaron Rodgers, beating out former second round pick Brian Brohm. Thompson also brought back Brett Swain, who spent a year on the Packers practice squad.

The final notable signing for Thompson in the seventh round was released after his first season with the Pack. Defensive end Dave Tollefson did not factor for Green Bay in 2006 however won a Super Bowl with the New York Giants a season later. After just completing his fourth year in the league, third with the Giants, Tollefson has recorded 4.5 sacks in a situational role in the "Big Apple."

2005 selections Kurt Campbell and William Whitticker are no longer in the league, and TE Clark Harris has found roster spots with Houston and Cincinnati since being drafted in 2007.

Overall Ted Thompson’s seventh round selections have made some impacts for Green Bay and Jones contribution filling in for Kampman was heartening. Having four of these seventh round selections on the 53-man roster at the beginning of the season 2009 was encouraging to see.

Thompson receives a C due to previous misses in the 2005 and 2006 draft classes, in addition to Wynn’s inability to remain healthy. Not knowing whether the likes of Flynn and Swain are fully NFL ready leaves Thompsons grade as a solid C.

Look out for the sixth round analysis on Sunday!

The Vikings have made a move that could actually impact their special teams in a big way. Minnesota signed former Carolina Panthers kicker, Rhys Lloyd.

Ryan Longwell had one of the worst seasons of his career as far as kicking for touchbacks goes. Nonetheless, he can still knock down field goals at ease.

The signing of Lloyd will allow the Vikings the chance to not get burned on kick returns.

Minnesota has been accustomed to giving up touchdowns on special teams for years now. This could come to an end in 2010.

Rhys Lloyd is an undrafted, fourth-year player that played for the Minnesota Gophers in college.

He's had two stints with the Ravens, one with the Packers, one year internationally, and spent three seasons with the Carolina Panthers.

In all honesty, I am very excited about this signing. Minnesota is excellent at signing small-name players that can turn into starters (Visanthe Shiancoe, Chester Taylor, and Ben Leber).

Carrying two kickers on a roster is not usually a common trend in the NFL. But Minnesota will be willing to take the chance, like the Panthers did with John Kasay and Lloyd.

In other news, Minnesota has been rumored to be very interested in future Hall of Fame running back LaDainian Tomlinson.

Tomlinson was released by the Chargers recently, and he has yet to sign with a team.

The Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs have expressed interest in the 30-year-old running back.

Tomlinson is not a player that is looking for money, but rather a player that wants to win a Super Bowl ring.

With all due respect, Cleveland and Kansas City have the same chance of winning the Super Bowl as the Nets do of being a playoff team. None.

I am all for going out to sign a player like LaDainian. If the money and years are right, Minnesota will have a talented backup running back to Adrian Peterson.

With Chester Taylor signing with the Bears, the Vikings will have to find a suitable replacement through free-agency or the draft.

Joe McKnight and Dexter McCluster are two running backs that can both run and catch the ball very well in this years draft.

If I had to guess, I would say that the Vikings give Tomlinson a two-year deal for around $3-4 million per year.

As the days go on, more news will be leaked out to fans across the nation. Hopefully by that time, we can know whether or not LaDainian Tomlinson is just a fantasy or reality.

Today, I bring you the second installment in my Green Bay Packers Draft Analysis Series. In Article No. 1 , I discussed general needs and laid out my initial thoughts on an effective draft day strategy for the Green and Gold. Based on that initial analysis, I advocated trading down to the very late first or early second round in exchange for additional picks. This would allow the Packers to address at least three of their needs (OT, CB, OLB , S, RB.) with Top-100 players.

Article No. 1 got some good conversation going among readers, some of whom advocated trading up, instead, to get that one special player. How realistic is that and how effective of a strategy would that be? Well, for the sake of argument, I am going to play devil’s advocate to my personal trade-down feelings, present the case for trading up, and see where that takes us.

Ted Thompson showed last year what it would take for him to pull the trigger on a trade up. It took the No. 12 player on the Packers’ board dropping to pick 26. In their minds, an incredible value.

So, the first thing that must be tackled (pun intended) is who would the Packers value that highly and what position do they play? For example, if the Packers just loved Alabama LB Rolando McClain, would they make a big trade-up move for an inside linebacker? Highly unlikely.

For discussion purposes, let's use the Top-20 Big Board over at DraftTek .com:

1    Ndamukong Suh ,  Nebraska      DT43      DE34
2     Eric Berry,  Tennessee     FS     SS
3     Gerald McCoy,  Oklahoma     DT43
4     Russell Okung ,  Oklahoma St.    OT     OG
5     Joe Haden,  Florida   CB     KR
6     Rolando McClain,  Alabama     ILB     OLB43
7     C.J. Spiller,  Clemson     RBC     KR
8     Derrick Morgan,   Georgia Tech     DE43
9     Dez Bryant,  Oklahoma St.     WRF     KR
10    Bryan Bulaga ,  Iowa         OT     OG
11    Carlos Dunlap,  Florida         DE43     DE34
12    Jimmy Clausen ,  Notre Dame     QB
13    Earl Thomas,  Texas         FS     SS
14    Trent Williams,  Oklahoma     OT     OG
15    Mike Iupati , Idaho         OG
16    Sam Bradford,  Oklahoma     QB
17    Dan Williams,  Tennessee     DT34     DT43
18    Anthony Davis,  Rutgers     OT     OG
19    Golden Tate,  Notre Dame     WRS     KR
20    Brandon Graham,  Michigan     DE43     OLB34

Last year, in order to move up to the No. 5 pick and select Mark Sanchez, the NY Jets traded three players on their roster, their first-round pick (No. 17) and a second-round pick (No. 52). So the Jets basically traded five players for the chance to draft their potential franchise quarterback at pick No. 5. If Sanchez continues to improve after getting thrown into the fire and making it to the AFC Championship game, the trade will be a bargain.

But would the Jets have traded five players for a great defensive tackle or safety? Not in a million years. What does this have to do with the Packers? Well, since the Packers are set at QB, there would be no reason to trade up that high unless the second coming of Barry Sanders were sitting there, which isn’t the case.

Since Joe Haden and Eric Berry are likely to be top-7 picks, I mostly see only three positions the Packers could potentially target in a trade-up scenario: running back, offensive tackle, and outside linebacker. And again, to make the trade-up scenario work, the targeted player must have dropped to where they are an outstanding value.

That pretty much eliminates the possibility of trading up into the top ten, so I will focus on picks 11-17.  Teams holding these picks are:

11 Jacksonville     (no second-round pick)
12 Miami              (second-round pick No. 43)
13 San Fran         (firstst-round pick No. 17, second-round pick No. 49)
14 Seattle             (first round pick No. 6, second-round pick No. 40)
15 NYG                  (second -round pick No. 46)
16 Tenn.               (no second-round pick)
17 San Fran

With Jacksonville and Tennessee not having a second rounder, it’s unlikely they would give up an early first rounder. While Miami and NY are possibilities, the best potential trade partners, both with two first-round picks, are San Fran and Seattle. So let's focus on spots No. 13 and 14.

Which player dropping to one of those spots would raise Ted Thompson’s eyebrows enough to get him to pick up the phone and start making proposals? Let's look at some possibilities:

C.J. Spiller                   yes, absolutely, in a heartbeat
Rolando McClain      no, not for an ILB
Dez Bryant                 hard to see, but we all know Ted Thompson and receivers.
Bryan Bulaga             yes, definitely
Anthony Davis           maybe, but the value proposition is not as high.

C.J . Spiller and Bryan Bulaga . If either of those two players are available at 13 or 14, what would it take to land them? Using the trade chart over at DraftTek .com, and assuming the team trading up usually has to overpay a bit, here’s what some potential trades would look like:

San Fran trades their first-round (No. 13) for Packers first-round (No. 23) , second-round (No. 56), and fourth-round (No. 119) picks.

San Fran trades their first-round (No. 13) for Packers first-round (No. 23) , third -round (No. 86), and 2010 second-round picks.

Seattle trades their first-round (No. 14) for Packers first-round (No. 23), second-round (No. 56), and fifth-round (No. 150) picks.

Seattle trades their first-round (No. 14) for Packers first-round (No. 23), third-round (No. 86), and 2010 third- and fourth-round picks.

And, just for fun, a different scenario where the Packers end up with two first-round picks this year:

Either SF or Seattle trade their first-round pick for Packers second -round (No. 56), third-round (No. 86), and 2010 first- and third-round   picks.

So readers, is trading up to grab a Bulaga or Spiller something you would do? Since I am playing devil’s advocate presenting these scenarios, I will wait to hear your opinions before I say any more.  Please be sure to leave a comment and lets talk about it…

And be sure to join the new NFL Draft Forum at DraftTek .com and get in on the discussions.

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Jersey Al Bracco is the Green Bay Packers Draft Analyst for Drafttek .com. His articles appear on several sports web sites: NFL Touchdown , Packers Lounge , & Packer Chatters.