Packers News

"Growing up in Louisville and growing up a Brohm doesn't naturally segue into being a great fan of the National Football League. The nearest pro teams are in Indianapolis and Cincinnati. And quarterback Brian Brohm's genealogy has him tied very closely to the college game; his father and both brothers all played for Louisville. Still, that didn't stop the Green Bay Packers' second-round draft pick from studying the NFL's best at the position for years, while brother Jeff was a journeyman backup in San Diego, San Francisco, Denver, Tampa Bay and Cleveland."

"The Green Bay Packers officially announced the signings Wednesday of three players who took part in their recent rookie minicamp on a tryout basis: cornerbacks Condrew Allen (Portland State) and Kyle Ward (Louisiana-Lafayette), and offensive tackle Ryan Considine (Louisiana Tech). Allen and Ward are both 6-foot-1 and 199 pounds. Considine is 6-4 and 302."

"A state agency has closed down the business of a former Wisconsin man who was illegally selling Green Bay Packers tickets on the Internet. At a press conference at Lambeau Field on Wednesday, officials representing the state's Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection said that Ben C. Huettl had agreed not to sell any tickets or receive payment for tickets unless he has them in his possession."

"David Witthoft finally shunned his Brett Favre jersey for a red shirt for the first time in 1,581 days. The 12-year-old Ridgefield, Conn., boy wore the No. 4 jersey every day since receiving it as a Christmas gift in 2003. David's father, Chuck Witthoft, said that his son's last day wearing the jersey was April 23 on his 12th birthday."

"Justin Beaver isn't a member of the Green Bay Packers. At least not right now. The agents for the former UW-Whitewater running back were told the Packers would not offer Beaver a contract Monday. "They have a limit on the number of guys they can carry, a lower number than in years past, and they needed to balance that with needs at other positions," said Scott Smith, who represents Beaver with Tim Valentyne. "

"The National Football League is always interested in branching out to other countries to gain a greater fan base. Well, with tackle Breno Giacomini on the Green Bay Packers' roster, the league stands to convert at least the Brazilian city of Governador Valadares, if not the whole state of Minas Gerais, from soccer to football fans, at least on Sundays."

"This marked the second year that Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy held a rookies-only camp following the NFL draft, an approach that is becoming the norm in the league. McCarthy was pleased with what the camp accomplished, largely because the numbers were bolstered by 19 tryout players and seven roster holdovers who participated. The Packers had nine draft picks and 11 undrafted signees. "Comparing it to last year, it was significantly better," McCarthy said."

"Only a few sets of eyes got to see Ken DeBauche get his kicks during the Green Bay Packers' three-day, post-draft rookie orientation camp, but the former University of Wisconsin punter left feeling pretty good about what he'd shown them. DeBauche punted only on Friday and Saturday and, on both days, his practice started 45 minutes before the rest of the team's. That meant only DeBauche, long snappers Thomas Gafford and J.J. Jansen, special teams coordinator Mike Stock, assistant special teams coach Shawn Slocum, general manager Ted Thompson and a few other personnel staffers were in the Don Hutson Center at the time. Practice was only open to reporters on Friday."

"Justin Beaver has no idea what's going to happen next, but the former UW-Whitewater star and Green Bay Packers hopeful knows one thing for sure: He gave it his all. "I've been thinking about that a lot lately," Beaver said Sunday afternoon. "I go by this: If you give everything you've got, you can't have any regrets. That's what I live by. We'll see what happens.""

"As long as Mike McCarthy is coaching the Green Bay Packers, they probably will continue to hold a rookie orientation camp. At the close of that three-day session on Sunday, McCarthy said he preferred this format — which he has used the last two offseasons — instead of the old one in which rookies and veterans participated together in the first camp of the year. Having a rookies-only weekend has become the norm around the NFL."

"The Green Bay Packers prepared hard for Brett Favre's departure, starting with the selection of Aaron Rodgers in the first round of the 2005 draft. They've built a young and ascending roster that will return almost intact for 2008 and includes a potentially strong core of skill-position players to help Rodgers. They also added one likely starter in free agency, linebacker Brandon Chillar, plus a nine-man draft class that could fill some crucial backup and sub-package roles. Nevertheless, after losing in the NFC championship game, they didn't expect to go through this drastic changeover this year."

"It sounds like Mike McCarthy is going to make a push to keep Justin Beaver, the diminutive running back from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. The Green Bay Packers coach on Sunday said no decisions have been made on the 19 players the team had in this weekend for tryouts, but it likely will sign four of them to the 80-man offseason roster. The 5-foot-7 Beaver, who won the Division III equivalent of the Heisman Trophy, got plenty of work during the weekend rookie orientation camp and opened some eyes."

"Right tackle Breno Giacomini, one of the Green Bay Packers' nine draft choices, wasn't the least bit overwhelmed over the weekend when asked to take some turns on the left side during rookie orientation camp. In fact, Giacomini is all for the idea of playing even more left tackle when the off-season program resumes in two weeks. "I want to play," Giacomini said. "It's wherever they can find a spot for me."

"We'll probably never know for certain the round in which the Green Bay Packers had Matt Flynn graded. Suffice it to say that it was considerably higher than the seventh, which is where general manager Ted Thompson used the 209th overall pick obtained in a trade with Minnesota to select the quarterback who led Louisiana State to the national championship in January."

"Justin Beaver's first play with the Green Bay Packers did not come at running back. Despite his record-breaking career at UW-Whitewater, the 5-foot-7, 191-pound Beaver lined up ... at defensive tackle? "Hey, I'm a great defensive tackle," Beaver said Saturday before the second practice of the Packers' post-draft rookie orientation camp. "I actually think I could play there.""

"Search "Jordy Nelson" on YouTube, and you begin to get an idea of just how good the former Kansas State All-American wide receiver was in college and the kind of pro potential the Green Bay Packers' first pick in last weekend's draft really has. There's footage of Nelson flat-out embarrassing Kansas cornerback Aqib Talib, who went 20th overall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, on a sideline go route, pulling away from Talib on what turns out to be a 68-yard touchdown. There's video of Nelson getting to the corner and taking off up the right sideline on an 89-yard punt return in the Wildcats' 41-21 upset of Texas."

"Spencer Havner had to have mixed emotions when the Packers signed linebacker Brandon Chillar in March. On one hand, the signing reunited Havner with his former UCLA teammate. On the other, it made Havner's third push for a roster spot that much more difficult. But Havner said Saturday he has no doubt Chillar is a good fit in Green Bay."

"Why spend a draft pick on another receiver who faces long odds to make the roster? It was Thompson's shot at an underrated prospect who he and his scouts think, in a best-case scenario, could develop into something like Wes Welker, the former undrafted rookie who has blossomed into a premier slot receiver for the New England Patriots."

"Coming off of a 14-4 season, losing their Hall of Fame quarterback to retirement and facing a tougher schedule, the Green Bay Packers can't possibly improve in 2008, can they? Maybe a second look is merited before leaping to that conclusion. It's a reach to assume Aaron Rodgers can pick up where Brett Favre left off at quarterback. But General Manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy have expressed supreme confidence in their new starting signal caller. Who are we to doubt Thompson and McCarthy?"

"Given Harris, 33, and Woodson, 31, are among the team's oldest players and there was no clear-cut heir to either, cornerback seemingly became a position of need during the offseason. After Packers General Manager Ted Thompson opted not to sign any of the free-agent cornerbacks, it seemed likely he would address the need early in last weekend's draft. Near the end of the second round, he selected Auburn cornerback Pat Lee at No. 60."

"Running back Kregg Lumpkin started just 10 games at the University of Georgia and missed most of last season because of injury, but the Green Bay Packers saw his pedigree and overall potential as a reason to give him a shot as an undrafted free agent. No one is making comparisons to Terrell Davis yet, but Lumpkin would like to be another forgotten-about Bulldog who makes the most of his NFL experience."

"Here's Mike Peterson's story in a nutshell: Too small to play running back in Division I; went to play baseball in junior college; got sick of baseball and decided to go to work, first at a lumberyard and then at a Menards; got the itch to play football again, walked on at Northwest Missouri State and quickly became the starting tight end; wound up a Division II All-American; currently in the process of showing the Green Bay Packers he can play in the NFL. And, oh yeah, he turns 26 on Nov. 29. And he's short."

"Christopher Merritt has been around athletes long enough to become accustomed to their extraordinary abilities. This year alone, nine of his players at Christopher Columbus High School in Miami signed with Division I football programs. Before that, he coached in Europe. And before that, as a defensive back, Merritt tackled Big Ten receivers and running backs for Indiana University. But even Merritt had to stop mid-stride upon spotting his defensive back, Patrick Lee, in the school parking lot years ago."

"Here are thumbnail sketches of the Packers' 11 undrafted free agents and the assessment of John Dorsey, the team's director of college scouting:"

"Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy has said several times that he has no problem going into the season with two rookie quarterbacks backing up Aaron Rodgers. By the time the team takes part in its mandatory mini-camp June 17, he'll have a better idea of whether that's the best way to go. This weekend, he's merely being introduced to the talents and learning ability of draft choices Brian Brohm and Matt Flynn."

"Kenny DeBauche had become such a pedestrian punter late in his career at Wisconsin that two National Football League special-teams coaches didn't even know his name several weeks before the draft. DeBauche's confidence wasn't high in late March when he paid his way to Phoenix for three days of workouts with Gary Zauner, the Milwaukee native and NFL special-teams coach from 1994-2006 who is now a consultant and instructor. Two weeks later, DeBauche had an outstanding workout in Green Bay which, in turn, led to a free-agent contract with the Packers."

"My favorite shirt soon will be out of style. The Green Bay Packers are retiring Brett Favre's jersey, and just like that, my No. 4 green-and-gold jersey is no longer up-to-the-minute. In a few short months, my beloved jersey will be retro, and I, who spent much of my youth listening to my father recall the Lombardi era, will be living in the Glory Years."

"The Green Bay Packers were willing to take a chance on unheralded tackle-guard Josh Sitton of Central Florida late in the fourth round partially because he reminded them of Mark Tauscher. In terms of height, weight, vertical jump and intelligence, Sitton is eerily similar to Tauscher when he joined the Packers as a seventh-round draft choice from Wisconsin in 2000. Their style of play was comparable as well."

"While the NFC North champion Green Bay Packers used the NFL draft to hit solid singles, the rest of the division's teams were swinging for the fences. Minnesota, Chicago and Detroit connected a few times, too. In fact, Green Bay's rivals closed the gap significantly on the Brett Favre-less Packers with some creative work over the weekend."

"How did the Green Bay Packers fare in the NFL draft? If you want an informed and definitive answer, kick back and patiently wait three years to find out."

"Long snapper, the largest void in the Green Bay Packers' lineup, is shaping up as a battle between a highly rated rookie and a "street" free agent with a solid background."

"Kansas State wide receiver Jordy Nelson told Sirius NFL Radio he watched the first round of the NFL draft on television "as a sports fan." But at the beginning of the second round "he really started getting interested." Nelson said his phone rang shortly before he was chosen."

"The Green Bay Packers are going to give him a chance, however. They did not sign him to a free-agent contract, but they invited him to their rookie minicamp this weekend for a tryout. As far as Beaver is concerned, all he needs is a chance."

"The following 13 players have agreed to terms on free-agent contracts and will participate in the Packers' rookie orientation this weekend: Jake Allen, WR, Mississippi College: 6-4, 185 pounds, 4.56 40-yard dash. Left as the Div. III school's career leader in receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches after catching 61 passes for 1,254 yards and 12 touchdowns."

"The only area on offense the Green Bay Packers failed to address in the draft was running back. So that was one of their priorities in the post-draft scramble for rookie free agents, and they landed Kregg Lumpkin of Georgia."

"Mississippi College receiver Jake Allen; Portland State center Brennen Carvalho; University of Wisconsin punter Ken DeBauche; Nebraska safety Tierre Green; Murray State receiver Rod Harper; Maryland tight end Joey Haynos; Notre Dame long-snapper J.J. Jansen; Connecticut linebacker Danny Lansanah; Georgia running back Kregg Lumpkin; North Carolina linebacker Durell Mapp; Northwest Missouri State tight end Mike Peterson; Fresno State linebacker Marcus Riley; and Syracuse wideout Taj Smith."

"In today's instant-analysis, user-provided content-driven sports world, the immediate criticism of the Green Bay Packers' nine-man 2008 draft class was that a team that went 13-3 last season — and was within a few plays of a Super Bowl berth — didn't add a difference-maker."

"On Saturday, Thompson, now in Wolf's shoes as general manager of the Packers, made three selections in the second round that will largely define his 2008 draft class. And considering his team was a play or two away from the Super Bowl last year, it's possible those three will provide the same lift the '95 class did."

"With rookies Brian Brohm and Matt Flynn now stacked behind Aaron Rodgers, thanks to Ted Thompson and his personnel department, the coaching staff is welcoming the talented newcomers with open arms and a can-do approach."

"Ted Thompson lined up another quarterback behind Aaron Rodgers on Sunday. A day after he used a second-round draft pick on Louisville's Brian Brohm, the Green Bay Packers' general manager went after more insurance on Sunday in the seventh round by nabbing LSU quarterback Matt Flynn at No. 209 overall (the second pick of the round)."

"Tight end Jermichael Finley could have stayed at Texas for another year and tried to boost his draft stock even higher."

"On Sunday morning, Thompson used his third-round pick (No. 91 overall) on tight end Jermichael Finley of Texas. Though he's the first player to leave the Longhorns for the NFL after his redshirt sophomore season and he turned 21 only a month ago, the 6-foot-4, 243-pounder could end up as the Packers' No. 2 tight end this season."

"By Sunday evening, after another draft weekend of wheeling and dealing, Thompson had added two quarterbacks, including Brian Brohm in the second round; used high picks on a cornerback (Patrick Lee in the second round) and tight end (Jermichael Finley in the third); and made an unprecedented-for-him trade up for a defensive end (Wake Forest's Jeremy Thompson in the fourth)."

"So, Ted Thompson is willing to trade up. For the first time in his nine years of running drafts, including the last four as the Green Bay Packers' general manager, Thompson moved up to select a targeted player, sending a fifth-round draft choice to the New York Jets to move up 11 spots to pick defensive end Jeremy Thompson of Wake Forest."

"However, the jury is out on the next phase of the Thompson era. It's one thing to accumulate draft picks and construct a solid nucleus, which Thompson has done. Now comes the hard part, when he must elevate the Packers to championship level."

"Neither the Packers, Vikings, Lions nor Bears appear to draft a player that will immediately upgrade the fortunes of their team, though the Vikings make the biggest off-season splash with the trade that brought them Chiefs defensive end Jared Allen."

"Left school after a sophomore season in which he started all 13 games and earned all-Big 12 honors with 45 receptions for 575 yards and two touchdowns. … Came to Texas weighing 205 pounds and spent first year on scout team, learning from New England Patriots tight end David Thomas."

"The University of Wisconsin's Ken DeBauche, a native of nearby Suamico and graduate of Bay Port High School, agreed to sign with the Packers shortly after going undrafted in this past weekend's NFL draft."

"These were wild times for a Thompson draft defined once again as substance over sizzle. By the end of Thompson's exhausting fourth NFL draft as general manager for the Green Bay Packers, he had traded five times, bolstered his roster with nine fresh faces and stuck with his philosophy that more is more."

"With the pick he received from the Jets, No. 36 overall, he selected Kansas State wide receiver Jordy Nelson, who - to the surprise of many - was the third receiver taken in the draft. Then, using the second-round pick (No. 56) he received in the trade with Cleveland for defensive lineman Corey Williams, he chose Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm."