October 23
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Veteran right tackle Mark Tauscher took a big step toward getting back on the football field when he began taking part in full team drills at practice this week. Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy revealed Thursday that Tauscher was practicing in full this week, including the day's full pads workout. Last week, Tauscher was limited to individual drills, and the plan this week was scheduled to be the same, but Tauscher felt he was ready and was given a chance to show what he has. "He's been through this before with knee surgery and coming back, just based on taking in all the information and taking it day by day," McCarthy said after practice. "He's had two days where he's participated ..."
October 21
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Has running back Ahman Green agreed to a deal to return to the Green Bay Packers? Depends on whom you talk to. Radio station 1250-AM reported Tuesday afternoon that Green had a contract in place with the Packers, the team he starred with from 2000-'06. But his agent denied the report and said a deal is not yet certain. "Nothing's happened," Branion said via email Tuesday. "Don't know if anything will happen (Wednesday), either." But according to two of Green's former Packers teammates, who wished to remain anonymous, Green told them there was a deal in place, he had received a playbook and he was headed to Lambeau Field to begin studying Tuesday afternoon."
October 20
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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The Green Bay Packers weren't willing to offer running back Ahman Green the money he wanted when he became a free agent in 2007, but two years later they might have something for him. Seeking a chance to return to the NFL after a failed relationship with the Houston Texans, Green, 32, worked out for Packers personnel officials Monday morning. Also taking part in the workout was veteran running back Dominic Rhodes, according to a source with access to the NFL's transaction wire. Depending on a couple of unresolved issues, the Packers could very well hold a ticket back into the NFL for Green, the second all-time leading rusher in Packers history with 7,103 yards. Neither he nor Rhodes was ..."
October 7
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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When the Green Bay Packers line up against the Detroit Lions on Oct. 18, they could have their old offensive line back together. Yes, Chad Clifton should be back from a right ankle sprain, but Mark Tauscher, the team's starting right tackle from 2000-'08, also could be available. Tauscher, 10 months removed from surgery on his left knee, worked out for the Packers on Tuesday and appears close to signing a contract. According to a source familiar with the situation, the two sides were working on the financial terms of a contract that would bring Tauscher back to the only team he has ever played for. Tauscher became a free agent after last season and has remained so through this season. ..."
September 4
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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The Green Bay Packers have been shopping several players heading into the deadline for mandatory roster cuts Saturday. Several league personnel sources said that among the players the Packers have been shopping are tackle Tony Moll and safeties Charlie Peprah and Aaron Rouse. All three would be candidates to be released when the Packers have to trim their roster from 75 to 53. It's not unusual for the Packers to make calls around the league to see if there would be interest in making a trade. Their hope would be that a team low on the waiver priority list would want one of the players they're offering and be willing to trade a draft pick to cut in front of the other teams. At least two ..."
August 8
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Make no mistake about it, the Green Bay Packers have done enough research on controversial quarterback Michael Vick to decide whether he would be a good fit for their team. But researching him and signing him are two completely different marks on the level-of-interest scale and, as of right now, sources say, the Packers are in a holding pattern, intrigued by the possibility of adding a premier athlete but nowhere near the stage where they feel it necessary to pursue him. Like a handful of NFL teams, the Packers have dug fairly deep into Vick's background - reportedly even interviewing him - following commissioner Roger Goodell's decision to conditionally reinstate him to the league on July ..."
June 23
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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The Green Bay Packers are in contract negotiations with Greg Jennings and are close to agreeing to a new deal, the veteran wide receiver said Monday after minicamp practice. Jennings warned that a breakdown was still possible. Nevertheless, this was the first time he had publicly been so optimistic about a potential new contract with the team since he began seeking a new deal at the conclusion of the 2008 season. "We've been working on some things. We're coming pretty close, as far as my understanding is, to some type of a deal," Jennings said. "But when I say close, we could still be far . . . if that makes sense. But I think we're coming close. You just never know how long 'close' can ..."
May 29
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Wide receiver Donald Driver has joined safety Nick Collins in taking issue with his contract, according to sources. Both joined cornerback Charles Woodson, who has never been a regular to off-season practices, in being the only veteran players absent for the start of organized team activities. But in an email, Driver's agent, Jordan Woy, said Driver's contract is not at issue. "Donald is training in Texas," Woy wrote. "It is not a mandatory camp and the Packers understand this." Driver, after having his contract reworked in '06 and '07, is due to make $6.1 million this season and $7 million in 2010, the final year of his contract, between base salary and bonuses. Driver's average salary ..."
May 5
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Defensive end Jason Hunter, who three years ago made the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent, has lost his position on the team to another undrafted free agent. The Packers needed a roster spot to make room for four tryout players they deemed worthy of signing after their rookie orientation camp last weekend, so Hunter was released Monday. Signing deals with the club were: 6-foot-1, 188-pound cornerback Trevor Ford; 6-5, 300-pound offensive tackle Dane Randolph; 6-3, 295-pound defensive lineman Dean Muhtadi; and 6-4, 232-pound punter Adam Graessle. Before the camp, the Packers had 77 signed players on their roster, so they needed to cut one in order to sign the four newcomers. It ..."
May 4
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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If the Green Bay Packers are going to bring the tight end position back to prominence as it was when Mark Chmura and Keith Jackson chewed up defenses, they're going to have to do it the hard way. Last year, they had a shot at Purdue tight end Dustin Keller in the first round of the draft but traded back into the second round towide receiver Jordy Nelson. This year, they passed on the draft's only legitimate tight end prospect, Oklahoma State's Brandon Pettigrew, in order to take highly rated nose tackle B.J. Raji. Returning starter Donald Lee gives coach Mike McCarthy solid insurance at tight end and 2008 third-round pick Jermichael Finley gives him someone who in a year or two could ..."
April 26
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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It's unclear whether anyone has told veteran Ryan Pickett about it, but there's a very good chance he could be playing some defensive end for the Green Bay Packers this season. The 330-pound Pickett isn't any smaller than the Packers' first-round pick, Boston College nose tackle B.J. Raji, but general manager Ted Thompson and defensive coordinator Dom Capers think he's athletic enough to play end in their defense. Pickett has been a nose tackle only with the Packers, but in Capers' 3-4 defense the ends line up over the tackle and focus on playing the run. "I am excited about Ryan Pickett being able to play more than one position," Capers said. "The first thing you learn is if you run out ..."
April 25
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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The Green Bay Packers already have two punters on their roster but that might not stop them from adding a third in the next 48 hours. Shawn Slocum, their new special-teams coordinator, left the distinct impression on two of the top three punters in the draft that the Packers aren't necessarily satisfied with holdover Jeremy Kapinos and free agent Durant Brooks. On April 8, Slocum was in Dallas for a 1-hour 15-minute workout with Southern Methodist's Thomas Morstead. Earlier, he had a telephone conversation with Texas A"
April 24
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
columnist Bob McGinn
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LeRoy Butler, one of the two greatest safeties in the history of the Green Bay Packers, actually was a cornerback as a senior at Florida State and in his first two National Football League seasons. Some personnel people see an eerie resemblance between Butler and Ohio State's Malcolm Jenkins, the top-rated cornerback in this draft, as well as Oregon's Jairus Byrd, another so-called tweener. Jerry Angelo, general manager of the Chicago Bears, said the comparison between Butler and Jenkins was on the mark. "He's like a LeRoy Butler," Angelo said. "Kind of tough like that. Good athlete. What kind of speed did Butler have?" At the 1990 combine, Butler measured 5 feet 11 inches, weighed 193 ..."
April 22
Green Bay Press Gazette
columnist Mike Vandermause
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Who should the Green Bay Packers take with their first-round draft choice on Saturday? If Boston College nose tackle B.J. Raji is still on the board, it's a no-brainer. The Packers need a big bruiser in the middle of their 3-4 defense, and the 337-pound Raji fills the bill. But there's one problem for the Packers. Questions about Raji's character have been answered, which reduces the chance he will be available when they use the No. 9 overall pick in the first round. Raji is by far the best defensive tackle among a thin crop of college prospects and could get snatched in the first five picks. If that happens, the Packers will settle for their backup plan, which in all likelihood involves ..."
April 19
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Ted Thompson's two biggest days of the year are just a week away. "He's a draft-driven guy and he does a good job doing it," an executive in personnel for another National Football League team said at midweek. "They're a pretty solid team and they've got a bunch of picks. Why do you need to be aggressive in free agency when you don't have a lot of needs?" The personnel man views the Packers as a team without many holes entering the draft next weekend. "Their No. 1 need is an outside linebacker who can rush the passer," the scout said. "The 3-4 is going to be good for them. It's a nice changeup, especially for the NFC North and the NFC where you don't see a lot of 3-4 teams. Then I think ..."
March 21
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Green Bay Packers defensive backs Nick Collins and Tramon Williams are both waiting for the club to make them financial offers they think are worthy of their signatures. Collins is waiting at home in Florida and Williams is in town working out with the rest of his teammates. Collins is absent as he and his wife await the birth of their third child, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. But he and his agent are frustrated with the lack of attention Collins has received heading into the last year of his contract, the source said. The Packers have made it known that they have other players they have to address first before they get to Collins, and before that they want to ..."
March 6
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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If the Green Bay Packers are able to lure former Pittsburgh Steelers safety Anthony Smith to their organization, they will be adding a strong, athletic player whose biggest shortcoming might be his lack of maturity. Smith, 25, visited the team's facilities Wednesday and expressed interest in being a part of the Packers' transition to a Steelers-like 3-4 defense, a pair of NFL sources said Thursday morning. The Packers have had talks with Smith's agent about a contract, but other teams were interested and no deal had been reached as of Thursday evening. The Packers have shown a recent interest in safeties, bringing in Cleveland unrestricted free agent Mike Adams and Smith over a two-day ..."
March 5
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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The Green Bay Packers have set up a tentative visit Saturday for free agent linebacker Kevin Burnett, but it's possible the Dallas Cowboys veteran will have a new home before that. Burnett's agent, Ricky Lefft, said Wednesday night that he did not know if his client would still be unsigned by the weekend given interest shown by other teams. But he was leaving open the possibility of a meeting with the Packers, who have shown some interest in the free agent. From the look of things, it appears the Packers are not willing to rush into anything and aren't interested in going to extremes to get Burnett signed. Given Burnett is built somewhere between a middle and outside linebacker the Packers ..."
March 4
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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As thin as the Green Bay Packers are on the defensive line, it should never be forgotten that their priority in building a successful 3-4 defensive scheme is to find playmakers at the outside linebacker positions. It is there where 3-4 teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers have stocked up on well-rounded athletes who can both rush the passer andinto coverage. To that end, the Packers are eyeing a couple of free agents who could offer instant help, the most notable being Dallas linebacker Kevin Burnett, a former second-round draft choice who will be entering his fifth season in 2009. Of all the remaining linebackers, Burnett might have the most potential because of his athleticism and untapped ..."
March 3
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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In just a matter of days, the NFL free-agent defensive line field has been whittled down to its ordinary core, leaving the Green Bay Packers to sift through the remains and decide whether they can find a bargain. The leftovers are slim enough that the Packers will make a play for a safety before they take on the task of building up a rather thin defensive-line group. In the next day or two, they will visit with Cleveland unrestricted free-agent safety Mike Adams, a part-time starter last year whose strength is coverage. According to an NFL source, the 5-foot-11, 195-pound Adams is scheduled to meet with Packers officials to discuss the possibility of joining their organization. Adams came ..."
March 1
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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One of the reasons the Green Bay Packers are $30 million under the salary cap is that they refuse to set the market in free agency and prefer to let the market establish itself. It means that sometimes the object of the Packers' desire is at the bank cashing a check from somebody else before they even have their checkbook out of their pocket. But that strategy has kept them from overpaying players. The Packers very well could be left in the dust again this year with their own free agent, Colin Cole, and someone else's, Dallas' Chris Canty. Both free agents appear to have at least two suitors with as much or more interest than Green Bay, and it will be up to the Packers to decide whether ..."