Jersey Al's Packers Blog

The Green Bay Packers have reduced their roster to the League-required 53 man limit. As there are every year, there were a few surprises. No longer on the Packers 53-man roster today are:

• OL Allen Barbre
• DT Anthony Toribio
• DE Ron Talley
• RB Kregg Lumpkin
• OLB Cyril Obiozor
• S / RET Will Blackmon
• WR / RET Jason Chery
• WR Charles Dillon
• TE Spencer Havner
• OL Evan Dietrich-Smith
• LB Alex Joseph
• LB Robert Francois
  
• DE Jarius Wynn
• OT Chris Campbell
• OT Breno Giacomini
  
• LB Maurice Simpkins
• WR Chastin West
• WR Patrick Williams
• S Anthony Levine
• CB D.J. Clark
• P Chris Bryan
• QB Graham Harrell
  

Let’s take a quick look at some of these moves.  Read more... (932 words + 5 images, estimated 3:44 mins reading time)

Call him the Florida Flash.  By now, most Packers fans know that Sam Shields can outright fly. Shields himself knows that putting that speed to use on the playing field will be his ticket to outpace other candidates for a spot on the 53-man roster. Let’s just say that after his 98 yard interception at the family night scrimmage, Shields has made a good first impression.

I generally like to do my undrafted free agent evaluations before training camp starts, so I can make more of a “blind”  evaluation uninfluenced by camp performances (I like the challenge). While in the previous weeks I covered the wide receivers, running backs and offensive linemen free agents, there just hasn’t been time to get to the defensive UDFAs.

But there are a couple of defensive UDFAs in camp that are worthy of a “better late than never” evaluation, and we’ll start with Sam Shields.  Read more... (1074 words + 6 images, estimated 4:18 mins reading time)

In the third of this multi-part series, I will examine the  Green Bay Packers 2010 undrafted free agent offensive linemen (Nick McDonald and Chris Campbell) and their chances of making the 53-man roster or practice squad.

You can find Part 1 of this series (Wide Receivers) HERE
You can find Part 2 of this series (Running Backs) HERE

Will one of these offensive linemen spin the wheel of fortune and land a big jackpot or will they hit bankrupt and go away empty-handed?

In each of the last five  years, at least one UDFA has made the Packers’ 53-man roster. In 2009, it was offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith. Lets look at the 2010 UDFA OL candidates and evaluate their chances…

Part Three – OFFENSE – Offensive Linemen

Nick McDonald: Grand Valley State, 6’4”, 316lbs,  5.21 40yd time, 1.85 10yd time, 27” vertical, 27 reps@225lbs, and a 8’6” broad jump. He pulled a hamstring during his 40, so he could not participate in the short shuttle or cone drills.  Read more... (2303 words + 7 images, estimated 9:13 mins reading time)

In the second of this multi-part series, I will examine the only Green Bay Packers 2010 undrafted free agent running back (Quinn Porter) and his chances of making the 53-man roster or practice squad.

(You can find Part 1 of this series HERE)

Will Porter’s spin of the wheel land the Packers a big jackpot or will they hit bankrupt and go away empty-handed?

In each of the last five  years, at least one UFA has made the Packers’ 53-man roster. Will Porter be the one to continue the trend in 2010? Lets take a closer look at Porter and what he is up against.

Part Two – OFFENSE – Running Backs

The Packers kept three running backs last year, stashed Kregg Lumpkin on the practice squad, and of course kept the now infamous trio of fullbacks.  While many are assuming they won’t do the same this year, I say it’s just as possible as it was last year.  Read more... (1071 words + 6 images, estimated 4:17 mins reading time)

In this multi-part series, I will be examining the Green Bay Packers 2010 crop of undrafted free agents and analyzing  their chances of making the 53-man roster or practice squad. This first installment will deal with the wide receivers.

With 13 undrafted free agent rookies (UDFAs) currently on the 2010 roster, the Packers’ Ted Thompson will once again be spinning the “Undrafted Free Agent Wheel of Fortune.”

Will any of these 13 spins of the wheel land them a big win or will they hit bankrupt and go away empty-handed? Recent history indicates the Packers will walk away with at least a consolation prize. But before that happens, three of these players are likely to be let go to make room when Mike Neal and Bryan Bulaga sign contracts and if and when Atari Bigby signs his tender.  Read more... (1916 words + 6 images, estimated 7:40 mins reading time)

Vince Lombardi had 30 picks in his first draft.  The next year the AFL had its first draft of 33 rounds. Competition for picks was an all out war.  In today’s draft when the final pick is made, it becomes the Wild Wild West for GM’s working to sign the best of the UDFA’s.  With 32 teams drafting, and 7 rounds of picks, getting those picks right can cure or kill a team. Signing the lesser-known players you have scouted is just as important as getting those draft picks right.

(This article is by Lifetime Packer fan Don Christensen, a frequent contibutor as “Yoop” on the TalkinPackers Message Board, who weighs in today with his choices for the UDFAs with the best chances to stick with the team.)
NFL General Managers build teams from the top down with the draft, then from the bottom up developing young players. Many expect their top picks to start right away.  Last year, Clay Matthews made it to the Pro Bowl his rookie year.  But many high draft picks end up playing limited roles in their early years.  I believe the expectations the fans have of higher draft picks is unrealistic and the development of late round picks and undrafted players is greatly overlooked.  Read more... (1308 words + 6 images, estimated 5:14 mins reading time)

By Guest Author, Pigskin Paul

Our friend Pigskin Paul takes a close-up look at three of the Packers’ undrafted free agents that are hoping to snag a roster or practice squad spot:

One of the free agent mystery men who won a contract after his audition as an unsigned invitee to the Green Bay Packers 2010 Rookie Camp, was SHAWN GORE, who played his prep and college ball north of the border. So who better to give us a scouting report on GORE than our good friend COLIN LINDSAY from The Great Blue North Draft Report. Here is his synopsis in evaluating GORE coming out of college.

When word leaked out that Green Bay had a WR in for a tryout from little Bishop’s University in Canada, just about everyone assumed it was Stephen Turner who put on a remarkable athletic performance at this year’s Canadian league draft combine where he ran the 40 in just over 4.30 seconds.  Read more... (1455 words + 9 images, estimated 5:49 mins reading time)