Before every home game, he is mobbed by Packer fans wanting to take pictures, get autographs and kiss his Super-Bowl ring. St. Vince truly shows the patience of a saint, obliging every request, and blessing fans with his cheerful personality. I am always fascinated by people who take their Packers fandom to a “higher” level, so I just had to get to know a little about this “Paragon of Packers Piety:”

When did you first become a Packers fans and what is the background story behind it? Also, what are your earliest memories of the Packers?

My earliest memories of the Green Bay Packers were when I was about 5 years old. The ritual with our family was like that of thousands of other families back then….You get up on Sunday, have breakfast and go to church. You then come home and watch the Green Bay Packers on TV and then have your Sunday meal. I did that for about 7-8 years from about 1957 to 1964 and learned a lot about the game. Then in 1964, my Grandfather got two very good tickets to a Packers game at Milwaukee County Stadium and took me to see my first Packers game. Since I had never seen the Packers on anything other than a black and white TV, I was momentarily surprised to see all the color when I walked thru the tunnel and saw them on the field! From that point on, I was HOOKED on watching games in-person versus watching them on TV! I did everything I could to go to games in Milwaukee and Green Bay. We lived south of Madison, Wisconsin so it was about 160 miles to Green Bay and about 80 miles to Milwaukee. So the problem wasn’t only getting tickets to the game, but figuring out how to get there as well!

How did your Packer fandom evolve into the persona “St. Vince?”

We had just beaten the Carolina Panthers to advance to Super Bowl XXXI and I was thinking about how I wanted to dress up for this event as my wife and I were going to drive down to New Orleans for this game. She happened to say, “I’ll bet Lombardi is smiling in Heaven right now!” And that got me to thinking that somehow, the image or spirit of Lombardi should somehow be present at the Super Bowl. The two of us came up with the concept, “St. Vince” and put together an outfit very similar to the one I wear today. At the time it seemed like a good idea, but I wasn’t completely sure if my fellow Packer fans would “get it ” and if they did, I wasn’t sure if they would like it! I almost got cold feet and didn’t go through with it. The first place I ever donned the vestments was in Brett Favre’s home town of Kiln, Mississippi. There was a huge party going on there the Friday night prior to the Super Bowl and we were not going to miss that! I found out IMMEDIATELY that they not only “got it” they LOVED it! The next day, I was so swamped by fans on Bourbon St. trying to get photos, I never made it completely down the street! It was a wonderful time getting to meet so many great fans that you would otherwise just see – but not meet! THAT is the best part of doing this – it’s meeting so many great fans!

Have you met many Packers players? Any interesting stories there?

I’ve had the opportunity to meet quite a few Packer players – especially those from the Lombardi era. On the back of my miter (hat) are the autographs of maybe two dozen of them. I have only let Packers who played under Lombardi to sign the back of my miter – with two exceptions: Lombardi’s son and daughter, Vince Jr. and Susan. I unknowingly met Jimmy Taylor at Lambeau Field! I was in the parking lot going from tailgate party to tailgate party during a pre-season game and this big stocky guy wearing a Packers hat, sunglasses, t-shirt and shorts asked me, “Hey St. Vince – Do ya think the Packers are going to pay Dorsey Levens what he’s asking for?” I think Dorsey was holding out for $25 million at the time. I said, “Yes – I think so, but I think guys played just as hard many years ago for $25 thousand.” He then said, “That’s about what I was paid.” Having no idea I was talking with arguably the greatest running back in Green Bay’s history, I said, “Oh! You played professionally?” He said, “Yep.” I had a feeling that something very embarrassing was about to happen but I had to ask the obvious, “Who did you play for???” He said, “Green Bay”. I stood there trying not to seem TOO dumb because I could not recognize his face with the hat and sunglasses on. He finally said, “Jim Taylor.” I got down on my knees and said repeatedly, “I am not worthy!” Up to that point Jim had successfully remained anonymous among all those Packer fans tailgating at Lambeau Field but that ended right then and there! People tend to notice things like St. Vince on his knees bowing to someone! I was the first to get his autograph (on my miter of course) – but the line was mighty long when he and I parted company! It was a fun and spontaneous moment for both of us – one that I will never forget!

I know you’ve gotten some recognition from the national media. What are some specifics and how did that feel?

I have definitely had my 15 minutes of fame several times over. Some of the specifics are:
I did an national ad for Miller Lite
I did a state wide printed ad campaign for Budweiser
I was nominated twice for the Green Bay Fan Hall of Fame the first two years they had it. I haven’t won that one though. The first time I was nominated I went up against Mel Knoke. Heck, I voted for Mel! There was never a more devoted Green Bay Packers fan then Mel Knoke.
I was inducted into the NFL Fan Hall of Fame in 2000. I was featured in a documentary, “Our Pack – The Motion Picture” in 2001. In 2006, Howie Long decided to add four fans to his annual “Tough Guy” list which was named just prior to the Super Bowl that year. Fox did a stories on the four of us – the “Elvis” dude from Buffalo, the late “Barrel Man” from Denver, and “The Violater” from Oakland. In 2008 Fox did a story on me shown nation-wide called, “Meet St. Vince” – which can be seen on-line to this day.  (Here’s the link) Packer fans from all over the country tell me they see me on TV all the time – which may be true – or it may just seem that way to them, I don’t know.

As for how it feels:  I don’t think anyone really knows how they’ll react when they are suddenly thrust into the spotlight – and that’s kind of what this has been like. I think I’m old enough to understand that it isn’t “ME” it’s more of what I represent. I’m not the type of fan that you will see screaming into the camera. There’s certainly nothing wrong with that, but that’s just not me. I jump around and yell when the defense needs noise and shut up when the offense is trying to work. I know that at any time, I can be on national or state-wide TV and not even know it – and with that comes responsibility. I can’t be drunk and acting stupid! No need for that as there are plenty of fans of the opposing team doing that already! Packer fans are there to watch a football game. They’re not there to watch me. I never turn down a request for a photo with a fan, except if it’s DURING a game! That’s a no-no. I’ll pose for a picture during a commercial break if need be, but not DURING the game.
It’s an honor to be one of the best know Packer fans around, but with that honor comes the responsibility to do it in a positive way.
I always have fun at the games, but I never forget that.

What would you consider your favorite Packers moment?

One of my favorite Packers moment was at Super Bowl XXXII in San Diego. On the night before the game, there was a Packer fan ralley held at a very large auditorium. We started out by going up to the balcony and throwing Packer towels to the thousands of people who were there – until the police stopped us because they were concerned someone was going to get hurt! My wife and I were invited up to the stage with the Favre family, Big Erv, Bonita, his brothers Scott and Jeff to say a few words to all the Packer fans in attendance. It was a heck of a surprise and quite an honor! After Erv died a few years back, my wife who goes to games as “Cheese Louise” (famouse because of her Cheese Bra), have partied several times with Bonita. She’s quite a lady!
Another memorable event at Super Bowl XXXII was the fact that we just walked in!! When we decided to go into the stadium, by chance we got in line behind a group of people that had red T-shirts on with “Halftime Event Staff” printed on them. They walked right in and security apparently thought we were part of the half time show and didn’t even ask us for our tickets! We just went to our seats. Since we didn’t win that game, I didn’t really want to keep these two un-torn tickets – so I ended up selling them on Ebay to some Denver fan for $400 – which helped defray the costs for the weekend! Fun weekend (lousy game) but a fun weekend!

What is the most unusual Packers-related item you own (not counting your “costume?”

The most unusual Packer items I own is an autographed photograph of Vince Lombardi and a game ball given to me by Ryan Grant in Arizona after scoring the first touchdown in the last regular season game on January 3, 2010. I’ve had a few Lambeau leaps in my lap, but I never in a million years thought I’d be given a game ball!

Which current Packer player would you most want to sit down to dinner with?

I’d love to sit down with any of the 53 – but the guy I have been VERY impressed with during the past year is Clay Matthews. Here’s a guy who was undersized in High School, and decided to do everything he could to follow in his father and uncle’s footsteps and play football for the USC Trojans. He was a walk-on at in 2004 – and by 2006 he had a full scholarship! Then he became the only player in USC history to be awarded three consecutive Special Teams Player of the Year awards -which of course helped him become a first round draft pick of the Packers! 99.9% of us would probably have remained undersized and gone on with life. He made his dreams come true by hard work and determination. How can you not admire a guy like this?? I have no doubt that Lombardi would have loved this guy! If he stays healthy, it won’t surprise me at all to see his name up on the wall at Lambeau Field years from now.

For more about St. Vince, including a lot of really cool pictures, visit his new Facebook Page.

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Green Bay Packers Practice Squad:

• Graham Harrell
• Robert Francois
• Breno Giacomini
• Anthony Levine
• Chris Campbell
• Maurice Simpkins
• Chastin West
• James Johnson, RB, from Cincinnati

The Packer sooooooo need  a defensive lineman as emergency insurance, yet Kareem Copeland of PackersNews.com told me on twitter that he asked Thompson about this and he seemed unconcerned? Huh? Wynn, Toribio and Talley all gone and you’re not concerned about what happens if one of the 6 DL on the roster gets injured and can’t play?

Also, how ironic is it that after two years on the #Packers roster, Giacomini easily makes it onto the practice squad?

Simpkins really made an impression in the Chiefs game. While he was far from perfect, his effort was outstanding, unlike Obiozor, who I thought looked like he didn’t care. Well, Simpkins gets to stick around.

Although I’ve been rooting for Charles Dillon to stick around, I have to admit, Chastin West performed better in preseason than Dillon. West is not as flashy, but he is a physical receiver that catches everything thrown his way. A good guy to keep on the PS. (He can return kicks, also)

Packers Players claimed on waivers by other teams:

• Kregg Lumpkin – Tampa Bay Bucs
• Spencer Havner – Detroit Lions
• Cyril Obiozor – Arizona Cardinals
• Anthony Toribio – Kansas City Chiefs
• Evan Dietrich-Smith – Seattle Seahawks

Back before the 2009 training camp, I wrote that one thing I wanted to see, was a bunch of Packer cuts get picked up by other teams. The reason, of course, is that it’s a good sign of the strength of your own team. Well, if that’s an accurate statement, then we should all feel good about this year’s team.

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• 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.

Spencer Havner: I’m kicking myself right now, because I came “this close” to predicting this move but I chickened out and decided to go with a Lee trade as any easy way out of the 5 TE predicament, instead. Regardless, I never believed the Packers would keep 5 tight ends, and I was sure they were not going to risk losing Quarless and Crabtree. Quarless will be a better pass catcher and Crabtree a better blocker than Havner will ever be. The one thing holding me back on Havner was his ability to play LB in an emergency. Otherwise, I’m not shocked by this and actually agree with it.

Will Blackmon: The Packers seemed very disappointed with Blackmon’s lack of progress with his injury. In my initial roster projections, I had Blackmon on the team, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized the Packers were not going to hold a spot for a guy who may or may not get better soon. Just because he is their best punt returner? No, they’d rather just let steady but unspectacular Jordy Nelson field punts and keep a player that will be able to contribute somewhere. So, in my final roster projections, I had Blackmon being placed on IR or cut . It’s sad, but one of the harsh realities of this sport.

Cyril Obiozor: In my opinion, he played his way off the team on Thursday night against the Chiefs. Unlike Maurice Simpkins, who was playing like a man possessed, Obiozor gave a very poor effort and even looked lazy to me in a few cases. Inexcusable for a guy in his situation – I just don’t think football means that much to Obi. Frank Zombo, on the other hand, plays with passion and love for the sport. This was a no-brainer for me after watching the Chiefs game.

Kregg Lumpkin: I guess I have to find a new underdog to root for. Lumpkin did enough to earn a 3rd RB spot, but the Packers chose to keep 3 fullbacks again and needed a roster spot. John Kuhn showed in preseason that he could handle the halfback spot in an emergency, so the Packers go into the 2010 season with only 2 tailbacks. I don’t like it, personally, but it’s not the end of the world, either. I’ll live with it.

Evan Dietrich-Smith: Before training camp started, I predicted here, that: “I think Dietrich-Smith is beaten out this year by a better version of himself, Nick McDonald.” As it turns out, McDonald has made the team and Dietrich-Smith has been cut. Smith was not Practice squad eligible, a factor I considered heavily when making my final roster predictions, so i decided to keep Smith and see if McDonald would be put on the practice squad. Evidently, however, there was much interest in McDonald, so the Packers elected to keep him and also turned down trade offers for Jason Spitz, according to Greg Bedard of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Jarius Wynn: In my final projections, I went with 7 DL, because I was convinced the Packers would not want to expose C.J. Wilson, and Jarius Wynn was not practice squad eligible. So, I thought they may try to keep them both. Not that either has shown much during the preseason, but Wilson certainly has the more typical 3-4DE body and more upside. Wynn being gone is not much of a surprise.

Charles Dillon: He was my underdog to unseat Brett Swain. Was much better in shorts during OTAs than on the field in pads. He killed any chance he had when he allowed himself to get stripped of several balls he should have caught. He’s just not strong enough to compete with NFL caliber players right now. Maybe it’s back to the Arena League for him.

Here’s what the roster looks like right as of Sunday morning. Waiver claims have to be in by 12:00EST. Then teams can start filling in their practice squads.

QB (2) Rodgers, Flynn

WR (5) Driver, Jennings, Jones, Nelson, Swain

TE (4) Finley, Lee, Crabtree, Quarless

RB (2) Grant, Jackson

FB (3) Hall, Kuhn, Johnson

OL (10) Clifton, Tauscher, Wells, Colledge, Sitton, Bulaga, Spitz, Lang, Newhouse, McDonald

DL (6) Raji, Pickett, Jenkins, Neal, Harrell, Wilson

OLB (4) Matthews, Jones, Poppinga, Zombo

ILB (4) Barnett, Hawk, Chillar, Bishop

S (4) Collins, Burnett, Peprah, Martin

CB (6) Woodson, Williams, Shields, Underwood, Bush, Lee

LS (1) Goode

K (1) Crosby

P (1) Masthay

PUP (3) S Bigby, CB Harris, RB Starks
IR (2) CB Bell, RB Porter,
IR W/ Injury Settlement (2) CB Blackmon, OL Barbrr

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Final

Quarterbacks – 2

Aaron Rodgers           yes

Matt Flynn                   yes

Graham Harrell          cut – PS (will probably be claimed)

The only question here is, will Harrell last on the practice squad? Having had Brian Brohm picked up off their practice squad last season, Harrell is another QB with a good college football resume. It’s very possible  another team would take a chance on him. Would the Packers be tempted to do what most NFL teams do and keep 3 QBs on their roster? I’ll vote no.

Running Backs – 5

Ryan Grant                  yes

Brandon Jackson       yes

Kregg Lumpkin           yes

Quinn Porter                IR

James Starks                PUP

John Kuhn                    yes

Korey Hall                    cut / trade

Quinn Johnson          yes

The Packers were either showcasing Quinn Johnson for a trade in the Chiefs game or giving him every opportunity to convince them to keep him. He played well. I think MM has plans to be protecting a lot of 4th quarter leads this season, running off the clock with a power run game of Ryan Grant behind Quinn Johnson.  Johnson stays, unless he draws a much better trade offer than Hall.

In a way, I’m relieved that things worked out the way they did for James Starks and Quinn Porter. These are two guys I believe will have success down the road, but could use a year in the gym and a chance to  study Mike McCarthy’s  system with no pressure. Thinking about the future, I didn’t want to lose either of these guys. As for the fullbacks, the 3FB experiment of last season is probably done. Kuhn has shown his versatility and value to the team, so it’s between Korey Hall and Quinn Johnson. I don’t think the Packers are ready to give up on Johnson after only 1 year in the league. Hall is steady at many things, but unspectacular at any. I see the Packers shopping him for a draft pick, as his special teams plays could have value to another team. If there are no takers, he is gone.

Wide Receivers – 5

Greg Jennings             yes

Donald Driver              yes

James Jones                yes

Jordy Nelson              yes

Brett Swain                  yes

Charles Dillon             cut-PS

Jason Chery                cut

Chastin West               cut-PS

Patrick Williams          cut

No changes here. Was disappointed in Dillon last night. Williams may be put on the PS ahead of him. Many have suggested going with 4WR. I just don’t see it on a MM team.

No surprises here. The receiving corps is the same as last year. As much as I had wanted to see Charles Dillon make this team, part of that was predicated on his getting a shot at kick returning, which never happened. Surprising, since he had good success in college. I’d still like to see the Packers put him on the PS, as I like him as a bubble screen type guy who can surprise with his moves after the catch.  Out of the others, I don’t believe Chery has a real shot, unless he runs back two more kicks for touchdowns in the last preseason game. I really think his TD runback in the Colts game just a perfect storm of lucky circumstances. Chastin West has shown to be steady and catches every ball thrown to him, but seems to lack the athleticism needed.

Tight Ends – 4

Jermichael Finley         yes

Andrew Quarless          yes

Donald Lee                  trade

Tom Crabtree               yes

Spencer Havner           yes

While I don’t expect the Packers to be actively shopping Donald Lee, I do think some teams will come calling. The Packers need a way out of their five tight end predicament. I don’t believe they want to expose Crabtree. They value his blocking  and he’s been playing on all the special teams #1 units this preseason. That tells me they want to find a way to keep him. Havner is a keeper because of his ability to also play LB in an emergency and Quarless will be given time to see if he can follow down Finley’s path.

This may be the toughest call on the roster. The Packers like all five guys. All five deserve to be on the team. The Packers will not want to lose Quarless and Crabtree. I don’t believe they’ll keep five, so the only way out of this predicament is to look for a trade. Although the Packers still consider Donald Lee their #2 tight end, as an experienced player with starting experience, he has the most trade value. There are several teams out there hurting for tight ends that would love to have a Donald Lee. He’d be a perfect fit for the Giants, for example. Note that I’m not advocating trading Lee, nor do I think there is a great chance of it happening. I would be perfectly happy if he stays, but I think this is a way for the Packers to not lose the younger guys and get a player in return.

Offensive Linemen – 9

Chad Clifton                yes

Mark Tauscher            yes

Bryan Bulaga                yes

Josh Sitton                   yes

Scott Wells                   yes

Daryn Colledge            yes

Evan Dietrich-Smith    yes

Jason Spitz                   Trade

Breno Giacomini         cut

Allen Barbre                 cut

TJ Lang                       yes

Marshall Newhouse      yes

Nick McDonald           cut-PS

Chris Campbell             cut-PS

No changes. Spitz is the most likely player on the roster to be moved.

I don’t think there will a lot of surprises here. I don’t see the Packers keeping both Evan Dietrich-Smith and Spitz to serve the same backup role, so Spitz will definitely be shopped. I think he’s the most likely Packers player to be traded.  I was high on McDonald coming into camp, but he was a bit overwhelmed at first. Lately he has come on and has drawn praise from Mike McCarthy, so the Packers like him, but he needs to get stronger. A year on the practice squad would be perfect for him. Campbell has shown little fire and is a long-term project, at best. Newhouse really came on the last few weeks when the Packers moved him back to tackle. Early on, I though he was in danger of not even making the team, but now I believe he’s in.  Barbre and Giacomini are definitely gone, one way or the other. If TT can swindle a low draft pick for either of them, we’ll take it and run.

Defensive Line – 7

Cullen Jenkins              yes

BJ Raji                        yes

Ryan Pickett                yes

Anthony Toribio           cut-PS

Mike Neal                    yes

Justin Harrell                yes

CJ Wilson                    yes

Jarius Wynn                 yes

Ronald Talley               cut

I’m adding a 7th DL here.  the Packers  don’t want to lose Wilson, and Wynn is not practice squad eligible. You can never have too many big bodies.

Is Harrell really healthy and can he really contribute? The makeup of the reserve DLs all revolves around the answer to that question. The Packers WANT to keep Harrell. They WANT his big body as a backup DL. I’m guessing they give him every benefit of the doubt (as they have done for 3 yrs) and keep him. That leaves the battle for the last spot (I’m keeping 6DLs) to Jarius Wynn and C.J. Wilson.  They are fairly even in talent level, but Wilson has the better frame for a 3-4DE.  Unfortunately, he’s too green and  just not ready. Wynn is not practice squad eligible, so I think the Packers keep Wynn and try to stash Wilson on the practice squad. There’s also a very good possibility they keep 7  defensive linemen, in which case Toribio has a chance to make it, or they decide to keep Wilson on the roster.

Linebackers – 8

Nick Barnett                yes

Clay Matthews            yes

AJ Hawk                     yes

Brad Jones                   yes

Brandon Chillar            yes

Desmond Bishop         yes

Robert Francois            cut-PS

Frank Zombo               yes

Brady Poppinga           yes

Cyril Obiozor               cut-PS

Maurice Simpkins         cut

Alex Joseph                  cut-PS

No changes. In my opinion, Obiozor played himself off the team last night. I saw some really poor efforts. Don’t know how much he cares. Whereas Maurice Simpkins so obviously cared. He was everywhere last night. Yeah, he got beat in coverage when matched up with wide receivers, but no surprise there. He’s not going to make the team, but worked himself into the PS discussion. As I said below, wouldn’t be surprised if the Packers sign somebody here…

Pretty cut and dried here. It’s obvious who the top eight linebackers are. The only question is who makes it if they decide to keep nine? I think Alex Joseph has potential to be another UDFA surprise, but practice squad would be best for him. Obiozor and Francois would seemingly have the inside track to be the ninth linebacker. Francois is probably a little more polished, but Obiozor more athletic. Obiozer sometimes seems to be lacking a passion for football to me – I don’t know that he’s in love with playing the game, like a Zombo is, for example. The other possibility is Maurice Simpkins, the Arena footballer who has been better than expected, and has shown some flashes on special teams. I don’t think any of these three will entice the Packers to keep 9 linebackers. Wouldn’t be surprised to see a LB picked up from another team.

Secondary – 10

Nick Collins                 yes

Charles Woodson        yes

Al Harris                      PUP

Atari Bigby                   PUP

Morgan Burnett           yes

Tramon Williams          yes

Will Blackmon             IR or cut.

Sam Shields                  yes

Pat Lee                        yes

Brandon Underwood    yes

Jarrett Bush                  yes

Derrick Martin             yes

Charlie Peprah             yes

Anthony Levine            cut-PS

DJ Clark                      cut

Josh Bell (IR)               IR

It’s becoming pretty clear Blackmon will not be able to help this team anytime soon. Can the Packers  afford to hold a roster spot for him just because he’s their best punt returner? Unless he make a dramatic improvement in these 2 days, the Packers have to look elsewhere.

This didn’t happen intentionally, but I ended up with eleven defensive backs.  I guess with Harris and Bigby on PUP,  the question marks about Blackmon’s knee, Underwood’s injury and Lee’s lackluster play, I wanted as many alternative options as possible. Hell, I even kept Jarrett Bush! While I don’t really believe the Packers would keep eleven, I’ll leave my list as is for now.  My last two adds were Jarret Bush and Charlie Peprah. For me, both are just insurance policies.

Specialists – 3

Mason Crosby             yes

Tim Masthay                yes

Chris Bryan                  cut

Brett Goode                yes

No changes here.

Although I have been rooting for Bryan, Mathsay has definitely been better the last two weeks. Bryan has the edge in positional punting, but it’s not enough to offset his inconsistency when it comes time to let go and  boom one.

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Quarterbacks

Aaron Rodgers           yes

Matt Flynn                   yes

Graham Harrell          cut – PS

The only question here is, will Harrell last on the practice squad? Having had Brian Brohm picked up off their practice squad last season, Harrell is another QB with a good college football resume. It’s very possible  another team would take a chance on him. Would the Packers be tempted to do what most NFL teams do and keep 3 QBs on their roster?

Running Backs

Ryan Grant                  yes

Brandon Jackson       yes

Kregg Lumpkin           yes

Quinn Porter                IR

James Starks                PUP

John Kuhn                    yes

Korey Hall                    no / trade

Quinn Johnson           yes

In a way, I’m relieved that things worked out the way they did for James Starks and Quinn Porter. These are two guys I believe will have success down the road, but could use a year in the gym and a chance to  study Mike McCarthy’s  system with no pressure. Thinking about the future, I didn’t want to lose either of these guys. As for the fullbacks, the 3FB experiment of last season is probably done. Kuhn has shown his versatility and value to the team, so it’s between Korey Hall and Quinn Johnson. I don’t think the Packers are ready to give up on Johnson after only 1 year in the league. Hall is steady at many things, but unspectacular at any. I see the Packers shopping him for a draft pick, as his special teams plays could have value to another team. If there are no takers, he is gone.

Wide Receivers

Greg Jennings             yes

Donald Driver              yes

James Jones                yes

Jordy Nelson              yes

Brett Swain                  yes

Charles Dillon             cut-PS

Jason Chery                cut

Chastin West               cut-PS

Patrick Williams          cut

No surprises here. The receiving corps is the same as last year. As much as I had wanted to see Charles Dillon make this team, part of that was predicated on his getting a shot at kick returning, which never happened. Surprising, since he had good success in college. I’d still like to see the Packers put him on the PS, as I like him as a bubble screen type guy who can surprise with his moves after the catch.  Out of the others, I don’t believe Chery has a real shot, unless he runs back two more kicks for touchdowns in the last preseason game. I really think his TD runback in the Colts game just a perfect storm of lucky circumstances. Chastin West has shown to be steady and catches every ball thrown to him, but seems to lack the athleticism needed.

Tight Ends

Jermichael Finley         yes

Andrew Quarless          yes

Donald Lee                  trade

Tom Crabtree               yes

Spencer Havner           yes

This may be the toughest call on the roster. The Packers like all five guys. All five deserve to be on the team. The Packers will not want to lose Quarless and Crabtree. I don’t believe they’ll keep five, so the only way out of this predicament is to look for a trade. Although the Packers still consider Donald Lee their #2 tight end, as an experienced player with starting experience, he has the most trade value. There are several teams out there hurting for tight ends that would love to have a Donald Lee. He’d be a perfect fit for the Giants, for example. Note that I’m not advocating trading Lee, nor do I think there is a great chance of it happening. I would be perfectly happy if he stays, but I think this is a way for the Packers to not lose the younger guys and get a player in return.

Offensive Linemen

Chad Clifton                yes

Mark Tauscher            yes

Bryan Bulaga                yes

Josh Sitton                   yes

Scott Wells                   yes

Daryn Colledge            yes

Evan Dietrich-Smith    yes

Jason Spitz                   Trade

Breno Giacomini         cut/trade

Allen Barbre                 cut

TJ Lang                       yes

Marshall Newhouse      yes

Nick McDonald           cut-PS

Chris Campbell             cut-PS

I don’t think there will a lot of surprises here. I don’t see the Packers keeping both Evan Dietrich-Smith and Spitz to serve the same backup role, so Spitz will definitely be shopped. I think he’s the most likely Packers player to be traded.  I was high on McDonald coming into camp, but he was a bit overwhelmed at first. Lately he has come on and has drawn praise from Mike McCarthy, so the Packers like him, but he needs to get stronger. A year on the practice squad would be perfect for him. Campbell has shown little fire and is a long-term project, at best. Newhouse really came on the last few weeks when the Packers moved him back to tackle. Early on, I though he was in danger of not even making the team, but now I believe he’s in.  Barbre and Giacomini are definitely gone, one way or the other. If TT can swindle a low draft pick for either of them, we’ll take it and run.

Defensive Line

Cullen Jenkins              yes

BJ Raji                        yes

Ryan Pickett                yes

Anthony Toribio           cut-PS

Mike Neal                    yes

Justin Harrell                yes

CJ Wilson                    cut-PS

Jarius Wynn                 yes

Ronald Talley               cut

Is Harrell really healthy and can he really contribute? The makeup of the reserve DLs all revolves around the answer to that question. The Packers WANT to keep Harrell. They WANT his big body as a backup DL. I’m guessing they give him every benefit of the doubt (as they have done for 3 yrs) and keep him. That leaves the battle for the last spot (I’m keeping 6DLs) to Jarius Wynn and C.J. Wilson.  They are fairly even in talent level, but Wilson has the better frame for a 3-4DE.  Unfortunately, he’s too green and  just not ready. Wynn is not practice squad eligible, so I think the Packers keep Wynn and try to stash Wilson on the practice squad. There’s also a very good possibility they keep 7  defensive linemen, in which case Toribio has a chance to make it, or they decide to keep Wilson on the roster.

Linebackers

Nick Barnett                yes

Clay Matthews            yes

AJ Hawk                     yes

Brad Jones                   yes

Brandon Chillar            yes

Desmond Bishop         yes

Robert Francois            cut-PS

Frank Zombo               yes

Brady Poppinga           yes

Cyril Obiozor               cut-PS

Maurice Simpkins         cut

Alex Joseph                  cut-PS

Pretty cut and dried here. It’s obvious who the top eight linebackers are. The only question is who makes it if they decide to keep nine? I think Alex Joseph has potential to be another UDFA surprise, but practice squad would be best for him. Obiozor and Francois would seemingly have the inside track to be the ninth linebacker. Francois is probably a little more polished, but Obiozor more athletic. Obiozer sometimes seems to be lacking a passion for football to me – I don’t know that he’s in love with playing the game, like a Zombo is, for example. The other possibility is Maurice Simpkins, the Arena footballer who has been better than expected, and has shown some flashes on special teams. I don’t think any of these three will entice the Packers to keep 9 linebackers. Wouldn’t be surprised to see a LB picked up from another team.

Secondary

Nick Collins                 yes

Charles Woodson        yes

Al Harris                      PUP

Atari Bigby                   PUP

Morgan Burnett           yes

Tramon Williams          yes

Will Blackmon             yes

Sam Shields                  yes

Pat Lee                        yes

Brandon Underwood    yes

Jarrett Bush                  yes

Derrick Martin             yes

Charlie Peprah             yes

Anthony Levine            cut-PS

DJ Clark                      cut

Josh Bell (IR)               IR

This didn’t happen intentionally, but I ended up with eleven defensive backs.  I guess with Harris and Bigby on PUP,  the question marks about Blackmon’s knee, Underwood’s injury and Lee’s lackluster play, I wanted as many alternative options as possible. Hell, I even kept Jarrett Bush! While I don’t really believe the Packers would keep eleven, I’ll leave my list as is for now.  My last two adds were Jarret Bush and Charlie Peprah. For me, both are just insurance policies.

Specialists

Mason Crosby             yes

Tim Masthay                yes

Chris Bryan                  cut

Brett Goode                yes

Although I have been rooting for Bryan, Mathsay has definitely been better the last two weeks. Bryan has the edge in positional punting, but it’s not enough to offset his inconsistency when it comes time to let go and  boom one.

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Packer News 8/27/10 – 9/1/10

Al: Charles Woodson had a few choice words about the Packers defense this week. When asked by Bill Huber of Packer Report if the defense was better than what they’ve shown this preseason, Woodson replied: I think we’re as good as what we’ve shown, and I don’t think it’s all that great.” Woodson went on to discuss the need for players to step up and help out the offense. This was obviously a call to arms by the the Packer’s defensive leader.

Holly: One Packers player that answered a call to arms was Daryn Colledge. The Packers somewhat-maligned lineman beat back all preseason challengers to his starting left guard spot. According to Colledge, he reported to training camp in the best shape of his life and ready to go to war with all comers. That he did and Colledge held onto his starting spot – at least for right now.

Al: Trying to hold on to any spot right now are several players who have been with the Packers a few years and now find their roster spots as no sure thing. Donald Lee, Jarret Bush, Korey Hall and Jason Spitz could all be in battles for a place on the Packers roster. Lee, Hall and Spitz have all been starters, so they have value to bring something back in a trade. I think Ted Thompson will be looking to add more draft picks, one of his favorite things.

Holly: One of my favorite things, Al, is the start of the regular season, which is only 10 days away. While that will require many tough decisions for Packers coach Mike McCarthy, perhaps the toughest may have been putting Al Harris on the PUP list.  McCarthy just had recently had said that he felt Harris was close to getting back on the field. In the end, the ultimate deciding factor was most likely how long it would take Harris to be game ready. If it was going to take a month or so anyway, then there was no point in having him occupy a roster spot.

Al: True Holly, that’s a roster spot that could go to a useful player. Or, conversely, it could go to Jarret Bush, everybody’s favorite Packer. Bush has been very Bush-like this preseason, which in past years, has been just good enough to make the team. With Lee and Shields in the mix this season, I was convinced this would be the end of the road for Bush as a Packer, but with Harris out, it looks like he could now get a temporary reprieve.

CD: when news completes:  {… And now, Cheesehead Radio brings you “News from the Packers Twitterverse…”}

(sound clip…)

News from the Packers Twitterverse:

Al: CheeseheadTV’s Brian Carriveau was doing his usual bangup job this week of tweeting Packers facts to Packers fans, but not everyone took it seriously. When he let us all know that Aaron Rodgers leads the entire NFL in passing yards, QB rating & touchdowns during the preseason, the Packerranter, tweeted back, “not to mention nice beards.”

Holly: If you follow Mike Neal on twitter, there is one thing you know for sure about him – the man loves to eat. SO many of his tweets concern food, from what to have for dinner to professing his love for Cookie Dough Ice Cream. Eventually, Neal probably had too much of a good thing, showing some eaters remorse by tweeting, “Man why do I LOVE DQ…. I’m done eating it this week..”

Al: Aaron Nagler was perplexed this week by the sudden development of he and Greg Bedard agreeing on almost every Packers issue they discussed. Aaron wondered if it was an omen, while Greg said it was a sign of impending success for the Packers. To that, Aaron tweeted back, “Super Bowl or Life Support! and then in parentheses, (I’m Not ready to commit to the whole dying thing yet…)

I’m with you on that Aaron and that, folks, was the Tweet of the Week

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From a personality standpoint,  Raji  hasn’t shown much of a mean streak, and that was my only real concern when the Packers first selected him. From observing Raji, and speaking to people here in NJ that knew him during his high school  years, he’s a “good boy.” Polite, kind, soft-spoken: the type of kid you’d want your daughter to marry.

Of course, that doesn’t translate well to the battlefield known as the NFL. Not to say they are mutually exclusive. There have been plenty of “good guys” who would rip your heart out on the field if needed. Bart Starr, the ultimate gentleman, has been described as such by many teammates. Raji hasn’t shown me that killer instinct, yet.

In the last two preseason games, however, Raji has been starting to show some signs. He has made steady progress in each game, and against some very good Colts offensive linemen, had a positive impact on  roughly 70% of his snaps.

There is one thing he still needs to work on – and that is keeping his head up and eyes on the ball while fighting off blocks. During this preseason, I have observed Raji getting turned around or playing with his head down way too often. In many cases, the ball carrier ran right by him and Raji never saw him until it was too late.

An excellent example of this was the long run by Joseph Addai. (Before we get to Raji, I just want to mention what a great cut by Addai after he clears the line of scrimmage). With one move he faked both Nick Collins and Morgan Burnett to the ground. Watch for it and watch for Charles Woodson getting held right behind them. I need to figure out how to post these in slow motion for you all… )

Getting back to Raji, he gets completely turned around on the play (and then gets mugged and pulled to the ground, but after Addai was past him).

During the Browns and Seahawks preseason games, this was a recurring issue for Raji. When I saw it again so early in the game, I thought, uh-oh, this is going to be a problem. But much to his credit, I didn’t see it happen again for the rest of his snaps. If he can keep his head up and be aware of where the ball is, Raji will make some plays you just would never expect from a nose tackle. Here’s a perfect example:

Watching this play, you’ll see Raji engaging with the offensive lineman while always looking at Manning. He follows the path of the pass to his left and starts heading in that direction. Now he is focused directly on Reggie Wayne, who makes what would normally be a safe assumption; Yeah, I can just run around this nose tackle. Of course, he was wrong. Raji pounces and Wayne is still trying to figure out how a 340 pound DL converged on him so quickly.

Raji has incredible quickness for a man his size, and if he can develop a bit of nastiness, can even be a pass rushing threat. In the Seahawks game, Raji had the most impressive pass rush attempt of any Packer outside of Frank Zombo, who recorded an actual sack. In the Colts game, Raji made an excellent attempt at Manning, tackling him around the legs just after Manning gets the pass off.

On the Play, Raji gets a running start as he and Chillar stunt to the right in an attempt to open a lane for  Poppinga and Woodson, who blitz on the left side  (Watch Woodson on the play for another interesting corner blitz dialed up by Capers).  The Colts do a good job picking up the blitzers, but with that head of steam, Raji executes a perfect bull rush and shed, putting the OL on the ground and tackling Manning just after he releases the ball.

In the previous few weeks, when someone asked me how Raji was doing, I would answer with “not great, not awful. Playing well, but not like a top ten draft pick yet.” Well, after this week I can give a different answer. BJ Raji is starting to give us a glimpse into what he can be. To have a nose tackle that can plug the middle and at the same time, make things uncomfortable  for the quarterback will go along way towards addressing last year’s pass rush issues.

It would serve Raji well, however, to learn how to “turn it on” a bit more during a game and go to that nasty place where no prisoners are ever taken. Add strongman Mike Neal to the equation, who has also shown the ability to collapse the pocket from the inside, and opposing quarterbacks may actually have to earn their completions this season.

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Everyone’s was talking about the D, but I was looking at this as just as big a test for the OL. Can they really protect Rodgers? Evidently, they can.

Sam Shields: Overall, he held his own. As I said last week, he’s already a better corner than Bush. Always near the receiver, always aware of where the ball is and will never get outrun deep.  Welcome to the roster.

Dom Capers mixed in just a smidge of other flavors tonight.

As I mentioned the other night on Cheesehead Radio, Raji continues to get turned around and lost sight of the running back on Addai’s long run. Saw it on other plays, too This is going to be a problem if it’s not corrected.

Rodgers passes to Jones often seem to be a bit off target.  I think Jones surprises him sometimes.

Does anyone make more one-handed catches than Donald Driver?

The agility training Ryan Grant did in the offseason seems to have really payed off. Grant looks more athletic – leaner, stronger, quicker.

Zombo played well as a starter. Very active and involved. Got some good pressures, even before the strip. He’s made this team.

As usual, Rodgers was a bit too strong early on – hung some receivers out to dry.

MM should have challenged that catch in the early 2nd 1/4. Ball obviously hit the ground.

Would love to see MM call something different on 4th and one. At least show it to keep defenses a bit more honest…

Mike Neal was a force. Doing it strictly on strength. When he learns proper technique, Packers have themselves what they hoped Justin Harrell would be.

Packers defense is one of the best at sniffing out screens. Even the defensive linemen see it, stop, and wheel outside very quickly. Nice coaching job, there.

Somebody needs to come up with a catchy nickname for Jermichael Finley…

Safe to say, the Packers passed their only real test of the preseason.

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Packers News – 8/19/10 – 8/25/10

Al: The Packers Monday Night practice was their final one of their training camp phase. Starting with Tuesday morning’s workout, the Packers moved to their regular season practice schedule. According to Mike McCarthy, he was very pleased with this year’s camp, especially the fan support, but now it’s time to start getting into that routine for the games that count.

Holly: Well Al, tomorrow night’s game doesn’t count from a results standpoint, but it should be a good measuring stick for the Packers defense. Can the front seven create a pass rush minus Clay Matthews, or will they get lit up  by another veteran quarterback? This “dress rehearsal” game should generate a lot of good film for the coaches, who will hopefully make the right decision about players on the bubble.

Al: One player on the bubble after an awful performance last week is Justin Harrell. Watching the game, it seemed to me that he was on the ground a lot. Sure enough, in an article on JSOnline,  Bob McGinn wrote that Harrell was on the ground on 5 of the 7 run plays he was in for. My impression during the game was that he seemed too passive. Perhaps his back was the culprit, or maybe his mind was still with his wife and their newborn baby, For his part, Harrell blamed bad footwork. Whatever the cause, he needs to show something against Indy, or the Justin Harrell era will finally be over.

Holly: Looking to start his own era is John Schneider, the new GM of the Seattle Seahawks. During his years in Green Bay’s front office, Schneider saw Ron Wolf and Ted Thompson build the team through vastly different styles.  From his early moves, it seems Schneider favors Wolf’s way of running things. He’s been acting like a man with the shackles removed, pulling off several trades and free agent signings. Such wheeling and dealing suggests that Schneider was frustrated by Ted Thompson’s more conservative approach.

Al: Not at all conservative is Packers linebackers coach Kevin Greene. The slightly insane former Pro Bowl linebacker and professional  wrestler has a new protege, Frank Zombo, or Zombonious Maronious, as he calls him. Greene was effusive in his praise of Zombo and the kid’s toughness and work ethic. “I think he’s making it look easy,” Greene said of the transition to 3-4 linebacker. “In the 3-4, you really want a couple dogs on the corner, dogs that’ll get out and hunt. He’s doing that,” said Greene.

Holly: Speaking of dogs, two players in a dog fight for one roster spot are punters Chris Bryan and Tim Masthay. Each has shown more talent than we’ve seen in Green Bay the last two years, but neither has pulled away and distinguished himself as the clear choice.  Their training camp and preseason performances have been near-identical. This could be one of Mike McCarthy’s more difficult roster decisions, as he recently stated that he believes they both will be punting in the NFL for a long time.

CD: when news completes:  {… And now, Cheesehead Radio brings you “News from the Packers Twitterverse…”}

(sound clip…)

Al: Packers Super Fan Adam Czech tweeted this week that the Packers should cut Jarrett Bush so the Vikings can sign him. He thinks that’s the best way for Bush to help the Packers.

Holly: After the Packers’ win against Seattle, the players evidently had some free time before they caught the red-eye back to Green Bay. At first, Will Blackmon complained about the lack of Seattle nightlife, but soon after, he tweeted with a sense of delight; ‘Just seen some Packer fans chasing Ryan Grant down 5th ave in downtown Seattle. Hahaha.” My only question is, was Grant able to outrun them?

Al: The Vikings – 49ers game on Sunday Night drew some understandable interest from Packer players. Jermichael Finley wanted to know if “old man Favre” was playing. And Nick Barnett said he was ready to watch the Vikings lose. About an hour later, however, Barnett tweeted, “I’m not going lie. I stopped watching the game and am now watching Keeping up with the Kardashians, LOL.”

That’s so YOU, Nick,

And that folks, was the Tweet of the Week…

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How many of us have heard that question?  In the NFL, especially as it relates to head coaches, it rings true more than most.  Every successful head coach now seems to come from some kind of coaching “tree,” as in he worked under another successful head coach as an assistant.

For example:

Sean Payton? Bill Parcells.

Bill Belichick? also Parcells.

Mike Shanahan? Bill Walsh.

Andy Reid? Mike Holmgren, who also came from Walsh.

It goes on and on.

Hold on, though. What about Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy?

Thought so.

Mike McCarthy is one of those rare birds in the NFL who became a successful head coach on his own.  Yes, he worked at Kansas City with Marty Schottenheimer, but Marty’s struggles in the playoffs are well documented.

He has also worked with Jim Haslett and Mike Nolan. Not exactly stellar NFL head coaches. While McCarhy no doubt picked up bits and pieces from each coach, he is largely his own man and developed his own methods.

If you wind the clock back to early 2006, Packers GM Ted Thompson stunned the NFL world by choosing McCarthy as next head coach of the Green Bay Packers.  People were stunned that Thompson would take an offensive coordinator from such a poor team (at that time) and make him the head man.

Turns out they weren’t looking at the entire picture as Thompson was.

Despite coaching for teams that had lackluster records, McCarthy earned a reputation as a very good quarterbacks coach as seen by his work with Rich Gannon in Kansas City and Aaron Brooks in New Orleans. Both credited McCarthy with their rise in performance.

Oh yeah, that Rodgers guy he has now has turned out pretty well too.

Aaron Rodgers may indeed prove to be McCarthy’s greatest legacy. Rodgers has stunned everyone except maybe himself and the Packers with his meteoric rise towards the top of the quarterback rankings in the NFL. Rodgers had one season under Mike Sherman before McCarthy arrived into town.

McCarthy obviously knew what he had in Rodgers, thus, why he and Thompson traded away Brett Favre two years ago.

Of course, all the coaches listed above were either a head coach or an assistant in a Super Bowl.  McCarthy hasn’t reached that point yet, as the furthest he has gone has been the NFC championship game.

That could very well change this year.  The Packers offense has shown no signs of weakness two weeks into the preseason, despite a struggling defensive unit.  The Packers are being touted by many as one of the favorites to not only play in but win Super Bowl XLV in February.

If that does happen and McCarthy hoists the Lombardi Trophy, he will do so thanks in large part to a lot of hard work on his end.  No one will be able to say that so-and-so’s coaching tree sprouted a genius.

Heck, with a Super Bowl title, maybe McCarthy will start his own coaching tree. His assistant head coach Winston Moss has already interviewed for a few college head coaching jobs the past couple of years and a world title could finally land him one.

So maybe next time someone asks McCarthy “If you were a tree, what tree would you be?” McCarthy can just smile and answer…..

“My own.”

Please take a moment to welcome Kris Burke to this site. Kris Burke is the Packers Fan Voice at NFLTouchdown.com and will be writing a regular game preview column during the regular season as well as other articles.