# Green Bay Packers Offseason Thread



## BlakeJesus

2015 Unrestricted Free Agents



> Tramon Williams, CB
> B.J. Raji, DE
> Bryan Bulaga, OT
> Jarrett Bush, CB
> Jamari Lattimore, ILB
> Matt Flynn, QB
> John Kuhn, FB
> Randall Cobb, WR
> Letroy Guion, DT
> Davon House, CB
> Scott Tolzien, QB
> DuJuan Harris, RB


http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000459443/article/2015-nfl-unrestricted-free-agents-by-team


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## roux

Starting this thread a day before the nfc championship game? ****ing jinx


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## BlakeJesus

It's just information! Facts are facts man.


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## Knick Killer

roux said:


> Starting this thread a day before the nfc championship game? ****ing jinx


How confident are the people of Wisconsin about the game? All the "experts" on TV are picking Seattle.


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## roux

Knick Killer said:


> How confident are the people of Wisconsin about the game? All the "experts" on TV are picking Seattle.


I think Seattle is going to win... home field is the major advantage here. That loss to Buffalo was a killer for the Packers and it may cost them a shot at a championship. Take that to go with Rodgers being banged up its not looking good for Green Bay


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## BlakeJesus

*Packers release special teams coach Shawn Slocum*

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000466103/article/packers-release-special-teams-coach-shawn-slocum


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## roux

BlakeJesus said:


> *Packers release special teams coach Shawn Slocum*
> 
> http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000466103/article/packers-release-special-teams-coach-shawn-slocum


A fake field goal and a botched onside kick recovery kept them from the super bowl..not shocking


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## BlakeJesus

*Report: Packers' Mike McCarthy giving up play calling*

http://fansided.com/2015/02/08/report-packers-mike-mccarthy-giving-play-calling/?utm_source=si.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=si.com


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## BlakeJesus

*Brett Favre makes retirement date at Lambeau official*

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000469545/article/brett-favre-makes-retirement-date-at-lambeau-official


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## BlakeJesus

__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/585544145688723458


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## Bubbles

BlakeJesus said:


> __ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/585544145688723458


Packers matched on that by the way.


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## Bubbles

> *Even Randall was surprised by Packers' pick*
> 
> When the night began, Damarious Randall's agent made sure he kept an open mind. It's the NFL draft, he reminded Randall. There was no telling what might happen.
> 
> Randall was ready for anything. Or so he thought.
> 
> There was no way the Arizona State safety could've anticipated what came a few hours after. Late Thursday night, the Green Bay Packers selected Randall with the 30th overall pick in the first round. This was a surprise to almost everyone – fans, media alike.
> 
> Even Randall.
> 
> Asked if he ever thought NFL commissioner Roger Goodell would announce his name as the newest Packers player, Randall was blunt.
> 
> "Honestly," he said, "I didn't think so. My agent was just telling me everybody is a possibility. It's the NFL draft, anything can happen. So I just went in, watching it with my family, and just hoping for the best."
> 
> Once again, Packers general manager Ted Thompson held his cards close to the vest.
> 
> Randall said he had minimal contact with the Packers over the past few months. He spent "a lot of time" with the team at the NFL combine in February, but there were plenty of interviews with other teams. His conversation with a Packers position coach was so memorable, Randall couldn't recall the coach's name Thursday.
> 
> This was an inventive, outside-the-box – and impressively stealthy – way for Thompson to add depth to the Packers' cornerback position. The GM filled one of his teams' two biggest needs, with a pick on an inside linebacker likely coming Friday.
> 
> "The more you go back and look," Thompson said, "he's a good football player. We were talking amongst our scouts today, you have so long to sit around in angst about everything. You have a tendency, if you're not careful, you start worrying about things. And I'm adamant that's the wrong thing to do. Never worry about stuff.
> 
> "So we looked back at it and said, 'At the end of the day, if we get just a good football player, it doesn't matter where we have to take him. If we have to take a guy higher than you want to take him, it doesn't matter.' We just wanted a football player. In this case, we took a good football player in our opinion, and we took him at a place where it was very reasonable in terms of cost.
> 
> ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay said Randall is the top cover safety in the draft. He was one of six safeties targeted at least 60 times by an opposing quarterback last season, according to Pro Football Focus. His 53.2 completion percentage allowed was lowest in the group.
> 
> Randall, named first team all-Pac 12 last season, tied for third in the conference with three interceptions and tied for seventh with 12 passes defended. He also was second among Pac-12 defensive backs with 106 tackles and third with 9.5 tackles for loss.
> 
> On film, his ability to make plays all over the field was the first thing that struck McShay.
> 
> "You watch No. 3," McShay said, "he's flying around the field. He plays full speed all the time, really good play instincts and production. … He's the best man-to-man cover safety and has the best cover skills of all the safeties. I just don't know that he's going to last all that long.
> 
> "I know he's undersized, but in a league where you're looking for guys that can cover, I think Randall is probably going to end up coming off the board pretty early."
> 
> McShay thought Randall could be drafted in the middle of Friday's second round. Instead, the Packers took him with three picks left Thursday night.
> 
> Don't mind Randall's "safety" designation. When he arrived at Arizona State two years ago following a year at Mesa Community College, Randall said he expected to play cornerback. His coaches had a different idea.
> 
> To maximize Randall's ability to "fly around the field," he was moved to safety.
> 
> Randall lined up at free safety on 60.5 percent of his snaps last season, but he played slot corner 26.5 percent of his snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. He played safety inside the box on 12.5 percent of his snaps.
> 
> Only two snaps came at perimeter cornerback.
> 
> "Even when I was at safety, I was playing a lot of zero coverage (single man-to-man)," Randall said. "Because Arizona State blitzes a lot, I was in a lot of zero coverages."
> 
> Through the pre-draft process, Randall said teams' opinions were split on where he would fit best on the field. About 12 teams told Randall he'd play cornerback if they drafted him, he said. About seven or eight slotted him as a safety.
> 
> Doing his homework, Thompson said, Sun Devils coaches told the Packers GM that Randall would've been their best cornerback. After watching the film, he believed them.
> 
> But Thompson didn't commit to playing Randall as a perimeter cornerback, where the Packers have their greatest need in the secondary.
> 
> "We'll see about that," Thompson said.
> 
> Randall might have been surprised the Packers picked him, but Thompson said he hoped Thursday night would end the way it did.
> 
> Randall had been their target for "some time," he said. The defensive back entered Thursday night "pretty high up" the Packers' draft board.
> 
> "I think he's a football player," Thompson said, the ultimate compliment coming from a personnel evaluator. "I think he's got really good ball skills. He's got kind of a knack for catching the ball.
> 
> "I think he's one of those kind of guys, if you're choosing up a team in little league, he probably got picked first all the time."
> 
> Randall's path to Green Bay was surprising for more reasons than the Packers' limited contact with him.
> 
> He comes from a baseball family. One brother, Patrick Norris, was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 16th round of the 2007 amateur draft. Another brother, Porter Washington, played two seasons in the Cincinnati Reds' farm system. His father, Victor Randall, still plays in a men's league.
> 
> There was a time Randall thought he was destined for the diamond, too. Out of high school, he played two seasons as a short stop and center fielder for Butler Community College. After a right shoulder injury, his athletic career came to a crossroads.
> 
> Instead of rehabbing and returning to baseball, he transferred to Mesa. He said football was always his passion, his first love. On Thursday night, Randall was glad he picked it up again.
> 
> "If I didn't hurt my shoulder," he said, "where am I today? I really couldn't tell you. I really don't even know.
> 
> "It was an amazing feeling hearing my name get called, and just Green Bay and the coaching staff believing in me. It was just a very exciting moment for me and my family."


http://www.packersnews.com/story/sports/nfl/packers/draft/2015/05/01/damarious-randall-surprised-packers-pick/26685709/


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## BlakeJesus

*Jake Ryan ready to contribute at ILB*



> Watch the film, and Jake Ryan's instincts are the first thing that stand out.
> 
> The Michigan senior is about as "linebacker" as it gets. Always in the right place. Always finishing plays. He fits the position naturally.
> 
> So when Ryan returned from a torn ACL that forced him to miss half of his junior season, it didn't stop Wolverines coaches from changing his position. Ryan, a strongside linebacker in Michigan's 4-3 defense his first three seasons, played middle linebacker for the first time in his career. There, he had to cover more ground, expected to always be around the football.


http://www.packersnews.com/story/sports/nfl/packers/draft/2015/05/03/michigans-jake-ryan-ready-contribute-ilb-packers/26806785/


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## BlakeJesus

Man, I really like the Packers draft. 

Randall has real talent, Rollins is loaded with potential (former collegiate basketball player), Ryan was good value and should fit in well while filling a major hole, and grabbing Hundley in the 5th seems brilliant to me. They have been looking for a backup QB with some movement skills for awhile now, Hundley might be the backup for the next 5+ years.


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## BlakeJesus

*Ty Montgomery already impressing Packers' McCarthy*

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000493868/article/ty-montgomery-already-impressing-packers-mccarthy


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## Bubbles

> *Jeff Janis hopes to justify the hype*
> 
> Social media feeds his hype. Jeff Janis checks Twitter, and he sees the expectations of a fan base. He knows Green Bay Packers fans want to watch him to develop into a star.
> 
> It's been that way for 10 months. Since flashing his raw potential last preseason, the buzz has followed this seventh-round receiver from Saginaw Valley State. Janis can't escape it.
> 
> Unless he unplugs.
> 
> Around town, the 6-foot-3, 220-pound speedster steps into a different reality. Suddenly, the hype goes away. Barely anyone recognizes him, Janis said.
> 
> "I've had people give me some funny looks," he said, "but I really haven't had many people come up to me. I don't know. Maybe because I kind of blend in."
> 
> Janis appreciates the excitement resonating from Packers fans. Even if expectations border on unrealistic for a player transitioning from Division II to the NFL, he embraces the natural connection between him and them.
> 
> Northeast Wisconsin feels like home, Janis said. It'd be "weird" playing anywhere else. Green Bay is a natural fit for an outdoorsman who enjoys hunting and gets his adrenaline fix riding four wheelers, even though his four-year, $2.27 million contract suggests four wheelers aren't such a good idea.
> 
> "At least I'm not on the motorcycle," Janis said. "I used to have those, too."
> 
> Yes, he blends in. But there's another reason Janis' celebrity doesn't match his hype.
> 
> For all the promise he showed last preseason, catching two touchdown passes and returning a kickoff for another score, his rookie year effectively turned into a redshirt. Janis played only 15 snaps in three games. He caught two passes for 16 yards.
> 
> This fall, Janis said, he wants to establish a role for himself on the field. He doesn't care where coaches line him up — slot, outside receiver or special teams. During organized team activities, Janis is simply trying to prove he's reliable.
> 
> "I want to go out there and show that I can play and be a starter," Janis said. "That's the ultimate goal. That's kind of what I'm working for."
> 
> It's a long trudge from the seventh round to a starting job, especially on a depth chart as talented as the Packers' receiver position. August will be a critical month in Janis' career. Behind Nelson, Randall Cobb and Davante Adams, the battle to be the Packers' fourth and fifth receivers could be fierce.
> 
> The Packers' receivers group should be deeper than last season. Jared Abbrederis, a fifth-round pick, is back from an ACL injury that forced him to miss all of his rookie season. The team also drafted Stanford receiver Ty Montgomery in the third round last month.
> 
> It's possible for the Packers to keep Janis, Abbrederis and Montgomery on the 53-man roster, but six receivers would make a crowded depth chart.
> 
> "Training camp is going to be tough," Janis said, "but it was tough last year. I missed two weeks of training camp last year (shingles). So I was worried then, but I just showed up and did my best. I'm just going to try to take the same approach this year."
> 
> Janis hopes this summer will give him a jumpstart on the competition.
> 
> With Nelson missing OTA practices because of a hip injury, Janis has gotten first-team reps. It's his first time consistently sharing the practice field with quarterback Aaron Rodgers. So far, Janis is making the most of it.
> 
> The two connected for a fourth-down touchdown during two-minute drills earlier in OTAs. Janis knows the importance of such plays. In this offense, everyone's first priority is earning the MVP quarterback's trust.
> 
> "I think the biggest thing with Aaron is he wants us to be mentally on the same page," Janis said. "He knows physical mistakes are going to happen — like dropped balls and things like that — but mental errors are unacceptable to him. So I think that's where I'm really trying to take a step.
> 
> "After the play, or something like that happens, and he comes over and says, 'Good job,' that's just a big confidence boost."
> 
> Nelson remembers the step-by-step process of earning Rodgers' confidence. It was only a few seasons ago the All-Pro receiver was a second-round rookie searching for his own role.
> 
> Back then, practice reps with Rodgers were scarce, gobbled up by former Packers receivers Donald Driver and Greg Jennings. Nelson said every time he shared the field with Rodgers was a chance to prove himself.
> 
> He recognizes the same desperation with Janis.
> 
> "It allows you to be in a lot of situations," Nelson said. "I think there's some things you can go over in meeting rooms, but you can't predict situations. The more reps you get, the more situations you're in, the better you are of knowing what Aaron wants. If it's the routes versus coverages, if it's just checks, if it's his demeanor with his checks and how subtle he can be and making sure you're on the same page as him, the speed of the game is the same for you and him at the same time.
> 
> "The more you're out there, the more balls you catch, and the more confidence he grows in you, I think that's the key."
> 
> Now, Nelson is the veteran watching from the sidelines during these involuntary practices. He said Janis is taking advantage of his opportunity. Come training camp, Nelson said, he expects the increased reps to be beneficial.
> 
> Janis said he's more comfortable route-running. He also has a much firmer grip on the Packers' playbook. This offseason, he said, feels like "a completely different world" than last year.
> 
> Perhaps most important, Packers coach Mike McCarthy said he can also see the improvement.
> 
> "He's done a lot of good things going up the field, catching the ball better," McCarthy said. "Obviously, being in synch with Aaron has been a big help. He had one out cut today that the timing of it was good, we completed it, but he can get better there fundamentally. I think Jeff's really improving."


http://www.packersnews.com/story/sports/nfl/packers/2015/06/10/janis-hopes-justify-hype/71044642/


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## BlakeJesus

*Letroy Guion loses appeal; three-game ban stands*

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/13526192/letroy-guion-green-bay-packers-loses-appeal-three-game-suspension


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## BlakeJesus

Bubbles said:


> http://www.packersnews.com/story/sports/nfl/packers/2015/06/10/janis-hopes-justify-hype/71044642/


I really, really want Janis to step up this year. If he blows up, it would probably be the best scouting call I had ever made.


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## Bubbles

> *Leaner, more athletic B.J. Raji excited for the season*
> 
> Green Bay — During Green Bay's run to greatness in 2010, B.J. Raji played a whopping 1,092 snaps in 16 regular-season games. The following season Raji played 932 snaps, then saw that total dwindle to 768 in 2012 and 666 in 2013.
> 
> When the Packers begin the 2015 campaign in Chicago, Raji might have a turn-back-the-clock type of afternoon waiting for him. And Green Bay's nose tackle will be ready.
> 
> The Packers will play their season opener without a pair of defensive linemen. Datone Jones was suspended one game after violating the NFL's substance abuse policy, while Letroy Guion has been suspended the first three games for an off-season arrest.
> 
> Raji, who is coming back from a torn biceps injury that shelved him for the entire 2014 campaign, dropped between 10 and 12 pounds this off-season. He now weighs a svelte 327 and will certainly be ready if he's asked to pick up the slack on opening day.
> 
> "Well, I've always felt that big guys, the more years they get in the league, it's better to have them come back lighter than heavier because it's hard for these big guys," Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers said. "The average person might put on five pounds, well it's 15 or 20 for them. And that makes a big difference."
> 
> The 6-foot-2 Raji left Boston College at 337 pounds, and has played in the 340-range for most of his time in Green Bay. As a young pup, Raji's speed and quickness weren't compromised at that weight.
> 
> Remember, Raji was third on the Packers with 61/2 sacks in 2010. He also had 12 quarterback hits and 12 quarterback pressures that year.
> 
> Raji was largely unblockable with just one player that season and constantly took on double teams. And his interception return for a touchdown against Chicago in the NFC Championship Game made him a Packers legend and helped put Green Bay in Super Bowl XLV.
> 
> But Raji was 24 then. Today, he's 29. And Raji felt if he's going to play into his mid-30s, getting leaner and more flexible was the way to go.
> 
> "Some of the things I was being asked to do were suggested to me by (defensive line coach Mike Trgovac) and it could help to be a little lighter," Raji said. "It's just being more conscious of your intake. That's the biggest thing. So that's what I did this off-season."
> 
> After a marvelous start in Green Bay, Raji's career hit a rough patch. From 2011-'13, Raji had just three total sacks and averaged 41.7 tackles per season.
> 
> One reason is Raji spent most of his time at defensive end those seasons instead of his more natural nose tackle spot. Today, Raji is back at nose tackle and feeling like a kid again.
> 
> "Man, he looks good," Packers left guard Josh Sitton said of Raji. "He's lean, he's light and he's really quick. You can definitely see the quickness. He's done a really good job coming back.
> 
> "That takes a lot when you come back from an injury to get back to where you were. It's not an easy thing. He's got the quickness and explosion that he had before, so I think it's all coming back."
> 
> To get ready for 2015, Raji did more than just slim down. He also picked up yoga after learning his range of motion and flexibility numbers weren't as good as when he first arrived in Green Bay.
> 
> Today, a leaner, more flexible Raji has most certainly impressed his bosses.
> 
> "Well, it's good to have him back out there first of all," Capers said. "He knows the defense and I think he's been having a good camp. The biggest thing is he's been able to stay out there on the field and take all the reps that we had planned for him.
> 
> "And I know he's been excited about being back and he had a good off-season. And he came back in at probably the lightest that he's been. So hopefully that will carry over and enable him to get off to a great start for us because we're going to need him to play well in these opening games."
> 
> A year ago, Green Bay's run defense ranked just 23rd in rushing yards allowed per game (119.9) and 23rd in average yards per carry (4.27).
> 
> Packers coach Mike McCarthy has stressed run defense throughout training camp. And Raji, who signed a one-year, $3.5 million contract in April to stay in Green Bay, must play at a high level if that area is going to improve.
> 
> "Hey, that's why I'm here," Raji said. "It's great to be back at nose tackle. I feel really good right now. I'm just excited for the season."
> 
> Raji would like to play several more seasons, and has used Justin Smith as the model for how he'd like his career to play out.
> 
> Smith, a defensive end, was the fourth-overall pick in the 2001 draft. After seven rather nondescript seasons in Cincinnati, Smith had seven sensational years in San Francisco where he made five Pro Bowls and was Sports Illustrated's Defensive Player of the Year in 2011.
> 
> Raji believes the second half of his career can be much like Smith's. And playing lighter this season is one step toward making that happen.
> 
> "Everyone talks about 2010 and how great it was," Raji said. "There's no doubt, it was great and I played pretty well that season.
> 
> "But I know I can still play even better than that. I'm excited to show it."
> 
> So are the Packers.


http://www.jsonline.com/sports/pack...ted-for-the-season-b99561277z1-323160081.html


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## BlakeJesus

> Packers released: WR Jared Abbrederis
> · LB Carl Bradford
> · RB John Crockett
> · S Jean Fanor
> · C Garth Gerhart
> · CB Tay Glover-Wright
> · TE Mitchell Henry
> · RB Rajion Neal
> · TE Justin Perillo
> · C/G Andy Phillips
> · DT Christian Ringo
> · G Matt Rotheram
> · LB Joe Thomas
> · DT Khyri Thornton
> · LB James Vaughters
> · T Jeremy Vujnovich
> · CB Ryan White
> · WR Ed Williams
> The team also waived/injured WR Larry Pinkard and LB Jermauria Rasco. Additionally, DE Letroy Guion and DE Datone Jones were placed on the reserve/suspended list.




__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/640292238270951424


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## Bubbles

It's a shame about Abbrederis. I think he could be good, but he couldn't stay healthy.


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## BlakeJesus

Bubbles said:


> It's a shame about Abbrederis. I think he could be good, but he couldn't stay healthy.


Carl Bradford was a solid depth LB too.


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## Bubbles

Definitely. Palmer and Ryan certainly made Bradford expendable though.


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## BlakeJesus

*James Jones returning to Packers, source says*

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/13598592/james-jones-visits-green-bay-packers-expects-sign-deal


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