Bleacher Report - Articles by Brandon Rader

Analyzing the Green Bay Packers Offensive Line Headaches

Brandon Rader — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:36:19 -0400

I hear a lot of talk about how Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy should be fired for what they have "done" to the Packers offensive line. So, lets review some history here regarding the offensive line.

Yes, the day that Ted Thompson came in as the general manager the Green Bay Packers had one of the best offensive lines in football. Anchored by Chad Clifton, Marco Rivera, Mike Wahle, Mark Tauscher, and center Grey Ruegamer. In 2004 that offensive line set a single-season record for fewest sacks allowed at 14. A far cry from the 20 Aaron Rodgers received in four games this year already.

However, what are the chances that line would be the same today if Ted Thompson had "his head on straight" as some people suggest?

Both of the guards in that lineup (Rivera and Wahle) were unrestricted free agents at the end of 2004. Ted Thompson's first major decision was to keep the guards (who by the way both wanted FAT contracts) or let them go and rebuild the line. Thompson chose to rebuild the line. Bad decision? Let's see...

Mike Wahl spent 3 years (2005-2007 left the team officially in Feb. '08) as a fixture on the Carolina Panthers offensive line, even making the Pro Bowl in 2005. During that stretch they made a run deep into the playoffs and were one of the best running teams in football. In 2008, he signed a new contract with the Seattle Seahawks and was placed on injured reserve Dec. 5. On July 31 of 2009 he officially retired from football.

So Mike Wahl had 3 good years of football left in him when he left Green Bay. Our situation would be about the same because he would not be currently on the team.

Marco Rivera was a three-time Pro Bowl guard for the Green Bay Packers, and commanded a huge salary from the Dallas Cowboys when he signed after the 2004 season. Rivera played 14 games for the Cowboys in 2005, missing the last two games for a neck injury. He spent the '06 season injured and in 2007 was released from the Cowboys for serious back problems.

Once again, Ted Thompson saved money by not signing a high-priced player near the end of their careers.

Now, Grey Ruegamer seems like the perennial journeyman NFL player. Drafted in 1999 by the Miami Dolphins, he also played for the Steelers, Giants, Patriots, and the Seahawks. Grey is currently not in football.

So it seems like regardless of what the offensive line looked like in 2004, it's clear that offensive line would not be in place Monday night to protect Aaron Rodgers.

Now the cardinal rule in letting high-priced players go is you replace talent with talent. This is where you can criticize Ted Thompson. For the most part, he has made some sound football decisions regarding the 53-man roster. But when it comes to the offensive line, we keep coming up short.

Injuries are part of the game, so he can hardly be blamed for Chad Clifton missing Monday night. Mark Tauscher the Pro Bowl right tackle is finally healthy again (injured in December of last year) and in Green Bay.

One can hope he signs with the Packers and helps to establish the line again. As is quite evident, the game is won or lost along the lines. It's clear the Green Bay Packers need help along theirs. Getting a Healthy Clifton and Tauscher back and moving, Colledge and Spitz back to their starting positions of left guard and center, respectively could go a very long way to fixing that which is clearly broken.

It looks bad, and it is. The Vikings put on display the problem on the Monday night stage, but all is not lost. The bye week is here, it's a chance for players to get healthy and get better. They won't be the 2004 starting offensive line, but given time they could be the 2009 starting offensive line, and we can all hope that will have positive connotations come next year.

The Green Bay Packers In 2009: It's Hard To Not Be Excited

Brandon Rader — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 21:37:17 -0400

Winning in the preseason means absolutely nothing. But it does give Packers fans reason to be excited. With NFC North additions of Jay Cutler and Brett Favre and an improved Detroit Lions team, the North looks to be one of the more competitive divisions in all of football this year.

The prognosticators have been bouncing back and forth between the Bears and the Vikings as the team to beat, but don't discount the Green Bay Packers.

What Have We Seen So Far?

Well for starters, an efficient and extremely focused Aaron Rodgers. In two games he is 13/19 for 200 yards, three TDs, and zero INT's. Out of six potential drives, five ended in touchdowns, with one ending in turnover on downs in a make-able field goal position (in a regular season game, chances are high that would have been a field goal try). He is establishing himself as the QB to beat in the NFC North.

A healthy Ryan Grant: This time last year, Ryan Grant was enjoying his new salary he held out for by sitting on his butt with a bum leg. This year, he is healthy, running strong, and has a stable of running backs behind him to create a depth the Packers have not enjoyed since the Ahman Green/Davenport days.

A healthy Jermichael Finely: The second year pro was nagged by injuries that kept him out of his rookie season until the Packers fate was well decided, but when he finally got in he showed flashes to justify his roster spot. This year he might just be the TE sleeper every fantasy owner is looking for. He has great hands, and great vision to find himself open down field, and has shown he makes for a terrible mismatch in the center of the field to opposing defenses. Combined with Packers deep wide out core, the potential for Rodgers to duplicate his 4000 yard season from a year ago is very good.

Improved special teams coverage: New Special Teams' coach Shawn Slocam has his unit gang tackling much better than last season. A focus in training camp on ball awareness has proven effective.

Dom Capers 3-4 scheme: Most of the analysts said the change to the 3-4 would take two years. The Packers didn't have the right personnel. The scheme was too complicated to learn in one offseason. Linebackers used to playing in the 4-3 would be lost. The pressure packages would be ineffective. Aaron Kampman was unhappy with his new position.

So far, all of that appears false. Again, it's the preseason, so it's hard to judge. They are seeing vanilla offenses for the most part, but they are creating pressure, getting to the QB, knocking him off balance, confusing him, and getting turnovers.

Bottom line is, the defense has bought everything Dom Capers has been selling, and it's showing out on the field.

What We Haven't Seen

The status of Nick Barnett in the new defense: If he doesn't take to it as fast as Desmond Bishop or Brady Poppinga, I hope the coaches have no problem sitting Barnett until he is ready.

BJ Raji looked impressive in his debut, but let's also remember he is fresh and was going up against lineman who have been in camp for a month already. Let's see how he looks in two weeks.

An improvement from the punters: One of these two needs to step up and start being consistent. Many opposing offenses had short fields to deal with last year as a result of inconsistent punting.

A clear-cut backup QB: Much depth is needed at the all important position.

Solidification on the offensive line: Much like the punters, we need some players on the offensive line to step it up. We need a solid group to protect Rodgers and open holes for the running game. What we have seen so far is an improvement from last year, but they still have a long way to go.

Overall, Packers fans have a lot to be excited about. I think the analysts should stop overlooking the Pack. Most admit they will be a good team, but it is time to start including them in the talk about the division title.

It will be dogfight in the North with three very good teams. But the Packers have an opportunity to easily distance themselves from the pack early on, with wins against their division opponents in weeks one, four, six, and eight.

The regular season is upon us, and that means the accomplishments of the preseason will be easily forgotten. But if the confidence and swagger the Packers have now continues, it's easy to see them in the running come December.

Pat and Kevin Williams: It's Time to Serve Four-Game Suspensions

Brandon Rader — Sat, 23 May 2009 17:00:36 -0400

The Minnesota Vikings are heading into the 2009 season with high expectations. Those expectations could soar even higher if Brett Favre comes out of retirement yet again to sign with the hated rival of the Green Bay Packers.

Yet looming in the background of a season that many speculate as "the year" is the Pat and Kevin Williams saga.

Late last year, the two standout defensive linemen tested positive for a substance known as Bumetanide, a substance commonly used to mask the use of illegal steroids.

While the pair denied the use of steroids and subsequent drug tests have found no evidence of steroid use, Bumetanide is still a banned substance. Thus prompting the league to hand out a four-game suspension.

With the help of the Players' Association, the Williams (and three New Orleans Saints players) filed a lawsuit against the NFL to get their suspensions lifted. It worked, temporarily.

A judge originally ruled to allow them to play last season, but it appears as that was only a short term reprieve from the inevitable suspension.

U.S. District Judge Paul A. Magnuson has dismissed the Players' Association lawsuit, meaning the coming suspension is only a matter of time.

The league was quick to make a statement in support of the judge's decision.

The question now is, when will they be required to serve their four-game suspension?

Conventional wisdom would suggest they drop their attempts to have it stalled and serve it the first four games of the season.

Neither Cleveland, Detroit, or Green Bay have very strong running games. San Fransisco's Frank Gore would be the strongest RB on the docket for those four games.

If they continue to stall, they could be in for some trouble down the stretch facing teams with power running games, such as Baltimore and Pittsburgh in back-to-back weeks or Chicago, Carolina, and the New York Giants all at end of the season.

If anything can be learned from the disaster that was Maurice Clarett, it's that the NFL gets its way in federal court.

Jay Cutler Goes to Bears, Fans Book Hotel Rooms in Miami

Brandon Rader — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 23:08:11 -0400

The Chicago Bears traded for Pro Bowl quarterback Jay Cutler today, in a move that has undoubtedly rocked the NFC North.

Having Cutler under center certainly gives the Bears a better chance on Sundays. But in celebrating the acquisition, how far is too far?

Just ask Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys, favorite Super Bowl picks from last year.

You can look great on paper, but in the end, you still have to play the game.

Last season, when the Cowboys lost their first game, one player was said "they felt relieved, now there was no pressure to go undefeated." Undefeated you say?

I felt justice would be served then if they failed to make the playoffs. Karma has a way of biting you in the behind when you get a little ahead of yourself.

I believe the Bears will be a better team for the 2009 season, but let's keep the anointing to a minimum while it's still April.

As a Packers fan, I think the NFC North just got a whole lot harder to play in. It's commonly called the weakest division in football, but honestly I think the people who say that think the NFC West is in the Canadian Football League or something.

Chicago, Green Bay, and the ailing Metrodome are all tough places to play for visiting teams.

What I don't want to do here is squash hope.

For the first time in a long time Bears fans, I think, can have hope.

It's no longer going to be "I wonder which offense shows up today." They have themselves a fantastic QB. Cutler is a gunslinger; like Favre, he is going to put up some points and throw a few picks, but in the end he is going to be a great QB.

If I were a Bears fan, I think I would be on ftd.com right now sending Josh McDaniels and Pat Bowlen some real nice fruit baskets. McDaniels for souring the QB relationship before it ever started, and Bowlen for firing the longest tenured head coach in the NFL.

You know, that guy who won two Super Bowl rings as a Bronco. Mike something...?

Packers.com: The Official Website That Is Absolutely Terrible

Brandon Rader — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 00:37:03 -0400

I imagine that most of the writers here are Internet junkies—I know I am. The Internet has created millions of ways to stay connected and get information about our favorite teams. But this is one fan who has had enough.

The Green Bay Packers website has got to go. Or at least the people responsible for it.

Here we are in the midst of one of the most exciting offseason times of the year, and there are no official updates regarding free agency. Now yes, I know our GM is allergic to free agency, but not even a tidbit about who they talked to or visited with. Most every other team in the league at least mentions free agency. But no, not the Packers website.

The top story as of right now is about picking your favorite plays from a 6-10 season. Exciting!!!

Not even a mention of the lone FA pickup.

It doesn't stop with a lack of information. The Packers website is not exactly fan friendly. Most other teams now sport free message boards where their fans can come together in a safe environment and talk about football, the games, and everything else.

The Green Bay Packers would rather charge their fans $50 for the privilege of having a community message board. $50 may not seem like a lot of money, but that is an annual fee, just to be apart of the community.

Keep in mind this is the same organization that regularly sells out their stadium and has a waiting list for season tickets that spans decades. Combine that with the massive amounts of money involved in the NFL and I find it to be a complete ripoff.

I realise these things cost money to operate. But they aren't exactly in danger of running out anytime soon. It is also possible to generate funds from a message board without requiring your users to pay for it. Plenty of message boards include ads and links. Its nothing new, it has been done for years.

The Packers need to get with the times, and redesign their website for the fans. Do I expect Ted Thompson to write a daily diary of who he spoke to during FA? No, of course not.

But when you have to learn second hand about a signing, it gets a little old. It makes one not want to bother even visiting their site at all.

Now, this was my first article. And I know I am not much of a writer, but this is something that has bugged me for quite some time, and I just felt like sharing.