Revamped Pack: Green Bay Will Rely Heavily On Matthews, Raji in New 3-4

The Green Bay Packers didn't lose lot of personnel after the 2007 season that saw them come within a game of reaching the Super Bowl.

Sure, they lost quarterback Brett Favre after a dramatic showdown that ultimately ended in the face of the franchise being traded to the New York Jets, but Aaron Rodgers stepped in and performed admirably, throwing for more than 4,000 yards and 28 touchdowns.

Despite Rodgers' success, Green Bay flopped and went from 13-3 with Favre at the helm to 6-10 in the weak NFC North. The bad news for Green Bay is perhaps Favre supplied more intangible value than the front office believed. The good news entering the 2009 season is the Packers' cupboard is far from bare.

The Packers return most of the NFL's No. 5-ranked scoring offense (26.2 points per game) and should be strong in the passing game. Greg Jennings is emerging as one of the NFL's top receiving threats, an aging Donald Driver has remained steady, and James Jones and Jordy Nelson offer potential and depth. Tight end Donald Lee is an adequate receiver, and the coaching staff is high on 2008 third round pick Jermichael Finley, but he has to work on his attitude.

Running back Ryan Grant was sluggish in 2008 and will be a key factor in the Packers' success this season. The Packers' rushing attack struggled from inconsistent blocking, and Grant's early season holdout left him rusty in the opening weeks. Moreover, the Packers often played from behind and couldn't establish the run.

Defensively, the Packers were putrid in 2008. To amend the defensive woes, Green Bay cleaned house. Head coach Mike McCarthy released six assistants, including five on defense: coordinator Bob Sanders, defensive ends coach Carl Hairston, defensive tackles coach Robert Nunn, secondary coach Kurt Schottenheimer and nickel package/cornerbacks coach Lionel Washington.

Leading the Packers defense in 2009 is Dom Capers, who will head the much-publicized switch to a 3-4 defense. Green Bay's biggest weakness was its front seven. The unit's sack total declined from 36 in 2007 to 27 in 2008, and it ranked 26th in rushing defense.

The Packers used their No. 9 overall pick to select 337-pound defensive tackle B.J. Raji from Boston College, who is projected to start on the line with 330-pound Ryan Pickett. Defensive end Cullen Jenkins returns from a season-ending injury, while Johnny Jolly and Michael Montgomery provide depth. The Packers' hope is that Raji and Pickett will provide the bulk needed to occupy blockers and free the linebackers to make plays.

Among the most intriguing moves is the switch of Aaron Kampman from defensive end to linebacker. Kampman has 37 sacks over the past three seasons. The other projected starting linebackers are Nick Barnett, A.J. Hawk and first round pick (26) Clay Matthews of USC. Green Bay has talent in its linebacking corps, but the pressure is on Barnett to recover from a torn ACL, and Hawk began to feel heat in 2008 for not living up to his billing as 2005's No. 5 overall pick.

In the secondary, Green Bay is adequate if not strong. Cornerbacks Charles Woodson and Al Harris are aging, but both remained productive last season. Tramon Williams came on strong in replacing an injured Harris and could be a starter in the near future.

Free safety Nick Collins earned his first Pro Bowl berth, but his game still leaves much to be desired. While he showed a knack for making big plays, Collins is often caught out of position and has problems in coverage. Atari Bigby is a question mark, as he showed flashes in 2007 but spent much of 2008 battling injuries.

General manager Ted Thompson was concerned about the safety position enough to sign free agent Anthony Smith from Pittsburgh, and that's saying something. Thompson has signed just three free agents in the past two offseasons.

The Packers have talent, and they have holes. They probably weren't 13-3 "good" in 2007, but they weren't 6-10 "bad" in 2008. With some improvements defensively and a little more good fortune (they lost seven games by four points or less), the Packers could contend in the NFC North or snag a Wild Card berth. However, the division has improved. The Lions can't get worse, the Bears have added a real quarterback in Jay Cutler, and the Vikings could be adding Favre, who at 40 may still be better than Sage Rosenfels and Tarvaris Jackson.

Nine or 10 wins seems within grasp for Green Bay in the upcoming season, but the transition to a entirely new defensive scheme is relying heavily on two rookies, and that's a scary proposition for Cheeseheads.