macbob
  • macbob
  • Veteran Member Topic Starter
14 years ago
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/Packers-fortified-roster-is-laudablePatchwork-of-backups-pieced-together-by-Green-Bay-front-office-93115068 

Packers' fortified roster is laudable;Patchwork of backups pieced together by Green Bay front office

ARLINGTON, Texas

Reggie McKenzie, the Green Bay Packers' director of football operations and right-hand man to general manager Ted Thompson, had a terribly busy but remarkably productive season, earning his second Super Bowl ring and enhancing his reputation.

But that season is over, and it's time for McKenzie to get back to work.

A finalist for the Falcons' general manager job in 2008, McKenzie has the NFL combine to get ready for later this month, and the NFL draft follows in late April. He hopes putting together the 2011 Packers is less stressful than what he endured in 2010.

When the Packers were putting players on the injured reserve list at an alarming rate, it was up to McKenzie and his staff to find replacements. In all, the Packers placed a league-high 15 players on injured reserve, and eight of those had started at least one game.

In some ways, McKenzie was the team's MVP.

Partly because they will get some of those talented players back, partly because most key players are under contract and partly because they are the second-youngest team (27.4 years old) in the NFL, the Packers appear set to compete for the NFC title for years to come.

That's bad news for NFC contenders like the Falcons.

McKenzie also was a finalist for the Houston general manager job that went to Rick Smith in 2006 and at Tennessee, which went to Mike Rein-feldt in 2007. A former player at Tennessee (1981-85) and a seven-year NFL veteran with the Raiders and 49ers, McKenzie has been with the Packers since joining Ron Wolf's staff in 1994.

Another Super Bowl trophy will be nice to place in front of the next owner who wants to interview him.

One of the replacement players McKenzie lined up was safety Charlie Peprah, who played in two games for the Falcons in 2009. He started as the Packers' third-string safety and then took over after rookie Morgan Burnett, a former Georgia Tech standout, was placed on injured reserve with a torn ACL in October. The No. 2 safety, Atari Bigby, appeared in just four games because of ankle, groin and hamstring injuries.

"The road that I took to get here was definitely much harder," Peprah said. "But if you don't face adversity, you're not going anywhere. All of that [getting cut by the Falcons in March] had to happen for me to get here."

Peprah, who played at Alabama and bounced around the league since being drafted in the fifth round by the New York Giants in 2006, knows that he will have to fight to retain his roster spot.

"We can be as good as we want to be," Peprah said. "Some guys were saying, 'We've got one, let's go get another one.'"

Clay Matthews, Green Bay's relentless outside linebacker, believes the 48-21 win over the Falcons in the divisional round of the playoffs propelled the Packers to the title.

"The way in which we beat them, the manner in which we did it, offensively and defensively, helped us a lot," Matthews said.

He contended that the Packers also learned a valuable playoff lesson from a 51-45 playoff loss to Arizona that eliminated them last season.

"It just goes to show you that nothing is guaranteed, nothing is granted," said Matthews, whose father, Clay Matthews Jr., played for the Falcons from 1994-96. "We had to take this."

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the Super Bowl MVP, is just 27. Matthews is just 24. Their supporting cast will only improve next fall.

Rodgers should get back his favorite target in tight end Jermichael Finley (knee, injured reserve). Also, running back Ryan Grant (ankle, injured reserve) was lost in the season opener. On defense, the Packers will get back Burnett and linebacker Nick Barnett (wrist, injured reserve).

"We like to think that we can do this for years to come," Matthews said. "We've got the same cast and crew coming back next year. I'm sure there will be a few changes. We have a few injured guys coming back so we feel good about where we are at."

Defensive coordinator Dom Capers sees a bright future for the franchise, but doesn't want to start counting Super Bowl rings.

"We've got a lot of good young players," Capers said. "But these teams change a lot, one year to the next. I like the foundation that we have."

For all their returning talent, recent history suggests that the Packers will have a difficult time repeating. New England in 2003 and '04 was the last team to win back-to-back Super Bowls.

The last NFC team to reach back-to-back Super Bowls was the Brett Favre-led Packers after the 1996 and 1997 seasons and they won only one.

"We've talked about this, and it depends on what goes on here over the next couple of months," defensive tackle B.J. Raji said. "That would decide a lot. Depending on who stays and who goes, we definitely have the nucleus for a great dynasty team."

FoxSports wrote:

Fan Shout
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dfosterf (26-Jun) : I think it would be great to have someone like Tom Grossi or Andy Herman on the Board of Directors so he/they could inform us
dfosterf (26-Jun) : Fair enough, WPR. Thing is, I have been a long time advocate to at least have some inkling of the dynamics within the board.
wpr (26-Jun) : 1st world owners/stockholders problems dfosterf.
Martha Careful (25-Jun) : I would have otherwise admirably served
dfosterf (25-Jun) : Also, no more provision for a write-in candidate, so Martha is off the table at least for this year
dfosterf (25-Jun) : You do have to interpret the boring fine print, but all stockholders all see he is on the ballot
dfosterf (25-Jun) : It also says he is subject to another ballot in 2028. I recall nothing of this nature with Murphy
dfosterf (25-Jun) : Ed Policy is on my ballot subject to me penciling him in as a no.
dfosterf (25-Jun) : I thought it used to be we voted for the whatever they called the 45, and then they voted for the seven, and then they voted for Mark Murphy
dfosterf (25-Jun) : Because I was too lazy to change my address, I haven't voted fot years until this year
dfosterf (25-Jun) : of the folks that run this team. I do not recall Mark Murphy being subject to our vote.
dfosterf (25-Jun) : Ed Policy yay or nay is on the pre-approved ballot that we always approve because we are uninformed and lazy, along with all the rest
dfosterf (25-Jun) : Weird question. Very esoteric. For stockholders. Also lengthy. Sorry. Offseason.
Zero2Cool (25-Jun) : Maybe wicked wind chill made it worse?
Mucky Tundra (25-Jun) : And then he signs with Cleveland in the offseason
Mucky Tundra (25-Jun) : @SharpFootball WR Diontae Johnson just admitted he refused to enter a game in 41° weather last year in Baltimore because he felt “ice cold”
Zero2Cool (24-Jun) : Yawn. Rodgers says he is "pretty sure" this be final season.
Zero2Cool (23-Jun) : PFT claims Packers are having extension talks with Zach Tom, Quay Walker.
Mucky Tundra (20-Jun) : GB-Minnesota 2004 Wild Card game popped up on my YouTube page....UGH
beast (20-Jun) : Hmm 🤔 re-signing Walker before Tom? Sounds highly questionable to me.
Mucky Tundra (19-Jun) : One person on Twitter=cannon law
Zero2Cool (19-Jun) : Well, to ONE person on Tweeter
Zero2Cool (19-Jun) : According to Tweeter
Zero2Cool (19-Jun) : Packers are working on extension for LT Walker they hope to have done before camp
dfosterf (18-Jun) : E4B landed at Andrews last night
dfosterf (18-Jun) : 101 in a 60
dfosterf (18-Jun) : FAFO
Zero2Cool (18-Jun) : one year $4m with incentives to make it up to $6m
dfosterf (18-Jun) : Or Lions
dfosterf (18-Jun) : Beats the hell out of a Vikings signing
Zero2Cool (18-Jun) : Baltimore Ravens now have signed former Packers CB Jaire Alexander.
dfosterf (14-Jun) : TWO magnificent strikes for touchdowns. Lose the pennstate semigeezer non nfl backup
dfosterf (14-Jun) : There was minicamp Thursday. My man Taylor Engersma threw
dfosterf (11-Jun) : There will be a mini camp practice Thursday.
Zero2Cool (11-Jun) : He's been sporting a ring for a while now. It's probably Madonna.
Martha Careful (10-Jun) : We only do the tea before whoopee, it relaxes me.
wpr (10-Jun) : That's awesome Martha.
Mucky Tundra (10-Jun) : How's the ayahuasca tea he makes, Martha?
Martha Careful (10-Jun) : Turns out he like older women
Martha Careful (10-Jun) : I wasn't supposed to say anything, but yes the word is out and we are happy 😂😂😂
Mucky Tundra (10-Jun) : I might be late on this but Aaron Rodgers is now married
Mucky Tundra (10-Jun) : Well he can always ask his brother for pointers
Zero2Cool (10-Jun) : Bo Melton taking some reps at CB as well as WR
Zero2Cool (10-Jun) : key transactions coming today at 3pm that will consume more cap in 2025
Zero2Cool (9-Jun) : Jaire played in just 34 of a possible 68 games since the start of the 2021 season
Zero2Cool (9-Jun) : reported, but not expected to practice
Zero2Cool (9-Jun) : Jenkins has REPORTED for mandatory camp
Zero2Cool (9-Jun) : I really thought he'd play for Packers.
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