Head coach Mike McCarthy took some vacation time after meeting with his coordinators in the days following the Super Bowl XLV victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Feb. 6.
When work resumes Feb. 21, McCarthy will spend a few days conducting job evaluations with his other assistant coaches before full attention is given to the NFL Scouting Combine, which starts Feb. 24 in Indianapolis.
Once there, McCarthy could be holding some job interviews. The Packers need a receivers coach after Jimmy Robinson was hired Feb. 11 as assistant head coach/receivers coach with the Dallas Cowboys.
OFFSEASON STRATEGY
If and when a new collective-bargaining agreement for the league comes to light, the Packers face the prospect of having as many as 11 players on their Super Bowl XLV-winning roster become unrestricted free agents.
The tentative list includes five primary starters from the past season - defensive end Cullen Jenkins, safety Charlie Peprah, left guard Daryn Colledge, halfback Brandon Jackson and fullback John Kuhn - as well as receiver James Jones, kicker Mason Crosby, fullback Korey Hall, safety Atari Bigby, center/guard Jason Spitz and linebacker Matt Wilhelm.
Jenkins, who tied for second on the team with a career-high 7.5 sacks (including the playoffs), expressed some doubt after the season ended that he would remain with the team. He was upset that Packers management didn't sign him to a contract extension during the season.
TEAM NEEDS
1. Kick returner: This was the weak link of the Super Bowl champions, who rolled through four players on kickoffs with subpar results. The Packers last had a kickoff return for a touchdown in 2000. What's more, Tramon Williams wasn't dynamic on punt returns and is too valuable as a top cornerback to pull double duty.
2. Defensive end: The team could have a big void in the starting lineup if effective pass rusher Cullen Jenkins leaves as a prospective free agent. Aging Ryan Pickett is the other starting end. So, the Packers, for now, are banking on talented Mike Neal, a second-round draft pick last year, and possibly Justin Harrell, the disappointing first-round choice in 2007, to return from season-ending injuries.
3. Offensive tackle: Green Bay identified a successor to left tackle Chad Clifton when it took Bryan Bulaga in the first round last year. Bulaga, though, settled in at right tackle after replacing an injured Mark Tauscher early in the season. Clifton probably is good for one more season, but the Packers must zero in on having their right tackle of the future once the time comes to move Bulaga to his natural spot.
4. Running back: The late-season emergence of rookie James Starks, who rushed for 315 yards in the playoffs, sets up an intriguing battle with incumbent Ryan Grant for the starting role entering next season. The unknown is whether Grant, 28, will be back to his old form as a productive runner after suffering a season-ending ankle injury on opening day. Also, dependable backup Brandon Jackson is a prospective free agent.
MEDICAL WATCH
Inside linebacker A.J. Hawk was the only player who was scheduled to undergo some type of surgical work shortly after the team's Super Bowl XLV win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Feb. 6. Hawk, who didn't miss a game and posted a team-high 134 tackles, needed an arthroscopic procedure for a wrist injury that plagued him late in the season. Three players who sustained significant injuries in the Super Bowl - cornerback Charles Woodson (broken collarbone) and receivers Donald Driver (ankle and knee sprains) and Jordy Nelson (bruised bursa sac in knee) - were expected to recover in the short term.