The release March 2 of former first-round draft pick A.J. Hawk the starting linebacker subsequently was going to be re-signed to a reported five-year contract may be the only significant splash the Packers make in this choppy offseason.
That is, until the April 28-30 draft, which is when general manager Ted Thompson traditionally carves out some lasting marks. With few exceptions, the core of Green Bay's Super Bowl-winning team last season was composed of a preponderance of draft picks made by Thompson since 2005.

The draft will go on as planned, even if the league operations grind to a halt because of labor unrest. The reigning NFL champions, however, will be in unfamiliar territory as the holders of the 32nd and last pick in the opening round.

"The first round will be excruciating because we'll sit there and watch all these really good players get drafted before we can do anything," Thompson said. "But, that's a problem we're OK to deal with."

With little roster turnover expected, the Packers have the luxury of drafting for the purpose of restocking just a few positions. That could prompt the normally judicious Thompson to take a leap of faith early in the draft for the third straight year he traded up to land linebacker Clay Matthews in Round 1 in 2009 and safety Morgan Burnett in Round 3 last year.


TEAM NEEDS

1. Defensive end: Versatile, productive, but injury-prone veteran Cullen Jenkins is on his way out as a free agent. Coupled with having aging Ryan Pickett at the other starting spot, the Packers will look to the draft for reinforcements as they hold out hope that talented Mike Neal, a second-round pick last year, and even Justin Harrell, their 2007 first-round bust, can return from season-ending injuries.

2. Offensive tackle: This could be the position general manager Ted Thompson targets in the first round for the second straight year. Iowa's Bryan Bulaga, who was pegged as the eventual successor to left tackle Chad Clifton, wound up replacing an injured Mark Tauscher at right tackle. Having two starting tackles of the future, if not the present, in hand is a must.

3. Running back: Ryan Grant and James Starks give Green Bay potentially a dynamic 1-2 punch in the backfield. However, there's no telling what kind of player Grant will be after he missed all but one game last season because of an ankle injury and whether Starks is the real deal following his breakout performance in the playoffs as a rookie. Plus, Brandon Jackson could leave as a free agent.


INSIDE THE WAR ROOM

The spoils of being Super Bowl champions is the Packers, barring a trade to move up, will have to wait until the end of the first round to make their first pick. They don't have any glaring needs with the return of an abundance of young talent, so the "take the best player available" mantra fits.

NOTES, QUOTES

Linebacker A.J. Hawk isn't going anywhere.

A day after the Packers cut their 2006 first-round draft pick, they finalized a five-year contract with Hawk.

"With A.J., the business side of the game is driving this decision," general manager Ted Thompson said following the release of Hawk on March 2. "We're hopeful that we can continue to work with A.J. to have him be a part of our team in the future."

Indeed, Thompson had no intention of dispatching Hawk on the eve of what was supposed to be the final day of the NFL business year. Yet, Thompson wasn't going to pay the underwhelming five-year starter the $10 million salary that would have taken effect Friday had the league owners and players reached accord on a new collective-bargaining agreement.

Hawk was prepared for several weeks to take a paycut in order to stay with the Packers.

"There's definitely no reason to worry," Hawk said before the Packers' Super Bowl XLV win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Feb. 6. "As far as my contract, I just want to play."

Hawk, whose 2010 season started inauspiciously when he didn't play a down on defense in the season-opening win at the Philadelphia Eagles, was a key component of the Green Bay defense in its late-season run to the league title. He had the "quarterback" duties for the unit, relaying the calls on the field, after fellow inside linebacker Nick Barnett suffered a season-ending wrist injury early in the season. Hawk also was one of six team captains in the playoffs.

By keeping Hawk in the fold through 2015 after his rookie contract would have expired at the end of next season, the Packers have potentially set the stage for a big battle for playing time at the two inside linebacker spots.

They signed Desmond Bishop to a substantial contract extension late in the 2010 season, and the combination of Bishop and Hawk was effective down the stretch. Barnett and Brandon Chillar, who also ended the season on injured reserve, have big-money contracts as well.

Thompson said at the recent NFL Scouting Combine that he is receptive to keeping all four players, though the writing could be on the wall for Barnett in the wake of Hawk's new deal.

Also Wednesday, the Packers released two more veterans: eight-year tight end Donald Lee and five-year safety Derrick Martin.

Unlike Hawk, Lee and Martin will be left to look for new teams once free agency starts.

Martin, who was acquired in a trade with the Baltimore Ravens before the start of the 2009 season, was primarily a contributor on special teams with the Packers. He suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 5 in 2010.

Lee, a three-year starter for Green Bay from 2007-2009, had his playing time drastically reduced last season. Jermichael Finley took over as the starter, and even after Finley sustained a season-ending knee injury in Week 5, Lee lingered behind rookie Andrew Quarless and Tom Crabtree.

Lee finished the season, including playoffs, with 11 catches for 73 yards and three touchdowns.

Packers president Mark Murphy was in the throes of the 11th-hour talks between the league owners and players' union in front of a federal mediator in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday and Thursday as the two sides tried to iron out their differences before the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement late Thursday night. A 24-hour extension was agreed to Thursday afternoon.

Murphy is part of the NFL's negotiating team. He also is on the league's labor committee, which has the authority to call for a lockout of players if a new CBA isn't in place.

Cornerback Brandon Underwood reached a plea agreement with prosecutors and was fined $379 in a Wisconsin courtroom Wednesday stemming from allegations of sexual assault last June.

Underwood was found guilty after he entered a no-contest plea to one count of prostitution non-marital sexual intercourse in Sauk County Circuit Court.

Two women had told police that Underwood, 24, raped them at a resort in Wisconsin Dells. Underwood argued the sexual contact was consensual.

He was one of several Packers' players who stayed in a condominium at the resort following a charity golf outing hosted by linebacker Clay Matthews.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "You just try to make good football decisions. That's what we've done all along. We've always tried to manage the cap ... in such a way that we can make football decisions. We still feel like we're in a position where we can do that." - General manager Ted Thompson, on preparing for a potential work stoppage.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

As the negotiations between league owners and the players' union neared the bewitching hour before was was scheduled to be the expiration of the collective-bargaining agreement late Thursday night, the Packers didn't seem compelled to sign any of their would-be restricted free agents to contract tenders.

Of the dozen players eligible for free agency, all but two seven-year defensive end Cullen Jenkins and eight-year linebacker Matt Wilhelm would be considered restricted free agents under the uncapped rules in 2010.

Those players with less than six years of service include left guard Daryn Colledge, halfback Brandon Jackson, receiver James Jones, kicker Mason Crosby, fullbacks John Kuhn and Korey Hall, center/guard Jason Spitz and safeties Charlie Peprah, Atari Bigby and Anthony Smith, the latter of whom ended the season on injured reserve.


OFFSEASON STRATEGY

If and when a new collective bargaining agreement is in place for the league and business can proceed as normal, the Packers likely will lose starting defensive end Cullen Jenkins in free agency.

Jenkins, 30, recently said he's 99 percent sure he won't be back in Green Bay after playing there seven seasons.

The Packers also could decide to part ways with left guard Daryn Colledge and halfback Brandon Jackson, whose contracts also expired at the close of the NFL year March 3.

MEDICAL WATCH: Although the Packers had a league-high 15 players on injured reserve at the end of their Super Bowl-winning season, they anticipated a dearth of activity on the medical front early in the offseason. Significant injuries sustained by cornerback Charles Woodson (broken collarbone) and receivers Donald Driver (ankle and knee sprains) and Jordy Nelson (bruised bursa sac) in the Feb. 6 Super Bowl victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers didn't require any follow-up procedures.


FRANCHISE PLAYER: None.

TRANSITION PLAYER: None.

PLAYERS RE-SIGNED

LB A.J. Hawk: FA, had been released by Packers; 5 yrs, terms unknown.

PLAYERS ACQUIRED: None.

PLAYERS LOST

TE Donald Lee (released).

S Derrick Martin (released).

USAToday wrote:

Even without Harrell, it's not a position of significant need. I'd rather go OLB, CB, OL or even RB. Hell, even WR. Punt returner is #1 need.

"nerdmann" wrote:

Here is how I see the Packers draft priorities subject to which Packers free agents are signed later.

D-line/DE
Pickett, Neal, Green, Wilson, Wynn, Harrell, Jolly??

Since 5 are usually on the roster 1 or 2 could be added to upgade the unit because one will be Raji's backup. This draft class is reported to be a good one for DE's


O-line
OT (4 or 5)
Clifton, Tauscher, Bulaga, Lang,

Since 4 are usually kept adding one might be a possibility moving Lang to Guard.

OG (3 or 4)
Sitton, Colledge, Newhouse, Campbell

Usually one Guard is also the back up Center

C Wells
If Spitz is not resigned look for a Center to be drafted in the midrounds.


CB (5)
Woodson, Williams, Shields, Bush, Lee, Underwood

A Dime back can easily be added to improve overall quality of unit.


LB
Matthews, Hawk, Bishop, Chiller, Barnett, Jones, Poppinga, Zombo, Walden
Some say an upgrade at OLB opposite of Matthews is a possibility if the draft board is right.

WR
Jennings, Driver, Nelson, Chastin West

Jones and/or Swain could be resigned and a WR could be drafted.



Safety (4)
Collins, Burnett, Peprah, Smith, Levine

An upgrade over Smith could be drafted.


RB
Grant, Starks, Nance,

Jackson will likely be signed. Nance is no longer practice squad eligible.
An RB upgrading the position might be drafted.


QB

The Packers are set with Rodgers and Flynn. Flynn is in final year of contract. Harrell is practice squad eligible.
If the Packers forsee trading Flynn a QB could be drafted. The new CBA definition of free agency could affect this situation.


TE
Finley, Quarless, Havner, Crabtree

Drafting one is unlikely unless a good one is on the board

FB
Overloaded

Specialists
If an upgrade is desired a valuable draft pick is unlikely to be used.



Draft priorities:

1) DE/DT
2) OT
3) CB
4) Center
5) LB (only if quality is on the board)
6) WR
7) Safety
8) RB
9) QB
10) TE
11) Specialist
12) FB

As we know Ted drafts the best player available.

He can afford to do that this draft.
It is not a matter of getter a good roster, it is a matter of upgrading the roster, especially roster spots 40 trough 53.

"CaliforniaCheez" wrote: