While there are still two more days of workouts, and very important ones for the Packers with the defensive linemen and linebackers going today, the media access is now closed. So I'm headed back home.
I now leave you with a few things picked up around the hallways, side streets, restaurants, bars and hotel lobbies of this fine state capital. Of course, all of my "research" was done to serve you, my loyal readers. It's a tough job but somebody's got to do it. Does anybody know if beer could be considered "purchased supplies" on my expense report? Actually, isn't that encouraged in Wisconsin? As Mike McCarthy would say -- "That was a joke."
* Add Penn State OLB Aaron Maybin to the list of the players the Packers interviewed.
* Agents of some of the top talents in this draft consider the Packers one of the most secretive teams when it comes to tipping off what they're going to do in the draft. Remember, A.J. Hawk had no idea the Packers liked him three years at No. 5.
* Heard this from a pretty good source that would know: The Packers were one of the teams that were very hot for QB Joe Flacco last year, so much so that they definitely would have taken him at No. 30 and might have traded into the 20-25 range. Flacco ended up going at 18 when the Ravens traded up to draft him. The two primary teams the Ravens were worried about taking Flacco ahead of them were the Packers and the New York Jets.
* Like every other team, the Packers have used the combine as a chance to lay the groundwork for free agency by meeting with several agents. But as far as I can tell, none are any of the "big" names. And there aren't many of those. Most on the Packers' radar are role players.
* The Packers were about the only team not to express an interest in the best 3-4 defensive end on the free-agent market, Chris Canty of the Dallas Cowboys. His destination should be known, at least to the particulars, but about Wednesday this week. And he's not the done deal to Bill Parcells and the Dolphins that everyone thinks -- far from it. He'll likely end up with a 4-3 team playing end on the first two downs, and then moving inside on pass-rush downs ala Cullen Jenkins.
* As for the other supposed top 3-4 end, Igor Olshansky of the Chargers, I'm told by more than a few people that there's a reason why the Chargers made no effort to keep him -- he's known to be lazy and people think he doesn't care about the right things. From what I heard, he is not "Packer people" so the team would be wise to avoid him.
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