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Packers Unlikely To Add Veteran QB

October 16th, 2017 at 5:30pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Packers are unlikely to sign a veteran quarterback to their active roster after losing starter Aaron Rodgers to a broken collarbone, head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter links).Brett Hundley (Featured)

McCarthy had already committed to Brett Hundley as Green Bay’s starter during Rodgers’ absence, and that’s perhaps unsurprising given that Hundley — a 2015 draft pick — has now been in the Packers’ system for nearly three years. Joe Callahan, promoted from Green Bay’s practice squad earlier today, will serve as Hundley’s backup going forward.

That’s not to say the Packers won’t add a quarterback, but it isn’t expected to be a veteran. McCarthy did allow that Green Bay is open to placing another signal-caller on its active roster, while Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link) reports the Packers’ personnel department is searching for a quarterback to add to the team’s practice squad. Indeed, Green Bay is likely to audition passers this week, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com.

An experienced quarterback such as Colin Kaepernick is not a likely option for the Packers, and McCarthy “bristled” at the notion of signing the ex-49er. However, McCarthy would have had the same reaction to the idea of adding any veteran signal-caller, per Dianna Russini of ESPN.com (Twitter link), as the head coach’s ire wasn’t directed at Kaepernick, but merely the thought of adding a player with no ties to the Packers’ offense to the QB room.

While the idea of sticking with Hundley as Rodgers’ replacement makes sense from a continuity standpoint, the Packers are certainly pushing forward with little experience under center. Prior to Sunday, Hundley had attempted just 11 passes, while Callahan has never appeared in a pro contest.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Aaron Rodgers To Have Surgery

October 16th, 2017 at 4:00pm CST by Zach Links

It’s not official yet, but it sure sounds like Aaron Rodgers‘ season is over. Packers coach Mike McCarthy tells reporters that the quarterback needs surgery to fix his broken collarbone (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). The operation almost definitely will rule him out for the rest of the year. Aaron Rodgers (vertical)

Rodgers suffered the fracture when he was tackled hard by Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr on Sunday. Rodgers is arguably the best quarterback in the league and it’s fair to wonder if Green Bay can survive without him. Through six weeks of action, Rodgers was among the league’s top-10 in both completion percentage and quarterback rating, and tossed 13 touchdowns against versus just three picks.

Rodgers broke his left collarbone during the 2013 campaign and missed only seven games, but this time around he’ll need surgery since it’s on his throwing side.

The Packers are tied with the Vikings for the best record in the NFC North, but they currently own the tiebreaker.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Packers Place CB Quinten Rollins On IR

October 16th, 2017 at 2:35pm CST by Zach Links

The Packers have placed cornerback Quinten Rollins on injured reserve (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). Rollins was carted off the field on Sunday after suffering an ankle injury. Quinten Rollins (vertical)

By placing Rollins on IR, the Packers will buy themselves some time on what to do with Aaron Rodgers. After breaking his collarbone, the Packers will almost certainly have to park Rodgers on IR. Doing that will officially rule him out for two months, however, so the Packers want to exhaust every other option before making that irreversible decision.

Rollins, 25, had 17 total tackles through six games this year. He made only one start in 2017, but he made ten starts for Green Bay in 2016.

Rollins’ roster spot will be filled by the promotion of quarterback Joe Callahan.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Packers To Promote QB Joe Callahan

October 16th, 2017 at 11:56am CST by Zach Links

The Packers have agreed to sign practice squad quarterback Joe Callahan to the 53-man roster, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel tweets. For now, he’s slated to serve as Brett Hundley‘s backup. Joe Callahan

[RELATED: Aaron Rodgers Suffers Collarbone Injury]

The Packers, of course, will be without Aaron Rodgers for an extended period after he suffered a broken collarbone. Even after losing one of the league’s best quarterbacks, it’s not clear whether the Packers will seriously explore outside options. The Packers have always been big on their philosophy of promoting from within and they may feel that Hundley is better suited for the task than a veteran quarterback who does not know the playbook.

Hundley, a fifth round pick in the 2015 draft, attempted just 11 NFL passes before Sunday’s game. He’s now quadrupled that total with 44 attempts.

Callahan, 24, first joined the Packers as an undrafted free agent in the spring of 2016. He has yet to play in an NFL game, but he has gotten a taste of life on the fringes of the NFL after being released and claimed a couple times over. He had brief stints with the Browns and Saints before circling back to Green Bay last December.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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McCarthy: Brett Hundley Is Starting QB

October 15th, 2017 at 5:46pm CST by Sam Robinson
  • Mike McCarthy doesn’t sound ready to explore outside solutions to replace Aaron Rodgers after the perennial MVP candidate broke his collarbone Sunday. The Packers coach said postgame (via Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin.com, on Twitter) Brett Hundley is his starting quarterback and Joe Callahan, who hasn’t played in a regular-season game yet, is the backup. A 2015 fifth-round pick, Hundley entered Sunday with 11 career pass attempts. The UCLA product threw three interceptions in the Packers’ loss to the Vikings. Colin Kaepernick, Robert Griffin III and Matt McGloin are among the UFA options. Wisconsin native Tony Romo has stood out as an analyst in his first season, and the 37-year-old recently retired passer reportedly would only consider a return to the NFL if the Cowboys needed him. However, this would be quite the special circumstance, given the Packers’ recent track record.
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Aaron Rodgers Has Broken Collarbone

October 15th, 2017 at 1:43pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Packers Aaron Rodgers suffered a broken collarbone in today’s contest against the Vikings and could potentially miss the rest of the season, the club announced. Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (Twitter link) first reported that Rodgers had likely broken his collarbone.Aaron Rodgers (vertical)

It’s difficult to overstate the potential loss of Rodgers, who was slammed down by Minnesota linebacker Anthony Barr on the offending play. Arguably the best quarterback in the league, Rodgers seemingly single-handedly leads Green Bay to victories, as evidenced by his comeback efforts against the Cowboys in Week 5. This year, Rodgers is among the NFL’s top-10 in both completion percentage and quarterback rating, and has tossed 13 touchdowns against only three interceptions.

While there’s no immediate timeline as to Rodgers’ recovery period, he’s dealt with this injury before. Rodgers broke his left collarbone during the 2013 campaign and missed seven games, as Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk tweets. In that case, however, Rodgers broke his left collarbone, while this latest injury is to his throwing shoulder, which could further impede a return.

With Rodgers sidelined, the Packers have turned to backup Brett Hundley, whom Green Bay selected in the fifth round of the 2015 draft. Although he had attempted only 11 NFL passes before today, Hundley had drawn trade interest in the past, and general manager Ted Thompson almost shipped him away this offseason. Hundley has completed four of eight passes the Vikings today for one touchdown and one interception.

Green Bay only has two quarterbacks on its current roster, so the club will be forced to add another signal-caller in the coming days. Former undrafted free agent Joe Callahan resides on the Packers’ practice squad and could be promoted, while Green Bay could also target a veteran free agent. Colin Kaepernick, Robert Griffin III, Matt Barkley, and Matt McGloin are among the options on the open market.

Heading into today’s game, the Packers had posted an NFC North leading 4-1 record and had a 69.6% chance of earning a postseason berth, per Football Outsiders. Without Rodgers, those odds certainly figure to decrease, and Green Bay faces the 15th-most difficult schedule going forward, according to FO. Over the next several weeks, the Packers will face the Saints, Lions, Bears, Ravens, and Steelers, with a bye mixed in during Week 8.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Opinion: Davante Adams Could Eventually Be Packers' No. 1 WR

October 10th, 2017 at 9:55pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Davante Adams remarkably scored two touchdowns for the Packers just 10 days after taking a violent hit from Bears linebacker Danny Trevathan, and it’s clear that Adams is in line to become Green Bay’s No. 1 wideout at some point, opines Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Of course, that would first entail the Packers extending the 24-year-old Adams, who is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent next spring. While Green Bay could hypothetically deploy the franchise tag on Adams, the club is unlikely to invest $16MM+ on a single pass-catcher given the investment it already has is Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb. A new deal for Adams, who managed 997 yards and 12 touchdowns a season ago, could potentially top $10MM annually.

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NFL Workout Updates: 10/10/17

October 10th, 2017 at 9:31pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s workout updates, with all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account unless otherwise noted:

Arizona Cardinals

Buffalo Bills

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Oakland Raiders

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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Poll: Best NFC Free Agent Addition?

October 7th, 2017 at 7:31pm CST by Dallas Robinson

A quarter of the NFL season is now in the books, which means we can accurately grade each and every free agent signing, right? Right?Andrew Whitworth (Vertical)

Even if that’s not the case, it’s still possible to get a sense of how free agents are playing and whether they’re living up to their contacts through four games. After taking a look at the AFC on Friday, today we examined the best free agent signing on each NFC club before asking you to vote on the top overall NFC addition.

One note: we only looked at newcomers, so free agents that re-signed with their original clubs (Panthers defensive tackle Kawann Short or Cardinals edge rusher Chandler Jones, for example) aren’t included. On to the list!

Arizona Cardinals

  • Antoine Bethea, S: General manager Steve Keim & Co. have made a habit of adding aging veterans — especially on the defensive side of the ball — with success, and the Cardinals have seemingly done so again in the form of Bethea. Playing alongside Tyrann Mathieu and another age-30+ defensive back in Tyvon Branch, Bethea has managed one interception and three pass breakups while helping Arizona to the No. 12 ranking in defensive DVOA. And his three, $12.75MM deal can be easily escaped if he does begin to show signs of wearing down later on in 2017.

Atlanta Falcons

  • Dontari Poe, DT: After narrowly missing out on a Super Bowl title earlier this year, the Falcons decided to run it back, returning in 2017 with much of the same roster. Poe was Atlanta’s major addition on defense, as the club waited until the athletic defensive tackle’s market fell enough to allow it to ink him to a one-year, $8MM pact. Poe, who was regularly playing more than 1,000 defensive snaps with the Chiefs, is on pace to play on roughly 750 defensive snaps this season, and limiting his action could be helping his overall performance. Through four games, the Falcons are 13th in pressure rate, up from 20th in 2016.

Carolina Panthers

  • Julius Peppers, DE: Peppers, now in his second stint with the Panthers, was hardly Carolina’s most high-priced free agent signing this spring. That honor goes to $55MM man Matt Kalil, who has been — perhaps unsurprisingly — underwhelming at left tackle. The Panthers are playing Peppers on a reduced snap count, and the 37-year-old has already put up 4.5 sacks through a quarter of the season. He’s an absolute freak of nature who can still bend the edge with ease.

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

  • N/A: The Cowboys allowed most of their secondary to walk out the door during free agency, and veteran Nolan Carroll was their only real external addition. He’s been one of the worst defensive backs in the league in 2017.

Detroit Lions

  • Ricky Wagner, T: Detroit upgraded at both right guard and right tackle this offseason, swapping out Larry Warford and Riley Reiff for T.J. Lang and Wagner. Although both new Lions linemen have been efficient thus far, the nod goes slightly to Wagner. Both Lang and Wagner are earning the same $9.5MM annual salary, but Wagner is three years younger and under team control for a longer period. Additionally, the Lions average more yards (4.41 to 3.04) when running around the right end than through the center/guard.

Green Bay Packers

  • Jahri Evans, G: In a sequence that is completely out of character, the Packers actually signed a number of outside free agents over the past several months, including cornerback Davon House (a former Packer) and front seven defenders Ahmad Brooks, Quinton Dial, and Ricky Jean-Francois. But the best newcomer is on the offensive side ball, as Jahri Evans has played every snap for Green Bay. A lifelong Saint until 2017, Evans has helped the Packers’ offensive line to a No. 3 ranking in adjusted line yards at a cost of only $2.25MM.

Los Angeles Rams

  • Andrew Whitworth, T: Perhaps no other club made a larger upgrade at one position than the Rams did in going from draft bust Greg Robinson to Whitworth at left tackle. The entire Rams’ offense, including quarterback Jared Goff and Todd Gurley, has gone from looking completely incompetent to leading the league in points scored. Even at the age of 35, Whitworth leads all tackles in pass rush productivity and has allowed only one pressure, per Pro Football Focus.

Minnesota Vikings

  • Mike Remmers, T: The Vikings overpaid for both Remmers and left tackle Riley Reiff, but both deals have allowed Minnesota to return to average along the offensive line, a massive step-up from their 2016 front five. Remmers is earning nearly half of what Reiff is making but ranks slightly ahead of the former Lion in PFF’s offensive tackle rankings. Additionally, Remmers hasn’t allowed a sack this season, and the Vikings have been much better at running right than left.

New Orleans Saints

  • Larry Warford, G: Warford replaced another player on this list (Jahri Evans) and has continued to perform as a solid NFL guard. On an offensive line that’s seen some reshuffling due to injuries to Terron Armstead and Zach Strief, the Saints’ interior — which also includes left guard Andrus Peat and center Max Unger — has remained stable. New Orleans has been excellent at running up the middle, as the club ranks sixth with 4.62 yards per carry behind its center or guards. The Saints control the 26-year-old Warford through the 2020 campaign.

New York Giants

  • N/A: Brandon Marshall has yet to top 70 yards receiving in a game, and managed only two receptions in Weeks 1-2. And the signing of fullback/tight end Rhett Ellison never made sense given how much 11 personnel (one back, one tight end) the Giants run. He’s earning $4.5MM annually and has five total receptions.

Philadelphia Eagles

  • LeGarrette Blount, RB: Although he’s not going match his NFL-leading 18 rushing touchdowns from 2016, Blount has already shown that he’s worth the one-year, $1.25MM deal he inked with the Eagles earlier this year. He’s averaging 5.9 yards per carry thus far, and he figures to be even more involved in Philadelphia’s offense following injuries to Darren Sproles and Wendell Smallwood. Tough as ever, Blount managed 127 of his 136 Week 4 yards after contact.

San Francisco 49ers

  • Brandon Fusco, G: The 49ers and new general manager John Lynch spent a good deal of money this offseason, handing $10MM+ in guarantees to veterans such as wide receiver Pierre Garcon (who’s been average at best) and linebacker Malcolm Smith (who suffered a season-ending injury in August). The most astute signing, however, may have been guard Brandon Fusco, who signed for just $1.4MM total. He’s played every offensive snap for San Francisco and graded as the NFL’s No. 18 guard, per PFF, making him a remarkable value.

Seattle Seahawks

  • Luke Joeckel, G: Joeckel’s one-year, $8MM contract with the Seahawks never made much sense, as the former draft bust hasn’t performed in the NFL and probably didn’t have much of a free agent market. He’s not even playing tackle, which makes the salary all the more confusing. But PFF grades Joeckel as the No. 26 guard in the league, meaning he’s been a starting-caliber offensive lineman through four contests. Plus, it’s hard to fault nearly any single-season pact, no matter the cost.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • DeSean Jackson, WR: Jackson hasn’t been the perfect complemenet to Mike Evans that many projected — while he’s still averaging a robust 17.8 yards per catch, his catch rate is at a career-low 48.3%. Jackson led the league in yards gained off defensive pass interference a season ago, but he’s garnered only one DPI for 15 yards in 2017. Always only play away from a long-distance score, Jackson can still live up to his contract if Tampa Bay’s offense starts clicking.

Washington Redskins

  • D.J. Swearinger, S: In a defensive backfield that’s without Su’a Cravens (left squad list) and DeAngelo Hall (PUP list), Swearinger — who left the Cardinals for a three-year deal in the nation’s capital — has helped stabilize the Redskins’ secondary. Through a quarter of the season, Washington ranks sixth in defensive DVOA under new coordinator Greg Manusky, a 19-spot leap from 2016.

So, what do you think? Which of the free agents has been the best signing through a quarter of the 2017 season? Vote below, and leave your thoughts in the comments section:

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Davante Adams Clears Concussion Protocol

October 7th, 2017 at 2:45pm CST by Sam Robinson
  • Davante Adams has surmounted the concussion protocol and expects to suit up for the Packers against the Cowboys, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports. This would come as a slight surprise given the severity of the hospitalization-forcing hit Adams absorbed the last time he was on a game field, but the fourth-year wide receiver did have an extra three days to go through the protocol. Demovsky heard Adams was cleared just before the team boarded the plane for Dallas, and Mike McCarthy said earlier this week he would have a good idea about Adams’ playing status by that time. Adams also suffered a concussion last season but was cleared without missing a game.
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