By CHRIS HAVEL
Upcoming draft picks key to Green Bay’s present, too
The NFL draft is the gift that keeps on giving in Green Bay. It affects the future, to be sure, while also having a terrific impact on the present.
There are several identifiable traits among Super Bowl champs:

• They have an exceptional head coach.
• They are fueled either by a great quarterback, a suffocating defense, or both.
• Another common trait: The rookies develop quickly, establish roles early and contribute mightily along the way.

The salary cap, roster turnover and a “win now” mentality requires rookies to be up to speed today rather than tomorrow.
It’s why coaches push for as many OTA’s, minicamps and camaraderie-building outings as they can schedule.
Clearly, the Packers have many of the elements to reach Super Bowl 51 in Houston. (I use numbers, rather than Roman numerals, now that the NFL let that genie (Super Bowl 50) out of the bottle.
They have head coach Mike McCarthy. They have a tremendous quarterback in Aaron Rodgers. They have Pro Bowl receiver Jordy Nelson back off injury, and they have Eddie Lacy running to daylight rather than the dinner table.
Defensively, the prospects are better than they were last year. Rookies Damarious Randall and Quentin Rollins are the real deal. They proved worthy of the first and second picks in the draft. In many ways, their development coincided with the defensive secondary’s improvement.
Inside linebacker Jake Ryan was up and down, which is understandable, so I’m going to reserve judgment there. However, the reality is Ryan wasn’t good enough as a rookie to elevate the inside linebacker position, or even keep it consistent.
So what about this year’s draft class? Fortunately, GM Ted Thompson has the ammunition to trade up if he sees fit, as well as the flexibility to stay put or move down as dictated by the draft.
Fans can take this to the bank: The Packers will be significantly better following the upcoming draft. Rest assured, now that the tight end position has been addressed with the signing of Jared Cook, Thompson will turn his attention to other needs.
A starting-caliber, versatile offensive lineman might be tempting with the 27th pick. Those players are difficult to find, and with Josh Sitton, T.J. Lang and David Bakhtiari’s contracts up it makes sense.
Drafting an offensive lineman might be wise but only if there isn’t a surefire (as sure can be in these cases) defensive player who could make an immediate impact.
Ohio State’s Darron Lee is intriguing. So is Alabama’s Reggie Ragland. Lee is similar to Micah Hyde but much bigger (6-1, 230) and faster (a legit 4.4) – almost a hybrid linebacker. Lee would solve the Packers’ difficulties covering tight ends and running backs out of the back-field.
Ragland is a thumper in the best sense. He’ll take a ball-carrier head-on in the hole and win. He also has pass rush ability which may allow defensive coordinator Dom Capers to utilize Ragland as Clay Matthews’ alter ego.
They could line up inside, outside or wherever. They might rush the passer, drop into coverage or hammer the back. If Ragland is the real deal he could have a huge impact.
Beyond that, the Packers could use another big-bodied player along the defensive line. It’s almost impossible to pass on a player such as Baylor’s Andrew Billings because they don’t make many 6-3, 325-pound men who can move like he does.
A player like Billings (if he’s a stud) should make teammates such as Datone Jones (lining up in the Elephant position) much better. It also could allow Nick Perry to use his pass-rush skills because Billings would occupy two blockers.
The Packers also could use another pure edge pass rusher to spell both Matthews and Julius Peppers.
Beyond that, I expect Thompson to select at least one running back and perhaps another receiver. As last season proved, you can never have too many of either.
Chris Havel is a national best-selling author and his latest book is Lombardi: An Illustrated Life. Havel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4-6 p.m. CDT on WDUZ FM 107.5 The Fan, or on AM-1400, as well as Fan Internet Radio (www.thefan1075.com). Havel also hosts Event USA’s MVP Parties the evening before home games.

By CHRIS HAVEL
Thompson adds legit weapon, increases draft flexibility
Hooray! Hooray! NFL free agency starts today!
That is the case in Green Bay where Packers’ GM Ted Thompson signed former St. Louis Rams tight end Jared Cook to a one-year deal reportedly worth $3.6 million.
Clearly, head coach Mike McCarthy is on board. Earlier in the offseason McCarthy offered a fairly impassioned statement of the obvious: The Packers’ offense lacked the big-bodied playmaker to establish control of the middle of the field.
Jordy Nelson’s absence due to injury coupled with injuries and underachieving play by key weapons reduced the offense to a mere shadow of its former self.
Cook’s presence should provide the Packers a reliable, veteran pass catcher with speed at the tight end position. Before signing Cook the tight end position lacked veteran leadership, reliability and speed. He adds all three.
ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, who broke the story of Cook’s signing, noted that McCarthy was truly impressed with the tight end dating back to last season’s trade deadline, when the Packers reportedly tried to acquire him. After the Rams released Cook this offseason the Packers brought him in for a visit.
“I spent a lot of time with Jared Cook and he’s a fine, fine young man,” McCarthy told reporters at the NFL combine. “I was impressed with him. So we’ll see what happens. It’s in the business phase of it, and that’s where it stands.”
The business side was very good to Green Bay. The Packers didn’t have to part with a draft pick. They didn’t have to guarantee big money. They didn’t even have to agree to a long-term contract.
They waited. They didn’t blink. Then, they signed Cook to a one-year deal worth $3.6 million that has the potential to be mutually beneficial to both.
The Packers add a big, fast weapon on offense. Cook gets an opportunity to play with Aaron Rodgers, which should allow him to put up big numbers. In turn, that should enable him to be a more valuable commodity next offseason. Cook has a chance to cash in again after one season.
The Packers have solved a significant problem on offense – the lack of big-bodied speed threats down the middle – and they aren’t on the hook beyond this season. They get an up-close look at Cook, and if they choose to keep him they can always strike an in-season extension. If they are less than thrilled they can walk away at season’s end.
Furthermore, Cook’s signing enables the Packers to be truly flexible in the fast-approaching NFL Draft. Perhaps, as ESPN’s Demovsky suggested, the Packers weren’t thrilled with the 2016 class of tight ends. They sign Cook to provide immediate help and bridge the gap until next April.
Who knows? Thompson already may have his eye on an underclass tight end that could be available next year, or perhaps he already knows the 2017 class is special.
At any rate, Cook’s signing gives hope that the Packers’ offense isn’t merely banking on Nelson’s and Ty Montgomery’s return from surgery, Davante Adams’ and Randall Cobb’s return to form, and Jared Abrederis’ and Jeff Janis’ continued improvement. The Packers have hedged their bet going into this season.
Another byproduct is that it surely will be noticed by the Packers’ incumbent tight end, Richard Rodgers. McCarthy has been patient with Rodgers to this point, but if the third-year pro doesn’t show improvement he has a viable option.
Cook caught 39 passes for 481 yards without a touchdown last year in St. Louis. It was a disappointing performance, but atypical of how he has performed during his career.
Cook, a third-round pick with the Tennessee Titans in 2009, is an angular 6-foot-5, 250-pound athlete with above-average speed. He has big-play ability, but equally important, he is an experienced player who shouldn’t take long to get on the same page with his new Pro Bowl quarterback.
He has 273 catches for 3,503 yards and 16 touchdowns in seven seasons. He has missed just five games in that span.
McCarthy should be fairly giddy today. At the recent NFL owners’ meetings, he discussed the importance of quality tight end play.
“You want as many tight ends, you want as many people to stress the field as you can,” he told reporters. “Let’s be honest, the middle of the field is open now. League rules … Big people running down the middle of the field, I’ll make no secret about it. I think that’s a key to offensive success whether that’s a big receiver or big tight end or a big man running down the middle of the field, making those safeties cover you. It’s an important part of playing in today’s NFL.”
Just as important is occasionally playing in free agency, which is what the Packers did to acquire a player like the one McCarthy just described.
Chris Havel is a national best-selling author and his latest book is Lombardi: An Illustrated Life. Havel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4-6 p.m. CDT on WDUZ FM 107.5 The Fan, or on AM-1400, as well as Fan Internet Radio (www.thefan1075.com). Havel also hosts Event USA’s MVP Parties the evening before home games.

By CHRIS HAVEL
Criticism of Packers’ GM Thompson understandable but overstated
The prevailing presumption is that the Packers will be better this season than last.
That is based on Green Bay’s stellar record under GM Ted Thompson, who has presided over one of the NFL’s most consistent, successful teams for more than a decade. Fans don’t merely hope their Packers will be in the postseason.  They have come to expect it.
That is a testament to the Packers’ sustained excellence. It also is one of the primary reasons fans feel so disappointed if and when their team doesn’t meet such lofty expectations. Some fans accept a post-season berth with a shrug. Others act as if winning the NFC North title is merely business as usual.
It is understandable, but is it realistic? Frankly, it is what it is.
Fans want Thompson to be active in free agency. They see other teams apparently improving while the Packers stand pat.
The fact is most teams who play heavily in free agency do so because their roster is so utterly devoid talent. New England may be the exception, although the Patriots’ use of free agency as a tool to improve is overstated. New England relies on free agency to fill holes from one season to the next. It uses the draft to maintain the foundation.
The Packers rely on the draft – and subsequently signing undrafted free agents – as their best path to a Super Bowl.
So are the Packers and Thompson, as some detractors suggest, wasting quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ best years by not surrounding him with the necessary talent? Should they be bringing in a veteran or two in free agency to shore up glaring deficiencies while the younger players continue to grow and improve?
Clearly, one could make an argument in favor of being more active in free agency. The argument would be the Packers’ “close but no cigar” exits in recent post-season play. But would an addition in free agency have saved the day? These are questions that pop up in March like spring flowers.
While I understand the fans’ frustrations, I can’t ignore the Packers’ win-loss record going all the way back to Brett Favre’s days at quarterback. Thompson is doing a lot right to keep Green Bay relevant.
Last year, it would’ve been impossible to replace Jordy Nelson adequately given the timing of his season-ending injury. The draft and free agency were afterthoughts, trades are nearly dead and the only reasonable option was the one the Packers took: They signed veteran receiver James Jones. It was enough to get them into the playoffs, but not enough to get them past Arizona, much less Carolina.
That was bad luck. The year before the Packers had the Seahawks down and almost out before the final five minutes of the 2014 NFC Championship. Did the Packers’ meltdown stem from the team’s unwillingness to sign free agents?
No. It was because Seattle out-coached and out-played the Packers with the game in the balance. Furthermore, several veteran players contributed to the disastrous finish and overtime loss.
So what’s the solution? Fans need to be patient. It isn’t easy, but it’s a lot better than rooting for a team that routinely drafts in the top half of the first round but finishes in the bottom half of the standings.
Fortunately, fans have two things to hang their helmets on:
Free agency isn’t finished. In fact, Thompson suggested the Packers still might “surprise” their fans in free agency. Maybe tight end Jared Cook will still be signed. If the Packers do, consider it a pleasant surprise. If they don’t, consider it business as usual.
Super Bowls aren’t won in March and free agency isn’t the “be all, end all” for NFL teams.The Packers have plenty of time to take their talent level, and their game, to championship caliber. What matters is that they have most of the key pieces in place.
Which NFL team would Packers fans trade for? Aside from the Patriots it’s an extremely short list.
A lot of NFL fans would easily trade splashy free agent signings for post-season victories. Packers’ fans would be wise to accept the free agency frustration as part of what comes with the territory.
In the words of Rodgers, wouldn’t it be easier to just R-E-L-A-X and enjoy the ride?
Chris Havel is a national best-selling author and his latest book is Lombardi: An Illustrated Life. Havel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4-6 p.m. CDT on WDUZ FM 107.5 The Fan, or on AM-1400, as well as Fan Internet Radio (www.thefan1075.com). Havel also hosts Event USA’s MVP Parties the evening before home games.

By CHRIS HAVEL
Packers’ GM Thompson seems OK with team’s current talent level plus whatever comes via draft
On your mark, get set … oh no!
That shot heard ‘round the NFL marked the beginning of the free agent signing period, aka the slow season in Green Bay. The Packers don’t participate in free agency. They observe it. They watch it unfold.
They see teams like Houston overpay quarterbacks like Brock Osweiler and they shake their heads. The draft-and-develop approach never looked better, especially when compared with overpay-and-under perform, which happens in free agency.
You know what else happens in free agency? Teams get better. They improve. They solidify championships.
They add that key veteran leader to fill a critical hole, or they sign that versatile lineman to plug a chronic void there. They use it ahead of the draft to increase their flexibility.
The Packers use free agency to re-sign their own. Mike Daniels, Mason Crosby, Lane Taylor, Nick Perry, Vince Kowalske and Letroy Guion are among those retained.
Casey Hayward left via free agency for San Diego. James Starks has made several visits.  Intriguing players such as running back Matt Forte (New York Jets) and tight end Ladarius Green (Pittsburgh) have signed elsewhere.
So now what?
First of all there’s no reason to panic. The New York Giants spent $200 million ($106 million guaranteed) to acquire three players on defense. Olivier Vernon, Damon Harrison and Janoris Jenkins are fine players, but at the end of the day the Packers are still better than the Giants and Green Bay didn’t spend a penny.
The Packers’ needs remain the same. They are thin at inside linebacker, tight end and running back.
The solution, in my opinion, isn’t currently on the roster.
I would prefer a veteran versus a rookie at tight end. It seems more likely a veteran will be able to come in and get on the same page with Aaron Rodgers much faster than a rookie. Also, the Packers’ offense can’t risk any more question marks. Jordy Nelson’s knee, Ty Montgomery’s ankle and subpar performances by Randall Cobb, Davante Adams and others make an infusion of talent/production imperative.
Perhaps ex-Rams tight end Jared Cook, or the Bears’ Martellus Bennett (if/when Chicago releases him) are still in play. Either would be a significant upgrade to the unit.
Thompson, at the behest of his head coach, also needs to add a speed receiver. That should come in the middle rounds. The Packers’ Mike McCarthy and Rodgers can’t be handcuffed by a lack of weapons for a second straight season.
That leaves inside linebacker, running back and defensive line as areas of need. I wouldn’t be shocked if Thompson sat at No. 27 and selected a defensive lineman if there’s one he covets. It’s also clear a team never has too many pass rushers, and an edge pass rusher would be another real possibility for the Packers. Again, that’s if Thompson can snatch one he truly likes.
If there isn’t such a player available, I wouldn’t be surprised if he traded back providing he could find a willing partner.
Beyond that, Thompson needs to seriously consider drafting not one but two inside linebackers by the fourth round. It’s time to put Clay Matthews on the edge and leave him there. Defensive coordinator Dom Capers should have the luxury of moving Matthews inside when he wants to, not because he has to.
Essentially, the Packers should add a veteran tight end in free agency, a pass rusher or defensive tackle at No. 27, or else trade back and acquire more picks. The Packers need to draft not one but two inside linebackers.
On offense, the championship-winning question to be solved is this: What can the Packers do to make Rodgers’ life easier? McCarthy’s own philosophy centers on doing what it takes to ensure that the quarterback is successful. That means providing a veteran tight end, a third-down back with quickness, shiftiness and the ability to turn a short gain into a big play.
For now, all Packers’ fans can do is sit back, see how Thompson proceeds and hope that he knows best.
Chris Havel is a national best-selling author and his latest book is Lombardi: An Illustrated Life. Havel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4-6 p.m. CDT on WDUZ FM 107.5 The Fan, or on AM-1400, as well as Fan Internet Radio (www.thefan1075.com). Havel also hosts Event USA’s MVP Parties the evening before home games.

By CHRIS HAVEL
Damarious Randall dodges trouble, free agency spurs lots of speculation
They say it’s better to be good than lucky. Damarious Randall is both.
The Packers’ promising second-year cornerback had a brush with Scottsdale, Ariz., police last week that nearly changed his outlook on the upcoming NFL season. Randall, who was driving a vehicle with two passengers, was pulled over for a failure to have the car’s license plate visibly displayed. The ensuing police search discovered the smell of marijuana and a box containing three marijuana cigarettes.
Houston Texans wide receiver Jaelen Strong, a teammate of Randall’s at Arizona State, was cited with marijuana possession. Randall and the other passenger weren’t charged and were released at the scene.
Randall, along with second-round pick Quinten Rollins, had a terrific rookie season. They represent the Packers’ future at cornerback through this decade at least. Randall’s reckless and immature behavior nearly cost him and his team dearly. Here is hoping that the close call proves to be a lesson learned, and that Randall continues on his upwardly mobile path as a person and professional.
Consider it a free pass, like the back judge missing a pass interference call, except it’s a whole lot more serious.
In other Packers’ news:

Peyton Manning Retires

Peyton Manning’s retirement announcement at Monday’s news conference conjured many memories. I was reminded of Manning’s greatness, first at the University of Tennessee, and then with the Colts and Broncos. Manning’s decision was at once obvious and correct.
Fortunately for Packers fans, they don’t have to sit and wonder what it must be like for a franchise to see a great quarterback step into retirement. Brett Favre, who will be enshrined this summer in Canton, Ohio, surely came to mind. I wasn’t thinking about the “will he or won’t he?” questions so much as his greatness.
Manning, Favre and Tom Brady rate among the top handful of quarterbacks in NFL history. I’m not crazy about trying to rank them. I will say that each had tremendous similarities – arm strength, toughness, leadership – that help make a great NFL quarterback.
However, they also were just different enough to spark conversation.
I always admired Manning’s command at the line of scrimmage. It was as if he surveyed the defensive secondary with X-ray vision. Then, he made the adjustments, took the snap and threw an often less-than-perfect spiral that merely landed on the mark. He did this time and time again.
With Brady, I always admired his moxie and his unselfishness. Brady, more than any of the great quarterbacks with the exception of the San Francisco 49ers’ Joe Montana, had no problem handing off the football if the situation demanded it.
Brady wouldn’t flinch at running the football when it is most difficult for the great QBs: In the red zone with the game on the line. Brady, who also is adroit at the quarterback draw, knew how to use his arm to set up the run and vice-versa. I suspect his defensive-minded head coach, Bill Belichick, might have something to do with developing this trait.
Favre was amazing in so many ways it’s not easy pinpointing the trait I most admire. I will say Favre’s ability to bring it every day at practice, whether it was hot or cold, rainy or sunny, inside or out, it just didn’t matter. Favre would help him and his teammates get through it with a laugh here, a sharp comment there – whatever it took to motivate and push through.
Favre’s toughness is legendary, although as much as it’s talked about, I still don’t believe NFL fans truly understand it.
He would’ve tried to play if he was so sick he had to crawl on his stomach to Lambeau Field. That’s just the way he was and it never wavered. A lot of it was his love of the game, just like he hated to miss school because he loved recess so much. Some of it was of insecurity that if he turned over the huddle to another QB he might not get it back.
No matter. Favre played well enough, long enough, to become a first ballot Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback.
In five years – and the clock is ticking – Peyton Manning will join him there.

McCarthy interviewed Kolby Listenbee

The Packers’ head coach, Mike McCarthy, interviewed TCU receiver Kolby Listenbee during the recent NFL combine, according to JSOnline’s Bob McGinn.
Listenbee, who is 6 feet, 197 pounds, caught 30 passes for 597 yards and five touchdowns last season. His 19.4-yards per catch average ranked 11th in the nation.
Most notable is Listenbee’s 40-yard dash time, which puts him in the 4.3-range as a bona fide deep threat. NFL scouts have him rated as a third- to fourth-round selection.
It’s encouraging that the Packers’ coaches are making sure to consider a speedster at wide receiver. Once the 2015 season faded the conversation regarding the Packers’ needs shifted away from receiver and toward tight end, inside linebacker and defensive line.
In fact, I’m an advocate of selecting not one but two inside linebackers in the first four rounds if the possibility is there. However, let’s not forget about the Packers’ offensive struggles, particularly in the passing game where Green Bay lacked threats on the perimeter and over the middle.
In 2011, the Packers scored 560 points and finished 15-1. Jordy Nelson (68 catches, 15 TDs), Greg Jennings (67, 9) Jermichael Finley (55, 8), James Jones (38, 7), Donald Driver (37, 6) and rookie Randall Cobb (25, 1) combined to be one of the most potent collections of weaponry in team history.
Six of the top seven receivers averaged 12 or more yards per catch. It was insane. How would the current Packers’ weaponry stack up? Not good. Nelson would be Nelson, but after that it’s dicey. Cobb would be Jennings; a question mark would be Finley; Davante Adams would be Jones; Ty Montgomery would be Driver; and Jeff Janis would be Cobb.

Eddie Lacy Slims Down

Here’s some good news: Eddie Lacy’s pictures out of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, reveal a slightly slimmer Lacy. He is working with P90X’s Tony Horton.
Stay tuned.

Forte signing with New England?

Reports suggest ex-Bears free agent running back Matt Forte might be leaning toward signing with New England. I hope not.
I still believe the Packers would benefit mightily from signing Forte to use as a third-down back and in key situations to counterbalance Lacy.
Chris Havel is a national best-selling author and his latest book is Lombardi: An Illustrated Life. Havel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4-6 p.m. CDT on WDUZ FM 107.5 The Fan, or on AM-1400, as well as Fan Internet Radio (www.thefan1075.com). Havel also hosts Event USA’s MVP Parties the evening before home games.

By CHRIS HAVEL
Hall of Fame quarterback’s wife reveals severity of back injury
Bart Starr was one of my idols growing up. He still is.
That’s why it was difficult to read Cherry Starr’s recent revelation that her husband’s chronic back pain arose from a barbaric hazing ritual at Alabama.
Cherry told AL.com that “members of Alabama’s A-Club would line up with a big paddle with holes drilled in it and it actually injured his back.”
Starr, 82, was said to have been injured during a punting exercise at practice. The reality was far different according to Cherry, who said Bart never refuted the tale because he didn’t want to look bad.
“But his back was never right after that,” Cherry said. “It was horrible. It was not a football injury. It was an injury sustained from hazing. His whole back all the way up to his rib cage looked like a piece of raw meat. The bruising went all the way up his back. It was red and black and awful looking.”
“It was so brutal.”
It also was unnecessary and quite probably illegal. Former Crimson Tide tight end Nick Germanos, one of Starr’s teammates at Alabama, corroborated the story according to ESPN.
“It was hell,” Germanos said. “Lord have mercy, it was a rough initiation.”
Clearly, Starr felt shamed by the assault but instead of blowing the whistle on Alabama, he suffered in silence. It was in Starr’s nature to respond with quiet dignity rather than stir up what quite likely would have been a story of epic proportions.
I remember hearing about Bart Starr, the Packers’ great quarterback, from my father and his friends. Sadly, by the time I was old enough to understand football, Starr was a shadow of his Hall of Fame self.
It was the 1970s. Starr lacked agility and seemed stiff in the pocket. His arm strength had been sapped by decades of punishment. I wondered what the fuss was all about concerning Starr. He looked so old, fragile and helpless at the end of his career.
Then, when I saw the highlights featuring his toughness, leadership and talent, I began to understand Starr’s greatness. Today, Cherry’s account of what really happened at Alabama makes Starr’s career even more amazing.
It wasn’t until the 1980s that Dr. James Andrews – who also happens to reside in Birmingham – diagnosed and treated a vertebrae fracture in Starr. The account is sad on several levels.
Obviously, the Alabama football program under legendary head coach Paul “Bear” Bryant wasn’t idyllic. College football fans talk about all the wins, but this story puts it in a different light. It reminds fans that football is a brutal game, on and off the field.
If something so terrible was allowed to happen to Alabama’s incoming players, imagine what other atrocities were thrust upon the student-athletes (no water breaks in searing heat, playing with severe injuries, etc.).
It also suggests that the Alabama coaching staff and administration either condoned the behavior or hid behind the notion of plausible deniability.
I wonder how Alabama’s athletics department would’ve handled assault accusations from a non-student/athlete.
Clearly, it is horrible to think that Starr, one of the NFL’s all-time greats, had to deal with being assaulted. The reality is that football is a rugged game. There is nothing easy about it. That goes double for the football culture in some places, where players are treated as if they were expendable.
The hope is that schools adopt a zero tolerance view on assault of any kind and then have the integrity to enforce it. Times were different in the 1950s, when Starr was a college freshman. Many practices in use then are considered dangerous and ill-advised today, especially in terms of on-field conditioning, weight training and nutrition.
Sadly, it’s taken longer for rituals such as hazing to disappear.
Starr’s assault puts a face on the victim, and it reminds us that football is a violent game, on and off the field. It also puts in perspective the lawsuit that has been filed against the University of Tennessee for allegedly allowing its football program to run amok.
Unfortunately, any advances in college football – especially the treatment of players – came far too late to help Starr.
Chris Havel is a national best-selling author and his latest book is Lombardi: An Illustrated Life. Havel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4-6 p.m. CDT on WDUZ FM 107.5 The Fan, or on AM-1400, as well as Fan Internet Radio (www.thefan1075.com). Havel also hosts Event USA’s MVP Parties the evening before home games.

By CHRIS HAVEL
Packers’ DT Pennel suspended 4 games; TE, ILB hot positions
Fan frustration with the Green Bay Packers is largely the team’s own doing. Success elevates expectations.
The Packers’ “off” season – a 10-6 record and berth in the NFC Wild Card playoffs – might be considered reason for optimism in a majority of NFC cities. In Green Bay, it raises numerous questions in terms of “where” and “how” the team can get better.
The “how” generally is draft centric. The Packers’ draft-and-develop philosophy under GM Ted Thompson and head coach Mike McCarthy has produced one of the league’s top teams in the past decade.
Still, criticism comes quickly to a fan base that is knowledgeable, passionate and teeming with unsolicited but well-intentioned suggestions.
Most agree that Thompson’s 2015 draft class played beyond reasonable expectations. Defensive backs Damarious Randall and Quinten Rollins played well and often. Receiver Ty Montgomery flashed before suffering a season-ending ankle injury on Oct. 18. Linebacker Jake Ryan eventually earned a job in the starting lineup and frequently played like a rookie.
However, because it’s easy to identify the Packers’ shortcomings (frankly, there aren’t many) fans are more apt to beg for help. Then, if Thompson doesn’t oblige and the chronic problems linger, they say, “See, the GM didn’t acquire so-and-so in free agency, and the team underachieved because of it.”
Perhaps that’s true in some instances. More likely it’s because the Packers have so few holes that fans become vocal about fixing the perceived problems. It is much easier to criticize the Packers’ personnel moves than it is, say, the Jacksonville Jaguars or Tennessee Titans.
Where would you begin in those situations? In Green Bay, it’s been evident for some time that inside linebacker, tight end, a backup offensive lineman and an explosive third down back are in great demand.
Fans don’t seem to care whether the Packers acquire players at those positions in the draft or free agency. They just want to see upgrades and true competition when training camp opens. They might like third-year tight end Richard Rodgers, but they want more from the position. They might be in favor of keeping Clay Matthews inside, but ultimately they realize that he needs to stay outside and the defense needs an interior force.
A player such as ex-Rams linebacker James Laurinaitis could be a possibility. Laurinaitis, you will recall, ended Aaron Rodgers’ amazing attempts-without-an-interception streak by making a diving stab of a tipped pass. Laurinaitis believes he can still play at a high level. It remains to be seen at which level he still wants to be paid.
Ex-Rams tight end Jared Cook also is available and the Packers would be wise to kick the tires. Cook would represent an upgrade at the position and challenge to start.
The news that Packers defensive tackle Mike Pennel is going to be suspended for four games due to a violation of the league’s substances of abuse program is troubling.
Pennel had an opportunity in front of him. Now, he has made the prospect of improving and helping his team win a lot more difficult. It doesn’t help that Pennel is the third player in the defensive line that has one strike against him. Recently re-signed Letroy Guion and Datone Jones (in a contract season) already are in the league’s substances of abuse program.
Any future missteps by any of the three could mean a huge hole in the Packers’ defense. It could lead to the return of free agent B.J. Raji, especially if he tours the free agent market and doesn’t like what he’s offered. It also could mean spending the 27th pick in the draft on a defensive lineman, a possibility in a draft deep at the position.
The talk last week of the Packers acquiring ex-Bears great Matt Forte has cooled a bit. When McCarthy introduced his coaching staff this week it was clear the Packers expect Eddie Lacy to return in tip-top shape and rarin’ to go.
New running backs coach Ben Sirmans discussed it at length. He sounded confident Lacy will be able to reach his potential without conditioning or weight becoming chronic obstacles. Sirmans, it is interesting to note, last coached at St. Louis. Perhaps the ex-Rams running backs coach is merely the first of one or two others from that organization to come to Green Bay.
The Packers have the salary cap room to play in free agency. That, coupled with an open plea from McCarthy to add a big-bodied target on offense, is a strong indication that Thompson will address tight end/receiver, inside linebacker and running back in free agency and/or the draft.
Chris Havel is a national best-selling author and his latest book is Lombardi: An Illustrated Life. Havel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4-6 p.m. CDT on WDUZ FM 107.5 The Fan, or on AM-1400, as well as Fan Internet Radio (www.thefan1075.com). Havel also hosts Event USA’s MVP Parties the evening before home games.