The Packers believe that Bryan Bulaga will be able to move seamlessly to left tackle, despite not having the prototypical left tackle body (short arms). The good news is they must believe he has fully healed from the hip injury and is ready to step right in and protect their most valuable asset. Bringing Josh Sitton over to assist on the left side will certainly help.

When Ted Thompson drafted Derek Sherrod a couple of years ago, he hoped he’d step right in to replace a soon to be retired Chad Clifton. But injuries have kept him stuck in neutral and the team decided it can’t wait for him any longer. If and when he’s able to walk without a limp and try to play football, he’ll compete for the right tackle job which right now is an open competition between him, Newhouse, Don Barclay and rookie David Bakhtiari. My guess is Barclay wins the job.

TJ Lang will slide from the left to the right side, which shouldn’t be a major transition for a guy who played almost a quarter of the season at right tackle when Bulaga first went down, while dealing with his own elbow and arm injuries. As a beefier guard than Sitton, he’ll be more concerned with run blocking on that side, while letting the nimbler Sitton deal with the stunts and blitzes that will come from elite pass rushers on his new side.

I like the move. The Packers are moving their two best linemen to the left side to give Aaron Rodgers more protection on his blind side. As mobile as Rodgers is, he doesn’t necessarily need Joe Thomas over there. But a chance to remain in the pocket a bit more often and a few extra fractions of a second could be all he needs to take the passing game to another level.

We all know the offense has been one dimensional the past two seasons. We got a glimpse of what a legitimate running game could mean in that magical January run in 2011, when James Starks caught lightning in a bottle and the Packs steamrolled to the Super Bowl.

Two years later the team will be waving good-bye to Starks and Alex Green, as the position gets a make-over, with a pair of legit starters with loads of upside. When Eddie Lacy was passed over three times in the second round (by the Bengals, Steelers and Broncos) he fell into the Packers’ lap at #61 and the team pounced. He was regarded by most as the best back in the draft, but lingering injury concerns scared some teams (as did the fact that his o-line at ‘Bama was filled with NFL talent).

But no one can deny the talent Lacy has when healthy. He’s big, tough and will be a punishing runner between the tackles. He’s also got quick feet for a guy his size and has shown he has a burst. His signature spin move may need to be toned down a bit, or he’s likely to get leveled by someone.

So, when the Pack traded out of the third round on Friday night, we headed into Saturday knowing the team had added a big, tough, pass rushing defensive end and the top back in the draft. Armed with ten picks on Saturday, you figured Ted Thompson would use them to move up if he saw a guy he couldn’t pass up.

He used his two fourth rounders on offensive linemen. Colorado’s David Bakhtiari sounds like a guy who could be in the mix for one of the tackle spots, if not this season in the near future. Cornell’s JC Tretter could eventually land at any of the interior spots. A maligned position added some depth and will increase the competition among the group.

Then Thompson found a reason to move up, trading a fifth and sixth rounder to move back into the fourth to grab a player to whom they had given a second round grade. That guy was Johnathan Franklin, the dynamic UCLA running back, who reminds many of Warrick Dunn. Go watch his highlights on you tube. This kid is exciting and he’s the whole package: besides being a tough, nifty runner, he’s a good receiver out of the backfield and handles pass protection well.

Can you say thunder and lightning?

Now the team has protection if Lacy gets nicked up. Now the Packers have two legitimate blue chip running backs and now the Packers offense is ready to move to another level. Teams can no longer drop their safeties 10-15 yards behind the line of scrimmage and dare the team to run. No longer will we be forced to watch the hand off to John Kuhn on fourth and one. This team will be able to run the ball and it will make the passing attack even deadlier. Why, the Pack may even be able to legitimately run play action pass plays.

I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to see what these two backs bring to the table. The picks in round five through seven are for the most part works in progress. Most will need to show they can play special teams if they want to stick. Iowa’s Micah Hyde was the Big Ten’s defensive back of the year. There are questions as to whether he has the speed to play corner in the NFL–he may get a look at safety.

That’s my one disappointment about this draft: the team didn’t add a big-hitting safety to compete with MD Jennings and Jerrion McMillain. The latter was a fourth rounder last year and maybe they expect him to make a jump in year two. Maybe they will watch as teams waive veterans and they’ll pick one up this summer. I still believe this team needs a talent infusion at free safety and we didn’t see them go that route over the weekend.

The three other day-three defenders are defensive tackle Josh Boyd out of Mississippi State who is more of a run stopper than a pass rusher, and two outside linebacker prospects: Nate Palmer from Illinois State and Sam Barrington from South Florida. With Walden and Zombo moving on, one or both will have a chance to earn a roster spot if they show something in training camp.

The last two picks were wide receivers, another position I thought the team would address earlier, but have no issues because of the way the draft board fell. Charles Johnson is the more intriguing prospect: a journeyman who spent six years moving from school to school, he ran a sub 4.4 40 at his pro day and has size and a lot of speed. He may have a chance to turn heads. Maryland’s Kevin Dorsey put up no numbers because his offense was so wretched, but earned a look because scouts like his measurables.

As of now the team has brought in ten undrafted guys, including former Ohio State tight end Jake Stoneburner, who could compete for the Crabtree spot. The team also added QB Matt Brown from Illinois State.

The takeaway from this draft: Datone Jones will step right in and have a chance to make an instant impact on the defense at a spot that desperately needs it. The team has lacked a pass rushing defensive lineman since Cullen Jenkins left and Jones fits the bill. The additions at offensive line should add depth and competition to a unit that needs it.

But what everyone around the league will be talking about is the Packers’ brand new backfield toys. Lacy and Franklin. Thunder and lightning. Aaron Rodgers is smiling, and not just because he keeps staring at his new contract. This team will be able to run the ball now. That will make the offensive line look better, that will keep Rodgers from running for his life so much. And that will make the Packers offense even more deadly.

You say the Super Bowl will be played in New York next year, outdoors in the cold? Suddenly the Packers’ offense seems ready for that. What we’ll find out next season is whether the defense is too.

Four years later, the Packers have a Cullen Jenkins replacement. The addition of UCLA’s Datone Jones will give the defensive line a much needed infusion of speed and versatility and should make the linebackers behind him look better.

When the Packers were on the clock, I figured they were debating between nose tackle Sylvester Williams (who was expected to be off the board) and Eddie Lacy, Bama’s hard-nosed running back. But clearly Ted Thompson and the scouting department had their hearts set on Jones and it sounds like they got a guy who has big time upside.

His college coach, Jim Mora, says he’ll be a better pro than he was a college player. Mayock said his combination of length and quickness make him an ideal end in the 3-4. He completely manhandled the #1 pick, tackle Eric Fisher in the Senior Bowl. He’ll likely be a three down guy, moving inside on sub-packages, since he is strong and quick enough to deal with interior linemen. Gruden calls Jones his sleeper of the draft. I’m pretty sure he only said this once on Thursday night–even though he loves pretty much everyone.

Plus, he grew up in Compton, CA a Packer fan, because of Reggie White.

I had my heart set on a safety and Ravens took my guy, Florida’s Matt Elam with the final pick of the first round. I have to believe the Pack will consider that position if they like who’s left on the board when they pick at 55. Tackle and running back could also be in play.

And now, a thought on the Vikings’ first round haul. When Sharrif Floyd fell in their laps at 23, the night was a success, no matter what happened next. They grab Xavier Rhodes next, one of the few calls I got right in the first round, giving them a big, physical corner: precisely what they needed most. So they add two instant starters to their defense, which was a must–though middle linebacker is still a huge need.

Then Rick Spielman made the big splash, handing the Patriots both Friday night picks, plus a 4 and a 7 to jump back in and take WR Cordarrelle Patterson. You’ve got to give him credit in the cojones department. He could have gone to sleep knowing he made his defense instantly stronger and that he could probably grab a receiver in the second round.

But Patterson is the one guy who was different from all the other guys. He’s completely raw, playing just one year of major college ball. He won’t be ready to contribute as a starting WR because he needs to learn a whole lot about running routes, making adjustments, reading defenses, etc. His Wonderlic was in the single digits.

But he will make an instant impact in the return game, and as a guy who can run some Harvin plays: bubble screens, running plays. His size and speed had scouts drooling, but he’s a work in progress. Having Greg Jennings around to mentor him will be huge. Vikings get an “A” for Thursday night, but will now be spectators until Saturday. I’ll give the Pack an “A” as well. Adding Jones should make Clay Matthews even more deadly.

As for the other two, the Lions needed to add a defensive end, since both of their starts from a year ago are gone. Ziggy Ansah had never heard of football a few years ago. He’s raw and inexperienced but many feel he has the potential to be a Pro Bowler. The Bears raised more than a few eyebrows with their selection of Howie Long’s other kid, Kyle Long. He’s another raw prospect that most of the experts projected to go in the second or third round. Yes, the Bears need all the help they can get on the line, but they could’ve waited. I thought they’d grab TE Tyler Eifert here.

I’ll break down the first three round in depth “In the Zone” Saturday morning from 8-10 on KFAN and kfan.com. With my partner Trent Tucker absent (to attend Michael Jordan’s wedding), we’ll put the NBA aside for a week and talk NFL draft for two solid hours.

There’s so much speculation about where this year’s crop of quarterbacks go and it feels like a few QB needy teams will choose to draft elsewhere with their first pick and then try to sneak back into the bottom third of the first round to snatch their guy, whether it’s Geno Smith, Ryan Nassib, Matt Barkley or someone else. The Pack, seeing a number of guys they like at 26, may be a potential dance partner.

But if Ted stays true to his board, here’s how the picks could unfold:

Round 1 (26): Matt Elam, S, Florida  Conventional wisdom has the Pack leaning toward the line here, either offensive or defensive. But I think the Pack pounces on the second safety off the board and the braintrust hopes they finally have a suitable replacement for Nick Collins. Elam’s a big hitter, a big time blitzer and can cover a slot receiver. He will provide some much-needed toughness to a defense that has had its toughness questioned, after getting dominated physically by the 49ers twice last season.

Round 2 (55): Jonathan Hankins, DT Ohio State  Continuing that theme, the Packers select the enigmatic former Buckeye with their second pick. They had their eye on Purdue’s Kawann Short here, but he got selected a few picks earlier. Hankins can play any position on the line and has the physical tools to be a starter for a long time. He was better as a sophomore in ’11 than he was last year, particularly late in the season. But he possesses uncommon quickness for a man his size and would have an instant impact on the Pack’s run defense.

Round 3 (88): Jordan Reed, TE, Florida The Pack grabs another Gator here (almost went with former Badger center Jason Frederick here–I know that would make a lot of you happy, but I love the idea of adding a second tight end to this offense for a number of reasons). Reed is an Aaron Hernandez clone (hopefully minus the injury history). Without the benefit of a decent QB in college, Reed still led the Gators in receiving in just his second year as a tight end. He’s tall, fast and a matchup nightmare. Think of what Mike McCarthy could do with a second tight end. Reed also presents Finley insurance. If #88 disappoints or the team chooses not to commit long term, Reed can step in as the #1 guy in 2014.

Round 4 (122): Terrance Williams, WR Baylor This is one of those ‘best guys on the board’ picks. Williams was the nation’s leading receiver last year, but disappointed in pre-draft workouts and his size is not ideal as he’s just over six feet. Still needs to work on run blocking, but he’s a polished receiver who flourished with or without RGIII at Baylor. With Jennings gone, the Pack needs some depth here and will likely scour the undrafted guys as well. But Williams steps into the fourth receiver spot and will be ready to contribute on opening day.

Round 5 (159): Jordan Mills, T, Louisiana Tech He played right tackle in college but is seen as a guy who could play either tackle spot or guard. He’s big (6’5″ 315) and strong and has a ton of upside. With the uncertainty at tackle (Bulaga’s hip, Sherrod’s leg, Newhouse’s mediocrity and Barclay’s inexperience), Mills will likely get a lot of reps in the preseason and could prove to be a valuable addition, particularly if Bulaga and Sherrod aren’t ready to play. The fact that he’s also Tramon Williams’ cousin doesn’t hurt either.

Round 5 (167): Joseph Randle, RB Oklahoma St. Very productive back in college, who seems to have the kind of body the Packers like. He’s a bit on the tall side and runs upright but has some wiggle and could develop into a workhorse back at this level. He’s a good receiver, solid blocker and is not a fumbler. I’m a sucker for Oklahoma State backs and with Barry Sanders set to grace the cover of Madden ’13, maybe a fellow Cowboy will make some noise with the Pack this season.

Round 6 (193) John Simon DE Ohio State The Packers add Hankins’ linemate here for much needed depth and insurance for a position that won’t have Jerel Worthy most likely for the entire season. With Pickett nearing the end and Raji in the final year of his deal (though likely to be re-signed), the Pack can’t pass up Simon, who is seen as a perfect fit as an end in a 3-4 defense. He’s a high motor guy who never quits on a play and was called the heart of the Buckeyes’ defense.

Round 7 (232): Sheldon Price CB UCLA At 6’2″, Price has the size the Packers like and was productive with the Bruins, not so much as a tackler, but he had four picks and deflected five others. Seems to have a nose for the ball–the same thing scouts were saying about Casey Hayward last spring.

Before you get too excited, I’ve nailed exactly one player in the last two Packer mocks combined (Randall Cobb). The players may not match, but I think the team will try to address all of the positions above in this year’s draft, or in the few days following the draft.

OK, weigh in. Who you got?

But, as I said, there’s nine inches of fresh snow on the ground and what better use of time than to take a quick stock of the 2013 schedule and what the season may have in store? We’ll go by quarters since that’s the way Coach McCarthy likes to do it.

First quarter: There are two ways to look at opening for a second consecutive season against the 49ers. It might’ve been nice to face them on the back half of the schedule, hoping that some young defensive re-enforcements are getting things figured out and the defense is starting to find its groove. Instead, Dom Capers will have to deal with Colin Kaepernick and maybe a healed RGIII in the first two weeks. The opener will feel like much more than the first game; a chance to see if the defense has figured out how to keep that offense under 500 yards. If the Pack is beaten soundly, the whole season will feel like a warm-up to a potential rematch in the post-season.

It’s rare that Green Bay opens away from home: it’s only the second time it’s happened under McCarthy. A win would make a September statement, but I’ll call this one a loss: hopefully a close one,  if it happens.

The home opener against Washington will be all about RGIII. If he’s back, it’s likely he’ll be nowhere near the threat he was before the devastating knee injury. Even if he’s AP-like, he won’t be near 100% in week 2, which means the Pack should handle the Skins.

Week three features a road test against the Bengals, the third straight 2012 playoff team on the schedule. The Bengals still have cap space to burn and may look a little different as we get closer to the season, but the Pack should be able to handle this team to improve to 2-1 heading into the bye.

We were due for an early bye week and this year, it’s our turn. The only silver lining is that the Thanksgiving Day game comes nine weeks after the bye and will serve as a mini-bye heading into the fourth quarter of the season. The Pack comes out of the bye with the first division game of the season, against the Lions, who never win in Wisconsin. The Packers finish the first quarter at 3-1.

Second Quarter: This quarter begins with a pair of AFC North games and ends with two divisional games. It starts in Baltimore, against the Super Bowl champs, a team that will look a whole lot different, primarily on defense. Until we see how they’ve replaced two Hall of Famers and a couple of other key front seven guys, I have to believe the Packers can score on them. The Ravens are now a team with an offensive identity. So are the Packers. I say the Pack wins a close one and follows up with a comfortable home win against the improving, but still rebuilding Browns. 5-1.

Next, the Packers head to the Metrodome for the final time for the first prime time game of the season. In an odd quirk, three of the next four games are night games. Also for the first time in team history, there are no back-to-back road games. We used to curse three game trips; this year there aren’t even any two game trips. So in each quarter of the season, there are two home games and two road games.

Last year this was the only divisional loss for the Packers, in a game where the Vikings’ season was on the line and the Packers’ wasn’t (I love firing up Queen fans). The place will be crazy for Sunday Night Football. I’ve got to give the Pack a loss in the division. This one is it again.

The Packers head into halftime of 2013 with a Monday night home game against the Bears. There is nothing better in the world. And the Packers don’t lose these games. They take care of the Bears and head into halftime at 6-2.

Third Quarter: The second half kicks off with Chip Kelly and his magical mystical offense at Lambeau. We have no idea what the Eagles will be like, or who will be their QB, but it’s at home. Even on a short week, the Packers handle Philly to improve to 7-2. Next up, another date with Eli Manning and the Giants at their place on a Sunday night. Tough sledding. I’ll give this one to Eli. The Pack close out this quarter with two division games: the rematch with the Vikings at Lambeau (win) and the traditional Thanksgiving Day game in Motown that we seem to play every four years or so. This one probably won’t be easy, but unless that defense has improved dramatically, I don’t think they can slow Rodgers down. The Packers close the third quarter at 9-3.

Fourth Quarter: Wow, a great four games to close out the season. It starts on a Sunday night at Lambeau with the Falcons coming to town. A Dome team coming to Green Bay for a night game in December? Love the timing of this game for the Packers. They’ll handle Matty Ice, whose nickname has nothing to do with the climate in December.

Next, the Pack travels to Dallas. The Cowboys are the most schizofrenic team in the league year after year. Usually, they dig themselves into a grave early and try to dig out late. This could be a dangerous game, coming on the heels of the big Sunday night game against the dirty birds. But McCarthy travels well in the back half of the season and I expect the Packers to pull out a tight one.

The home finale comes against the Steelers, three days before Christmas. The Steelers are another team in flux, with studs like Mike Wallace and James Harrison among a number of key guys no longer there. The Packers take care of business and dispatch of Pittsburgh to improve to 12-3. The season closes at Soldier Field against the Bears. I’ll give this one to the bad guys. Maybe the Pack will be in ‘rest a few guys’ mode. Maybe the Bears will flat beat ‘em. Either way, call it a loss and the Packers finish at 12-4.

Which takes us back to the evening of Sunday, September 8th. The opener against the 49ers will have just ended and we’ll likely feel one of three ways: jacked up because the Pack sprung the road upset and got some payback from last year’s opener; encouraged, because in a close loss the Pack showed the gap between the two teams is not as big as it looked in the playoffs; or devastated because a sound beat down means that the next four months will serve as a prelude to a potential rematch in January, with not much to prove until that possible rematch.

Only 140 days and change to wait.

Draft and develop. It’s the Ted Thompson way, which is why draft weekend is always extra riveting for Packer fans. It’s basically the only time in the offseason that the Packers  make significant roster additions.

We tend to focus on the first pick, especially now that the first round has its own day, but Thompson will use his eight picks to add depth and a couple of new starters. We expect Thompson to add a DL or two, a safety, a running back, wide receiver, an offensive lineman or two and maybe a tight end.

As for his first pick, whether it’s at #26 or early in the second round, it’s likely to be one of these seven names. Here they are, in reverse order of my preference:

7. Sylvester Williams, DL North Carolina  This is a real position of need for the Pack, with the likely loss of Jerel Worthy in 2013. But I have a feeling there will be a run on D linemen in the back half of the first round. If Thompson does see a defensive lineman he loves still there when it’s his turn to pick, it’s likely to be the former Tar Heel, who can play anywhere on the line. He had a great pro day, raising his stock to this range and could step right in to the starting lineup and play some nose, to give Raji a breather. Downside, he’ll be 25 in November.  Look for Thompson to address the defensive line before Saturday, but probably not in the first round.

6. Menelik Watson, OT Florida State  I know, we’re bored with taking tackles in the first round. If this is the name on Ted’s card, it’s likely a trade down into the second round to allow a QB-starved team (Buffalo?) to get back into the first round. The top tackles are expected to be long gone by the time Green Bay picks, unless DJ Fluker happens to drop. Let’s face it, we don’t know exactly where we stand at tackle right now. Can Bulaga bounce back from a bad hip injury? If so, can he move to the left to allow Don Barclay to man the right side? Is Barclay ready for that? Can Marshall Newhouse improve enough to hang on to the left tackle spot? Is Derrek Sherrod alive? Lots of questions at this crucial position and if Ted trades down to the second, he may grab Watson, a native of England who is considered raw, but with upside that could put him on a par with the guys drafted in the top five. Some question his passion for the game, since he jumped from sport to sport, but he does have a cool British accent.

5. Eddie Lacey, RB Alabama  He’s probably higher on some of your wish lists, but to me it’s a gamble drafting a running back this high. It’s certainly not something we’ve seen Thompson do, and we know that the position is less important in this offense than in most. But wouldn’t it be nice to consider adding the draft’s top back to see what a talent like that could mean for the Packers’ offense? The problem is, many of us felt the same way a couple of years ago, when a more heralded Tide back, Mark Ingram came out. He’s been ordinary so far in another pass-happy offense. DeJuan Harris may have shown enough to let the Packers brain trust wait until the third or fourth round to add some additional competition. But after missing out on Stephen Jackson, maybe Thompson finally takes the plunge and rolls the dice.

4. Tyler Eifert, TE Notre Dame  This is probably the biggest long shot of the seven names here, but just close your eyes for a moment and imagine third and eight,  Aaron Rodgers lining up with an empty backfield; Jordy Nelson one one side and James Jones on the other. Randall Cobb is in the slot, with Jermichael Finley and Eifert at tight end. Who’s going to be able to cover that? Of course, we would need an offensive line that can protect Rodgers long enough to get the ball to someone. Eifert would allow McCarthy to install a batch of new plays featuring duo tight ends, a la the Patriots. If Eifert plays like the best tight end in the draft and Finley doesn’t, it will allow the team to let #88 walk after 2013. This mitigates the loss of Greg Jennings and gives the offense a new and different look.

3. Damontre Moore, OLB Texas A&M  This one feels outside the box, since Thompson went with this position in the first round last year. But Moore stands out as a perfect fit for Capers’ defense and would give the Pack some flexibility with Nick Perry, who is still getting used to playing linebacker and could be moved around a bit to make the most of his strengths. The Packers waved good bye to Erik Walden and Frank Zombo this offseason and could desperately use a pass rusher to complement CMIII and keep opposing offensive coordinators from focusing strictly on #52.

2. Jonathan Cyprien, FS Florida Int’l  If Thompson has a few names available that he likes, the guess here is that he goes in this direction.  This feels like the year Thompson finds a free safety to pair with Morgan Burnett, one that will give the defense a Nick Collins-like presence that it has sorely missed, since Collins was forced to retire. I believe Thompson will make a safety one of his first two picks. Cyprien would represent another small school safety, a direction Thompson has gone in the past. He’s smart, hard-hitting and would give the Pack some instant toughness–as would this guy…

1. Matt Elam, FS Florida Here’s a smart, tough, aggressive, productive defender in the SEC who would instantly step into the starting lineup. His consistency has been questioned, but his natural talent and intelligence have scouts drooling. Elam can cover a slot receiver and is terrific against the run–not to mention read option QBs. You can argue whether defensive line or safety presents the biggest need. Both positions will be addressed early, but Elam feels like the guy that Thompson will grab first.

I can already hear the debate and I’m not having any of it. When Aaron Rodgers signs the biggest contract in NFL history in the coming days or weeks, it will cause fans to bemoan and media jackals to wonder why Rodgers would strap his team with such salary cap restraints.

Look at what Tom Brady just did, they’ll remind us; he took less money so his team could build a Super Bowl-contending roster. My answer to that is this: Brady didn’t take any discount five years ago when he was Rodgers’ age. This is Rodgers’ payday and he deserves every penny.

When called on to take over in 2008, he faced more than the 22 Vikings players in his first start. At least half of the fans at Lambeau booed him that day. It would be the last time they would. Very quickly, we found out what we had: a historically great quarterback who not only would keep the Packers relevant as long as he was healthy, but also a guy who plays with a chip on his shoulder. He has since he was a kid. He still wears that chip, even with a Super Bowl MVP in his back pocket.

The Packers quickly tore up his deal and gave him a new one, one that has made him one of the great values in the NFL the last few years. It’s time for him to take his rightful place at the top of the salary pecking order, ahead of Flacco, Romo, Brees, Brady and Manning.

Let the number-crunchers figure out how to set it up so that there is sufficient cap room to pay the other players they want to keep. And we will have to presume Ted Thompson and his staff will continue to fill in around him and the other core guys, using the draft and adding a few undrafted free agent gems.

A 29-year-old QB with Aaron Rodgers’ resume should not be asked to take one for the team. He should be rewarded for his consistent greatness and should take his rightful place atop the NFL salary heap.

You can simply connect the dots and figure that since Greg Jennings left for the millions the Vikings offered him, that the Packers had to keep Finley to ensure that Aaron Rodgers still had a full complement of weapons.

But the decision goes deeper. Four months ago I was sure they would cut ties with Finley.  He was maddeningly inconsistent on the field. He talked too much to the media. In fact, his agent talked too much to the media.

But then he came on at the end of the season. He showed what a matchup nightmare he could be for defenses, which had to account for him with a corner or a really talented safety. Then you start to think that maybe he’ll start to get it. As a father of six (fixed, thanks Christina) and a guy in the back half of his 20s, maybe he’d put it all together and be a top five tight end. We’d hate to see that happen with another team.

The Packers are only committed to Finley for 2013. He’s in a contract year now and despite making north of eight million this season, he can be set for life if he plays hard, plays up to his ability and stays injury-free this season.

For all of these reasons, it made sense for the team to keep him around. Now let’s hope he plays well enough to make Ted Thompson’s decision next year a whole lot tougher.

Brett: Dang, how do you answer the phone in the middle of tryin’ to send a text? Oh wait, here we go….yeah?

Greg: Hey Brett, it’s Greg!

Brett: Who?

Greg: Greg! Jennings.

Brett: Oh, you’re that second string tight end on our high school team, right?

Greg: C’mon man. #85. The pride of Kalamazoo. Dude, I caught your 400th career touchdown pass.

Brett: Yeah, just messin’ with ya Greg. That’s what I do for kicks these days. I hear you’re a free agent. But a couple of days gone by and you ain’t got no takers yet?

Greg: Yeah, I wanted to let that first wave of crazy money pass and then get on all the TV and radio talk shows and remind folks that I believe in my smellf.

Brett: Your what?

Greg: C’mon. Haven’t you seen my hilarious Old Spice commercials?

Brett: Who you callin’ old?

Greg: Listen, I don’t wanna keep you, sounds like I was interrupting something. Here’s the thing, the Packers have offered me 8 million a year. Last fall, it was ten million. But see, look what happens, you miss 11 games over two seasons, and this is how they treat you.

Brett: Miss games? Shoot, there’s your first problem right there…

Greg: Thing is, I figured I was worth at least 12 million a year. Then Percy got his deal and I knew I was screwed.

Brett: Percy??!! Pants on the ground, Pants on the ground!…

Greg: Uh, Brett, what I’m sayin’ is there’s only one team out there who’s gonna at least get me close to ten million a year and that’s the Vikings. You seemed to have some fun when you were there. At least till that last pass in New Orleans. Things seemed to spiral downward from there…

Brett: Hell yeah! Stick it to Thompson and that front office. Cross the line. Put on the Purple. You know that Prince guy, he wrote “Purple Rain.” He’s from Minnesota too!

Greg: Well, I actually kind of like Ted and I love that team. I won a ring with them. Most special year of my life. You ever watch the NFL Films special of that Super Bowl? I was miked up. I was smilin’ and laughin’ and huggin’ Mike. It was great. It would feel weird to join their rivals.

Brett: Yeah, well, lemme tell ya somethin’ those checks they send ya every two weeks, they’s good. And they’re gonna have more zeroes than the ones from Green Bay, right?

Greg: That’s true. But I’ll go from catching passes from Aaron Rodgers to catching them from Christian Ponder.

Brett: Tryin’ to catch ‘em, you mean. Anyways, they got that Cassell kid too. Maybe he’ll end up bein’ the guy. Anyways, gotta go. Got an autograph session at the Pump ‘n Save in Hattiesburg in an hour. Take the money!

Click.

As usual, Ted Thompson let the big dollars fly while sitting on the sidelines. He did reach out to Steven Jackson’s agent,  but basically to say, ‘Get back to me when you realize no one wants to overpay a 30 year old back with 50,000 carries behind him.’

It sounds like the Falcons and Packers have the most interest in the tough, hard-nosed back who I believe still has a couple of years left in the tank. Atlanta, though, will now have to devote more money at tight end than they expected since Tony Gonzalez Favred them and announced he wants to play another year.

With high priced talent at WR and tight end, and QB Matt Ryan due a Flacco-ish new contract, it’s hard to believe they can afford to pay Jackson anything close to what he wants. Not to mention the fact that they gutted their defense and need to find re-enforcements.

Thompson is gambling he can get Jackson at his price. I’m cool with that. I’d like to finally see #39 in green and gold, but it has to make sense financially.

The interesting dynamic in play is the future of Greg Jennings who would probably turn back the clock a few months if he could, and accept the Pack’s reported $10 million per year offer. It appears he will not get the $12-15 million a year he wants: even Percy Harvin’s new deal doesn’t approach that amount.

If he returns to the Pack, Jermichael Finley will be out and Green Bay will take a look at what’s left of the tight end free agency market, or address that position early in the draft.

One more note on running backs: former Madden cover boy Peyton Hillis has scheduled a visit. Some might see this as a chess move in the Steven Jackson talks. It could also be a sign that John Kuhn’s days are done. Hillis would be a Kuhn replacement, perhaps a little cheaper, with maybe a little more upside.

I was a bit surprised they put the lowest tender on Evan Dietrich-Smith. Clearly they must see him as a serviceable starter at center, but not the preferred long term answer. If another teams snaps him up, the team will suddenly have a glaring need at the position.

If things stay quiet after this first wave, look for Thompson to address the defense and pounce on a lower-priced defensive lineman and maybe a safety. For now, the offensive side is where things will come into focus as we see what happens with Jackson, Jennings and maybe Finley.