cheezhead415

After Mr. Irrelavent, it's over. Everybody else's shot at getting their name called over a loudspeaker at Radio City Music Hall is over. But that doesn't mean they won't have an opportunity to find a niche in the NFL.

The Packers signed 11 non-drafted free agents:

6 <font onmouseover="bP('smith_taj', this);" onmouseout="bQ();" color="#0066cc">Taj Smith WR 6-0, 192
Syracuse (Newark, N.J.)
Smith, 24, played two seasons for the Orange and totaled 56 catches for 1,049 yards and eight touchdowns. He previously attended Bakersfield (Calif.) College, where his 1,670 career receiving yards and 16 career touchdowns both rank second all-time.

7 <font onmouseover="bP('debauche_ken', this);" onmouseout="bQ();" color="#0066cc">Ken DeBauche P 6-1, 213
Wisconsin (Green Bay, Wis.)
DeBauche, 23, served as the punter all four seasons at Wisconsin, where his 42.4-yard average ranks second-best in school history. He was a second-team All-Big Ten selection this past season

HES A HOMETOWN BOY!!

13 <font onmouseover="bP('allen_jake', this);" onmouseout="bQ();" color="#0066cc">Jake Allen WR 6-4, 190
Mississippi College (Waynesboro, Miss.)
Allen, 23, earned first-team Division III All-America honors from the American Football Coaches Association in 2007. He established school records in receptions (152), receiving yards (2,867) and receiving touchdowns (26) in just three seasons at Mississippi College.
18 <font onmouseover="bP('harper_rod', this);" onmouseout="bQ();" color="#0066cc">Rod Harper WR 6-0, 209
Murray State (Bradenton, Fla.)
Harper, 23, led the Racers with 57 catches for 779 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2007 and earned second-team all-conference honors in the Ohio Valley Conference. He ranks third in school annals in both career receiving yards (1,653) and touchdowns (20).

28 <font onmouseover="bP('lumpkin_kregg', this);" onmouseout="bQ();" color="#0066cc">Kregg Lumpkin RB 5-11, 222
Georgia (Stone Mountain, Ga.)
Lumpkin, 23, was a four-year letterman for the Bulldogs and part of a senior class that compiled 40 wins, three bowl wins and an SEC title. He appeared in 44 career games and rushed for 1,700 yards and 15 touchdowns.

44 <font onmouseover="bP('riley_marcus', this);" onmouseout="bQ();" color="#0066cc">Marcus Riley LB 6-0, 233
Fresno State (Elk Grove, Calif.)
Riley, 23, was honored as the Western Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2007 after he posted 132 tackles (64 solos), including 15 stops for loss, three forced fumbles and an interception. He appeared in 39 career games, including 30 starts.

46 <font onmouseover="bP('jansen_j.j.', this);" onmouseout="bQ();" color="#0066cc">J.J. Jansen LS 6-2 254
Notre Dame (Phoenix, Ariz.)
Jansen, 22, became the long snapper for the Irish midway through his sophomore season, appearing in the final 32 games of his career. He made eight career tackles as a member of the punt coverage unit.

47 <font onmouseover="bP('peterson_mike', this);" onmouseout="bQ();" color="#0066cc">Mike Peterson TE 6-2, 255
Northwest Missouri State (Atlantic, Iowa)
Peterson, 25, was a three-year starter, earning All-America honors in his final two seasons. In 53 career games, he totaled 141 receptions for 1,987 yards and 17 touchdowns and also rushed 14 times for 94 yards and one touchdown.

49 <font onmouseover="bP('haynos_joey', this);" onmouseout="bQ();" color="#0066cc">Joey Haynos TE 6-8, 264
Maryland (Washington, D.C.)
Haynos, 23, appeared in 43 career games, including 12 starts, for the Terrapins after walking on to the team in 2003. An honorable mention All-ACC selection in 2006, he finished his collegiate career with 68 catches for 687 yards and four touchdowns.

58 <font onmouseover="bP('lansanah_danny', this);" onmouseout="bQ();" color="#0066cc">Danny Lansanah LB 6-1, 244
Connecticut (Harrisburg, Pa.)
Lansanah, 22, finished his career with the Huskies with 323 tackles, including 35 stops for loss, and 10 interceptions. A team captain and All-Big East first-team selection as a senior, he appeared in 45 games, including 34 starts.

64 <font onmouseover="bP('carvalho_brennen', this);" onmouseout="bQ();" color="#0066cc">Brennen Carvalho C 6-1, 294
Portland State (Honolulu, Hawaii)
Carvalho, 21, was a unanimous Division I FCS (formerly I-AA) All-America selection in his final two seasons. A three-time All-Big Sky Conference selection who made 39 consecutive starts, he was awarded the Rimington Trophy in 2007 as the nation's top center at the NCAA Division I FCS level.

Now off to take my cold medication!

Later peeps.

Cheez

Sorry- my imagination must be burried somewhere out in the 3 feet of snow in my backyard. Yes it's May 2nd, and South Dakota got dumped on... snowed in. All day.

So my life must be fulfilled via my blog on sportlsine.com.Yay! Not.

But there is some news coming out of Green Bay and no different from any other year, a great deal of it has to do with Brett Favre. Retired or not, he's a legend.

For starters, the Madden vidro game announced that he will grace the cover for the '09 game. If memory serves, that will mark the first time a retired player has done so.

Secondly, the Pro Football Writers of America announced that Favre will be honored with their 2008 Good Guy Award... so one more for the old man.

The Packers have also announced the starting date of mini camps... so we'll see how these rooks do.

Well, time to go shovel again so my dog can do his buziness.

Later peeps.

CHEEZ

Well folks, the show's over. At least until the heat of mid-July infiiltrates the hearts and minds of players young and younger in Green Bay, WI. The draft has come to a close, and the Packers step away from it in a very different position than they entered it. As of Friday, Aaron Rodgers and Craig Nall were IT. If Rodgers went down, Nall would go in. If Nall went down.... there was not end to that sentence. It's not so now. Not one, but TWO Quarterbacks share in the grave misfortune with Rodgers that is following Brett Favre. Brian Brohm, formerly of Louisville, and Matt Flynn, formerly of LSU, are the two quarterbacks whom Ted Thompson has given the responsibility of feuling young Rodgers to greantess. Here is a complete listing of the Packers 2008 Draft Class.. starting with.. Jordy who?

• Round 2, Pick 36- WR Jordy Nelson, Kansas State
• Round 2, Pick 56- QB Brian Brohm, Louisville
• Round 2, Pick 60- CB Patrick Lee, Auburn
• Round 3, Pick 91- TE Jermichael Finley, Texas
• Round 4, Pick 102- DE Jeremy Thompson, Wake Forest
• Round 4, Pick 135- OG Josh SItton, Central Florida
• Round 5, Pick 150- OT Breno Giacomini, Louisville
• Round 7, Pick 209- QB Matt Flynn, LSU
• Round 7, Pick 217- WR Brett Swain, San Diego State

Well that about does it. Now it's up to the brilliant *cough cough* minds of Ted Thompson and his cohorts to put it together. I have my faith in Mike McCarthy, personally.

From Radio City Music Hall, in downtown New York City, I'm out!

Cheez

Hi all- Sorry I've been away so long...I had several personal issues to deal with regarding my immediate family and now I'm back.

Well, the draft is nearly here and I'm sure the Big Cheezes of the Packers front office are busy scurrying about making moves... I can see it now... Ted Thompson reclined in one of those black padded spinny chairs with his hands folded behind his head and his elbows pointing out wearing shorts that reveal his white legs and crisp white socks that come midway up his legs and beige sandals propped up on a long oval table with some his people sitting on either sides. Perhaps Mike McCarthy adorns the other end, also in socks [moderately shorter] and sandals, but his are burried beneath the overhang of the table and his elbows are resting on it, a black, clicky pen with a finger from his left hand on one end and his right on the other... ... ... ... ... Yeah... ... ... ...

I'm sure Aaron Rodgers is anxiously awaiting draft day... because it finally means that the Packers won't be drafting a different QB to replace Brett Favre.

I'm sure the sun is shining down on Holmgren Way and Brett Favre Pass... Lombardi Avenue too. The breeze is blowing leaves across the parking lot reminding us that even without NUMBER FOUR in town, football season does come again.

I'm sure I'm not the only Packers fan who feels an emptiness in my heart... this time of year is no different. Brett isn't normally around WI during these times... no he's somewhere... nowhere... in Mississippi riding his tractor... But somehow I feel that in the heart of every Packers fan there is a knowledge, a fear, a dread-- this time, come September-- Brett Favre won't be here. He'll never be here again. It won't be... "starting at Quarterback, #4, Brett Favre!!"... never...ever...again.</