Railbird Central : Brett Swain

Packers Daily Links 9.9.09

Brian Carriveau — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 11:30:00 GMT

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It was another great episode of Packer Transplants last night in which Tom Pelissero of the Green Bay Press-Gazette and Chris Lempesis of Ol' Bag of Donuts joined us. See you next week at 8 p.m. CDT.

Bloomberg lets us know about the Packers' salary cap management. "The Green Bay Packers have the lowest five-year average payroll at $87.1 million and have made the playoffs twice in that span," according to Vince Golle of Bloomberg.com. Remember not to put too much stock into this. With both ceilings and floors, not much seperates every NFL team's spending habits.

USA Today released their winners and losers list for the preseason. Guess which side the Packers fell on? "The conversion to the 3-4 defense under new coordinator Dom Capers appears to be working," writes Tom Pedulla of USA Today. "Aaron Rodgers has looked very good one year removed from Brett Favre's shadow." You're preaching to the choir.

Tony Wilson from Mike McCarthy's Feedbag has sympathy for recently released wide receiver Ruvell Martin. "It's a shame that Martin had to face the music," writes Wilson. "He's a quality posession receiver who can produce with another team. Unfortunately, the Packers just have too much depth at that position." Hopefully Martin is able to latch on with another NFL team. Heck, if the Packers sustained an injury to a wide receiver, maybe they wouldn't mind bringing him back.

Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel profiles the player who took Martin's spot on the team, Brett Swain. "Swain improved in a few areas, concentrating on his speed first," Nickel says of Swain's '08 season. "Swain had gained a little more than 10 pounds in the weight room soon after he was drafted, thinking that extra weight was needed for the NFL. But once he was in Green Bay, he realized that he didn't need as much bulk and he needed speed, especially at his 6-foot height. So he dropped back to his optimal playing weight of 200 pounds and picked up his quickness as a result." Swain looks both stronger and faster than a year ago.

Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times gives general manager Ted Thompson credit for cutting his losses with quarterback Brian Brohm." Let's face it, most GMs wouldn't have made such a bold move and so quickly acknowledged their blunder," writes Woelfel. Thompson is becoming more and more known for bold moves.

Alex Tallitsch of Packers Lounge tells us not to get too carried away over the cut of Tyrell Sutton. "Let’s remember to not get excited about a guy who tears it up in the third and fourth quarters of the preseason," writes Tallitsch. "We want a player who already knows how to get it done late in a game that actually means something. I personally would not be comfortable with Sutton in the backfield with the contest on the line. Apparently, Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy were not either." The argument I have with that reasoning is that the only player who fits the bill of knowing how to get it done late in a game is Ryan Grant. It's not like Brandon Jackson and DeShawn Wynn are miles ahead of Sutton in that regard.

Mr. Bacon of Packers Lounge lets us in on one of the secrets to Donald Driver's success. "Driver’s days of #1 WR are over, and he takes it with pride," writes Mr. Bacon. "Why should he not, he is surrounded by a solid core, and while Driver is #2, he plays against a #2 CB, which is a mismatch for Driver and his ability to play like a #1." Good to see, Mr. Bacon. I hope to read more of your writings at the Lounge.

Mike Spofford of Packers.com has a feel good story about Aaron Kampman and his connection to his hometown that was struck by tragedy.

Those of you going to Sunday's game, it's the Coats for Kids collection.

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Blue, red & cow chips in Packers '09 preseason loss to Titans

Brian Carriveau — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 18:17:18 GMT

Designating blue chips, red chips and cow chips is our way of analyzing each game's winners and losers for the Packers. Although after last night's game, is it possible to award more cow chips and less blue chips? Oh well, I'll try my best...

Jordy Nelson -- Nelson was one of the few players on the team that looked really stellar based mostly on his 33-yard catch and run where he really turned on the afterburners. He took a short pass and turned it into a long gain. But he also had three catches for 50 yards total, which is pretty good considering the amount of snaps he played.
B.J. Raji -- Of course the injury was unfortunate. Before the injury even occurred, though, Raji had a sack, three tackles and a quarterback hurry. Once again, not bad for not even playing a full half of football. Raji has shown that he can be a force to be reckoned with. Hopefully he won't miss much time in the regular season.

Brian Brohm -- Considering where he's come from, Brohm has been progressing pretty darn well. Maybe his passer rating wasn't as pretty as last week, but he also threw more than just four passes this week. Brohm completed 20 out of 28 passes. He's still got a long way to go, but at least there's progress being made.
Brett Swain -- Swain had two catches for 13 yards, but more impressive was that he played offense, defense and special teams all in the same game. The wideout had to play cornerback for pretty much all of the fourth quarter as three defensive backs went down with injuries. He even passed off a receiver to a safety helping over the top. Not bad.

Trevor Ford -- It's not like Ford had a chance of making the 53-man roster, but boy he looked bad getting torched for two touchdown passes. It seemed like the Titans were purposely picking on the young rookie. And then Ford went out of the game injured with only three plays left in the game. He'd probably like to forget last night's performance.
Clay Matthews -- While it's good that Matthews saw his first game action since training camp opened, he showed very little on the field. He was a little bit better in pass rush than run support. The young linebacker absolutely got swallowed by both linemen and tight ends failing to disengage at the point of attack. Maybe things will change in a month's time, but Poppinga is definitely the better option to begin the season, at least in the base defense.

Watch special teams for bubble players tonight

Brian Carriveau — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 19:49:27 GMT

Tonight is the last chance for several Green Bay Packers to make a statement before the mandatory roster cutdown to 53 players by Saturday at the latest.

Some of those players on the fringe may have to have an impact on special teams if they're hopeful of making the roster. And there should be several interesting players to watch this evening in their final bid to make the team.

I know some guys like Charlie Peprah and Will Blackmon have been injured, and that's not helping their cause to make the team, especially in the case of a bubble player like Peprah.

Meanwhile, guys like Joe Porter and Brett Swain have been taking their place on the first string kickoff unit. As arguably the fastest person on the team, Porter is stating his case. And except for breaking the halo rule on punt coverage, Swain hasn't done half bad himself.

Those two guys will be a pair to keep an eye on special teams this evening. One would have to assume that the Packers will be giving playing time to those with a chance of playing on Sundays in order to get some experience.

Another player who needs to contribute but hasn't already is fullback Quinn Johnson. He started off training camp in a rough fashion but has been improving ever since. But he also needs to play on special teams in order to prove his worth to the Packers.

Pay attention to special teams personnel tonight. It might just give an indication who may or may not make the team.

Best & worst case scenarios for the Packers wide receivers

Brian Carriveau — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 15:51:21 GMT

We continue our third annual best and worst case scenarios for every player on the Green Bay Packers roster. Today we analyze how the wide receivers are going to do in '09. Next up is tight ends...

Greg Jennings

Best case scenario: Jennings has been one of the better wide receivers in the NFL for a couple years now, there's no doubt about that. This is the year he finally gets recognized for it. It's been a shame that Jennings has never been voted into the Pro Bowl. Not only does he get voted in this season, but he's a starter. He's among the league leaders in receptions, yards and touchdowns. But his average yards per catch is what sets him apart.
Worst case scenario: It's not really Jennings' fault, but a deep receiving corps is the reason the Packers spread the football around. Guys like Donald Driver, James Jones and Jordy Nelson take a lot of catches away from Jennings. He's still a great wide receiver, it's just that his statistics don't really show it.

Donald Driver

Best case scenario: The old man just keeps getting it done. He plays second fiddle to Jennings for another season, but that doesn't mean he's not effective. Driver has over 1,000 yard receiving for yet another year. He just seems like he's never going to slow down.
Worst case scenario: No one wants to believe Driver is going to slow down, but he does. He keeps himself in peak condition, and stays healthy for all 16 games, but he's just lost a step. Guys like James Jones and Jordy Nelson prove to be better receiving options. Driver still has worth, though. He's can still be the cagey veteran that will make catches over the middle. And his experience makes him even more valuable in crunch time of close games and any run for the playoffs the Packers make.

James Jones

Best case scenario: Maybe he doesn't start as many games as Donald Driver, but by year's end, it's pretty clear that Jones has become the team's no. 2 wide receiver. Jones puts an underachieving '08 season behind him. There are no injury concerns to fall back on, and he really breaks out. Maybe Jones isn't the fastest receiver on the team, but he knows how to get open. And it helps that he doesn't drop nearly as many balls as he did a year ago.
Worst case scenario: There's too many things working against Jones. He's not fast. He drops balls. He doesn't break many tackles. He gets injured, and he attributes his lack of production to his injuries. Jones is the fourth best wide receiver on the team at best. Jennings, Driver and Nelson all have more receptions than him. And if Jones lets an attitude plague him, he could find himself out of the Packers' plans in 2010.

Jordy Nelson

Best case scenario: Any arguments over who "wins" the number three wide receiver job are overrated, because both Nelson and Jones are going to get plenty of playing time. But it becomes clear that Nelson is defintely the third best on the team, at least in terms of receptions. He has sure hands, and Aaron Rodgers gains even more confidence in Nelson than he did a year ago. Nelson played well as a rookie and makes just as much progress in his second year.
Worst case scenario: Nelson is a solid, try hard kind of guy. "Packer people" if you will. But he can't shake the possession receiver label. He has sure hands and can be trusted, but he rarely gets open deep. The Packers know what they have in Nelson, but you have to wonder if there's other receivers out there that have more upside.

Ruvell Martin

Best case scenario: Nobody seriously threatens Martin's job as the fifth wide receiver. He's just too solid. He's big and can be exploited in either the red zone or as a possession receiver. He plays on special teams. And heck, he's even the team's emergency fourth quarterback and has practiced as the holder as well. Even as the team's fifth wide receiver, he knows how to make the gameday 45-man active roster.
Worst case scenario: Ruvell is passed up by young up-and-comers. He likely still makes the team, but Martin can't match the upside of guys like Jake Allen or Brett Swain. The '09 season could be the beginning of the end of Martin's tenure in Green Bay.

Brett Swain

Best case scenario: Swain showed huge improvement beginning in the offseason and carries it into the preseason. With a couple of big receptions and even a touchdown or two, Swain is making it tough on the Packers to cut him. Ultimately, the Packers give him a chance on the 53-man roster. They didn't draft him for nothing. They think he can contribute. He has a handful of receptions during the regular season in '09, but he shows that he might be more of a factor in another year.
Worst case scenario: After such a good showing during OTAs and mini-camp, Swain has been surprisingly absent during training camp. Not only do the Packers cut him, but they don't ask him to be on the practice squad either.

Jake Allen

Best case scenario: Tall, lanky and deceptively fast, Allen has what it takes to make it in the NFL. He's still raw, but he's worth developing. Forced with losing him to another team if they cut him, the Packers stash Allen on the 53-man roster as the sixth wide receiver. He doesn't have much production with so many good receivers ahead of him, but there's promise.
Worst case scenario: Seemingly only good in shorts and shells, Allen doesn't produce when it's time to put on the pads. With very little production in preseason games, he doesn't prove he's worthy of a spot on the team. He's asked to be on the practice squad for a second straight year.

JaRon Harris

Best case scenario: As evidenced by his playing with the first string during practice and hauling in a touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers, Harris has shown he's for real. If he can carry it over into preseason games when the pads go on and safeties are looking to take his head off, he could be one of the longest of longshots to make the 53-man roster. He only makes it if the Packers keep six receivers, though.
Worst case scenario: His one fantastic day of practice was a fleeting moment of fame. There's plenty of other good young receivers on the roster, and he gets lost in the shuffle. Harris is cut and not on the practice squad either.

Kole Heckendorf

Best case scenario: Local boy makes good. Heckendorf is more than just some small school longshot. He's got skills including refined route running. His big frame doesn't hurt either. The Packers ask him to be on the practice squad, and he spends all season there as he gains some experience.
Worst case scenario: Heckendorf is a good story, but good stories alone don't make it in the NFL. He's too raw and no amount of time on the practice squad is going to work out all the kinks. He's cut and not brought back.

Patrick Williams

Best case scenario: If Williams makes it past the first round of cuts, it will have been a success. At least he gained two more weeks experience of what it's like in an NFL training camp.
Worst case scenaro: A setback from an injury suffered early in training camp didn't help. Williams didn't get the repetitions he so desperately needed. The Packers cut him and don't exactly miss him either.

Packers Daily Links 5.21.09

Brian Carriveau — Thu, 21 May 2009 16:58:07 GMT

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Getting a lot of publicity lately is that agent Drew Rosenhaus is on Twitter. Directly related to the Packers, Rosenhaus recently commented on his only Green Bay client, Atari Bigby. Rosenhaus writes, "Another strong safety that will have a big year is Atari Bigby with the Packers. He is healthy and ready to make some big hits again." That was probably the most intelligent thing Rosenhaus wrote. I actually agree with him. Unfortunately, he also spews off a bunch of drivel.

Good on the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Greg Bedard for lambasting Rosenhaus in today's Packer Daily Briefing. In response to Rosenhaus writing, "Kudos to the Miami Dolphins for spending the most cash over cap this yr. It's really disappointing that so many teams are way under the cap." Bedard retorts, "Nevermind the fact that the Packers have a boatload of free agents heading into contract years. So it's not like Ted Thompson is going to pocket the leftover money. It will all be used." And he is absolutely spot on. Is there anyone on the face of the planet that can't see through Drew Rosenhaus? Any Packer fan that criticizes Ted Thompson for being a large amount under the salary cap is naive. By the end of the season, the cap will be nearly 100 percent spent on signing players to contract extensions much like the Packers did with Aaron Rodgers last season.

At the NFL's spring owners meeting in Florida, they talked about extending the "Rooney Rule" to all NFL teams hiring general managers, which requires interviewing minority candidates. This could impact the Packers in regards to director of player personnel Reggie McKenzie, a minority who has been on the NFL general manager radar for teams with openings.

In his position by position series running up to the beginning of OTAs next week, the Green Bay Press-Gazette's Tom Pelissero looked at the wide receivers yesterday. Among players on last year's squad, he thinks Ruvell Martin could be getting a run for his money. "Martin received the $1.01 million restricted free-agent tender, and that’s a lot to pay a No. 5 receiver," writes Pelissero."The obvious option to replace him is Swain, a seventh-round pick out of San Diego State in 2008 who didn’t make the team. Swain (6-0, 203) admittedly was overwhelmed in his first training camp; a year on the practice squad let him work on his footwork and press releases every day against the likes of Charles Woodson and Al Harris, but it remains to be seen whether that’ll pay off in August." It's possible the Packers could keep six wide receivers on the 53-man roster. They've done it before. Guys like Swain, Jake Allen or Jamarko Simmons could be a candidate.

According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, quarterback Aaron Rodgers took in a Padres game yesterday near his native Del Mar. "“I try to get to San Diego as much as I can,” Rodgers told the newspaper. “I like baseball. I pitched as a senior in high school, got up to about 91, 92 miles-per-hour.” I wonder if he was recruited for baseball at all.

The Packers official website takes a look at undrafted rookies Dean Muhtadi and Dane Randolph who both played college ball at Maryland and both beat the odds by becoming undrafted free agents with the Packers. "They're sort of on a quest together, and their college friendship has only grown since coming to Green Bay earlier this month," writes Mike Spofford of Packers.com. "Their lockers in the auxiliary locker room are on the end of facing rows, directly across from one another, and they ended up getting the "good news" - the contract offers - together following the third rookie workout on orientation weekend."

Randolph is also still keeping up with his journal entries for the Washington Post despite the draft process being over. Yesterday Randolph wrote, "I have been through two days of the Green Bay Packers rookie offseason week. So far, our first two days have been very extensive, working out with the training staff, putting in the offense and doing position drills. From 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. we are at Lambeau Field, where everything is centralized, from meetings, practice, weight lifting, the training room, the dining room, the locker room, and much more." Randolph gives a little insight into the offseason training program, and I think he's accurate about it being just rookies this week. Judging by Rodgers being at a Padres game and Nick Barnett's Twitter updates from the West Coast, it appears the veterans are out of town.

Former Packers runningback Najeh Davenport had a noteworthy day yesterday. After getting his restored 1970 Impala stolen, he took off after the thief in another car, and a high speed car chase ensued. "Police said Rodney Terrell Green, 22, fled in Davenport's Impala toward Amanda Street, striking four parked vehicles before fleeing on foot toward a Foodland on Brownsville Road," reports WTAE in Pittsburgh.

Former Packer Frank Winters has joined the Indianapolis Colts coaching staff as an intern.

Tom Curran of NBC Sports lists the Packers' front office as one of seven in the NFL that are on the hot seat. "The Packers defense continues to be inconsistent," writes Curran. "At the end of last season, nearly all of coach Mike McCarthy’s assistants were jettisoned. A less-than-stellar 2009 could result in Thompson being the next to go."

Packers Gab hopes the offensive line will stop their musical chairs routine. They're not alone regarding that complaint.

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