The Dust Has Settled...It's the Offseason...

There has been a little bit of news over the past few weeks that we have failed to report, but I think that at this point we’ve finally gotten over the heartbreaking loss we sustained in Arizona. So…here goes. Charles Woodson was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year for 2009 much to the dismay of Rex Ryan, due to the Saints going to the Super Bowl and Favre foregoing the Pro Bowl Aaron Rodgers will be the starting QB representing the NFC this Sunday in Miami, and Vikings fans now get to endure what Packer fans dealt with more than once over the years…Favre throwing a season ending INT and now sitting and waiting to see whether he will retire or not. I personally would like to see him wait until around August 1st to decide and then say that he is done for good. The more likely Sage Rosenfels or Tavaris Jackson will be the QB, the better off we will all be.

Anywho, what do we talk about next? The Pro Bowl? Free Agency? The Draft? There are plenty of weeks ahead to discuss free agency and the draft, so I’ll address the Pro Bowl for now. The Packers had 3 players selected to play (only 1 to start), but due to injuries and decisions to forego the Pro Bowl we ended up with…well…still 3. But Woodson decided to sit it out and Clay Matthews stepped in as an OLB. Rodgers is the only starter, he and Matthews will be joined by Nick Collins (making his 2nd straight Pro Bowl appearance). I like seeing the Packers have some representation in this game. Not that it makes a big difference, but it shows that we have some talent and that it’s being recognized. I believe that Rodgers will be a great QB for the Pack for many years to come and that Woodson will continue to play extremely well in Capers’ new 3-4 scheme for a few more seasons. Clay Matthews was maybe the brightest spot on the defense this year, after missing the first few games of the season he dominated offensive lines and finished with a team-leading 10 sacks. I am looking forward to seeing him continue to develop and making many more Pro Bowls in for the Green and Gold. Collins is really the only question mark, not about his play, but about his contract. It’s understood that he’s a restricted free agent this year and he’s hoping to get a multi-year contract extension. So we’ll see what happens. I expect Teddy Thompson to make him a priority during this offseason and solidify part of our somewhat shaky defensive backfield. But I digress, I’m actually more interested in the Senior Bowl this weekend than I am in the Pro Bowl. I’m really just hoping that none of our guys end up getting hurt. I’ll be scouting the Senior Bowl for some talent that the Pack can grab in April. We’ll discuss Free Agency and the Draft in further detail in the coming weeks. GO PACK!