Packer Buzz: Un-Drafted Free Agent CB Sam Shields

So the draft has come and gone and all of the teams in the NFL are sifting through the un-drafted players, looking for the next special teams gem.

Well, from the sounds of it, the Packers may have found one in former Miami Hurricane CB Sam Shields. Shields visited a couple of teams after the draft and decided that Green Bay seemed like a good fit for him. Shields is a speed demon! Clocked in around 4.3 in the 40 on his pro day at Miami.

Shields is going to be playing for a spot on special teams. My first thought was, "OK! We got a guy who has nasty wheels and those should come in handy when he is returning punts and kicks!" But I was mistaken. Shields' strengths are covering punts and kickoffs. His speed and aggressiveness make him very disruptive.

This is not that exciting as he wasn't even drafted, but the Pack desperately needs work and help on special teams and I'm happy that we are working on those needs. So keep your eye on this kid and hopefully he will surprise us!

Quick Draft Recap

So the 2010 Draft is over and the guesses begin. Who had the best draft? Did the team address their needs? Etc. Etc. Etc!

The Pack did not have a super exciting draft, but they did address some needs. First of all, I have to say that picking Brian Bulaga with our first pick was like drafting your mother over Megan Fox. Sure, its not a sexy pick, but you're mom will make you dinner, do your laundry, and clean your room. Brian Bulaga is a top tier lineman and we did not have to trade any players to get him. He isn't Dez Bryant, but he will come in right away and contribute greatly. Alright, so maybe my Mom/Megan Fox analogy was a bit strange, but you get the point. We will all be happy with Bulaga, and not because he "looks" like a Packer.

I think we stretched in the 2nd round with Mike Neal out of Purdue, but who knows, just when you take someone lightly, they end up surprising you.

We did get a couple guys later in the draft who are pretty intruiging. Third round we got a Safety from Georgia Tech who is a big guy and although they say consistency is an issue, at least we add some depth to our defensive backfield and in the 6th it sounds like we got a steal of a RB out of Buffalo who is a very big dude and will hopefully come pound the ball for us in short yardage situations.

We also ended up drafting another offensive and defensive lineman and a tight end. Big deal, who knows how any of them will do.

After the draft, I think that we addressed some concerns and forgot about a couple. I think that the Packers are counting on having Al Harris back and healthy, but it makes me a little nervous that we didn't get any CB's. As well, it looks like Clay Matthews will probably lead the team in Sacks again this season. Even though we got a couple defensive lineman, I am unsure of how much they will be able to help our mediocre pass rushing defense. I think that with the recent additions of big name pass rushers in the division (Peppers, Vanden Bosh, Suh), the Packers defensive front may be the least intimidating in the division. Bummer.

Well, now we just have to sit back and see if TT did a good job this draft. Fingers Crossed.

Recap: Bryan Bulaga

When the 23rd pick rolled around last night, Ted Thompson must have been in a bit of a quandry. I figured the pick would be easy because there were only a handful of players we were considering. But when the Pack was on the clock...THEY WERE ALL STILL AVAILABLE! Crazy! Bryan Bulaga, Jerry Hughes, Sergio Kindle, and Kyle Wilson were all still on the board. I had never been so excited about one of our draft picks because I had no idea which way old Teddy would go. In the end it was Bulaga, and aside from the fact that he grew up as a Bears fan, I really like the pick.

Clifton and Tauscher are solid tackles, but both are aging and are injury prone. This should give the Pack some time to groom their future starter by working him into the lineup as a guard or at least giving him some time to work against some NFL talent while waiting for an inevitable injury to one of the other starters.

I wasn't sure how i was going to like the new draft format, but I like it better than i thought i would. It gave me a whole nother day to look forward to meaningful rounds of the draft. I'm predicting the Packers will take either an OLB or Safety in the 2nd round...hopefully it's as exciting as the first.

With the 23rd Pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, the Green Bay Packers select...

Holy Cow! It has been months since our last post and a lot has happened throughout the league. Tomorrow is also the first round of the NFL Draft.

First of all, I need to mention how disappointed I am that they changed the draft schedule and we will now be watching the 1st Round on Thursday, the 2nd and 3rd on Friday, and then the rest some other time during the weekend. I remember the good old days when I could sit on my couch for all of draft weekend, eat snacks and drink beer. That was fantastic. Now, I will have to get pumped up to watch the draft after a long day of work, and then do the same thing the next night. Complete garbage if you ask me.

Ok! Now that my rant is over, lets talk about the draft.

The Packers have very specific needs that they will look to address throughout the draft. Those needs are at CB, Safety, O-Line, D-Line, and then possibly RB. For a long time, the offensive line looked to be the top priority for the Pack, but after re-signing Clifton and Tauscher, and given that the draft seems very deep at that position, it sounds as if the Pack may look elsewhere with their first pick.

My thought is that the Packers will look at grabbing a top tier defensive back in the first. With rumors of the Pack being interested in trading up in the first round, the options grow larger. Lets take a quick look at some of the players available in the first:

1. Eric Berry - Safety: Unless the Packers are looking to trade way up in the draft, it sounds like Berry will be long gone.

2. Earl Thomas - Safety: Thomas is projected to go around 10 or 11. If the rumors about the Pack trading up into that area are true, Thomas could be the guy targeted by the Pack.

3. Joe Haden - Cornerback: Haden is the top CB in the draft. Again, Haden would be in the same boat as Thomas and would only be available to the Pack if we were to move up in the draft.

4. Kyle Wilson - Cornerback: Wilson is a solid cornerback and has been talked about a lot this week as one of the top DB's in the draft. Wilson once thought to go late in the first round had a great Senior Bowl and could end up being taken earlier than originally expected. I don't anticipate him being on the board @ 23, but he may be another potential trade up opportunity.

5. Taylor Mays - Safety: Mays is a beast at safety. He is big, strong, and fast. However, I have heard mixed reviews on him. Regardless, Mays has a huge upside and I think unless someone better drops down tomorrow, he would be hard to pass up at #23.

So I started off by talking about the defensive back, mostly because that's who I want the Packers to take in the first, and also because they are more exciting to talk about that Offensive Lineman. There is also talk about the Pack looking for pass rushers in the first and I think it may be likely to get one of the top guys to play OLB/DE in our 3-4 scheme. I also think we can assume that TT won't be drafting a RB in the first round.

We will attempt to make posts over the next few days regarding the Packer's draft results and thoughts. So for our follower out there, check back later!