Green Bay
Packers

Packers Team Report

Updated: February 09, 2012 03:46 EST

It has the makings of a blockbuster sequel.

Consider team records were set in the 2011 season for points (560), total net yards (6,482), not to mention the eye-popping statistics produced by quarterback Aaron Rodgers with passing yards (4,643), touchdown throws (45) and passer rating (122.5), the latter also an NFL milestone.

In short, the Packers offense is loaded for more of the same fireworks next season. The unit is expected to remain mostly, if not fully, intact, so much that Green Bay could have more changes on that side of the football with its coaches than it does with its players.

After offensive coordinator Joe Philbin left for a golden opportunity to coach the Miami Dolphins, a trickle-down effect has ensued on the coaching staff. Head coach Mike McCarthy promoted quarterbacks coach Tom Clements to coordinator, and tight ends coach Ben McAdoo was moved to Clements' former post.

What cosmetic alterations may be made with player personnel will be in the offing in the coming weeks.

The Packers have a short list of prospective free agents. Of those, only four are offensive players: tight end Jermichael Finley, running back Ryan Grant, center Scott Wells and quarterback Matt Flynn.

The likely scenario is general manager Ted Thompson will use the franchise tag on Finley, an indispensable playmaker in the era of explosive tight ends, and allow Flynn to explore a long-coveted starting opportunity elsewhere.

That leaves Grant and Wells with the start of free agency March 13 a month away. The early money is on the Packers' re-signing Wells, a first-time Pro Bowl honoree last season, and sitting back to see what interest the 29-year-old Grant draws from other teams at the outset.

Breaking up the Rodgers-Wells pairing after four years isn't desirable. Letting Grant go, however, wouldn't be a substantial loss given that Green Bay has a young stable of capable backs with James Starks, Brandon Saine and Alex Green, a promising third-round draft pick last year who will be coming back from a severe knee injury.

Beyond the free agents, Thompson and McCarthy have to decide whether the success and continuity of the high-powered offense won't be compromised by saying farewell to a couple mainstays.

Receiver Donald Driver, the team's longest-tenured player since 1999, turned 37 on Feb. 2 and is due a $2.2 million roster bonus next month. His scheduled earnings for next season is $5 million, a huge amount for a player whose production dropped considerably to 37 catches for 445 yards last season.

The Packers already have an embarrassment of riches in the receiving corps with Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, James Jones, Randall Cobb and Finley, which makes Driver expendable.

Meanwhile, left tackle Chad Clifton, a starter with the team since his rookie season in 2000, is due to earn $5.7 million next season, including a $5.25 million salary.

Clifton, who turns 36 in June, missed most of last season with hamstring and back injuries. With Bryan Bulaga entrenched at right tackle, Marshall Newhouse or 2011 first-round draft pick Derek Sherrod would be a worthy successor if the Clifton era in Green Bay indeed comes to an end.

Rodgers is prepared to bid adieu to a few of the pieces that have contributed to the Packers' impressive puzzle on offense.

What the newly honored NFL MVP can't predict is whether Green Bay can replicate what was accomplished last season, when it rolled up the points in going 15-1 during the regular season before the stunning 37-20 loss to the New York Giants in the divisional round of the playoffs.

"It might not be 45 (touchdowns) and six (interceptions) every year," said Rodgers, referring to his regular-season numbers. "But, I'm blessed for the way it worked out, and hopefully, we can win a couple more championships. That's more important."

--The Packers absorbed only one loss on their enticing coaching staff after their near-perfect season ended prematurely in the playoffs. Yet, the departure of offensive coordinator Joe Philbin to become head coach with the Miami Dolphins has created some significant movement in the chain of command on offense under Mike McCarthy.

Green Bay's head coach promoted longtime aides Tom Clements and Ben McAdoo to key positions. Clements is making the transition from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator, while McAdoo is progressing from tight ends coach to quarterbacks coach.

Neither move comes as a surprise, though quarterback Aaron Rodgers hinted at some reservations about potentially having McAdoo as his position coach a day before the appointment came to light Feb. 8.

"I'm in my eighth season," Rodgers said on his weekly radio show on ESPN Milwaukee. "It will be interesting to see what direction (McCarthy) wants to go in, if he wants to bring in a former quarterback with experience to kind of help me with the transition into the middle part of my career, a more of an established player in the league now.

"I'm not sure what the dynamic would be with a coach who hasn't coached the position before," continued Rodgers, alluding to McAdoo. "But, Ben is a very a talented coach, and if they do make that decision, I'm sure he will make a smooth transition."

Rodgers is the face of the franchise and was named NFL MVP on the eve of the Super Bowl on Feb. 4. Yet, his on-air lobbying to have a onetime NFL quarterback such as Billy Joe Tolliver or Rich Gannon come in as Clements' replacement didn't make a difference with McCarthy.

Taking a page out of Packers Hall of Fame-elect coach Mike Holmgren's personnel playbook, McCarthy tapped the 34-year-old McAdoo to be the quarterbacks coach.

Holmgren promoted tight ends coach Andy Reid to quarterbacks coach in 1997. Reid's ability to establish a solid working relationship with then-star QB Brett Favre and earn Favre's respect the next two seasons opened the door for Reid to go to the Philadelphia Eagles as head coach.

McCarthy, who incidentally replaced Reid as Green Bay's quarterbacks coach in 1999, has cast McAdoo in the same light as an emerging assistant coach who is on track to be an NFL head coach.

In fact, McCarthy put the kibosh on requests made by the Dolphins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers to interview McAdoo for their offensive-coordinator vacancies.

After proving his value with the development of the tight ends, particularly young standout Jermichael Finley, since he arrived in Green Bay in 1996, McAdoo will have his work cut out with his new position group. While he won't need to do much hands-on work with Rodgers, McAdoo will be entrusted to cultivate an unknown group of understudies as the Packers prepare to lose top backup Matt Flynn in free agency.

Fortunately for Rodgers, he still has Clements in the building. Rodgers gives a lot of credit to Clements, who was the team's quarterbacks coach since 2006, for being able to hit the ground running and quickly evolve into an elite QB after replacing Favre as the starter in 2008.

"I have enjoyed our six years of spending every working day together, and his relationship means a lot to me," Rodgers said on his radio show. "I have a lot of respect and admiration for him."

Clements is no stranger to leading an offense. He was the Buffalo Bills' offensive coordinator in 2004 and '05.

McCarthy has yet to speak publicly since the coaching changes were made, but he likely will continue to call the plays on offense as he did his first six seasons as the Packers' head coach.

McCarthy has to fill the position of tight ends coach, which also could come internally. Former longtime New Orleans Saints offensive lineman Joel Hilgenberg, who joined McCarthy's staff as an offensive quality control coach last year, might be under consideration.

--In what proved to be an anticlimactic NFL awards show broadcast by NBC the night before Super Bowl XLVI, Rodgers was honored as the landslide winner of the league MVP award.

He received 48 of the 50 first-place votes in the balloting conducted by The Associated Press. New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees garnered the other two top votes.

Rodgers is the fifth Packers player to be named MVP since the inception of the award in 1961.

"It's exciting. It really is," Rodgers said. "It's something that is honestly a goal. It's something you want to be recognized for your play, being consistent, being a guy that your teammates can count on.

"This obviously is an award that takes a lot of players in order for one person to receive this award. I'm very grateful for the coaching staff that we have, the plan they put together and the guys that I'm able to throw to and the guys that block for me and run the ball. This is something that's very special to me."

Rodgers set a single-season league record with a passer rating of 122.5 and also established team records for passing yards (4,643), touchdown passes (45) and completion percentage (68.3) while throwing only six interceptions.

During his acceptance speech at the awards show in Indianapolis, Rodgers gave a playful jab to the San Francisco 49ers, his favorite team when he was growing up in Northern California.

"Big Niners fan as a kid - thanks for drafting me," said Rodgers, making reference to the 49ers' passing on him with the No. 1 pick in the 2005 draft, when the former Cal standout fell to the Packers at the No. 24.

Rodgers is the Packers' first league MVP since Favre won the last of his three awards in as many years in 1997, when he shared it with Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders. Green Bay's other MVPs were running backs Paul Hornung in 1961 and Jim Taylor in '62 and quarterback Bart Starr in '66.

Rodgers' selection for the 2011 season marks the fifth straight year a quarterback has been named MVP, equaling a five-year run for quarterbacks from 1966 to '70 for the longest domination by one position for the award.

--Rodgers' stay in Indianapolis also included an extended appearance as a guest analyst during NBC's pregame show for the Super Bowl.

Rodgers earned glowing reviews from TV critics and also NBC executives for his TV work.

However, the charismatic 28-year-old declared a couple days later on his radio show that he doesn't foresee having a broadcasting career when his playing days are over.

"As much fun as it was to be in that setting - I really appreciate the opportunity from NBC, I enjoyed the little segments I got to do - I really would like to use my talents to do other things when I am done playing," Rodgers said. "That's still the plan."

Rodgers is an avid golfer and was preparing to play for the first time in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, which started Feb. 9 and ends Feb. 12. Rodgers' playing partner from the PGA Tour is D.J. Trahan.

--Receiver/kick returner Randall Cobb joined Rodgers as a recipient at the NFL awards ceremony Feb. 4.

Cobb was selected for the Play of the Year award for his league-record-tying, 108-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the season-opening win over the Saints on Sept. 8.

When asked whether he realized how big of a play that was in the game, which put the Packers up 35-20 in the third quarter before they held on to win 42-34, Cobb said in retrospect, "No, not so much at the time."

"Of course, later on in the game when we saw how tight it was, obviously it was a big play," Cobb added. "Special teams always makes a big difference."

--Just as that league-opening matchup in prime time between the Packers and Saints at Lambeau Field was a showdown of the two most recent Super Bowl champions, another clash of league winners could kick off the 2012 season.

The Packers are slated to play the New York Giants on the road next season. After upsetting the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI, the Giants figure to be showcased on opening night with a home game, and 2010 league champion Green Bay is probably the most logical opponent.

The league schedule won't be released until the spring.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I'm excited about the near future. We have a great young team. We probably need to add a few pieces to get back to the Super Bowl, but I have a lot of faith in (general manager) Ted Thompson and his people." - Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, on the Packers' trying to bounce back from the early exit in the playoffs.

As general manager Ted Thompson turns his attention to seemingly his favorite time of the year - the two months of build-up to the NFL Draft in late April - he may have a decision to render before he heads to the Feb. 22-28 scouting combine in Indianapolis.

Tight end Jermichael Finley is a popular pick among their small group of free agents-to-be for the Packers to use the franchise tag.

Teams can start to play the game of tag Feb. 20 and will have until March 5 to use it before the start of free agency March 13.

The playmaking Finley reiterated his desire during appearances he made Super Bowl week in Indianapolis that he wants to remain with the Packers. If Green Bay applies the franchise tag on him, Finley would stand to earn $5.4 million per the one-year tender at his position.

MEDICAL WATCH

--FS Nick Collins is optimistic about playing again after he suffered what was feared to be a career-threatening neck injury in the Packers' Week 2 win at the Carolina Panthers on Sept. 18. Collins, who subsequently underwent surgery, recently said on a Wisconsin radio show hosted by Bill Michaels that he expects to "be back" and receive clearance from his doctors when he sees them again in March. Collins has been working out in recent weeks.

--TE Andrew Quarless (torn ACL) and OT Derek Sherrod (broken leg), who suffered season-ending injuries in December, are doubtful to be ready for the start of training camp in the late summer. It's possible neither player will be healthy enough by the start of the 2012 season.