More Than 4 To Worry About » Brats & Beer

July 22, 2008
posted under: Johnny Jolly, Justin Harrell, Packers, Ryan Grant

As we move past the soap opera of the off-season and head into training camp, there have been a couple good articles out there recently on serious issues facing the Green Bay Packers that have nothing to do with Brett Favre. (Is it even possible?)

Jason Wilde at the State Journal, who is threatening to become the dominant Packers beat writer in the state, wrote an excellent piece yesterday spotlighting several question marks, namely contract negotiations for Ryan Grant and the 2008 rookie class. New information was scarce, but Wilde did score some quotes from an elusive Ted Thompson that talks with Grant were still “ongoing” and that the general manager doesn’t “anticipate any real problems” getting his draft picks under contract soon. Let’s hope that is the case.

(And because no post here can go without mentioning something about the Favre imbroglio, Wilde also managed to pry out of TT that he did at least say hello to No. 4 at the Packers Hall of Fame ceremony over the weekend. “Everything was kind of busy and hectic,” the general manager said. I bet it was.)

The Press-Gazette also started its pre-training camp coverage yesterday with a good article from Pete Dougherty analyzing problems with the defensive line. With less than seven weeks until the opening game against the Vikings, the interior line is looking anything but solid with Justin Harrell still sitting out with a back injury and Johnny Jolly facing a probable suspension and possibly jail time for a narcotics charge a couple weeks ago.

Both those players were expected to step up this season and make an impact on defense, but chances of that panning out are looking grim at this point. I’m hoping TT has been keeping an eye on other teams’ rosters to make a trade during camp or maybe he knows a street free agent out there he can sign to shore things up. Or maybe all that talk earlier in the year about Bob Sanders looking to blitz more this season will pay some dividends despite a weak interior line.

And just to bring it all back around to Favre, because that’s what we Packer fans do, I would submit that the defense and not the quarterback position will play a more important role in how successful the Packers are this season. If the defense can’t get it done, then we’re looking at a mediocre year at best, with or without Favre under center. A healthy D-line, on the other hand, can give Aaron Rodgers the breathing room he’ll need to chalk up some wins and start his own legacy at Lambeau Field.