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Martinez, Graham land deals elsewhere

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Blake Martinez

With the Green Bay Packers adding free agent inside linebacker Christian Kirksey on Monday, former Packers linebacker Blake Martinez is headed elsewhere.

Martinez has received a three-year deal from the New York Giants, worth $30 million.

Martinez was a fourth-round draft pick by the Packers out of Stanford in 2016.  Martinez has collected at least 140 tackles in each of the last three seasons and hadn’t missed a game since his rookie season.

Tight end Jimmy Graham, released after two seasons in Green Bay, got a two-year, $16 million deal from the Chicago Bears.  Graham caught just five touchdown passes during his two seasons in Green Bay.

NFL Draft will go forward as scheduled

The NFL Draft is going ahead as scheduled, but without public events in Las Vegas.  The draft will take place April 23rd through the 25th and will still be televised.  NFL commissioner Roger Goodell says they are exploring innovative options for how the process plays out.

The NFL is putting its offseason workouts on hold.  Roger Goodell says the league and players union have agreed to indefinitely delay the start of team workouts.  Prospective free agents are also not allowed to travel to meet with teams or vice versa.

 

Packers set to part ways with Jimmy Graham Thursday

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Jimmy Graham

The Green Bay Packers are reportedly set to part ways with veteran tight end Jimmy Graham today, after two seasons with the team.

ESPN first reported the move that was highly anticipated.  Graham thanks Packers fans via Twitter on Wednesday for their support and memories from the past two seasons.

Graham’s departure will save the Packers about $8 million on their salary cap for 2020.

Graham had 38 receptions for 447 yards in 2019, both totals being his lowest since his 2010 rookie season.

Graham signed a three-year deal with the Packers in 2018 and played in every game during his two seasons in Green Bay.  But he dealt with a number of physical issues during that time.  When he signed, it was thought Graham would play a large roll in the red zone, but he finished with just five touchdown receptions.

The Packers roster will be thin at tight end with Graham’s departure, but the Packers are thought to be interested in Atlanta free agent Austin Hooper who caught 75 passes for the Falcons last season.  Hooper won’t turn 26 until October.

NFL teams can begin talking with potential free agents on Monday.

Packers in the market for a wide receivers coach

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Davante Adams

The Green Bay Packers are looking for a wide receivers coach after head coach Matt LaFleur fired Alvis Whitted last week.  The move was first reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Davante Adams led the Packers with 83 catches for 997 yards and five touchdowns, despite missing four games with a turf toe injury.  But no other receiver performed with any consistency and wideouts Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Geronimo Allison both took a step backwards.

Running backs Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams had 49 and 39 receptions respectively and tight end Jimmy Graham added 38 catches.  All three had more catches than the number two receiver, which by the end of the season became Allen Lazard with 35.

Valdes-Scantling followed a solid rookie season with just 26 receptions for 452 yards and two touchdowns.  By the end of the season, Aaron Rodgers hardly made an effort to throw him the ball.  In fact, Valdes-Scantling just just five catches over the last nine regular-season games.

Whitted is the second assistant coach to leave the Packers coaching staff.  Jason Simmons left to take a job with the Carolina Panthers.  The Packers replaced Simmons by hiring former Minnesota Vikings defensive backs coach Jerry Gray.

 

Packers hold off late charging Seahawks to advance to NFC Championship

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Aaron Rodgers File Photo UPI/Bill Greenblatt

Aaron Rodgers played one of his best games of the season, helping the Green Bay Packers beat the Seattle Seahawks 28-23 in the NFC Divisional playoffs and securing a rematch with the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game.

Rodgers and Davante Adams put the Packers on their backs, connecting eight times for 160 yards and two touchdowns.  The 160 receiving yards for Adams is a Green Bay Packers playoff-franchise record.

When the Packers needed a big play, Rodgers was there to deliver a series of pinpoint accurate passes, helping his team to a season best 9-of-14 on third downs (69%).  That is the best third down accuracy rate for the Packers since the 2016 season.

Rodgers sealed the victory with a pair of third-down passes, a 32-yard pass to Adams on a third-and-8 [Read more…]

Sack celebrations a thing of the past in Green Bay

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Za’Darius Smith

Za’Darius Smith is second on the Green Bay Packers team with six quarterback sacks and each one has drawn a more elaborate sack celebration.

“I had one for this week,” Smith said Thursday.  “It was going to be nice.  Coach (Matt LaFleur), he felt situations during that time could affect the punt team or (if) they want to go for fourth down, I’m taking up too much time.”

So for now, the sack celebrations are history.

Smith came up with the sleepy-time celebration that he unveiled Monday against the Lions after he missed a meeting last week.  He was fined and decided to let everyone know he got caught napping with a little on-field celebration.

Za’Darius Smith has six sacks in six games this season.  Teammate Preston Smith leads the way wit

h seven and even without a sack celebration, both should continue to cause havoc with the opponents passing game. [Read more…]

Packers suffer first loss under LaFleur

By

Davante Adams

Nigel Bradham intercepted a tipped Aaron Rodgers pass in the end zone in the final minute as the Philadelphia Eagles held off the Green Bay Packers comeback attempt 34-27 at Lambeau Field.

Carson Wentz threw for 160 yards and three touchdowns to help the Eagles even their record at 2-2.  Jordan Howard led the Eagles ground attack with 87 yards on 15 carries and two touchdowns.  He also caught a touchdown pass.

Rodgers threw for 422 yards, two scores and his first pick of the season.  He completed 34 of 53 but lost a fumble and threw the pick at the end.  Davante Adams caught 10 passes for 180 yards in defeat, but left the game late with a toe injury.

Adams isn’t the only starter that left early.  Running back Jamaal Williams was carted off on a stretcher on [Read more…]

Add a quadriceps injury to Jimmy Graham’s medical report

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Even though the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles won’t practice today (Monday), both teams were required to post injury reports.

The Packers have a total of 14 players on this week’s report, including veteran tight end Jimmy Graham.  Graham was listed on the report last week with a groin injury but played in the Packers 27-16 win over the Denver Broncos.

On today’s injury report, Graham is also listed with a Quadricep injury as well.

The Eagles have a total of 12 players on their injury report, including wide receiver Alshon Jeffery.  Jeffery left the Eagles week two game with a calf injury and missed all of last weeks practice.

Coach Doug Pederson told reporters that he’s hoping to have Jeffery back on the field this week and is hopeful that he can play against the Packers on Thursday night.

Defense dominates in Packers 10-3 season opening win

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Mike Pettine and his defense was the star of the night

Players and coaches weren’t willing to concede that no playing time in the preseason is the reason why offenses struggled on opening night, but the defenses dominated and the Green Bay Packers did just enough to pull out a 10-3 win on Thursday night at Soldiers Field.

The hope was that Mike Pettine’s second year defense, along with a number of key free agent acquisitions, would be much improved.  Last night, the Packers defense was bordering greatness in the season opener.

It might take the Packers offense a while to figure things out in Matt LaFleur’s new system, but based on Thursday night’s defensive effort, there’ll be a little margin for error.

But one has to wonder how much of last night’s defensive display had to do with the defense itself, as compared to a terrible night for Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky, who went 26-45 for 228 yards, an [Read more…]

Packers GM says the team’s plan includes TE Jimmy Graham

By

Jimmy Graham

It would appear that tight end Jimmy Graham will be in the Green Bay Packers plans for the upcoming 2019 season.  Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst indicated as much during his session with reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine on Wednesday.

“Jimmy had a productive year for us last year,” Gutekunst said.  “Was really, really proud of him.  He fought through a lot of things just to be out there.  Guys who have played as long as he has don’t have to do that.  His professionalism was on display each and every day, and I look forward to seeing what he can do for us this year.”

Graham finished the 2018 season with 55 catches for 636 yards and two touchdowns.  He routinely missed Wednesday practices during the second half of the season because of a knee issue.

Graham is scheduled to collect a $5 million roster bonus March 15.

Gutekunst was also asked about veterans Clay Matthews, Randall Cobb and Nick Perry, but didn’t offer any insight into their futures with the Packers.

Packers dealing with more injuries as they prepare for Vikings

By

Mike Daniels

As the Green Bay Packers get ready to face the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night at U.S. Bank Stadium, they may have to add some defensive line help.

Defensive tackle Mike Daniels left Thursday’s game at Seattle with a foot injury and Monday, coach Mike McCarthy said Daniels would likely miss a couple of weeks.  Down to four healthy defensive lineman, McCarthy said he and GM Brian Gutekunst were already discussing their options to potentially add another lineman.

Tight end Jimmy Graham also left that game with a broken thumb.  Coach Mike McCarthy said Graham plans to try to play on Sunday against the Vikings and will use the week to experiment with different splints to find out what works best for the game.

The Packers also lost backups Raven Greene and Bashaud Breeland to injury during last Thursday’s game.  McCarthy said the week will offer more clarity on who may be able to go Sunday night in Minnesota. [Read more…]