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Packers lose Lane Taylor for the season

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Lane Taylor

The Green Bay Packers had to do some shuffling on their offensive line prior to last Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings.  They’ll have to do more this week against the Detroit Lions.

Lane Taylor went down with a right knee injury in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game at Minnesota.  After undergoing an MRI on Monday, Taylor learned the injury would require surgery and force him to miss the rest of the season.

“My heart goes out to him,” Coach Matt LaFleur said Monday.  “Just battling back from the significant injury that he had last year (torn biceps) and to get to a position where he was in our starting lineup, certainly he will be missed.  I feel bad for him as an athlete, as a man.”

The Packers also lost Lucas Patrick (shoulder), who started the game at left guard.  That meant Elgton Jenkins, who started the game at right tackle, moved back to his normal position at left guard.  Rookie Jon Runyan replaced Taylor at right guard and Rick Wagner entered the game at right tackle.  Wagner (former Badger) has seven years of NFL experience as a starter and performed well.

Many teams would have experienced turmoil with that much change during a game, but the Packers handled the shuffling well.  Quarterback Aaron Rodgers wasn’t sacked the entire game, which is a great sign for any offensive line, let alone a line that had to undergo some major changes right in the middle of a game. [Read more…]

Packers display plenty of offense in season opening win (AUDIO)

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Packers beat Vikings in empty U.S. Bank Stadium

When the Green Bay Packers didn’t draft a wide receiver in the NFL Draft, many thought the Packers offense would be in trouble.  But a second year in Matt LaFleur’s system appears to be more important, at least after the first week of the new season.

Aaron Rodgers completed 32-of-44 for 364 yards and four touchdowns in the Packers 43-34 season opening win over the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday.  Two of the four touchdown receptions were to the Packers number-one receiver, Davante Adams.  Adams was targeted 17 times and caught 14 passes, tying Don Hutson’s 1942 franchise record of 14 receptions in a single game.

Rodgers also tossed touchdown passes to Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Allen Lazard, finishing with a quarterback rating of 127.5.  His four touchdown passes moved him past Eli Manning and into seventh place on the all-time list with 368.

It was a dominating offensive performance for the Packers, who racked up 522 total yards of offense in the win.  They [Read more…]

Packers sign Kenny Clark to contract extension

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Kenny Clark

The Green Bay Packers signed defensive lineman Kenny Clark to a four-year, $70-million contract extension that makes him the highest-paid nose tackle in NFL history.

The deal also makes Clark the 12th-highest-paid defensive player in the NFL.  It includes a $25 million signing bonus and runs through the 2024 season.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Clark will earn $37 million in the first two years of the deal.

Clark was the Packers’ first-round pick in 2016.  He has recorded six sacks in each of his last two seasons, earning a berth in the Pro Bowl in 2019.  In four NFL seasons, Clark has 16.5 sacks, 193 tackles and four forced fumbles (and recoveries). [Read more…]

Packers restructure Lane Taylor’s contract

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Lane Taylor

Green Bay Packers guard Lane Taylor has agreed to redo the final year of his contract, saving about $3 million in cap space for the team.

As was first reported by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Taylor’s base salary for 2020 will drop from $3.8 million to $1.5 million.  Taylor can recoup another $1.5 million if certain incentives are met.

The Packers now have more than $13.89 million in cap space.

Taylor won the Packers starting left guard job last season and started the first two games before suffering a biceps injury during practice in week three, which ended his season.

The team’s second round draft pick, Elgton Jenkins took over and played so well that he landed a spot on the Pro Football Writers Association All-Rookie team.

Packers sign a second late round pick

The Green Bay Packers a second seventh round draft pick, safety Vernon Scott II out of TCU.  The team still has seven more draft selections to sign.

 

Packers put Taylor on IR, Pankey returns to Green Bay

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Lane Taylor

The left guard position now belongs to rookie lineman Elgton Jenkins after the Green Bay Packers placed veteran Lane Taylor on injured reserve with a biceps injury.

Taylor had been the Packers starter at left guard for the past three seasons and started the first two games this season, holding onto the spot in a tight battle with Jenkins.

Both players rotated at the position against the Minnesota Vikings in week two.  Taylor suffered the injury in practice last Thursday.

Taylor will be eligible to return from injured reserve in eight weeks.  He could start practicing when the Packers go on their bye week in mid-November.  At this time, it’s not certain whether the injury is serious enough to end Taylor’s season.

The Packers drafted Jenkins in the second round last spring.

The Packers signed Adam Pankey off of the Tennessee Titans practice squad to fill in for Taylor.  Pankey originally signed with the Packers as an undrafted rookie in 2017.  He spent the last two seasons in Green Bay.  After 12 weeks on the practice squad last season, he was promoted to the Packers active roster in December.

 

Rodgers leads Packers to first road victory

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Aaron Rodgers

Aaron Rodgers put together his best performance of the season, leading the Green Bay Packers to a 44-38 overtime victory the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Sunday.

Rodgers passed for 442 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for two more scores as the Packers won their first road game (1-7) of the season.  They avoided being the first team since the 1958 squad to go winless on the road during the season.

The Packers trailed by 15-points in the fourth quarter before coming from behind to win.

Davante Adams caught the game-winning touchdown pass in overtime.  Jamaal Williams also rushed for 95 yards on 15 carries with a touchdown and caught six passes for 61 yards, improving to 6-8-1 on the season.

New York’s Jason Myers booted a late field goal to force overtime for the Jets.  But the Packers won the coin toss and marched 75 yards for the game winning touchdown, not giving the Jets a chance at the ball in OT. [Read more…]

Packers health is slowly improving

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Don Barclay

The Green Bay Packers don’t have to release their first official injury report of the week until Thursday.  The health of their team has improved slightly in their bye week.

The Packers returned to practice on Tuesday and two starters appear ready to return to action.  Safety Morgan Burnett (hamstring) and left guard Lane Taylor (ankle) practiced with the team.

Taylor’s return could give the Packers their entire starting offensive line back for Monday nights game against the Detroit Lions.  That would be good as quarterback Brett Hundley makes his second start with the team.

The Packers did have a number of defensive players still sidelined by injury.  Inside linebacker Joe Thomas (ankle), outside linebacker Nick Perry (unknown), defensive tackle Quinton Dial (chest), safety Kentrell Brice (ankle) and outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks (back) did not practice on Tuesday.

Barclay signs with Detroit

Veteran guard Don Barclay, who was released by the Packers last week, signed Tuesday with the Detroit Lions.  Barclay rejoins former Packers guard T.J. Lang, who signed a free agent deal with the Lions in the off-season.

 

Rodgers headed for surgery, McCarthy not happy with the hit that put him there

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Aaron Rodgers – Photo Courtesy of: UPI/Bill Greenblatt

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers will have surgery on his broken right collarbone “in the near future”.  That was the message from coach Mike McCarthy on Monday.

Minnesota Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said Monday that Anthony Barr’s hit on the Packers quarterback was “above board,” and said the Vikings are not a dirty football team.  Mike McCarthy has different thoughts on Barr’s hit.

“He’s out of the pocket, he’s clearly expecting to get hit,” McCarthy said.  “To pin him to the ground like that, I felt it was an illegal act.  To sit here and lose any of your players on something like that, it doesn’t feel very good. Yeah, I didn’t like the hit.  It was unnecessary, totally unnecessary, in my opinion.”

Rodgers was rolling out late in the first quarter.  After he released the ball, he was hit by Barr and the Vikings linebacker continued to drive him into the turf.

As of Monday afternoon, surgery had not been scheduled according to McCarthy.  But no decision on Rodgers roster spot will likely be made until after the surgery. [Read more…]

Packers sign Taylor to extension

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Lane Taylor

The Green Bay Packers signed starting left guard Lane Taylor to a three-year contract extension worth a reported $16.5 million.  Taylor is entering the final year of the 2-year deal he signed in 2016 that will pay him $2.8 million.

Taylor is now under contract through the 2020 season with the Packers.

Taylor started every game last season after taking over for Josh Sitton, who was released at the end of training camp.

Taylor joined the Packers as an undrafted rookie from Oklahoma State in 2013.

Taylor and the Packers returned to the practice field on Monday afternoon as they continue to prepare for Sunday’s season opener against the Seattle Seahawks at Lambeau Field.  The Packers will get Tuesday off before returning to work on Wednesday.

McCarthy says a lot went into Sitton’s release

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Mike McCarthy

Mike McCarthy

Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy, at his Monday press conference to explain the organization’s move to release Pro Bowl guard Josh Sitton.  McCarthy said, “There’s a lot of things that go into this decision.”

The problem between Sitton and the Packers organization may have come late last season when the guard was critical of the offensive game plan in a regular season game against Arizona.  A short time later, McCarthy told reporters that Sitton needs to play guard, instead of bellyaching about play calling.

When asked  how cutting a veteran player like Sitton could impact the locker room, McCarthy said:  I’m not going to sit here and go through every variable, every component of our program, but each player is evaluated.  Every person that touches the locker room has always been evaluated because the locker room is the most important room in our building, frankly, in my opinion.  Decisions are made all the time about trying to improve and continue the flow of growth for our football program. [Read more…]