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NFL owners approve anthem policy

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NFL owners on Wednesday, approved a new policy aimed at eliminating National Anthem protests.  The league will permit players to stay in the locker room during the “National Anthem”, but requires them to stand if they decide to come onto the field.

The NFL Players Association said it wasn’t consulted about the new policy and plans to challenge any changes that violate the collective bargaining agreement.

San Francisco 49ers CEO, Jed York, said he abstained from the vote because he wasn’t comfortable with a process that didn’t involve the players.

 

Stave signs free agent deal with Cleveland

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Joel Stave

Joel Stave will take another shot at the National Football League, this time with the Cleveland Browns.

Stave, who played at Wisconsin from 2012 through 2015, signed with the Browns on Monday.

Stave started 41 games at Wisconsin, finishing with a 31-10 record.  He passed for 7,635 yards and 48 touchdowns, both ranking him number-two in program history.

The Whitnall High School product signed with the Minnesota Vikings in 2016 as an undrafted free agent.

 

Five Badgers selected in NFL Draft

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Nick Nelson

Last season, the Wisconsin Badgers had three players selected in the 2017 NFL Draft, including two in the first round.

Fast forward to 2018 and the Badgers didn’t have any players go in the first round, let alone the first two days of the draft.  But five Badgers heard their names called on the third and final day.

Cornerback Nick Nelson popped up first, selected with the 10th pick of round four by the Oakland Raiders.  Nelson was the 11th defensive back taken in the draft and the first by the Raiders.

Tight end Troy Fumagalli went in round five to the Denver Broncos.  The Broncos already have five tight ends on their roster, including former Badger Austin Traylor.  Paul Chryst’s brother Geep Chryst, coaches the tight ends in Denver.

Safety Natrell Jamerson was the third Badger selected, taken in the fifth round by the New Orleans Saints.  Jamerson finished fifth in tackles with 51 for the Badgers last season. [Read more…]

NFL Schedule: Packers have difficult midseason stretch

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The Green Bay Packers will open and close the 2018 NFL regular season at Lambeau Field.  The NFL released the Packers 2018 schedule on Thursday

The Packers will open up in Prime Time on September 9, against the rival Chicago Bears in a 7:20 kickoff on NBC.  The Packers will host the Vikings in week 2 (Sept. 16) and play three of their first four games at home.  They’ll also play three of their final five games at Lambeau Field, capped off on December 30 against the Detroit Lions.

In between, the Packers will have a difficult test.  Following a week seven bye, the Packers will make visits to Los Angeles (Rams) and New England.

The Packers return home to host Miami on Sunday, Nov. 11, then play road games at Seattle and Minnesota the following two weeks.  The game in Seattle (Thurs. Nov. 15) comes just four days after the home game against the Dolphins. [Read more…]

2018 NFL Schedule to be released Thursday night

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The complete 2018 NFL regular-season schedule will be released Thursday night on NFL Network as part of a two-hour special.

Each teams opponents were already revealed in January.

The Green Bay Packers will play home games at Lambeau Field against Chicago, Detroit, Minnesota, Arizona, San Francisco, Buffalo, Miami and Atlanta.

On the road, the Packers will face Chicago, Detroit, Minnesota, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle, New England, N.Y. Jets and Washington.

Based on opponent’s combined win percentage from 2017, the Packers are set to have the toughest schedule in the league this season.

Packers will see Nelson and Burnett in preseason

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The NFL released preseason schedules on Wednesday and the Green Bay Packers will have a chance to face former teammates Jordy Nelson and Morgan Burnett.

The Packers first two exhibition games will be home games.  They’ll open against the Tennessee Titans sometime between Aug. 9-13 and then they’ll face the Pittsburgh Steelers at Lambeau Field from Aug. 16-20.  The Steelers game will feature the return of former Packers safety Morgan Burnett, who signed a free agent deal with the Steelers last month.

The Packers will then close with preseason road games at Oakland and Kansas City.  The trip to Oakland will feature Jordy Nelson squaring off against his former team.  Nelson signed with the Raiders shortly after his release in Green Bay.

None of the Packers preseason games are scheduled for national television.

The Packers 2018 regular-season schedule is expected to be out sometime next week.  They will not play any of their exhibition opponents during the regular season.

 

Thomas calls it quits in Cleveland (AUDIO)

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Barry Alvarez says Joe Thomas is the best lineman to play at Wisconsin

Former Wisconsin Badger Joe Thomas announced he is retiring after 11 seasons in the NFL.

The 10-time Pro Bowler with the Cleveland Browns made the decision after spending several months contemplating his future.

Thomas had played 10,363 consecutive snaps before tearing his left triceps during an Oct. 22 game against Tennessee.  It’s believed to be the longest run in pro football history.

The Brookfield, Wisconsin native played for the Badgers from 2003 to 2006.  He won the Outland Trophy as college football’s top interior lineman in 2006 and his former coach, Barry Alvarez, said Thomas may have been the best offensive lineman to every play at Wisconsin.

Thomas was selected by the Browns with the third overall pick in the 2007 draft.

The Browns plan to enshrine the number 10,363 to recognize his consecutive snaps streak in the team’s Ring of Honor at a home game this season.  The former Badgers shouldn’t have to wait too long before he is elected as a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame down the road in Canton.

AUDIO: Barry Alvarez says Joe Thomas is probably the best offensive lineman to ever play at Wisconsin :19

AUDIO: Joe Thomas exemplified what being a Badger was all about :20

Packers visit with Wilkerson

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Free-agent defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson left Green Bay after meeting with the Packers on Thursday.  He has scheduled visits with New Orleans and Kansas City.

Wilkerson was released by the New York Jets early in the week and made Green Bay his first stop.  Mike Pettine, who is the Packers new defensive coordinator, served in the same capacity with the Jets when Wilkerson was drafted in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft.

Shields signs with the Rams

Former Green Bay Packers defensive back Sam Shields is back in the NFL.  He signed with the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday.

Shields hasn’t played since suffering a concussion in the Packers 2016 season opener against Jacksonville.  It was Shields second serious concussion in less than a year.  He sat out the entire 2017 season after being released by the Packers.

If he makes the team, Shields could face discipline from the NFL in relation to his 2016 arrest on charges of possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.  Shields pleaded no contest to the marijuana charge and the paraphernalia charge was dropped.

Shields looking to make a comeback

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Former Green Bay Packers defensive back Sam Shields is looking to make an NFL comeback and will make a couple of free agent visits.

The 30-year-old Shields is scheduled to meet with the Los Angeles Rams on Tuesday and the Cleveland Browns shortly after.

Shields suffered his fifth documented concussion in the 2016 Green Bay Packers opener against Jacksonville and hasn’t played since.  Shields sat out the entire 2017 season.

Shields has been working out  with a personal trainer in Atlanta.

 

Packers awarded compensatory picks

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Packers G.M. Brian Gutekunst

New Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst will have some additional draft picks when the April Draft rolls around.

The Packers were awarded four compensatory picks for the 2018 Draft on Friday: one in the fourth round (No. 133 overall), two fifth-round picks (172 & 174) and a sixth-round pick (No. 207).

The Packers’ will now have 12 draft picks, their most since 2006.

The four compensatory picks were awarded to the Packers as a result of losing players in free agency the previous year.  The Packers lost tight end Jared Cook, safety Micah Hyde, guard T.J. Lang, running back Eddie Lacy, center J.C. Tretter and pass rushers Julius Peppers and Datone Jones.  The only free agent gained under the NFL’s formula for awarding draft picks was guard Jahri Evans.

A total of 32 compensatory draft picks were awarded to 15 teams.

The Packers were one of four teams that received four picks, joining Dallas, Cincinnati and Oakland.

Unlike in the past, compensatory draft picks can now be used in trades.  That rule went into effect prior to the 2017 draft.

The Packers have seven of their own picks, four compensatory selections and a seventh-round pick that came from Buffalo in a 2016 trade for linebacker Lerentee McCray.