Packers Needs at Defensive End and Linebacker in 2015

Last week we examined the list of Packers who are free agents to be. This week, let’s examine the Packers off-season needs that need to be addressed.

Defensive Tackle- Any conversation about the Packers needs in the 2015 off-season starts and ends with the defensive tackle position. Back in 2009, the Packers drafted B.J. Raji out of Boston College with the 9^th selection overall in the first round. Raji started out great, but has been inconsistent since the Super Bowl run. This last off-season, he was brought back to Green Bay on a one year, $850K contract. The idea was for him to move back inside permanently and play the traditional nose guard position. He was looking great until he suffered a season ending injury in the preseason and that left the nose guard spot wide open. Letroy Guion stepped in a played admirably, but the Packers could still use an upgrade at the position. The Packers might decide it is time to wash their hands of Raji and move on, or they could give him one last chance. If they chose to move on, there will be a number of good defensive tackles available late in round one. Leonard Williams is the best of the bunch, but he may go first overall. Danny Shelton is next up, and in a dream scenario, he lasts all the way to the Packers at the end of the first round. However that unlikely scenario won’t happen, so it will be onto the next bunch. Ellis McCarthy is going to return to UCLA, so that takes him off the board. Next up are Carl Davis from Iowa, Malcolm Brown from Texas, and Jordan Phillips from Oklahoma. All would fit well in the Packers 3-4 zone blitz scheme.

Packers Needs at Linebacker 

Inside Linebacker- This one comes with an asterisk, because the Packers made a decision at the halfway point of the season when they had their off week to move Clay Matthews inside. That worked out perfectly, and the Packers had one of the best defense’s in the league the second half of the season. We believe Matthews moves inside full time next season, and perhaps even takes over the play calling duties. A.J. Hawk is a good pro who tries hard, but they could use an upgrade to go next to Matthews.  Eric Kendricks, Denzel Perryman, and Bernardrick McKinney are all names to keep an eye on in round two.

Tight End- The Packers are going to need to get better production from their tight ends in the future years then what they got in 2014. Richard Rodgers did play better as the season went along, and expect a big jump from him in year two. However he is more of a blocker and he could use a partner in crime. A good fit would be Nick O’Leary from Florida State, a ready-made pass catcher. 

Keith Urban Plays Summerfest 2015 | Ticket King Green Bay

Keith Urban is on tour in 2015! The famous country star who came from "Down Under" is heading to Summerfest on June 26. Urban headed to Nashville in the late 1990's and hit it big with the song "But for the Grace of God." Two years later, he had two more number one singles on his hands. Since that time, Urban has won many awards, written dozens of hit songs, and sold millions of disks around the world. In 2006, Urban married Nicole Kidman.  If you are looking for Keith Urban Summerfest tickets, check our Ticket King site for all the best.

Packers Free Agent Moves for 2015 | Ticket King Green Bay

It took us a while, but we finally got over the sting of what happened in the NFC Championship game. Here is our preview of the Packers upcoming free agents, and where they might wind up in 2015.

Both of the Packers backup quarterbacks will be free agents. Scott Tolzien has talent, and might get a phone call or two from other teams, but don’t expect other teams to be lining up to sign these guys. Expect Tolzien to be signed first, and Flynn will re-sign after the draft if the Packers don’t draft anyone. If the Packers don’t draft anyone, expect Flynn and Tolzien to compete in a winner-take-all format, meaning that the Packers will only keep two quarterbacks on the active roster next season, so that means the loser between the two is gone, and the winner gets to call himself Aaron Rodgers backup in the coming years. The biggest free agent on the list is Randall Cobb. Expect Cobb to be re-signed somewhere in the 8-11 million dollar a year range. They also have two corner backs on the list, Tramon Williams and Devon House. We expect that House will be re-signed, and Williams will not.

Next up on the list is former first round draft choice B.J. Raji. B.J. Raji has had an up and down career in Green Bay, and will be coming off a missed season due to injury in a year in which he was already brought back on a one year deal to begin with. The Packers will need to decide if they want to wash their hands of Raji and move on, or do they want to give him one last chance. They also have to decide if they want to wash their hands of Jarrett Boykin. After a strong second season, Boykin took steps back this season due to injury. Add into that the return of Jared Abberderis next season and the expected improvement of Jeff Janis, and you might not even have room for Boykin on this roster anymore. Another question will be weather not Jarrett Bush is worth keeping around as a special teams standout at a high price for someone of that position. They also have to decide whether or not Bryan Buluga is worth keeping around as the right tackle due to his injury problems.

Packers NFC Championship Game Preview | Ticket King Green Bay

NFL Championship weekend is upon us. The Packers will travel to the Seattle to play the Seahawks and the Colts will travel to New England to play the Patriots. We have asked our favorite sports writer Tim Bryce to give us his opinion on both games. Sorry Packers fans, he's not too optimistic about the final score of the Green Bay game. 

Packers at Seahawks

Back in week 15 in Buffalo, Jordy Nelson dropped a pass on a go route that would have been a touchdown. The Packers lost that game by 8 points after giving up a late safety on a comeback attempt. That drop is why this game is being played in Seattle.

Back in week one, the Packers lost in Seattle 36-16. However this time around, they will be more prepared. Still, and we are sorry to say this Packers fans, but we can’t say within reason and conviction that the Packers will win this game. With a 100% Aaron Rodgers who has no injury worry, the Packers would need to play a near-perfect game to win. With a hobbled Aaron Rodgers, they need to play a perfect game to have a chance, much less win. That means they can’t go for it on 4^th down and not get it, they can’t miss a field goal or an extra point. They can’t allow a blocked punt or blocked field goal. They can’t give up a special teams touchdown. They can’t even give up a big play on special teams. They can’t allow the Seahawks to go on long, methodical drives, and they must keep their penalty count below five.

Final Score- 30-20 Seattle. Should Green Bay pull off a win, Ticket King will have Super Bowl tickets on sale immediately. 

Colts at Patriots

The Indianapolis Colts defeated the Denver Broncos on Sunday in a game that may very well be the last in the legendary career of Peyton Manning. If this is indeed that last time we will ever see Manning put on an NFL uniform, he will go down as the greatest regular season quarterback of all time and one of the best quarterbacks ever, period. But that debate will be saved for later. For now, let’s focus on the Colts and Patriots.

The Patriots absolutely blew out the Colts back in Week 11 by the score of 42-20. The Patriots put Silas Gray in the lineup and he ran for 199 yards and four touchdowns in that game. From all viewpoints, this appears to be another easy win for the Patriots. ESPN’s infamous voice Skip Bayless, will predict a Patriots win. So will everyone else under the Sun. But I am not convinced. Something else is going on here.  

Andrew Luck has been the prophesied "favored son" for quite some time now. He has had star written all over his face since his early days of college. He entered the league as the surest bet to be a star quarterback since, ironically, the man he took over for, Peyton Manning. The question has never been if, only when. Well, “when” is now. What we are all witnesses to right now is the rise of Andrew Luck. Last Sunday, Luck was in complete control of that game the entire way, and I fully expect that to happen again. In fact, after Luck defeats Manning’s career adversary this Sunday, he will defeat the NFC Champion in the Super Bowl, win the Super Bowl MVP award, and ride back to the house that Peyton Manning built in Indianapolis a hero.

Final Score- 31-24 Colts.

Packers Are NFC North Champs - Tickets For Playoffs On Sale Now | Ticket King Green Bay

It's the NFC North champions taking on the Dallas Cowboys at Lambeau Field this Sunday.  Game time is set for noon, and all eyes will be on Aaron Rodgers' calf.  Did the week of rest bring "A-Rod" back to 100%? Can Green Bay shut down Tony Romo? Will the Packers hand the Cowboys their first road game defeat of the season?  Why not pick up a few Packers playoff tickets and see the game live? Ticket King is your most trusted source for Green Bay tickets.

At the time of this posting, we don't know if the Packers will be moving on to the NFC Championship game.  First things first. Green Bay has to win one at home against the Dallas Cowboys. Dallas managed to edge past Detroit in week one of the playoffs. Controversial call or not, it's the Cowboys who came out on top. For some fans, they were hoping that Green Bay would face Detroit once again. For others, the Lions are the last team they want to see playing on the "Frozen Tundra" in the post season. After all, they nearly pulled off the upset just two weeks ago. Dallas has a solid line up on offence, and ranks well on the other side of the ball.  If Tony Romo gets hot, it's going to be a long day for the Packers corner backs.

The bye week in the NFL playoffs gave Aaron Rodgers time to heal up that pesky calf injury. Some say that it was one of the biggest reasons that he came back into the game, to avoid having to play in the Wild Card round the very next weekend. Green Bay won the game by ten points, and their fans will not soon forget watching Rodgers walk out of the tunnel and back to the sidelines. "A-Rod" made his way back to the huddle, and kept the Lions on their heels for the second half. By kickoff next Sunday, the team will know if they need to travel to Seattle, or stay right at home, provided that they defeat the Cowboys on Sunday.

Packers Host Lions for Final Regular Season Game | Ticket King Green Bay

So here we are. We have reached week 17 and it all comes down to this. Lions and Packers. Lambeau Field. NFC North on the line. Number two seed in the NFC playoffs, at the very least, on line, and if Seattle loses, home field advantage, on the line. Most are expecting the Packers to win this game, but I do not believe it will be that easy. Let’s take a look at what needs to be done to win this game on Sunday.

Eddie Lacy needs to have the game of his life- On the season, Eddie Lacy has 1,440 yards from scrimmage and 13 touchdowns. For the Packers to win this game, their 5’11”, 231 pound runaway freight train at running back needs to play the game of his life. Three years ago in the wild card playoff game against Minnesota outside linebacker Erik Walden needed to play the game of his life for the Packers to win that game, and he did. Same thing here. The Packers need the same thing from Eddie Lacy in this game. That means no fumbling the ball on the first play from scrimmage this time around Eddie. You need to go for at least 150 yards from scrimmage in this game if the Packers are going to win.

Aaron Rodgers needs three touchdown passes- In the last two games, Aaron Rodgers have one touchdown pass. That won’t get it done tomorrow against Detroit. He is going to need three, probably four. He also needs to play a great game, or Tony Romo is going to win the MVP award this season.

The young pass catchers need great games- Both rookies, wide receiver Devonte Adams and tight end Richard Rodgers have both made significant strides with each game. Now, much like in the Patriots game, the Packers need great games from both of them. Richard Rodgers needs to catch one of those four touchdown passes from Aaron and Devonte Adams needs about 10 catches for 130 yards and two touchdowns. Eddie Lacy will catch the fourth, as Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb are not going to see much action in this game because the Lions will be looking to shut them down.

The Packers defense needs to keep playing like it has the last two weeks- since the near debacle at home on Monday night against the Falcons, the Packers defense has not given up a touchdown. That needs to continue in this game, no ifs or buts about it.

Most expect the Packers to win this game easily. I am not one of them. I still think they will win, but it won’t be as easy as everyone is expecting. I will say this though. Yes the Packers are already in the playoffs, but if they want to win the Super Bowl, they have to win this game tomorrow. Final Score: Packers 34-24.

Packers versus Falcons Tickets | Ticket King Green Bay Open On Game Day

As odd as it may seem, when the Packers host the Falcons this Monday night, a 5-7 team (Hint, it's Atlanta) might still win their division title. The Falcons have a solid group of wide receivers, and that should concern the Packers secondary. Green Bay will need to put pressure on Matt Ryan. Ryan is coming off a win against Arizona, with a QB rating of 105.8, two touchdowns and 361 passing yards. If the defense can cover the Falcons receiving corps, and put Ryan to the turf, Green Bay should come away victorious.

The Packers will surely try to dominate in the time of possession.  Green Bay is well balanced, on offense, and the team should take advantage of that fact. It's no surprise to anyone that the Falcons prefer the passing game over the run.  As of week 12 Atlanta passes on first down at a rate of three to one. Green Bay will run on first down roughly 45 percent of the time. Lacy and Starks are moving the ball well this season, and Rodgers is having an MVP year as well.

Will the Packers keep rolling to victory on Monday? Pick up some Packers versus Falcons tickets and see for yourself. Our Ticket King Green Bay office is open all weekend, and on game day. We're just across the street from the Lambeau Field parking lot. Call (800)992-7328 for game tickets or visit our website.