Who To Keep on the Packers 2019 Roster | Ticket King Green Bay

With the Patriots 10-3 victory over the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl 52, the NFL off season is officially upon us.The first order of business for most teams is deciding who to keep and who to let go. Let’s play “Take em or Trash ‘em” for the Packers.

Clay Matthews/OLB- The “Claymaker” is one of the most beloved Packers ever. But he is a shell of his former self. Simply put, it’s time to let him go.

Randall Cobb/WR- The veteran wide receiver and one of the longest-tenured Packers, Cobb has been one of Rodgers’s favorite targets, when he is has been on the field, and “when” is the key word. Cobb has become injury prone, and with the young receivers they have to back up Davante Adams, bringing him back is simply not worth it.

Muhammed Wilkerson/DE- The Packers had high hopes for Wilkerson last off season when they brought him to Green Bay. He is an ideal fit in Mike Pettine’s defense and played his best years under Pettine in New York. Wilkerson suffered a torn ACL early in the season. Pettine returns as defensive coordinator, and so should Wilkerson.

Bashaud Breeland/CB- The Packers signed Breeland in mid-season to replace Davon House, and Breeland turned out to be a goldmine. The trio of young corners, King, Alexander, and Jackson, did not prove they can do it on their own quite yet, so Breeland’s return is a must.

Lance Kendricks/TE- Kendricks was brought to Green Bay to be the Packers reserve tight end. He has not been very effective. He also does not fit in Matt LaFluer’s offense. Time to let him go.

Robert Tonyan/TE- Tonyan was a 2018 un-drafted free agent, and Brian Gutekunst must have learned something from Ted Thompson about un-drafted free agents, because he hit pay dirt with Tonyan. Keep him.

Geronimo Allison/WR- A former un-drafted free agent out of Illinois, Allison has risen the Packers depth chart to become the new number two. He spent most of the season injured, but still should be brought back.

Reggie Gilbert/LB- Right now, the Packers lack depth at linebacker, and Gilbert will cost nothing. Bring him back, but there is no guarantee he will make the roster.

Kentrell Brice/S- The Packers need to rebuild their safety position from the ground up. Brice is a holdover from an outdated Dom Capers scheme. Time to let him go.

Tramon Williams/S- Mid-season, Williams converted to safety from corner back, both due to need and his diminishing skills as a cover man. But that didn’t pan out. Simply put, Williams needs to move on.  

Jake Ryan/ILB- Ryan, who tore his ACL in Training Camp, should return for one more go, as the Packers really don’t have anyone else inside next to Blake Martinez. Keep him. 

Marcedes Lewis/TE- The one tight end that actually fits the new offense. Lewis could be a mentor to the Packers younger tight ends, some of whom haven’t been drafted yet, but will be in May.

Packers Pick LaFleur as New Head Coach | Ticket King Green Bay

Why did the Green Bay Packers organization pick Matt LaFleur as their new head coach? It’s what he did for two top notch quarterbacks that made him their top choice. Aaron Rodgers may be just a bit off the top of his game, as time creeps forward and the distance between Super Bowl XLV grows greater and greater. Still, he’s one of the best in the league, and the Packers think that LaFleur will revive the spark in Rodgers.

Green Bay football fans all recall the NFC Championship game between the Falcons and Packers.  It was a disaster. That was partially the work of LaFleur, coaching Matt Ryan. The same could be said for Jared Geoff of the Rams, when LaFluer brought the best out of Geoff. Now he’s been given the opportunity to work his magic with the cornerstone of the Green Bay Packers team.

Sure, one could look at the Titans record in 2018, and ask “What are they thinking?” But this pick is more granular. It goes right down to working with one of the best in football, Rodgers. As LaFleur builds his coaching staff in the off season, we’ll get a better picture of how he’s going to manage all those other details. For now, it’s just a huge signal to Packers fans across the nation. This guy is here for “A-Rod.”

Five Moments That Changed the Packers vs Vikings Game | Ticket King Green Bay

The rivalry between the Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota Vikings has probably overtaken the Bears – Packers rivalry. This past Sunday, the Packers and Vikings played one of their most interesting games to date, finishing in a 29-29 tie. This is a game that the Packers should have won. Let’s delve into some game-changing moments. 

Moment #1: The first sack of Aaron Rodgers- The Packers got the ball on their own 25 to start the game and they were moving the ball over the first few plays. On 2nd and 8 from the 27, Rodgers found Cobb for a 14-yard completion. Two straight rushes by Jamal Williams totaling 11 yards had produced another first down. After an incomplete pass, the Packers faced 2nd 10 from the Vikings 48 when Rodgers dropped back to pass and was split-sacked by Everson Griffen and Sheldon Richardson. This killed the drive and the Packers had to punt. 

Moment #2: Offensive pass interference on Davante Adams- The Packers were facing 3rd and 9 up 14-7 with 5:38 left in the second quarter. Aaron Rodgers dropped back to pass and found Davante Adams up the left sideline for 24 yards. However, the play was called back due to pass interference on Adams. The Packers ended up punting. 

Moment #3: Holding calls back Graham touchdown- After forcing a Vikings' punt to start the second half, the Packers got the ball up 17-7 and started marching down the field. The Packers were facing 3rd and 4 from the 12 when Rodgers found Graham for a touchdown to increase the Packers lead. The score was called back for holding on Lane Taylor. The Packers settled for a field goal. 

Moment#4- Clay Matthews roughing the passer- Trailing 29-21 late in the 4th, Kirk Cousins threw a desperation heave that was picked off by Jaire Alexander. However, it was overturned by a very sketchy roughing the passer penalty on Clay Matthews. The Vikings scored a touchdown and a 2-point conversion to send the game to overtime. 

Moment#5- Aaron Rodgers sack in overtime- Despite everything else that had happened before this, the Packers had a chance to win the game. They were facing 3rd and 4 from the Vikings 40 when Rodgers dropped back to pass and was sacked by Mackenzie Alexander off the blitz. The Packers were forced to punt, and minutes later another Daniel Carlson missed field goal, his third of the day, and the game finished in a 29-29 tie. By the way, Carlson has since been released and replaced by Dan Bailey. 

The Packers vs Bears Game That Will Go Down In History | Ticket King Green Bay

The Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears began the season on Sunday Night Football this past weekend, clashing in what will go down as one of the most memorable football games played since Aaron Rodgers took over for Brett Favre. Coming into this game, Bears fans were thrilled to have Khalil Mack join the team, just in time for the opener. Would he make an impact right out of the gate? The Bears had so much more to prove, with a new head coach, a second year Quarterback, one of the top pass rushers in the league, all going against one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. This was to take place under the spotlight of a Sunday Night NFL game that was sure to draw fans from across the country. When it was over, records were broken, both teams performed at a level that surpassed expectations, and once again, Aaron Rodgers added another “instant classic” to his already storied career, in a game that will surely be mentioned during his Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

It was a three-hour rollercoaster of emotions for Packers fans everywhere. First, the Packers offense stalls out of the gate, looking completely lost. Seeing that he led just one short drive in the preseason, many fans wondered if Rodgers would play very well in this game. At worst, Rodgers might need the first few weeks to shake off the rust. Fans didn’t get a chance to see what he could do, because the offensive line turned out to be “soft butter” for the hot knife that was the Bears pass rush. In fact, it was a complete stall on both sides of the ball that surprised Packers fans. What happened to that revamped and rebuilt defense, with their new coordinator? During the first 30 minutes of play, they looked like the same old Packers defense that couldn’t get off the field to save their life. They made the Bears offense look as good as it has in years. With all due credit, Trubisky was 11 of 14 with a 99.1 passer rating in the first half, and followed his team into the locker room with all the confidence that they would come out for the third quarter and put the Packers away. The fans at Lambeau saw Rodgers get carted off the field, DeShone Kizer get his butt handed to him by the Bears defense, and nobody thought that the Packers would win, much less see Rodgers back under center in the third quarter.

The original fear was a torn ACL for Rodgers, with the season over, again. The energy in the building was gone. Was it time for Packers fans to admit that we had an injury prone, and permanently diminished quarterback? He has already had three major injuries, two of them being broken collarbones. He has had two concussions, along with a history of hamstring problems. This would have been his fourth major injury, and at age 34, he may finally have run out of lives, so to speak.

But yet again, Aaron showed us why he is one of the best we’ve ever seen. When he came walking out of the tunnel on a sprained knee at the start of the second half, Lambeau came unglued. Did his return inspire the lagging Packers defense? Well, they did manage to hold the Bears to a field goal on the next drive, but now it was 20-0.  

What transpired over the next 24 minutes and 14 seconds of the game time defied pretty much every rule of logic in the book. Aaron Rodgers got the ball, and on one leg he led one of the most amazing comebacks in the history of the franchise. He first took the team down the field for a solid drive, coming up short, but showing us that he could manage to stay on the field. The Packers got a field goal to start. The defense pulled off a stop, and there was a glimmer of hope. Things were looking up when the Packers got the ball back and scored a touchdown. The defense pulled off a three and out. Aaron gets the ball back and three minutes later, touchdown. It’s now 20-17. The Bears march down the field and finish the drive with a field goal. 23-17. All this time, we’re watching Aaron Rodgers play the short game, aside from that first 39 yard touchdown strike to Allison. The short passing game was the only remedy for a hobbled quarterback, going up against a not stop pass rush. He was connecting, his passer rating hit +154 at one point, but could he lead a winning drive and could the Packers defense then stop the Bears from scoring a mere field goal to pull off a win on the road? Rodgers got the ball back one more time with three minutes to go, and needing a touchdown to pull ahead for the first time of the night. We’ve seen this all before.

When Randall Cobb got away from the Bears defense and crossed the goal line for the go-ahead touchdown, Lambeau field erupted. Still, there was too much time on the clock, the Bears had all of their time outs, and they just needed to chew up enough yardage and time to kick one for the win. We’ve seen this one before too, and we know just how this one has ended before. Not this time. That new-look defense showed us how good they can be, pretty much throughout the second half. Now with the lead, Mike Pettine could finally dial up the exotic stuff he couldn’t earlier in the game. In fact, they forced the Bears off the field, twice. The first time the stopped them on fourth down, Clay Matthews hit Trubisky way too late, and the Bears got fifteen yards and a second chance. A few moments later, the Packers defense got the Bears to fourth down again, and this time they got off the field.

In one hundred years of football, the Packers have only come back one other time from such a deficit. Aaron Rodgers did what was nearly impossible, did it with ony good leg, showing us why he is currently the best quarterback in football. Sorry Patriots fans, Rodgers has never had the offensive line that Brady has year after year. This one will be rememberd for years to come.  

Packers Face Steelers in Week Two 2018 Preseason | Ticket King Inc.

Week one of the 2018 NFL Preseason has already come and gone. Let’s dive right in and take a look at what the Packers did. It was an impressive showing on Thursday night for the Packers. If the score is important, they defeated the Titans, 31-17. It’s not the score that was impressive, but rather how the players listened to the coaches, made adjustments on defense, and how the back up quarterbacks gave it their best shot. Keep in mind that the Packers and Steelers face off this Thursday night. 

Packers quarterbacks- Brett Hundley started the game for the Packers as has become standard protocol in Green Bay for week one of the preseason. He played decently. Hundley finished the day 9-14 for 108 yards and a touchdown. However, he also had a bad interception in the first half which negates much of what he did. Remember though, they have seen this before from Hundley, great preseason performance, so keep that in mind. To be honest, I don’t think that there is much Hundley can do to lose his roster spot. Deshone Kizer meanwhile got off to a slow start, and finished strong, going 9-18 for 134 yards. He was replaced by Tim Boyle, who had a monster finish to the game, going 7-15 for 130 yards and two touchdowns. Boyle might be pushing hard to pull the upset and be the backup quarterback this season. That is unlikely, as he’s a young “pocket passer” without much in the way of running ability. He had two deep ball passes that impressed the fans, but he’s a very raw talent.  

Packers Receivers- The rookies and veterans looked great, save for  J’Mon Moore. “MVS”, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, finished the night with 5 catches for 101 yards and a touchdown. Jake Kumerow, who won’t likely make the roster and is playing to make it on another team’s roster, finished with three catches for 76 yards and a touchdown. His age is working against him, as well as the fact that the Packers invested a ton of money on receivers in this past draft. Equanimous St. Brown, who is pushing hard to be the fourth or possibly third receiver, finished with four catches for 61 yards. J’Mon Moore meanwhile finished with 3 catches for 27 yards. One “bad” preseason game doesn’t mean you discard a highly talented rookie receiver. Remember what people once said about Davante Adams.

So what are we looking for this upcoming Thursday night at Lambeau Field?  For starters, we have the debut of Aaron Rodgers. How will that rebuilt collarbone feel for Aaron, after healing during offseason ? Does he still have the same arm strength? Can he still be Aaron Rodgers? We will find out. Also, fans would like to see a better game out of the running backs when compared to  last week. Granted, the starting offensive line wasn’t in full form last week, but none of the running backs were very effective. It will also be time for the tight ends to take the field, which includes Jimmy Graham. This upcoming game will feature more of the starters on both sides of the ball. At the end of the day, fans want to see the starters get off the field without injury, and for the rookies to get more playing time in before it all starts for real.

Packers 2019 Draft Class | Ticket King Green Bay

As we continue our track towards the start of NFL training camps, it is never too early to look ahead to next year’s draft. Here are some players the Packers should be targeting come next May. Before we go any further, let me start by saying that Missouri quarterback Drew Lock is going to be the top quarterback in this class. However, the Packers, even with two draft first-round selections, will be unable to move up high enough to draft him. Let me continue by saying that I have never been a big fan of DeShone Kizer. What am I getting it? With the combined age and injury history of Aaron Rodgers, finding their next franchise quarterback will soon be a priority for these Packers. Fortunately, 2019 will be just as deep of a quarterback class as 2018 was, because the other half of those quarterback prospects saw the 2018 class, and went back to school.

Jake Browning/QB/Washington- A year ago, this man was one of the top three quarterbacks on the board for the 2018 draft. However, a disastrous 2017 season and injury problems dropped his stock, so wisely he returned to school for his senior season. A good year from Browning should vault him back up there. He is a good athlete with a strong arm, a winning combination in modern football.

Clayton Thorson/QB/Northwestern- This former four-star recruit has somehow flown under the radar for several years now, before having a breakout season a year ago. In 2018 everybody will know who Clayton Thorson is, and how he handles that pressure will go a long ways towards his draft stock. Thorson sands 6’4”, 225 pounds, big time arm, good athlete, and he goes to Northwestern so that tells you everything you want to know about his natural intelligence. I don’t know how this guy wasn’t the top quarterback in his class and wasn’t more recruited. I mean look at him. Regardless, NFL scouts know who he is, and they are drooling.

Jarrett Stidham/QB/Auburn- Man can this guy fire a football. He is the next Matthew Stafford, there is no denying that. He hasn’t really been given a chance to show that at Auburn, and NFL scouts are hoping that they give him an opportunity to throw the ball around a little bit in 2018.

Josh Allen/OLB/Kentucky- The first non-quarterback is Kentucky’s monster pass rusher. The Packers are going to need to replace Clay Matthews soon on the outside, and Allen could very well be the target to replace him. The problem is, many expect Allen to be the first linebacker off the board in 2019, and the Packers may not be in a position high enough to get him.

Anfernee Jennings/OLB/Alabama- This is a far more reasonable target for the Packers. Jennings will be in the next group of linebackers off the board after Allen. Jennings is a pure pass rusher as well, so that helps.

Noah Fant/TE/Iowa- Over the last couple of years, the Packers have done a great job of patching up their tight end position for the time being, and will enter 2018 with Jimmy Graham, Lance Kendricks, and Marcedes Lewis as their tight ends. That is fine for 2018. There is just one problem though, those guys aren’t exactly young spring chickens, so the Packers will need to add some youth, and soon, to the position. Fant would fit as a tight end in this offense like a glove.

Packers 2018 Training Camp | Ticket King Green Bay

We are less than a month away from the start of Packers training camp. With the departure of Nelson, injuries that will extend into the start of the season, and the change of certain coaching positions in Packerland, there are enough “unknowns” to keep fans wonderin how the team will perform in 2018. Here are some questions that need to be answered before week one of the regular season.

Who will open the year at right tackle? Yes, Brian Bulaga is injured yet again. He will miss the first part of the season so that means the Packers will have to go without him for some time. Who will play in his place is the question. Jason Spriggs, the former second round draft choice, will open camp in that spot by default, but there is no guarantee he starts the season as the right tackle. He could get competition from just about anybody. Will it be Cole Madison, to Byron Bell, to Justin McCray that takes that spot? The plan right now is for Spriggs to play week one, if he can prove himself worthy.

Who will play right guard? Speaking of Madison, the Packers did draft him with the intention of being the long-term solution at right guard. They did not specify that he would start in that spot on week one. They will give him every opportunity in camp to be that starter. If he isn’t ready yet, the job could fall to the likes of McCray or Lucas Patrick. Stay tuned, because this will be one of the highlights of Packers camp.

Who will be the fourth wide receiver? Unless they make some last minute adjustments, the Packers three starting receivers will be Davante Adams, Randall Cobb, and Geronimo Allison. After that, it is anybody’s game, literally. All three of the Packers rookies, Equanimeous St. Brown, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and J’Mon Moore, could win the job. The return specialist, Trevor Davis, could be that guy. DeAngelo Yancey could be the forth receiver. Don’t forget about the big tall Michael Clark either, who the coaches really like. This will be a good one.

What about the backup quarterback?. During the offseason, the Packers traded cornerback Damarious Randall to the Browns for quarterback DeShone Kizer, who was the Browns first-round draft choice just a year ago. The battle may be between Kizer and Hundley, but rookie undrafted free agent Tim Boyle could win the number 3 job, and force the coaches to decide between Kizer or Hundley. My prediction is Kizer wins, and Hundley is traded or released.

What about those cornerbacks? The Packers biggest need this offseason was at cornerback, so they addressed it. They spent their first two draft choices on Jaire Alexander from Louisville and Josh Jackson from Iowa. They also brought in Tramon Williams in free agency and brought back Davon House. In addition, they get back second-round draft choice from a year ago Kevin King healthy. Any two of those five could open the year as the starters.

And for the highlight of Packers camp, who will be the safety that takes a walk? The starting safeties will be Ha-Ha Clinton Dix and Josh Jones. Quentin Rollins may switch to safety as well and is likely to win a roster spot regardless. That leaves two spots open at safety. Jerome Whitehead, Kentrell Brice, and Marwin Evans will battle like there is no tomorrow because, for one of them, there literally is no tomorrow. One of them will be cut. The question is who? This is going to be the battle of Packers camp right here.