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.

The Packers 53 Man Roster for 2018 | Ticket King Green Bay

The NFL off-season, or at least the “transactions” part, has come and gone. Teams have set their 90-man rosters and are only tweaking the back end of them at this point. Let’s dive right in and let our man T.J. Bryce look into his crystal ball to see what he thinks that the Packers final 53-man roster will be. This is a very early estimate of what will come to be the "53," and it's worth noting that there are always a few stand out performances by players that were "on the bubble."

(Note: PS Stands for Practice Squad)

Quarterbacks (2)- Aaron Rodgers (Stop laughing,) Deshone Kizer, Tim Boyle (PS). Cut- Brett Hundley.

Well, all know about that broken collarbone, and we also know that Brett Hundley showed the world he has no business being an NFL quarterback, even a backup. DeShone Kizer is a unique project and will still only be 22 for this season, despite having a year in the league under his belt already. Tim Boyle goes to the practice squad.

Running Backs(4)- Jamal Williams, Aaron Jones, Devonte Mays, Ty Montgomery. Cut- Joel Bouagnon.

We all know who the four running backs will be. It is hard to pick a starter between Williams and Jones, as they will both split carries. Mays will get some work, and Montgomery will be turned into a running back/wide receiver hybrid.

Fullbacks(1): Aaron Ripkowski. Cut: Joe Kerridge.

Joe Kerridge has been a great story, but the story ends here, as the Packers just don’t have a roster spot for him anymore. Aaron Ripkowski is the Packers lead blocker for the foreseeable future.

Wide Receivers(7)- Davante Adams, Randall Cobb, Geronimo Allison, Trevor Davis, J’Mon Moore, Eqaunimeous St. Brown, Marquez Valdez-Scantling, Michael Clark(PS), DeAngelo Yancey(PS). Cut- Jake Kumerow, Colby Pearson.

Even without Jordy Nelson, the Packers suddenly have a deep wide receiver corps thanks to the draft. I think they keep seven of them, as teams will pounce if they try to sneak one of the three rookies onto the practice squad. Yancey and Clark head back there for a second season.

Tight Ends(3)- Jimmy Graham, Lance Kendricks, Emmanuel Byrd, Ryan Smith(PS). Cut- Keven Rader, Robert Tonyan.

The Packers big off season splash was the signing of tight end Jimmy Graham. Kendricks will be the backup, and Byrd will be used in goal-line situations.

Offensive Lineman(9)- David Bakhtiari, Lane Taylor, Corey Linsley, Cole Madison, Brian Bulaga, Jason Spriggs, Justin McCray, Kyle Murphy, Adam Pankey, Austin Davis(PS). Cut- Dillon Day, Patrick Lucas, Kofi Amichia, Kyle Meadows.

David Bakhtiari has quite possibly become the best left tackle in the NFL. Lane Taylor is a good pro. Corey Linsley is a great center. Cole Madison will compete for the right guard spot from day one. This is Brian Bulaga’s last chance to stay healthy for an entire season and if Jason Spriggs takes that next step Bulaga might find himself on the bench or even gone. Offensive lineman are the hardest unit to predict who the backups will be. I did my best.

Defensive Lineman(6)- Mike Daniels, Kenny Clark, Dean Lowry, Montravius Adams, James Looney, Muhammed Wilkerson, Conor Sheehy(PS), Tyler Lancaster(PS). Cut- Filipo Mokofisi.

The Packers other big free agent splash was Muhammed Wilkerson, who has experience in Mike Pettine’s system and has played the best football of his life in that system. Mike Daniels is a monster pass rusher who gives many a quarterback nightmares. They still expect big things from Montravius Adams, who is finally healthy.

Linebackers(8)- Clay Matthews, Nick Perry, Vince Biegel, Oren Burks, Blake Martinez, Reggie Gilbert, Jake Ryan, Chris Odom, Kendall Donnerson(PS). Cut- Kyler Fackrell, Parris Bennett, Naashon Hughes, C.J. Johnson, Greer Martini, Marcus Porter, Ahmad Thomas.

Not much to say here. Oren Burks could get a starting job week one. The 7^th round rookie goes to the practice squad. Kyler Fackrell did not develop like they had hoped, and the rest are just camp bodies.

Cornerbacks(5)- Joshua Jackson, Jaire Alexander, Tramon Williams, Davon House, Kevin King. Cut- Donatello Brown, Herb Waters, Demitri Goodson, Josh Hawkins, Lenzy Pipkens.

The Packers biggest hole this off season was cornerback, and Brian Gutekunst did a great job of fixing it. We know who the five corners will be. The question is, who will start? That is going to be one outstanding competition all summer and into training camp.

Safeties(5)- Josh Jones, Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix, Marwin Evans, Kentrell Brice, Quinten Rollins, Raven Greene(PS). Cut- Jermaine Whitehead.

After a great rookie campaign, Josh Jones steps into a bigger role with the departure of Morgan Burnett. Clinton-Dix has become one of the game’s best deep safeties. I think Rollins switches to safety. Whitehead is a tough cut but it must be done.

Special Teams(3)- Mason Crosby, JK Scott, Zach Triner. Cut- Hunter Bradley.

Crosby is the Packers all-time leading scorer, one of the best kickers of his generation, and perhaps a future hall of famer. JK Scott has a big leg and they cut Justin Vogel as a sign of confidence, plus he asked to be cut anyways. I have no idea why Hunter Bradley is still on the 90-man roster.

Well there you have it, my best attempt at a Packers 53.

Packers 2018 Draft Class | Ticket King Green Bay

It’s hard to believe but the 2018 NFL Draft has come and gone. New Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst ran the Green & Gold war room for the first time. By the time he was done wheeling and dealing, he ended up with 11 selections. Let’s go through each one of them.

Round One: Jaire Alexander/CB/Lousiville- Brian Gutekunst put one over on Saints GM Mickey Loomis with this one. By the time he was done dealing, Gutekunst had basically swapped a third-round draft choice for a fifth-round draft choice, picked up an extra first next year, still got the guy he wanted at 18 instead of 14, and will get to pay him a little less because of draft slot. There’s nothing not brilliant about this. Since Sam Shields suffered the first of his last two concussions, which cost him all but two games over the final year and a half of his Green Bay career back in 2015, the Packers have been getting torched vertically over and over again. So Gutekunst and McCarthy finally said enough is enough with this selection. Alexander can fly and his calling card is deep ball coverage “on an island” as well as ball-hawking. This is a great pick up.

Round 2: Joshua Jackson/CB/Iowa- It was nothing short of a complete joke that Jackson was available for the Packers when the draft reached the 45^th selection in round two. The Packers couldn’t send their runner to the podium any faster when they made this choice. They would have gotten good value picking Jackson at 14 in round one, and they got him at 45 in round two. Jackson has coverage skills that don’t grow on trees, and that goes along with his size and great hands. Gutekunst did a tremendous job of shoring up the Packers cornerbacks situation this offseason.

Round 3: Oren Burks/LB/Vanderbilt- The Packers traded up into round three to draft Burks, the athletic linebacker from Vanderbilt. Burks takes the “versatile linebacker” position to the next level. He can play in either a 3-4 or a 4-3. He can play middle linebacker or outside linebacker in a 4-3. He can play inside linebacker or rush linebacker in a 3-4. He will play rush linebacker in Mike Pettine’s defense.

Round 4: J’Mon Moore/WR/Missouri- With the big defensive needs taken care of, the Packers turned to offense on day three. Moore was the first of three wide receivers the Packers took. He has nice size at 6’3” with big hands, and could be a big contributor, even a starter, down the road.

Round 5 – First Pick: Cole Madison/OT/OG/Washington State- The Packers have a long history of drafting and developing great lineman in rounds 3-7. Standing 6’5” ad 308 pounds, Madison could be the next in line. Whether he can come in and compete to start at guard in year one remains to be seen, but he did play in a pass-happy offense at Washington State, so that helps his cause here.

Round 5 – Second Pick: JK Scott/P/Alabama- This was a surprising selection, but still a good one. Scott has a big leg and can put the Packers minds to rest with the punter position for the next decade-plus.

Round 5 –Third Pick: Marquez Valdes-Scantling/WR/South Florida- This was a “We may have won the lottery.” selection for the Packers. “MVS” has the size and speed coaches dream of, at 6’4”, 205 pounds, 10 inch-plus hands, and he runs a 4.37 40-yard-dash. This one won’t pay off for the Packers this season so be patient. He needs to be developed. With some great coaching, his ceiling is through the roof, as in, yes, he could be one of the best in the business someday.

Round 6 - Equanimeous St. Brown/WR/Notre Dame- This was another choice where it was crazy that this caliber player was available in this spot. St. Brown was a projected as an early third-round draft choice, and the Packers got him in round six. St. Brown is huge- 6’5”, 215 pounds, and a 4.48 40-yard dash time. The Packers got three good receivers in this draft.

Round 7 – First Pick: James Looney/DE/California After three wide receivers, an offensive lineman, and a punter, the Packers went back to defense in round seven. Of all their choices this year in rounds 3-7 Looney has the lowest ceiling. Looney stands 6’3”, 287 pounds, and for a man who runs a 4.9 in the 40 he will have to bulk up, or his NFL career will be very short.

Round 7 – Second Pick: Hunter Bradley/LS/Mississippi- Yes, they used a draft choice on a long snapper, and for good reason. The Packers long snapper issues were well documented last year and it would have cost them the game in Dallas had it not been for Aaron Rodgers’s late-game heroics. Bradley could be the Packers long snapper for the next 12-15 years. Good job.

Round 7 – Third Pick: Kendall Donnerson/OLB/Southeast Missouri State- This is a truly raw prospect. Donnerson has off the charts physical ability but is very raw and undeveloped. He will spend year one on the practice squad.

The Packers Wild Off Season Ride So Far | Ticket King Green Bay

The Green Bay Packers have been through quite the off season. After thier 7-9 season left them out of the playoffs for the first time in a decade, they made massive changes up and down their organization. They hired a new GM, changed both coordinators, and swapped out most of their coaching staff for that matter. New general manager Brian Gutekunst is already making his presence felt.

First, Gutekunst made headlines when he traded corner back Damarious Randall to the Cleveland Browns for quarterback DeShone Kizer, who was the Browns second-round draft choice just a year ago. The Browns went a different direction this off season, hiring former Packers and Chiefs executive John Dorsey to run their team. Dorsey made a flurry of trades, one of which was for Bills quarterback Tyron Taylor. This made Kizer expendable. Don’t judge Kizer on his rookie season, it was with the Browns. Let that go and start from zero. The Packers may have found their long-term backup to Rodgers for the remainder of his career. But what about Randall? Well, with this move, Gutekunst had dumped an under performing former first-round draft choice who quit on this team last season. Remember, this was the man who was benched against the Bears, and rather than support his teammates, he stormed back to the locker room, took a shower, and left the stadium while the game was still going on.

Next, Gutekunst released longtime fan favorite Jordy Nelson, one of the best players in team history. Some were very angry over this move, and it is easy to understand why. Nelson was hailed both on and off the field for his professionalism and character. With that said, we also need to remember that he is 33, injury prone, was only going to play maybe one more season, and his contract number for next season could not be justified. He also refused to take a pay cut, according to reports. So, Gutekunst made the hard decision, and cut him loose. Gutekunst then used the cap savings to make two big signings. First, Muhammed Wilkerson, recently released by the Jets. Wilkerson fits perfectly in new defensive coordinator Mike Pettine’s scheme and has a track record of success playing for him. Since Wilkerson was released, that also means he will come without cost to potential compensation picks in the draft next year. This a low-risk very high reward move. If Wilkerson plays to his potential, the Packers got one of the best free agent steals in recent memory.

That same week, the Packers went out and signed tight end Jimmy Graham, filling another premium position. The contract for Graham says three years and 30 million with 11 million guaranteed. However, with the way the Packers worked his contract, this is either a steal for them or it turns into a one-year contract and release without penalty. Finally, the Packers solved their veteran cornerback need by dipping into their own past again, bringing back Super Bowl hero Tramon Williams. Don’t expect much from Williams at this point, but his veteran leadership and big game experience will prove valuable to what will be a very young and talented cornerback group.

Five Draft Picks That The Packers Should Take in 2018 | Ticket King Green Bay

The 2018 NFL Combine is over, and that means it is now “Mock Draft Season!” Granted, it’s early in the year, and things could change, depending on which free agents are picked up along the way, but here is our Ticket King mock draft 1.0.

Round 1: Baker Mayfield/QB/Oklahoma- Some may read this and think. “Really?” Yes really. The Packers two biggest needs this off-season are pass rushers and cornerback. However, the types of players they need for both positions is not are not going to be picked up with a draft choice. They need a veteran. It is looking like they are going to sign Muhammed Wilkerson in the coming days to solve the pass rush issue. If they add a cornerback via free agency as well, this is where it becomes interesting. This is a loaded draft class for quarterbacks, and if one of them is sitting there at 14, well, as we wrote back in October, the Packers need to start thinking post-Aaron Rodgers. Mayfield is a very talented quarterback, but he has serious attitude problems. He’s got the Dolphins taking a serious look at his right now, but if they take a pass, this young talent might be a pick at back up for Green Bay. He needs to sit down for a couple of years first.

Round 2: Braden Smith/OG/Auburn- The Packers do need to solve the guard spot opposite Lane Taylor. The second through fifth rounds of the draft is where you solve that problem. Smith can be a good guard in the NFL.

Round 3: Jaleel Scott/WR/New Mexico State- The Packers need some younger legs at the wide receiver position. At 6’6”, 215 pounds, Jaleel Scott is just too inviting to pass up here.

Round 4A: Joseph Noteboom/OT/TCU- The Packers do need some depth and insurance at the tackle position. Brian Bulaga can’t stay healthy, and Jason Spriggs hasn’t exactly shown why he was drafted in round two several years ago. Noteboom is an intriguing prospect.

Round 4B: Ian Thomas/TE/Indiana- At some point this off-season, the Packers do need to add a tight end. I expect them to sign one in free agency, but at the same time, it doesn’t hurt to add a talented mid-round prospect as well. Thomas could be groomed for a couple of years to be the Packers long-term tight end.

Milwaukee Brewers Make Huge Moves for 2018 Season | Ticket King Green Bay

The 2018 Major League Baseball off season has been the quietest in recent memory. Most of the best players on the market have yet to sign. Of course, whose fault this is might be up for debate. Some of the players and their agents, most notably Scott Boras, are saying that the owners are colluding against them to keep contracts down. It’s probably more about basic economics 101. After endless years of handing out these massive contracts, both in terms of length and money, to players over 30, teams have finally realized that these contracts rarely ever benefit them. What Billy Beane started 18 years ago in Oakland has now made its way across the entire league. Every team now uses advanced analytics to properly determine how much a player is worth in terms of both length and money.

Regardless, the Milwaukee Brewers decided to buck that quiet trend recently. They signed outfielder Lorenzo Cain, who began his career in Milwaukee, to a five-year, 80 million dollar contract. So far, that is the biggest contract signed this off season. Yes, the Milwaukee Brewers have made the biggest free agent splash of the off season. On that same day, they traded four prospects to the Marlins for outfielder Christian Yelich. The Brewers now find themselves with a surplus of outfield talent. So what could they do to undo the log jam?

The only thing that is for certain at this point is what Ryan Braun will do. Shortly following the moves to acquire Cain and Yelich, the club announced that Ryan Braun is headed to first base, in what could eventually become a full-time gig. So what does this mean for Eric Thames, who had the best season of his career a year ago? Well, one of the rumors circulating for Thames is if free agent Eric Hosmer signs somewhere else besides Kansas City, Milwaukee could try to trade Thames to the Royals. There is also rumors of Brett Phillips possibly being on the move in a trade to the Rays for starting pitcher Chris Archer. Most of the rumors surround Domingo Santana though. Santana has been mentioned in trades to Cleveland, Tampa Bay, and Seattle, with the likeliest of the three being Cleveland for starting pitcher Danny Salazar. If they trade Santana but not Phillips, Milwaukee could have an outfield of Brett Phillips in left, Lorenzo Cain in center, and Christian Yelich in right on opening day, with Keon Broxton perhaps being the fourth outfielder. Broxton would make perfect sense as a bench outfielder. He’s fast, plays great defense, has experience at all three positions, and can pinch run. Also, the Brewers are still in on Yu Darvish, the best starting pitcher on the market. The reason Darvish hasn’t been signed yet is the length of the contract he is asking for. Darvish is asking for six years. Every offer he has is no more than four.

If the Brewers can acquire a couple of good starting pitchers here late in the offseason, they could make a serious run at toppling the Cubs in 2018.