~Tramon Williams isn’t just the good-natured, eager-to-please, free-agent nickel back from Louisiana Tech any longer.

"This last game, we talked about it, was his worst grade-out game since I've been here," said Whitt, who joined the staff in 2008. "That's not Tramon-like, and we won't see that again."

  Now that Al Harris officially has been ruled out of the Green Bay Packers’ first six regular-season games, Williams officially is the starting right cornerback for a team confident that a Super Bowl berth awaits in February.

Never before has the modest Williams entered a season like this. He has made 12 starts in the base defense in the past three seasons, but none came earlier than Week 4.

“This is his first year going into it as a starter,” fellow cornerback Charles Woodson said. “He’s a good player. He’s going to be tested. (Expletive), gotta perform.”

The Packers will be starting one rookie, Morgan Burnett, at strong safety. Another rookie, free agent Sam Shields, is in position to be the nickel back.

With youth all around, the last thing the Packers can afford is for Williams’ level of play to be a problem. There are no guarantees Harris will be activated from the physically unable to perform list, and the organization can’t be sure how he will perform if he does reach the field.

The Packers need Williams to play like an established veteran starting Sept. 12 in Philadelphia.

“I know it,” he said. “I’m going to be that, too.”

If you were to poll 20 pro personnel people, at least half probably would say Williams is just a nickel back.    Rest of story from McGinn here

~Green Bay Packers rookie tight end Andrew Quarless does not suffer from a lack of confidence.

Asked if he thought he could be as good as teammate Jermichael Finley, Quarless didn’t hesitate: “I think so. Finley’s a great player. Me and him talk about it all the time, just being the best together and taking this league by storm.”

"His body language is getting better," offensive coordinator Joe Philbin said. "I think he almost looked like a young deer kind of learning to step with his feet and pumping with his legs. Probably part of it is being comfortable with the play call in the huddle and being more comfortable with the adjustment vs. the different coverage.

Stack the two next to one another and there are a lot of similarities.

Finley is 6-5, 247 pounds. He runs the 40-yard dash in about 4.6 seconds and has a vertical leap of about 27 inches. Quarless is 6-4, 252 pounds. He runs the 40-yard dash in about 4.6 seconds and has a vertical jump of 32 inches.

These two guys are carbon copies of one another, physically. The difference between them is experience and hands.

Finley is in Year 3 of Operation Be a Pro under tight ends coach Ben McAdoo, whose no-nonsense approach and demand for excellence has helped mold him into a team player and budding superstar. Quarless is a freshman finally getting his bearings after wandering aimlessly the first four weeks of training camp.

“We throw a lot at these guys,” McAdoo said. “He does a lot more running, he’s a lot more involved in special teams than he has in the past, so he’s trying to figure that out. He’s developing, and in development there are peaks and valleys.

“In the last week or so, I think he’s been flashing some of that natural ability. But we’re looking for consistency, and that’s the challenge.”

Rest of story here

~The big fella in the middle often went unappreciated and unnoticed by Packer Nation, in the trenches at nose tackle. He also went unappreciated by the national media, as often is the case with the Green Bay Packers.

He doesn’t throw temper tantrums or stomp on opponents faces like Albert Haynesworth does.

He doesn’t try to sneak guns onto a flight like Shaun Rogers.

He hasn’t gotten tested positive with banned substances as Pat and Kevin Williams of the Vikings.

All the 340-pound Ryan Pickett  does is plug the run, and be a great teammate. He is a fan favorite as he should be. He just doesn’t yell and shout and look for camera’s and pound his chest and say it’s about me, I’m the man. He just does his job, and does it quietly well.

Now Pickett has been moved to end to allow last year’s top pick, B.J. Raji, to move to NT in order to try and boost the Packers anemic pass rush along the interior. This despite the fact that Pickett was as good of a run-stuffing NT as there was in the NFL last year and the fact that Ryan is a perfect prototypical nose tackle.

He’d played at DT or NT since 1998. “I liked the nose,” said Pickett. “I got comfortable there. Who am I to question the coaches, you know?” said Pickett. “It was best for the team for me to play end. Obviously, B.J. is a good nose and I can play the end. To help, the team I will play end.”

“It took me awhile to accept it. I was disappointed for a little while,” said Pickett. “But after that, I started playing it and started liking it.” The drastic differences for Pickett are spacing and assignments, and both changes have forced the 31-year-old to study the game from his entirely new viewpoint.

"My thing is, I think I have an advantage over most tackles because they're normally taller guys, not as strong, more athletic. Used to blocking smaller D-ends. And I think I'm the biggest D-end in the NFL right now."

 ”It’s a lot different. There’s a lot of space out there,” said Pickett. “The nose actually is immediate. You don’t have time to really think. On end you have time, you can mess up and recover. On nose you really can’t.

“At nose, you always have one thing to do. That’s it. The A gap. At end, you never know, it depends on what the call is, what gap you have, how to play the technique. So it’s a lot of that you have to get used.”

~Coach Mike McCarthy told USA Today sometime this week that cornerback Al Harris will be placed on the physically unable to perform list, meaning he will miss at least the first six weeks of the season.

“Al Harris is definitely getting better, he’s getting close,” McCarthy said. “But he’s going to have to start the season on the PUP (physically unable to perform list).”

"Al Harris is definitely getting better, he's getting close,'' McCarthy said. "But he's going to have to start the season on the PUP (physically unable to perform list).''

That means either Brandon Underwood, who’s out with a shoulder injury, undrafted free agent Sam Shields or Pat Lee will open up at the nickel back against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 12

The Packers decided not to sign a free agent or draft a player at cornerback in the offseason. There’s a very real possibility that Shields will be the nickel back against the Eagles. He played only one season of corner at the University of Miami.

~Offensive lineman Jason Spitz may be playing this exhibition season to impress someone else as much as the Green Bay Packers.

The odd man out in the fight for the final starting spot on the offensive line, Spitz has stopped playing three positions and is being used solely at center.

It’s his natural position, and after he was given almost no opportunity to compete at guard, it very well could be that the Packers are showcasing him for other teams.

"If I get back to playing the way I was last year, everything will take care of itself. I'm just here to play, and wherever they tell me to go, I'll go."

Spitz, who had back surgery last year and suffered a calf injury that sidelined him from Aug. 9-16, looked like he was at full strength in the Packers’ 27-24 victory over the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday night.

He played three series with the No. 2 unit, logging 22 plays (including penalty snaps) and acquitting himself well in the middle. He did not allow a pressure in the passing game, executed double teams properly and handled a number of line calls with what appeared to be full command of the offense.

His only mistake came at the end of the first half when he prematurely snapped the ball, resulting in a penalty and 10-second runoff that washed out the Packers’ chances for a last-second field goal.

Spitz said he had no control over the coaches’ decision not to let him compete directly with Daryn Colledge and rookie Bryan Bulaga for the left guard spot.  Rest of story here

~Veteran WR Donald Driver has signed a 2-year contract extension today with the Packers, assuring that he will remain a Packer and most likely retire as a Packer.

"Now it’s done and I’m happy about it. Now I’m a Green Bay Packer for life."

“Since last year we talked about it, and they agreed to try to get a deal done,” he said. “We got it done and now I’m going to reitre as a Packer. That’s something I dreamed of for a long time. Now it’s here and my wife and kids love it.”

“I went upstairs with the family and signed our extension so we know we’re going to retire here. When it’s all said and done I’ll be in green and gold.”  

“It gets to a point where you realize you want to be here for your whole career,” Driver said. “Whatever it is, accept it and play it out and if you still feel like you want to play at that time you can. I sat down and talked to my wife what I wanted to do. If the Lord tells me at 38 when this contract is up to continue playing I will. If not, I’ll retire.”

Driver needs 607 yards to pass James Lofton as the Packers all-time leader in receiving yardage.  Last year, in Donald’s 12th season, he took over the franchise record for career catches, passing Lofton, who also wore #80 with the Packers.

“I’ve always had dreams that the great guy who wore the number before me and hopefully I can stay here and break his record and one day that jersey will never be worn again,” he said.

~For two summers now, Aaron Rodgers has enrolled in a second quarterbacks school.

The first has been with the Green Bay Packers, whose quarterbacks coach, Tom Clements, runs an annual session from March through early May as part of the offseason workout program.

“I’m just trying to keep up with him when we’re out there, because he busts his butt. He puts in his time. He’s like the leader among leaders in that group.”

The second has been after the final minicamp in late June, when Rodgers returns to his offseason home in San Diego and works out several days a week with a group of NFL and college players. There, the tutor is New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, who was voted Super Bowl MVP in February after leading the NFL in passer rating in the regular season.

Brees wasn’t around as much for this year’s workouts because he was on a Super Bowl MVP “world tour,” as Rodgers called it, appearing on national TV talk shows, throwing out the first ball at a New York Yankees game and the like. But he was there part-time as a role model even though Rodgers has become a top NFL quarterback in his own right.

Full story here 

~ Quarterback Craig Nall was a 5th round pick in 2002 by the Green Bay Packers, but playing behind Brett Favre means you don’t get any action in the regular season. But Craig Noodles Nall did get some.

In 2004 Nall played in 5 games as Brett Favre’s backup at Green Bay. He completed 23 of 33 passes for 314 yards and 4 touchdowns, with no interceptions, for a sensational passer rating of 139.4. 

GREEN BAY, WI - DECEMBER 30: Backup quarterback Craig Nall #16 of the Green Bay Packers throws against the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field December 30, 2007 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

Nall also started for the Scottish Claymores of NFL Europe in 2003 and was the league’s leading passer.

In 2006, the chiseled, 6-3, Nall signed as an unrestricted free agent with the Buffalo Bills, where he competed for the starting quarterback position until a hamstring injury suffered on the second day of practice ended his involvement in the competition. In 2007, he fell on the team’s depth chart behind J.P. Losman and Trent Edwards. At the end of pre-season, he was cut from the team’s final roster. Early into the regular season he was re-signed by the Bills but was released shortly thereafter.

On October 29, 2007, Nall was signed by the Houston Texans as insurance when starter Matt Schaub was hurt against San Diego. He was released by the Texans on November 21, 2007

He signed a one-year deal with the Packers on December 1, 2007, after they released safety Marvelous Marviel Underwood. Nall became a free agent in the 2008 offseason.

Nall was re-signed by the Houston Texans on November 5, 2008 after another injury to Matt Schaub. He was waived on December 17 when the team signed cornerback David Pittman.

He was also one of two players initially signed after an open tryout held by the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League on August 22, 2009.

Where is he now?
Usually on a golf course somewhere in the McKinney-Frisco area of North Texas, hustling friends and neighbors for skins money. Nall’s golf game is solid, and long, but he needs work on his short game, especially the short chips.
Nall is still young, and has almost 20 years left to iron out the kinks and pursue a career on the PGA Champions Tour starting in 2029. 

As for football, he’s still better than at least 20 QB’s on NFL rosters today, and still young enough to make a name (again) for himself. Afterall, he’s more than 11 years younger than Favre is. He just needs the right situation, and another chance.  Who knows, maybe Schuab will go down again this season.

~Bob McGinn offers his team and individual grades in our 2009 Packers report card available in Sunday’s Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Insider subscribers can chat with McGinn about the 2009 season and beyond at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Aaron Rodgers: Rated the ninth-best QB in the NFL by scouts entering playoffs. Just turned 26 and should get only better. Likes to wing the ball around but has a plan for every pass and almost never throws into traffic. Highly intelligent, in complete command of the offense. Respected by teammates for his ability and courage. About once a week he beats perfect coverage by running for a first down. Surprisingly athletic. Posted second-best passer rating (103.2) in team history…… Grade: B-plus         Full Grades here

Despite having to try and dodge bullets for the first half of the season, Rodgers 2009 season was 2nd highest-rated in team history

~Bob McGinn offers his team and individual grades in our 2009 Packers report card available in Sunday’s Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Insider subscribers can chat with McGinn about the 2009 season and beyond at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday.

B.J. Raji: Played 385 snaps (36.4%), had 37 tackles (five for loss) and just three pressures. Played four positions: LE, NT and RE in base, DT in nickel. Erratic at the point. Flashed big-play explosion but was much more easily displaced by double-teams than Pickett or Jolly. His pass rush was disappointing. Wasn’t able to string moves together, and neither his bull rush nor his edge quickness was good enough to many win one-on-ones. High-ankle sprain slowed him until midseason. Staff will demand major improvement in his second season. Grade: D-plus  Full story here

Rookie BJ Raji made a few great plays in 2009, but he'll be expected to do that a lot more in 2010, and will be expected to get some push towards opposing QB's finally.