Return of Nick Collins?

There are not many former Green Bay Packers players, the fans have missed more than Nick Collins. He greeted the Lambeau Field faithful in the final home game of the season and received a big roar with hearing people saying 'We love you Nick, come back!' Those pleas seemed to fall on deaf ears as Collins had a debilitating neck injury that would keep him off the field for the end of time. Collins never really retired, but it was all but assumed, he probably would not be playing again in the National Football League. As everything these days, social media might tells a different story as Collins said this on Twitter yesterday and last night.

Nickdapick36 is ready for action.
— Nick Collins (@nickdapick36) February 3, 2014

Who's looking for a top notch free safety. This kid is ready to dominate #2014
— Nick Collins (@nickdapick36) February 4, 2014

All of the sudden, Collins announces his return to football. I have to imagine he heard some good news about his neck injury. With the way modern science works and some other stuff that we can keep our heads buried in the sand for now, Collins is ready to play again in the NFL. This could be great news for Packers fans, or it could be the start of 'Fire Ted Thompson' chants again if Green Bay does not bring back Collins next year if he is fully cleared. The thing about Collins is Green Bay released him for monetary purposes and not really due to anything else. There is no ill-will towards the team meaning the return could possibly happen because it is worth the risk. 

My assumption would be Collins despite his All-Pro nature, would probably only garner one or two years worth around eight to 12 million dollars (Higher if we are talking two years). No one is going to give him a major deal coming off an neck injury, and the fact he has not played in two years means Collins will be given a lower contract this year only to get a major deal the following year if he plays well again. Green Bay needs to at least give it a thought because there is nothing better with safeties right now. They have not replaced him and it has been two years. Let that sink in for a second.

Green Bay's safeties are a complete mess. Morgan Burnett is probably a strong safety, and he did play much better at that position. Collins would provide some leadership in the secondary as well as help teach Burnett like he did in previous years. For Green Bay to trust Burnett another year and not at least explore the idea of a Collins' return is arrogant. There is no reason to bring a guy back in the fold that still enjoys hanging out with teammates from Green Bay. Over the weekend, Collins, Tramon Williams and James Jones were hanging in the Bahamas and Collins looks pretty good for not playing football in the last couple of years.  

My bros @nickdapick36 And James jones just enjoying the moment. #Bahamastakeover pic.twitter.com/8W7Kojc97Y
— Tramon Williams (@HighRizer38) February 1, 2014

This now becomes the story to watch for Green Bay fans in the first month of the offseason. If Collins comes back, we will need to manage some expectations but that's a story for another time. All in all, I am happy to see Collins have the ability to return to the game he loves after thinking there was no chance two years ago. 

Charlie. 

Grading Green Bay Packers Defense/Special Teams

We are wrapping up the Green Bay Packers season with a grading of the offense/defense/special teams of the 2013 season.  I will also choose an MVP for both sides of the ball. 

Defensive line 
B.J. Raji - Many times when a player is in a contract year, they tend to perform above their head to get their money which there is nothing wrong that yet B.J. Raji is not one of those players. He had an sub-par year overall. There is nothing that made you think Raji is a even a homeless man's version of Vince Wilfork. I have no idea where his motivation has gone, but it is not there right now. I realize nose tackles are not really supposed to make tackles, but they are suppose to fill holes for the awaiting linebackers. If he still wants eight million dollars a year, I think he is honestly crazy. GRADE C-

Ryan Pickett - Not a bad year for Big Grease. He is not a flashy player at all, but Pickett makes some plays in front of the line. I also think he does a lot of good for the younger players on this team. People forget his contract is up, and he already said there is no retirement plan. I realize Green Bay likes to get younger, but Pickett's leadership would definitely be worth keeping him another year or two but what the hell do I know. GRADE C+  

Mike Daniels - ALL ABOARD THE BANDWAGON. I am fully supporting Mike Daniels. Easily, he became my favorite player on the defense. The guy is true bulldog in there being only six feet and 300 pounds. Daniels is built for a 4-3 more so than a 3-4 yet he does not give one single damn about it. The leverage he gets ins phenomenal, and I really do not see how a team gets a book on him when it all comes down to leverage. A six-footer can get underneath a 6'6 or 6'7 offensive lineman especially if he has the strength. GRADE A-

Johnny Jolly - What a year it was for him from a just coming back and being an emotional leader of this football team. It seemed like Green Bay had its edge back as football team for a little bit at the beginning of the year, and I felt along with others, Jolly was a big reason why that happened. The crowning moment of his year happened with the Atlanta game where he forced and recovered a fumble with everyone shouting 'JOLLY' 'JOLLY' 'JOLLY' in the stands. Hopefully, his injury lets him play again and I do not think one person wants to see him leave the team. GRADE B

Datone Jones - I have to say it has been a disappointing year for Jones. He made a couple plays here and there throughout the year, but definitely did not have the impact, I think folks including myself expected him to have with the team. Jones needs to live with Daniels, and figure out how he is doing it against these big offensive lineman. The grade is a low one, but I do think he will come back to be fine for the team. GRADE C

Linebackers
Clay Matthews - My assumption is the natives are beginning to get restless with Clay. He never seems to stay healthy while granted breaking one's thumb is not entirely the fault of the person. This pisses people off, and they begin to sour on him. Matthews made some impact plays leading up to him breaking his thumb, but really he can only be looked at like Dallas Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee. He changes the game when he is healthy, and that's not very often. I would kill to see one full year of Clay being virtually healthy. GRADE C+

A.J. Hawk - Easily, the best year of his career for Hawk. I am not saying he deserved to go to the Pro Bowl, but he made plays this year. Rather, it was not just Hawk filling the hole and making a tackle, it was him sacking the quarterback or getting a key interception. Speaking of sacks, Hawk had five of them this season which is a career-high for him. My assumption is we will be seeing more of Hawk rushing the quarterback next season.  This is a great bounce-back year for him, and I wonder whether Hawk will be able to keep this up. I tend to lean on yes. GRADE A-

Brad Jones - After having a great year that earned him a contract, this was a disappointing year for Jones. It is not all his fault. I would contend he played hurt for at least 75 percent of games this year meaning we should judge him playing differently. He had a bad hamstring multiple times then had an ankle injury at the end of the season. Jones is not a bad player, but he might be an average player which makes him mediocre when injured and that's a little concerning given his contract. He might be the one player I am most interested for next year.  GRADE C

Nick Perry - I think we need to all admit to ourselves that Nick Perry is not a left outside linebacker. It is not a position he seems to excel at even with Clay on the other side. Perry played well against Chicago and San Francisco coming from the right side and maybe it is time for Green Bay to experiment with Clay and Perry flipped. I realize the need to want Matthews coming off the blindside, but Perry is giving nothing from the left side. He does need to stay healthy though as he missed another five games meaning in two years, he has only played 16 games. GRADE C+

Mike Neal - I owe this guy an apology. I thought Neal would be just a workout warrior who could not stay healthy and I have been proven wrong. Neal played his ass off this year at outside linebacker. He did really well at that position. I think there is a future there for him, and I would not be opposed for a competition between him and Perry if they chose to keep him on the left side of the defense. There are definitely things Neal has to learn when it comes to playing the position, but that will come with time. GRADE B

Defensive Backs 
Sam Shields - To think, this was an undrafted rookie whom did not play much at cornerback at Miami. He had a big year for Green Bay when they won the Super Bowl then since there had not been much until this year. Shields delivered a defining play against Dallas, and he did a great job holding down some of the top receivers in the league. Shields is going to be wanted around the league, and will be expensive. I expect him to be back next season, but it would not surprise me to see someone overpay for him because his speed/catch-up speed is worth it. Shields' best is still left to come. GRADE B+

Tramon Williams - Quite the year for the longest member of the Packers secondary. People believed he was washed up. Many folks assumed he never recovered from his shoulder injury in 2011, and it had been downhill since then something changed against New York in the middle of the year. I have no idea what happened or what changed. I guess if you want me to venture a guess, I think Williams stopped playing scared he would hurt his shoulder again. I am excited to see what he has left for the following season. GRADE B-

Morgan Burnett - He will become the most-hated Packer to begin the year. Hell he already has been probably. I am willing to give him a little leash until we see what lines up next to him. I think MD Jennings hurt him more than we will probably ever know. Burnett seemed to play with an attitude of 'Cannot make a mistake' meaning he looked tentative out there. He made a couple of plays, but nothing special at all. Makes you wonder what Green Bay would have done if he did not get a contract and played this way.  GRADE D

MD Jennings -  If I have to watch MD Jennings attempt to play strong safety, I will gauge my own eyes out. It is one thing to be a strong safety that can come up and make bone-cracking hits yet not have the ability to cover anyone. It is another thing to be a strong safety that cannot hit or cover which could define Jennings. He will still be on the roster, but maybe he can go the Jarrett Bush route of being a good special teams player. Mike Gonzalez, MD Jennings and Marshall Newhouse caused me a lot of pain this season. GRADE F

Micah Hyde - This is a defensive and special teams grade. Out of the rookies, he probably had the second most impressive year next to Lacy. Sure he missed an interception in the playoff game, but Hyde played pretty well as a young secondary member. Green Bay now has quite the stable if Shields stays with Williams, Casey Hayward, Shields and Hyde. That's quite the group of secondary members who could really make some noise. I love the physicality of Hyde and his return game was valuable when Randall Cobb went out with injury. GRADE B

Special Teams 
Mason Crosby - Remember in late August, Crosby was having a kicking competition with a guy they brought in from the streets. He ended up dominating him including a 60+ year field goal. Crosby only missed four field goals all season. He did not even have a bad game for people to say 'Here we go again with the shit from Mason.' There is no reason to be worried about him next season. I feel like 2012 will just be a blip on the radar. GRADE A

Tim Masthay - Another great year for the Ginger Wolverine. I never feel nervousness when he is punting the ball. I would not say he is someone that can always flip the field, but Masthay improved as a punter this year. I can only imagine he gets better next season. The Ging as Aaron Rodgers calls him, owns the coffin corner. GRADE B

Charlie.

Sportandfashion-news Packers Classroom: Green Bay v. Dallas

We give grades to the different aspects of the Packers game from Sunday or Monday.  Am I too critical sometimes? Yes.  Am I also too nice sometimes? Yes.  I do not have a teaching degree in case you were wondering. 

Honestly, I thought about writing a full blog about this game and not doing my duty with the classroom. But I do want to write it out while talking about the game itself in the way I know how to do it.  I am completely stunned still this morning to see Green Bay win this game and be right in the mix with the playoff hunt. It is incredible. 

A-Game
Matt Flynn - When the first half ended, I called for Matt Flynn's head. I wanted to see Scott Tolzien because I really thought Flynn had ran out of gas. Mike McCarthy went with Flynn again, and Flynn helped lead them back with a big pass to Jordy Nelson to put Green Bay down 26-10. Flynn continued with a massive second half leading Green Bay down the field with four touchdowns and no mistakes. Green Bay could have quit on this game and it would have probably started with Flynn. He did not let it happen on Sunday. The leadership Flynn displayed on Sunday was amazing. No matter what happens this season, Flynn deserves major credit for leading this team back in three games to keep this Green Bay's head above water.

Eddie Lacy - Given the situation, the best game of the season for Lacy. He rushed for 142 yards and went over 1,000 yards become the first Packer rusher over that number since 2009 with Ryan Grant. Lacy helped create confusion with this Cowboys defense. He also had a big 60 yard run to open the second half providing sort of hope leading in the second half. But he also averaged 6.7 yards a carry. Lacy seems to be rounding into form, and is making his case for Offensive Rookie of the Year. It is dangerously close with Keenan Allen and Lacy.

Sam Shields - SAMMMMMMY. I do not know when it happened, but Sam Shields became one of my favorite players. I think it was during the Super Bowl run when Shields kept making big plays in the playoffs. Shields came up big again late in this game with a major defense of a vertical route of Dez Bryant where if Tony Romo throws it on the money it is probably a touchdown, but instead, Shields caught up to the pass and broke it up. Then once again, Romo underthrew a ball leading to Shields making the game changing interception. I loved he threw the ball in the stands after the pick and did not get a penalty for it (Don't pull that shit again, Sam).

B-Game
Tramon Williams - In a weird way, Tramon and the TV show Homeland are the same. The reason I make this comparison is Homeland was put on such a pedestal after the first season and Williams the same after the Super Bowl season. People put high expectations for both things, and they have been let down at different parts of the last two years. Homeland put on a bow on Season 3 and people still hate it saying they are done with the show. Williams is not having the same sort of criticism making the clinching interception to win the football game. In the last month or so, Williams has improved his game greatly.

Jarrett Boykin - We have talked about Boykin a couple times this year, but it needs to be stated again, he deserves to be a major factor on this team next season. He made a couple big catches on Sunday including a great back shoulder catch leading the Packers down for their final drive of the game. If the Packers get into the playoffs and Randall Cobb is able to return, think about this Packers receiving core. They become damn near unstoppable.

Andrew Quarless - Another big game for him. He was a player I wanted to watch on Sunday to see if he could carry over last week's game to this one against Dallas. Quarless did the same thing having six catches for 66 yards and a touchdown. Do I think Quarless' elevated play means Green Bay should ignore the tight end position in the draft? No I do not actually. But I really cannot see why they would draft Jace Amaro or Eric Ebron in the first round despite my undying love for both players. Quarless is looking more and more like the player everyone talked about when he came out of Penn State.

David Bakhtiari - What a  game from him. I know DeMarcus Ware is battling through injuries, but this is another premier pass rush that Bakhtiari has made completely nonexistent. He will never win it given the play of Lacy and Allen and others yet Bakhtiari deserves some Rookie of the Year votes. The stuff he is doing to protect the blind side is something I do not think many people are giving him credit for this season. If Green Bay were to make a run here, Bakhtiari could be a difference maker keeping Flynn and Aaron Rodgers upright.

C-Game
Clay Matthews - He came up big when Dom Capers started moving him around in the second half, but I am starting to wonder a bit about Clay. It does not seem like he is having the same sort of impact as he once was with this football team. Who is to blame for that? Probably Nick Perry and not having a pass rush from the defensive line even if it is not their responsibility to rush the passer. I will say it seemed like Matthews' rush was stronger when Mike Neal is out there. Maybe that's just me guessing things right now, but it does seem like Matthews' play becomes more clearer when Neal is out there.

D-Game
Green Bay's defensive line - This was a true example of why this team misses C.J. Wilson more than I think anyone realizes right now. DeMarco Murray gashed this defensive line and linebackers and it would have been the lead story if Dallas won this football including Murray who should have had over 200 yards right now. This defensive line needs to start figuring out how to get off blocks much better. Or make sure the holes are big enough for the linebackers to fill the spot. It could be the latter right now, but until we figure out whose to blame, I will start with the defensive line.

F-Game
Brad Jones - Another real bad effort from Jones. This is his second straight game where he has struggled mightily. I think it is time to see more Jamari Lattimore out there at middle linebacker. As I said last week, Jones seems to be a liability and he is in fact a liability. I have no idea if Jones is hurt or what, but he looks like he should not be out there right now. I hope there is more of a mix with Jones and Lattimore.

Jason Garrett's playcalling - I really cannot believe how bad Garrett was on Sunday. I know he threw Tony Romo under the bus, but Garrett gives him the chance to do it. Dallas threw the ball nearly 50 times and only rushed the ball 18 times. That's pathetic. If I am Murray this morning, I am legitimately scorching the earth when I get to the facility. He should have received the rock like he was Adrian Peterson. Murray has become a top ten back in the NFL and only his coaching staff does not realize it.

MD Jennings - Remember when I said I was interested to see what Sean Richardson can do against Dallas? Remember when he barely saw any time and instead we watched MD 'Toast' Jennings play instead. The guy is the Marshall Newhouse of the defense. He could not cover his shadow. My buddy and Sportandfashion-news contributor put it best with Jennings.

For not liking to tackle MD Jennings picked an interesting career
— Seth (@SethKrueger) December 15, 2013

Charlie.