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Posts for March, 2010
Packers Daily Links 3.1.10
There were so many noteworthy items coming out of the NFL combine this past weekend, I'll never get to all of them. For that I apologize. But I hope to provide at least a few tidbits coming out of Indianapolis on Sunday.
The Packers met with several prospects. Among them:
- Oklahoma State cornerback Perrish Cox talked with the Packers according to ESPNMilwaukee's Jason Wilde. "The 5-foot-11, 189-pound Cox is an intriguing player because he also has return ability," writes Wilde. "Then again, there are also questions about him after he was suspended for the Cotton Bowl for missing curfew twice during the New Year's week. He said on Sunday that he'd met with five NFL teams – and the Packers were among them. They talked with Cox about what his role would be, and about the suspension."
- They also met with another Big XII defensive back says Greg Bedard of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "The Packers do most of their legwork on seniors if they're at one of the all-star games," writes Bedard. "So it's somewhat interesting that they met with Nebraska safety Larry Asante -- who was at the Senior Bowl -- last night for a 15-minute period, during which they have Asante to go the board and diagram several plays."
- The Packers didn't meet with USC safety Taylor Mays in Indy, but they did meet with him once before according to Tom Pelissero of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. "Southern Cal S Taylor Mays listed a handful of teams he's met with here, and the Packers weren't among them," writes Pelissero. "They did talk at the Senior Bowl, and the Packers asked about his background and whether he thinks he's a safety or linebacker."
- On Twitter, Pelissero mentioned one more meeting with a defensive back. "South Florida safety Nate Allen says he's talked informally with #Packers here and at Senior Bowl," reports Pelissero.
Bob McGinn of the Journal Sentinel caught up with Packers head coach Mike McCarthy and asked him several questions including one about safety Atari Bigby. "Veteran Atari Bigby had no more than a workmanlike season as the starting strong safety but based on what McCarthy said, the Packers aren't looking to replace him," writes McGinn. »Read Full Blog Post
Jahvid the 'Best' option for the Pack?
Three running backs really set themselves apart, in terms of speed, on the final day of the NFL combine.
According to ESPN's Todd McShay, C.J. Spiller, Jahvid Best, and Ryan Mathews all impressed (you'll need an ESPNInsider account) with their 40-yard dash times and overall performance in drills.
Best finished with the fastest 40 time with 4.35 seconds, Spiller with 4.37, and Mathews not far behind with 4.41. »Read Full Blog Post(4)
Packers Daily Links 3.2.10
The Green Bay Packers reportedly interviewed Michigan cornerback Donovan Warren while at the NFL combine in Indianapolis according to Tim Twentyman of the Detroit News. "Warren is a physical cover corner (5-foot-11, 194 pounds) at the combine and is projected to be drafted come off the board anywhere from the late second round to the fourth round," writes Twentyman. At 5-11 Twentyman fits the size profile preferred by the Packers and is a viable candidate to by drafted by the Packers with their late second round pick.
Bob McGinn has plenty of leftovers from his time spent at the combine. His biggest story today is that the Packers tend to offer Daryn Colledge a tender by Thursday's deadline. "But in an interview at the National Football League scouting combine, Packers coach Mike McCarthy said Colledge would compete for his job against Jason Spitz, among others," writes McGinn. I expect the best candidate from that group to emerge as the starter during training camp.
McGinn also has information that the Packers plan to use T.J. Lang primarily at right tackle, although not exclusively. "I'd like to get Lang down to two positions," McCarthy told McGinn. "The most important thing for him is the weight room. He needs to get stronger." McCarthy, however, didn't indicate if Lang would work at either left or right guard. »Read Full Blog Post(1)
Packers maintain interest in Paulus
The Green Bay Packers were interested in quarterback Greg Paulus a year ago before he decided to go back to school and give college football at try at Syracuse, and they're apparently still interested in him.
The Packers are reportedly the only NFL team to contact Paulus this offseason according to Jared Diamond of the Daily Orange. Syracuse's pro day is this Thursday and the Packers will presumablly be in attendance.
While Syracuse, once again, had another down season and Paulus had more interceptions than touchdowns, he also set a single season school record for completions and completion percentage. »Read Full Blog Post(3)
Mays impresses with combine stats, lacks in drills
Taylor Mays has been a popular name to arise when the Packers No. 23 draft pick is discussed. After his performance at the 2010 NFL Combine, it's likely to come up again.
Mays annihilated his 40-yard dash time. According to Tony Pauline of Sports Illustrated, most scouts in attendance clocked him somewhere in the neighborhood of a 4.32. The official time was a 4.43. But who cares? That's incredibly fast for a defensive back who's 6-foot-3, 218 pounds. He also pumped out 24 reps of 225 pounds in the bench press. The guy is clearly a workout-a-holic.
However, as well as he did in the two aforementioned drills, he equally lacked in the defensive back drills. »Read Full Blog Post(4)
McCarthy: "I'd love the opportunity to work with Tim Tebow"
Tim Tebow in the Green and Gold. Doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense, does it? To Mike McCarthy and Ted Thompson, apparently it makes a little.
According to Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com, McCarthy said in Combine interviews that he is yet to evaluate Tebow well enough to know if he's worthy of a Packers' draft pick. However, he did say that he would like the chance to work with him.
"Just the way he approaches the game of football, I think he'll do everything he needs to do to improve," McCarthy said. "But you look for football players. And his record in college, I think, speaks for itself. But I'd love the opportunity to work with a Tim Tebow." »Read Full Blog Post(4)
Self-imposed cap could be unrealistic for Packers
Free agency may begin on Friday, but the Green Bay Packers are going to have to think long and hard before going out and signing any players. They will need plenty of money to sign their own free agents.
And that's on top of the money they already have tied up in their own players. That includes nose tackle Ryan Pickett who just recently had the franchise tag placed upon him worth nearly $7 million.
For example, Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel recently wrote an article that figures the Packers are going to have to pay a large sum of money in order to retain their own unrestricted free agents. »Read Full Blog Post(1)
Revolving door is inevitable on the offensive line
I generally am echoing Packers Lounge creator Alex Tallitsch's sentiments about Daryn Colledge and his status on the Green Bay Packers. Maybe not so much about the level of Colledge's tender, but his unhappiness with the Packers' personnel decisions.
"Make no mistake, Colledge would like to leave Green Bay and his agent will be working hard to get a team to offer him a contract," writes Greg Bedard of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "He is tired of being forced to play multiple positions, which Colledge feels has hurt his development."
In Colledge's defense, I haven't seen him make his supposed feelings public. Aside from a brief quote or two from a recent radio interview, I've never seen him tell the media that he's unhappy. »Read Full Blog Post
Packers Daily Links 3.5.10
Left tackle Chad Clifton is reportedly set to visit the Washington Redskins as his contract expired last night and officially became a free agent. "Clifton is weighing whether to return to Green Bay or sign with a new team after receiving an offer worth approximately $5 million a year from the Packers," writes Jason Cole of Yahoo Sports. "Clifton is hoping for somewhere closer to $7 million per season with at least $20 million in the first three years of any deal."
On the other hand, Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette reports the Packers are in serious talks with Clifton.
There are rumors that Aaron Kampman is working on a deal with the Seattle Seahawks according to Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times. But Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says those rumors are not true. "Though there appears to be some interest in free agent defensive end Aaron Kampman from the Seattle Seahawks, reports of them making a strong push for him this evening are not true, according to an NFL source," writes Silverstein. Apparently the Eagles are interested in Kampman too. »Read Full Blog Post(1)
A Clifton departure could mean left tackle slides in draft
While listening to ESPN's Adam Schefter interviewed this morning interviewed on Sirius NFL Radio, I think he brought up an interesting point.
Schefter thinks that if the Washingon Redskins sign Chad Clifton, it's going impact the first round of the NFL Draft.
No longer would the Redskins need to fill a need by drafting a left tackle in the first round if they were to sign Clifton. This, in turn, could have ramifications on the Packers (my thoughts, not Schefter's). »Read Full Blog Post(4)
Edwards fits Ted Thompson free agency M.O.
Remember back when Nick Barnett lobbied for the Packers to go after his former college teammate and Baltmore Ravens defensive end Dwan Edwards on Twitter? Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com can fill you in if you don't remember.
Today Dennis Dillon of Sporting News Today listed Edwards among his top five underrated players in free agency. "He was hurt in '08, but he came back and played well last season," writes Dillon (subscription required, but it's free). "He's kind of in between a tackle and an end. As an interior guy rushing the passer, he's pretty good. And he's pretty good against the run."
Edwards is the kind of player that fits what the Packers typically do in free agency. He's a so-called "underrated" player with experience playing in a 3-4 defense. He's also not going to be among the first wave of players signing blockbuster deals. Scout.com lists him as the 15th ranked defensive end in this year's free agent class. »Read Full Blog Post
Packers Daily Links 3.6.10
Left tackle. Check.
After visiting the Washington Redskins, Chad Clifton has reportedly agreed to a three year, $20 million contract that includes $7.5 million guaranteed. "It's unclear how much interest Washington had, but Clifton's agent, Jimmy Sexton, used it as leverage in negotiations with the Packers," writes Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "Clifton's goal all along was to return to the team that drafted him in 2000, but knowing this would be his last contract, Sexton tried to get him as much as possible." Clifton's current contract pays him slightly more per year than his previous contract, but that's a small price to pay for stability at left tackle.
In other news, the Packers released defensive end Mike Montgomery on Friday. "In 2008, Montgomery made his biggest impact," writes Bill Huber of Packer Report. "In eight starts, he posted a career-high 71 tackles and 2.5 sacks. It was good enough to earn him another contract with the Packers as an unrestricted free agent on March 23. But last season he failed to find his place among the Packers' transition to a 3-4 defensive scheme. He played in just 10 games with two tackles." The Packers won't miss Montgomery much on the football field. His 270-pound frame just isn't big enough to succeed in a 3-4.
»Read Full Blog Post
R.I.P.: Julius Peppers, Antrel Rolle, Dunta Robinson...
For the fourth year in a row, Railbird Central brings you our Rest in Prosperity (R.I.P.) list of free agents that won't be signing with the Packers.
Why resting in prosperity? Because these players will be enjoying the fruits of their labor (most of them signing multi-million dollar contracts) in some place other than Green Bay.
This list isn't intended to include every free agent signing in the entire NFL, rather just those players who the Packers have been rumored to have interest in, or those for whom the fans have been clamoring. »Read Full Blog Post(10)
Packers Daily Links 3.7.10
The description "former Packer" can now be applied to Aaron Kampman as the defensive end has reportedly agreed to a contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars. "Jacksonville targeted Kampman from the onset of free agency, along with former Tennessee defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch, who reached an agreement with Detroit on Friday," reports Michael Wright of the Florida-Times Union. "Vanden Bosch's deal - reportedly worth $26 million (including $10 million in the first year) - likely set the framework for a possible contract with Kampman, who is expected to provide an upgrade for a Jags defense that finished last season with a league-low 14 sacks." Kampman was an amazing human being. It's sad to see the Packers will be losing such a lead-by-example player who excelled both on and off the field. I think it's safe to say Packers fans will forever be grateful for his contributions. He's, without a doubt, a candidate for the Packers Hall of Fame.
It's not as if anyone needs a reason to wish Aaron Kampman well at his next stop, but here's a reason to hope he plays really, really well. "According to reporting done by Tom Silverstein, the Packers could still get a compensatory as high as the third round next year for losing Kampman, provided he plays well," writes Greg Bedard of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. This is fantastic news. Although, fans should be reminded the third round pick, unfortunately, won't come until 2011. This also assumes the Packers won't sign a free agent of equal or greater value (not counting Chad Clifton).
Chad Clifton, via the team, released a few quotes regarding his re-signing. "Green Bay is the place I wanted to play all along," said Clifton in an article provided by Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com. "There was never any question about that. This is a place I've spent 10 years, and it's a place where both my sons have been born." Wilde goes the extra mile to get a comment on Clifton from quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Click the link to read further. »Read Full Blog Post
Bird's Eye View vlog: Overlooked needs
Packers Daily Links 3.8.10
Details of Aaron Kampman's contract signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars have come to light. "The Jaguars announced Sunday that they had signed Kampman to a free agent deal," writes Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "Terms of the contract were not announced, but the Florida Times-Union reported it was worth $26 million over four years, including $11 million guaranteed." The more Kampman signs for, the better for the Packers in terms of a compensation draft choice.
Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com weighs in on the compensatory draft choice. "It's impossible to know what round that pick will be in -- the compensatory formula takes into account the comings and goings of all free agents and their performances the following season -- but it could be anywhere from the third to seventh round," writes Seifert.
C.D. Angeli of Tundra Vision questions why the Packers didn't attempt to trade Kampman in order to get something guaranteed in return. "After holding out to garner a mere third round draft pick for Favre, did the Packers sit on Aaron Kampman over the last year and not put themselves in a position to get something in return?" writes Angeli. "Sure, trading him sight unseen in the new scheme during last year's offseason would have been a daring move, but may have landed them a first-rounder, easily (as well as clearing some cap room). Once it was clear that Kampman wasn't going to be the same player in the new defense after four preseason games and a couple of regular season games, would anyone have really been upset about trading him out of the NFC for a second-round pick?" All I can say about not trading him this year, is that by putting the franchise or transition tag on Kampman, his even higher salary may have scared teams away from trading for him. »Read Full Blog Post(4)
Getting compensation for Kampman
Yes, as Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported, it is possible for the Packers to receive as much as a third round pick in the form of a compensatory draft pick for losing Aaron Kampman in the 2011 draft.
However, the NFL uses a complicated formula to determine compensation picks based upon the amount of money paid to Kampman and how well he performs. They do the same thing for any unrestricted free agents the Packers would sign from another team (read Chad Clifton doesn't count).
Kampman received a fairly generous contract from the Jaguars, which helps the Packers. But how Kampman performs on the field factors into the compensation pick as well. If Kampman plays at a Pro Bowl level, there is a higher likelihood that the Packers would get that third round draft choice. On the other hand, if Kampman bombs, their compensation could more likely be a fifth or sixth round draft choice. »Read Full Blog Post(4)
Packers Daily Links 3.9.10
Tell me if you've heard this one before. Defensive lineman Johnny Jolly's trial has been postponed ... again. For what? The seventh time? "The delay, like a previous postponement Feb. 18, was requested by Jolly's attorney, who is mounting a defense against felony charges that Jolly possessed more than 200 grams of codeine during a traffic stop July 8, 2008, in Houston," writes Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Former Packer Aaron Kampman met the media in Jacksonville for the first time. When asked if the Packers made him an offer to stay, Kampman said, "They did, but I think for me the better fit was down here. I think that the direction of that organization maybe didn't include me as much as it had in the past. So I think it was the right time for me to make this transition."
It was written in the Cleveland Plain Dealer that the Browns may be interested in Packers backup quarterback Matt Flynn. Nothing came to fruition, however. The Browns traded for Seattle QB Seneca Wallace yesterday. But Aaron Nagler of CheeseheadTV commented on what it would take to trade Flynn in the future. "I would doubt anything happens this offseason, but if Flynn lights up the preseason this year the way Hasselback used to on a regular basis, you can bet you'll hear Flynn's name bandied about quite a bit before the trading deadline and definitely next offseason," writes Nagler. »Read Full Blog Post
Packers Daily Links 3.10.10
In somewhat of a surprise move, Pro Bowl safety Nick Collins signed his one year tender with the Packers on Tuesday. "Calling it a 'goodwill gesture' made in hopes of accelerating the process of getting Collins the long-term deal he's been looking for, Herman said Tuesday that he'd had Collins sign his $3.3 million restricted free-agent tender," reports Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com. This signing allows Collins to participate in the Packers' offseason workout program, which begins next week, but doesn't necessarily prevent him from sitting out voluntary activities like he did a year ago. Although based upon recent comments from Collins' agent Alan Herman, any sort of "holdout" doesn't seem imminent.
The Packers signed wide receiver and return man Charles Dillon as a street free agent. "When he came out of Washington State, Dillion ran a 4.46 in the 40 at his pro day in 2008 according to media reports," writes Greg Bedard of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "He spent part of training camp with the Indianapolis Colts. He was waived by the Colts with an injury settlement on Aug. 6, 2008." The move is nearly joke among Packers fans because many would like to see a higher profile free agent signing, but there's nothing wrong with taking a chance on a long shot like Dillon. The Packers need help in the return game, and Dillon has as good a chance as anybody to win that job despite his low profile status.
Packers president Mark Murphy confirmed the Packers will be wearing a third, throwback uniform this upcoming season. "Murphy, the Packers' CEO, said Tuesday the alternate uniforms will be similar to one of the ensembles the Packers wore in their first decade playing in the NFL," reports Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. The jeseys will be unveiled by current players acting as models at Fan Fest occuring this upcoming weekend at Lambeau Field. The Packers will reportedly only wear the jerseys once during a home game in 2010. »Read Full Blog Post(2)
Trading down will help fill needs
I concede that free agency isn't going to help the Packers plug any holes on their depth chart, of which there are plenty. They're better off building through the draft.
And while general manager Ted Thompson may have gone against the grain and traded up in the first round last year, I think it would be beneficial to revert back to old form and trade down to acquire more draft choices this year.
Trading out of the first round could net both a second and third round draft choice in return. I'm not the team's G.M., but having four picks in the first three rounds seems to be one way to add some quality depth. »Read Full Blog Post(5)
Packers Daily Links 3.12.10
Some clarification on the Jake Delhomme rumors are in order. First of all, Delhomme will not be visiting Green Bay according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. But the Packers have made contact with the former Carolina Panthers quarterback. "Presumably, if Delhomme doesn't sign with the Browns or Saints, he could decide to visit the Packers and McCarthy, who was his offensive coordinator and mentor in New Orleans from 2000 through 2002," reports Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com. "He and Delhomme remain close, and both men are fond of one another."
Any chance of Delhomme eventually coming to Green Bay probably aren't all that good. As Silverstein reported, Delhomme is owed over $12 million from the Panthers. He's not looking for the team that's going to pay him the most. He's going to the place where he'll see the most playing time. While the Packers probably wouldn't mind having him as a backup, there's no chance Delhomme plays unless Aaron Rodgers were to get hurt.
Fan Fest begins at Lambeau Field late this afternoon and tickets are still available. Railbird Central will be there covering the proceedings including the unveiling of the throwback jerseys this evening, Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy answering questions by the fans and some X's and O's sessions from the assistant coaches tomorrow. »Read Full Blog Post
Pickett excited to be in Green Bay for the long haul
GREEN BAY – Ryan Pickett woke up this morning not expecting he'd be signing a long-term contract extension with the Green Bay Packers. He was just going attend the Packers' annual Fan Fest at Lambeau Field like he'd been planning for weeks.
"Right before noon this morning, I got a call," said Pickett. "I was surprised. I wasn't expecting it either. I was just going to be here, just to come to Fan Fest. I got a surprise call. It was a good call. I came up here. It was a great day."
Pickett signed a four year deal worth a reported $28 million including $10 million in the first year according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. »Read Full Blog Post(2)
With contract out of the way, Collins ready to move on
GREEN BAY – The way Nick Collins tells it, he had no idea he would be signing a long-term contract extension with the Green Bay Packers just three days after signing his tender.
"Not at all," said Collins. "I knew that they put the highest tender on me, and I didn't have a lot of leverage, making any type of move. I just know I wanted to be a Packers. My heart is here. I've always been here. I just wanted to stay here even if it was for a year, two years, didn't matter."
There was good reason Collins wanted a new deal with the Packers as far back as a year ago. His representatives most likely knew that when the 2009 season was done, he wouldn't have a whole lot of leverage as the NFL headed into the "final year" of its collective bargaining agreement. »Read Full Blog Post
Tauscher could be the next to sign
GREEN BAY – Head coach Mike McCarthy hinted at the annual Fan Fest at Lambeau Field that right tackle Mark Tauscher may be close to re-signing with the Green Bay Packers.
"Really, the priority was to sign all of our free agents back," said McCarthy. "That did not change. I know just the way ... it wasn't everybody take a number, one through five or anything like that ... so we had the opportunity to try to sign everybody back. We were able to get Chad done. I feel Mark Tauscher is definitely not too far away, and hopefully we'll have some news for you there shortly, and no different with Ryan Pickett. We're focused on bringing our own free agents back, getting better as a football team, starting internally, and then we'll add another draft class to this group."
Tauscher added much needed stability to an offensive line in 2009 that struggled with Allen Barbre at right tackle. »Read Full Blog Post(1)
McCarthy reacts to Colledge's threat to hold out
GREEN BAY – Earlier in the week, the agent of guard Daryn Colledge left open the possibility of his client holding out of the offseason workout program.
"It's definitely something we're considering, yes," Jeff Sperbeck, Colledge's agent, told Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette in an article published on Wednesday.
On Friday at Fan Fest head coach Mike McCarthy didn't express disappointment about Colledge's decision, but he did stress the value of being present for the team training program.
"Daryn Colledge and every member of our football team understand the importance of the offseason program," said McCarthy. "But once again, there's a business side of this, and we respect what everybody has to do at this time."
Colledge received a second round tender from the Packers. And even though there have been reports that he's privately furious with both his tender and the team, Colledge has publicly said on his Facebook fan page that he is "very happy" with the Packers' offer.
Yet in an interview with a radio station in Boise, Idaho, Colledge didn't exactly sound like a player who had plans to stay in Green Bay for the long haul.
"If it's a second round, maybe I have a chance to move," said Colledge in an interview. "Maybe I could be coming to a city near you."
As for any rumors of a mass holdout among restricted free agents, at this point it seems to be untrue.
When speaking to the media after signing his new contract with the Packers, safety Nick Collins said he hasn't talked to many of his brethren that are also restricted free agents.
"I don't talk to a lot of guys around the league," said Collins. "All I know is that I was just focused on what I have to do and don't worry about everyone else's situation. I know that all of us got stuck in a hard spot right now. You've got to live with it and deal with it and make the right decision." (1)
Nelson: Throwback better than alternate jersey
GREEN BAY – Wide receiver Jordy Nelson, the Packers' top draft choice in 2008, likes the team's new throwback jersey circa 1929. And he likes it better than an alternate jersey that other NFL teams have adopted.
Several teams have chosen the alternate jersey as opposed to the throwback. Several, known for their loud color schemes, come to mind: the lime green of the Seattle Seahawks, the orange of the Denver Broncos, the battle red of the Houston Texans.
Nelson, though, prefers to go "old school." »Read Full Blog Post
Fans voice opinions on team needs at Fan Fest
GREEN BAY – For a team that builds from within maybe more than any team in the NFL, the comments of Eric Pilgrim from Boyd, Wisconsin while attending Friday's Fan Fest had to be music to Ted Thomson's and Mike McCarthy's ears.
When diciphering the needs of the Packers for the upcoming season, Pilgrim said, "They just need to adjust better. They got the talent. They have a lot of talent. They need to get adjusted to the defense."
And Pilgrim may not be that far off. Aside from left guard, maybe left outside linebacker, there's very few positions that may have new starters in 2010 as opposed to 2009 barring injury. »Read Full Blog Post
No outside free agents on the horizon for Packers
GREEN BAY – Free agency is just over a week old. The Packers have yet to sign a player from another team and don't appear to be close to signing one in the near future either.
Yesterday head coach Mike McCarthy was asked during his press conference if he had been busy bringing in free agents for visits.
"Um, no," said McCarthy just about as succinctly as possible. »Read Full Blog Post(1)
Packers Daily Links 3.14.10
Right tackle Mark Tauscher has agreed to a two-year contract with the Green Bay Packers according to Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com. "Tauscher, who was in Hawaii attending the NFL Players Association representatives meeting, could not be reached for comment," reports Wilde. "Details of the deal weren't immediately available." Head coach Mike McCarthy strongly hinted on Friday evening that the Packers were close to re-signing Tauscher. It appears all that's left to do is sign the papers.
Mike Vandermause of the Green Bay Press-Gazette touches on the large sum of money paid to the three free agents the Packers signed this week. "All told, the Packers committed more than $74 million in new contracts to Nick Collins, Ryan Pickett and Chad Clifton," writes Vandermause. "Even if those players don't finish their deals, the Packers will pay them $31.5 million in first-year pay." If this were a game of poker, this shows the Packers would be all-in.
Vandermause was also covering the proceedings at Fan Fest this past weekend at Lambeau Field including the "Football 101" presentation by the Packers' coordinators. "Offensive coordinator Joe Philbin said the accomplishment he's most proud of in 2009 is the Packers' league-low turnover total," writes Vandermause. "The Packers ranked No. 1 with a plus-24 turnover differential, and had just eight interceptions and eight fumbles lost." »Read Full Blog Post
Colledge for Morrison? Thank me later
I like Raiders inside linebacker Kirk Morrison. He hasn't achieved much in Oakland, but I'd like to think that's because he plays in, well, Oakland. I'd like to see what he can do when he's surrounded by more talent.
Despite being a tackling machine, I think the Raiders have been expecting more playmaking ability out of Morrison. It's been speculated that Oakland doesn't want him anymore as evidenced by giving him an original round tender instead of a second round tender or higher.
Any team wanting to sign Morrison would have to give up a third round draft choice in return. »Read Full Blog Post(4)
Are Packers operating differently in uncapped year?
I admit I'm no expert on the inner workings of the NFL's collective bargaining agreement, and maybe someone could help me out here. But to my uninformed eye, the Green Bay Packers appear to be operating a little bit differently in this, the so-called "Final Year" of the current CBA agreement.
Based upon the current signings of Chad Clifton, Ryan Pickett and Nick Collins over the past week, the Packers are dishing out front-loaded contracts for many millions of dollars.
"All told, the Packers committed more than $74 million in new contracts to Nick Collins, Ryan Pickett and Chad Clifton
Packers spending above most other teams
In a previously written article, I wondered if the Packers were operating differently in an uncapped year.
ProFootballTalk.com has all but confirmed that they are as they've released salary cap figures for every team in the NFL if there were to be a cap in 2010.
The Packers currently have a cap number of $126 million, which is significantly higher than the 2009 league-imposed cap of $107 million. »Read Full Blog Post(3)
Ramifications of the Nick Collins deal
The sizable contract given to Packers running back Ryan Grant has long been cited as an example of general manager Ted Thompson and the team caving into the wants of a player.
While maybe not in the same boat as Grant, the recent signing of safety Nick Collins could have its own implications.
First of all, Collins is a lot more accomplished player at this point in his career than Grant was by comparison back in 2008. Two Pro Bowl appearances and the second most interceptions in the NFL over the past two seasons attest to that. Most people would probably agree that Collins' extension was well deserved. »Read Full Blog Post
Depths of Packers' scouting never ceases to amaze
It came out of the blue about a year ago when it became known the Green Bay Packers were interested in seeing what former Duke basketball player Greg Paulus had to offer.
Paulus was a former high school All-American and the Gatorade high school football player of the year, so it wasn't too much of a stretch to think that he could possibly play professional football.
But it seems that the Packers have taken it one step further with news that they're showing interest in Niagara University basketball player Tyrone Lewis. »Read Full Blog Post
Packers Daily Links 3.15.10
Details of Mark Tauscher's contract have not yet been revealed, but Greg Bedard of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that the veteran right tackle has received "starter's money." "Neil Cornrich, Tauscher's agent, would only say that it was a "multi-year deal" that would likely allow Tauscher, who turns 33 in June, to retire as a Packer - the only team the Marshfield native and University of Wisconsin graduate has ever known," writes Bedard.
Aaron Nagler of CheeseheadTV notes that the Packers' offseason workout program begins today and so does the march to the Super Bowl, should the Packers be able to mount one. "Yes, the draft is coming and there, not the first weeks of free agency, is where Thompson will find fresh talent, and if his 2010 draft is even half as good as his 2009 the team should be able to find two or three real players that can help get the Packers to the Super Bowl," writes Nagler. "An offensive tackle. A defensive back. An outside linebacker. All would be welcome."
Nagler also has word that Tom Pelissero is leaving the Green Bay Press-Gazette. "Normally, the departure of a beat writer is not newsworthy – but this is different if only for the fact that the Press Gazette had made such great strides online, between the Twitter presence and the live blogging (even if they stole that idea from us) to the extremely popular Insiders videos – all spearheaded by Pelissero's efforts," writes Nagler. »Read Full Blog Post(3)
Packers Daily Links 3.16.10
There's a lot of confusion surrounding the DUI crash of Packers tight end Spencer Havner. Here's one of the original reports from Tom Pelissero of the Green Bay Press-Gazette: "Havner reportedly is facing DUI charges after a motorcycle accident in California left him with multiple injuries," writes Pelissero.
While the crash has been confirmed, Havner's agent denies that any alcohol was involved. "Spencer suffered only minor injuries this weekend in an accident, including a broken scapula, but he should be fully recovered in short order," Havner's agent Mark Humenik said in a statement given to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "Despite unfounded media reports to the contrary, he has not been charged criminally with driving under the influence or alcohol or any other substance." Alcohol or no alcohol, this isn't good news for a player whose spot on the team isn't guaranteed.
Someone high up the Packers' chain of command has scouted offensive lineman Mike Iupati at Idaho's pro day. "He already has nine scheduled visits with teams, and worked out with the Browns on Monday," reports Gil Brandt on NFL.com. "In fact, offensive line coaches from the Jaguars and Eagles were at Idaho's pro day, and the Packers and Browns had front office representatives in attendance, as well." Although general manager Ted Thompson has been known to attend on campus pro day events, it's unlikely he was at Idaho's given that their workout was held on Mar. 11 and Thompson was back in Green Bay for Fan Fest by Mar. 12. I suppose it's possible, but that's a quick turnaround to get back to Green Bay from Moscow, Id. without a private jet. »Read Full Blog Post(1)
Restricted free agents holding out of offseason workouts?
I'm admittedly making a leap in logic here because I have no access to the truth, but it's possible that the Packers' unsigned restricted free agents are holding out of the offseason workout program, which began Monday.
I make this assumption based upon comments from someone wiser than myself. Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel basically wrote as much after Nick Collins signed his tender.
"Most restricted free agents in Collins' position don't sign the tender because being unsigned is the only leverage they have in negotiations," writes Silverstein. "Being unsigned pretty much assures that they won't take part in any off-season workout programs and won't be on the field for the mandatory mini-camp." »Read Full Blog Post(1)
Packers Daily Links 3.17.10
The Green Bay Packers signed Australian Football League player Chris Bryan to a three-year contract to compete for the open punting job. Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has some of the best research on this unexpected signing. According to Bryan's coach, Nathan Champman (who also punted for the Packers briefly), "He's better prepared than Sav Rocca or Ben Graham (two other Australian punters). Long shot? Not at all. He's there to help them win a Super Bowl. Now he has to produce." That's some high praise for a player that hasn't played American football in his entire life, and it's coming from his coach, so I wouldn't read too much into that quote.
If you click the link and read on, McGinn also reports the Packers have been talking with the agents of both free agent punters Hunter Smith and Josh Bidwell. And that running back DeShawn Wynn will probably re-sign with Green Bay.
"The California Highway Patrol will seek two misdemeanor charges against Spencer Havner after his weekend motorcycle accident, but it will be up to the Nevada County District Attorney's office to decide whether to prosecute the Green Bay Packers' third-string tight end," reports Tom Pelissero and Mike Hoeft of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. This appears as if this will play out for a while. Maybe not as long as Johnny Jolly's legal troubles, but longer than anyone wants. The Packers released a statement saying they are aware of Havner's injuries and are monitoring the situation but nothing more. »Read Full Blog Post(1)
Pauline has the scoop on the Packers
Make sure to check out TFY Draft Insider by Sports Illustrated contributor Tony Pauline. His website is a little off the beaten path and doesn't get the attention it deserves, partially because of the new domain name they just set up since last year.
According to Pauline, the Packers were in attendance at Michigan's pro day last week and showed interest in safety Stevie Brown.
"Safety Stevie Brown was very impressive," writes Pauline. "Brown measured just under 5116/212-pounds, ran 40 times which ranged in the mid-4.4 second area and an impressive three cone time of 6.61 seconds. He also completed 23 reps on the bench and had a vertical jump of 35 inches. Brown, who played linebacker last season, is someone we really liked off the 2008 film. Evidently the New York Jets also like Brown as they spent a lot of time quizzing former UM coach Lloyd Carr about his recruit before spending significant time with Brown. The Green Bay Packers have also expressed interest in Brown." »Read Full Blog Post
Packers Daily Links 3.18.10
Cornerback and return specialist Will Blackmon signed his one year, original round tender with the Green Bay Packers, but even more interesting was the supplementary information Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel provides in is article on Blackmon. He lets us know that the Packers are not responsible for players injured in offseason workouts for players not under contract. "Other restricted free agents such as Daryn Colledge, Jason Spitz, John Kuhn, Johnny Jolly, Atari Bigby and Tramon Williams have not signed their tenders," writes Silverstein. "Kuhn is taking part in the program because he arranged a protection agreement with the club." I read into this saying the five unsigned restricted free agents are holding out of offseason workouts.
It's been confirmed guard Daryn Colledge is not taking part in offseason workouts in Green Bay. "The Packers' starting left guard for most of the last four years is looking for a long-term contract after getting tendered at the second-round level," reports Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. "He's working out at his offseason home in Boise, Idaho, rather than attend the Packers' offseason workout program." This doesn't surprise me, but Tramon Williams holding out would. You'd have to think he'd have been happy with his first and third round tender.
The Packers were among over 100 scouts that showed up at Florida's pro day. "While most of the focus in Gainesville at Florida's pro day was on quarterback Tim Tebow (6-3, 236), scouts from all 32 teams also saw a number of the QB's teammates workout on grass in a slight drizzle," reports Gil Brandt of NFL.com. In other news from Florida, cornerback Joe Haden lowered his 40-yard dash time from the combine to times in the mid-4.4s. »Read Full Blog Post
Packers check out Michigan State pro day
The Green Bay Packers were one of a handful of teams in attendance at Michigan State's pro day workouts on Wednesday.
"A handful of NFL teams sent scouts to East Lansing, including the Detroit Lions, Tennessee Titans, Indianapolis Colts, New York Giants, Oakland Raiders, Green Bay Packers, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns," reports Chris Vannini of the State News, Michigan State's student newspaper.
Wide receiver Blair White was just one of a dozen other players on display in East Lansing. The 6-2 White ran a 4.4 40-yard dash, an improvement on his 4.5 time at the combine.
Mathews working out privately with Packers
If you took yesterday's advice, you would have known the Green Bay Packers are working out Fresno State running back Ryan Mathews on an individual basis in the coming weeks.
"Mathews was really impressive in drills at the Fresno State pro-day (held Wednesday)," writes Tony Pauline of TFY Draft Insider. "Sources told us during the bag drills and when running through the cones, Mathews looked like he was tap dancing. The word amongst scouts is Mathew may not get out of round one."
A good number of mock drafts floating around the Internet have Mathews being taken around the No. 23 pick in the first round owned by the Packers. »Read Full Blog Post(1)
Packers Daily Links 3.19.10
Maybe you saw yesterday's news here on Railbird Central that the Packers are privately working out Fresno State running back Ryan Mathews in advance of the draft. As if on cue, respected NFL writer Doug Farrar of Scout.com and Yahoo Sports has released his post-free agency mock draft with Green Bay taking Matthews in the first round. "Ryan Grant was the second-most efficient back in 2009 according to Football Outsiders' statistics, but those numbers don't factor in blocking," writes Farrar. "To put it bluntly, Grant is a terrible pass-blocker, and that doesn't work in an offense where the line has vulnerabilities everywhere. In Mathews, head coach Mike McCarthy will have the kind of player whose ability to do the dirty work matches his physical tools." I wouldn't doubt for a second the Packers interest in Mathews at the No. 23 pick in the draft.
Update: One reader's comment on yesterday's article indicates Matthews is not working out for the Packers. It's unclear whether this trumps Tony Pauline's report or not.
The Packers were reportedly in attendance at Florida State's pro day. "The Packers enter this draft needing at least one good cornerback, and they saw two of them on Thursday," writes Bill Huber of Packer Report (subscription required). One is the Seminoles' Patrick Robinson." »Read Full Blog Post(2)
Packers Daily Links 3.20.10
There's some confusion regarding the Green Bay Packers and their interest in Florida State cornerback Patrick Robinson, a potential first round draft choice. Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post writes that Robinson is scheduled to visit the Packers. Bill Huber of Packer Report has refuted that information. "Patrick Robinson is not on #Packers invite list, his agent told me," Huber writes on Twitter. "NFP report is in error." I have no reason not to believe Huber. Agents aren't the types to be denying large amounts of interest in the player they represent. Teams might deny interest but not agents.
Wilson also reports the Packers have their eye on Tennessee State safety Anthony Levine. "Several NFL teams sent representatives to Nashville, Tenn., to watch Levine perform, including Green Bay Packers executive Reggie McKenzie," writes Wilson. Levine reportedly ran the 40-yard dash in 4.43 seconds. The safety is predicted to be a late round draft choice. While not a sexy prospect, he's definitely a name to keep an eye on during the third day of the draft.
In other pro day news, the Packers were in attendance at the Richmond, Missouri State and Vanderbilt pro day workouts according to Chris Steuber of Scout.com. I haven't checked into it, but I'm assuming the Vandy and MTSU pro days were held concurrently. »Read Full Blog Post(1)
Considering the Packers' first round options
So what will the Green Bay Packers do with the No. 23 pick in the first round of the draft?
I'm not a professional scout, and I don't own a crystal ball, nor do I have access to one. What follows is a semi-informed view of some of the prospects, and what I think the Packers may do in the first round.
This list assumes a dozen or so players will, without a doubt, not be available by the time the 23rd pick rolls around. Any trades made on or before draft day will obviously impact the day's proceedings. »Read Full Blog Post(2)
Packers Daily Links 3.21.10
Former Green Bay Packer Aaron Kampman took out a full page ad in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel to thank the fans for his time in Title Town. Greg Bedard of the Journal Sentinel has a copy of the ad on the JSOnline Packers blog and promises to pass along any well wishes in the comments section onto the Kampmans. According to Kampman, "I look forward to the day when I bring my three boys to Lambeau Field and reminisce about what it was like to be a part of the Packer Nation." Unbelievably classy.
Predictably, a lot of comments (not just on JSOnline but everywhere) have centered on how Brett Favre should have made the same gesture, which would have assauged a lot of bad feelings.
John Holler of VikingUpdate.com reminds us that compensatory picks should be announced at the NFL's owners meetings this week. It will be at this time we find out whether the Packers will have received a fifth or a sixth round draft choice for the free agent loss of Colin Cole last season. »Read Full Blog Post
Colledge's frustrations may be misplaced
Kudos to CheeseheadTV's Aaron Nagler for saying what needs to be said regarding not only Daryn Colledge's choice to "hold out" of the Packers' voluntary offseason workout program but also the situation he and many other restricted free agents find themselves in.
"It's true that Colledge staying away from workouts is just business," wrote Nagler in a recent post. "But that is also true of the current CBA situation. He is where he is now because his OWN UNION agreed to an agreement that allowed the owners to opt out of it. And, of course, they did. Tough shit Daryn. That's life in the big city and you and a couple hundred other guys who should have been (unrestriced) free agents but aren't should take it up with your union leadership."
I have seen very few, if any, comments about the restricted free agents and their displeasure with their union. I'm sure a lot of this goes on behind closed doors, because it doesn't benefit the union to be griping publicly about their own representation. »Read Full Blog Post(1)
Introducing new Railbird Central scribe Desi Cullen
Starting tomorrow, we're pleased to have University of Connecticut punter Desi Cullen write a couple of quasi-diary or journal entries for Railbird Central leading up to the NFL Draft in late April.
With the Green Bay destined to be going in a new direction at the punting position this upcoming season, it's appropriate that Packers fans get inside the mind of a punter. I think Desi would admit he's not going to be a first round draft pick. There's a good chance he won't even be drafted. But there's an equally good chance he'll sign with a team as an undrafted free agent or be given a tryout somewhere in the NFL.
The Green Bay Press-Gazette's Pete Dougherty had recently listed Cullen as one of the top punting prospects in the nation back during the NFL's combine. »Read Full Blog Post
Packers Daily Links 3.22.10
The NFL's owners meeting is underway in sunny Florida this week and Jason Wilde has the first report on the Packers beat. He talked to both president Mark Murphy and vice president of administration/general counsel Jason Wied who informed his article on the Packers unique position in labor negotiations given they're a small market/high revenue team that's the only publicly owned franchise in the NFL and the only team that's required to open their books. "The reality is that we're by far the smallest-market team in the league, but we're not a small-revenue team," Murphy told Wilde. "So we're a little bit in both worlds," Murphy said. "But we're also a team that historically has really benefitted from revenue sharing. So I think we bring a little bit of a unique perspective because we see things from a couple different perspectives."
Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com is also covering the owners meeting on behalf of the NFC North and wrote a similar article to Wilde. But another noteworthy quote they got out of Murphy was about the Packers' recent approach to free agency by handing out large contracts in re-signing their own free agents. "We have a budget, but I'm not going to get into specifics," Murphy told Seifert. "For us, in a lot of ways, it's similar to what we've always done. We're trying to lock up and extend our key players." As long as the Packers don't pursue any other free agents (and it doesn't appear as if they will), their "budget" appears to be pretty predictable from here on out as long as they don't agree to any other extension with the team's restricted free agents.
Frank Tadych of NFL.com reports the NFL's competition committee has approved the proposal on overtime rule changes. "In order to pass, the measure needs 24 of 32 votes (75 percent success) when it's presented to full ownership," writes Tadych. The Packer will now take part in the vote taken by all owners. »Read Full Blog Post
Desi Cullen draft journal entry No. 1
Desi Cullen is a University of Connecticut punter looking to break into the NFL following this year's draft. This is his first pre-draft journal entry on Railbird Central...
To finish off my football career at the University of Connecticut, we won the Papajohns.com Bowl, defeating South Carolina 20-7. While most teams celebrate with pouring Gatorade on their head coach or spraying champagne around the locker room, being in the "Pizza Bowl" meant we would replace the Gatorade and champagne for slices of Hot-n-fresh PapaJohns pizza. Since I am from Louisville, Kentucky and PapaJohns started in Louisville, it was the best post game celebration I've ever been a part of.
Soon after the pizza ran out, I packed up and headed home to Louisville with my entire family who drove down to support me. Being a student-athlete I was fortunate enough to take classes year round. This enabled me to graduate with a degree in Human Development and Family Studies (specializing in childhood development) in three and a half years. Graduating with a degree was my number one priority and anything after that would be icing on the cake. After moving home, I devoted my time and focus on taking my football career to the next level. While taking a few days off from kicking, I spent much of my time researching and communicating with a few coaches who could point me in the right direction. Particularly, my head coach, Randy Edsall and special teams coach, Lyndon Johnson helped me make an informed decision on whether or not to sign with an agent. We also discussed my preparation path leading up to Pro Day on March 24, 2010. »Read Full Blog Post(1)
Packers Daily Links 3.23.10
There were bunches of news coming out of the NFL owners meeting yesterday. Let's get down to it...
The Green Bay Packers officially received a fifth round compensatory draft choice in return for the unrestricted free agent loss of defensive tackle Colin Cole. It was one round better than the sixth rounder predicted by compensation draft choice blogger AdamJT13 (although in Adam's defense, he did say a fifth rounder was possible). "The Packers now have eight picks, two in round 5 and one in every other round," writes Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. One year from now Packers fans should hopefully be expecting a third round draft in return for losing Aaron Kampman to the Jaguars.
As Rob Demovsky of the Green Bay Press-Gazette points out, head coach Mike McCarthy unexpectedly gave a vote of confidence on Monday to his two unproven punters fighting for one job. "Just from a personnel standpoint, I know the ability in our competitive punting situation we have today is better than what it was last year," McCarthy said Monday in a brief meeting with local reporters. "I feel strongly that we'll be better just from a pure production standpoint of just punting the football." What else is McCarthy going to say? He's not going to say he doesn't trust them. But it seemed odd seeing as neither of them have punted in an NFL game before. »Read Full Blog Post(6)
If you were Ted Thompson...
With Draft Day officially less than a month away, most Packer fans really have no idea as to what direction GM Ted Thompson will go with the 23rd overall pick.
However, there are a few obvious needs that could get the team in serious competition for the Super Bowl: offensive tackle, running back, outside linebacker, and strong safety are the most discussed.
The big names that fill those spots are nearly endless and most draft experts are saying this is one of the deepest drafts in recent memory. That either means that everyone is really good, or everyone sucks. We won't know for another few years. »Read Full Blog Post(14)
Packers Daily Links 3.24.10
Once again, plenty of news coming out of the NFL owners meeting in Orlando, Fla....
The owners voted to approve the proposal for the overtime rule change in the postseason. "The Green Bay Packers voted in favor of the proposal," writes Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com. "The four dissenting teams were the Minnesota Vikings, Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals." Please read the rest of the article by Wilde to find out about the ins and outs of the new rule and its application. Right now, the change is only for the playoffs, but there is a chance for it to be added to the regular season in May.
Reporters were able to sit down with the AFC head coaches on Tuesday, and Wilde also had a chance to talk with New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan about his comments regarding how his cornerback, Darelle Revis, was a better candidate for the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year over the Packers' Charles Woodson. "Ryan still believes Revis was more deserving, but Ryan seemed to realize that he didn't need to put down Woodson's accomplishments in the process," writes Wilde. Click the link to get Ryan's direct comments. »Read Full Blog Post(1)
Taking a closer look at the roster
When taking a peek at the roster on the Packers' official website, two things stick out...
A. Even though the Packers treated both punter Jeremy Kapinos and running back DeShawn Wynn the same by not offering them a tender once their contracts expired, they're treating them differently on the team's website.
Wynn's name is listed on the Packers' roster while Kapinos' name is not. An asterisk appear next to Wynn on the website denoting that he is an unsigned free agent. Other than that, the only other difference in status between the two players is that Kapinos was an exclusive rights free agent while Wynn was a restricted free agent. »Read Full Blog Post(3)
Packers Daily Links 3.25.10
Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy met with reporters for an hour yesterday at the NFL owners meeting so and that means tons of Packers news today...
McCarthy compared cornerback Al Harris' injury and his timetable to return to that of right tackle Mark Tauscher last season. "Though McCarthy said wouldn't bet against Harris being ready for the beginning of the season, he also couldn't rule out the possibility that Harris wouldn't be able to pass his physical before Week 1 and thus would begin the season on the physically unable to perform list," writes Rob Demovsky of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. Harris may have vowed to be ready for the season, but the reality is, the coach has to be ready to move on without Harris. Which leads us to...
Aaron Nagler of CheeseheadTV picked up McCarthy's comments that several tendered free agents are staying away from the Packers' offseason workout program. The only player that's been working out in Green Bay in that category is fullback John Kuhn. "That means that Daryn Colledge, Jason Spitz, Johnny Jolly, Tramon Williams and Atari Bigby are, so far, staying away," writes Nagler. So with Harris possibly not ready for the beginning of the season, does that make it even more important for Williams to sign his tender and work out with the rest of the team? Williams received the highest possible tender the Packers could possibly offer. »Read Full Blog Post
Packers Daily Links 3.26.10
The NFL owners meeting is done, but the Packers news keeps coming...
Defensive end Johnny Jolly is set to be in court in Houston during the team's Organized Team Activities (OTAs), although it appears his trial is set to be on one of the Packers' scheduled off days. "A jury trial has been set for May 21 in Texas for Green Bay Packers defensive end Johnny Jolly, who is accused of possession of codeine," according to a report in the Green Bay Press-Gazette. This is the first time I've heard of a jury being involved, but I could be wrong.
Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel wraps up some items from the NFL owners meeting and comes back to head coach Mike McCarthy's willingness to coach Tim Tebow if given the chance. "Some coaches have been talking up Tebow, who has been working to improve his slow, mechanical throwing motion so that he has a better shot at succeeding in the NFL," writes Silverstein. "McCarthy worked on improving Aaron Rodgers' throwing motion and helped transform him into a Pro Bowl quarterback." Although I have my doubts that Tim Tebow will go in the first round of the draft, I think he'll definitely go in the first three. And I don't foresee the Packers drafting a quarterback on the first two days of the draft. »Read Full Blog Post
A radical approach to kicking
Now that the NFL owners have approved the rule change to alter post-season overtime, I've had a little time to digest the new rule and think about it.
Part of the impetus behind the switch is that the ability of kickers has drastically changed since overtime was first implemented in 1974. Now the team that wins the coin toss wins nearly 60 percent of the time while the losing team wins only about 35 percent of the time.
"(Atlanta Falcons President Rich) McKay says the edge was caused mainly by the improved kicking percentage of today's kickers from long distance," writes Chris Brown on the Buffalo Bills official website. »Read Full Blog Post(8)
Packers Daily Links 3.27.10
Plenty of pro day news to sift through today...
The University of Memphis' pro day was held on Friday, and it was reported that the Green Bay Packers have been talking to Tigers running back Curtis Steele, the third-leading rusher in school history. Unfortunately, Steele sustained an injury during his workout. ''I had been running mid-4.4s in the 40,'' Steele told the Memphis Commericial Appeal. ''But on my first one I stumbled and then, at the end, I got myself caught up with my afterburst. At at the end, instead of letting my momentum slow me down, I tried to slow down myself and I felt (my hamstring) pop.'' Steele had back-to-back 1,000 yard rushing seasons the past two years despite being on a 2-10 team in 2009.
The Central Michigan pro day was held Wednesday and the Packers reportedly have requested paperwork and a background check on cornerback Josh Gordy. "Gordy also put himself on the radar of teams with his performance," writes Aaron McMann of Central Michigan Life, the University's student newspaper. "Gordy ran the 40-yard dash in 4.32 seconds, the fastest time of the day by any player." Central Michigan's secondary prospect is a reported 5-11, 194 pounds, which seems to be about as low as the Packers will go height-wise on a cornerback. Gordy has been a starter since his freshman season with the Chippewas. While his number of passes defended increased dramatically as a senior, his number of tackles has decreased every single year since his freshman season. Although part of that reason could be because he played in 14 games his freshman year, and never played in more than 12 any year since. »Read Full Blog Post
Plenty of competition at cornerback
Numbers-wise, the Packers don't need another cornerback. There's plenty of them currently on the roster. The problem is reliability.
As of this moment, the Packers have 10 cornerbacks if you're counting Jarrett Bush as a corner and not a safety. But due to either injury or ineffectiveness, there's question marks surrounding all but two of them.
It's doubful anyone within or outside the organization is worried about Charles Woodson, the NFL's reigning Defensive Player of the Year. And Tramon Williams has been both healthy and available throughout his career with the Packers, although he is staying away from the team's offseason workout program as a restricted free agent who received the highest possible tender from the Packers. »Read Full Blog Post(4)
Packers' Harris is candidate for nickel package
Not since 2002 when he was a member of the Philadelphia Eagles has Al Harris primarily fulfilled the role of nickel cornerback. The Packers brought him over to Green Bay in a trade in 2003, and he's been in the starting lineup ever since.
But at 35-years-old and coming off a season ending ACL injury, it's possible that Harris could be going back to becoming a sub-package player, at least to begin his season.
While at the NFL's owners meeting, head coach Mike McCarthy basically said while he's not doubting Harris' ability to return for the start of the 2010 season, he's preparing for all eventualites. »Read Full Blog Post
Draft figures to bring reinforcements at safety for Packers
As much depth as there currently is and will be following the draft at the cornerback position, it's nearly the opposite situation at safety where the Packers have little depth.
The Packers have three competent players at safety, and beyond that only have two other options that aren't exactly appealing.
Nick Collins is a two-time Pro Bowler, and with a brand new contract extension is set to be a fixture at safety for years to come. »Read Full Blog Post(4)
Packers Daily Links 3.29.10
Hope everyone had a good weekend full of watching Elite Eight basketball and Wisconsin getting back to the Frozen Four. Onto the Packers news...
This year's new draft format was analyzed this past weekend by Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. With the first round on a Thursday, the second and third rounds on a Friday and the fourth through seventh rounds on Saturday, teams are likely to approach the draft a little bit different. Even general manager Ted Thompson thinks so. "The first pick in each of the days are always valuable a little bit more because after the dust rises," Thompson told Silverstein, "there's normally a player where you say, 'Why is he still up there?' It becomes something of value." Will the Packers be one of those teams wanting to move up on Friday or Saturday? I just can't see it.
In a mailbag feature, Greg Bedard of the Journal Sentinel explains why the Packers have the 23rd pick in some rounds of the draft and the 24th in others. "The Packers finished at 11-5 with three other teams," writes Greg Bedard. "And all three made the playoffs so the strength of schedule tiebreaker, which is used with non-playoff teams, does not apply. Both the Packers and Eagles lost in the first round, while Dallas advanced. Dallas gets the lowest pick of the three in every round. The Packers and Eagles then flip-flop each round." »Read Full Blog Post(3)
Desi Cullen pre-draft journal entry No. 2
Desi Cullen is a University of Connecticut punter looking to break into the NFL following this year's draft. In this journal entry he shares his thoughts about his recently completed pro day workout last week...
Shortly after arriving Monday morning to the UConn campus, I wanted to get some good work in before Pro Day on Wednesday. One of my teammates, Robert "Reggie" McClain, a cornerback, also responsible for returning punts met up with me to get some reps in. Later that day, my last workout before the big day went very well. With my confidence high, it was now time to just relax and rest up. I took Tuesday off and spent the evening eating a pregame meal at my soon to be mother-in law's house. I had a great night sleep filled with dreams of playing at the next level in my head.
Then, it was GAMEDAY! I woke up Wednesday morning and it felt like a normal gameday. I had a good wholesome breakfast and headed up to campus. After hearing that some NFL reps wanted to chat with me, I sure was happy to head out early. Honestly, this all still feels surreal to me. Following the meetings, weigh in was at 1:30 p.m. and the rest was left to follow. One of the biggest decisions I had to make was whether or not to perform in the bench press. But I was quickly talked into it by my head coach, Randy Edsall. I weighed in at a whopping 205 lbs…6'1"…GORGEOUS! I put up 11 reps on bench, not to mention I was probably the loudest and most amped up during the event. After the event was a lot of waiting until the other players finished out their speed and timing drills. »Read Full Blog Post(2)
Thumbs down to the NFL on new draft format
Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has some interesting information about the NFL Draft format being put in place this year, but this is the part I want to touch on:
"Now with two nights of prime-time coverage, the NFL is hoping to increase its viewership and create more opportunities for individual clubs to host draft parties for their fans," writes Silverstein.
I'm sure the NFL enjoys the draft being held in prime-time and all the added revenue that it's going to bring with TV exposure and advertising. But I think they underestimate the impact it's going to have on individual teams hosting draft parties. »Read Full Blog Post(1)
Former Packer hopes for Jahvid Best
I was talking to former Green Bay Packers running back and running backs coach Harry Sydney today for a totally unrelated article for Maple Street Press, but we were talking about the draft, and I wanted to pass along this little bit he shared.
"I think what the Packers need this year, I'd love to see them get a third down back," said Sydney. "Brandon Jackson's not the guy. Nobody's the guy. They need to have a third down back. I'd love to see Jahvid Best fall in their lap. He'd become their third down back and their kick and punt returner, because that's where they're short at."
Interesting to see his thoughts on Jackson. And also about his feelings on Best.
It seems to be a good bet that Best would be around at No. 23 in the first round, but that might be a stretch to select him at that point in the draft. If he were to fall into the Packers' lap, it would seem more likely that it would happen in the second round.(4)
Packers Daily Links 3.30.10
Mike McCarthy paid a visit to Aaron Rodgers' pro day workout back in 2005 when Rodgers was expected to go high in the draft. Of course, McCarthy was with the 49ers back then. But it appears he's doing his due diligence once again by taking in Sam Bradford's workout yesterday at Oklahoma. "Bradford impressed the more than 50 coaches, scouts and executives, including San Francisco 49ers head coach Mike Singletary, Washington Redskins general manager Bruce Allen, Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy, Cleveland Browns head coach Eric Mangini, Browns president Mike Holmgren and Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll," reports Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Observers gushed over Bradford's performance in which he was a reportedly completed 62-of-63 passes. Health concers still linger.
I personally love Bradford. To be a freshman and sophomore at a powerhouse like Oklahoma and set records for passing efficiency, that's special. Yes, he needs to put on some pounds. Yes, he needs to get a stronger arm. And as long as he gets a year to sit on the bench to do that and learn in the NFL, I think he'll be among the best quarterbacks in the game. That year apprenticeship will also allow him to heal as well.
The suggestion that the Packers could take a look at running back Brian Westbrook by Aaron Nagler of CheeseheadTV has created a stir. ESPN Insider's Rumor section picked up the idea and ran with it. It's all speculation at this point, but it's not foolish. "It makes a world of sense for the Packers to bring Westbrook in, kick the tires so to speak, and see if he would be a good fit," writes Nagler. "Yes – the concussion issue is a serious one and Westbrook reportedly suffered two last year. But if he is cleared medically and wants to play, you take a look. And let's be honest here, no one's talking about him taking snaps away from Ryan Grant – but on third down and for certain, special offensive packages, if the price is right – always the key when talking Thompson and free agency – I think a playmaker like Westbrook, who is already familiar with the West Coast Offense and just a hundred times more dynamic in the passing game than any back currently on the roster, makes an awful lot of sense." »Read Full Blog Post(2)
Handicapping what Packers will do with 23rd pick
Coming up with betting odds for the Green Bay Packers at what they may do with the 23rd pick in the first round was pretty much impossible.
It's hard to predict, which prospects will be gone by No. 23. And among those that are still around, it's even harder to predict which player the Packers may covet the most. I mean, what do you think the odds were that the Packers would have drafted Justin Harrell in 2007? 50 to 1?
Which of these are good bets? How about none of them. Of course, one of them is going to happen, but it's impossible to predict which one. (13)
Packers Daily Links 3.31.10
Your plans in August will become more clear when the Packers announce their preseason schedule at 2 p.m. today.
There's reason to believe the regular season schedule is going to be announced on Tuesday April 13. Thanks to Aaron Nagler for the hat tip. The date was strategically picked to maximize media attention. Opening day of baseball has passed. The Masters is over. The NCAA tournament is over. The NFL will have all the headlines that day.
Head coach Mike McCarthy took in Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant's workout yesterday one day after taking in Sam Bradford's workout. "Bryant, who hasn't played since being suspended by the NCAA in October. worked out for talent evaluators that included Packers coach Mike McCarthy, 49ers coach Mike Singletary and Seahawks coach Pete Carroll," reports Sean Leahy of USA Today. The biggest headline coming away from Bryant's workout was that he showed some irresponsibility by forgetting his cleats, not a good sign considered he was suspended by the NCAA for violations in talking to agent (although the severity of his discretion varies depending on who you talk to). »Read Full Blog Post(3)

subset: commoncrawl


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New Products and Inventions
Curious to read about the latest new products in development or a new product launch? Want to learn about new ideas, innovations and inventions from around the globe? Or perhaps see some simple new features or upgrades on old favorites? We cover them all here. So we hope you will visit us often.
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Bake And Serve; The Cake Is Pre-Cut!by Toby
Everything's going the way of customization, even cake pans! Here's a cake mold that can accommodate any size guest with small to extra large appetites.
Get Personal With A Towel Warmer!by Must Love Gadgets
Hammacher Schlemmer has some really neat gadgets, stuff you never even consider, but when you see them, you say to yourself, "Boy, that would be nice!" So, that's what I said to myself when I spotted the Personal Towel Warmer.
Sander Mulder Designs An Eerie And Elegant Threesomeby Toby
Dutch designer Sander Mulder has created a most awesome threesome of female-inspired lighting designs: Therese, Marie-Louise and Josephine. In what looks and behaves much like glass or cut crystal, Mulder has created high-impact polycarbonate lamps for high effect... that look as eerie as they do elegant.
Ford to Join the Dual Clutch Clubby George Delozier
As engines get more and more efficient, other ways of improving fuel mileage and performance are needed. One of the most promising of these new technologies is the dual-clutch transmission, and it seems as though Ford is planning on putting their own version of the dual-clutch into not only the performance vehicles, but all of them.
Pizza Prep and Delivery Unit: Great Idea?by Cosetta
Patent# US 6858243, also known as the Pizza Preparation and Delivery Method and Unit, involves a method for providing a consumer with a freshly-baked, pizza-type food product by using individually frozen ingredients, combining them and then baking them in less than five minutes in a mobile, compact and autonomous baking/selling unit. Read on and then inform pizza delivery places that may have failed you in the past if they should eat their hearts (or at least their pizza) out.
Chocri Gets Your Mouth Watering With Customizable Chocolate Barsby Beth Graddon-Hodgson
If you can think of anything more mouthwatering than creating your own chocolate bar, I urge you to challenge me. German website, Chocri, lets you create the chocolate bar of your dreams, for selfless gift giving or your own personal consumption.
Wipe Up The Table With Coffee Napkin Artby Diana Eid
What do you do when you love coffee so much that you want to share it with the rest of the world? Well, you draw pictures with coffee on napkins, of course. Christoph Niemann is an artist that creates interesting artwork made out of coffee.
New President...New Wheels...And A Higher Level of Securityby George Delozier
As with previous years, with the inauguration of a new president come new challenges to face and obstacles to overcome. While the nation does its part to work through these trials, the president has his own issues to deal with. One of these is how to get around safely and comfortably while presenting a positive, confident attitude to the rest of the world. The solution to this is a specially modified Cadillac limousine made exclusively for the president himself.
Chocolate By Designby Toby
Of course, design is not limited to architecture or interiors or hi-tech.... Design is not limited at all. And to prove it, some very well known interior and product designers are getting into chocolate design. How would your valentine enjoy geting one of these chocolates made by the famous French Chocolat Factory for 5.5 Designers?
Alarm May Keep Children From Drowningby John P. Barker
The number of child deaths related to drowning in home swimming pools is disturbing to say the least. Sometimes even a child-proof gate isn't enough to keep unsupervised kids away from the water. In recent years steps have been taken to augment pool security--and this is one of them.


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Russian President Putin called President Obama to discuss tensions in eastern Ukraine and the fight against the Islamic State in the Middle East.» Read More
*Albania angry with CEZ unit for not importing power. CEZ Shperndarje holds a monopoly on power distribution to 1.1 million homes in Albania and is bound by law to use imports to make up for any power losses- from technical faults or theft- in its grid in the hydro-dependant Balkan nation.
MILAN, Oct 2- Fashion designer Giorgio Armani is taking direct control of his sales business in Britain to improve efficiency in the retail sector, which has become a revenue-spinner for luxury makers amid economic turmoil.
By Chris Reese and Ana Nicolaci da Costa ADVISORY- Reuters plans to discontinue its daily report on the money markets in New York as of Oct. 15. NEW YORK/ LONDON, Oct 2- The U.S. Treasury sold $40 billion of four-week bills at a high rate of 0.1 percent, up from 0.055 percent in a similar sale last week and the highest since a four-week bill auction on Sept. 5.
Reinsurers sold $3.8 billion of protection through the credit default swap market last year, down sharply from a peak of $20.3 billion in 2003, the International Association of Insurance Supervisors said in a report.
*Brazil's Somar: flowering bodes well for 2013 coffee crop. NEW YORK/ LONDON, Oct 2- Arabica coffee futures soared nearly 4 percent to a 10- week high on Tuesday, on heavy short-covering prompted by concerns of dry weather in top grower Brazil, while raw sugar extended the previous session's steep gains.
--Group 1 Automotive Inc.' s credit measures, in our opinion, have the potential for continued modest improvement in the year ahead. --We are revising our' BB' rating outlook on Group 1 to positive from stable. Rating Action On Oct. 2, 2012, Standard& Poor's Ratings Services revised its rating outlook on Houston- based automotive retailer Group 1 Automotive Inc..
Benchmark oil slipped 19 cents to $92.20 per barrel in New York. Brent crude, which is used to price international varieties of oil, fell 36 cents to $111.83 per barrel in London. At the pump, the national average for gasoline was unchanged at $3.78 per gallon, according to AAA, Wright Express and the Oil Price Information Service.
LONDON, Oct 2- Mobile operators in Britain will be able to roll out 4 G services to the vast majority of the country in the first half of next year, or six months earlier than previously estimated, the government said on Tuesday. A statement from Culture Secretary Maria Miller after a meeting with mobile operators said the move was aimed at spurring growth.
LONDON, Oct 2- Somalia, hoping to share in East Africa's oil and gas boom, has invited back international oil companies that held exploration licences before civil war broke out two decades ago, an adviser to the government said.
Oct 2- Fitch Ratings has affirmed the' AA' Insurer Financial Strength ratings of Factory Mutual Insurance Company and its affiliates. The Rating Outlook is Stable.
By Guy Faulconbridge and Matt Falloon. MANCHESTER, England, Oct 2- Britain's opposition leader Ed Miliband cast himself as a humble man of the people on Tuesday in a confident speech, seeking to win over doubters and portray Prime Minister David Cameron as the product of a snobby education who has hurt the economy.
Mosaic, Dupont and stocks of other companies in the materials industry fell. Dupont led the Dow lower, sinking $1.02 to $49.34. Spain needs to ask for money from Europe's bailout fund before the European Central Bank can start buying its government bonds.
LONDON, Oct 2- Carlyle is set pay itself a 260 million pound dividend from UK roadside rescue business RAC, in a move that could encourage other private equity firms to follow suit after buyout deals dropped to the lowest since 2009..
The monthly manufacturing survey from the Institute for Supply Management on Monday pointed to an improvement. In Europe markets ended the day slightly lower. The FTSE 100 index was down 0.19 percent at 5,809 while Germany's DAX was off 0.28 percent at 7,305. The CAC-40 in France was 0.6 lower higher at 3,414..
This raises serious questions about the near-term economic viability of the low-carbon technology in which Germany and Britain, among others, are setting such store.
Oct 2- Plastic packaging maker RPC Group Plc. said Ron Marsh, its chief executive of 19 years, would retire on Oct. 1, 2013. RPC shares were down marginally at 426.35 pence at 0345 GMT on Tuesday on the London Stock Exchange.
PARIS, Oct 2- European luxury stocks, once a must-have for portfolio managers seeking to avoid the European economic doldrums and get exposure to surging China sales, are falling out of favour, hit by concerns about slowing growth there.
LONDON-- It was a meeting of the two most famous British people on the planet: Queen Elizabeth II turned to her tuxedo-wearing guest and said, "Good evening, Mr. It introduced a dapper but deadly secret agent who wore Savile Row suits, drove an Aston Martin, liked his martinis shaken, not stirred, and announced himself as "Bond, James Bond."
Markets' eyes are currently trained on Moody's to see whether it strips Spain of its investment grade status as Madrid struggles with cash-strapped regions, an ailing bank system and rising debt refinancing costs.
LONDON, Oct 2- European shares fell on Tuesday, weighed by weakness in basic resources stocks on concern about the outlook for global growth. "The real key to create confidence is positive earnings surprises, positive economic data surprises," Philip Isherwood, European strategist at Absolute Strategy Research, who is' overweight' on stocks.


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Discover a selection of top forums developers hands on the internet. Come to share your passion on forums developers hands and meet other fans of developers hands. Then, why don't you create your own forum of developers hands ?
A Harry Potter RPG, set in 2028. Harry Potter is dead. So is Lord Voldemort. Fate now lies in your hands.
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Hand Reading Forum: palm reading & palmistry forum: psychodiagnostic chirology, life purpose hand analysis, vedic palmistry & multi-perspective palm reading!
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Fürõr is a Horde Guild playing on Blizzard retail server @ Tarren Mill (EU) realm. Furor has shifted from Neltharion - Molten-Wow (10x Private Cataclysm realm). Previously Fürõr played at Magic-Wow Realm (12x Private Wow WOTLK server). We have a clea
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The official Forum for Augustine: Despondent and other projects like Slender: Darkplaces and Zombie Shootout. Other projects and developers welcome!
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HUNGARY – CIRCA 1974: postage stamp printed in Hungary showing an image of Mona Lisa or La Gioconda from Leonardo Da Vinci, circa 1974.
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One of the most exciting additions that HTML5 offers to designers is the ability to draw free-form graphics on a drawing surface known as the Canvas. In this course, author Joe Marini introduces the technical concepts behind Canvas and shows how to perform drawing operations directly in a web page. The course covers drawing basic and complex shapes, setting colors and styles, adding shadows, patterns, and gradients, more advanced techniques such as scaling, rotating, and compositing objects, and how to incorporate Canvas elements in a slideshow and an animation.
Creating gradients using the HTML5 canvas is pretty easy. There is two kinds of gradients: there is linear and there is a radial. The way you create gradients is there are two steps involved. First, you have to create the gradient using the appropriate function to create a gradient of the right type, either linear or radial. Now once you created the gradient, you have to add color stops to the gradient at certain positions in order to create the necessary color transitions. Once you've created the gradient, it can be used anywhere a stroke or a fill style can be used, pretty much like patterns as well.
Let's take a look at how gradients work. Linear gradients are defined along a path. There is two points that define a linear gradient. The linear gradient then travels along that path from the first point to the second point. So in this example, we have a gradient defined by the starting point x0, y0, and the ending point, x1, y1. In this case, we've got a light blue color traveling along that line to the lower-right point, x1, y1. Radial gradients work a little bit differently.
Radial gradients are defined by two circles. The radial gradient travels from the edge of the inner circle to the edge of the outer circle. And in this case, we've got the inner circle of a darker blue color, and the gradient travels from the edge of the inner circle to the outer one. To create gradients, you use the createLinearGradient or createRadialGradient functions. The createLinearGradient function takes four arguments, two points. This is the first point. This is the second point, which I showed earlier, and that's the line that the gradient travels along.
The createRadialGradient function takes six arguments, which define the two circles. The first circle is centered at x0, y0 and has a radius of r0. And the second circle is at x1, y1 and has a radius of r1. So that defines the two circles, which define how the radial gradient travels. Regardless of which gradient you create, you use the addColorStop function to add color stops at various positions. The first argument, position, is a floating point number going from 0 all the way up to 1.0. You can kind of think of that as a percentage.
So, for example, a gradient at the 80% position would be at 0.8. You could add multiple color stops at different positions, and you simply define the color using any standard CSS color string to create the color. Let's go see gradients in action. So I'm here in my code. This is the gradients_start file, and this is in chapter 06. And now I'm going to go to my gradients section in my snippets. That's right here. So the first example we are going to do is create a linear gradient.
So let's just copy this example right here, and we'll paste. We've got the call to createLinearGradient right here, and this is the first point. This is the second point. Both of these points start at x of 20 and go from y 20 to 280. This is going to be a straight-line gradient, and then we need to add some color stops. We're going to go from red to blue and then blue to green. So at the 0 position, we're going to start with red and then at the halfway mark, we'll put blue in, and then we'll end up with green at the 100% mark.
Then to display the gradient, we'll simply set the fillStyle of the context to the linear gradient we just created, and then we'll fill the rectangle with the gradient. So let's save, and let's go up and look at the finished result, and you can see that it worked. So in this case, the linear gradient is going from this point here straight down to this point here. Let's see what happens when we change those two points. So back here in the code, I'm going to change this point here to be 220. So now I've got x of 20, 20, and the second point is 220, 280.
So we'll save, and we'll go back to the browser and we'll refresh. You can see now that I've got the gradient going from the top left down to the lower right. So that's pretty good for a linear gradient. Let's try radial. So let's go back to my snippets, and now we're going to copy the code that does the radial one. We'll copy and we'll paste. All right, let's take a look at the code.
So in this case, I'm now creating a radial gradient, and this is the first circle. The first circle has its center point at 525, 150 and has a radius of 20. The second circle is centered at the same location the first circle is but has a larger radius, in this case 100. So we've got two circles that are centered at the same point, but of just different radii. So now we're going to add some color stops to this gradient. We're going to addColorStop and we're going to do the same thing; we're going to red to blue to green. So red goes at 0, blue is at halfway, green is at the 100% position.
We set the fillStyle to be the gradient we just created. And then we're going to just create an arc that has the contents of the arc as the gradient. So after setting the fillStyle, when you call fill, it's going to fill it with gradient. Let's save. Okay, let's go back to the browser and we'll refresh, and you can see that we now have a circle with the radial gradient. So here is the inner circle right here filled with red, and the gradient is traveling from the edge of that circle out to the edge of the larger one. So let's go back to the radial gradient definition and offset the circle a little bit.
So we'll go back to the code, and instead of putting this circle at x of 525 and 150, let's offset a little bit. Let's put this one at y of 100 and we'll put the x, let's say, at 500. And this is going to cause the circle to move up and to the left a little bit. So let's save, back to the browser, refresh, and you can see that the circle was here. Now it's moved up here, and the gradient is a little compressed over this way and a little bit elongated this way.
So we've seen how to create linear and radial gradients, and we've seen how to add color stops and even change the directions and origins of the gradients.
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June Issue - 194
Apr 28, 2010 By canito
Good Day All-
I just got my June issue of Linux journal and had to bring it to the office on the mere fact that Gentoo Linux did *not* make it on the cover yet Arch Linux did.
So can anyone tell me what distro is the one between Ubuntu and Debian on the front cover?
Some dude at the office said this was the Novell logo?
Say what!?!?
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