Green Bay Packers

A disruptive interior pass rusher has eluded Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson.

For the first time in several years, Mason Crosby will have competition in training camp.Raymond T. Rivard photograph Yes, we all know about the running back battle that’s being hyped between rookies Eddie Lacy and Johnathan Frankly who fight it out with in-house backs DuJuan Harris, Alex Green and James Starks; and yes, we know about the offensive line battles that are going to shape up, especially at the right tackle position that will feature Don Barclay, Marshall Newhouse and rookies David Bakhtiari and J.C. Tretter. But those position shakedowns don’t hold a candle to the biggest battle that’s bound to draw eyes, not only among teammates, but especially from the media and the Packers fan base. Giorgio Tavhecchio Mason Crosby, who was tentative and unsure of himself all of last season will go up against rookie Giorgio Tavecchio, the Italian transplant from Cal who was signed specifically during the offseason to bring in some competition for Crosby. The Packers veteran hasn’t had any competition in camp since he went up agains Dave Rayner way back when. He’s been the guy and the Packers rewarded him a couple of seasons ago with a lucrative contract to kick in Lambeau Field – not always the best place to try to make field goals. The good news for Crosby is that he closed out the season last year strongly and seemed to have gotten some of his confidence back. But the Packers’ brass isn’t so sure – thus their decision to bring in Tavecchio. Born in Milan, Italy, Tavecchio has been living in this country since he was a young boy. The 22-year-old is not a huge guy – in fact he’s a little guy – 5-10, 178 pounds. There isn’t a whole lot of information about the guy, but here is what I found on packers.com: Tavecchio entered the league as a non-drafted free agent with the San Francisco 49ers in May 2012. He played in three preseason games for the 49ers, converting his lone field goal attempt and two extra points. As a collegian, Tavecchio appeared in 46 games during his career for the Golden Bears and finished No. 5 on the school’s all-time scoring list (No. 4 among kickers) with 256 points. So, forget the running backs and offensive lineman, if you happen to have the chance to attend one of the Packers open OTA practices, look to the end of the field where Crosby and Tavecchio will be working out. How it all turns out will be interesting to watch.

Over the past seven years, Jarrett Bush has seen hundreds of players pass through the Green Bay Packers' locker room. Since being claimed off waivers from Carolina in 2006, the once-undrafted cornerback and special teams maven lingers.

One major reason why the competition for undrafted free agents is so fascinating: every team gets the same amount of money to use for bonuses on undrafted rookies, and it is not much. Per the CBA, the bonus pool was $75,00o in 2011, and it has grown at the same rate of the salary cap since.…

Lance Easley (arrow) will umpire Richard Sherman’s charity softball game. In the Most-Bizarre-News-line category of the day, we hear that loud-mouthed Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman rubbed salt into the wounds of every Green Bay Packers fan when he announced that he was hiring the one and the only Lance Easley to umpire his summer softball fundraiser. If you don’t know who Easley is, you might not want to know, but I’ll tell you anyway. He’s the official who made the touchdown call on the “Fail Mary” pass to give the Seattle Seahawks the 14-12 win over the Green Bay Packers on that fateful Monday night last fall. Clearly, Sherman is trying to be funny and Seahawks fans will surely find a laugh somewhere in there, but for Packers fans – well, we don’t want to think about it. The loss to the Seahawks was devastating to the team at that point in the season and affected many things down the road of that 2012 season. The call epitomized how stupid the National Football League had been up to that point in failing to carry out negotiations with the regular referees, but it also served as a wake-up call to the league to get the contract situation resolved – something they did before the start of play during the following week of NFL action. Though the regular referees didn’t totally solve the problems of blown calls, at least they brought a semblance of professionalism back into the game – taking away the keystone cops mentality that had been running rampant from game to game up to that point. So, we hope Sherman and all his pals have a great time with Easton and that they raise all kinds of money for a good cause. Packers fans won’t be watching, but we will be waiting for 2013 and some redemption at some point. But if you want to be ticked once more … here you go.

Where will Charles Woodson land and do the Packers have any interest in bringing him back?Raymond T. Rivard photograph Former Green Bay Packers CB/S Charles Woodson might have been headed to a new team by this weekend had he not been such a nice guy. That’s because after paying a visit to the Denver Broncos earlier this week and leaving without a contract, his may have gone straight to Oakland for a visit – a team that had reportedly already have an offer waiting for him on the table. Charles Woodson has teams interested in his services.Raymond T. Rivard photograph But instead, Woodson flew back to Michigan for a charity appearance he had on the books at Mott Children’s Hospital. The charity work may have held up his day job search, but it seems like it won’t be long until Woodson signs somewhere – at least the interest level is heating up and it appears a handful of teams have called him. That’s a different scenario than Woodson faced the past few weeks as he sat on the couch awaiting a call – the 2009 Defensive Player of the Year even went so far as the say publicly that teams were probably seeing him as an “ancient” player. Hi agent, Carl Poston, told the Associated Press today that Woodson’s visit to the Raiders will be held Tuesday and if he doesn’t sign with Oakland, there are two unnamed teams, the New York Giants and the Carolina Panthers who have also expressed an interest. One of the caveats for Woodson, at least previously, was that he wanted to sign with a contender. Of the teams named, it seems only the Giants would fit into that role. Could one of the unnamed teams be the Packers? That’s a possibility, but of course Packers team brass have indicated that if Woodson were to be brought back to Green Bay the price would have to be right.

The Green Bay Packers thought enough of Oklahoma State offensive lineman Lane Taylor to make him their highest-paid college free agent this offseason.

New Era, the official on-field headwear of the National Football League, is teaming up with the NFL to launch the Back to Football Photo Day contest. So what this means is that Packers fans will now have the chance to join the ranks of Aaron Rodgers to also become THE face of the Packers. The contest, which is live at www.speakwithyourcap.com or through New Era’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/neweracaps?fref=ts) will require Packers faithfuls to submit photos of themselves showcasing how you personally “speak with your cap.”  Whether you wear your cap sideways, backwards or flexed at the brim, show how you are bringing your own style to the game. 32 fans (1 per team) will ultimately be chosen and win a complimentary trip to New York City for two. The winners will enjoy a four-day VIP experience and will be professionally styled in their favorite team’s looks for a New Era photo shoot that may be used for a year-long advertisement and promotional campaign.

Tailgate Tour crosses Mississippi; on its way home

Green Bay Packers wide receiver James Jones and his wife Tamika host the 4th annual 'Toast 2 Success' event to combat homelessness and support troubled kids.