Packersnews.com | Green Bay Packers | Insiders Blog " Rodgers wouldn’t mind QB coach with playing experience. He was asked about the coach who I thought might be promoted to quarterbacks coach: current TE coach Ben McAdoo. That might be a great opportunity for McAdoo, but Aaron Rodgers said he'd rather have a coach who played quarterback. One name that was mentioned was former NFL QB Billy Joe Tolliver. From the Press-Gazette:

"I know Billy was in the mix back in 2006," said Rodgers. "We have a good relationship. I don’t know if he’s a candidate." Rodgers said he’d definitely be OK with Tolliver as quarterbacks coach.

Rodgers probably knows him through the American Century Championship. Tolliver appears to be quite the golfer. There are several ex-NFL QBs at that event, but it doesn't necessarily mean they'd be a good coach just because they've golfed with Rodgers.

QB coaches seem to be this odd mix of unknown guys, or failed offensive coordinators like Tom Clements who was hired by the Packers as QB coach after being fired by the Bills as the OC. Any good suggestions for their next QB coach?

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Cutler gets his guy Bates in Chicago | National Football Post. While the Green Bay Packers are still the class of the NFC North, the Bears shouldn't be overlooked. They've played in an NFC Championship as recently as the Packers, and they appeared on their way to the playoffs until they lost Jay Cutler for the season.

2011 wasn't Cutler's best season, Football Outsiders ranked him just ahead of Rex Grossman, so the Bears are looking to make changes to their coaching staff. Now he's been reunited with Jeremy Bates, who was his quarterbacks coach in Denver. Though they'd be better off if they could reunite Cutler with his old teammate.

Will Bates make much of a difference? He wasn't their first choice, that would have been former Buccaneers offensive coordinator Greg Olson. The Bears have promoted Mike Tice to offensive coordinator and he'll be using common sense to turn their offense around. Also, Bates was fired by the Seahawks after one year as their offensive coordinator in 2010, which may have been because he recommended Charlie Whitehurst as a starting quarterback.

I've always thought Cutler and the Bears could be a dangerous if they could get him into a good offensive system. These recent moves don't look too promising, and he'll now be coached by his third different offensive coordinator in four seasons.

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Mac's Football Blog: Packers Block Buccaneers From Interviewing TEs Coach Ben McAdoo. According to Jason LaCanfora, the Green Bay Packers did not give their permission for tight ends coach Ben McAdoo interview with the Buccaneers. He could have become their offensive coordinator. This isn't much of a surprise because the Packers don't let their position coaches interview for anything less than a head coaching job.

Here's more on McAdoo from a post I wrote last month.

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If I ran a poll that included Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers, I'd expect he'd be the run away winner for the team's offensive MVP. The battle for second place should come down to the top two wide receivers, but I've included a whole bunch of starters in the poll below and let's see what happens.

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The Packers reportedly denied a request from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for permission to interview tight ends coach Ben McAdoo. They had earlier denied a similar request from the Miami Dolphins.

McAdoo has been with Packers head coach Mike McCarthy since entering the NFL coaching ranks, having for for McCarthy in New Orleans, San Francisco and now Green Bay.

Obviously, McCarthy trusts McAdoo and values his contribution. But the move to block him from interviewing is an interesting one in light of McCarthy's oft-stated belief in allowing for career advancement for members of his staff.

That said, this is the second time McCarthy has denied another team permission to interview a member of his offensive coaching staff, after he denied the Chicago Bears permission to interview Tom Clements for the offensive coordinator position that eventually went to Mike Martz.

In the case of the Bears, it was more than understandable for McCarthy to be reluctant to allow a division rival to take one of his better coaches. But denying non-divisional opponents from interviewing McAdoo probably indicates how valuable McCarthy thinks McAdoo's contributions are and that he sees a lot of potential in the 34 year old coach.

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Quarterback Aaron Rodgers will make his final appearance of the season for his weekly radio show on the ESPN Radio affiliates in Madison and Milwaukee.

The show had been taking place at 1:30 p.m., although host Jason Wilde couldn't commit to a firm time for this Tuesday.

Out in New York, a ticker-tape parade is being thrown for the Super Bowl champion New York Giants starting at 10:00 a.m. Central time, including Packers alumni Will Blackmon and Derrick Martin, as well as former practice squad player Dave Tollefson and former coach Robert Nunn.

The parade is being hosted by New York City in lower Manhattan beginning at Battery Place and Washington Street and going through the Canyon of Heroes.

It will conclude with a ceremony at City Hall Plaza where mayor Michael Bloomberg will present the Giants with keys to the city.

The parade will be televised nationally on the NBC Sports Network.

Following the parade will be a rally at MetLife Stadium in New York at 2 p.m.

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Sports Radio Interviews " Blog Archive " Brett Favre Didn’t Miss Playing This Season Until the Playoffs Rolled Around. The entire 2011 season has come and gone, and Brett Favre didn't come out of retirement. From Sports Radio Interviews:

On looking back at the retirement process:

"It went a lot smoother than the previous three or four years. At the end of last season, I’d said in year’s past that I knew. I really knew this time. I got beat up a little bit physically, but I still felt like I could still do it, but I just felt like it was time."

There were some unsubstantiated rumors that one team or another wanted him to return, but nothing ever came of it. I thought it would take an injury to finally end his career, but it might have been the absence of Brad Childress (look out Cleveland) that did it. Maybe now the Packers can finally plan for that long ago cancelled ceremony.

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After spending the 2011 season as the odds-on-favorite to represent the NFC in Super Bowl XLVI (we all know how well that turned out), the Packers have been installed as the early - real early - favorites to win Super Bowl XLVII.

The odds for each NFL team from Bovada:

• Green Bay Packers 6-1
• New England Patriots 7-1
• New Orleans Saints 8-1
• Philadelphia Eagles 12-1
• Pittsburgh Steelers 12-1
• Houston Texans 12-1
• Baltimore Ravens 14-1
• New York Giants 15-1
• San Diego Chargers 16-1
• New York Jets 16-1
• San Francisco 49ers 18-1
• Dallas Cowboys 18-1
• Detroit Lions 18-1
• Atlanta Falcons 22-1
• Chicago Bears 30-1
• Arizona Cardinals 30-1
• Miami Dolphins 35-1
• Cincinnati Bengals 40-1
• Indianapolis Colts 50-1
• Tennessee Titans 40-1
• Oakland Raiders 50-1
• Carolina Panthers 50-1
• Denver Broncos 50-1
• Kansas City Chiefs 50-1
• Seattle Seahawks 60-1
• Buffalo Bills 60-1
• Washington Redskins 60-1
• Minnesota Vikings 75-1
• St. Louis Rams 75-1
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers 75-1
• Cleveland Browns 100-1
• Jacksonville Jaguars 100-1

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Todd McShay mock draft 2.0 - NFC North Blog - ESPN. In his latest mock draft, he selected Oklahoma LB Ronnell Lewis for the Green Bay Packers. He stands 6-2 and 244 lbs. While they could use an athletic outside linebacker to provide a pass rush, I'm not sure I like him in particular.

According to CBS Sports.com, Lewis "has a lot of ability, but is still relatively unproven and raw." He's coming out early in part because he was "struggling with academics" and the "coaches advised him to go pro." School isn't for everyone, but "he was moved around a lot in college" and he'll probably have a lot to learn to become an NFL outside linebacker. If he wouldn't do enough to stay eligible at Oklahoma, his work ethic has to be considered.

The Packers haven't avoided players with some background concerns (DE Johnny Jolly, TE Andrew Quarless come to mind) but they haven't been selecting raw, unfocused players with high draft picks. I'm not really excited about his possible selection.

FYI - The quarterback being sacked in the picture is Diondre Borel, who the Packers have converted to a wide receiver and kept on their practice squad all of last season.

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Today we're joined by Chris Pika of BlogandTackle.net who joins us from the site of the Super Bowl in Indianapolis. Listen in...

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Brian Carriveau is a writer for Cheesehead TV. To contact Brian, email carriveau@uwalumni.com.

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Jason Tarver Named Oakland Raiders New Defensive Coordinator - SBNation.com. This is relevant for the Green Bay Packers because their cornerbacks coach Joe Whitt Jr. was reportedly someone the Raiders wanted to interview. I'm not sure the Packers ever gave their permission for an interview, but even if they did, the job went to someone else.

2011 wasn't a banner year for the cornerbacks as Sam Shields and Tramon Williams slumped. They didn't get any unexpected contributions either as rookie Davon House was inactive for most of the season, and Pat Lee continued to not develop. But Whitt remains a young coach on the rise, and I don't expect this will be the last time his name comes up in a rumor.

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Here are some key dates coming up as the offseason gets underway for the Green Bay Packers.

February 20 through March 5 is when they can apply the franchise tag.

February 22 through 28 is the NFL combine.

Free agency begins on March 13.

The next big news story will be whether the Packers will use the franchise tag at all. Possible candidates for the franchise tag are Matt Flynn, Jermichael Finley, Scott Wells, and Jarrett Bush.

I'm kidding about Jarrett. I just wanted to see if you're paying attention.

Actually, the only player who might get the franchise tag is Finley. Dreams of a tag-and-trade deal involving Flynn are probably a long-shot because the tag would cost around $14 million and wreck the Packers salary cap in the short-term (i.e. they'd have to start releasing players immediately). If Finley stays at the tight end designation, which is another story if he insists on being considered a wide receiver, the franchise tag should be around $6 million for a tight end.

Wells isn't likely to be tagged either because centers are usually paid less than other offensive lineman, but for purposes of the franchise tag, all offensive lineman are lumped together and he would cost close to $10 million. Since I expect he'll receive a long-term deal for between $5 to $6 million per season, the franchise tag would be excessive and he might even be tempted to sign the one-year offer.

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Packers tight end Tom Crabtree will be the guest this evening on Clubhouse Live, a Packers talk show broadcasted live on the Appleton Post-Crescent's website at 6:30 p.m. Central time.

The show takes place at Clubhouse Sports Pub & Grill in downtown Appleton, admission is free and will include several giveaways.

Later tonight, the NFL Alumni Awards Show will be televised on the NFL Network at 9:00 p.m. Former Packers running back Jim Taylor takes part in the event.

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With the Giants winning Super Bowl XLVI, there's a very good chance the Green Bay Packers will be opening their 2012 season on the road in MetLife Stadium.

By virtue of the Giants' first place finish in the NFC East, they are slated to play both the San Francisco 49ers and the Packers, both of which would be compeling matchups for the opening of the season. However, the Giants play the 49ers in San Francisco while they play the Packers at home.

There's always a chance the NFL could put the Cowboys or even the Saints (the NFC East plays the NFC South next year) in the opening game against the Giants, but you would have to think the appeal of having the last two Super Bowl champions, along with the reigning Super Bowl and regular season MVPs in Eli Manning and Aaron Rodgers, would be too good a matchup for the league and NBC to pass up.

Packers fans should know soon enough. The league typically releases the regular season schedule sometime in April and the opening matchup is usually set a few weeks in advance of the formal announcement.

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Now that Aaron Rodgers has been named the Associated Press’s Most Valuable Player of the 2011 NFL season, I will consider it open season to utter the most unpopular opinion a Packer fan could ever have.

Drew Brees deserved the MVP award this year.  For that matter, so did Tom Brady.  They had monstrous statistical seasons--record-breaking seasons, NFL benchmark seasons—that in nearly any other year would have and should have been rewarded with the honor of the MVP.

Now, do I believe that either quarterback deserved it more than Rodgers?  No, I don’t.  But had the final tally gone a different way, while being very disappointed, I wouldn’t have been surprised.  The MVP voting is always a fickle mistress, and you can’t always count on what’s “right�.

I mean, you do realize that when Dan Marino set the previous yards-in-a-season record in 1984, he was named the AP MVP that year, right?  There is a bit of a precedent for honoring a guy who breaks enormous records like that.  And this season, both Brees and Brady broke that record.  Rodgers, even if he would have played the last game of the regular season, wouldn’t have even cracked the top ten.

On the other hand, Rodgers set the new single-season passer rating mark, breaking Peyton Manning’s mark from 2004…the year Manning won the MVP.  Again, a precedent was set.

I can see this piece quickly devolving into a debate on who deserved the MVP and why, so let me stop you short right now.  I’m not trying to make a case that Rodgers shouldn’t have won.  I’m letting you know that this MVP award is that much more of an honor, given the stiff competition Aaron was up against.

To not recognize the fantastic seasons by Brees and Brady is not only obtuse, but detracts from the significance of what Rodgers accomplished.  He did not win the award in spite of Brees and Brady, nor in a vacuum, looking only at his own accomplishments without comparison.  No, Rodgers won, fair and square, measured pass-for-pass against two quarterbacks who also deserved it this year.  It just so happened that Rodgers did just a little bit more than the stat sheet shows.

Most of the time, the MVP award is a mixture of statistical considerations, but the very subjective perception of a player who captures the imagination of the nation.   Other things may play into it also, like whether the media thinks a player has “won it  before� or set a personal bar high enough.

Heck, Brett Favre’s first MVP performance in 1995 was based on a 4,413-yard season, barely inside the top-40 of all-time performances.  But, it was Favre’s play on the field, the capturing of America’s heart with his gutsy, improvised approach and endless highlights on SportsCenter that garnered that first award…not necessarily his stats.

But, as Rodgers scored a convincing 48-2 win over Brees in the MVP voting this season, who did Favre have to edge in 1995?  It’s a long trip down memory lane, but Favre beat out Jim Harbaugh, quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts.  Yes, Harbaugh beat out Favre in quarterback rating 100.7 to 99.5, but Harbaugh simply had a good season—nothing more.  2,575 yards, 17 touchdowns, with a 7-5 record?  You didn’t have to work too hard to beat that.

And that’s the point.  When the Packers finally came of age and captured the attention of America, the previous glory boys were in decline.  Troy Aikman was never the statistical machine, just a good game manager for the Super Bowl-winning Cowboys.  Steve Young’s MVP performance from 1994 went into decline as injuries mounted.  Favre won the MVP, and deserved to win the MVP.

But the reality is that he didn’t have nearly the competition that Aaron Rodgers had this season.

I do understand Brady not garnering a single vote this season.  In some ways, I see him in the same point in his career as Favre was in 2002.  Statistically, it had been Favre’s best season since his MVP years (along with a 12-4 record, the best in the NFL that season).  But Favre’s statistics weren’t viewed in a vacuum, comparing Favre only to Favre.  Rich Gannon had his statistically great season, throwing for 4,689 yards, the sixth-highest total ever at that time.

But, in my opinion, Favre’s previous awards went against him. While his stats were very good that year, they weren’t better than his 1990’s MVP seasons.  Thus, the fickleness of the voting process:  in 2002, the better statistical quarterback triumphed over the best-record quarterback.  In 2011, the reverse was true.

Is there a rule, a rhyme or reason we can divine from all of this?  Of course not:  each season is its own animal, and the reasons for why the AP writers cast their votes run the same gamut of reasons that we all talk about on Twitter and in the blogs.

But, let it be said:  Drew Brees could have easily walked away with his first MVP this season instead of Aaron Rodgers.  Both were deserving, and both set some incredible records that were precedential of winning the award.

In the end, our Aaron Rodgers took home the award, much to our delight as Packer fans.  But, because the case can be made for Brees (or Brady, for that matter), the honor that comes with that award is that much higher.

In order to be the best, you have to beat the best, and when it comes to MVPs, there may have never been so many titans deserving of the prize as there were in 2011.  Congrats to Aaron Rodgers for winning perhaps the Most Valuable MVP award.

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Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and cornerback Charles Woodson are being put to work today to provide analysis in the hours upon hours of Super Bowl pre-game coverage.

Woodson joins the NFL Network as a guest analyst for the NFL Gameday Morning show that starts at 8:00 a.m. Central time for eight and a half hours of pre-game programming.

In addition, actor Dan Lauria will be used to portray Vince Lombardi in opening-hour segments on the NFL Network.

Rodgers, meanwhile, will be a guest analyst for NBC where he'll join host Bob Costas and Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward as they provide insight about last year's Super Bowl.

Super Bowl programming begins at 11:00 a.m. with the NFL Films "Road to the Super Bowl" production and then the pre-game coverage starts at noon.

Game coverage, including the national anthem, coin flip, etc., starts at 5:00 p.m., though kickoff isn't until 5:30.

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Clay Matthews joins the Tim Brando Show to discuss the Packers disappointing playoff loss to the New York Giant

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Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been named 2011 Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player award.

Rodgers received 48 of 50 possible votes (Saints quarterback Drew Brees received the other 2)  in winning his first regular season MVP award. Rodgers led the NFL in passing with a 122.5 quarterback rating. He threw 45 touchdown passes, six interceptions and finished the year with a 68.3 completion percentage, all while leading the Packers to a 15-1 record and winning the NFC North division.

Packers head coach Mike McCarthy released a statement to congratulate his quarterback:

I would like to congratulate Aaron on this well-deserved honor. This award is a reflection of Aaron’s professionalism and record-setting season. He is the leader of the Green Bay Packers and serves as a great example to our entire organization, fans and community.

Rodgers commented upon receiving the award:

It means a lot. It really does. It takes a lot of players for this to be an individual award. I appreciate my teammates and coaches. It just makes it a little bit more special. When I think back on 2011, I’ll think back to the missed opportunity in the playoffs, but it means a lot to be voted MVP. I’m excited about the near future. We have a great young team. We probably need to add a few pieces to get back to the Super Bowl, but I have a lot of faith in Ted Thompson and his people.

Congratulations to Aaron from all of us here at Cheesehead TV for this well-deserved award.

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Aaron Rodgers has won the 2011 Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player award in a landslide.

Rodgers earned 48 votes to two for New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees in balloting by a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the NFL. The Packers star is the first Green Bay player honored since Brett Favre concluded a run of three straight seasons as MVP in 1997.

Rodgers led the NFL in passing with a 122.5 rating built on 45 touchdown passes, six interceptions and a 68.3 completion percentage as the Packers went 15-1 and won the NFC North.

He joins former Packers Bart Starr, Jim Taylor and Paul Hornung in being selected MVP.

Rodgers is the third consecutive quarterback voted MVP, joining New England’s Tom Brady (2007, 2010) and Indianapolis’ Peyton Manning (2008,2009).

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Former Packers quarterback Bart Starr will present the award named him this morning at the Super Bowl Breakfast this morning in Indianapolis.

The award is given annually by the NFL to a player voted upon by his peers for outstanding character and leadership in the home, on the field and in the community.

This year's recipient is London Fletcher, a linebacker for the Washington Redskins.

The Super Bowl Breakfast starts at 8 p.m. local time at the Exposition Hall of the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

The NFL's MVP will be awarded this evening during the inaugural "NFL Honors" which features several player awards, to be televised on NBC this evening from 8 to 10 p.m. Central time.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers will be in attendance at the event where it's likely he will be honored with the MVP Award. Wide receiver Randall Cobb is also scheduled to attend.

NFL Honors will happen live from 5 to 7 p.m. Central time and will be tape delayed on NBC later that evening.

A couple Packers players will be on hand at Super Bowl parties in Indianapolis this evening.

Linebacker Clay Matthews is hosting an event called "The Blitz" with San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis at Sensu.

Meanwhile, wide receiver Greg Jennings will act as digital correspondent tweeting photos videos and updates under the Coke Zero handle (@CokeZero) from the Maxim party at the Indianapolis State Fairgrounds.

Former running back Ahman Green can been seen on Spanish language channel Univision at 3 p.m. Central time taking place in Tazon Latino VI, a celebrity flag football game.

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