Packers Daily Links: Collins Eligible for Injury Protection Pay
Nick Collins is entitled to injury protection payment from the NFL. That and more in today's Daily Links...
Recently released safety Nick Collins is entitled to injury protection pay from the NFL, according to Rob Demovsky of the Green Bay Press-Gazette, thanks to a provision in the NFL's collective bargaining agreement. "However, if Collins decides to continue playing, signs with another team and passes that team’s physical, he wouldn’t receive any injury protection benefits, according to the CBA," writes Demovsky. One has to assume Collins is still entertaining the idea of playing again seeing as he was released and did not choose to retire. The same goes for tackle Chad Clifton, released on Monday.
More on the Nick Collins retirement comes from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Press-Gazette, Fox Sports Wisconsin, ESPNMilwaukee.com, twice, PackersNews.com and Packer Report.
A lengthy list of pre-draft visits to the Packers are listed at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and a name that stood out was Utah State linebacker Bobby Wagner, a darkhorse candidate to be a first-round draft choice. "Inside backer who was the outstanding player for the North at the Senior Bowl," writes Tom Silverstein. "Came down with a case of pneumonia just before the combine and visited some teams for medical rechecks. Excelled at his pro day, running the 40-yard dash in just under 4.5 and registering a 39 1/2 -inch vertical jump. Had 133 tackles last year, eight for loss." Wagner is more likely to go in rounds two or three. It will be interesting if the Packers consider drafting him.
Bob McGinn gives the Packers some grief over their "best player available" philosophy in a column at the Journal Sentinel. "If, in fact, the Packers really did take the best player available, bully for them," writes McGinn. "Whatever they added was of minimal help in their moment of truth when a magnificent 15-1 regular season went down the tubes against the New York Giants." The column goes onto address the Packers' need for help on the defensive side of the football and looks at realistic draft targets.
A couple first-round options are looked at by Pete Dougherty of the Press-Gazette with one player in particular standing out. "Besides Boise State’s Shea McClellin, who is favored by many draft experts to be taken by the Packers in the first round at No. 28 overall, there are several other potential candidates that could interest General Manager Ted Thompson," writes Dougherty. Most of the other players mentioned are defensive linemen and outside linebackers. If you've followed pre-draft coverage, you likely know the candidates.
Shea McClellin is the prediction for the Packers in mock drafts by Bob McGinn, Pete Dougherty and Tyler Dunne.
Shea McClellin is also profiled in a feature by Pete Dougherty.
The secondary is today's NFL Draft position of focus by Bob McGinn with an article on safeties in today's NFL, player rankings and a notes section.
NFL Draft coverage from Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com has a preview of tonight's action and specialists breakdown.
Feature articles on players that visited Green Bay are published by Packer Report on Taylor Thompson, Lavasier Tuinei and Buddy Jackson.
Draft coverage from the Journal Sentinel's Packer Plus magazine includes pieces on the Packers possibly trading up, Ted Thompson's trading history, pass rushers, quarterbacks and former Packer Vince Workman.
The Packers are 1-2 favorites to win the NFC North in 2012.
A feature on Western Michigan defensive lineman Drew Nowak, who worked out for the Packers, is published at the Press-Gazette.
James Jones, Tramon Williams and Shaky Smithson stopped for some burgers in Fox Lake, Wis.
Video: An inside look at the construction at Lambeau Field comes courtesy of Fox 11...
Brian Carriveau is a writer for Cheesehead TV. To contact Brian, email [email protected].
Comments (8)
April 26, 2012 at 10:34 am
"Branch played at Clemson, and the Packers still can't get over drafting colossal bust Donnell Washington from there in the third round eight years ago."
McGinn attributing his short-sighted curmudgeon POV to the Packers brass, again.
He needs a change of scenery...either a different market or different subject. I just don't think he's capable of looking at the Packers objectively anymore. The only credible opinions he shares are those of his scout confidants.
Overrated, to say the least.
Brian Carriveau
April 26, 2012 at 10:40 am
You're right. I think that comment in a vacuum is short-sighted. But there have been lots of underachieving players from Clemson in the NFL, so there seems to be some sort of pattern coming from that University.
But for every one thing Bob writes that you or me may not agree with, he writes 100 other things that make sense. He's in the Pro Football Hall of Fame for a reason. And at his age, Bob isn't going anywhere.
April 26, 2012 at 11:30 am
His hall-worthy insight must have been well before my time. Everything he writes these days is heavily slanted against the Packers, even his quasi-compliments are backhanded, as if Steady Teddy kicked his dog and stole his old lady.
April 26, 2012 at 11:49 am
Jamie, remember that Bob McGinn does not have the luxury of being a Packers fan if he wants to maintain objectivity.
He does not look at, nor write about, subjects that pertain to the Packers through green and gold glasses.
As many times as I've read a McGinn article that seemed horribly biased against Ted Thompson and his ways, for instance, I've read another that seems to shower praise upon him.
McGinn calls it as he sees it, without being a fan, bias, or apology. I think that's why he was inducted in Canton.
Brian Carriveau
April 26, 2012 at 11:51 am
I highly disagree with everything being slanted against the Packers. His job as a journalist is to tell both sides of the story. That means writing negative as well as positive things. Some fans don't want to hear that because all they want to hear is positive, positive, positive. It's not his job to be a sycophant.
April 26, 2012 at 12:14 pm
"What about the soldiers face down in the mud? With rose-colored glasses you can't see the blood."
Good point, Brian.
April 26, 2012 at 02:22 pm
I love McGinn. Love him. Usually his info is spot on, his post-game grades are great, and he usually bases what he writes with statistical data.
But that was one of the worst articles I've read in quite a while. Constant jump to conclusion, attributing facts (Packers covet long-armed DEs) without proof whatsoever, and worst of all, blaming the postseason failure on the defense, in a game that the offense scored 1 td and lost the ball 4 times.
That was an opportunistic, one sided article. Exactly the type written by the "media" nowadays to generate views. Media McGinn himself chastises. Certainly not befitting a McCann award winner.
He took a valid point and transformed it into something else.
April 26, 2012 at 01:21 pm
Ummm...I'm not expecting all positive. I'm also not expecting ALMOST all negative, or exaggerated to make a minor negative a seemingly glaring one.
I want balanced.
Even McGinn's tone is anti-Ted. He doesn't like the way he operates, and it leaks out in almost every sentence.
It's fairly obvious to me. Although I could see some overlooking his tone/words as his naïveté on the subject. Though that is one thing I give McGinn credit for, he knows football, I just don't see him using his knowledge constructively.