Here we are, March 31, 2019. MLB has started, NBA playoffs are right around the corner, we are in the midst of March Madness and die hard Packer fans are talking FOOTBALL!!!!!
The Packers 14th Annual Tailgate Tour April 9th-13, will make stops in Marshfield, Sparta, New Richmond, Chippewa Falls and Antigo. Participating this year are Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy, Alumni Nick Barnett, Earl Dotson, Ryan Grant, Bernardo Harris, Aaron Kampman and Scott Wells. The proceeds from these stops will benefit local charities, which will host each location. The Packers are proud of their support of charities throughout the state. Current Packers will not be joining the tour this year because they will be attending OTA’s.
With the hiring of a new head coach (Matt LaFleur), the Packers are allowed to begin OTA’s on April 1. In addition the Packers are also allowed to hold a voluntary veteran minicamp during week two or three of the off season workout schedule. The extra time allotted is for new head coaches to present their playbooks and schemes to their teams. This is ahead of other NFL teams with a returning HC, which can begin April 15th.
The NFL Draft will be held April 25-April 27 in Nashville Tennessee. The anticipation for Packer fans concerning this years draft is immeasurable. With Brian Gutekunst making such an unprecedented splash in Free Agency, the options for this draft are wide open. There are so many directions the Packers can take with their first six picks (6 out of the first 118), we have seen several on all forums. I have previously stated my wish list would be Offensive Line, Middle Linebacker, Safety, Slot Receiver, Running Back, Defensive Line, or Tight End, not in that specific order.
It appears the Packers can report for training camp around mid-July. NFL/CBA rules state, no sooner than 15 days prior to the first Pre-Season game. The Packers may play a Pre-Season game in Canada versus the Oakland Raiders per Team President Mark Murphy. Head Coach Matt LaFleur announced he will likely schedule a practice with another NFL team, something he did in Tennessee. This Pre-Season will provide quite an insight into the 2019 Packers. It’s my belief LaFleur will want to see action out of all the veteran’s, in contrast to McCarthy who rarely played the veteran’s during the Pre-Season. All leading up to the NFL Season opener versus Chicago Bears at Soldier Field Thursday September 5 at 7:20 PM!
We should all be excited for the upcoming season and the change it will bring. As Packer fans we can enter this season optimistic, but without a predetermined a set of expectations. We can just sit back and enjoy the action developed by the new staff and team.
As Always Go Pack GO
PackerGreg
PackerGreg Veteran/Go Army @DrGTP on Twitter
2 responses to “Packers, Calm before the Storm!”
While I’m optimistic about the changes made within the Packers organization the last year or so, I think us Packers fans need to be realistic with our expectations early on this season. With a whole new offensive system it’s going to take a while before everybody gets on the same page. Once they do, I think it’s going to be an exciting and successful future for the Packers.