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This week, Jermichael Finley told reporters that if he was asked to, he would not take a pay cut to help the Packers. Finley still has one year left on his deal, and recently said that although the Packers have not contacted him about the possibility of restructuring his contract, he did say that if he was asked to do so he would rather be released than do so. If Green Bay does release him or trade him, they will save $8.25 million, so it appears they have the upper hand in this situation.

Finley did say that if he liked the deal he would consider signing it, but only if the money was right. This might come off as a selfish move, and is not exactly all that surprising given how he has handled himself on and off the field in the past couple of years. Dealing with less reps and less targets, one might think he would consider having to prove himself to earn the money, but that is also kind of unrealistic for someone who helped the Packers win a Super Bowl. This is certainly a developing story, but Packers fans should not be surprised if Green Bay cuts him or he decides to ask for a release to play somewhere else. Stay tuned for more information on what happens, and let us know you feel about this situation as a Packers fan.

This past week, the Packers took part in an unusual activity to prepare themselves for next season. In hopes of learning to better defend the read-option attack that San Francisco used to torch them for 579 yards in the NFC Playoffs. The coaches decided to go to Texas A&M to learn from a school that has mastered the system with quarterback Johnny Manziel. The Packers desperately need to improve their defense, especially against the read-option, if they have any plans of returning to the Super Bowl and getting past the 49ers.

While most NFL teams consult with colleges and college coaches for tips and pointers from some of the greatest minds in the game, not all of them are so public about it. The Packers were not hesitant to announce this trip and maybe this will start a trend where other teams openly travel to colleges to learn their systems as new principles and strategies emerge from the lower levels of the game. Packers fans, how do you feel about your team heading south to learn some tricks of the trade? Post your comments below and let us know how you feel.

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For the first time in eight seasons, the Packers faithful will no longer be able to call Charles Woodson one of their own. After a season where Woodson missed most of the games with a broken collarbone, the Packers made the decision to release the 36 year old future hall of famer, with the intention on saving cap space to re-sign younger stars such as Clay Matthews and BJ Raji. While Woodson’s departure may make sense from a game play standpoint, the veteran’s presence will surely be missed.

Woodson now turns to free agency, and he says he has some good football left in him. The Packers, meanwhile, must find another stalwart cornerback to replace his production and consistent big play ability. The Packers could turn to a backup cornerback, or could find someone in free agency (someone such as Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie) or draft a cornerback in this year’s upcoming draft in April. Whatever the solution, I hope to see Woodson keep playing, and I know that Packers fans will miss him this year.

After learning that the Green Bay Packers’ wide receivers corps could look very different next year, everyone now learned that Jermichael Finley is “50/50″ in terms of him returning to Green Bay or going elsewhere. He understands the nature of the business is that if the team feels that he is making too much money they will ask him to take a pay cut or release him, and he knows that if he is offered more somewhere else he will have to think about it. He noted that his desire is to remain a Packers player for a long time, but that he may be forced to look at other options.

Finley has had a very up and down career in Green Bay. He started off very well and had a great rapport with Aaron Rodgers, but drops and inconsistent play have plagued his career in the last two seasons. As a result, Rodgers has begun to look elsewhere and has found new targets to fill the void. Finley had a couple of notable drops against the Giants in last year’s playoffs that could have changed the game. Packers fans, would you like to see Finley back? And if so, at what cost? Post your comments below and let us know how you feel.

Two big stories emerged this week regarding the Green Bay Packers, and both were concerning their wide receiver corps. First, all time leading receiver Donald Driver announced that he would be retiring, closing the book on 14 seasons with the team. Like former wide receiver Hines Ward, he decided that he would rather retire as a member of the team he spent his whole career with than put on a new jersey. The ultimate competitor, Driver will be revered and missed by Packers fans everywhere.

The other story was that top receiver Greg Jennings spoke about the very real possibility that he will be playing elsewhere next season. Jennings has been with the team for 7 seasons, and was the number one target for most of those seasons. Now he will be seeking big money, and may have worn out his welcome, especially with Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb ascending the ranks of the Packers’ wide receivers. Jennings has reportedly put his house up for sale already, and seems to be making peace with his potential departure from the team. Stay tuned to see how this story develops, and enjoy the Super Bowl!

All has been quiet on the Packers front since their exit in the second round of the playoffs, but now pro bowl center Jeff Saturday has announced his retirement. Saturday has played fourteen seasons in the NFL, 13 for the Indianapolis Colts before signing as a free agent with Green Bay this past offseason. Though he has one year left on his contract, Saturday decided the time is right for him to call it quits, and will walk away from the game following the Pro Bowl in Hawaii.

Saturday was the starting center for fourteen games this year, before being replaced by Evan Dietrich-Smith for the last two games of the season and the postseason. Though his best years were in Indy with Peyton Manning, he provided solid protection and helped the Packers offense thrive for most of the year. Saturday walks away having given knowledge and helpful advice to the young offensive line that has to step up next year to protect Aaron Rodgers and provide holes for running backs if the Green Bay Packers offense wants to improve for next season.

Hey Packers fans, now that the season ended short of your and the Packers hoped, it is time to voice your opinion on the state of the Packers and where you see the team going forward. What changes need to be made in either the coaching staff, management, or roster to get Green Bay back to the Super Bowl? We want you to let us know how you think the team could improve for the 2013-2014 season and beyond. In the comments section, post your ideas and comments, and put in your two cents on the issues.

Should the defense look to get younger in the secondary? How about on the defensive line? Or is the main concern for Green Bay their offensive line, which often left Aaron Rodgers on the ground. What do you think Green Bay should do with Greg Jennings, now a free agent and looking for a big deal. Once again, tell us what you think, and what the Packers should do in the draft and in free agency.

A big topic this season, and for basically the entirety of Aaron Rodgers’ tenure in Green Bay, has been the lack of a run game for the Packers. They have not had a 100 yard rusher in who knows how long, and have largely struggled with keeping running backs healthy and getting consistent production from the ones on the field. Last week, however, the run game appeared out of nowhere and put up 2 touchdowns against the Vikings. This added balance may not be sustainable, but it was surely a welcome change from the pass happy offense that has put up so many points over the past few years. Once that happened the safeties had to creep up and Rodgers was able to exploit the secondary like we are so accustomed to seeing him do.

This could stop on Saturday, however, with the run game facing off against one of the best run defenses in the NFL. The 49ers were 4th in the NFL this year in rushing yards allowed, giving up an average of only 94 yards per game. Combine that with the Packers 20th ranked rushing offense, averaging 106 yards per game, and it is hard to see how the running backs for Green Bay will get going against the fierce front seven of San Francisco. The 49ers showed once this year they could stop the Packers in a week one victory in Green Bay, and are certainly fired up to do it again. It remains to be seen what the outcome will be, but two touchdowns appears to be a tall order for a rushing attack that has largely underwhelmed for the last couple of years. If they step up again, though, the Packers could be well on their way to the NFC Conference Championship game.