April Fools Three Weeks Early

The Walking Dead Brain Trust Leads the Packers

Free agency is in full swing with many middling free agents available who could help a Packer lineup that has huge holes at inside linebacker and on the offensive line, but the Walking Dead Brain Trust who run the greatest franchise in sports history turned their attention inward to protect the Just Good Enough Packers instead of building the soon to be 5-time Super Bowl Champion Packers.

Speaking of free agency, the Detroit Lions beat writer for SB Nation made this comment about the Packers, "they often do nothing at all on the first day out of some misguided notion of That Was The Way Things Were or whatever they sell to Wisconsin simpletons these days."

Nick Perry Was Used to Being on Sidelines Looking In

With the move of Clay Matthews back to outside linebacker finding a stud in the middle is even more imperative, but the Packers fourth big free agent signing following DE Mike Daniels, DT Letroy Guion and PK Mason Crosby was often injured outside linebacker Nick Perry.

The former 2012 No. 1 draft pick (#28) hasn't played a full season in his four seasons as a Packers. He started the first four games of his rookie season, but a wrist injury suffered in the third game sent him to injured reserve finishing his season with 6 games-5 starts-18 tackles, 2 sacks, and 1 pass defensed.

His second season he started the first four of the first five games and then missed five of the next six games with a foot injury that led to an ankle injury. Even though he played the whole season he was later diagnosed with a broken foot. His stats were 11 games-6 starts-28 tackles-4 sacks-1 pass defensed-3 forced fumbles.

2014 Perry suffered a shoulder injury and played through it only missing week 11. His stats were 15 games-4 starts-23 tackles-3 sacks-1 pass defensed-1 forced fumble.

He had should surgery during the off-season and started last year like a man renewed. From game 2 to game 5 he was finally playing up to his potential with 12 tackles, 3.5 sacks and 1 forced fumble. However, he re-injured his shoulder in game 5 and missed the next game. He finished out the last 10 games with 19 tackles, 0 sacks and 1 pass defensed.

Over the course of his career he has never played 16 games, missing 18 games (15 his two seasons). He has 16 starts in 46 games with 12.5 sacks.

Who Is Dumb and Who Is Dumber

I was happy when Dumb and Dumber decided not to pick up his fifth-year option for this past season, but that move turned out just about money. Letting Perry become a free agent allowed the Packers to save $2.75 million when they re-signed him to a one-year $5 million contract.

WHY???????????????????? WHAT THE HELL has Perry shown in his four years to warrant a new contract. Letting him go would have saved $7.75 million. I just don't understand this move.

Dwight Freeney Had Enough Left in the Tank To Sack Rodgers

At the time of his signing the remainder of the outside linebackers available in free agency weren't worth $5 million. However, Mike Neal is still unsigned as is ancient Dwight Freeney (the former Colts defensive end, who was shifted to outside linebacker and had a resurgence near the end of the season with the Cardinals and finished with 8 sacks in 11 games. The 14-year has-been would have cost just $700,000 for a one-year contract saving $7.05 million. Like I said I don't understand this move.

Addressing the offensive line the Mark and Ted Show re-signed guard Lane Taylor, who was so bad at left guard when Josh Sitton was moved to left tackle the experiment lasted just one game. He is a journeyman without a journey. He was signed to a 2-year deal worth $4.15 million. He was a restricted free agent who made $585,000 last year, who could have been re-signed for a $1.67 one-year tender. WHAT is the sense of this?

Evan Mathis Could Add Some Toughness to the Offense

In the free agent market veterans Evan Mathis and Jahri Evans are available. Evans is a 10-year former All-Pro who was cut by the Saints for cap reasons ($7 million), but his base salary was only $1 million. I guess he is still looking for a starting job, so wouldn't be looking at the Packers. Mathis is a 9-year pro coming off surgery and could be had for a decent price since he played for $1.5 million last year, but his cap hit was around $3.5 million.

Using some of the $4.3 million saved on signing Dwight Freeney and not Nick Perry could bring Mathis in on a one-year deal. Two for one. Seems like a good one-year patch to me, but who asked me?

In other free agent news the Packers have tendered S Chris Banjo and TE Justin Perillo, but didn't OLB Andy Mulumba. Good move on Banjo he is one of the top special teamers and Perillo did ok and the lost of Mulumba is negligible.

The remaining unsigned free agents are T Don Barclay, CB Casey Hayward, WR James Jones, FB John Kuhn, NT B.J. Raji, and S Sean Richardson. Word is they are talking to Raji, but no news on the others.

Could James Starks End Up With the Patriots

On the outside looking in free agent news the Patriots are going after RB James Starks and the Giants and Bears are looking at QB Scott Tolzien.

Speaking of the Bears and the rest of the Black and Blue Division. The Bears let RB Matt Forte go to the Jets and T Jermon Bushrod to the Dolphins and have signed T Bobby Massie from the Cardinals and ILB Danny Trevathan from the Broncos.

They have re-signed CB Tracy Porter, RB Jacquizz Rodgers, OL Nick Becton, DB/KR Sherrick McManis and put the franchise tag of WR Alshon Jeffery. The Bears have 14 other unsigned free agents, including former No. 1 pick LB Shea McClellin of Aaron Rodgers' broken collarbone fame.

The Bears are looking at WR Akiem Nicks, tight end Jermaine Gresham and ILB Jerrell Freeman. They are also looking to trade or release TE Martellus Bennett.

The Lions have lost WR Calvin Johnson to retirement, but gained WR Marvin Jones from the Bengals. I think that is an even swap at worse, if not a better acquisition. They have also lost backup QB Dan Orlovsky to Denver, SS Isa Abdul-Quddus to Miami and OLB Travis Lewis to Minnesota. They have signed DT Stefan Charles from Buffalo and SS Tavon Wilson from the Patriots.

They have re-signed DT Haloti Ngata, DT Tyrunn Walker, OLB Tahir Whitehead, WR Corey Fuller, CB Crezdon Butler and CB Johnson Bademosi. They have 8 other unsigned free agents, including 10-year middle linebacker Stephen Tulloch.

The Vikings have lost no free agents and have signed G Alex Boone from the 49ers, FS Michael Griffin from the Titans, OLB Emmanuel Lamur from the Bengals and OLB Lewis from the Lions.

They have re-signed G Michael Harris, DT Kenrick Ellis, MLB Audie Cole, T Carter Bykowski, FB Zach Line, WR Adam Thielen and SS Andrew Sendejo. They have 11 other unsigned free agents, including WR Mike Wallace, 10-year OLB Chad Greenway and LB Casey Matthews, Clay's younger brother.

I think the defense needs some veteran leadership (even though I wished Julius Peppers would just play and not tell people to take a knee), so just looking at the Central Division (sue me, I'm old) I think Tulloch from the Lions and Greenway from the Vikings should be considered.

I also think Wallace could be a good acquisition because he is still relatively young and a speed-burner and Martellus Bennett would be a good 1-2 punch with Richie Rodgers at tight end.

The rest of the North Division (they pulled me kicking and screaming into the present) are making moves to improve while the direction the Packers are going is sideways at best, but definitely not upward.

The clock is ticking on Aaron Rodgers' career. The time is now to FIRE THEIR ASSES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and bring in people who want to make the Packers a championship team and not JUST GOOD ENOUGH.