The Packers need secondary help. Al Harris is good, but coming off his ACL surgery he is a huge question mark. Charles Woodson is the best cornerback in the game, but he needs help. Tramon Williams is solid, but behind him the Packers have NOTHING. Jarrett Bush is horrible.

Could the Packers trade one of their draft picks to San Diego that they could use on a running back? Perhaps the Packers' first round pick for Antonio Cromartie and a later pick, maybe a 4th rounder? Maybe even dangle Grant?

It's too early in the offseason to know for sure, but the possibility is intriguing.  Cromartie has all the tools: elite speed and height. Perhaps a couple of talks with Woodson and Harris and the man would be incredible.

Abraham is a contributor to i94 Sports. You can find his daily thoughts at his site Wisconsin Sports Colony.

Get a load of this Packers fans:

Aaron Rodgers' "championship belt"

The Cardinals weren't going to show much in their season finale against the Packers, knowing before kickoff Green Bay was going to have to return a week later for the playoffs. With the advantage tilted toward the Packers - who didn't pull back - Green Bay dominated. But after Packers' quarterback Aaron Rodgers scored on a quarterback sneak, he jumped up in the end zone and pantomimed putting on a belt, like one might win in wrestling or boxing. The move - caught by TV cameras -- didn't sit well with the Cards, who took note and then watched the move repeatedly during prep work the following week. The Packers certainly scored often in the playoff game, but the Cards won and in the first half the defense made Rodgers' life hell - and Cards' defenders insisted afterward they had been thinking about Rodgers' "belt."

I think Rodgers needs to stop "the belt" immediately, and not because it motivates other teams, but because it is lame and needs to stop. I don't think that the belt really motivated the Cardinals' defense to play better: they still gave up 45 points.  In a game that was as painful of a loss as any for Packer fans for the last decade. The fact of the matter is, if that Adam's forced fumble illegal facemask is correctly called, the game's outcome could have been different, and this sound bite never would have occurred.

Abraham is a contributor to i94 Sports. You can find his daily thoughts at his site Wisconsin Sports Colony.

Pro Football Talk is reporting that Ahman Green thinks he will be back in 2010. I highly doubt that he will. In fact, the offseason would be a major disappointment in my personal opinion if he was resigned. Green was a solid guy this year, who I think pushed Ryan Grant to be better. But the Packers need to get a better return man and a better receiver out of the backfield, and an easy way to kill those two birds with one stone would be to draft or sign a Leon Washington/Dexter McCluster type who can return and serve as a receiver out of the backfield. This would also save a roster spot that TT can waste on a 3rd fullback.

Oh wait, he already did that.

Mike Holmgren is assembling his staff in Cleveland, and has dug into his Green Bay past to fill some of the holes. Here we take another look at the "Family Tree" that is the Holmgren head coaches.

For the sake of my rankings, I'm not going to evaluate the second generation guys, or the coaches from Holmgren's run in Seattle. That leaves us with the following:

1) Jon Gruden - Only Super Bowl winner on this list. I remember being very surprised when Tampa Bay fired him after last season. Also, if you give him the Snow Bowl/Tuck Rule game, which improves his playoff record to a much better 6-3. Really didn't do much with his team in Tampa which Tony Dungy had essentially built up, but did get them over the hump, something for whatever reason, Tony never did.

2) Andy Reid - When referring to Philadelphia sports icons, except for Allen Iverson of all people, this adage generally applies, "Underrated in Philadelphia, Overrated around the rest of the country." Has there been a more tumultuous relationship between a successful quarterback/coach combination than Donovan McNabb/Andy Reid and the Philadelphia fans? Redi has never won the Super Bowl, and probably should get penalized for making so many NFC championship games, yet only one Super Bowl appearance, a loss.

3) Steve Mariucci - Stepped in with 2 HOFers on offense, and still did very well. No real breakthrough playoff appearances that could potentially make him better.  Gets major bonus points for making the post Barry Sanders Lions mediocre.

4) Mike Sherman - The man that Packers fans like to hate, and with good reason. His team was stacked, could never get a reliable defense. Then magically became GM when Ron Wolff retired. Sherman wasn't that bad of a drafter, but was horrible at free agency and he hit rock bottom when he traded up in the Third round for a PUNTER, who never even played.

5) Ray Rhodes - Started out great for the Eagles, but fell out of favor. Then for some reason Green Bay hired him and guess what, average season, which eventually got him fired.

6) Dick Jauron - Had one good incredibly lucky season with the Bears, and besides that nothing but mediocre.

7) Marty Mornhinweg - 5-27? I I know it's the Lions, but Mariucci was able to at least make the Lions mediocre.

Ted Thompson has done a good job rebuilding the Green Bay Packers, who perpetually rank as the youngest team in the league. He rigidly adheres to his policy of building through the draft and re-signing players who prove to be better than those that can be replaced with draft picks. Thompson, however, has proven that he is able to delve into free agency when he sees a relative bargain. Four off seasons ago Thompson signed Ryan Pickett and Charles Woodson to free agent deals and both players were instrumental in strengthening the Packers' defense, especially this past season.

Pickett had a greater adjustment to make than Woodson, anchoring the line at all important nose in the 3-4 scheme. After some initial questions regarding his fit at the position, he proved to be an all-out stud. His impact was further realized when he missed three games and rookie first round pick B.J. Raji was forced to take over the nose; the defense just wasn't the same. The re-signing of Pickett is necessary for this defense to take the next step.

Other interesting things to note include the preference of Chad Clifton to Mark Tauscher, the almost certain letting go of Daryn College, and the whether or not they will offer of a contract to Aaron Kampman. Clifton is a cagey veteran, not unlike Tauscher, but unlike Tauscher can play the all-important position of left tackle. Hopefully this preference leads to a high draft pick or T.J. Lang garnering a starting position and not Allen Barbre or Breno Giacomini.

If Daryn College is not starting or, preferably, not on the active roster at all next season, every Packers' fan will rejoice. The Aaron Kampman situation will be among the most interesting of all the story lines for the Packers this offseason. Will they re-sign him? Will he sign with another team to become a 4-3 DE again? Only time will tell. I'll put my money at this point in the offseason on Kampman being restricted by the highest possible tender and traded to a team with a 4-3 defense for a player and/or draft pick.

Adrian Peterson is the most talented and intimidating running back in the NFL. Sorry Chris Johnson, but Adrian has your speed in the body of a monster. Peterson can outrun defensive backs, and truck linebackers. He did that at Oklahoma, where he almost single-handedly beat Boise State coming off of a broken collarbone, and has done that in his short time in the league (I badly wanted the Packers to take him the year he came out, but after winning their last four games, they ended up with Justin Harrell).

Peterson, however, has problems with some basic fundamentals that keep him from being the best in the NFL. He is ineffective coming out of the backfield as a receiver, he's a weak pass-blocker, and he has become infamous for putting the ball on the ground. He is a player with mega-talent and an unimpressive work-ethic badly in need of a makeover.

Sure he is a chiseled specimen and undoubtedly a workout warrior, but you need look no further than the Packers' running backs to see what several nuances and hard work can do to a backs' game. The Packers' running backs at first glance are nothing special: Ryan Grant has average speed and isn't intimidating physically; Brandon Jackson is a bit undersized, Ahman Green was great..in 2003, and DeShawn Wynn should never stray too far from a stretcher. A rather uninspiring group as a whole, but under the tutoring of Edgar Bennett they fumbled only once in 366 carries.

I have been clamoring for the Packers to acquire via the draft, free agency (come on Ted) or a trade, a runner with dynamic speed to add to this already nearly unstoppable offense for a while now, not to mention to improve the deplorable return game. Dexter McCluster was my choice until he lit the Senior Bowl practice field ablaze the last several days systematically rising several rounds, but the chronically underrated Packers backfield is just fine as it is for now.

By now you've probably read that Charles Woodson has indeed won the Defensive MVP for 2009. For many that follow this site, that comes as little surprise. Woodson doubled the amount of votes runner-up Darrelle Revis and became the first winner from Green Bay since Reggie White took home the award in 1998. Woodson finished the season with nine interceptions, three of which he ran back for touchdowns, four forced fumbles, two sacks and 74 tackles on the season.

Revis, the only other player to nab more than 3 votes (Woodson received 28 and Revis 14), finished 2009 with six interceptions, one touchdown, no forced fumbles, no sacks and 54 tackles. Those numbers appear to be in Woodson's favor. So what would prompt comments like this from one New York Jets blog (Gang Green Nation),

"I think this is a travesty, and obviously the voters simply looked at the numbers without actually analyzing game film."

"I would like to get a list of all the actual voters and who they voted for. I guess these writers have so many articles to write about that they can't watch some film."

Or this from thejetsblog.com,

"Whatever. This is why I hate this sort of stuff. We all know who had the most dominant season at corner that has taken place in the last 15 years, and his name wasn't Charles Woodson. Remember Woodson also beat Peyton Manning for the Heisman, so he has a long and storied history of robbing deserving players out of postseason honors."

All of us here in the i94 Sports zone saw what Woodson was able to accomplish, and with those eyes and some slightly shaded glasses many would have had little doubt about Woodson's impact on the Packers season, one in which they finished 11-5 and were the second ranked defense in all of the NFL. It wasn't only the plays he made, but it was when he made them. The Dallas game was a great example of that, a solid turning point in the Packers season. Against the Cowboys Woodson had nine tackles, picked off a pass and forced two key fumbles in a much needed win that moved them to 5-4 on the season.

As I watched the game on Sunday, the fans I was with had little doubt in their mind that Woodson would win the award. We debated it following a forced fumble by Woodson that eventually led to a Green Bay touchdown and Green Bay's re-entry into what seemed like an impending blowout.

I have to admit that I can't go back and watch all of the film. I can't sift through every game that Woodson and Revis played to see who in actuality deserves the award. I can give the numbers, like you see in the first paragraph. I can also tell you that Revis has shut down some of the best names in the NFL. Here are some of the numbers: Roddy White had four catches for 33-yards, Randy Moss had just eight catches for 55-yards in two games and scored one of two toucdowns against Revis, Andre Johnson had two catches for 24-yards, Steve Smith (CAR) had one catch for five yards, Terrell Owens had five catches for 42-yards in two games and Chad Ochocinco had just two catches for 28-yards in two games including the playoff clincher for the Jets and last week's Wild Card matchup.

This is what gets those in Jets nation so heated. With a rookie quarterback in Matt Sanchez, who made his fair share of mistakes on the season, it was Revis who anchored the best defense in the NFL by the numbers. The Jets allowed a league low 4,037-yards, a league low 14.8 points per game, and a league low 2,459-yards passing on the season, 489-yards better than second ranked Buffalo. And while Woodson and Green Bay gave up 29 passing touchdowns, the same amount as the Chicago Bears, Revis and the Jets allowed just eight.

So it comes down to this. Revis is clearly one of the best, if not the best shutdown corner in the NFL today. There is little arguing with those numbers. Having not watched the game film, because I simply don't have the time, I have to assume that Woodson was given the award based on more than just his cover skills. Again, I point out games like the one versus Dallas which I know is just one example, but it was a Sunday Night nationally televised game. Woodson created complications for teams on a multitude of levels, whether it was stripping the ball after the catch, sacking or pressuring the quarterback, covering the oppositions top receiver, picking off passes, or taking those interceptions in for scores. He did it all in 2009.

It's hard to say how Green Bay may have fared without Charles in their secondary, though I think from what we witnessed on Sunday, it could have been extremely ugly if not for one of the NFL's most potent offenses. For the Jets I have a hard time believing they would have been able to survive the season without a player like Revis. With a rookie quarterback, and an offense that struggled to score, it was incumbent on Revis to limit the opposition's best player, and he did just that.

I'm not sure who my vote would go to, but while writing this I did have a thought. Maybe Revis is more to the Jets than just the Defensive MVP? Maybe bigger awards should be in store for him? Though I wouldn't hold my breath on that either.

There is a small debate going on about who had the correct approach to last week's game between the Packers and the Cardinals. With both teams having been locked in to their respective playoff positions, Ken Whisenhunt and Mike McCarthy decided to play the game in two very different ways. McCarthy chose to keep his starters in for extended playing time, while Whisenhunt chose to rest the majority of his starters.

Which was the correct approach?

Surely the injury to the Patriots Wes Welker, which ended his season on the same day, gives those who believe that you should rest your starters some ammo. Welker led the NFL in receptions this season with 125 and was the Patriots leader in yards with 1,348.

In the Cardinal-Packer game, Whisenhunt watched as Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Anquan Boldin and sack leader Calais Campbell were all forced to leave the game in the 33-7 loss. Thus far only Rodgers-Cromartie has been able to practice this week and Boldin appears at this point to be in serious danger of missing the game.

The Packers themselves did not escape unharmed. Defensive leader Charles Woodson, who is having an MVP-like season, suffered a shoulder injury but is expected to play. Again, more ammo for those who believe that resting the starters is the way to go.

But will a sore Woodson and an injured Boldin be the true factor in Sunday's rematch?

I decided to to some research to see how some of the NFL's Super Bowl champions have handled the final week of the season and what I found might support McCarthy's choice to keep his players fresh, most notably Aaron Rodgers, despite some injuries occurring that could have severely limited many team's chances to win a title.

When the Packers face Arizona on Sunday afternoon at University of Phoenix Stadium, the big story will be the veteran Super Bowl Champion against the first time playoff starter Aaron Rodgers. Both are arguably two of the biggest names at the quarterback position and both will play a major role in whether or not their team advances beyond round one. For the Packers, winning or losing may well be determined by whether or not the offensive line can play like they did the second half of the season, or if they revert back to the group that started 2009.

A loss at Tampa Bay in week nine had the Packers staring .500 right in the face. Rodgers was taking a beating, sacked 37 times in those first eight games. Ryan Grant was struggling to find running room as well, averaging just over 77-yards per game. The Packers were at a cross-roads, one that would either find them in the post-season, or sitting at home watching. It all had to start up front.

In the final eight games of the season things have looked far different for Green Bay. Rodgers has spent less time on the ground, sacked only 13 times and Grant has found his groove, averaging 4.7 yards per carry and finding the endzone seven times (he finished with 11 touchdowns on the season). The result: a 7-1 finish, a Wild Card berth and the title of the hottest team in the NFC.

Nobody can honestly say that they want to play Green Bay right now. In their game last week the Packers had 14-0 lead before the Cardinals pulled their starters, and the lead ballooned to 33-0 before the fourth quarter. While Sunday should offer a more competitive game, the Packers seem primed to make a run in the playoffs, but they won't be able to do it without the offensive line getting their job done.

Aaron Rodgers doesn't throw interceptions anyhow, which undoubtedly contributed to his high number of sacks, but if he gets time he will make this Arizona defense pay. The Cardinals were  the 23rd ranked passing defense in the NFL this season, and with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie hurting Rodgers will be able to exploit his matchups with some solid blocking.

The Cardinals were no slouch at getting to opposing quarterbacks in 2009. With 43 sacks on the season, they were sixth in the NFL, and three players registered at least five sacks for the Cardinals in 2009 led by Darnell Dockett and Calais Campbell who both had seven. Finding a way to get to Rodgers without being burned will be a major key for Arizona if they want to make another run towards the Super Bowl.

Football starts "in the trenches." The Packers dismal start to the season can be directly linked to poor offensive line play. It's no surprise that since the Packers have started to protect him better, and with a few tweeks to the offensive scheme, the Packers have won football games, and a lot of them.

Earlier today I covered the Bears offense of 2009 by the numbers. To the north of Chicago, in Green Bay, the Packers had a 2009 that was a statistical dream season. Aaron Rodgers threw for over 4,000 yards. Donald Driver and Greg Jennings both went over the 1,000 yard mark receiving, and Ryan Grant rushed for over 1,200 yards. On defense Charles Woodson had nine interceptions and three touchdowns.

It's hard for any QB in Green Bay to etch his name in the record books, with the name Favre plastered throughout. Heck, even his 4,434 yards came in second to Lynn Dickey. But what if Aaron Rodgers and this crew were in Chicago? Where would Rodgers be in the annals (giggity) of Bear history?

In 2009 this is how Rodgers finished statistically: