Happy Friday, everyone! The Badgers are a number one-seed in the NCAA tournament in hockey, which makes me extremely happy. They are also in the Elite Eight in basketball, making me AND Aaron Rodgers happy, as you see above and will see in today's curds.
That's enough about college sports for now - on to news about the Green Bay Packers. The theme of the day is young players getting a bigger chance to make an impact in 2014, and that covers players at positions all over the field. Whether it's the departure of a veteran wideout paving the way for more catches for developing wide receivers, a vacant starting job on the offensive line, or just expanding roles for key members of the secondary, the team will continue to put young players in critical positions. Hopefully they're up for it.
JC Tretter to get first stab at Packers' center job | JSOnline
The important note here is McCarthy saying that JC Tretter would have given Evan Dietrich-Smith a battle for the starting job if he had been healthy through training camp.
James Jones' departure creates opportunity for young Packers receivers | Packers.com
Myles White is among them, and he apparently has bulked up to 190 pounds over the off-season.
Expect bigger roles for Green Bay Packers' Casey Hayward, Micah Hyde - ESPN
Look for Hyde to play safety and Hayward to play corner on the outside in the Packers' base defense in 2014.
Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy's trust in Dom Capers carries on - ESPN
Mac says Capers is "definitely the right man for the job," though McCarthy is taking a more active role on that side of the ball.
Rodgers celebrates Sweet 16 victory with Badgers | Packersnews
This is amusing - but nothing beats Bo Ryan's face.
NFL Draft 2014: What do you watch when evaluating wide receivers? - SBNation.com
Great stuff here from Danny Kelly of Field Gulls, explaining the evaluation process for wide receivers.
NFL Draft 2014: Aaron Donald isn't concerned with size criticisms - SBNation.com
I like Donald's attitude when asked about his size, and I agree with it. The guy can flat-out play, and I'd be happy to have him on my team, regardless of what defensive scheme he would have to fit into.