Packersnews.com | Green Bay Packers | Insiders Blog " Alford interviews with Packers. It probably helps Tony Alford's career to be interviewed by the Green Bay Packers, even if he was set on remaining a college coach.

Kareem Copeland assumed Alford was interviewing for the vacant tight ends coach, but Jason Wilde thought Joel Hilgenberg was the likely replacement. It might seem odd to have an ex-offensive lineman like Hilgenberg coaching tight ends, but the Packers have been drafting tight ends known for their receiving in college (Jermichael Finley, Andrew Quarless, etc.) and teaching them how to block. It might actually be a big benefit to Finley to spend more time with a former NFL lineman.

On the other hand, the real value in these players are their ability to catch a pass. And based on the 2011 season, receiving skills are something Finley needs to work on. I don't think they're going to do his development wrong no matter the background of his new tight end coach, the key being that they've got to find a good one.

Green Bay Packers news | Walden takes plea agreement in misdemeanor case | Green Bay Press Gazette. I don't know if this helps Erik Walden's chances of sticking with the Green Bay Packers, he can't avoid the fact that he faded down the stretch, but his November arrest shouldn't interfere with his NFL career. Even if he doesn't return to the Packers, I expect he'll be playing somewhere in the NFL next season.

If he stays out of trouble for the next twelve months, the entire incident will be "erased from the records" in Brown County.

Seahawks Re-Sign OT Breno Giacomini - Field Gulls. After hiring a new head coach, former Packers executive and current Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie is starting to purge the bad contracts of Al Davis. If the Raiders stop handing out bad contracts like the unforgettable Javon Walker deal, some other team is going to take over the NFL lead in this category.

The Seahawks have gotten off to a questionable start by agreeing to pay ex-Packer practice squad player, T Breno Giacomini, an average annual salary of $3 million ($6 million total) over the next two years. He does appear to have improved over the past couple seasons in Seattle, but he's still regarded as a backup. And $3 million per season is pretty high for a backup.

At least they have a good reason for it. The Seahawks do need some depth they can count on because their projected starters, LT Russell Okung and RT James Carpenter, have had trouble with injuries so far in the NFL careers.

The Seahawks aren't close to becoming the next Raiders, but I'd have spit out my Spotted Cow if I'd read about the Green Bay Packers paying $3 million per season for a backup lineman.

Vikings stadium: Season ticket question* - NFC North Blog - ESPN. Nice catch by one of Kevin Seifert's readers. While many teams, including the Green Bay Packers, announced ticket prices last week, the Vikings have been quiet because their lease is up at the Metrodome. Are they going to play at TCF Bank Stadium or the Metrodome?

I expect it'll be the Metrodome. They don't have plans finalized for a new stadium, which is most likely to be built on or near the existing Metrodome site, so the wrecking ball shouldn't hit in 2012. I want to see the Vikings work this out, and I don't know who exactly deserves the blame, but their stadium plans continue to be poorly run.

I wouldn't expect the Green Bay Packers to attend either of their pro day workouts, but they should be in the market for a new quarterback to replace Matt Flynn. They'll certainly be taking a look at some quarterbacks during the scouting process.

Maybe Andrew Luck feels obligated to hold a workout for scouts, but I don't see what the point is. Are the Colts not going to draft him? Might they be willing to trade down? If Luck has a poor workout, would the Colts consider drafting someone else? I can't imagine anything happening other than Luck to the Colts.

Robert Griffin III will certainly be a high draft choice, maybe No. 2 overall if the Rams find a trade to their liking. I like Justin Blackmon but a package of three or four high draft choices for Griffin might be too good to pass up. He actually could use a strong pro day to his advantage and find himself right behind Luck in the draft.

As for a quarterback the Packers might draft, since they had success with Flynn as a 7th round pick, maybe they should take another one at the end of the draft. CBS Sports mentions a couple guys who might be worth a 7th round pick: Boise State's Kellen Moore and Houston's Case Keenum. Obviously they aren't great prospects, but we're talking about a 7th round pick. They also graded Yale's QB Patrick Witt as a 7th rounder, but that guy comes with some major baggage.

BBAO: Recalling the Andy Reid model - NFC North Blog - ESPN. It's been mentioned in the comments that Ben McAdoo is following a similar path as Andy Reid did in the 1990s. From the NFC North Blog:

Andy Reid was an offensive lineman during his playing career and coached the Green Bay Packers' tight ends and offensive linemen for five years until then-coach Mike Holmgren switched him to quarterbacks. The move worked for the Packers, Reid and quarterback Brett Favre alike, and it's a model -- coincidental or otherwise -- that current Packers coach Mike McCarthy followed this winter.

I don't exactly know what makes a good coach. Great players don't often make great coaches. And forgettable players sometimes make great ones.

Another good example is Mike McCarthy's career path. After he played tight end in college at Baker University, he worked his way up through the coaching ranks to become a quarterbacks coach with the Chiefs and Packers. Then he became an offensive coordinator, and eventually a head coach. I don't expect the Chiefs thought after they hired him in 1993 to be their offensive quality control assistant that he'd one day become a top offensive mind and a Super Bowl winning head coach.

There's a price point that most NFL teams can't go past without risking a fan rebellion, and I doubt the Green Bay Packers are anywhere close to it. This is basically a 5% price hike. What would it take for Packer fans to complain? 10%? 20%?

It's really expensive to go to an NFL game, but I doubt a $3 to $5 ticket price increase will be the tipping point for most people who travel to Lambeau. If you want a game ticket that costs next to nothing, there's always the NBA.

Green Bay Packers news | Report: McAdoo named QB coach | Green Bay Press Gazette. Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers suggested earlier this week that he wouldn't mind a new quarterbacks coach with experience playing the position. Instead the Packers promoted from within, naming TE coach Ben McAdoo to the position.

This always seemed like the obvious choice. McAdoo is a young coach on the rise, and the Packers recently denied a request by the Buccaneers to interview him for their offensive coordinator's position. While they had every right to deny the interview request, to deny him an internal promotion might have caused some friction.

While Rodgers expressed a preference for someone with experience at QB, he's worked with McAdoo since 2006 and they're all familiar with each other. It should be a smooth transition.

So who will be the next TE coach? How about Bubba Franks! Just kidding, I expect the Packers will promote once again from within, maybe they'll promote Joel Hilgenberg from quality control assistant, and then promote an intern or a new face into the role of quality control assistant. Next man up.