Happy Thursday everyone, sorry this isn't up earlier. I didn't get to reliable internet until 3 am my time last night, and by that time I was in no condition to write anything, even a link post. We signed a defensive lineman yesterday, giving us eleventy billion in total. Also, people are making projections and creating power rankings because it's May and they're bored. Here's your daily Green Bay Packers news and links.

Packers atop 2015 NFL Power Rankings | ESPN NFC North blog

This is a real thing. That's a real headline.

Packers hall of famer Whittenton dies at 78 | Green Bay Press-Gazette

Whittenton was a starter at cornerback for the team in the 1960s. Everyone has really great things to say about the guy. RIP.

Packers add Merling to defensive line stockpiles | Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

JSOnline article on yesterday's Phillip Merling acquisition.

A way too early Packers 53-man roster projection | All Green Bay Packers

I'm sure we can have a super happy fun debate about Adam's selections in the comments below.

Life goes on | ESPN Wisconsin

Jason Wilde on the team getting back to work.

More from around SB Nation after the jump

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This week, the NFL owners voted to approve a few changes to the league's rules. Joel Thorman of SBNation covered the rule changes in depth here, but I'll try to address what these changes mean to the Green Bay Packers organization.

1: Knee and thigh pads are mandatory starting in 2013

Aside from Charles Woodson now wearing padding on his legs, I don't see this change holding much significance for the team. It may help prevent some deep thigh or knee bruises, but serious knee or leg injuries do not appear likely to be reduced by this. Let's move on.

2: Trade deadline moved from Week 6 to Week 8

When was the last time Ted Thompson traded a player during the season? The last player I can think of is running back Ryan Grant, who was acquired from the New York Giants around the end of the preseason in 2007. There's little activity at the trade deadline in the NFL in general, and I imagine that this will help increase that activity only slightly. If they really want to increase activity at the deadline, move it back another few weeks as Joel suggested. Either way, I don't see it having much of an impact on the Packers, especially when you consider Thompson's preferred method of acquiring players.

3: One player may be placed on temporary Injured Reserve, meaning he will be eligible to begin practicing 6 weeks later and play in games 8 weeks later

This is the change that will affect the Packers the most. In 2010, the team ended with several starters on Injured Reserve, in part because there were too many injuries and they needed to backfill those roster spots with healthy bodies. A few players, most notably Ryan Grant, may have been healthy enough to play towards the end of the season, but due to the Injured Reserve rules, were ineligible for the entire season. This exemption would have let the team put Grant on temporary IR, where he could have been eligible to play in week 9 or 10.

One question I have is whether a player on temporary IR can be shifted to full IR and therefore ruled ineligible for the remainder of the season; in that case, would the team be allowed to put a more recently-injured player on temporary IR in his place? Or is it even more flexible, in that one player may be reactivated six weeks from when he was put on IR, and he does not need to be designated on "temporary" IR at the time of his injury?

I'm sure more details about this change will be clarified as the rule is explained, but it regardless appears to offer teams more flexibility with their rosters and may ease the pain of placing a key player on injured reserve when their injury might allow them back on the field later in the season.

I made a big deal about Nick Perry playing the left outside linebacker position in rookie minicamp, and we discussed it briefly yesterday when Perry stayed there at the beginning of OTAs with Clay Matthews moving to the right side. That move certainly indicates that Matthews will be freed up to use more of his playmaking abilities from the right side, instead of strictly rushing the passer on the left side like he did in 2011. But it's entirely possible that we're making too big a deal of these positional labels.

Here's Matthews, as quoted by Jason Wilde:

The misnomer about the position is that we’re stuck to one side. On paper, it’s going to say "left outside linebacker" or "right outside linebacker." Really, those positions are interchangeable, so the faster we can get (Perry) up to speed, the faster we can have some fun moving him around, flying around and making some plays together.

In light of Matthews' comments, it appears that we may be reading too much into the position switch and ignoring the fact that Perry is a talented player. I am guilty of making the assumption that the right and left outside linebackers play significantly different roles in the defense and that switching a player from one side to the other will require him to use different skills in that new role. Matthews' comments indicate that I have been thinking there are more differences between positions than what actually exist.

One thing is certain: the Packers (and Matthews) expect Perry and company to help ease the pass-rushing burden on Matthews, whose versatility can now be maximized by playing various positions:

Whenever we can take advantage of that by playing on the right side, left side, in the middle — wherever you want me to play — I think we’re all about that.

It sure sounds to me like he's excited to work hard in taking on a new challenge and use the opportunity to make an impact all over the field. And let's face it - that desire to change games in any way is exactly what you should want from one of your biggest stars. Could this be the start of Dom Capers molding Matthews into a jack-of-all-trades? Perhaps he will grow into the front seven's version of Charles Woodson over time. I, for one, look forward to seeing what Clay can do when the Packers' opponents can't assume he's lining up in the same place on every play.

The Packers have released a quarterback today, all but assuring that there will be only three players at that position on the team moving forward. They also signed a veteran defensive end.

Jason Wilde @jasonjwilde

The ‪#Packers‬ make a couple of personnel moves: They sign Miami DE Phillip Merling, release TE Cameron Ford and QB Nick Hill.

10:55 AM - 23 May 12

This effectively clears the way for B.J. Coleman to earn the third quarterback position and potentially compete with Graham Harrell for the primary backup spot. Hill was praised by the team, but they apparently did not feel he had the knowledge and experience to compete with Harrell or the physical tools to compete with Coleman.

Ford was an undrafted rookie tight end from Wake Forest and was signed on May 3rd. With the number of tight ends on the roster, he was a long shot to make the team out of camp.

Phillip Merling was a former second-round pick in 2008 and was a reserve defensive end for the Miami Dolphins over the past four years. He suffered an injury to his Achilles tendon in 2010, and played only 15 games over the past two years. He did play in all 16 games in each of the 2008 and 2009 seasons, however, recording 3.5 sacks. Here's a fun fact about Merling: his only career interception came in 2008 against Brett Favre, then a member of the New York Jets; Merling returned it for a touchdown.

The Green Bay Packers opened their organized team activities for the summer on Monday. This was the first day of this set of OTAs and the only practice during this set that was open to the public. All of the local media was in attendance, along with a few hundred fans who skipped work and/or school.

Vic Ketchman and Mike Spofford of Packers.com did a video review of practice, discussing the standout players. They also throw in a couple of quotes from Clay Matthews and Mike McCarthy. They spend a bit of time talking about M.D. Jennings' impressive performance, and they note that Sam Shields looked very intense and enthusiastic on Tuesday. Jennings was the starting safety in the absence of both Charlie Peprah and Charles Woodson on Tuesday, and he intercepted Aaron Rodgers on one occasion.

Over at the Green Bay Press-Gazette, they have a rundown of most of the important happenings at Tuesday's practice. Rob Demovsky has the complete list of guys who did not practice, none of whom were too surprising. The only guy who sat out that we had heard previously might be able to go is rookie defensive lineman Mike Daniels.

Nick Perry continued to play left outside linebacker with the first team defense, while Clay Matthews played on the right side. He noted in the above-linked Packers.com video that he expects to be sent at the opposing quarterback from just about everywhere on the field. Jerel Worthy did not start at right defensive end, but was the starting defensive tackle next to B.J. Raji in nickel sets. Worthy could adjust to his new position and win a job in preseason, but it makes sense that he's starting in this specialist role.

Anyone surprised by anything they've read about the first OTA session?

Happy Wednesday everyone. Yesterday was the first day of organized team activities and also the last day of Dancing With The Stars, which as we mentioned earlier, Donald Driver won. And now we can start talking way too much about whether or not he's going to make the 53-man roster and/or restructure his contract. Oh, and there are James Jones trade rumors! Here's your daily Green Bay Packers news and links.

The 'Mirror Ball' belongs at Lambeau | Packers.com

Obviously posted before the DWTS finale, but everything else in yesterday's 'Ask Vic' is interesting and still relevant.

The Packers were shopping James Jones prior to the draft | Cheesehead TV

Raise your hand if you're surprised!

McAdoo brings fresh perspective to QB position | Green Bay Press-Gazette

A great article on new QBs coach Ben McAdoo.

Donald Driver adds DWTS to titletown lore | ESPN NFC North Blog

Totally just as important as the Super Bowl trophies.

Packers backup QB Graham Harrell comes in stronger | Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

He seems pretty locked into the No. 2 job.

More from around SB Nation after the jump.

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