Cheese Curds, 2/6: Aaron Rodgers can take advantage of early start to offseason program

With a new head coach in their employ, the Green Bay Packers will be able to get a head start on the 2019 NFL season relative to most other teams in the league. The NFL’s collective bargaining agreement stipulates that teams with new head coaches get to begin their offseason workout programs on April 1st, two weeks earlier than other teams.

In those two weeks, the team will be able to begin teaching and installing a new scheme on offense, which will be the first time that quarterback Aaron Rodgers has to start fresh since the team hired Mike McCarthy in 2006, his second season as a pro. The Packers are also eligible to hold a non-mandatory veteran minicamp sometime in April, which should give Rodgers and his receivers an early chance to start learning the offense on the field instead of just in the classroom.

With all this in mind, it appears to be a good thing that Rodgers’ injured knee did not need surgery. He spoke to the media about it and says he feels good, and on his current rehab schedule he should not have to miss any portion of the program. That’s good news for Rodgers and great news for the Packers overall.

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers avoids surgery on left knee | ESPN
Rodgers' first meeting with the media following the season came in conjunction with the NFL Honors, thanks to his concussion in week 17. This is great news with a new offense being installed under Matt LaFleur.

Jake Kumerow just kept believing | Packers.com
After playing in scout teams for three years, Kumerow felt he could play against starting NFL corners, and he should have another solid chance to earn legitimate playing time in 2019.

Packers must improve in close games in 2019 | Packers Wire
The Packers' 3-6-1 record in games decided by eight points or less isn't necessarily a big enough span to suggest that they will have a huge rebound this fall, but it does point to some bad luck at the end of games and that the team was at least a bit better than their final record showed.

13 way-too-early predictions about the 2019 NFL season - SBNation.com
There are no Packers predictions on this list - they weren't good enough to be considered as a Super Bowl contender in 2019, but not bad enough to be considered a surprising rebound candidate.

Falcons releasing Robert Alford after six seasons - NFL.com
Salary cap casualties are finally here, and the Falcons are getting started by releasing Alford, a six-year veteran. They'll save almost $8 million in cap space with this move, while Alford gets a chance to find a new home.

30 parents 'brawl' at kids hockey game in Simcoe: OPP | CBC News
This is probably the most Canadian headline you'll see this week.