Cheese Curds, 7/14: Remembering the Packers’ 2007 offseason

Green Bay Packers fans remember the offseason of 2008 all too well. But perhaps lost in the memory of the “Summer of Favre” is the fact that the 2007 offseason saw almost as much drama between the franchise and its future Hall of Fame quarterback.

In a sense, the events of 2007 may be an even better comparison for 2021 than the drama of 2008. And at the same time, perhaps Favre’s all-too-public displeasure with the Packers’ decisions that year could be informing Aaron Rodgers’ desire to keep his feelings private during the current saga.

But while all of that was going on with Favre in 2007, the Packers brought in an intriguing draft class. Players like James Jones, Brandon Jackson, and Desmond Bishop played key roles on the team for some time. But it is the last of three consecutive sixth-round draft picks who has been with the team the longest, as Mason Crosby remains Rodgers’ only teammate from that time. Crosby has gone through some rough years, to be sure, but has remarkably turned in his best seasons after turning 35.

So let’s think back to 2007 for a bit as we look ahead to seeing if Aaron Rodgers decides to return for 2021 after all.

Aaron Rodgers saga is all too familiar in Green Bay, and Brett Favre knows it well – The Athletic (subscription)
Most of the comparisons about Rodgers' displeasure this offseason have been compared to the summer of 2008, when the Favre situation came to a head. But perhaps the 2007 offseason is a better comparison: Favre eventually returned after making a series of public comments that he would later walk back. Maybe seeing Favre do that is the reason why Rodgers has stayed so quiet this spring and summer.

Ranking the eight NFL divisions by quarterback: West is best, East is least | NFL.com
Even including Rodgers for the Packers, the NFC North comes in 6th out of 8 thanks to the Bears' uncertainty and middle-of-the-road options in Minnesota and Detroit.

The mostly ups and a few downs of Mason Crosbys Packers career | Packer Report
Besides Rodgers, Crosby is the only other current Packers player who was around during a portion of the 2007 offseason, as he was drafted that year. It's really impressive how Crosby has gone from regularly hitting field goals in the low 80 percent range to one of the most accurate kickers of the past two seasons -- missing just two of his 44 attempts since the start of 2019.

Inbox: The oversight worked to the Packers’ advantage | Packers.com
The "oversight" Mike Spofford refers to here is teams failing to sufficiently account for Robert Tonyan in the red zone, which led to his 11 touchdown receptions.

Green Bay Packers Training Camp Preview: Kenny Clark Among Five Who Must Rebound - Sports Illustrated
A few key starters on defense need to step up and improve from their play in 2020, including Kenny Clark and Kevin King.

Neenah workers believe eagle dropped carp and damaged vehicle | Appleton Post-Crescent
The local police in Neenah had to go on a fishing expedition to figure out how the hood of this car parked near Neenah's city hall got damaged.