Morning Buzz: Packers kick off OTAs this week

Welcome to your Morning Buzz, rounding up news and views regarding the Green Bay Packers from around the web and here at PackersNews.com. Grab a strong cup of coffee and get caught up on everything you need to know about the Packers as they kick of their Organized Team Activities.

We’ll start with Michael Cohen’s look at the type of technique defensive coordinator Mike Pettine is looking for as he begins to implement his scheme in Green Bay.

From Michael:

What Pettine needs from his cornerbacks is a willingness to play aggressively at the line of scrimmage and the cover skills to blanket receivers across the field. His scheme, while amorphous, was most effective when Cromartie and fellow corner Darrelle Revis battered opposing wideouts to disrupt an offense’s timing.

Pettine liked “smart, physical play,” according to Dawidoff, “and when he didn’t get it ... he was fierce.”

Fierce is hardly the word to describe what the Packers have cultivated at cornerback in recent years, be it the languid approach of top draft picks Damarious Randall and Quinten Rollins, the wide-eyed inexperience of undrafted rookies or the tightfisted approach to free agency by former general manager Ted Thompson.

Pettine told the scouting department of his affinity for feisty, press-man corners prior to the Senior Bowl, according to a source familiar with the team, and new general manager Brian Gutekunst responded by using his first two picks on Jaire Alexander (5 foot 10, 196 pounds, 4.38 speed in 40-yard dash) and Josh Jackson (6-0, 196, 4.48), respectively.

If their rookies progress well, the Packers could nurture a nickel lineup featuring Jackson, Alexander and Kevin King, last year’s second-round pick who also fits the Pettine mold.

Michael takes us through the important storylines to watch as OTAs begin:

Andy Thompson writes on the grandson of one of Curly Lambeau’s Packers:

Here's a look at the Top 10 remaining NFL free agents:

I chatted with readers via Facebook Live on Friday afternoon:

Elsewhere, in his final Monday Morning Quarterback column for Sports Illustrated, Peter King offers up several memories of Brett Favre:

From Peter:

Favre did a charity bike ride for Bo Jackson at Auburn, and retired Auburn coach Pat Dye insisted Favre stay at Dye’s house. Dye took Favre for a house tour. He saw all the trophies and framed pictures, and listened to Dye tell his stories. When the 78-year-old Dye showed him the memorabilia, he said, “Here’s the stuff that really doesn’t matter.”

Favre said to me Saturday night: “And it hit me. Someday, if I’m lucky, I’m gonna be 78 years old, and the crowd’s not going to be cheering anymore. The roar of the stadium will be long gone. Hopefully, like Pat, I’ll go out and plant a Japanese maple on my property and just live life. Talk to my family, my friends. That was a moment, with Pat, where I thought, ‘So that’s what it’s going to be like.’ And it’s good.”

Muhammad Wilkerson talks about his struggles growing up:

Jason Wilde writes on Oren Burks:

Brian Jones makes the case for Jamaal Williams:

Thane Goetz grades the Packers' draft:

Matt Kelley has some offseason advice for Packers fans:

The Packers are trying out another college wide receiver at corner:

Shawn Wagner looks at camp battles along the offensive line:

Could the Packers go from a losing record to a Super Bowl title?

Mike Daniels is echoing the defense’s Likeable and Learnable mantra this offseason:

Marquez Valdes-Scantling and J’Mon Moore had a good time at the Rookie Premiere:

Aaron Rodgers was impressed by Deshaun Watson’s rookie season:

Great throwback shot here: