Gildenregeln » while thats unlikely to last too much longer, Housler

GREEN BAY, Wis. Marlon Fossey Jersey . - Ted Thompson is happy to have Julius Peppers in the fold. But the Packers general manager insisted Thursday that landing the eight-time Pro Bowl defensive end from the rival Chicago Bears wont have an effect on what Green Bay does with its nine selections in next weeks NFL draft. In his first public comments since Peppers surprising signing on March 15, Thompson said he believes the 34-year-old lineman has plenty left in the tank and that he expects him to have an impact on the Packers up-and-down defence. "Theres no evidence of any decline in his play, in our opinion," Thompson said Thursday. "He still has the same athletic traits that he had coming out (of college). Hes had a remarkable history in the NFL in terms of durability. Were looking forward to it. I think he is, too." The 6-foot-7, 287-pound Peppers certainly has been durable, playing in 186 of a possible 192 games. Hes also been productive, registering the second-most sacks (118.5) in the NFL and forcing the fifth-most fumbles (39) since he entered the league. He leads all NFL defensive linemen with nine interceptions over that span. But playing 855 snaps for the Bears last season, Peppers managed only 7.5 sacks, the third-lowest total of his 12-year NFL career. The Packers envision him as a hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker in their 3-4 defence, and their hope is that by playing him fewer snaps, they will not only increase his production but give opposing offences another pass-rushing threat to worry about opposite four-time Pro Bowl outside linebacker Clay Matthews. Matthews, who missed six games last season with a twice-broken thumb, is expected to be fully healthy for training camp. "When I view him as a football player, hes an individual youd like to create targeting problems," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said of Peppers in March. "He has the ability to play from the two-point stance, has the ability to play on the move." In 10 career games against the Packers with Carolina and Chicago, Peppers has recorded 9.5 sacks, his fourth-highest total against a specific opponent. The Packers finished tied for eighth in the 32-team NFL last season in sacks with 44 despite Matthews absence. Their hope is that Peppers, who reported for the first day of the off-season program last week, will have an impact on more than just that one category. Last season, the Packers finished tied for 24th in scoring defence (26.8 points per game), 25th in yards allowed (372.3), 25th in rushing yards allowed (125.0), 24th in passing yards allowed (247.3) and tied for 20th in takeaways (22). "Its fun to see Julius. Hes a specimen. He looks great," Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said last week. "Itll be fun to get him really into the fold and get him feeling like hes part of the team, encouraging him to be a leader for us. I think he brings a lot to the table -- on the field and in the locker room. Im just excited about not having to run away from him anymore." As hopeful as the Packers are of Peppers contributions, Thompson insisted that he wont approach the No. 21 overall pick - or any of his other picks - differently with Peppers on board. "We talked about this before. I might sound like a broken record, but we feel that the draft is a long-term investment," said Thompson, whose teams most immediate needs appear to be at safety, linebacker, tight end, offensive line and cornerback. "We dont get too carried away with what our perceived needs are at the moment. We think thats good business. If you can marry those things up thats fine but if you stretch to try to fill quote unquote need somewhere then you end up messing up a couple of spots, so we try to stick to the best player available." USA Soccer Gear . The 30-year-old Kottaras served as Kansas Citys backup catcher last season after being claimed off waivers from Oakland in January. USA Soccer Jerseys China .Y. -- When the New York Islanders lead was cut in half in the opening minute of the third period, the sense of impending doom began wafting through Nassau Coliseum. https://www.cheapusasoccer.com/381j-antonee-robinson-jersey-usa.html . Jeff Carter had two goals and an assist as the Kings stretched their streak to seven wins in a row with a 4-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday.With the bye weeks behind us and a number of teams in most leagues out of fantasy playoff contention, we run down the top pickups on a now thin waiver wire. WR Michael Crabtree (vs Rams)Last week: Injured A solid WR2 last year, Crabtree is expected to make his 2013 debut against St. Louis this weekend. Coming off a tough Achilles injury, and likely to be worked into the 49ers game plan slowly at least to start, dont expect Crabtree to hit his 2012 numbers right away. Hes still worth a pickup however as a possible WR3/flex play off the bat and possibly more moving forward this season. WR Miles Austin (vs Raiders)Last week: 1 catch, 17 yards Austin made a less than impressive return from a three-game absence Sunday against the Giants, but it should only get better from here. If the 29-year-olds hamstring holds up down the stretch, the hope is he supplants Terrence Williams in terms of usage in the Cowboys offence. While he may be more useful in real football, drawing attention away from Dez Bryant and Jason Witten, his play could warrant five-plus targets in a strong offence. WR Rod Streater (at Cowboys)Last week: 5 catches, 93 yards Two things conspire to make Streater worth a look if youre in need of help at WR. One, Matt McGloin providing a better pass game than the less-accurate, more prone to run Terrelle Pryor in Oakland, and two, Denarius Moores injury which elevated Streater to McGloins top target. McGloin looks to have secured the Raiders QB job at least for the time being and playing on a short week, Moore may not be ready to return until Week 14. Streater should see a similar workload on American Thanksgiving against a Cowboys defence that can certainly be scored on. RB Rashard p;Mendenhall (at Eagles)Last week: 13 carries, 54 yards, 1 TD Mendenhall had become the forgotten man in Arizona with fantasy players leaning more towards Andre Ellington of late. USA Soccer Store. And while its clear the two are locked in a timeshare in the Cardinals backfield, its one that sees Mendenhall receive all the red zone touches. The two had similar workloads and totals in Arizonas big win over the Colts on Sunday, the only difference – and its a big one – was Mendenhalls touchdown. Take the veteran over the rookie in Arizona, hell score you more touchdowns. QB Matt Flynn (at Lions)Last week: 21/36, 218 yards, 1 TD The quarterback with nine lives appears to be in the best possible situation. Green Bay has something that Seattle, Oakland, and Buffalo doesnt and it makes Flynn look like a serviceable NFL QB. Flynns play in relief of Scott Tolzien against Minnesota warrants another start, unless of course Aaron Rodgers returns from injury. And do you remember the last time Flynn played Detroit while wearing a Packers jersey? It earned him a lot of money. Green Bay – and desperate fantasy owners – can only hope for a similar outcome this Thursday. TE Rob Housler (at Eagles)Last week: 4 catches, 51 yards Housler has flown under the radar all season and while that was certainly justified the first few weeks of the season, for desperate fantasy owners, hes been at least worth a look ever since. Housler scores very few touchdowns so hell never be mistaken as a TE1, but hes steady in averaging 50+ receiving yards per game of late. Arizona has been hot as of late and while thats unlikely to last too much longer, Housler is a viable injury replacement during their run. ' ' '