While we Packer fans celebrated the NFL draft this past weekend, I celebrated the life of my aunt Pat—my godmother—who lost her life, like so many others, to cancer.  She was just 56, and the first of seven children to pass away.  My grandmother—my only living grandparent—was devastated to outlive one of her children.

I share this personal story not to garner your sympathy, but to honor the spirit of Packer fans everywhere.  You see, I firmly believe that because of the Packers organization, my aunt not only lived longer, but died happier.

My aunt Pat, who never married or had children, was diagnosed with cancer of the lymph nodes on April 23, 2007.  She would die exactly one year later, on April 23, 2008, after an extensive battle with chemotherapy and a deadly disease which spread and eventually infected all of her major organs.  I realize that I am not the only Packer Rat who has lost a loved one to this tragic, deadly disease.  But my aunt’s death made me appreciate being a Packer fan like never before.

Will the Packers be on Guard in ’08?
The offensive line was a positive for the Green Bay Packers last season, but there are two questionable spots at offensive guard. This article will examine the line, specifically the two offensive guard positions. I’ll grade the individual players and give some analysis of their play, and hopefully, we can get an idea as to what the future holds for the Packer guards.

With two talented nine-year veterans manning the tackle positions in Mark Tauscher and Chad Clifton, the Green Bay Packers are well served at the outside line positions. Capable center Scott Wells is not an All-Pro candidate, but he is experienced and gets the job done. The Packer guard positions are another story. Young and inconsistent are the two adjectives that best describe them  

In an otherwise stable starting lineup, the guard position was by far the most unsettled for the Packers in 2007. Due to both injuries and performance issues, the Packers used five different starting guard combinations in the regular season. The coaches seem content to let their young guards (Daryn Colledge, Jason Spitz, Junius Coston and Allen Barbre) battle it out in training camp and then start the best two. Though many league observers thought the Pack would add one veteran free agent guard, that hasn’t come close to happening. Many believe that the Brett Favre’s retirement means the Packers need greatly improved play at the guard spots.