There's been no reports of the Packers sending out tenders to their restricted free agents (RFAs) in advance of Thursday's deadline. The tenders will likely become void with a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), but teams will be forced to do so anyway in the less likely event the CBA is extended or the current rules stay the same. Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette provides a refresher. "Players can be tendered at four different levels with increasing salaries," writes Dougherty. "The first level allows the team to match any offer the player receives upon signing with another team or receive as compensation a draft pick in the round the player was selected; the next level bumps the compensation to a second-round pick; the level after that a first-round pick and the highest level first- and third-round picks." The Packers have 11 players who would be RFAs under current rules. They will most likely tender all of them they would want to retain.

Atari Bigby may not be part of the group that is tendered, however, as Max Ginsberg of Purple Pants, Green Jersey noticed. "On the topic of defensive backs, McCarthy has said he wants to re-sign Charlie Peprah and Anthony Smith and also touted the younger players on the roster, Morgan Burnett and Anthony Levine," writes Ginsberg. "However, when asked about Atari Bigby, McCarthy said that would come down to a 'business decision.'" That being said, with the expectation that Bigby would become an unrestricted free agent under a new CBA, the Packers could easily offer him a tender and then see it become void anyway.

Head coach Mike McCarthy addressed the issue of integrating tight end Jermichael Finley back into the offense when he comes back from injury next season in a discussion with Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "Hey, all we've got to do is point to the trophy if anybody ever brings up an issue of getting the football," McCarthy said. "We'll just point to that trophy out in the hallway." Not everyone will be happy, but they're going to have to live with it.

While the rest of the NFL is dealing with the possibility that the draft may become before free agency, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com says its business as usual for the Packers. "The methods of all Super Bowl champions are scrutinized and often copied the following offseason," writes Seifert. "But this year, the Packers' competitors aren't likely to have a choice. The impending lockout will wipe out free agency, at least for now. Although the market will eventually open when a collective bargaining agreement is reached, it's quite possible the timing will be reversed." Maybe that will force teams to become more like the Packers in terms of player procurement and development.

The NFL and the players' union continued mediated negotiations yesterday, although there was bigger news on the labor front. "In a ruling Tuesday that could have a significant bearing on the talks, U.S. District Court judge David Doty in Minneapolis sided with the union by overruling a special master’s Feb. 1 decision to reject the NFLPA’s request that $4 billion in 2011 payments from networks to the league be placed in escrow if there is a lockout," reports the Associated Press.

The value of defensive end Cullen Jenkins in free agency is pointed out by Brandon Benson of Acme Packing Company. "While Pro Football Focus only has Green Bay Packers DE Cullen Jenkins ranked as the No. 5 defensive tackle/3-4 defense end available in free agency, they do point out his 46 QB disruptions. That ranked him 2nd overall for 3-4 defensive ends, and I'm sure it's one of the better numbers among 4-3 defensive tackles. They knock him down because he's battled injuries over the past three seasons, and he's not an elite run stopper. But his pass rushing isn't in question, and that's why I expect he'll be seeing a big payday." Meanwhile, the Sporting News names Jenkins the top defensive end in this year's free agent class. Interesting to see the difference between PFF and the SN. I tend to agree with the Sporting News.

Donald Driver will be a featured reader National Education Association event at the Library of Congress today. "The NEA's Read Across America Day Kickoff Event features celebrity readers, including Driver, who will read in front of hundreds of school children and encourage students across the country to read more," writes Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel. "The event is held in conjunction with Dr. Seuss' birthday."

Offensive linemen Josh Sitton and Daryn Colledge are evaluated over at AllGreenBayPackers.com.

The draft class of inside linebackers are given some attention over at Acme Packing Company.