If Matt Flynn is in another uniform next season, what kind of compensation can the Packers get for him?

The 2012 draft is a good one for quarterbacks. But if Flynn reaches free agency, someone will pay him huge money to be their starter and the Packers will receive only a 2013 compensatory pick, which can't be higher than a third-round selection.

Green Bay could place the franchise tag on Flynn, a move that would pay him $14 million in 2012. That could be tricky, though, with Aaron Rodgers slated to make $8 million in 2012.

If Green Bay tagged Flynn, they'd only be doing so to eventually trade him. Back in 2008, the Packers placed the franchise tag on defensive tackle Corey Williams, then traded him to Cleveland 10 days later for a second-round draft choice.

There's also some precedent for teams tagging one quarterback when they already have a superstar at the position.

In 2009, the New England Patriots placed the franchise tag on Matt Cassel even though they had Tom Brady. The Patriots eventually traded Cassel to Kansas City for the 34th-overall pick in the 2009 draft.

Lions receiver Calvin Johnson and Vikings defensive end Jared Allen were the leading vote getters for The Associated Press 2011 NFL All-Pro Team, each falling one vote short of being unanimous choices.

Aaron Rodgers was the quarterback for the first time, easily beating New Orleans’ Drew Brees, 47½ to 2½. Rodgers led Green Bay to a league-best 15-1 record, maintaining the brilliance he showed in taking the Packers to the Super Bowl title last February.

In the All-Pro backfield joining Rodgers, whose quarterback rating of 122.5 broke Peyton Manning’s single-season mark, were Maurice Jones-Drew of Jacksonville, LeSean McCoy of Philadelphia, and fullback Vonta Leach of Baltimore.

Record-setter Rob Gronkowski was the tight end. The Patriot set the single-season mark at his position with 1,327 yards receiving. Teammate Wes Welker (league-high 122 catches) was the other receiver.

The Green Bay Packers might have not just one indispensable player on their talent-heavy offense, but two.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers indisputably is the first. Adding Greg Jennings to that list now looks plausible, or at least only a slight exaggeration.

One game doesn't tell all, but the Packers' performance at Kansas City on Sunday suggests they'd have a much, much tougher time and perhaps even be a home underdog if they didn't have Jennings in an NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers or New Orleans Saints.

Fortunately for them, they expect their best receiver back by the playoffs. But it's further evidence of just how important an individual or two can be to a given team.

Two players who might be the main beneficiaries of the attention Greg Jennings usually gets from Aaron Rodgers are Jermichael Finley and Randall Cobb. Finley can line up as a receiver - and often does - and it's likely McCarthy will run a few more plays in which Finley is the primary receiver.

Cobb has the best slot receiver skills among the group that will play Sunday and may earn a good portion of the opportunities Jennings usually gets to occupy the middle of the field. Cobb has been getting more and more snaps and this might be the closest he comes to being a starter this year.

This is just speculation from a beat writer, but it does seem logical that Finley would be the de facto WR1 for the Packers with Jennings sidelined. Jordy Nelson would remain in the WR2 role, so the question is who will see WR3 targets from Rodgers on Sunday -- Jones, Cobb or Driver? It depends largely on what the Chiefs do defensively, but we have to believe that this was the reason the Packers re-signed James Jones.

A career year and five fourth-quarter wins have put Eli Manning in the same category as Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady, and helped the New York Giants (6-2) take a two-game lead in the NFC East.

So why the breakthrough this year? Why is everything falling into place for the 30-year-old, who never seemed to get credit despite leading the Giants to a Super Bowl title in February 2008?

Offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride says if you take away Manning’s 25 interceptions last year his statistics are about the same.

Talk to his receivers, and they see a steady hand at the controls, the same guy who sits them down Fridays for Eli’s players’ only briefing.

“His confidence is through the roof now,” receiver Michael Clayton said. “He’s really making some phenomenal checks at the line of scrimmage, not only passing but running the ball. I’ve played with a lot of quarterbacks in my career, more than 11, and he by far, how he reads coverages is the best of anybody I’ve seen. Our success is on his shoulders. He’s up there. He is a special quarterback, a guy you can count on to put you in the best position to win.”

The Minnesota Vikings updated their injury report Saturday to confirm that cornerback Chris Cook will not play against the Packers Sunday.

Cook isn’t hurt; he’s currently behind bars following a domestic assault charge.

It’s not the Vikings really had an option here. Cook is currently being held in jail without bail, and it’s expected that he will remain there until Monday morning.

Cook risks eventual punishment from the league on the issue, especially since he has a prior arrest for a gun charge. He was eventually acquitted for that charge.

As if Aaron Rodgers needed another boost in value. If you are playing against Rodgers in your league, you are going to need to score a lot of points to win.

Tight end Jermichael Finley had a little more bounce to his step Wednesday after having a discussion with coach Mike McCarthy.

Finley, the Green Bay Packers' budding star, was frustrated after the Denver game Sunday that he was double-teamed a lot and had only three catches for 28 yards. He said he was happy the team rolled up 500 yards of offense, but reiterated that it is important quarterback Aaron Rodgers gets the ball in his playmakers' hands.

Finley said he felt better about things after speaking with McCarthy.

"He just told me to keep running my routes hard, that the ball was going to come my way," Finley said. "It's going to come."

After catching three touchdown passes against Chicago, it's understandable that Finley's expectations were high. But part of being so good at what he does means he'll have to accept that teams are going to try to take him out of the game.

McCarthy can do more to get Finley open, but given how dynamic the offense is, it's not absolutely necessary.

"Some games, teams are going to try to take away Jermichael and other guys are going to get involved," Rodgers said. "Some days, it's going to be like Chicago where he's going to get more opportunities and he'll make (the best of) those opportunities."

There's a saying -- the squeaky wheel gets the grease -- so we don't mind it when fantasy studs like Finley grumble about their targets.

Kevin Kolb doesn't take criticism about his play too seriously.

“I have been around long enough to know that everybody has doubts,” Kolb said after practice on Wednesday. “It’s the same thing if we were going the other way. If we were 4-0, we’d be going to the Super Bowl, which isn’t the truth, either. Good or bad, I’ve learned to not listen to it and have faith in my own ability and what we have as a team.”

Kolb and Whisenhunt often have referenced the career of Aaron Rodgers, who had a 6-10 record in his first season as starting quarterback in Green Bay.

“Once again, I’m not comparing, but I remember the first year that Aaron stepped in, it was a little bit uneven as well,” Whisenhunt said. “I remember that there was a lot of talk at that time and that was a number of years ago, and now he’s at the top of the league as far as quarterbacks go.”

Everybody, it seems, from Denver Broncos head coach John Fox to defensive coordinator Dennis Allen to one Aaron Rodgers​ wants to see Elvis Dumervil​ back in Denver's lineup Sunday.

Aaron Rodgers? Yes, the Green Bay Packers​' alpha quarterback almost seemed happy this week at the prospect of the Broncos getting their injured Pro Bowl pass rusher back on defense in Lambeau Field.

"Elvis is a difference-maker," Rodgers said. "And he's fun to watch. As a fan, it's exciting to watch him coming off the edge and wreaking havoc."

Dumervil, who played only in spot duty in the season opener and missed the last two games because of a left shoulder injury, will give the Broncos some much-needed defensive flexibility against a high-powered Packers offense.

The Broncos also are expected to have linebacker D.J. Williams, who missed the first three games of the season with a dislocated elbow he suffered in the preseason.

Cornerback Champ Bailey, who has missed the last two games with a hamstring injury, was still a question mark after Friday's practice, but the Broncos hope he will be available for at least some situational work.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is curious how all the pieces will come together this year. After completing 79% of his passes with a 130.1 passer rating during the preseason, he has reason to be confident.

"Greg (Jennings) had a bigger role last year when [TE Jermichael Finley] went out," Rodgers said. "Greg started a little bit slow and ended up exploding with a 1,300-yard season, a Pro Bowl season. So he's a guy we want to step up and take a lead role. With J-Mike back, it will be interesting to see how defenses play us.

"If they try to double him or double Greg and play some sort of special coverage to take one of those two guys away, then Jordy (Nelson), James, Donald (Driver) and Randall need to win one-on-one battles."

This could be a bit of bad news for Jennings owners if they were expecting a season similar to last year. With Finley back and poised for a monster season, Jennings' success will be based on how defenses decide to handle the Packers attack. We still rank Jennings in our top-10 among WRs, coming in at 9th, but it's something to keep in mind if you haven't drafted yet.