Seven losses by four points or fewer. Nailbiter after nailbiter – all Green Bay losses. Oh, and there was something else going on, too. Aaron Rodgers was trying to replace Brett Favre. As you might recall, things got a little tense in Titletown.

That summer, Wisconsin native Phil Hanrahan moved from L.A. to Green Bay to cover the story of the new guy trying to replace the legend. He was there for the nailbiters, the Favre furor, the promise Rodgers showed, the mass firings at season’s end. He wrote LIFE AFTER FAVRE about that season, wrote about Super Bowl 45 in a new afterword a couple years later, and this year, to augment a new digital edition, penned an update and added additional photos.

How does that wild season look now as we head toward Rodgers’ sixth season as starter? What was it like to see Jordy Nelson, a rookie in ‘08, followed so closely in the book, excel the way he has? The book documents the passion of Packer Nation – has the author kept up with the fans he profiles? Brett Favre and the Packers – when should the connection be restored? And is it true that the book wouldn’t even exist if not for the future cofounders of Zola Books? (Yup. Back in ‘08, they were the author’s literary agents and said, “Write the Packers book.”)

All of this and more is exposed in the new book Life After Favre. Go deep in-depth with the 2008 Packers and learn the truth behind every press clipping and television story. Grab it now over at Zola Books.

There is no words on if his NFL career will resume.  I am assuming it will at some point, but not with the Packers as they have drafted several defensive tackles to take his place.

Jolly applied for reinstatement with the NFL in 2011.  He will serve probation for the next 10 years.

With that said, the free agency class is not much better.  The headliners in the class will be the Chiefs’ Kyle Orton, the Raiders’ Jason Campbell and the Packers’ backup QB Matt Flynn.

The problem in getting Flynn is that the Pack may actually use the franchise tag on him.  That would force anyone who wants the former LSU Tiger to have to trade for him and pay an average of the top 5 quarterbacks base salaries in 2012.

The risk for the Packers is that no other team would want to send a first-round pick (and maybe more) to Green Bay for Flynn and also sign Flynn to a long-term deal with that one-year, $14.5 million guaranteed salary as the starting point for negotiations.  After all, Flynn has started only two career games; it’s impossible to rule out the possibility that Mike McCarthy has opened an Andy Reid-style quarterback factory in Green Bay, with guys like Flynn playing far better for the Packers than they would perform anywhere else.

If, in the end, no one is willing to trade for Flynn, the Packers would be stuck with a backup quarterback with an eight-figure cap number, who would be making $6.5 million more in base salary than the eventual 2011 NFL MVP.

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Obviously the price for such an unproven commodity is far too high if you are in need.  Jason Campbell looks far and away the much safer option, and will have his fair share of suitors this offseason.

On defense, veteran Charles Woodson led the way along with draft picks Clay Matthews and B.J. Raji. The emergence of young corners Tramon Williams and Sam Shields was also a very nice surprise for the defense as well.

The Packers work the draft exactly as it is intended to work. They simply draft young talent, develop it, and solidify their weaknesses through their ability to find talented players each and every year. It shows you that missing on draft picks (looking at you Josh McDaniels) will cost you a Lombardi, or two, or three.

packattack2011 put together this thoughts on what the Packers will do in the 2012 NFL Draft.

Check out the mock below: