The Green Bay Packers will start training camp in just over a week and that's when the real fun begins.  The team is back together, working towards the common goal of winning another championship.  Rookies and veterans are together with the pads on and separating the men from the boys.  And let's be honest, our Twitter timelines will have us distracted all day long, and we love it.

This offseason has seemed especially long for this fan.  The loss to Seattle in "the game that shall not be mentioned" has had me thinking about the next chance the team that should have represented the NFC in the last Super Bowl will start their quest to be in the next.  Bovada in Las Vegas thinks I should be anxious.  They've given the Packers the best odds of any team in the NFL to win Super Bowl 50.  That's nice to think about, but it doesn't matter in mid-July.  But in just a few day, it's officially late July and we get a daily dose of what the 2015 Packers are becoming.

So I thought I'd share a few random thoughts about this team as we head towards what really counts.  We've all been writing about anything we could for the past few months, since the draft and with very little team activities going on.  (Thank goodness for Brett Favre, right?  Just a little something special to break up the monotony and a huge fence mended.  But that's another topic.)  So here go a few things running through my mind in looking ahead to this year's Packers.

Offseason drama.  Man, have the Packers had their share.  It's been years since Green Bay had this many players or former players on the bad radar.  All within a few days of each other, Datone Jones gets suspended and Andrew Quarless is cited for firing a gun in public after a dispute with several women in a car.  And we're still awaiting the NFL's decision on how to handle the issues Letroy Guion faced earlier this winter when he was found with a lot of marijuana and a handgun.  Regardless of the circumstances, Guion is going to miss some games.  Quarless may miss more than we think.  After the Ray Rice incident last year, Q could be looking at six to eight games off.  That would put a huge wrench in the Packers' depth at tight end.  And I only say that because this is a Packers football fan site.  I don't condone Qurarless's behavior and I can think of few dumber things that a Packers player has done to get himself in trouble.  Even former defensive back Jarrett Bush was busted for using performing enhancing drugs and received a four-game suspension.  To clarify, his suspension was not related to Bush being cited for public intoxication earlier this offseason.  This was a confirmed by ESPN's Rob Demovsky as the result of a positive test for PED's.  The door that was still open for Bush to return at least closed a little bit after this ruling came down.  The Packers will be without all three of their current contracted players for at least week one against the Chicago Bears.  Thank God for Jay Cutler.

Free agency.  The Packers are again on the rumor train and reportedly taking a look at veteran free agent wide receiver Reggie Wayne.  Wayne had been a lifelong Indianapolis Colt up until his release and will surely find a team that will bring him in this season.  His numbers speak for them self and he'll likely get consideration for the Hall of Fame when he's done playing.  He's been a very good receiver and would also be a great addition to any locker room.  The problem is, he's aging and not what he once was.  With the Packers' current crop of receivers, Wayne is the fourth-best option at most.  Is he willing to play that role?  I say it doesn't matter, because the Packers are only signing him if one of the other three guys gets hurt.  That means the loss of Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb or Davante Adams and if that happens, Wayne won't be nearly as comforting as he would along with all of those three.  This is a classic "Ted Thompson kicks the tires" situation.  He did it with Michael Vick in 2009 and Wes Welker last year.  It's all about due diligence and being prepared. 

The linebacker situation.  We know Clay Matthews is coming back inside for a portion of the snaps this season.  Sam Barrington is the other inside guy and promising rookie Jake Ryan is set to learn his craft and hopefully get Clay back outside where he most belongs.  I've said it before, asking a fourth-rounder to step in and be an impact player at a key position is asking a lot.  Ryan has the tools, but there's a lot to making it in the NFL and we just haven't seen enough of the former Michigan captain to rest assured that he will.  On the outside, Mike Neal is back and while he's stayed healthy despite no one believing he could back in 2012, he's average at best.  Julius Peppers will morph between outside linebacker and defensive end and based on his career history, should provide a boost to this defense.  He better.  The Packers didn't change a single dollar of his deal and he'll make $9 million this season.  Nick Perry has been the topic of much conversation.  The Packers didn't pick up his fifth-year option and are using 2015 as a "prove it' season for Perry.  I agree with the decision.  Unfortunately, Perry hasn't been able to put together a full season with no injuries and that alone should have the team concerned.  He's a former first-round pick at a position that the Packers needed first-round type of play and production.  They haven't seen anything close to it from Perry.  He's been good in spots and has flashed play-making potential at times, but the ROI is still lower than it needs to be.  Perry has one of the biggest jumps to make this season if he's going to stay in Green Bay.  If he can somehow stay healthy and produce right away, he could become the man opposite Matthews or Peppers and be who the Packers thought he was when they drafted him three years ago.  Better late than never.

Special teams.  The Packers seem to have added some young players more for what they could bring to special teams than on offense or defense.  Third-round receiver Ty Montgomery has been all the rage as a kick returner and a possible emergence at receiver.  Fullback Aaron Ripkowski will take over for John Kuhn, if he can make the roster, but for now, he's a special teamer.  Head coach Mike McCarthy loves tight ends and fullbacks on his special teams units.  Hopefully this new recipe works.  The Packers were awful on special units last year and that equates to bad field position and tough spots for your offense and defense to be in.  Aaron Rodgers can't make up for every short fall, can he?  Punter Tim Masthay had a down year in 2014, but let's also remember there were a few games when his butt never left the bench.  When you have one of the best offenses in the league, that will be a good problem to have at times.  I think Masthay comes back strong in 2015, a la Mason Crosby in 2013.  Crosby needs to just stay himself from last season and the Packers should be fine.  New coordinator Ron Zook will hopefully inject some new life into the special teams groups and if not, McCarthy will be lurking now that he isn't calling plays on game day.

Rookies.  The Packers are going to be counting on some of these first-year players this year.  With the departure of two regular cornerbacks, rookies Damarious Randall and Quinten Rollins need to be ready to go sooner than later.  From the offseason mini camp reports, both are progressing well.  Rollins seems to have a leg up, as Randall was hurt and missed some time.  Casey Hayward is penciled in as a starter outside and opposite Sam Shields, but Hayward's injury past and lack of time on the outside leave the door open for one of these rooks to snag a starting spot if they can impress.  We talked about Ripkowski and special teams.  Montgomery will get first and foremost crack at kick returner.  Ryan should see some time eventually, although he won't be rushed.  Because of a potential shortage at tight end, Kennard Backman may end up on the field sooner than the team expected.  Quarterback Brett Hundley won't be much of a factor in 2015.  At least let's hope not.  

That pretty much sums up the hot topics heading into camp.  In one week's time, we'll have some actual football and progress reports to share on these areas.  We've waited a long time for this and now we're just one week away.  Let the games begin!