FanHouse ColinCole

Entering free agency, the Green Bay Packers were in a pretty good position. Yes, they had holes to fill, but they had plenty of salary cap room, and they only had a couple of guys who were becoming unrestricted free agents that they really wanted to keep.

One of them was defensive lineman Colin Cole. While Cole had the best year of his career in 2008, he wasn't seen as a big-play guy. That's fine, because with Green Bay moving to the 3-4 defense, the role of linemen becomes more gap-control and less about getting up the field. Cole fits that mold well.

The Green Bay Packers' transition to a 3-4 defense is not likely to be complete in 2009. There are some personnel shifts that have to take place, and the change is an adjustment for most of the players who will return.

Sure, the Packers will play a base 3-4, but that won't be the only thing they do defensively. Head coach Mike McCarthy and general manager Ted Thompson discussed the team's plans over the weekend at the NFL combine, this time offering more depth and detail than they have in the past.