The draft is over, free agency has slowed to crawl and the offseason workouts have concluded, which means the Green Bay Packers pretty much know what they will have when training camp begins a month from now.

So what does third-year coach Mike McCarthy think of his Brett Favre-less roster?

"This is the best it's looked since I've been here as far as the names and the talent and the type of people on the board," McCarthy said. "I'm very happy with the depth of it. I think when the time comes to get to 53, there's going to be some tough cuts that we have to make. ... We have a lot to work with."

It's hard to argue with McCarthy on that one.

Though they surprised many people in 2007, the Packers were no fluke.

They went 13-3 in the regular season and reached the NFC Championship Game due to a solid and deep, though not particularly star-studded, roster.

Except for Favre, who retired after 16 seasons at quarterback, the personnel losses were minimal.

Of the 22 players who started against the New York Giants in the NFC title game, only Favre and defensive tackle Corey Williams are gone. Of the 45 who suited up that cold day, 40 are back. And of the 65 who ended the season on the roster or injured reserve, 54 are still around.

Besides Favre and Williams, the most significant losses were long-snapper Rob Davis, No. 2 tight end Bubba Franks, No. 3 quarterback Craig Nall and No. 4 wide receiver Koren Robinson.

That's not exactly a long offseason to-do list for general manager Ted Thompson.

Despite eschewing free agency for the second consecutive year — only second-tier linebacker Brandon Chillar was signed — Thompson added another draft class that was short on big names but long on decent players.

Six of the nine draftees — wide receiver Jordy Nelson, quarterback Brian Brohm, cornerback Pat Lee, tight end Jermichael Finley, defensive end Jeremy Thompson and guard Josh Sitton — look like they could be future starters.

A seventh, offensive tackle Breno Giacomini, is an interesting project.

Factor in the return of injured players such as defensive tackles Johnny Jolly and Colin Cole, tight end Tory Humphrey and guard Junius Coston, plus the expected improvement from key members of the 2007 draft class such as defensive tackle Justin Harrell, running back Brandon Jackson and guard Allen Barbre and, depending on your confidence in Aaron Rodgers' ability to replace Favre, it's hard to find many holes in the roster.

There are, however, at least two shortcomings the Packers will need to address between now and the start of the season.

The first is backup quarterback.

With only Rodgers, who has never started a game, and rookies Brohm and Matt Flynn on the team, it would be incredibly risky to enter the season without an experienced backup quarterback.

Brohm is advanced for a rookie and McCarthy has praised Flynn's progress, but Rodgers has a history of injury and you would hate to see a team that is strong everywhere else flounder because it doesn't have a quarterback capable of coming off the bench and winning games.

The Packers have acknowledged their concern by checking out available veterans, even making a half-hearted play for Daunte Culpepper.

More likely, a quarterback or two will shake out when training camps begin. If, say, a Chris Simms does become available, the Packers should be ready to pounce.

The second area of need is defensive line. The loss of Williams, Green Bay's best interior pass rusher, and the iffy status of end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, who is battling knee problems, could leave the Packers short up front.

The Packers have acknowledged this by inquiring about Pro Bowl end Jason Taylor, who is at odds with the new regime in Miami. The problem is, Taylor has uncommon control over where he goes and it's much more likely he'll force a trade to a team like Dallas or San Diego than Green Bay.

If everyone on the banged-up defensive line comes back healthy, the Packers could be OK there. But Thompson likes to stockpile players up front and at this point it appears the Packers are one pass-rusher short.

The Packers' roster isn't perfect, by any means. There are legitimate questions about the quality at quarterback, guard and safety.

However, McCarthy has called the talent "the best that it has looked since I've been here," which means it would be a crying shame if one or two neglected positions kept the Packers from reaching their potential.

Contact Tom Oates at toates@madison.com or 608-252-6172.