We knew that Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson added veteran running back Kahlil Bell to The 53 almost 24 hours ago thanks to Twitter. At 5'11 and 216 lbs, Bell is a versatile running back that amassed 148 carries for 633 rushing yards and 22 receptions for 150 receiving yards over four seasons in the NFL mostly for the Chicago Bears. For those that don't remember, Bell gashed the Packers for 159 total yards as a member of the Bears on Christmas Day 2011 thanks to 23 carries for 121 yards and four catches for 38 yards. Bell previously served as a kickoff returner for the New York Jets, which is a plus since rookie cornerback Micah Hyde's success returning punts has not translated to kickoff returns. Since news of Bell's addition to The 53 broke after NFL business hours, the question turned to what player was going to make way for Bell?
Starting center Even Dietrich-Smith injured his knee on Thanksgiving against the Lions so with only four games left in the season there was a chance the Packers would put EDS on injured reserve. Apparently EDS might be healthy enough to practice this week so that meant that the Packers were going to have to cut a healthy player to add Bell to The 53. The strongest candidates to get cut from The 53 were the following pick-six (in alphabetical order):
- Victor Aiyewa (LB): the most recent addition to The 53 made his roster spot tenuous.
- Chris Harper (WR): a healthy scratch the last five games.
- Jeron McMillian (S): can't get on the field lately despite serious needs at safety.
- Marshall Newhouse (OT): arguably the worst offensive player currently on The 53.
- Nate Palmer (LB): healthy scratch the last two weeks.
- Jake Stoneburner (TE): rookie undrafted free agent that has seen
very little of the field on offense or special teams despite all the injuries the Packers suffered at tight end this season.
As it turns out, McMillian made way for Bell. When Thompson used a 4th round draft pick to draft McMillian, some scouts thought McMillian would have a hard time adjusting to the NFL since he played college football at Maine against second-tier NCAA players. After watching McMillian as a rookie, I actually thought he could be Atari Bigby 2.0 given how physical he played as a rookie.
Thanks to a productive rookie campaign, McMillian entered training camp this season as the starter opposite Morgan Burnett at safety but struggled throughout training camp. Despite McMillian's struggles, he actually started the first two games this season due mostly to lack of better options since Burnett was injured. After playing 184 snaps on defense in the first five games this season, McMillian played just seven defensive snaps in the last seven games. Thus the longer McMillian was on The 53 during his sophomore season, the less he saw the field. Even worse, McMillian was only a part-time player on special teams so that was probably the biggest indicator that McMillian's roster spot was tenuous. Ultimately McMillian played 28 games for the Packers including the aforementioned two starts by default. As it turns out I was wrong about McMillian's upside because he is more of a homeless man's Bigby than Bigby 2.0.
With the change to The 53 out of the way, let's turn to the most notable thing we learned from Packer head coach Mike McCarthy's press conference earlier today. McCarthy revealed that
quarterback Aaron Rodgers is still not cleared to play but did not rule him out for Sunday when the Packers host the underwhelming Atlanta Falcons. Hopefully the Packers will have Rodgers under center against the Falcons because without his services they've gone 0-4-1 since Rodgers suffered a broken collarbone against the Bears. Given that the Packers trail the Detroit Lions by 1.5 games for first place in the NFC North with four games to play, the Packers face a do or die stretch to finish the season.
Showing posts with label Atari Bigby. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Atari Bigby. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Thursday, August 16, 2012
20120 Preseason Week 2 - Packers/Browns Review
Well if the 2012 Green Bay Packers' wanted to lower expectations,
they've done just that in their first two preseason games. After struggling last week against the Chargers on the road, the
Packers looked equally horrible this week against the Browns. Here are a
few of my quick thoughts on the Week 2 Packers/Browns preseason game:
#1) Player that hurt his stock most: Well we now officially know that Graham Harrell will not be Matt Flynn 2.0 in 2012. I am not as worried about the two interceptions because one was a Hail Mary at the end of the half and the other one was a pick-six that happened because tight end Ryan Taylor slipped. I am more worried about the fact that Harrell looked off on almost all of his throws. The Packers are going to say all the right things but it is crystal clear that if Rodgers is hurt for an extended period of time this season, the Packers might not even be a playoff team. Cleveland Browns' backup quarterback Colt McCoy lead a nice scoring drive that was capped off with a Brandon Jackson (yes, another former Packers that got way overpaid thanks to Super Bowl XLV) touchdown run. I am not sure what else McCoy has to do to prove he is a better option than Harrell, I hope the Packers trade a late round pick for McCoy just so that I can stop advocating for what feels like the no-brainer-trade of the year.
#2) Player that helped his stock most: Rookie safety Jerron McMillian made some impressive plays close to the line of scrimmage. The Packers haven't had a thumper at safety since Atari Bigby filled that role for a few seasons before becoming the walking wounded thanks, in part, to his physical play. If McMillian can continue to play like he did against the Packers he will be on the third safety behind Charles Woodson and Morgan Burnett, which means he will will be on the field for almost all the defensive snaps in 2012 since Woodson will be playing hybrid cornerback/safety.
#3) Position to watch: All of a sudden the running back position got very interesting after general manager Ted Thompson signed Cedric Benson. Going into the preseason it looked like a foregone conclusion that James Starks would be the starting running back at the start of the regular season because the only other running backs with NFL experience were rookies in 2011 with significant question marks: Alex Green (coming off an ACL injury) and Brandon Saine (undrafted free agent that wasn't an every down back even in college at Ohio State). Starks looks like he will be out the rest of the preseason so he will not be in game shape at the start of the regular season. Thus unless Benson looks horrible in the next two preseason games he will be the starting running back at the start of the regular season.
Final Note: Papa Cheese and Mama Cheese took my godson (and cousin) Will and cousin Elly to their first Packer game at Lambeau Field. Since this has been a fairly dour post so far, I thought I would include what Will texted after his first Lambeau Field experience: "Packers games are insane. I had such a great time. I cant wait to get to a regular season game." Indeed Will, we will be attending one together sometime soon because even factoring in my Cheesehead bias, there is really no better place to watch an NFL game than Lambeau Field.
#1) Player that hurt his stock most: Well we now officially know that Graham Harrell will not be Matt Flynn 2.0 in 2012. I am not as worried about the two interceptions because one was a Hail Mary at the end of the half and the other one was a pick-six that happened because tight end Ryan Taylor slipped. I am more worried about the fact that Harrell looked off on almost all of his throws. The Packers are going to say all the right things but it is crystal clear that if Rodgers is hurt for an extended period of time this season, the Packers might not even be a playoff team. Cleveland Browns' backup quarterback Colt McCoy lead a nice scoring drive that was capped off with a Brandon Jackson (yes, another former Packers that got way overpaid thanks to Super Bowl XLV) touchdown run. I am not sure what else McCoy has to do to prove he is a better option than Harrell, I hope the Packers trade a late round pick for McCoy just so that I can stop advocating for what feels like the no-brainer-trade of the year.
#2) Player that helped his stock most: Rookie safety Jerron McMillian made some impressive plays close to the line of scrimmage. The Packers haven't had a thumper at safety since Atari Bigby filled that role for a few seasons before becoming the walking wounded thanks, in part, to his physical play. If McMillian can continue to play like he did against the Packers he will be on the third safety behind Charles Woodson and Morgan Burnett, which means he will will be on the field for almost all the defensive snaps in 2012 since Woodson will be playing hybrid cornerback/safety.
#3) Position to watch: All of a sudden the running back position got very interesting after general manager Ted Thompson signed Cedric Benson. Going into the preseason it looked like a foregone conclusion that James Starks would be the starting running back at the start of the regular season because the only other running backs with NFL experience were rookies in 2011 with significant question marks: Alex Green (coming off an ACL injury) and Brandon Saine (undrafted free agent that wasn't an every down back even in college at Ohio State). Starks looks like he will be out the rest of the preseason so he will not be in game shape at the start of the regular season. Thus unless Benson looks horrible in the next two preseason games he will be the starting running back at the start of the regular season.
Final Note: Papa Cheese and Mama Cheese took my godson (and cousin) Will and cousin Elly to their first Packer game at Lambeau Field. Since this has been a fairly dour post so far, I thought I would include what Will texted after his first Lambeau Field experience: "Packers games are insane. I had such a great time. I cant wait to get to a regular season game." Indeed Will, we will be attending one together sometime soon because even factoring in my Cheesehead bias, there is really no better place to watch an NFL game than Lambeau Field.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Week 5 of 2010 - Packers/Redskins Review via Injuries
Sometimes teams are snake bitten by injuries from the beginning of the season, unfortunately that is what it looks like for the 2010 Green Bay Packers. Going into Week 5, it looked like the Packers' most glaring need was running back. The Packers not only lost in overtime on the road to the Washington Redskins in Week 5, but they suffered a number of injuries to key players leaving notoriously conservative Packers general manager Ted Thompson with a ton of holes to fill.
Instead of going over the Redskins loss blow-by-blow, I will do it in a much more painful way by slowly dissecting the major injuries the 2010 Green Bay Packers have suffered so far. Before the season I ranked the 2010 Green Bay Packers opening day roster 53 to 1 so I put my ranking before each players' name just to show impact of each injury.
Players already lost for the season:
#7) Ryan Grant (RB, ankle): Brandon Jackson, John Kuhn, Dimitri Nance, Korey Hall, and Quinn Johnson are not the answer at running back. Last week, I said the Packers should have acquired Marshawn Lynch. At this point the Packers have too many holes to worry about failing to acquire Lynch. The best that Packer fans can hope for is that rookie James Starks, a guy that has not played in a live football game for over two years, will hit the ground running when he comes off the physically unable to perform list after Week 6.
#23) Morgan Burnett (S, ACL): The health of Al Harris (CB) and Atari Bigby (S) when they come off the physically unable to perform list after Week 6 will determine who fills in for Burnett. If only Harris is healthy then Woodson will move to safety for 2010. If only Bigby is healthy then Woodson will stay at cornerback for 2010. If both Harris and Bigby return healthy then Ted Thompson (along with Packer nation) better thank their lucky stars because that alone will keep the Packers in the Super Bowl hunt.
#43) Derrick Martin (S, knee): The Packers signed Robert Francois off the practice squad, which means they only have two healthy safeties on the roster heading into their Week 6 game against the Miami Dolphins at home. See what I mean about running back not being the biggest hole to fill?
#46) Justin Harrell (DL, knee): Long time Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Packers columnist Bob McGinn wrote a great article on how horrible of a draft choice Harrell was, so let's move on because there is no way I can top McGinn.
Players most likely lost for the season:
#5) Jermichael Finley (TE, knee): This is the good news/bad news story of the day. On the second snap of the Packers/Redskins game Donald Lee fumbled at the end of a 17-yard reception. During the ensuing return Finley tore his meniscus. Originally it was believed that Finley would be out for 3 to 6 weeks because the injury would force Finley to have his meniscus removed. During surgery the doctors realized they could salvage Finley's meniscus, which means that Finley will be out for 8 to 10 weeks instead of 3 to 6 weeks. This does not help the 2010 Green Bay Packers much because Finley will most likely have to be placed on injured reserve. This does help the 2011 through 2020 Green Bay Packers though...see what I mean about good news/bad news? Even with Finley out, the Packers have 4 very dynamic wide receivers. Unfortunately the Redskins game showed that Finley might be the straw that stirs the receivers drink though.
#9) Nick Barnett (MLB, wrist): After getting multiple opinions, Barnett decided to have wrist surgery which means he is out for at least 8 weeks. With Brandon Chillar ailing, A.J. Hawk and Desmond Bishop hold the keys to the middle linebacker castle...yikes.
Players questionable to play this weekend against the Dolphins:
#1) Aaron Rodgers (QB, concussion): When did Rodgers actually suffer the concussion? The Packers contend it happened on Rodgers' last throw of the game, a back breaking overtime interception. Many people are questioning that theory though. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Packers beat writer (and soon to be Boston Globe lead NFL columnist) Greg A. Bedard put together some pretty interesting numbers that show Rodgers might have suffered a concussion early in the second quarter against the Redskins. It goes without saying that the 2010 Green Bay Packers' season hinges on whether Rodgers can return healthy. Even if it almost guarantees a loss, the Packers should consider sitting Rodgers this weekend against the Dolphins. Concussions are the hot button issue in the NFL and all the medical literature shows that violent hits close to the original concussion are what cause the long-term problems.
#4) Clay Matthews (OLB, hamstring): Despite having Charles Woodson (reigning NFL defensive player of the year), Matthews is the catalyst of the 2010 Green Bay Packers defense. Matthews tweaked his hamstring in the second half against the Redskins and the defense never looked the same. The bad news is that Matthews continues to tweak the same hamstring that kept him out of his first two NFL training camps. The good news is that Matthews' injury is not as severe as first feared. While it might be wise to sit Rodgers this week against the Dolphins, the Packers will need Matthews this weekend if they hope to have any chance to beat the Dolphins.
#8) Ryan Pickett (DL, ankle): Ankle injuries are never a good thing, especially for offensive and defensive lineman. Two things soften the Pickett injury. First, the Packers play a ton of nickel defense meaning only two defensive lineman need to be on the field. Second, the emergence of rookie defensive lineman Mike Neal means that the Packers have four legitimate NFL defensive lineman on the roster.
#17) Mark Tauscher (OT, shoulder): Much like Pickett's injury, the only thing that makes Tauscher's injury bearable is that the Packers have quality at that position. Last week against the Redskins rookie Bryan Bulaga filled in well at right tackle. I know it was only one game but the Packers now know they have their left or right offensive tackle of the future. Rest assured, Bulaga will see extensive playing time this year.
#30) Sam Shields (CB, calf): Although Shields missed the Redskins game because of injury, with how much the Packers play nickel, the Packers are going to rely heavily on Shields in 2010. Shields has all the tools to be a good NFL cornerback in 2013 but he needs to be a good NFL cornerback in 2010 unfortunately.
#40) Donald Lee (TE, chest): It can't be overlooked that Lee's fumble against the Redskins in Week 5 lead to Finley's injury. If that wasn't bad enough, Lee caught a touchdown pass and tried a FedEx Field Leap. That happened to be Lee's last play in Week 5, he missed the rest of the game with a chest injury. Initial reports are that Lee will be out a few weeks which means the injuries to Finley and Lee will allow Ted Thompson to try and justify his selection of Andrew Quarless (TE) at the end of the 2010 NFL Draft. Since Thompson selected Quarless, he cut Spencer Havner (a rare two-way player that played both tight end and outside linebacker). With versatile players at a premium on any roster, especially a roster ravaged by injuries, having a player that can play on offense, defense, and special teams would be amazing. Instead the only healthy tight ends on the current Packers roster are Quarless and second year player Tom Crabtree.
Final Thoughts:
All told that makes it 6 significant injuries to guys I had ranked in my preseason top 20, with 3 of those guys (1 for sure) most likely lost for the season. Yes, the 2010 Green Bay Packers could use an explosive running back. Unfortunately as you can see from all the horrible injury news above, the Packers have a ton of holes at a number of other positions that must be addressed as well.
If the 2010 NFL season is a football game, the 2010 Green Bay Packers just started the second quarter so the Packers will probably suffer even more injuries. Ted Thompson is a notoriously conservative general manager. As a result, I don't expect Thompson to make any bold moves. Since Thompson hates to trade draft picks, here is what I would do if I were Ted Thompson.
First, sign Adalius Thomas in place of Maurice Simpkins (MLB). The Packers desperately need an outside linebacker to play opposite Clay Matthews. Thomas played extensively in the 3-4 throughout his career so his knowledge alone wold be worth having on the roster.
Second, give Al Harris (in place of Jarrett Bush), Atari Bigby (in place of Robert Francois), and James Starks (in place of Quinn Johnson) every chance to be on the 53-man roster as soon as possible. All those guys should be fresh since they spent the last 6 weeks on the physically unable to perform list.
The season is not over, and the 2010 Green Bay Packers still have several key players on the field. For the Packers to meet their 2010 expectations, they will need several role players to take their game to the next level, and for Ted Thompson to acquire a handful of players to fill the holes left by the notorious injury snake.
Instead of going over the Redskins loss blow-by-blow, I will do it in a much more painful way by slowly dissecting the major injuries the 2010 Green Bay Packers have suffered so far. Before the season I ranked the 2010 Green Bay Packers opening day roster 53 to 1 so I put my ranking before each players' name just to show impact of each injury.
Players already lost for the season:
#7) Ryan Grant (RB, ankle): Brandon Jackson, John Kuhn, Dimitri Nance, Korey Hall, and Quinn Johnson are not the answer at running back. Last week, I said the Packers should have acquired Marshawn Lynch. At this point the Packers have too many holes to worry about failing to acquire Lynch. The best that Packer fans can hope for is that rookie James Starks, a guy that has not played in a live football game for over two years, will hit the ground running when he comes off the physically unable to perform list after Week 6.
#23) Morgan Burnett (S, ACL): The health of Al Harris (CB) and Atari Bigby (S) when they come off the physically unable to perform list after Week 6 will determine who fills in for Burnett. If only Harris is healthy then Woodson will move to safety for 2010. If only Bigby is healthy then Woodson will stay at cornerback for 2010. If both Harris and Bigby return healthy then Ted Thompson (along with Packer nation) better thank their lucky stars because that alone will keep the Packers in the Super Bowl hunt.
#43) Derrick Martin (S, knee): The Packers signed Robert Francois off the practice squad, which means they only have two healthy safeties on the roster heading into their Week 6 game against the Miami Dolphins at home. See what I mean about running back not being the biggest hole to fill?
#46) Justin Harrell (DL, knee): Long time Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Packers columnist Bob McGinn wrote a great article on how horrible of a draft choice Harrell was, so let's move on because there is no way I can top McGinn.
Players most likely lost for the season:
#5) Jermichael Finley (TE, knee): This is the good news/bad news story of the day. On the second snap of the Packers/Redskins game Donald Lee fumbled at the end of a 17-yard reception. During the ensuing return Finley tore his meniscus. Originally it was believed that Finley would be out for 3 to 6 weeks because the injury would force Finley to have his meniscus removed. During surgery the doctors realized they could salvage Finley's meniscus, which means that Finley will be out for 8 to 10 weeks instead of 3 to 6 weeks. This does not help the 2010 Green Bay Packers much because Finley will most likely have to be placed on injured reserve. This does help the 2011 through 2020 Green Bay Packers though...see what I mean about good news/bad news? Even with Finley out, the Packers have 4 very dynamic wide receivers. Unfortunately the Redskins game showed that Finley might be the straw that stirs the receivers drink though.
#9) Nick Barnett (MLB, wrist): After getting multiple opinions, Barnett decided to have wrist surgery which means he is out for at least 8 weeks. With Brandon Chillar ailing, A.J. Hawk and Desmond Bishop hold the keys to the middle linebacker castle...yikes.
Players questionable to play this weekend against the Dolphins:
#1) Aaron Rodgers (QB, concussion): When did Rodgers actually suffer the concussion? The Packers contend it happened on Rodgers' last throw of the game, a back breaking overtime interception. Many people are questioning that theory though. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Packers beat writer (and soon to be Boston Globe lead NFL columnist) Greg A. Bedard put together some pretty interesting numbers that show Rodgers might have suffered a concussion early in the second quarter against the Redskins. It goes without saying that the 2010 Green Bay Packers' season hinges on whether Rodgers can return healthy. Even if it almost guarantees a loss, the Packers should consider sitting Rodgers this weekend against the Dolphins. Concussions are the hot button issue in the NFL and all the medical literature shows that violent hits close to the original concussion are what cause the long-term problems.
#4) Clay Matthews (OLB, hamstring): Despite having Charles Woodson (reigning NFL defensive player of the year), Matthews is the catalyst of the 2010 Green Bay Packers defense. Matthews tweaked his hamstring in the second half against the Redskins and the defense never looked the same. The bad news is that Matthews continues to tweak the same hamstring that kept him out of his first two NFL training camps. The good news is that Matthews' injury is not as severe as first feared. While it might be wise to sit Rodgers this week against the Dolphins, the Packers will need Matthews this weekend if they hope to have any chance to beat the Dolphins.
#8) Ryan Pickett (DL, ankle): Ankle injuries are never a good thing, especially for offensive and defensive lineman. Two things soften the Pickett injury. First, the Packers play a ton of nickel defense meaning only two defensive lineman need to be on the field. Second, the emergence of rookie defensive lineman Mike Neal means that the Packers have four legitimate NFL defensive lineman on the roster.
#17) Mark Tauscher (OT, shoulder): Much like Pickett's injury, the only thing that makes Tauscher's injury bearable is that the Packers have quality at that position. Last week against the Redskins rookie Bryan Bulaga filled in well at right tackle. I know it was only one game but the Packers now know they have their left or right offensive tackle of the future. Rest assured, Bulaga will see extensive playing time this year.
#30) Sam Shields (CB, calf): Although Shields missed the Redskins game because of injury, with how much the Packers play nickel, the Packers are going to rely heavily on Shields in 2010. Shields has all the tools to be a good NFL cornerback in 2013 but he needs to be a good NFL cornerback in 2010 unfortunately.
#40) Donald Lee (TE, chest): It can't be overlooked that Lee's fumble against the Redskins in Week 5 lead to Finley's injury. If that wasn't bad enough, Lee caught a touchdown pass and tried a FedEx Field Leap. That happened to be Lee's last play in Week 5, he missed the rest of the game with a chest injury. Initial reports are that Lee will be out a few weeks which means the injuries to Finley and Lee will allow Ted Thompson to try and justify his selection of Andrew Quarless (TE) at the end of the 2010 NFL Draft. Since Thompson selected Quarless, he cut Spencer Havner (a rare two-way player that played both tight end and outside linebacker). With versatile players at a premium on any roster, especially a roster ravaged by injuries, having a player that can play on offense, defense, and special teams would be amazing. Instead the only healthy tight ends on the current Packers roster are Quarless and second year player Tom Crabtree.
Final Thoughts:
All told that makes it 6 significant injuries to guys I had ranked in my preseason top 20, with 3 of those guys (1 for sure) most likely lost for the season. Yes, the 2010 Green Bay Packers could use an explosive running back. Unfortunately as you can see from all the horrible injury news above, the Packers have a ton of holes at a number of other positions that must be addressed as well.
If the 2010 NFL season is a football game, the 2010 Green Bay Packers just started the second quarter so the Packers will probably suffer even more injuries. Ted Thompson is a notoriously conservative general manager. As a result, I don't expect Thompson to make any bold moves. Since Thompson hates to trade draft picks, here is what I would do if I were Ted Thompson.
First, sign Adalius Thomas in place of Maurice Simpkins (MLB). The Packers desperately need an outside linebacker to play opposite Clay Matthews. Thomas played extensively in the 3-4 throughout his career so his knowledge alone wold be worth having on the roster.
Second, give Al Harris (in place of Jarrett Bush), Atari Bigby (in place of Robert Francois), and James Starks (in place of Quinn Johnson) every chance to be on the 53-man roster as soon as possible. All those guys should be fresh since they spent the last 6 weeks on the physically unable to perform list.
The season is not over, and the 2010 Green Bay Packers still have several key players on the field. For the Packers to meet their 2010 expectations, they will need several role players to take their game to the next level, and for Ted Thompson to acquire a handful of players to fill the holes left by the notorious injury snake.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
2010 Green Bay Packers Restricted Free Agent Update
In the beginning of March I set the stage for the decisions facing Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson. A week later, Thompson signed Chad Clifton, Nick Collins, Ryan Pickett, and Mark Tauscher to multi-year contracts. A few weeks later I took a look at the 2010 Green Bay Packers roster before and after the 2010 NFL Draft. As usual, Thompson was not active in the free agent market so the next big date on the NFL off-season calendar for the Green Bay Packers was June 14, 2010 when Ted Thompson had some decisions to make about the Packers remaining restricted free agents.
According to Article XIX, Section (ii) of the CBA,* if the remaining restricted free agents did not sign their tenders by 11 p.m. on June 14, 2010, the Green Bay Packers had a 24 hour window where they could replace those tenders with one-year contracts worth 110% of their 2009 base salaries. That rule potentially could have impacted only three players (Tramon Williams, Johnny Jolly, and Atari Bigby) since the Packers already reached deals (Will Blackmon, Daryn Colledge, Nick Collins, Spencer Havner, John Kuhn, and Jason Spitz) or cut (Jeremy Kapinos and DeShawn Wynn) their other restricted free agents.
The financial ramifications varied for the three players that had not signed their tenders with the deadline looming:
- Tramon Williams' 2010 salary would have dropped from $3.043 (first and third round tender) to $584,078.
- Johnny Jolly's 2010 salary would have dropped from $2.521 million (first round tender) to $589,501.
- Atari Bigby's 2010 salary would have dropped from $1.759 million (second round tender) to $1.704 million.
The Packers had till 11 p.m. on June 15, 2010 to reduce their offer to 110% if Williams, Jolly, or Bigby did not sign their tender. The impacted players could only sign with the Packers and would have to sign the reduced tender by Week 10 or sit out the entire season. For Jolly and Bigby, they would have become unrestricted free agents after 2010 even if they never played another down for the Packers.
Ultimately Williams and Jolly signed their tenders but Bigby choose not to sign his tender. It is surprising that Williams and Jolly cut things so close.
Tramon Williams:
Although the Packers are thin at cornerback with Al Harris out injured, the Packers have been very fair with Williams in the past. In 2009 the Packers paid Williams roughly $900,000, including a $375,000 signing bonus, despite only having to pay Williams $460,000 according to the CBA since Williams was only entering his 3rd season in the NFL in 2009. Furthermore, the Packers placed the highest restricted free agent tender on Williams, meaning if another team wanted to sign Williams they would have to give the Packers their 1st and 3rd round draft picks in the 2010 NFL Draft for the right to sign Williams.
Williams only has 3 accrued seasons so if he decided to sit out 2010, he would still be a restricted free agent going into the 2011 NFL season. Williams needs to play in at least 6 games in order to accrue another season of NFL service and become an unrestricted free agent, assuming a new CBA is agreed upon with similar terms to the old CBA. Williams played well after Al Harris was lost for the season but some scouts still question whether he will ever be any better than a nickel cornerback.
Johnny Jolly:
With all of the legal trouble Jolly is facing, he should be ecstatic the Packers even tendered him a contract let alone a first round tender. Jolly is set to earn $2.521 million, although he can be released at any point before the season without costing the Packers a dime. If Jolly was not facing jail time, the Packers probably would have given Jolly a multi-year extension based on how well he played in the 3-4 last season.
Instead, Jolly is facing very serious legal allegations in Texas. The prosecutor claims that Jolly not only possessed a number of illegal substances, but according to court documents he also "bought, sold, funded, transported and aided in the buying, selling, funding and transportation of illegal narcotics including cocaine and marijuana". The Packers will wait and see how the trial plays out (which is schedule for the first day of training camp), before making any long-term decisions on Jolly.
Atari Bigby:
Atari Bigby has had a rash of injuries the last two season that forced him to miss 12 games. Even thought Bigby was limited by injury last year, he still had four interceptions. At 5'11" and 213 pounds, Bigby was a physically imposing safety early in his Packer career but that has tailed off over the last few seasons. It has been an eternity (November 11, 2007) since Bigby forced a fumble. All of that adds up to Bigby being a one way player in pass coverage that provides little in combating the run. Atari Bigby stands to lose out on roughly $54,000 if the Packer decide to reduce his tender but he is jeopardizing a mountain of future earnings by holding out.
In the 3rd round of the 2010 NFL Draft the Packers traded up to draft Morgan Burnett, a physical safety that played for Georgia Tech. Burnett has great size at 6'1" and 209 pounds, which allows him to not only drop into coverage but also come up to the line of scrimmage to play the run. Burnett was VERY productive in college, he had 14 interceptions and 235 tackles (8th in school history) in just three years at Georgia Tech. Although Bigby thinks he is sending a message to the Packers by holding out, he might just be opening the door for perfect safety to compliment Nick Collins. Collins wears #36 and Burnett wears #42...hopefully the new version of former #36 LeRoy Butler and former #42 Darren Sharper.
Footnotes:
* In the event that a Restricted Free Agent has not signed a Player Contract with a Club within the Signing Period in the League Year following the expiration of his last Player Contract, and if the Prior Club by June 1 tenders to the Restricted Free Agent a one year Player Contract of at least 110% of his Paragraph 5 Salary (with all other terms of his prior year contract carried forward unchanged) or extends the player’s Qualifying Offer, whichever is greater (the “June 1 Tender”), the Prior Club shall be the only Club with which the player may negotiate or sign a Player Contract during the period from June 1 until the Tuesday following the tenth week of the regular season, at 4:00 p.m. New York time. If the player’s Qualifying Offer is greater than 110% of the player’s Paragraph 5 Salary (with all other terms of his prior year contract carried forward unchanged), the Club may withdraw the Qualifying Offer on June 15 and retain its rights under the preceding sentence, so long as the Club immediately tenders the player a one year Player Contract of at least 110% of his Paragraph 5 Salary (with all other terms of his prior year contract carried forward unchanged) (the“June 15 Tender”).
According to Article XIX, Section (ii) of the CBA,* if the remaining restricted free agents did not sign their tenders by 11 p.m. on June 14, 2010, the Green Bay Packers had a 24 hour window where they could replace those tenders with one-year contracts worth 110% of their 2009 base salaries. That rule potentially could have impacted only three players (Tramon Williams, Johnny Jolly, and Atari Bigby) since the Packers already reached deals (Will Blackmon, Daryn Colledge, Nick Collins, Spencer Havner, John Kuhn, and Jason Spitz) or cut (Jeremy Kapinos and DeShawn Wynn) their other restricted free agents.
The financial ramifications varied for the three players that had not signed their tenders with the deadline looming:
- Tramon Williams' 2010 salary would have dropped from $3.043 (first and third round tender) to $584,078.
- Johnny Jolly's 2010 salary would have dropped from $2.521 million (first round tender) to $589,501.
- Atari Bigby's 2010 salary would have dropped from $1.759 million (second round tender) to $1.704 million.
The Packers had till 11 p.m. on June 15, 2010 to reduce their offer to 110% if Williams, Jolly, or Bigby did not sign their tender. The impacted players could only sign with the Packers and would have to sign the reduced tender by Week 10 or sit out the entire season. For Jolly and Bigby, they would have become unrestricted free agents after 2010 even if they never played another down for the Packers.
Ultimately Williams and Jolly signed their tenders but Bigby choose not to sign his tender. It is surprising that Williams and Jolly cut things so close.
Tramon Williams:
Although the Packers are thin at cornerback with Al Harris out injured, the Packers have been very fair with Williams in the past. In 2009 the Packers paid Williams roughly $900,000, including a $375,000 signing bonus, despite only having to pay Williams $460,000 according to the CBA since Williams was only entering his 3rd season in the NFL in 2009. Furthermore, the Packers placed the highest restricted free agent tender on Williams, meaning if another team wanted to sign Williams they would have to give the Packers their 1st and 3rd round draft picks in the 2010 NFL Draft for the right to sign Williams.
Williams only has 3 accrued seasons so if he decided to sit out 2010, he would still be a restricted free agent going into the 2011 NFL season. Williams needs to play in at least 6 games in order to accrue another season of NFL service and become an unrestricted free agent, assuming a new CBA is agreed upon with similar terms to the old CBA. Williams played well after Al Harris was lost for the season but some scouts still question whether he will ever be any better than a nickel cornerback.
Johnny Jolly:
With all of the legal trouble Jolly is facing, he should be ecstatic the Packers even tendered him a contract let alone a first round tender. Jolly is set to earn $2.521 million, although he can be released at any point before the season without costing the Packers a dime. If Jolly was not facing jail time, the Packers probably would have given Jolly a multi-year extension based on how well he played in the 3-4 last season.
Instead, Jolly is facing very serious legal allegations in Texas. The prosecutor claims that Jolly not only possessed a number of illegal substances, but according to court documents he also "bought, sold, funded, transported and aided in the buying, selling, funding and transportation of illegal narcotics including cocaine and marijuana". The Packers will wait and see how the trial plays out (which is schedule for the first day of training camp), before making any long-term decisions on Jolly.
Atari Bigby:
Atari Bigby has had a rash of injuries the last two season that forced him to miss 12 games. Even thought Bigby was limited by injury last year, he still had four interceptions. At 5'11" and 213 pounds, Bigby was a physically imposing safety early in his Packer career but that has tailed off over the last few seasons. It has been an eternity (November 11, 2007) since Bigby forced a fumble. All of that adds up to Bigby being a one way player in pass coverage that provides little in combating the run. Atari Bigby stands to lose out on roughly $54,000 if the Packer decide to reduce his tender but he is jeopardizing a mountain of future earnings by holding out.
In the 3rd round of the 2010 NFL Draft the Packers traded up to draft Morgan Burnett, a physical safety that played for Georgia Tech. Burnett has great size at 6'1" and 209 pounds, which allows him to not only drop into coverage but also come up to the line of scrimmage to play the run. Burnett was VERY productive in college, he had 14 interceptions and 235 tackles (8th in school history) in just three years at Georgia Tech. Although Bigby thinks he is sending a message to the Packers by holding out, he might just be opening the door for perfect safety to compliment Nick Collins. Collins wears #36 and Burnett wears #42...hopefully the new version of former #36 LeRoy Butler and former #42 Darren Sharper.
Footnotes:
* In the event that a Restricted Free Agent has not signed a Player Contract with a Club within the Signing Period in the League Year following the expiration of his last Player Contract, and if the Prior Club by June 1 tenders to the Restricted Free Agent a one year Player Contract of at least 110% of his Paragraph 5 Salary (with all other terms of his prior year contract carried forward unchanged) or extends the player’s Qualifying Offer, whichever is greater (the “June 1 Tender”), the Prior Club shall be the only Club with which the player may negotiate or sign a Player Contract during the period from June 1 until the Tuesday following the tenth week of the regular season, at 4:00 p.m. New York time. If the player’s Qualifying Offer is greater than 110% of the player’s Paragraph 5 Salary (with all other terms of his prior year contract carried forward unchanged), the Club may withdraw the Qualifying Offer on June 15 and retain its rights under the preceding sentence, so long as the Club immediately tenders the player a one year Player Contract of at least 110% of his Paragraph 5 Salary (with all other terms of his prior year contract carried forward unchanged) (the“June 15 Tender”).
Sunday, December 27, 2009
2009 Packers v. Seahawks Analyzed
The Green Bay Packers accomplished three things on Sunday:
#1) trounced the Seattle Seahawks,
#2) didn't suffer any major injuries and
#3) punched their ticket to the playoffs.
In one of the more impressive regular season performances of the Ted Thompson/Mike McCarthy era, the Green Bay Packers demolished the Seattle Seahawks 48-10. The game was out of hand early in the 3rd quarter, which allowed Mike McCarthy to insert backup quarterback Matt Flynn (along with a number of back ups on both sides of the ball) at the end of the 3rd quarter.
Here were the top five plays from the game:
#5) Green Bay leads 7-0, Green Bay ball on their own 33 yard line, 3rd and 4 with 1:37 left in the 1st quarter:
Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay) threw deep left to Greg Jennings (Green Bay) for a 40 yard gain.
Analysis:
This play never happens last season, Mike McCarthy would not have called a play that gave Aaron Rodgers a chance to take a shot in that situation. With how well Rodgers is playing this season, McCarthy trusts Rodgers in almost any situation. McCarthy dialed up a play that got Jennings one-on-one with a cornerback. Rodgers saw the mismatch and threw a perfectly weighed ball to keep the drive alive. That completion helped propel Rodgers over 4,000 passing yards for the season. That gives Rodgers back to back 4,000 yard passing seasons to start his career, the first (yes you read that correctly) quarterback to do that in NFL history.
#4) Green Bay leads 14-0, Seattle ball on the Green Bay 8 yard line, 3rd and 6 with 12:10 left in the 2nd quarter:
Matt Hasselbeck (Seattle) threw short middle intended for T.J. Houshmandzadeh (Seattle), tipped by Johnny Jolly (Green Bay) and INTERCEPTED by Atari Bigby (Green Bay) for a touchback.
Analysis:
The game was not out of hand at this point. If Hasselbeck throws a touchdown, Seattle only trails by only 7 points. Instead, Hasselbeck threw an ill advised pass that was tipped at the line by Jolly (who set a Packer record for 11 tipped balls in a season) and intercepted easily by Bigby because the intended receiver (T.J. Houshmandzadeh) slipped on the play. After securing the interception, Bigby smartly went to the ground to force a touchback. Often times defenders want to make the big play and try to take interceptions out of the end zone instead of taking the ball at the 20 yard line. Very rarely is it a good decision to take it out of the end zone which actually puts their offense in worse field position.
#3) Green Bay leads 38-3, Green Bay ball on the Seattle 34 yard line, 4th and 1 with 10:52 left in the 4th quarter:
Mason Crosby's 52 yard field goal attempt is GOOD.
Analysis:
Mason Crosby's kicking woes have been well documented (missed field goals in 7 of the last 8 games he attempted a field goal going into the game against Seattle). This kick obviously was of little consequence for the game itself but might prove to be the confidence builder Crosby needed. Mike McCarthy and Ted Thompson have stood behind Crosby all season despite his kicking problems. Today Crosby rewarded McCarthy and Thompson by nailing the 52 yard field goal, which was the first field goal he made over 50 yards since connecting on a 52 yarder in Week #1. The reaction from the sideline said it all. Rodgers, Jennings and other 1st teams lined up to congratulate Crosby. Green Bay is hoping this is the boost Crosby needs for the playoffs.
#2) Game tied 0-0, Seattle ball on the Green Bay 36 yard line, 3rd and 1 with 9:02 left in the 1st quarter:
Matt Hasselbeck (Seattle) threw short right, INTERCEPTED by A.J. Hawk (Green Bay) at the Green Bay 36 yard line and returned 29 yards to the Seattle 35 yard line.
Analysis:
Green Bay won the toss and elected to receive. I am still not too sure why McCarthy elects to receive. With how well the defense is playing this season I would always defer to the second half. On their opening possession, Green Bay went three and out. After a below average punt from Kapinos, Seattle marched down the field running the ball on 7 of 8 plays on the drive. Facing a 3rd and 1 on their 9th play of the drive Seattle ran a play action boot leg play for Matt Hasselbeck. Great call by the way. Any time you can get a slow quarterback moving outside the pocket with very few receiving options on 3rd and 1 you have to take it. With no receiver within 10 yards Hasselbeck threw a perfect strike to A.J. Hawk. If Hawk had any speed it would have been returned for a touchdown. Instead Hawk was run down by every offensive lineman on Seattle.
#1) Green Bay leads 14-3, Green Bay ball on their own 44 yard line, 1st and 10 with 5:46 left in the 2nd quarter:
Ryan Grant (Green Bay) runs off left tackle for 56 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
Analysis:
This was Grant's second big run in three weeks. Grant had a 62 yards TD run against the Chicago Bears in Week #14 (click here and scroll down to play #2). Grant is not an overpowering runner like Ahman Green in his prime (or Sunday when Green ran over the entire Seattle defense to pick up 16 yards on a 3rd and 1). Grant is at his best when he makes one cut and hits the hole. On the 56 yard touchdown run against Seattle Grant hit the hole, made a quick side step to evade the safety at the second level and was off to the races. The Green Bay running backs got into the end zone 6 times against Seattle (2 rushing by Grant, 2 rushing/1 receiving by Jackson and 1 rushing by Green) so there were a number of plays to choose from for the top spot but Grant's 56 yard touchdown run had to be #1 since it put the game out of reach before halftime.
Trojan Boner of the Week Award - Matt Hasselbeck
Just as a refresher, the award goes to a player/coach/referee that makes a stupid play(s)/decision(s)/call(s) during the game.
Analysis:
Hasselbeck's line for the day: 19 for 37, 198 yards, 1 touchdown (that came with only 4 minutes remaining to pull Seattle within 38 points) and 4 interceptions. This marks the second week in a row Hasselbeck threw 4 interceptions. Last week Hasselbeck did it at home against the now 3-12 Bucs after the Bucs knocked off the Saints in New Orleans. Hasselbeck now holds the distinction of being the only Seattle quarterback in team history to throw 4 interceptions in 2 games in a single season.
Hasselbeck threw two picks to Bigby, one to Hawk and one to Jarrett Bush. You read that correctly, Bush got a pick. I have to give Bush credit, it was actually a text book play by him but pretty sad for Hasselbeck considering Bush is the guy that evvery team has identified as the Packers' biggest weakness.
Green Bay has not been a kind place to the Seahawks, they have lost 5 straight in Green Bay (a few coming in the playoffs in recent years). Let's take a quick look back to see if Matt Hasselbeck deserves the "lifetime boner award" when he plays in Green bay as a member of the Seahwaks.
No one can forget the overtime playoff game when Seattle won the coin toss only to have Hasselbeck say "we'll take the ball we're gonna score." Hasselbeck threw a touchdown pass, unfortunately for him it came on an interception returned for a touchdown by Al Harris for Green Bay to end Seattle's season.
A few years later Seattle was also the only thing that separated Green Bay from the 2007 NFC Championship game. Seattle jumped out to a 14-0 lead set-up by two costly fumbles by Ryan Grant. Quick tangent, I missed the start of the game because I was attending a wedding. As I ran to the car I heard the second touchdown on the radio. I was going to drive my beautiful wife to be and friends to the hotel to catch the rest of the game bu once we heard the score I handed over the car keys and immediately started foaming at the mouth. Luckily the Packers got back on track and ended up routing Seattle 42-20.
The only reason I can think of for why Hasselbeck is so horrible in Green Bay is that he might just be a die hard Packer fan. Hasselbeck started his NFL career in Green Bay before being traded to Seattle. Based on how horribly he plays in Green Bay may be he is conflicted on who he really wants to win the games. I am going to make the leap and give Hasselbeck the modified "lifetime boner award". Whenever Hasselbeck plays in Green Bay, bet heavy on the Packers.
#1) trounced the Seattle Seahawks,
#2) didn't suffer any major injuries and
#3) punched their ticket to the playoffs.
In one of the more impressive regular season performances of the Ted Thompson/Mike McCarthy era, the Green Bay Packers demolished the Seattle Seahawks 48-10. The game was out of hand early in the 3rd quarter, which allowed Mike McCarthy to insert backup quarterback Matt Flynn (along with a number of back ups on both sides of the ball) at the end of the 3rd quarter.
Here were the top five plays from the game:
#5) Green Bay leads 7-0, Green Bay ball on their own 33 yard line, 3rd and 4 with 1:37 left in the 1st quarter:
Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay) threw deep left to Greg Jennings (Green Bay) for a 40 yard gain.
Analysis:
This play never happens last season, Mike McCarthy would not have called a play that gave Aaron Rodgers a chance to take a shot in that situation. With how well Rodgers is playing this season, McCarthy trusts Rodgers in almost any situation. McCarthy dialed up a play that got Jennings one-on-one with a cornerback. Rodgers saw the mismatch and threw a perfectly weighed ball to keep the drive alive. That completion helped propel Rodgers over 4,000 passing yards for the season. That gives Rodgers back to back 4,000 yard passing seasons to start his career, the first (yes you read that correctly) quarterback to do that in NFL history.
#4) Green Bay leads 14-0, Seattle ball on the Green Bay 8 yard line, 3rd and 6 with 12:10 left in the 2nd quarter:
Matt Hasselbeck (Seattle) threw short middle intended for T.J. Houshmandzadeh (Seattle), tipped by Johnny Jolly (Green Bay) and INTERCEPTED by Atari Bigby (Green Bay) for a touchback.
Analysis:
The game was not out of hand at this point. If Hasselbeck throws a touchdown, Seattle only trails by only 7 points. Instead, Hasselbeck threw an ill advised pass that was tipped at the line by Jolly (who set a Packer record for 11 tipped balls in a season) and intercepted easily by Bigby because the intended receiver (T.J. Houshmandzadeh) slipped on the play. After securing the interception, Bigby smartly went to the ground to force a touchback. Often times defenders want to make the big play and try to take interceptions out of the end zone instead of taking the ball at the 20 yard line. Very rarely is it a good decision to take it out of the end zone which actually puts their offense in worse field position.
#3) Green Bay leads 38-3, Green Bay ball on the Seattle 34 yard line, 4th and 1 with 10:52 left in the 4th quarter:
Mason Crosby's 52 yard field goal attempt is GOOD.
Analysis:
Mason Crosby's kicking woes have been well documented (missed field goals in 7 of the last 8 games he attempted a field goal going into the game against Seattle). This kick obviously was of little consequence for the game itself but might prove to be the confidence builder Crosby needed. Mike McCarthy and Ted Thompson have stood behind Crosby all season despite his kicking problems. Today Crosby rewarded McCarthy and Thompson by nailing the 52 yard field goal, which was the first field goal he made over 50 yards since connecting on a 52 yarder in Week #1. The reaction from the sideline said it all. Rodgers, Jennings and other 1st teams lined up to congratulate Crosby. Green Bay is hoping this is the boost Crosby needs for the playoffs.
#2) Game tied 0-0, Seattle ball on the Green Bay 36 yard line, 3rd and 1 with 9:02 left in the 1st quarter:
Matt Hasselbeck (Seattle) threw short right, INTERCEPTED by A.J. Hawk (Green Bay) at the Green Bay 36 yard line and returned 29 yards to the Seattle 35 yard line.
Analysis:
Green Bay won the toss and elected to receive. I am still not too sure why McCarthy elects to receive. With how well the defense is playing this season I would always defer to the second half. On their opening possession, Green Bay went three and out. After a below average punt from Kapinos, Seattle marched down the field running the ball on 7 of 8 plays on the drive. Facing a 3rd and 1 on their 9th play of the drive Seattle ran a play action boot leg play for Matt Hasselbeck. Great call by the way. Any time you can get a slow quarterback moving outside the pocket with very few receiving options on 3rd and 1 you have to take it. With no receiver within 10 yards Hasselbeck threw a perfect strike to A.J. Hawk. If Hawk had any speed it would have been returned for a touchdown. Instead Hawk was run down by every offensive lineman on Seattle.
#1) Green Bay leads 14-3, Green Bay ball on their own 44 yard line, 1st and 10 with 5:46 left in the 2nd quarter:
Ryan Grant (Green Bay) runs off left tackle for 56 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
Analysis:
This was Grant's second big run in three weeks. Grant had a 62 yards TD run against the Chicago Bears in Week #14 (click here and scroll down to play #2). Grant is not an overpowering runner like Ahman Green in his prime (or Sunday when Green ran over the entire Seattle defense to pick up 16 yards on a 3rd and 1). Grant is at his best when he makes one cut and hits the hole. On the 56 yard touchdown run against Seattle Grant hit the hole, made a quick side step to evade the safety at the second level and was off to the races. The Green Bay running backs got into the end zone 6 times against Seattle (2 rushing by Grant, 2 rushing/1 receiving by Jackson and 1 rushing by Green) so there were a number of plays to choose from for the top spot but Grant's 56 yard touchdown run had to be #1 since it put the game out of reach before halftime.
Trojan Boner of the Week Award - Matt Hasselbeck
Just as a refresher, the award goes to a player/coach/referee that makes a stupid play(s)/decision(s)/call(s) during the game.
Analysis:
Hasselbeck's line for the day: 19 for 37, 198 yards, 1 touchdown (that came with only 4 minutes remaining to pull Seattle within 38 points) and 4 interceptions. This marks the second week in a row Hasselbeck threw 4 interceptions. Last week Hasselbeck did it at home against the now 3-12 Bucs after the Bucs knocked off the Saints in New Orleans. Hasselbeck now holds the distinction of being the only Seattle quarterback in team history to throw 4 interceptions in 2 games in a single season.
Hasselbeck threw two picks to Bigby, one to Hawk and one to Jarrett Bush. You read that correctly, Bush got a pick. I have to give Bush credit, it was actually a text book play by him but pretty sad for Hasselbeck considering Bush is the guy that evvery team has identified as the Packers' biggest weakness.
Green Bay has not been a kind place to the Seahawks, they have lost 5 straight in Green Bay (a few coming in the playoffs in recent years). Let's take a quick look back to see if Matt Hasselbeck deserves the "lifetime boner award" when he plays in Green bay as a member of the Seahwaks.
No one can forget the overtime playoff game when Seattle won the coin toss only to have Hasselbeck say "we'll take the ball we're gonna score." Hasselbeck threw a touchdown pass, unfortunately for him it came on an interception returned for a touchdown by Al Harris for Green Bay to end Seattle's season.
A few years later Seattle was also the only thing that separated Green Bay from the 2007 NFC Championship game. Seattle jumped out to a 14-0 lead set-up by two costly fumbles by Ryan Grant. Quick tangent, I missed the start of the game because I was attending a wedding. As I ran to the car I heard the second touchdown on the radio. I was going to drive my beautiful wife to be and friends to the hotel to catch the rest of the game bu once we heard the score I handed over the car keys and immediately started foaming at the mouth. Luckily the Packers got back on track and ended up routing Seattle 42-20.
The only reason I can think of for why Hasselbeck is so horrible in Green Bay is that he might just be a die hard Packer fan. Hasselbeck started his NFL career in Green Bay before being traded to Seattle. Based on how horribly he plays in Green Bay may be he is conflicted on who he really wants to win the games. I am going to make the leap and give Hasselbeck the modified "lifetime boner award". Whenever Hasselbeck plays in Green Bay, bet heavy on the Packers.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Packers cut Rouse and sign Giordano
As expected the Green Bay Packers signed free agent safety Matt Giordano, a 4th round pick by the Indianapolis Colts in the 2005 NFL Draft. Giordano appeared in 55 games for the Colts over the last four season, starting six contests. The Colts cut Giordano at the end of the preseason. The signing of Giordano reunites him with former California teammate Aaron Rodgers.
To make room for Giordano the Packers cut often maligned safety Aaron Rouse; a 3rd round pick by the Packers in the 2007 NFL Draft. Coming out of Virgina Tech Rouse was a physical specimen at 6'4" and 223 pounds. Rouse ran the 40-yard dash in 4.59 at the NFL Combine. Rouse was projected as a late first round pick but his lack luster senior season saw him fall to the 3rd round. Throughout his Packer career everyone talked about his "potential" but Rouse never produced on the field, which lead to the Packers parting ways with Rouse.
Both of the Packers starting safeties (Nick Collins and Atari Bigby) are sidelined with injuries. That leaves recently acquired Derrick Martin, converted corner back Jarrett Bush and Matt Giordano as their only healthy options at safety. The Packers lack of depth at safety calls into question Packers General Manager Ted Thompson's decision to cut Anthony Smith before the start of the season. Smith was signed because of his understanding of the new 3-4 defense because he played for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2006 to 2008. Ironically Smith now plays for the St. Louis Rams, the Packers next opponent.
Injuries happen in the NFL, which makes the Packers complete lack of depth at safety very alarming. Matt Giordano better pick-up the 3-4 defense fast because he will most likely be active this weekend against the Rams.
To make room for Giordano the Packers cut often maligned safety Aaron Rouse; a 3rd round pick by the Packers in the 2007 NFL Draft. Coming out of Virgina Tech Rouse was a physical specimen at 6'4" and 223 pounds. Rouse ran the 40-yard dash in 4.59 at the NFL Combine. Rouse was projected as a late first round pick but his lack luster senior season saw him fall to the 3rd round. Throughout his Packer career everyone talked about his "potential" but Rouse never produced on the field, which lead to the Packers parting ways with Rouse.
Both of the Packers starting safeties (Nick Collins and Atari Bigby) are sidelined with injuries. That leaves recently acquired Derrick Martin, converted corner back Jarrett Bush and Matt Giordano as their only healthy options at safety. The Packers lack of depth at safety calls into question Packers General Manager Ted Thompson's decision to cut Anthony Smith before the start of the season. Smith was signed because of his understanding of the new 3-4 defense because he played for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2006 to 2008. Ironically Smith now plays for the St. Louis Rams, the Packers next opponent.
Injuries happen in the NFL, which makes the Packers complete lack of depth at safety very alarming. Matt Giordano better pick-up the 3-4 defense fast because he will most likely be active this weekend against the Rams.
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