Mike Neal

[Joemailman]

Neal is eligible to be activated. Seems Packers have 3 choices:

Release him
Activate Neal and release Merling
Activate Neal and release someone from another position. My best bets would be Brad Jones, sean Richardson or Brandon Saine.

Neal had a pretty good camp, and I think he does have some pass rush ability. I expect the Packers to keep him. Do they get some time from the NFL before deciding whether to activate him?

[pbmax]

Three weeks of practice and then decision time.

[mmmdk]

Three weeks of practice and then decision time.

Isn't that for PUP list players? Or does it apply to suspended players too? Can't find anything on those 3 weeks.

[pbmax]

Isn't that for PUP list players? Or does it apply to suspended players too? Can't find anything on those 3 weeks.

Your right, my mistake. Forgot he was suspended. Decision will need to be made this week.

[Patler]

IR House, Starks, Jennings I or Jennings II with designation to return?
I would hope Starks and House are close to returning, so they may not be candidates, but it might be the best thing for Greg Jennings at this point. Remove the temptation of playing him, and just get him healthy.

[Packers4Glory]

IR Starks

[mmmdk]

IR Starks

Ok but is Merling that "good"? And isn't Starks ready soon?

[George Cumby]

Ok but is Merling that "good"? And isn't Starks ready soon?

Has Merling played? I haven't heard his name at all......

[Lurker64]

Has Merling played? I haven't heard his name at all......

He backs up C.J. Wilson. That should tell you enough.

[mmmdk]

He backs up C.J. Wilson. That should tell you enough.

Good grief; Mike Neal is better than both CJ & evidently better than Merling - even with Neals injury history.

[rbaloha1]

Aloha Merling.

Neal adds juice to the pass rush.

[pbmax]

Could I be more wrong in one thread!? Neal has one week roster exemption.

[Patler]

Could I be more wrong in one thread!? Neal has one week roster exemption.

Really? So they don't have to make a decision by the next game? I thought they had to do something with him by game #5, but had this week to do it.

[Patler]

Good grief; Mike Neal is better than both CJ & evidently better than Merling - even with Neals injury history.

He is, or he should be?
For me, Neal and Sherrod are in the same boat. We expected them to be good, but neither has shown anything; whereas Newhouse and Wilson are not the studs we expected from Sherrod and Neal, but by and large they get the job done.

[Fritz]

He is, or he should be?
For me, Neal and Sherrod are in the same boat. We expected them to be good, but neither has shown anything; whereas Newhouse and Wilson are not the studs we expected from Sherrod and Neal, but by and large they get the job done.

It's probably a make-or-break year for Neal, but I do think you're a little harsh on Sherrod. He's a second year player who was out the vast majority of last season with an injury. And I did not see him as ineffective as you seemed to. He showed flashed of ability to me, at least.

[Patler]

It's probably a make-or-break year for Neal, but I do think you're a little harsh on Sherrod. He's a second year player who was out the vast majority of last season with an injury. And I did not see him as ineffective as you seemed to. He showed flashed of ability to me, at least.

I'm not being harsh on Sherrod as in suggesting he never will become anything, but he has to prove it. Too many fans anointed him the LT this year, and seem to assume he will take over when healthy. In my opinion, he was awful in preseason last year, and was only marginally better in his brief appearances until the game he was injured in, when he was maybe just a bit better.

All in all I was much more disappointed in what he did last year than encouraged by it. Much, much more.

[rbaloha1]

Sherrod has nice feet and long arms. Shall battle Newhouse for lt.

[Brandon494]

Sherrod will be our starting LT next season barring any injury.

[pittstang5]

IMO - Richardson to IR to make room for Neal.

[OS PA]

Greg Jennings to IR designated to return. Neal in. After week 8, Merling gone.

[HarveyWallbangers]

You don't IR Jennings for a 2-3 week stint on IR. Save it in case somebody important is out for awhile (somebody you hope can make it back for the playoffs).

[Bretsky]

Pater...completely agree on your take on Sherry last year; I hope he ends up being our future stud LT but I didn't see any reason to drink the homer juice last year. To me, he went from being terrible to bad.

[Patler]

Sherrod has nice feet and long arms. Shall battle Newhouse for lt.


Sherrod will be our starting LT next season barring any injury.

I hope you are right. It would be good to have a big, dominant LT; one better than Newhouse.
.
Watching Sherrod last year I had flashbacks to John Michels. A very tall, thin, athletic LT with the frame to add muscle and bulk. He looked perfect for the position at the time. But, the game seemed too big for him when he played. Some say he would have still developed into what they expected, but a knee (or was it a hip) became a chronic issue that ended his career.

It would be good for the Packers if they didn't have to use another high draft pick to improve the position, which I suspect they will if Sherrod doesn't come through.

[smuggler]

I think Newhouse will be a backup swing tackle next year. He's okay, but Sherrod might be special.

[sharpe1027]

I hope Neal has a chip on his shoulder and wants to prove something. There is nothing like a pissed of DL to add some toughness to your team. Just as Detroit and Suh (Neal doesn't have to go that far).

[rbaloha1]

I hope Neal has a chip on his shoulder and wants to prove something. There is nothing like a pissed of DL to add some toughness to your team. Just as Detroit and Suh (Neal doesn't have to go that far).

Nice observation. Expect Neal to start performing like Jenkins.

[Patler]

I think Newhouse will be a backup swing tackle next year. He's okay, but Sherrod might be special.

Just curious, on what do you base that opinion of Sherrod? I don't recall any predraft opinions that he was anything more than a reasonable prospect. Has he done anything since to show that predraft opinions undervalued him?

[wist43]

Merling should be playing... he should be playing base downs in a rotation with Pickett and Raji.

It goes back to the 3 man rush thread and arguing about the usage of front seven personnel. Merling isn't a world beater, but he's a fat guy that can eat up blocks, eat up snaps, and take some of the workload off of both Pickett and Raji.

As it is, Capers is using his front seven almost identical to the way he used it last year - and he's going to end up burning Raji out the same as he did last year.

Not only should they keep Merling, they should add Neal, subtract from the roster somewhere else, and get both of those guys into a rotation.

Not holding my breath though... Capers isn't going to change what he's doing; and Pickett and Raji's effectiveness will likely wane as the season wears on - same as last year when we had 6 sacks in the last 7 games.

[Fritz]

We're doomed. We're all gonna die.


http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSLqvCkY7Zulc61sVSPoaj0GX5MNrU2C BNNW2Fe_56jaM6SsHa7fw

[Smeefers]

I thought if you IR'd someone, they had to stay out a minimum of 8 weeks before you brought them back... just to prevent this sort of thing.

[Pugger]

Just curious, on what do you base that opinion of Sherrod? I don't recall any predraft opinions that he was anything more than a reasonable prospect. Has he done anything since to show that predraft opinions undervalued him?

Wasn't he playing pretty well up until he broke his leg?

[pbmax]

Merling should be playing... he should be playing base downs in a rotation with Pickett and Raji.

It goes back to the 3 man rush thread and arguing about the usage of front seven personnel. Merling isn't a world beater, but he's a fat guy that can eat up blocks, eat up snaps, and take some of the workload off of both Pickett and Raji.

As it is, Capers is using his front seven almost identical to the way he used it last year - and he's going to end up burning Raji out the same as he did last year.

Not only should they keep Merling, they should add Neal, subtract from the roster somewhere else, and get both of those guys into a rotation.

Not holding my breath though... Capers isn't going to change what he's doing; and Pickett and Raji's effectiveness will likely wane as the season wears on - same as last year when we had 6 sacks in the last 7 games.

Merling cannot beat out CJ Wilson in base D. Exactly what does he add to the D line in base? He just eats snaps, he is the Manny Parra of D lineman. His gig is supposed to be a better pass rusher than Wilson. If he gets on the field, it will be on pass downs not base downs and he will have to replace Worthy or Daniels.

On the other hand, you might get your wish for 7 DL with Neal back, when it happens. The consensus candidate to be dropped is Richardson at safety.

[pbmax]

Wasn't he playing pretty well up until he broke his leg?

He struggled in camp at Guard and was beat out by Lang. Patler has compared this unfavorably to Bulaga who nearly beat Colledge out of the Guard spot his rookie year until an injury cost him some time. However, there are a couple of problems with the comparison. Bulaga was a far better prospect at Guard than Sherrod and Colledge and some scouts thought he would be an All-Pro Guard. BB's second best position was RT. Sherrod was always thought to be a Left Tackle only.

Forced by injury early in the season into playing Right Tackle (a spot he spent little time in during camp) he struggled (versus the Redskins I think). he was terrible early but did seem to settle down. First exposure was a poor to mediocre performance. When he was forced to play later in the season at RT versus the Chiefs, he fared much better, though still not lock solid. I seem to recall him pressed into RT after a Bulaga injury the game prior to the Chiefs, don't remember much from that one.

So his rookie campaign was poor, but he showed his promise better later in the season. His larger problem is getting back onto the field and staying healthy. As Patler has advised, counting on him seems premature, but counting him as some kind of bust is an overreaction to three games and one preseason out of position.

[wist43]

Merling cannot beat out CJ Wilson in base D. Exactly what does he add to the D line in base? He just eats snaps, he is the Manny Parra of D lineman. His gig is supposed to be a better pass rusher than Wilson. If he gets on the field, it will be on pass downs not base downs and he will have to replace Worthy or Daniels.

On the other hand, you might get your wish for 7 DL with Neal back, when it happens. The consensus candidate to be dropped is Richardson at safety.

I'm not offering an opinion on the quality of depth - just sayin there needs to be a rotation to keep our front line players fresher throughout the season. If Merling and Wilson aren't good enough to be part of a rotation, then why are they on the team??

As neither of them are world beaters, then eating snaps is at least something. If you don't get them eating up snaps, we'll be right back to where we were late last season, i.e. a burned out Raji, an ineffective pass rush, more 1 and 2 man lines, and 6 sacks in the last 7 seven games.

The media asked MM about Raji's snaps last year, and he blew it off and said Raji "is a young man" and can handle it - well, he wore down. Capers is doing the exact same thing this year.

[denverYooper]

Whatever. I'm driving the CJ Wilson bandwagon.

http://cdn2.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1227657/packers5.gif

[rbaloha1]

CJ is playing well. Very stout against the run with surprising pass rush moves.

[OS PA]

Well we cut Merling and activated Neal. Surprise surprise.

[wist43]

Well we cut Merling and activated Neal. Surprise surprise.

Well, now he can take Merling's place on the bench rotation.

[OS PA]

Well, now he can take Merling's place on the bench rotation.

Oh, have we given up on Neal now? I didn't get the "sky is falling" memo.

[mmmdk]

Whatever. I'm driving the CJ Wilson bandwagon.

http://cdn2.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1227657/packers5.gif

Keep both hands on the wheel. :wink: :lol:

[denverYooper]

Keep both hands on the wheel. :wink: :lol:

One hand on the reins and the other on Sam Colt, my friend ;).

[pbmax]

Actually with Neal, I think wist might get the rotation he is looking for. However, I am not sure it drops Raji's snaps.

[mraynrand]

Neal before me!!!

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m77gshVySw1r5fc76o1_400.png

[pittstang5]

http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTvhacbjo92nlijqn57rhDmpbPitXy-rPb9J8umcMGav2Qj6-rB

Neal before Zod

[denverYooper]

http://www.viewaskew.com/halloween/images/dogmajay.jpg

Neal before Zod!

[denverYooper]

Neal is playing today. Must have had a good week of practice.

Missing the GDT BTW. FML!

[wist43]

Neal actually looked pretty good today.

Won't matter though unless Capers gets his head out of his ass.

[Harlan Huckleby]

Neal's conditioning held up, he played a hell of a lot of snaps and kept active.

Seems like fat boy Pickett is getting phased out - or is he hurt some?

[pittstang5]

Neal's conditioning held up, he played a hell of a lot of snaps and kept active.

Seems like fat boy Pickett is getting phased out - or is he hurt some?

Believe Pickett is nursing a bad shoulder.

[mraynrand]

Neal actually looked pretty good today.

Won't matter though unless Capers gets his head out of his ass.

Neal's ass?

[pbmax]

Looks like Neal will be giving Raji the rest wist was requesting and it will happen in nickel and/or dime.

[rbaloha1]

Neal played well. Played fast and was aggressive. Playing with a chip on his shoulder.

[mmmdk]

Neal played well. Played fast and was aggressive. Playing with a chip on his shoulder.

True and the rest of the team & coaches had a halftime winning party; munching bags of chips and then got crushed by the Colts.

[wist43]

Looks like Neal will be giving Raji the rest wist was requesting and it will happen in nickel and/or dime.

You know full well Capers is wet dreaming about Heward on the nose, and Neal backpeddling in coverage - genius!!!

[mraynrand]

Heward?