HarveyWallbangers
08-31-2007, 11:48 PM
Gotta feel for these guys. Interesting stuff. I actually think Walker has been noticeable better than Dendy all preseason--not just this last game.
Players await fate
By BOB McGINN
Green Bay - As usual, anguish and dismay will accompany the Green Bay Packers' announcement of their final roster reduction that is expected some time this evening.
Telling a person, in effect, that he's "fired" is not one of life's pleasures. But before anyone at 1265 Lombardi Ave. gets too emotional, he should remember that these decisions probably won't be all that significant.
The Packers have released about 150 players on the cut to 53 in the first seven years of the decade. Of those 150, merely four went on to make a legitimate name for themselves in the National Football League.
That list includes defensive end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila and guard Joe Andruzzi in 2000, linebacker Donnie Spragan in '01 and center Scott Wells in '04. Safety Atari Bigby, waived a year ago, now is in position to join them.
General manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy planned to cut a few players on Friday but instead decided to sleep on it. With their roster at 75 players, the Packers must get down to the 53-man limit by 5 p.m.
"I probably won't do nothing tonight," defensive end Larry Birdine said late Friday. "We're just hanging out with each other and doing whatever we can to keep our mind off of it. There are a lot of guys in the same boat."
Here's a position-by-position look entering the last cut:
Wide receiver
Traditionally, teams keep five. But the Packers have gone into two of the last three seasons with four and might just do it again.
Carlyle Holiday and rookie David Clowney are on the bubble. Holiday is powerful and has caught just about everything, but like the four ahead of him lacks big speed. Clowney, a fifth-round draft choice, hasn't played as fast as he clocked.
Holiday is the better player at this stage and could serve as the emergency No. 3 quarterback. Clowney is too much of a lateral runner on kickoff returns and can be knocked off routes too easily. A year on practice squad might do him wonders.
Tight end
The Packers have done such a poor job here that there are really only two worth keeping. They'll probably claim another on waivers, just as they claimed a guard, cornerback and safety one year ago.
Rookie Clark Harris, a seventh-round choice, was a bad pick. He never really made a play in camp and his blocking was subpar.
Free agent Zac Alcorn is able to pluck the ball almost like a wide receiver but he just never came to exhibit much feel as a receiver and his blocking remained weak. In Tennessee, he tried to execute a down block off an aggressive charge but when he crashed into linebacker Stephen Tulloch his own legs buckled and the linebacker drilled DeShawn Wynn in the hole.
Offensive line
Eight jobs are spoken for, with Junius Coston, Allen Barbre and Tony Moll as the primary backups. Coston, however, was soft in protection and was overpowered on some run blocks during his start at right guard against the Titans.
Given that Jason Spitz has and can play center, there doesn't seem much reason to keep Tyson Walter. He can play all five positions and has been in the league since '02. He just isn't very strong or physical.
Guard-center Tony Palmer looked like the best straight-ahead drive blocker in camp before a pulled hamstring sidelined him Aug. 14. He's supposed to be back next week.
Based on how poorly the No. 2 line has fared, there's no reason to think the Packers will go against tradition and keep a 10th lineman.
Quarterback
Not since 1989 have the Packers started a season without three but barring an acquisition that's the way it probably will go. Ingle Martin hit a plateau. Paul Thompson has athleticism, an arm and smarts, but he's just too far away right now.
St. Louis has a major void at cornerback and appears to be shopping Ryan Fitzpatrick, its No. 3 quarterback behind Marc Bulger and Gus Frerotte. Fitzpatrick, 24, started three games in '05 as a rookie, then was sharp Thursday night against Kansas City.
Running back
The Packers seem sold on rookie Korey Hall as their fullback, leaving Brandon Miree expendable. Miree didn't block well in Tennessee and is stiff in the passing game.
That leaves room for four running backs. Brandon Jackson and Vernand Morency will be two. After that, it's anyone's guess.
McCarthy spoke highly of Wynn's debut Thursday night but that was more wishful thinking than anything. Wynn was semi-slow to the hole, showed little change of gear or quick-cutting ability, caught the ball poorly and kept getting bounced in protection. He played into the fourth quarter after Noah Herron suffered a sprained knee.
Free agent Corey White played the final two series at fullback but obviously wasn't comfortable. As a running back, he's a straight-liner with good, not great pile-driving ability.
The Packers will be watching closely to see if two free agents, Freddie Jackson of Buffalo and Pierre Thomas of New Orleans, are released. One personnel man said Jackson, who played at Coe College, was considerably better than Wynn. Thomas finished exhibition play with 198 yards, a 5.8-yard average and three touchdowns.
Defensive line
The strongest area of the roster deserves the most picks. Don't be surprised if 11 of the 12 make it.
Free-agent rookie Daniel Muir is too strong, too passionate and too productive to cut. All summer, he has outplayed Justin Harrell. Plus, Muir proved in Tennessee that he can swing to end.
A bigger, stronger Mike Montgomery was a lock as the No. 4 end but will miss another month with a knee injury, opening the door for either Jason Hunter or Birdine. Both can run and will chase all over the field. Both also get overwhelmed too often against the run. Hunter's advantage is his role as "wedge-buster" on kickoffs.
Linebacker
Tracy White beat out highly touted Rory Johnson, and it wasn't even close. Johnson couldn't be trusted off the field in college and couldn't be trusted on the field in Green Bay. He turned out to be a dud.
Desmond Bishop was better this summer than Abdul Hodge, who appears headed for injured reserve. But Bishop was way too hit-or-miss in Tennessee. If A.J. Hawk or Nick Barnett go down, the Packers are in deep trouble.
Green Bay hasn't kept fewer than six since 1999 but might do it this year. Spencer Havner is versatile and dependable, but lacks speed and robustness. Tim Goodwell regressed after the first game, proving he can't play outside.
Cornerback
It took until the final game for Frank Walker, the unrestricted free agent, to show what he had. The difference between Walker and Patrick Dendy in terms of tight coverage ability, speed and explosiveness was dramatic.
Walker was so impressive in Tennessee that he could replace Jarrett Bush if Bush struggles as the nickel back. For now, he's the third backup behind Bush and Will Blackmon.
One personnel director said Walker definitely had trade value. The Rams' need stems from the fact that their No. 1, Fakhir Brown, is about to begin a four-game drug suspension and depth is thin.
Would the Packers take Fitzpatrick for Walker? Maybe, but maybe not. They'd like to see a lot more of Walker and he's valuable on special teams, too.
Tramon Williams is much more of an attacking-style kickoff returner than Clowney. His coverage isn't bad, either. He just isn't as talented or seasoned as Walker.
At safety, Ted Thompson is ready to bite the bullet on Marquand Manuel, his hand-picked strong safety. If the general manager can't unload him, he's going to cut his losses.
Charlie Peprah made a touchdown-saving tackle on Chris Brown's 17-yard run, appeared alert, really hustled and seems worthy of one backup job. Rookie Aaron Rouse didn't do much but takes the other backup berth by virtue of being a third-round pick.
Tyrone Culver looks like the odd man out after dropping an easy interception, missing the tackle on a 70-yard punt return and suffering a sprained shoulder in Tennessee.
Specialists
The guess is that the Packers give the gossamer-thin edge to rookie Mason Crosby over Dave Rayner. The charge that Crosby put into his missed 52-yard field goal Thursday night was remarkable.
Crosby made 86% of 114 attempts in practice compared with 80.7% for Rayner. Crosby's 10 kickoffs averaged 71 yards and 4.08 seconds of hang time compared with Rayner's marks of 72.9 and 4.05 on nine. Those are outstanding numbers.
Mike Sherman's decision to keep punters B.J. Sander and Bryan Barker in '04 was ludicrous because Sander wasn't any good. It's probably 50-50 that Thompson will keep two kickers until he can trade one. The reason being, they're both good.
Players await fate
By BOB McGINN
Green Bay - As usual, anguish and dismay will accompany the Green Bay Packers' announcement of their final roster reduction that is expected some time this evening.
Telling a person, in effect, that he's "fired" is not one of life's pleasures. But before anyone at 1265 Lombardi Ave. gets too emotional, he should remember that these decisions probably won't be all that significant.
The Packers have released about 150 players on the cut to 53 in the first seven years of the decade. Of those 150, merely four went on to make a legitimate name for themselves in the National Football League.
That list includes defensive end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila and guard Joe Andruzzi in 2000, linebacker Donnie Spragan in '01 and center Scott Wells in '04. Safety Atari Bigby, waived a year ago, now is in position to join them.
General manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy planned to cut a few players on Friday but instead decided to sleep on it. With their roster at 75 players, the Packers must get down to the 53-man limit by 5 p.m.
"I probably won't do nothing tonight," defensive end Larry Birdine said late Friday. "We're just hanging out with each other and doing whatever we can to keep our mind off of it. There are a lot of guys in the same boat."
Here's a position-by-position look entering the last cut:
Wide receiver
Traditionally, teams keep five. But the Packers have gone into two of the last three seasons with four and might just do it again.
Carlyle Holiday and rookie David Clowney are on the bubble. Holiday is powerful and has caught just about everything, but like the four ahead of him lacks big speed. Clowney, a fifth-round draft choice, hasn't played as fast as he clocked.
Holiday is the better player at this stage and could serve as the emergency No. 3 quarterback. Clowney is too much of a lateral runner on kickoff returns and can be knocked off routes too easily. A year on practice squad might do him wonders.
Tight end
The Packers have done such a poor job here that there are really only two worth keeping. They'll probably claim another on waivers, just as they claimed a guard, cornerback and safety one year ago.
Rookie Clark Harris, a seventh-round choice, was a bad pick. He never really made a play in camp and his blocking was subpar.
Free agent Zac Alcorn is able to pluck the ball almost like a wide receiver but he just never came to exhibit much feel as a receiver and his blocking remained weak. In Tennessee, he tried to execute a down block off an aggressive charge but when he crashed into linebacker Stephen Tulloch his own legs buckled and the linebacker drilled DeShawn Wynn in the hole.
Offensive line
Eight jobs are spoken for, with Junius Coston, Allen Barbre and Tony Moll as the primary backups. Coston, however, was soft in protection and was overpowered on some run blocks during his start at right guard against the Titans.
Given that Jason Spitz has and can play center, there doesn't seem much reason to keep Tyson Walter. He can play all five positions and has been in the league since '02. He just isn't very strong or physical.
Guard-center Tony Palmer looked like the best straight-ahead drive blocker in camp before a pulled hamstring sidelined him Aug. 14. He's supposed to be back next week.
Based on how poorly the No. 2 line has fared, there's no reason to think the Packers will go against tradition and keep a 10th lineman.
Quarterback
Not since 1989 have the Packers started a season without three but barring an acquisition that's the way it probably will go. Ingle Martin hit a plateau. Paul Thompson has athleticism, an arm and smarts, but he's just too far away right now.
St. Louis has a major void at cornerback and appears to be shopping Ryan Fitzpatrick, its No. 3 quarterback behind Marc Bulger and Gus Frerotte. Fitzpatrick, 24, started three games in '05 as a rookie, then was sharp Thursday night against Kansas City.
Running back
The Packers seem sold on rookie Korey Hall as their fullback, leaving Brandon Miree expendable. Miree didn't block well in Tennessee and is stiff in the passing game.
That leaves room for four running backs. Brandon Jackson and Vernand Morency will be two. After that, it's anyone's guess.
McCarthy spoke highly of Wynn's debut Thursday night but that was more wishful thinking than anything. Wynn was semi-slow to the hole, showed little change of gear or quick-cutting ability, caught the ball poorly and kept getting bounced in protection. He played into the fourth quarter after Noah Herron suffered a sprained knee.
Free agent Corey White played the final two series at fullback but obviously wasn't comfortable. As a running back, he's a straight-liner with good, not great pile-driving ability.
The Packers will be watching closely to see if two free agents, Freddie Jackson of Buffalo and Pierre Thomas of New Orleans, are released. One personnel man said Jackson, who played at Coe College, was considerably better than Wynn. Thomas finished exhibition play with 198 yards, a 5.8-yard average and three touchdowns.
Defensive line
The strongest area of the roster deserves the most picks. Don't be surprised if 11 of the 12 make it.
Free-agent rookie Daniel Muir is too strong, too passionate and too productive to cut. All summer, he has outplayed Justin Harrell. Plus, Muir proved in Tennessee that he can swing to end.
A bigger, stronger Mike Montgomery was a lock as the No. 4 end but will miss another month with a knee injury, opening the door for either Jason Hunter or Birdine. Both can run and will chase all over the field. Both also get overwhelmed too often against the run. Hunter's advantage is his role as "wedge-buster" on kickoffs.
Linebacker
Tracy White beat out highly touted Rory Johnson, and it wasn't even close. Johnson couldn't be trusted off the field in college and couldn't be trusted on the field in Green Bay. He turned out to be a dud.
Desmond Bishop was better this summer than Abdul Hodge, who appears headed for injured reserve. But Bishop was way too hit-or-miss in Tennessee. If A.J. Hawk or Nick Barnett go down, the Packers are in deep trouble.
Green Bay hasn't kept fewer than six since 1999 but might do it this year. Spencer Havner is versatile and dependable, but lacks speed and robustness. Tim Goodwell regressed after the first game, proving he can't play outside.
Cornerback
It took until the final game for Frank Walker, the unrestricted free agent, to show what he had. The difference between Walker and Patrick Dendy in terms of tight coverage ability, speed and explosiveness was dramatic.
Walker was so impressive in Tennessee that he could replace Jarrett Bush if Bush struggles as the nickel back. For now, he's the third backup behind Bush and Will Blackmon.
One personnel director said Walker definitely had trade value. The Rams' need stems from the fact that their No. 1, Fakhir Brown, is about to begin a four-game drug suspension and depth is thin.
Would the Packers take Fitzpatrick for Walker? Maybe, but maybe not. They'd like to see a lot more of Walker and he's valuable on special teams, too.
Tramon Williams is much more of an attacking-style kickoff returner than Clowney. His coverage isn't bad, either. He just isn't as talented or seasoned as Walker.
At safety, Ted Thompson is ready to bite the bullet on Marquand Manuel, his hand-picked strong safety. If the general manager can't unload him, he's going to cut his losses.
Charlie Peprah made a touchdown-saving tackle on Chris Brown's 17-yard run, appeared alert, really hustled and seems worthy of one backup job. Rookie Aaron Rouse didn't do much but takes the other backup berth by virtue of being a third-round pick.
Tyrone Culver looks like the odd man out after dropping an easy interception, missing the tackle on a 70-yard punt return and suffering a sprained shoulder in Tennessee.
Specialists
The guess is that the Packers give the gossamer-thin edge to rookie Mason Crosby over Dave Rayner. The charge that Crosby put into his missed 52-yard field goal Thursday night was remarkable.
Crosby made 86% of 114 attempts in practice compared with 80.7% for Rayner. Crosby's 10 kickoffs averaged 71 yards and 4.08 seconds of hang time compared with Rayner's marks of 72.9 and 4.05 on nine. Those are outstanding numbers.
Mike Sherman's decision to keep punters B.J. Sander and Bryan Barker in '04 was ludicrous because Sander wasn't any good. It's probably 50-50 that Thompson will keep two kickers until he can trade one. The reason being, they're both good.