R.I.P. Kevin Barry

[mraynrand]

MMMMMMmmmmmmmmm........Fried Chicken.....My one weakness!

Bye Bye Belt!!!

[Murphy37]

Finally a thread about fried chicken. I don't eat it that often, but damn is it good on special occaisions
Kevin Barry, well I'm a bit dissapointed. I wasn't counting on him being a super star, but he is what you need on this team, an experienced O-lineman. Doesn't matter if he's starting material or not. He's an experienced body that you can plug a hole with if needed. His contract is a different matter.

[Harlan Huckleby]

I think KFC and other chicken chain stores have made people forget what real fried chicken tastes like. Come to think of, I forget too. But it was damn good.

[Noodle]

I'd forgotten too, so I tried to make a batch of Fried Chicken recently.

Total friggin' disaster. Set off smoke alarms, and my house smelled like a McD's deep fat fryer for a week.

Still, crunchy on the outside, moist on the inside ... MMMMmmm ... deep fried dead bird.

[Harlan Huckleby]

i think the trick is you have to pluck feathers first.

[Murphy37]

Pluck the feathers, then you have to choke it. Get it, Choke the chicken! Ah, I'm the funniest thing since Carrot Top.

[Scott Campbell]

Updated: May 23, 2006, 2:26 PM ET
Barry tears quad tendon, likely out for year
By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com

Four-year veteran offensive lineman Kevin Barry, who was contending for a starting job on the Green Bay Packers' revamped blocking unit, likely will miss the entire 2006 season after tests revealed he sustained a torn left quadriceps tendon during a workout last Sunday morning.

First-year coach Mike McCarthy confirmed the torn quadriceps Tuesday after Barry underwent two days of testing to determine the extent of the injury.

Barry, 26, will undergo surgery, likely within the next week, and Green Bay officials will wait for results of the operation to determine whether to place him on injured reserve for the year. Such quadriceps injuries, however, require a long rehabilitation period, particularly for linemen.

The injury occurred during a one-on-one pass blocking drill and, when Barry crumpled to the ground, the immediate suspicion was that the injury was a severe one.

The loss of Barry, a promising lineman who has struggled with weight issues throughout his NFL career, is a setback for the Packers, who have dramatically changed their line philosophy to a zone-blocking scheme under McCarthy and offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski. Because of the switch, which requires quicker linemen, and the departure of center Mike Flanagan in free agency, Green Bay is rebuilding the interior of its offensive line.

Even though he is bigger (6-feet-4, 341 pounds) than the new staff prefers, Barry was challenging for a starting spot at guard. He was also the team's most experienced backup at tackle, behind starters Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher, and spent part of the offseason working at tackle. In the past, Barry often lined up as an extra tight end in short-yardage and goal-line situations, or when former coach Mike Sherman opted to go to his so-called "U-71" personnel package, to stress a power running game.

If Barry is lost for the season, the Packers could line up with rookie Daryn Colledge, a second-round draft choice, and second-year veteran Junius Coston at the guard spots. Two-year veteran Scott Wells is the likely successor to Flanagan as the starting center.

A former University of Arizona standout, Barry made the Green Bay roster in 2002 as an undrafted college free agent. In four seasons, he has appeared in 59 games and logged eight starts. Barry has always been an intriguing prospect, a physically gifted player the Green Bay staff believed possessed starter-level skills if he could get his weight under control.

[jack's smirking revenge]

Well that just sucks chicken gizzards.

tyler

[Noodle]

Thanks for the update, SC.

Very bad news. Same injury that Green had. But Green's an athletic specimen -- Barry's a specimen too, I guess, but the not so good kind.

You gotta feel badly for the guy. There's no good injury, but to cash your chips in shorts in May has got to be a serious bummer.

Bad for Barry, and bad for us. Even with zone, I liked the idea of having Barry around in case something were to happen to Cliffton or Tauscher. He may not be athletic, but Barry could anchor in pass pro and drive block like a mofo, two handy skills to have in a pinch.

[Scott Campbell]

He could really balloon with an entire year off. I wonder what the cap ramifications are to letting him go after this year if he can't put the fork down.

[Pack0514]

Looks like Klemm just guaranteed himself a roster spot as long as he doesnt get caught screwing any of the coaches daughters.

[jack's smirking revenge]

Maybe we should base the cap on $$$/lb.

tyler

[Patler]

Guys like Barry are important for inside the 5 yard line and "goal to go" situations, especially if our regular O-line are all the anorexic type needed for zone blocking.

[Noodle]

As for cap hit, that's a good question, and beyond my abilities. I think he just signed a new 2-year contract, which paid him 1.2 in bonus money this year, along with a base salary of $625k and a $25k workout bonus. Next year, the contract was going to pay him $910,000 and had the $25k workout bonus, with no other kickers that I'm aware of.

The good news for Barry is that the $1.2m was up front money that I think has been paid.

The bad news for Barry is that you can do a lot of damage at Sizzler with $1.2m.

[Patler]

The only significance to the cap this year is that another player will also be paid to take his place. They certainly won't be releasing him before June 1, he was injured so absent a miraculous recovery they are on the hook for his full 2006 salary just as they would if he played the full year. It was a 2-year contract so all the remaining bonus amounts were due next year anyway. If he doesn't recover they can release him and save his 2007 salary.