Harrell - again.....

[Tyrone Bigguns]

^^^^
Must resist joke about TT's performance.

[Freak Out]

^^^^
Must resist joke about TT's performance.

Resistance is futile.

[Gunakor]

The Minnesota Vikings took the most talented player in teh draft with the 7th pick. He slipped that far because of injury risk. Look how that turned out.

If I recall, AP had 1 injury in his career (shoulder) and we all know how many hits a running back takes..

Harrell had the majority of his college career marred by injury, and now it carries over into the big league..

I agree every GM misses on draft picks, whether round one, or round 6.. But with so much at stake with a D1, I say you don't pick an injury guy..

Actually Peterson had an ankle problem in his sophomore season and a broken collar bone in his junior season. Harrell had an ankle problem in his junior season and a torn biceps in his senior season. I think he missed a game or 2 in his sophomore season for something nagging, but nothing much.

Its actually really close. Harrell just happened to be hurt a ton now while Peterson has only missed a few games.

Peterson actually showed a ton of ability and an even higher potential while in college. Harrell did not show anything in college that warrented him being picked as high as he was. Comparing Harrell's and AP's college careers is a joke.

Sorry you didn't get to see Harrell play while in college. When healthy, he was a freakin beast at DT for the Volunteers. He was going to go in the first round, whether we picked him or not. He was a first round projection due to how well he played when healthy. He'd have been top 10 if not for that torn bicep his senior year.

Great..he played fantastic in school and he was a beast....when he starts to do that in the NFL we'll stop bashing him and TT for drafting him. Both are paid millions to do a job and only one has performed to date.

You can't honestly expect every GM to hit on all of his draft picks. Tons of guys drafted in the first round for excellent play in college don't pan out in the NFL. Ron Wolf is an example of an outstanding GM who missed on more than a few of his high draft picks. Bash Harrell, he's the one not living up to expectation. I'd agree with you at this point. But he wasn't drafted out of position. You can't blame Ted Thompson.

Bashing TT because he missed on ONE first round draft pick during his time here is silly anyway. Hawk and Rodgers are pretty solid, aren't they? How's TT's second round looking? Third? Pretty solid across the board on day 1. Sure there's been some misses, but again, that happens to the best of them sometimes. Overall, I'd say it's pretty good. Cut the guy some slack.

[pbmax]

^^^^
Must resist joke about TT's performance.

You're back?

Is Campbell right behind you?

[LEWCWA]

I have no problem with the Harrell pick. He hasn't done shit, but that happens.....I also think big DT that can play are hard to come by. Given the chance, this is one position I truely believe you take gambles with!

[oregonpackfan]

^^^^
Must resist joke about TT's performance.

Resistance is futile.

Freak Out, you have to stop hanging around Seven of Nine. Her Borg personality is rubbing off on you!

[Freak Out]

^^^^
Must resist joke about TT's performance.

Resistance is futile.

Freak Out, you have to stop hanging around Seven of Nine. Her Borg personality is rubbing off on you!

I wish!

[Partial]

The Minnesota Vikings took the most talented player in teh draft with the 7th pick. He slipped that far because of injury risk. Look how that turned out.

If I recall, AP had 1 injury in his career (shoulder) and we all know how many hits a running back takes..

Harrell had the majority of his college career marred by injury, and now it carries over into the big league..

I agree every GM misses on draft picks, whether round one, or round 6.. But with so much at stake with a D1, I say you don't pick an injury guy..

Actually Peterson had an ankle problem in his sophomore season and a broken collar bone in his junior season. Harrell had an ankle problem in his junior season and a torn biceps in his senior season. I think he missed a game or 2 in his sophomore season for something nagging, but nothing much.

Its actually really close. Harrell just happened to be hurt a ton now while Peterson has only missed a few games.

But, one should argue whether it was wise to pick and injury prone player if he doesn't have super duper duper quadruper star potential. AP is the best player in the NFL. Justin Harrell is just a guy right now, and where is his ceiling? He is becomes a 5x pro bowler, then sure, but in retrospect the pick was pretty poor.

[Partial]

The pain for defensive tackle Justin Harrell and the disgruntlement for the Green Bay Packers just goes on and on.

On Friday, Harrell revealed that the lower-back issues that have dogged him since March haven't abated and doctors aren't sure what's causing them.

Harrell, a first-round draft choice in 2007, returned fully to practice Friday but was listed as questionable amid speculation that he won't play again this season.

"He fought through the practice," coach Mike McCarthy said. "Good to see him out there. He's going through a tough medical spot right now."

Listed with a hip injury, Harrell said the hip was interrelated with the back injury he suffered eight months ago. A team-affiliated doctor performed surgery on him for a ruptured disc on April 11. In August, he went out of state for additional back surgery.

"Just talking to the doctors, you really can't pinpoint what's actually going on," Harrell said. "It could be a variety of things. We've been dealing with my hip in the whole rehab process.

"I still really haven't got on the field. Ever since the first surgery, I've never been 100%, really. Just covered over it."

In October, not long before Harrell was activated to the roster, he said there had been no setbacks or pain since the second surgery.

"There's been times it just knots up and you've got to stop and kind of brace yourself," he said. "But it's not new to me. I've been dealing with it since the first time it happened.

"The whole disc and the pinched nerve and all that, it's been shooting pains all down your leg and stuff like that. We had to battle the leg and the hip getting tired. Every movement you make, you pretty much feel something."

Harrell has played in six games, averaging 20½ snaps. He has made almost no impact with 13 tackles, including 1½ for loss, and no pressures.

"I don't want to put my play on injuries," he said. "Of course, when you got pain, it's definitely going to hurt your game. But if you're out there, you've got to give it your best and try to make plays."

According to Harrell, probably the last time he felt 100% was during his high school days in Martin, Tenn. Injuries were his constant companion during five years at Tennessee and as a rookie in Green Bay.

"The higher up you go, the more bumps and bruises you're going to get," he said. "You've got to play through it."

Harrell's hope is that time and rest will heal his weakened spine. The possibility of a third surgery seemed distasteful to him.
Injury list

Fullback Korey Hall (knee) sat out another day and probably won't play Sunday in Jacksonville. Defensive end Jeremy Thompson (ankle) and linebacker Danny Lansanah (arm, ankle) practiced but are questionable.

Defensive tackle Ryan Pickett (illness) returned Friday and is fine.

McCarthy put off announcing his starting linebackers. Brandon Chillar (groin) is fine.

The Jaguars ruled out wide receiver Jerry Porter (groin).
Old ties

Former Packers guard Harry Galbreath was the offensive line coach in 2005 and '06 at Hampton University when the newest Packer, Nevin McCaskill, was the Pirates' left tackle. One of Galbreath's teammates at Tennessee, Green Bay director of football operations Reggie McKenzie, pushed for the Packers to sign McCaskill off Philadelphia's practice squad.

"Reggie McKenzie really liked him," McCarthy said. "I've watched him the last two days. I think he's very raw. He's got a nice, square body. The way we train in the off-season, I think this is the perfect spot for him."

McCaskill, 6 feet 3½ inches and 315 pounds, is playing guard in Green Bay. He signed a two-year contract for minimum salary.

"He had a little quickness to him," said a personnel director who evaluated McCaskill in August 2007 when he was in camp with Buffalo. "Decent feet. Wasn't real strong. Ran 5.45, didn't have very good range. Kind of a project."

McCaskill, a native of Tallahassee, Fla., spent all of '07 on the Bills' practice squad and seven weeks on the Eagles' practice squad this season.
More fines

The league fined linebacker Desmond Bishop $5,000 for the second time in a month. This time, he was nailed for grabbing the face mask of Houston fullback Vonta Leach.

Also, Chillar was fined $5,000 for unnecessarily striking wide receiver Steve Smith of Carolina on an interception return by Tramon Williams.
Pro Bowl

One Green Bay player, Charles Woodson, finished first in voting by fans for the Pro Bowl team.

Free safety Nick Collins finished third behind Washington's LaRon Landry and Philadelphia's Brian Dawkins. Finishing fourth were kicker Mason Crosby and special-teamer Jarrett Bush. Finishing fifth were wide receiver Greg Jennings, fullback Korey Hall and strong safety Atari Bigby.

About 85 million votes were cast by fans online. Many must have been Redskins fans, because players from Washington led nine of the 19 positions in the NFC.

Supposedly, the Pro Bowl teams are selected by one-third vote of coaches, one-third vote of players and one-third vote of fans.

In Green Bay on Thursday, the offensive players broke off to select a Pro Bowl defensive team just as the defensive players were selecting the offensive team. The coaches also met separately by platoon to make their choices.

McCarthy said he didn't participate in the coaches' deliberations.

The Pro Bowl teams will be announced Tuesday.

[Guiness]

Who is Nevin McCaskill?

We just picked him up? I didn't know we had a roster spot open.

[Partial]

Who is Nevin McCaskill?

We just picked him up? I didn't know we had a roster spot open.

Tausch.

[Zool]

The Minnesota Vikings took the most talented player in teh draft with the 7th pick. He slipped that far because of injury risk. Look how that turned out.

If I recall, AP had 1 injury in his career (shoulder) and we all know how many hits a running back takes..

Harrell had the majority of his college career marred by injury, and now it carries over into the big league..

I agree every GM misses on draft picks, whether round one, or round 6.. But with so much at stake with a D1, I say you don't pick an injury guy..

Actually Peterson had an ankle problem in his sophomore season and a broken collar bone in his junior season. Harrell had an ankle problem in his junior season and a torn biceps in his senior season. I think he missed a game or 2 in his sophomore season for something nagging, but nothing much.

Its actually really close. Harrell just happened to be hurt a ton now while Peterson has only missed a few games.

But, one should argue whether it was wise to pick and injury prone player if he doesn't have super duper duper quadruper star potential. AP is the best player in the NFL. Justin Harrell is just a guy right now, and where is his ceiling? He is becomes a 5x pro bowler, then sure, but in retrospect the pick was pretty poor.

There was absolutely no way of knowing this pre-draft and to say you 'knew' ahead of time is egotistical and completely false. I'm not here to defend the drafting of Harrell so much as try and point out that everyone here would have a much worse success rate than ANY GM in the NFL including Matt Millen at the NFL draft. Otherwise that person would at least be part of a scouting team for someone somewhere.

I just wish people would maybe stop thinking that the internet is their personal place to say whatever stupid fucking thing popped into their head.

[Partial]

I'm not saying I had any idea. No way did I. But, in retrospect that pick is looking pretty poor. You can't draft an injury prone guy in the 1st, even if he has top 5 talent. Unless he's going to be a top 5 player in the entire league it just doesn't seem worth it.

It was a miscalculation, just like thinking the offense and defense wouldn't skip a beat despite losing some of their best players this off-season.

Sucks that Harrell has amounted to nothing in two years.

[sheepshead]

Packers notes: Harrell 'trying' not to be a bust
By JASON WILDE
608-252-6176
jwilde@madison.com
GREEN BAY — Justin Harrell is sorry. He really is.

He's sorry he hasn't lived up to being the 16th overall pick in the 2007 draft, and he's sorry he's spent more time in the training room than he has on the football field as his second NFL season draws to a close.

But the Green Bay Packers' defensive tackle wants you to know he's doing what he can to not be the bust everyone thinks he is.

"I'm trying," Harrell said after Friday's practice, which left him questionable for Sunday's game at Jacksonville with a hip injury related to his offseason back problems. "It's not like I'm sitting back here on vacation, relaxing. I really am trying to work and trying to get this back (healthy) and really make it go away. And it hasn't so far.

"Everybody's entitled to their opinion, and by my performance, I guess they have a reason to say that (I'm a bust). I've said all along, I'm not going to shy away from it. I'm going to face it head-on and just try to do everything I can to change their opinion. And if they still feel that way, I've still got to play. I'm a Green Bay Packer until they release me or whatever, and that's how I'm going to approach it."

At least publicly, his coaches haven't given up on him, either. Coach Mike McCarthy called him a "young player (who) is fully capable of doing all the things that we expect from him," although defensive tackles coach Robert Nunn acknowledged that the staff still doesn't know whether he'll ever become a dependable player.

"There's no way of knowing. Time is going to tell how everything is going to unfold," Nunn said. "Certainly it has not unfolded the way anyone wanted it to or anyone's expected it to. It's been frustrating for all of us involved. I really don't know."

After a pair of offseason back surgeries to repair a bulging disc and compressed nerve, Harrell was activated from the physically unable to perform list following the Oct. 26 bye week. Harrell has seven tackles in six games this season and played nine games (including playoffs) as a rookie last season because of an ankle injury and a preexisting arm injury from college.

Nunn said with the trade of Corey Williams to Cleveland, the Packers "definitely were counting on him being in the mix" entering the season, but the back injury scuttled that plan.

"It started off almost immediately after that when he had the back problem, and we were never able to get his feet back firmly on the ground," Nunn said.

Because Harrell has yet to participate in an offseason workout program because of his various injuries, and his training camp work has been limited to light work his rookie year, the hope is that with a full year of preparation, he will be a factor in 2009. But again, there's no guarantee.

"Ever since the first (back) surgery, I've never been 100 percent, really," Harrell said. "It's one of those injuries that is going to heal with time, and right now we don't have time. So I'm just trying to push through and in the offseason let everything heal up.

"(This offseason) is going to be huge, man. I just want to get healthy and make sure I come back and just do everything I can to hold up for a season and try to stay injury-free and get ready to work. The injury bug has been biting me for the past couple years.

"They brought me here for a reason, and I understand that, and it hasn't gone my way since I've been here. But you have to keep working for that day that everything starts going your way and just go out there and play football."

Extra points

[texaspackerbacker]

Does it occur to anybody that maybe Ryan pickett has the right idea--just lay low and heal up in the off-season?

I don't know if Harrell was lifting weights or what he was doing when he hurt his back, but it's safe to say it wouldn't have happened sitting around watching TV. Back in the day, when players didn't do all this off-season training, it seems to me there was a lot less injuries.

Some guys maybe need it--somebody trying to bulk up or whatever, but I'm convinced most players would be better off just giving their bodies a rest. That is especially true for somebody coming off an injury.