How long will he be a Packer?

[Patler]

Where do you stand on Brandon Underwood's future with the Packers?

If he isn't charged, I suspect he will go into camp, and we will hear from the coaches how well Lee, Bell, Ford and Shields are doing. Little will be said of Underwood, other than he is "trying" but he has a lot of competition for a spot. The final cutdown list will come out, and Underwood's name will be on it. The coaches will talk of how much the others stepped up, their ST potential, etc. It may be true, but it won't be the whole story. Factors I considered are these:

- The coaching staff was very disappointed in his effort last year and unusually critical about a rookie.
- He apparently rubbed a lot of teammates the wrong way from the start, based on recent comments.
- MM tried to bolster his ego, and put him on the spot for effort, a coaching ploy more than fact, I suspect.
- Underwood is not so inherently talented as to warrant a big risk by the team. (Contrast with Jolly).
- The Packers will choose to rid themselves of him quietly, rather than "because of" last weekend. They may want to do it now, and that might satisfy one group of fans, but to do so would oppose other fans who will raise questions of punishing him even if no crime was charged, the presumption of innocence, youthful indiscretions, etc. Cutting him at the final cutdown defuses all of that.

If he is charged by the DA, he will be gone much sooner.

[Scott Campbell]

Re: How long will he be a Packer?

- Underwood is not so inherently talented as to warrant a big risk by the team. (Contrast with Jolly).

I haven't seen him play a whole lot yet, so it's tough to say. And I guess it depends on if he really made a big jump since last year as McCarthy said recently.

I think they're short handed at CB, and I'm not sure if this incident reached a threshold of bad behavior that he can't recover from. I guess it depends on how much previous baggage he was carrying around.

[vince]

Tough call for me between the last two options. Right now, I hope Bell steps up, and you can't be convinced that he'll ultimately change his spots. I think they'll cut him in the final cuts.

[sharpe1027]

Re: How long will he be a Packer?

If they can get him to look good in some preseason games, I think he's a prime candidate for a late-round/conditional pick trade. A change of scenery might be good for everyone involved.

[Patler]

Re: How long will he be a Packer?

If they can get him to look good in some preseason games, I think he's a prime candidate for a late-round/conditional pick trade. A change of scenery might be good for everyone involved.

That would be ideal, but I think somewhat unlikely. For him to really be able to concentrate on football and give his best effort will be a real challenge. I doubt he will have a happy and supportive wife in the immediate future, and from the talk of the coaches last year, effort and dedication were not his strengths to begin with.

As for a trading partner? I think he would have to show an awful lot for anyone to give up a pick for him, if they think he will be waived anyway. The NFL just doesn't have a lot of trades except at draft time. I suspect the attitudes of an interested GM might be, "If I can get him for nothing, I'll take a look; but I'm not willing to give up anything just to get to know him at this point."

[Scott Campbell]

“The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated”.



We'll see.

[Patler]

“The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated”.



We'll see.

We don't get to DECIDE ??

[sharpe1027]

Re: How long will he be a Packer?

That would be ideal, but I think somewhat unlikely. For him to really be able to concentrate on football and give his best effort will be a real challenge. I doubt he will have a happy and supportive wife in the immediate future, and from the talk of the coaches last year, effort and dedication were not his strengths to begin with.

As for a trading partner? I think he would have to show an awful lot for anyone to give up a pick for him, if they think he will be waived anyway. The NFL just doesn't have a lot of trades except at draft time. I suspect the attitudes of an interested GM might be, "If I can get him for nothing, I'll take a look; but I'm not willing to give up anything just to get to know him at this point."

It would all depend upon his perceived value. If he was good enough, an interested GM might not think he could be gotten for nothing because the Packers would probably not cut him. A team might offer a conditional draft pick that means very little if he doesn't work out for them.

[RashanGary]

My initial guess is not very long, might not even make the team this year.


But, he's young in every meaningful sense of the word. He has a chance if he plays well and flys straight.

[Patler]

Re: How long will he be a Packer?

That would be ideal, but I think somewhat unlikely. For him to really be able to concentrate on football and give his best effort will be a real challenge. I doubt he will have a happy and supportive wife in the immediate future, and from the talk of the coaches last year, effort and dedication were not his strengths to begin with.

As for a trading partner? I think he would have to show an awful lot for anyone to give up a pick for him, if they think he will be waived anyway. The NFL just doesn't have a lot of trades except at draft time. I suspect the attitudes of an interested GM might be, "If I can get him for nothing, I'll take a look; but I'm not willing to give up anything just to get to know him at this point."

It would all depend upon his perceived value. If he was good enough, an interested GM might not think he could be gotten for nothing because the Packers would probably not cut him. A team might offer a conditional draft pick that means very little if he doesn't work out for them.

Sure, every trade depends on perceived value. But how often does that happen for any 6th round draft pick, let alone one with the baggage Underwood will have. I'm not saying it can't happen, just that saying I think it is very, very unlikely for a lot of reasons.

Besides, if he show so much that someone else will want him that much, the Packers will probably keep him!!

[get louder at lambeau]

Looks like the charges might be bunk. The girls reportedly changed their stories from a bunch of Packers holding them down to just Underwood.

[sharpe1027]

Re: How long will he be a Packer?

Sure, every trade depends on perceived value. But how often does that happen for any 6th round draft pick, let alone one with the baggage Underwood will have. I'm not saying it can't happen, just that saying I think it is very, very unlikely for a lot of reasons.

Besides, if he show so much that someone else will want him that much, the Packers will probably keep him!!

You say potato, I say potato.

If the Packers don't want to keep him because he has pissed off his teammates and the coaches, but he shows enough promise, he would be a prime candidate for a trade. I don't think it is a forgone conclusion, but stranger things have happened ... we traded for Grant even though he wasn't drafted in any round and was buried so deep on the depth chart I doubt the Giants coaches even knew he was still there.

Anyway, I didn't intend to argue semantics about the percentage likelihood of it happening. It just seems to make sense and to be a decent solution for everyone.

[BF4MVP]

The way McCarthy was talking about him recently leads me to believe he'll make it..We'll see how this whole thing turns out, though.

[cheesner]

I think if they decide now to get rid of him, they won't go through all those motions only to dump him on the final cutdown for 2 reasons.

1. Cutting him now would send a much clearer message to all on the team, those in the future on the team, the league, and Packer fans.

2. Cutting him later would only decrease the reps for others and tie up a roster spot that never had a chance anyway.



I think, that Underwood will not be charged and will be on the team all season. He will probably be given a stern warning to keep his nose clean or he will be gone.

[Patler]

The way McCarthy was talking about him recently leads me to believe he'll make it..We'll see how this whole thing turns out, though.

I'm getting a feeling this may have been a coaching ploy by MM, talk up the player's effort and new found maturity in the media and challenge him to live up to it. I'm not convinced it was based on fact.