Railbird Central : Tyrell Sutton

Packers coaches ignore preseason play

Brian Carriveau — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:19:07 GMT

Some might say the relevance of this column is past, and that may be so. It also might be long overdue.

Based upon roster cuts and personnel decisions made by the coaching staff, it's obvious that the Green Bay Packers don't care about preseason football games. How else can one explain the apathy toward perhaps the three best individual performances of the '09 preseason.

Take Tyrell Sutton for example (yes, I'm beating a horse that's not only dead, it's rotten and decaying as well). He was the Packers leading rusher during the preseason, gaining nearly 100 more yards than the next closest player. He also had a 4.8 yard average per carry, best on the team among running backs.

Fans know the story by now. Sutton is cut and eventually signed by the Carolina Panthers. Meanwhile, the Packers have an ineffective running game, are injury-riddled at the position and have just signed an aging Ahman Green whose best years are behind him.

I'm not naive enough to think that Sutton was the cure for all that ails the Packer defense. But I think even the most ardent supporters of the Mike McCarthy/Ted Thompson regime would rather have seen a rookie with potential and fresh legs like Sutton rather than a veteran past his prime like Green.

Sutton is far from the only case study. Also released on the final day of roster cutdowns was safety Anthony Smith at another position where the Packers have had their fair share of troubles.

Given the injury to Atari Bigby, hindsight is 20/20. But combined with the release of Aaron Rouse, Smith would have proven to be a more capable backup at safety than either Derrick Martin or Matt Giordano, both of whom have had to learn the Packers' defense after training camp.

Smith was the only free agent of any significance signed this offseason and could have figured into the Packers' equation on defense. Considering the contract status of Nick Collins, the injury situation regarding Bigby and the below average histories of Jarrett Bush, Martin and Giordano, Smith could have lent at least a modicum of stability at safety.

He, too, performed well during the preseason. One of only two players on the team with at least two interceptions during preseason play, Smith also tallied a sack on a safety blitz and also led the team in passes defensed to boot.

And finally for the player still on the Packers' roster but with no more than a special teams role, Desmond Bishop. Despite a lack of impact plays from the inside linebacker position, Bishop still rusts away on the bench.

He was the team's leading tackler in the preseason but also tallied a sack, two interceptions, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and two passes defended. With those kinds of stats Bishop probably had the best overall preseason of any single player on the Packers' roster.

Now in Bishop's third season as a pro, it's unclear whether the coaching staff is holding him back due to deficiencies from seasons past or problems seen during practice. Either way, Bishop did everything in his power to prove himself on the field of play.

Shouldn't performance during game situations be the number one evaluation tool? If not, shouldn't it at least rank near the top? In regards to the Packers, it appears not.

Three tweets 10.21.09

Brian Carriveau — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 22:41:47 GMT

I'll be providing at least three thoughts about the Green Bay Packers per day on Twitter. Here what I'm tweeting about:

1. Tyrell Sutton's biggest supporter doesn't think he would have had 1500 yards this season, but I also think he'd be better than Ahman Green.

2. Remember when Tramon Williams returned a pooch punt for an touchdown in '07? Hoping for a repeat performance now that he's the return man.

3. I'm impressed that Ryan Pickett plays on the field goal unit. That's great that the big guy is active on special teams on top of defense.

Join the craze. Click here to follow Railbird Central or Brian Carriveau on Twitter.

Packers make mistakes on Sutton and Smith

Brian Carriveau — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 00:02:35 GMT

It's no surprise that two players released by the Green Bay Packers were picked up on waivers by other NFL teams. Running back Tyrell Sutton signed with the Carolina Panthers and safety Anthony Smith latched on with the St. Louis Rams.

Unfortunately, these two players should be receiving paychecks while playing for the green and gold.

Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette offered his readers a nugget of knowledge a couple days ago when writing about the Packers releasing quarterback Brian Brohm. "Coach Mike McCarthy’s background is working with quarterbacks, and he and General Manager Ted Thompson had seen enough to invoke an old NFL adage: Don’t compound a draft mistake by keeping the mistake," writes Dougherty.

The Packers didn't make any draft mistakes with either Sutton or Smith, but they are compounding their mistakes by keeping a couple other players they should have let go.

Sutton looked like a special player in the preseason. About the only thing he hasn't shown he can do is protect the quarterback. But he's only a rookie. That's something he can improve upon with practice.

And if he wasn't ready for the NFL regular season, the Packers could have kept him off the 45-man active roster on game days. With Ryan Grant, Brandon Jackson and DeShawn Wynn.

Skill position players are a valuable commodity in the NFL. It's possible that the Packers could have traded Sutton away in future seasons even if he was blocked on the depth chart in Green Bay. By cutting him, the Packers lost that opportunity.

The mistake that compounded the Packers decision to let Sutton go was to keep three fullbacks on the roster. Maybe they'll trade one away, but the chances of that happening now are unlikely.

It's possible that all three fullbacks are among the 53 best players on the roster, but the Packers can easily get by with two. It's hard enough to get three fullbacks involved in an offensive game plan, let alone three. And as for special teams, it's hard to believe that there isn't some linebacker that could take the place of the third best fullback.

Regarding Anthony Smith, the free agent pick-up did just about everything asked of him this training camp. With two interceptions and a sack in preseason play, he looked like a play-maker in Dom Capers' defense.

There were concerns that Smith was a locker room cancer, but general manager Ted Thompson all but dispelled those concerns in his post-cut press conference.

"I thought Anthony was a good teammate and he was productive," said Thompson.

The player who should have been cut and the Packers made a mistake on was Aaron Rouse. Not only has Rouse been inconsistent in his two season with the Packers, now there are injury concerns as well.

The cuts of both Sutton and Smith have shown that not enough emphasis is being placed upon on-field production. I'm sure there are flaws that Thompson and the coaching staff are seeing either on the practice field, in meetings or in the locker room, but shouldn't production trump that?

Packers Daily Links: the '09 practice squad edition

Brian Carriveau — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 14:35:15 GMT

Links. Get it?

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Tom Pelissero of the Green Bay Press-Gazette digs up a little dirt on newly acquired safety Derrick Martin. "Martin also arrives as the guy who, in the summer of 2008, was arrested at a Cleveland airport security checkpoint with what police said were believed to be three small bags of marijuana in his luggage," reports Pelissero. It's just as important to note that the charges were dropped, and Martin has never failed a drug test. Make sure to watch tomorrow night's episode of Packer Transplants when Pelissero will be a guest. We'll make sure to talk to him further about this subject.

Brian Brohm was one of eight players signed to the Packers' practice squad announced on Sunday. "It's probably a wise choice considering the Packers have just two quarterbacks, starter Aaron Rodgers and Matt Flynn, on their active roster," writes Greg Bedard of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "An injury to either - Flynn hasn't thrown a pass in two weeks due to a sprained shoulder - and Brohm, who already knows the system, could quickly be promoted to the active roster as insurance." Brohm is now treading on thin ice. He needs to show improvement fast, because the Packers will be quick to cut him if he doesn't.

Tyrell Sutton was claimed on waivers by the Carolina Panthers, surprise, surprise. "In essence, the Packers chose a third fullback ahead of two halfbacks they released: second-year pro Kregg Lumpkin and undrafted rookie Tyrell Sutton," writes Pete Dougherty of the Press-Gazette. Lumpkin was signed to the practice squad. The Packers made a mistake by not keeping Sutton on the 53-man roster, but they'll have doubled their mistake if they fail to trade a fullback like John Kuhn.

The Packers failed to retain linebacker Danny Lansanah. "A source said the Packers also wanted to keep inside linebacker Danny Lansanah, who played in five games last season," writes Pelissero. "But with nine linebackers on the active roster, Lansanah turned down the offer to explore other opportunities." This was a disappointing development. Lansanah was by no means a great linebacker, but he really seemed to improve throughout the course of this past training camp. If there was an injury to an inside linebacker, he would have been a good choice to bring up.

Acme Packing Company takes a look at the makeup of the entire practice squad. "In July, Jake Allen was the talk of training camp. The 6'4 receiver had drawn some attention to himself after making a series of spectacular catches, demonstrating some impressive athleticism," according to the article. "But Allen's play in practice did not translate to the playing field, as he failed to make a mark in any of the preseason games." I was surprised to see the Packers also didn't keep Kole Heckendorf on the practice squad.

Chris Lempesis of Ol' Bag of Donuts breaks down the Packers' roster including the running backs. "(Brandon) Jackson is entering a crucial year," writes Lempesis. "He has to show just why the team used a second round pick on him in 2007. He’s already hurt and might miss the season opener, so he’s not off to a good start." This is just another reason why the Packers should have kept Sutton.

Mr. Man at Camp Lambeau likes the young linebackers on the Packers' roster. "There was also likely some debate between developmental 3-4 outside linebackers Brad Jones (a late round draft pick this April) and Curil Obiozior (sic)," writes Mr. Man. "The team kept Jones on the roster, but managed to stash Obi on the practice squad. Again, a success from my perspective."

Donald's Designated Driver over at All Kinds of Time likes the idea of the Packers signing quarterback A.J. Feeley. "I wouldn't mind Thompson bringing him in as the 2nd or 3rd QB," writes D.D. Driver. "He'd be a better fit than some of the other names that I have heard tossed around like Booty and Garcia."

Greg C. of Packers Lounge is concerned about the Packers' special teams. "Mason Crosby is very good on kickoffs, but kickoffs don’t win or lose games, field goals do," writes Greg C. "In his first two seasons, Crosby has been in the lower reaches of the NFL in terms of field goal percentage, and he blew two potential game-winners last year. In the preseason, he’s been up and down."

Lori Nickel of the Journal Sentinel profiles Ryan Grant.

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Packers Daily Links: the '09 cutdown edition

Brian Carriveau — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 15:54:00 GMT

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I guess I'm eating crow today. I've been saying the Packers are going to keep four halfbacks for weeks. I still think they should have. Thankfully somebody agrees with me. Andy from Packergeeks asks if Ted Thompson was stoned. "I’m tired of the Packers being content with bigger body type runners," writes Hayes. "Sutton was exciting because he could make people miss better than any back we’ve had in a long time (probably back to DeMond Parker days…yes, Steve, DeMond Parker). I’m frustated by this move. Considering there was a major bidding war for Sutton after the draft to pick him up as a free agent, I’m pretty sure he won’t make it past waivers." I wholeheartedly agree. Did you see this guy play football? I cannot believe they cut him. This one may come back to bite the Packers. Sutton can run, can catch the ball out of the backfield, and he looked decent on kick returns. Sure, he struggled in pass protection. But guess what? He's a rookie! He'll learn and get better. This frustrates me more than any other cut.

The next most surprising move was the cut of safety Anthony Smith. The free agent pickup from Pittsburgh looked pretty good with two interceptions and a sack in preseason play. "The knock against Smith has always been that he can't play within the system and takes too many chances," writes Donald's Designated Driver of the blog All Kinds of Time. "When the Packers are letting teams convert third and distance, you can't have a cowboy in the defensive backfield who is off doing his own thing." While that may be true, the chances he took seemed to pay off in the preseason. The Packers have another player like that in Nick Collins. Maybe they can't afford two of those types of players in the same backfield.

Aaron Nagler of Cheesehead TV wonders if the cut of Smith may not have to do with his play on the field, but more to do with his attitude, which was well chronicled with the Steelers. "If character was the deciding factor, this follows what can only be described as a disconcerting trend of the Packers always favoring Thompson’s precious ‘chemistry’ over actual, you know, talent," writes Nagler. That brings up a good point. Guys who back up their mouth with their play on the field tend to be okay. While we can't see behind the scenes, Smith certainly didn't do anything publicly to throw up any warning flags.

Smith is being replaced by Derrick Martin whom the Packers received in a trade for Tony Moll yesterday. "The Green Bay Packers got lucky Saturday, trading a player they in all likelihood planned to cut in exchange for a defensive back that figures to be their No. 3 safety next Sunday night against the Chicago Bears," writes Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. I give the Packers credit for getting anything in return for Moll, but I still question whether getting Martin at the expense of cutting Anthony Smith was the right call. Martin can also play cornerback and special teams, which helps his and the team's cause.

The Packers cut '08 second round draft pick Brian Brohm, which brings up a good point by Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. "Coach Mike McCarthy’s background is working with quarterbacks, and he and General Manager Ted Thompson had seen enough to invoke an old NFL adage: Don’t compound a draft mistake by keeping the mistake," writes Dougherty. That really stuck in my mind and changed the way I think about Brohm. There's a chance that Brohm may end up on the practice squad, but if he's really not the answer, why not pickup some other quarterback with promise and start teaching him the offense. Whoever they pick up probably can't be any worse than Brohm.

Brad Biggs of the National Football Post says Justin Harrell may have been a wasted draft choice. "The further Justin Harrell gets away from 2007 when he was a first-round draft pick, the more he looks like one of the biggest flops in recent Green Bay Packers history," writes Biggs. "There won’t be any questions about his play this season, though, as the club announced that Harrell is one of four players who were placed on injured reserve as Green Bay cut down to the roster limit of 53." I can't blame the Packers for making this move. Either he can play or he can't. If he can't, there's no use wasting a roster spot on him.

Brett Swain was picked over veteran wide receiver Ruvell Martin to be kept on the 53-man roster. "When Swain started there the final two games of the exhibition season and also was on the No. 1 unit on punt return and punt coverage, it was blatantly obvious he was being given every chance to unseat Martin as the No. 5 receiver," writes Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel. "After playing a large volume of special teams, a considerable amount of wide receiver and one series at cornerback in the exhibition finale against Tennessee on Thursday night, Swain locked up his spot." I used to worry that getting rid of Martin would take away that tall, red zone threat. But then I remembered the emergence of Jermichael Finley to fulfill that role.

MJ Kasprzak of the Frozen Tundra thinks the Packers should sign quarterback Jeff Garcia. "There may be no team whose success more rests on the arm of their quarterback than the Packers and the Indianapolis Colts," writes Kasprzak. "Green Bay is the team that has the cap room to make this move, and it is an offense Garcia has run for almost his entire career." Personally, I think they'll be fine with Matt Flynn backing up Aaron Rodgers.

Pete Dougherty of the Press-Gazette warns us that the Packers could trade or cut one of their three fullbacks by later in the week. "One of the biggest surprises Saturday was General Manager Ted Thompson’s decision to keep three fullbacks instead of the usual two, considering fullbacks almost exclusively are blockers and special-teams players," writes Dougherty. "That doesn’t mean they won’t trade or release one later this week, but they clearly were loathe to cut fifth-round draft pick Quinn Johnson because of his potential even though Korey Hall and John Kuhn are superior players right now." I'd like to think this will happen. I know you always keep your 53 best players, but why keep three when one of them is all but guaranteed not to contribute any given week?

It was a minor surprise that the Packers cut fifth round draft choice Jamon Meredith. "By dumping Meredith, the Packers had to swallow his $172,500 signing bonus," writes Bob McGinn of the Journal Sentinel. "He had a horrible outing in Tennessee, giving up a sack, a knockdown and five hurries in 2 1/2 quarters at left tackle." I thought they'd keep Meredith, but I can't say I disagree with the move. As long as they can develop him on the practice squad, they can try to develop him yet.

Chris Lempesis of Ol' Bag of Donuts questions why the Packers kept Evan Dietrich-Smith instead of Meredith. "Dietrich-Smith had himself a decent camp and he does provide depth at multiple spots," writes Lempesis. "Doesn’t Scott Wells already do that, though?" That's certainly an interesting thought. Maybe the undrafted rookie would have been better off being developed on the practice squad.

The Packers placed cornerback Pat Lee on injured reserve, and Patrick Zoul of Packers Gab thinks Lee is down to his ninth life in Green Bay. "Patrick Lee showed next to nothing this preseason and 2010 will be his last chance to earn a roster spot," writes Zoul.

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