And the cuts start rolling in...

Dan Haddinger — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 04:01:46 GMT

According to ESPN, here are the Packers cuts so far:

Wide receivers Jake Allen, Johnny Quinn, Taj Smith and Brett Swain, cornerbacks Scorpio Babers and Joe Porter, defensive tackles Conrad Bolston, Alfred Malone and Daniel Muir, center Brennen Carvalho, safety Tyrone Culver, linebackers Spencer Havner and Danny Lansanah, tight end Joey Haynos, running backs Noah Herron and Vernand Morency, guard Ryan Keenan, tackle Orrin Thompson and fullback Corey White.

They also placed defensive tackle Rodney Allen, center Junius Coston and long snapper J.J. Jansen on injured reserve.

Some of the cuts are a little surpising, in my opinion. Getting rid of both Herron and Morency? That gives us a VERY young backfield. Combine that with the age of all of our QB's and we've got a group of kids who have no idea who the ThunderCats are.

We'll just see if Ted is looking to pick anyone up from wire. Looks like there's been a few bigger names let go.

My choice (and yes I know I sound like a homer) but let's bring in Nick Hayden. Panthers cut him today too and we could use someone with a good motor on the D line.

Blue chips, red chips & cow chips from Packers vs. Broncos game

Brian Carriveau — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 15:53:23 GMT

After viewing the first win for the Green Bay Packers this preseason, here's how things break down:

The blue chip, amazing performances:

Aaron Rodgers -- One week after there was cause for concern, Rodgers rebounded with a solid bordering on spectacular performance. Rodgers was 18 or 22 on the game for 193 yards with one touchdown and zero interceptions. Of his four incompletions, one was an obvious drop and another was a catch that was out of bounds. Given those miscues it was a great performances. After last week's game against the San Francisco 49ers in which Rodgers was criticized for hanging onto the ball to long, which led to four sacks, both Rodgers and the offensive line improved their play allowing only one sack.
Special teams -- For the second week in a row, punter Jon Ryan killed. The third year pro had a 60 yard gross average on three punts with a 49.7 yard net (!) and a long of 72 yards. Performances like that will pin opponents deep in their own territory. It's also possible that the Packers will have the deepest return specialist unit in the NFL. None of them are as talented as Devin Hester or Josh Cribbs, but do you realize that Tramon Williams is probably going to be the third string punt returner? And that makes Charles Woodson fourth string?!?! I still don't know how or why the Packers won't put Jordy Nelson on their first string kickoff return tandem with Will Blackmon. How can you not have him on the field?

The red chip, solid performers:

Wide receivers -- The receiving unit has been under fire lately for an unusually high amount of dropped passes. As if Aaron Rodgers' job isn't tough enough, he's been plagued by drops that aren't his fault. The receivers had a solid game and could have been in the blue chip category had James Jones not had a drop. After key drops in each of the first two preseason games, Donald Driver was back to his old self with a touchdown. Greg Jennings led the team in receptions despite playing in his first preseason game this year. And solid performances were turned in by Ruvell Martin, Jordy Nelson, and Chris Francies as well.
The backup halfbacks -- Maybe the toughest personnel decision the Packers will have to make is what to do with the halfbacks. They normally keep three, but five are deserving. Ryan Grant and Brandon Jackson are locks, but Vernand Morency, Noah Herron and Kregg Lumpkin are all making a case to stick around. The Packers may keep four of them just because they'd be among the 53 best players on the roster regardless of position. Vernand Morency will be tough to cut because he's a veteran who's had a 100 yard game in the past, he's a reliable blocker and he's a key special teams contributor. But can the Packers afford to keep a fourth? Herron averaged 6.8 yards on four carries last night in hopes of proving his worth? And Lumpkin led the team in yards and had another touchdown. The Packers could try to keep Lumpkin on their practice squad but risk losing him if another team thinks he's worthy of being on their 53 man roster.

The cow chip, poor performances:

The defensive line -- The Packers are sorely, sorely missing Ryan Pickett. His anchor in the middle of the line is invaluable to the performance of the line as a whole. He sometimes demands double teaming, and at the very least, he frees up linebackers to make tackles. The rest of the tackles are simply under-performing. Cullen Jenkins plays best at end and needs to start there. He can play effectively in the interior in passing situations only. Colin Cole is okay, but he's not starting caliber. And none among a group of players including Johnny Jolly, Daniel Muir, Alfred Malone and Conrad Bolston did anything of note last night. I'm not even sure why the Packers even experiment with Jason Hunter and Michael Montgomery at the tackles. The only way either of those two are going to see any success is on the edge where they can use their speed and are going one-on-one with a single lineman.
Nick Barnett -- This might be a little bit of a harsh assessment, but there were a couple times last night and several times this preseason when Barnett has missed tackles because he has over-pursued ball carriers and can't make an adjustment when the carrier changes directions. Overall, Barnett has been solid, though. At least he has lived up to the saying that says if you make a mistake, make it at 100 percent.

Packers vs. Bengals: thoughts

Green Bay Railbird Central — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 15:10:34 GMT

Here are some off-the-cuff, knee jerk reactions to the Green Bay Packers' performance against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Footbal that might not have registered on everyone's radar screen: Thumbs up: Aaron Rouse -- Another interception proved why Rouse needs to be in the starting lineup. The team might go through a couple headaches as Rouse gets used to defending against complex NFL offenses, but his knack for generating turnovers offsets any negatives he might have. Three interceptions last season combined with one last night and one in the team's preseason scrimmage prove...(read more)

Railbird Central : Vernand Morency

And the cuts start rolling in...

Blue chips, red chips & cow chips from Packers vs. Broncos game

Packers vs. Bengals: thoughts