I guess this is fighting fire with fire.
If your team is dangerously thin at safety, what do you do? Cut one of your remaining safeties and sign one who has never played in your system, that’s what. At least if you’re Green Bay Packers’ general manager Ted Thompson.
Look, I have been a Ted Thompson apologist from day one. I thought this guy had a vision. I applauded the hard-line stance he took with Brett Favre and admired his spendthrift approach to the salary cap.
But now, shit’s gettin’ crazy.
First, we were left scratching our heads when Anthony Smith was let go in the final cuts. Now, with starters Atari Bigby (again) and Pro Bowler Nick Collins out for the foreseeable future, the Packers release Aaron Rouse to make room for Indianpolis castoff Matt Giordano.
Giordano, who started six games over the past four years for the Colts, may prove to be a good pickup, but it will take a couple weeks for him to get acclimated to the system. The Packers need help now. And they cut one of their last remaining safeties to make room for him? Not just a backup, but a 6-4 safety with wheels and big play ability. Cut him. And the Packers are still carrying three, count ’em, three fullbacks?
Ted, if you felt you needed to cut someone loose from our secondary why not… oh, I don’t know… Total Packers All-Star Jarret Bush? Granted I’m not a wise general manager like you, but given the choice between a guy who has made big plays for me in the past and one who has never made a single play ever and who consistently makes bone-headed mistakes, I’d cut the latter.
Or one of my luxury fullbacks. Good lord.
Normally, if Donald Driver and Greg Jennings were injured, we’d expect Jordy Nelson and James Jones to be elevated to starting roles. But given this transaction, they may actually be asked to turn in their playbooks.
Good luck to Aaron Rouse. I had high hopes for him. I’m sure this won’t come back to bite the Packers in the ass any time soon.
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Yeah this made no sense to me either.
Rouse was in trouble during training camp, but Ted apparently decided he was better on special teams than Smith, so he stuck. I said then, and I’ll say it again, it was a mistake to cut Smith. Unless Derrick Martin is up to speed, the Packers could be in trouble in the secondary. Fortunately, they play the Rams on Sunday.
well, we made Odom look like Lawrence Taylor last week. With Jarrett Bush lording over the defensive backfield for an entire game, we just might see the “greatest show on turf” reborn.
The Packers backups at Safety are a problem. Rouse is a lousy player who is physical but consistently takes bad angles. Bush is a knuckle head who struggles to stay in the game mentally. Smith, had no interest in competing on special teams. I can see cause to release guys like that. That said, I can’t understand why, right now, they would release any of them when they have 3 FB’s on the roster, and Capers zone coverages rely on the two or three safeties making educated reads. We only need one FB!
HORSESHIT!!! WE cut Rouse and keep John Kuhn? John who? the guy has scored ONCE in his 4 seasons in the leauge. we have Korey Hall, and the draft pick Quinn Johnson who i thought wasn’t going to still be on the team at this point. Point being cut Kuhn and go get Rouse back!
Does anyone actually follow what’s going on with the Packers? Or, do (some of) you just sit around and wait for a knee to jerk to establish your reaction (and bash Ted T)? Aaron Rouse was cut to make room for the new safety, period. He was also cut because he had been hindered by a hamstring injury throughout training camp and, in the game against Cincy, he was further injured by a neck “stinger.” He may not have been able to play this week anyway, due to those injuries. No other team will probably be looking to sign him, due to those injuries and Rouse is guaranteed his salary for the rest of the year because he was on the opening day roster. This move allows the Packers to fill the immediate need at safety (and, the Packers will only be obligated to pay the new safety for the games he is on the roster, not for the rest of the year), Rouse will be able to recover from his injuries (while still being paid) and, once he is recovered he could be re-signed to the roster. In effect, the Packers may have placed Rouse on a recallable injured reserve. Rouse doesn’t loose any money, he can recover from his injuries AND he can come back to play this year. The team fills the immediate need at safety for this game and until, Bigby, Collins or Rouse are ready to play again.
Kuhn and Hall are core special teams players and McCarthy said that one of the biggest deciding factors for this year would be special team play when deciding roster cuts. Johnson made it on potential to be a bruising fullback, like William Henderson. Anthony Smith didn’t play special teams and, according to various reports I read, Smith took chances in coverage. When he guessed right, he made big plays. However, the coaches felt he took too many chances (and increased the potential for big plays against us….remember Steelers vs Pats when Brady burned him repeatedly?) and that he wasn’t worth keeping since he didn’t play special teams.
Kuhn – two touchdowns today.