The Green Bay Packers have had their share of draft busts over the years. Some have been epic (Tony Mandarich), while others have snuck out of town almost unnoticed (Terrence Murphy).
Well, thankfully we’re here to dredge up your past failures, point our gnarled, crooked, judgmental fingers at you and cackle. For you’ve shamed the Green Bay Packers, you’ve shamed us and you’ve shamed yourselves.
You should be forced to relive our misery at this time every year.
We’re putting a little twist on the list of Packers draft busts, though. Not only are we here to point out your failings on the field, we’re here to tell people what you’re doing with your pathetic lives now.
Where are they now? Here are the Packers biggest draft busts from 2000-2010.
Brian Brohm (2nd round, 2008)
Brohm, the record-setting Louisville quarterback, lasted one season in Green Bay and never completed a regular-season pass for the Packers. He’s still in the league, though. The Buffalo Bills plucked him off the Packers practice squad in 2009 and he’s played for the team since. His career numbers are 27-of-52 for 252 yards, five touchdowns and five interceptions. He has two career starts as Buffalo’s No. 3 option and will probably find himself on the street if the Bills choose a quarterback in this year’s draft.
Justin Harrell (1st round, 2007)
Harrell is a survivor, if nothing else. The former Tennessee defensive tackle has never played a full season in the NFL. He missed the entire 2009 season and all but one game of the 2010 season with injuries. In his first two NFL seasons, he managed to stay healthy for a total of 13 games. Despite a career stat line of 28 tackles and no sacks, Harrell has managed to remain on the Packers’ roster because he’s suffered a season-ending injury each year of his career and the team has subsequently stashed him on injured reserve.
Terrence Murphy (2nd round, 2005)
Murphy was supposed to be the answer to the Packers kick return problems when he was drafted, but he appeared in only three games for the team, although it was through little fault of his own. After a helmet-to-helmet hit landed Murphy on injured reserve, the team discovered he had spinal stenosis. He was released by the Packers in early 2006. After a brief coaching career, he moved back to College Station, Texas (where he attended Texas A&M) and started the Terrence Murphy Real Estate Group AKA TMFive Properties, giving him probably the most successful post-NFL career of anyone on this list.
Ahmad Carroll (1st round, 2004)
Carroll, a former Arkansas standout, lasted two full seasons in Green Bay. He was cut after four games in 2006 and signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars, who released Carroll after he was arrested for carrying a concealed weapon and ecstasy. After being out of the NFL in 2007, he played the 2008 and 2009 seasons for the New York Jets. Carroll started 28 games for the Packers and despite being one of the fastest guys on the field, was continuously burned by the deep ball (maybe he was high). After the Packers released him, he never started another NFL game. His career NFL stat line reads like this: 127 tackles, three sacks, three interceptions. Carroll hasn’t given up the dream of playing football for a living, though. He played the 2008 season for the Orlando Predators in the Arena League. He spent time with the UFL’s Hartford Colonials and was signed by the CFL’s Calgary Stampeders in August, although he doesn’t appear on their current roster.
Kenny Peterson (3rd round, 2003)
Another in a long line of Ohio State busts, Peterson lasted three seasons in Green Bay, starting a grand total of zero games. In his three years with the Packers, Peterson totaled 42 tackles and three sacks, which prompted the Denver Broncos to snatch the guy and hold onto him for four more seasons. In the 2007, Peterson was suspended four games for violating the league’s steroid policy, but the Broncos brought him back anyway. In seven NFL seasons, Peterson produced 117 tackles and eight sacks in 15 starts (all with Denver). He last played in the NFL in 2009. Peterson still lives in Denver and is apparently hoping for one more shot at the NFL.
Jamal Reynolds (1st round, 2001)
The Packers moved up seven spots in 2001, trading the No. 17 pick and quarterback Matt Hasselback to Seattle to select the Lombardi Award winner from Florida State. Reynolds started off his Packers career on a bad note, missing the first 10 games of his rookie season due to injury. He would tally 18 tackles and three sacks in his three-year Packers’ career, playing in only 18 games with no starts. In 2004, the Packers attempted to trade Reynolds to Indianapolis for a conditional seventh-round pick, but he failed his physical and the Colts voided the trade. Reynolds was claimed by the Cleveland Browns when the Packers released him shortly thereafter. He was cut by Cleveland before the 2004 season and hasn’t played football since. The last we heard, Reynolds was fishing in Florida.
This is one part of a three-part series. Click the links below for the rest.
Packers’ Draft Busts: 1990-1999
Packers’ Draft Busts: 1980-1989
I guess it is simplistic to say Brohm was a 2nd round pick who never played a down, so he must be a bust, but the only reason he didn’t make the roster was because the Packers were lucky to be able to draft Matt Flynn at the end of the same draft. Sure, Brohm was a 2nd round pick, but not being as NFL ready as Matt Flynn after just one preseason is hardly a harsh indictment. The Packers tried to stash him on the practice squad, where he was quickly gobbled up by someone else. So, sort of not anyone’s fault.
ehh brohm sucks. we moved on. not a huge deal
Is it just me, or have we paid Justin Harrell 10 million dollars so far, for 28 tackles and 0 sacks?
If any bean counters in green bay have pulled their head out of their ass, thats about $380,000 a tackle
Murphy was not a bust. He got injured. He had bad luck and a very short career. But wasn’t his fault.
Carroll… that’s a bust.