Packers Release Poppinga, Harrell

Couldn't pick this guy out of a lineup could you? It's Justin Harrell!

Linebacker [intlink id=”222″ type=”category”]Brady Poppinga[/intlink] and first-round bust [intlink id=”100″ type=”category”]Justin Harrell[/intlink] will join linebacker Nick Barnett on the street today.

The Green Bay Packers have decided to release both players.

The Packers will save $2.5 million by cutting ties with Poppinga, who signed a contract extension in 2008. Poppinga never played as well as that contract and eventually lost his starting job.

His career high in tackles was 69 in 2008, sacks was two in 2005 and interceptions was four in 2006. In other words, his play was uneven and he never developed into the pass-rushing threat the Packers thought he could be.

Poppinga played in only six games in 2010 before tearing his ACL.

Harrell, of course, was a monumental bust.

He played in only 14 games in four seasons after being the Packers first-round draft choice in 2007. If it wasn’t a leg injury, it was a back injury.

In fact, when you look up injury in the dictionary, there’s a picture of Justin Harrell. He finishes his Packers career with 28 tackles and zero sacks.

Harrell was scheduled to make $1.225 million this season, but the Packers will have to eat around half that amount in cap space because of a bonus payment.