This one came out of left field. The Green Bay Packers waived linebacker D.J. Smith, an opening-day starter in 2012, on Wednesday.
Not only was Smith a starter at inside linebacker at the start of 2012, he was only member of the Packers 2011 draft class to start any games as a rookie. He started three that season and had 43 tackles.
In 2012, Smith started the first six games before suffering a torn ACL. He had 39 tackles, two sacks and knocked down four passes before getting hurt.
Now, after just two seasons, he’s on the street.
The Packers have plenty of inside linebackers. Desmond Bishop will return to his starting role after missing all of last season with hamstring injury. They re-signed Brad Jones, who took Smith’s starting spot after the injury, in the offseason. They also re-signed Robert Francois and decided to keep A.J. Hawk after he took a pay cut. There’s also Terrell Manning, who was drafted in fifth round last season.
Bishop is the clear-cut No. 1 in that group, but can anyone really tell me Jones is clearly better than Smith? Smith has definitely performed better than Hawk, Francois and Manning up to this point.
The only thing Smith had going against him is he wasn’t going to be ready for the start of the regular season, but why not stash him on the physically unable to perform list for the first six weeks?
Beyond me.
Do you think the packers need a QB?
I agree.If the med. staff knows something that their not telling us,you can not tell me he is the worst linebacker of all the linebackers.
Im surprised our med staff even shows up to the correct stadium.
^ Best comment I’ve seen on this site… ever.
It’s too bad. DJS was my boy. I saw alot of talent there. I thought he would prosper in Green & Gold.
What a shame, I really liked the kid. Idk if he had the size or raw talent to ever be anything but a good backup, but, the kid was a helluva football player, we could use more guys like him.
Wow, this is a surprise, though when Brad Jones signed a contract for over $3 mil a year maybe we should have known something was up.
There is something going on here that we will probably never find out. Either medically there is something else wrong, or DJ did something in his rehab to piss off the brass.
He was injured pretty early in the season. It is possible that he then disappeared from the facilities and isolated himself away from the team more than brass thought was acceptable.
Remember, something similar happened to Nick Barnett. He got injured, didn’t hang around the team much, was excluded from the team picture, complained about it, and then promptly saw his way to Buffalo.
This is a Chris Jacke type situation that we will probably never fully learn the truth about.
A Chris Jacke type situation ? Thats a good one !
I believe the rumor has always been that Jacke “dated” one of Holmgren’s daughters.
That could just be gossip, but that has long been the rumor.
My sense is there’s something here beyond the injury. Diddling one of the secretaries or some such nonsense.
I check this site often, big Packers fan my whole life. I NEVER post on the internet. I know D.J. personally, train with him in Charlotte, NC and I can assure you that he is as perplexed as all of you are at this move. Just inexplicable….
It has to be his injury. He probably won’t be ready for training camp and with that much depth they’re going to want competition. If he can’t compete then he’s just taking up a roster spot, right?
Yeah, forgot about the PUP. That makes it even more bizarre.
He doesn’t occupy a roster spot on PUP or IR, however, he does cost the team money. Perhaps they did this to make more room for Rodgers’/rookie contracts; I wouldn’t be entirely surprised if the Packers try to sign him to different contract after they sign all their rookies. Then again Brad Jones is making 3 million/year.
Maybe they meant to cut DJ Williams and got the two confused.
classic!
I heard he had been “dating” Chris Jacke and the packer hof didn’t like that.
Hahahaha!!!!
He got picked up already. Nice move by our brain trusts T.T. AND M.M.
The Chargers signed him already
The Chargers suck eggs so they should pick up whoever we cut. They probably beat the Vikings to the punch.