Biggest Surprises from Packers on Cutdown Day
September 4, 2016
Obviously, the release of three-time Pro Bowl left guard Josh Sitton leads the list, but we’re going to quickly get past that. Everyone was surprised by Sitton’s release including, it seems, Sitton.
The Green Bay Packers supposedly tried to trade Sitton, failed and then just released him. Instead of letting Sitton play out the final year of his contract, letting him leave as a free agent and getting a compensatory pick, the Packers just said…
We have no idea what they said. The move is out and out buffoonery. That right there leads our list.
- The stupidity the Packers showed in getting nothing for Sitton. For a guy who loves those compensatory picks, Ted Thompson really shit the bed right here. All he has to show for losing Sitton now is some salary cap space and a hole at left guard. Smooth move, Ex-Lax!
- The release of inside linebacker Sam Barrington was unexpected. We had Barrington pegged — along with Blake Martinez — as a starter on the inside. The Packers will apparently go with Jake Ryan and Martinez.
- The lack of depth at inside linebacker is also head scratching. The Packers were left with only three inside backers after Saturday’s carnage — Ryan, Martinez and Joe Thomas. Certainly, we were somewhat surprised when Carl Bradford got cut, but he does have practice squad eligibility. The numbers are more puzzling, unless Clay Matthews will be stepping into the middle from time to time…
- Makinton Dorleant — who saw this guy sticking around? We all had Josh Hawkins sticking at cornerback, but Dorleant? He’s an undrafted rookie corner from Norther Iowa who got the call over Robertson Daniel, a guy who had a pretty decent preseason.
- The Packers have no long snapper. If we gave a shit about long snappers, this might be higher on the list. However, we hate wasting roster spots on something like a long snapper. Can’t one of the damn centers just be the long snapper? Anyway, the Packers released Rick Lovato and they’ll probably be bringing in someone else to fill that slot. That means someone who was on the roster Saturday won’t be there long.
- Running back Brandon Burks managed to stick around as the No. 3 back. He didn’t have a good final preseason game and his night ended after a late fumble. That surely seemed like the nail in his coffin. It wasn’t.
- The Packers kept six safeties, which is at least one more than the norm. The bottom half of that group is Chris Banjo, Kentrell Brice and Marwin Evans. As a great special teamer, Banjo seemed like a given. Brice played so well he couldn’t be denied. Logically, it seemed Evans would be the odd man out in a numbers game.
- The Packers kept seven receivers, something we predicted way back in May. While we’re not entirely surprised about the number, we will note this. When we made that prediction, it was based on a depth argument — look at all these good receivers! We don’t see it that way anymore. We think the Packers have three good receivers — Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and Jared Abbrederis — and four bums. We’re not sure they know which of those four bums are better than the other. They didn’t know who to keep, so they just kept them all.
- And what now can only be described as a mild surprise, Joe Callahan. The undrafted rookie played well enough, so this move is only surprising when you consider the Packers prefer to go with just two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster.
- This is a record year for undrafted rookies making the team. The Packers kept six. They are Hawkins, Brice, Callahan, Dorleant, Burks and Evans.
I’ve had a chance to sleep on it……and I’m still pissed. What’s the upside of cutting Sitton? Some money for the cap- versus the negatives: hole at LG for ostensibly a Super Bowl contender, no compensatory pick or even trade benefits, disrupt O-Line chemistry, and give away one of the team’s top players. Last night I hope the ghosts of Wahle and Rivera tormented Scrooge Thompson; somehow I don’t think the ghost of Lane Taylor will offer redemption.
The Sitton move a big surprise and appears to make no sense except cap room for the future. More will come out about how and why this went down in days to come. Maybe then I will be less pissed about the apparent move for what could occur in the future when this year is reality.
The ILB moves do make some sense if you consider the team is going to use at least Morgan at ILB more as the team has indicated and I called for in the Arizona playoff game. I have always liked Barrington, when he plays, however he did appear tentative during the preseason. Thomas in coverage probably put him above Bradford.
The 6 safeties make sense if you consider at least Morgan being used some at ILB, and if Banjo is going to be placed on IR with the ability to return once the team signs a long snapper who will probably be Goode.
It is a concern to carry only 2 RBs and 1 FB into a NFL game. I thought the team would claim someone on waivers. It is possible Burks still won’t stick but the numbers suggest NFL teams need a 3rd RB dressed.
Seven WRs work if you consider their ability on STs. Well count Adams and Jordy out on ST value, however all the rest have that value. In addition Montgomery and Cobb will be used in the backfield. one of those receivers along with 6 other players are not going to suit up each week so this gives Davis some time to heal.
If there was ever a case for this being a passing league this roster is it. I hope the team does not get into to many games getting the ball crammed down their throats while keeping the offense off the field.
What the hell’s goin’ on out heah!
https://youtu.be/4V0TYIO6yv4
Packers release Josh Sitton; Ted Thompson says it’s “best for the team”
Sorry fucker……But that isn’t good enough. Explain how it’s the best for the team. Explain to us how this gives us a better chance at making the Super Bowl.
It will be interesting to hear what the Packer players have to say about this. That is of course, if the Packers give their players freedom of speech to talk about it, or if they put their normal “GAG ORDER” on them.
I’ve said it before, and i’ll fucking keep saying it. Thompson and McCarthy can’t leave Green Bay fast enough for me.
This ^^^^^^^^
Yea…i’m still venting…..
Does Ted not know, that the O line ended up being a trainwreck last season? Are we so talented and deep on the O line now, that we can just drop our best lineman like a bad habit?
Well, look on the bright side. Ted isn’t getting a 3rd round compensatory pick next year to piss away on the next Khyri Thornton or to not pull the trigger on the next Marshawn Lynch trade.
As much as I like Callahan, is he really more important to the future of the Packers at this point in time? Same goes for Makinton Dorleant. I didn’t even know he existed yet he takes a roster spot. Unbelievable.
TT should have been gone already and Schneider should have been our GM. Mark Murphy is a complete putz. Over the last 10 years TT has had many opportunities to acquire better talent and has not. It seems to take him 1 to 2 years to pull the string for a decision he should have reacted to immediately. The guy seems to swim in a pool of psychotic confusion. Deer in the mother fucking headlights . . .
There is only one way this entire Sitton fiasco makes sense. If the Packers know or have a very high suspicion Sitton is not going to make it through the season health wise. If Sitton plays the first game he is guaranteed his contract value and you may not be able to use him, but lose the cap money. Why not trade? If you trade and Sitton does not pass the physical with the trading partner then Sitton is right back to the team. The team looks more stupid than they do currently (and have in the past with medical situations) and may struggle cutting Sitton.
It will be interesting as to how other teams look at Sitton after he goes through a physical. Did not appear Sitton was struggling during preseason, however Sitton was reaching with arms and hands to make run blocks. Sitton to me is a warrior who would not show that he is in pain. In addition Sitton has indicated he has avoided back surgery. I wonder if the team believes back surgery is or was needed for Sitton to make it through a season. The team would know if Sitton was struggling. Anything less than this and I will blame Ted and Murphy for not making it work with Sitton.
Howard, I completely agree with you but I think maybe the whole trade thing tends to be overblown in general. Especially if they were trying to finagle one the day of final roster cuts. Maybe they were trying to shop him for weeks. Seems to me trades involving players with large contracts are a bit rare and an exception rather than the rule in general for the NFL.
Honestly why would any team trade for a guy, considered one of the better players at his position, being shopped around the day of final roster cuts? They could all play the lottery and wait for the player to be cut. Or they could be desperate, like the Vikings apparently were, and potentially mortgage their future by overpaying to make sure they lock up someone they coveted. I don’t understand why Sam Bradford is worth a 1st and a 4th and Sitton gets outright released other than lunacy.
The shock we all feel/felt is because everyone knew the starting 5 were pretty much set barring injury. If Raji had been released rather than announcing his hiatus, people wouldn’t have cared because Raji wasn’t producing as it was. Pennel getting suspended made the defensive line more precarious than Raji did.
This, this is something altogether new. This is self inflicted sooner than it needed to be. Instead of debating about who the starting 5 are next season, Teddy and company threw a curve. And in the grand scheme of things if this doesn’t work out as they better be hoping and praying it does, the blame falls directly where it needs to, on Ted and McCarthy.
I hope Tretter is all that and more because it feels like when Linsley is ready to come back Tretter is going to be the guy asked to replace Sitton for the long term. Much could happen in the way of injuries between now and when Linsley is able to return. But I can’t see them leaving Linsley sit and Barclay or any other backup being better than Linsley/Tretter as starters. Even moving Bulaga inside and playing Spriggs at RT is questionable.
I agree with Howard that the only way this Sitton fiasco makes sense is if the Packers have a very high suspicion Sitton is not going to make it through the season health wise. In any case, it’s a bummer to lose him.
Haven’t looked forward to a season this much since Forrrrrrrest Greggggggg cut Lynn Dickey and Paul Coffman. Maybe they’ll bring back Mossy Cade for old time’s sake.
I was glad the Packers kept Marwin Evans over Carl Bradford. Bradford’s just a guy, who no one else claimed, and he’ll be there if there’s an injury — he probably wouldn’t have been active on game days anyhow since he’s not great on special teams. Evans can fly, and he hits. If he’s active, he could probably fill in at ILB in an emergency to get through a game, or maybe play in sometimes as a “hybrid” player like some teams are doing lately at LB.
Now Janis is a bum? Didn’t you bitch all last season for the Packers to put him in and jizz all overself when he played in Arizona?
But now he’s a bum. Sure, OK.
I had that same thought. Still not super impressed with abbrederiss either. Seems like just a guy.