Wednesday, September 03, 2003

I just read that the Packers cut Larry Smith in order to pick up Curtis Fuller. Smith is the defensive lineman the Packers picked up from Jacksonville after the former second round pick wore out his welcome with Jacksonville and probably didn't help his case by suffering from heat stroke in the first week of camp. But with his departure and Steve Martin's and Steve Warren's releases in the last week, the Packers are down to Gilbert Brown and Rod Walker at nose tackle. Normally I wouldn't have a problem with that, but I expect Brown to miss substantial time this year (he usually misses time and he already is playing with a torn muscle) so essentially there is no depth at the position. I understand the desire to pick up a backup safety in Fuller knowing that Darren Sharper hasn't played much this preseason and if Sharper can't go the next backup would be 3rd cornerback Bhawon Jue. As of today, I expect Sharper to play in many more games then Brown, so it seems to me that the depth is being sacrificed where it is needed in order to provide depth in a place that it is not. Although I have only read this once this preseason, Kenny Peterson might be used at nose tackle by the Packers and if he is that would solve that problem with depth. The one area where I feel depth should be its strongest is on the defensive line and it looks to me like that unit is being left short.

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