Tuesday, October 17, 2006

The bye week is over. Back to posting, starting with some miscellaneous items.

Last month the Packers signed to the practice squad and then activated FB Brandon Miree. Miree was immediately inserted as the starting fullback and former Pro Bowl FB William Henderson would have been inactive the last two weeks if RB Ahman Green hadn't been injured. Although the fullback position only was an occasional part of the offense under Mike Sherman, the position has lost any importance it previously had in the passing game under Mike McCarthy. TE David Martin plays as the second tight end more than Miree is in the game at fullback. Martin often plays as an H-Back, coming in motion and stopping in the backfield as an extra blocker or potential dump off receiver, however Martin's long play for the season is 11 yards. What was once a potential threat with Henderson as a receiver has turned into a non-threat. QB Brett Favre is finding himself with fewer options in the passing game and it isn't helping him.

Before the St. Louis game, DT Kendrick Allen was placed on I.R. and is probably done for the season. The real downside to this move is that it means a lot more time for DT Colin Cole, who is constantly being blocked off the line of scrimmage. Allen wasn't a world beater, but he held up in the middle of the line better than Cole. As St. Louis found out, if NT Ryan Pickett isn't in the game, then it is easy to get at least 3 yards on any run play.

Not surprisingly it took CB Ahmad Carroll only one week to find a new home in Jacksonville. He will never be a good man-on-man corner (probably the main reason Ted Thompson cut him) but he could find a home in the NFL as a return man, gunner, and maybe even a starting cornerback in a cover-2 scheme. This reminds me of the Packers giving up on CB Terrell Buckley back in the 1990s; he was never going to be a great cornerback, but he managed to be a useful cornerback (mostly in Miami) over the next dozen NFL seasons.

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