Former Packer Jarrett Bush Suspended 4 Games For PED

Most of the Green Bay Packer news over the past week has been about Brett Favre's induction ceremony scheduled this upcoming Saturday, but one former Packer/current free agent made some news of his own:

Jarrett Bush was indeed suspended, but it wasn't because of his offseason arrest. Here's why: http://t.co/uGGQrwkSfX #Packers

— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) July 13, 2015

It's amazing that Jarrett Bush has remained with the Packers for so many seasons, and it does look like his time with them is finally up, though Mike McCarthy has left the door partially opened. But this suspension isn't the last straw. I think LB Mike Neal was the last player to have a four game PED suspension, but he was welcomed back in 2012 and even re-signed with them last year.

Jarrett Bush has just as much (or just as little) shot of returning next season with or without his recent suspension being a factor.

Lyerla Out "Weeks" After Tearing MCL, PCL

Rookie Packers TE Colt Lyerla will be out "weeks" after tearing both his MCL and PCL in a Family Night practice Sunday night, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's Bon McGinn reports. 

On the play the injuries occurred on, interestingly, Lyerla had just hurdled CB Jumal Rolle after catching a Matt Flynn pass, appearing to make himself due for a nice contribution.

Unfortunetaly, though, that wouldn't prove to be the case, with #49 getting hit hard by Jarrett Bush seconds later.

To make things even worse, exactly how long Lyerla will be out isn't yet known, something that must be killing HC Mike McCarthy, as the latter has already had to deal with multiple serious injuries over the last month.

Packers Depth Chart: Defensive Backfield

As much as the Packers knew they needed to upgrade their pass rush (enter Julius Peppers) they've also aggressively targeted players for their defensive backfield, while keeping pretty much the status quo at linebacker (though I do hope they found someone in 4th round LB Carl Bradford).

They did draft two more players who should figure into the defensive back rotation next season, and they have also signed a couple of undrafted free agents who may earn a spot. They'll probably keep eight defensive backs (plus one or two on the practice squad) and here's how it breaks down.

Locks: Sam Shields, Tramon Williams, Casey Hayward, Micah Hyde, Morgan Burnett, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. That's six guys right off the bat, and though Williams could be a salary cap casualty some day, it's probably not going to happen in 2014. There's not a lot of room left on the roster after those locks.

Davon House. He played 472 snaps on defense in 2013 but didn't impress (-4.9 grade in coverage according to Pro Football Focus). He'll miss the cut if he has another poor preseason like he did in 2013.

Jarrett Bush. He's still their special teams' ace and he didn't play much in 2013 until late in the season (plus a game ending INT against the Falcons). I don't know if he'll ever lose his roster spot.

Demetri Goodson. It'll be surprising if their 6th round pick will have a long NFL career, but he's probably going to be a favorite for the practice squad. Without a lot of experience in college, he's probably going to need a longer learning curve in the NFL and they'll probably be patient with him for at least one season.

Chris Banjo and Sean Richardson. So far, they've survived the safety purge of 2013 that's led to the departures of M.D. Jennings and Jerron McMillian, but the Packers have recently signed two more players to compete against them.

Iowa's Tanner Miller. His measurables are just as strong as Clinton-Dix's but the difference between them shows up on game film. Miller played 46 games in college and recorded 7 career INTs, but he also took the blame for allowing some long plays at Iowa. His instincts in the open field might be lacking.

Hawaii's Charles Clay. He's got some speed (4.42 40 time at his Pro Day) but he was a part-time starter (6 in 2013) on a lousy college football team.

They also have three other CBs (Antonio Dennard, Jumal Rolle and Ryan White) who could find themselves on the practice squad after a strong camp, but they probably won't make it past the final cuts. They should get a chance to play this preseason and they'll have to make the most of it.

I'm glad that the Packers have added quantity and quality (Clinton-Dix) to address a major weakness last season. Hopefully the new players will make everyone better and improve this group as a whole in 2014.

Packers Depth Chart: Wide Receiver

At this time of year, it's not surprising to see as many as ten wide receivers on the Green Bay Packers roster. What is surprising is that they selected three wide receivers in one draft. It didn't used to be uncommon for GM Ted Thompson to draft wide receivers (from 2005-2008, the Packers selected two wide receivers in each year's draft, and also used a 2nd or 3rd round pick on one). However, in the five drafts from 2009-2013, only one wide receiver was selected with a high pick (Randall Cobb) and three overall.

In recent years, the Packers have filled out their wide receiver depth with young veterans or rookie free agents. WR Jarrett Boykin has been a success story but there are at least a dozen other players who didn't work out. The Packers have lost a lot of experience at the position over the past two years (Jennings, Driver, Jones) so it makes sense that they'd want to add some quality in addition to quantity this year.

Roster locks: Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, Jarrett Boykin, Davante Adams. I'd like to see one more solid season from Boykin before anyone talks about a long-term extension, but he should be a very good No. 3 wide receiver. I won't know if Adams is ready to contribute in 2014 until I see him in a preseason game.

The Packers are probably going to keep six wide receivers, one more on the active roster and another on the practice squad, so the final six players are fighting for just those two spots.

Myles White. He lined up on 125 offensive plays last season which makes him the number five WR last season in terms of snap count. He had a strong 2013 preseason, except he had trouble holding onto the ball, which is a sure fire way to get released. Luckily for him, he was signed to the practice squad at the start of the 2013 season and promoted to the active roster in October after Cobb was hurt. If he can bulk up without losing any quickness (and avoid dropping passes) he could be a roster surprise. However, he's probably not eligible for the practice squad (ESPN.com says he played in 7 games last season and players with over six career active games are ineligible). He's going to have to prove he's worthy of a spot on the 53 man roster, and he might lose his spot to another receiver who's still eligible for the practice squad.

Kevin Dorsey and Alex Gillett. If Cobb hadn't been injured, and Jeremy Ross hadn't earned his release, neither player might have stuck around/returned after the last preseason game. I'm not expecting either of them to stick next season.

Chris Harper. He was a 4th round pick by the Seahawks in 2013, but he's been released twice since then. He only played on two offensive snaps for the Packers last season, but he played a lot on special teams, which makes me believe he's a great athlete but not much of a receiver. I don't think the Packers would have drafted either of the following two players if they really liked Harper.

Jared Abbrederis and Jeff Janis. I really want Abbrederis to succeed, so I hope he wins the No. 5 spot, but he'll be battling a similar player (White) who already has a year of NFL experience under his belt. Janis seems like an obvious choice for the practice squad; an amazing athlete with speed and size who could play offensive and defensive roles on the scout team.

Former #Badger Jared Abbrederis is wearing No. 84 for the 13-time World Champion Green Bay Packers. pic.twitter.com/bRGsohIDzp
— On Wisconsin Badgers (@wiscybadgers) May 17, 2014

Does the Julius Peppers signing make the Packers "championship-caliber?"

While the recent signing of DE Julius Peppers was obviously big, whether or not it will make the Packers title-contenders this season is still up for debate. Peppers is good, but will he actually bring the team back to their 2011 selves? DB Jarret Bush apparently thinks so.

"I think J.P., pound-for-pound, is one of the most athletic athletes in the league right now," Bush told the Green Bay Press Gazette. "I think he's going to give teams a lot of trouble, especially with Clay (Matthews), Nick Perry, Mike Neal and Mike Daniels. ... They can't just double Clay anymore, He's going to wreak havoc over there. I think we'll be a championship-caliber team."

It's good to see the confidence here, but really, "championship-caliber"? That's a little rash, wouldn't you say so?

The Cornerbacks Looked Awful Against The Cardinals

The good news for the Green Bay Packers is that the bad game from the corners happened without much from their top three players. CBs Tramon Williams and Casey Hayward are being held out due to injury and only CB Sam Shields played. Shields did allow a completion along the sideline, but it was against WR Larry Fitzgerald so it can be somewhat excused.

Tyler Dunne wrote a piece on rookie CB Micah Hyde, who gave up one of the two touchdown passes while making zero reaction as the ball was in the air. However, he looked better than the other corners behind him on the depth chart. He's now moved ahead of CB Davon House, and Hyde was starting with the first team defense while Williams and Hayward were still out.

The good news for House fans is that he didn't look beyond redemption. He was almost in position but wasn't able to adjust quickly enough as the receivers ran their routes. He hasn't played a lot in his first two seasons due to injury, so his game against the Cardinals looked like a bit of rust. He's still got the potential.

One of my least favorite players, CB Jarrett Bush, played some cornerback and looked better than any of the other players on the roster. He'll make the team because of his special teams play, but he's still in the mix at corner too.

I don't know how any of the corners can make the roster. Loyce Means and James Nixon didn't make plays, and Brandon Smith looked lost. They need every game to prove they deserve a spot ahead of the other more highly regarded players at a deep position.

Packers Hold On, Defeat Jaguars, 24-15

It wasn't pretty and the Green Bay Packers didn't cover the 15 point spread over the Jaguars, but with 2:54 left in the first period, QB Aaron Rodgers threw a 5 yard TD pass to WR Randall Cobb, and the Packers led for the rest of the game. There were a couple points to take from this game.

The Packers offense is underwhelming without WR Greg Jennings and WR Jordy Nelson. They had survived Jennings's absence while Nelson still played, but obviously something was missing without both of them. With TE Jermichael Finley not playing nearly as well this season (due to injury or some other reason) it leaves Rodgers fewer options. WR James Jones and WR Randall Cobb are still good, but it's not the same offense. Still, Rodgers had a solid game (2 TD passes, 95.7 QB rating) despite his late second quarter fumble that led to the Jaguars only touchdown. However, a lot of problems would be solved if Nelson can return next week.

The pass defense misses CB Charles Woodson. I pointed out last week that Woodson isn't having a statistically strong 2012 season, but the downgrade from him to more of CB Davon House and CB Jarrett Bush appeared to hurt. WR Justin Blackmon and WR Cecil Shorts made some plays, but they also made some bad decisions too (that blown route by Blackmon on 4th down with 3 minutes left is one example). QB Blaine Gabbert is playing better this season (4 starts this season with a QB rating over 80) so it shouldn't be a surprise that he was somewhat effective against the Packers's defense minus Woodson.

It's a discouraging win (if that's possible) but the loss of Jennings, Nelson and Woodson is significant and they'll all return over the next few weeks. With their third win in a row in the books, they can focus on getting healthy and preparing to face the Cardinals (who could be on a four game losing streak if they can't upset the 49ers on Monday night).

Woodson Out For A Month With A Broken Collerbone

I'm not sure how someone has a stealthy collarbone injury, but Green Bay Packers' CB Charles Woodson has managed it.

I talked to him after the game last night. He seemed fine. RT @jayglazer Big loss for packers. Charles Woodson broken collarbone out 6 weeks
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) October 22, 2012

Mike McCarthy said that this break isn't as serious as the one Woodson suffered during the Super Bowl. So, fortunately, the time table for his recovery isn't as long as it could have been.

While I'm not a fan of CB Jarrett Bush, his best role on defense is when he takes Woodson's place as the slot cornerback. He doesn't play as tight or take as many chances, but maybe that's not such a bad thing since he's not as good.

I expect M.D. Jennings will take over as the starting safety (maybe Jerron McMillian will officially be named the starter but it means more playing time for both of them), and Bush will take over when Woodson would have moved into the slot at cornerback.

Overall, it's a net loss for the Packers, but maybe not quite as big as it would have been in previous seasons. The stats show that Woodson isn't making as much of an impact (through 7 games in 2012, 1 INT and 5 pass defenses; compared to 2011 with 7 INTs and 17 pass defenses in 16 games). He isn't a cure-all to the Packers tackling problems either because in 2011 he was among the Bottom Three with 15 missed tackles.

However, their young secondary (Jennings, McMillian, Casey Heyward) might really miss the leadership that he brings to the field. One silver lining is that his injury comes at an opportune time. Their next two opponents before the bye week are among the worst offenses in the NFL (Jacksonville and Arizona). Unfortunately, his absence might really be noticed during road games at Detroit and the NY Giants.

Will The Packers Bench Jarrett Bush?

I don't know what's going to happen on Thursday night, or if the coaches are just waiting for CB Davon House to get healthy, but here's one change we might see. I'm not placing all the blame at the feet of CB Jarrett Bush, but he wasn't part of the solution against the 49ers.

@jasonjwilde Would be shocked if Jarrett Bush is a starter next week. If he is, teams need to go at him hard in pass coverage.
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) September 10, 2012

Rookie CB Casey Hayward isn't ready and he'd get burned at least once against the Bears, but QB Jay Cutler is known for making some questionable pass attempts and Hayward came out of college known for his ball skills. If Hayward managed one interception, replacing him for Bush would probably be worth it.

Packers Preseason Preview: Browns at Packers

The Cleveland Browns are coming off a 4-12 season and looking for a lot of improvement throughout the roster, but their main focus will be the development of Brandon Weeden. They won't get any better until Weeden is ready to start, and he'll need quality reps during the preseason to make that happen. His first start against the Lions wasn't too encouraging.

For the Packers, maybe it's best if they focus on staying healthy. There's only a couple starting jobs on defense to be determined so long as WR Greg Jennings, TE Jermichael Finley, and RB James Starks are ready for the start of the regular season. Charles Woodson is moving to his new safety position, but I'm not worried about a veteran like him.

It's not a make-or-break game, but with CBs Davon House and Sam Shields out, this is a great time for rookie Casey Hayward to show what he can do. He'll still split time with Jarrett Bush, but the coaches know Bush well, and one preseason game is unlikely to change their minds. House looked pretty good against the Chargers last week, and while Hayward wasn't bad, he'll have to play better to move ahead of House. Right now, I still expect Bush will be the starting cornerback.

It probably doesn't matter who's named the starter at defensive end because the lineman are expected to rotate so frequently. Though he made little impact in 2011, it looks like C.J. Wilson is technically ahead of rookie Jerel Worthy, but Worthy seems to be the lineman of choice alongside B.J. Raji in their nickel package. Philip Merling was very active during their first preseason game against Chargers, and he looks like the next lineman on the depth chart.

While Charlie Peprah Was Released, The Packers Demoted Sam Shields

One thing I got wrong when I wrote about the new alignment of the Green Bay Packers's secondary was that Sam Shields would still be the nickel back. Instead, M.D. Jennings played in the nickel defense. From Tyler Dunne:

Charles Woodson lined up at safety in the team's base alignment, a defense used 25% of the time last season. But in the team's nickel package -- which Dom Capers used much more often -- Woodson slid down into the slot and M.D. Jennings was with the No. 1 defense at safety. For now, Jarrett Bush ran with the starters at right cornerback.

Dunne opened his article with an earlier quote from Mike McCarthy, who said he doesn't talk about his players as a "starter" because it's all about how often his players are on the field. Just because they don't start the game on the field doesn't mean they won't be playing a lot.

So Woodson is the "starter" at safety, but he'll probably spend more time at cornerback. The coaches now think Bush is their 4th best defensive back, and Jennings is their No. 5. The loser here is Shields, who seemed to hold onto his nickel spot during the OTAs (of course, it seemed like Charlie Peprah was going to be the starter too), but now he'll have to play his way back onto the first team nickel defense.

The rookies aren't playing a role in this discussion, yet, but a lot can change over the course of a training camp. However, I'm not expecting much from Casey Hayward or Jerron McMillian. Though Shields himself came out of nowhere as a rookie in 2010 to become the nickel back, the Football Outsiders 2012 Almanac has a great discussion about Cowboys rookie CB Morris Claiborne, and why no one should expect great things from rookie defensive backs.

In the end, I don't see a big mistake being made. I'm no fan of Jarrett Bush, but Sam Shields played poorly last season. It's hard to make a strong case that another season from Charlie Peprah is better than giving M.D. Jennings a chance at safety. These might be marginal improvements, but they don't look like a big step back either, and Shields will still be given an opportunity to turn himself around.

The entire situation reminds me a little bit of the Baltimore Ravens, who seemingly run out a new set of starting cornerbacks every season while still having a strong pass defense. The changes in personnel don't seem to make a huge difference because their pass defense is keyed by a strong pass rush, and it might actually struggle for the first time in many seasons because of the likely absence of Terrell Suggs. On the other hand, the Packers made a big push to improve their woeful pass rush by the addition of Nick Perry. The combination of Bush and Jennings might appear to be a big improvement in 2012, if the pass rush is a lot better.

The Charlie Peprah Era Comes To A Close

As the Journal-Sentinel noted, it was a little surprising that the Green Bay Packers chose to release Charlie Peprah. I'm surprised that they didn't release him sooner. His 2011 season was horrible, and he was one of the players responsible for the team's worst play of the season: the Hail Mary touchdown pass against the Giants. I don't know if they did him a favor by releasing him now, but at least he's got a month to try and catch on with another team.

Peprah was originally with the Packers as a special teams player for three seasons before he was released in 2009. He re-signed in early 2010, the Packers were really looking for some help on special teams, but he looked better on defense, and he was a solid replacement for the injured Morgan Burnett in 2010. Unfortunately, his 2011 season was a giant step back, despite the five interceptions he recorded, and he was rated by Football Outsiders as one of the worst players at his position.

Of course, the next question is who will replace him at safety? They drafted a safety in the 4th round (Jerron McMillian) and second year player M.D. Jennings is returning, but neither one was seriously considered as a starter during the offseason. There was some talk of moving Charles Woodson to safety, but no one from the Packers seemed in favor of that move. I didn't think much of it either: why move Woodson if he's so good defending receivers in the slot?

However, when the first practice began, it was Woodson on the field at safety and Jarrett Bush at cornerback (another player involved in the Hail Mary fiasco). I'm never in favor of more playing time for Bush, but it's hard to say that Peprah is a better player. Mike McCarthy did an interview a few months ago during which he regretted not giving more playing time to Bush last season, so he's a believer in his ability as a corner and the team did just re-sign him to a new contract. I wouldn't be surprised to see Woodson stay at safety this season.

Bush had been playing the understudy role to Woodson for at least the last couple seasons, so I expect he'll now take over his job in 2012, if Woodson stays at safety. Bush might technically start at corner ahead of Sam Shields, but when the defense goes into the nickel, Shields will be lining up against the outside receiver, and Bush will be covering the receiver in the slot.

I wouldn't think that choosing Bush over Peprah, which isn't a straight swap since it requires moving Woodson to safety, to be a big improvement, but obviously the coaches and GM Ted Thompson disagree. I'm not crazy about either option, but things couldn't get any worse than they were last season, so it doesn't hurt to try.

The Packers 90-man Roster: Cornerbacks

One of the biggest surprises in last April's draft was that the Green Bay Packers selected a cornerback (Casey Hayward) in the 2nd round. Maybe it shouldn't have been a surprise based on the terrible 2011 season, but I thought the coaches were looking for a bounce back season from Tramon Williams and/or Sam Shields. Instead, they added a shot of competition to the position.

Player	Height	Weight	Age	Experience
Bush, Jarrett	6-0	200	28	7
Hayward, Casey	5-11	192	22	Rookie
House, Davon	6-0	195	22	2
Merrill, Otis	5-11	188	24	Rookie
Ross, Brandian	6-0	191	22	1
Shields, Sam	5-11	184	24	3
Turner, Dion	5-11	194	23	Rookie
Williams, Tramon	5-11	191	29	6
Woodson, Charles	6-1	202	35	15

At first glance this looks like a tough spot for three rookies, and a 2011 practice squad member (Ross) who's had zero regular season experience. Unless Hayward is a complete disaster in training camp, which is very unlikely, he'll move into the spot vacated by former Packer Pat Lee, who's now with the Raiders.

Then it comes down to whether one of the three undrafted free agents (Merrill, Ross, Turner) can move ahead of House. While the most likely result is that they're only competing against each other for a spot on the practice squad, the fact remains that House was given zero opportunities last season while the secondary was imploding. If House struggles during the preseason, he could have reason to worry.

But other than a possible competition for the final spot on the 53-man roster, the depth chart should remain the same. Woodson is back, and Bush was re-signed to back him up. Shields took a big step back in 2011, but he played with the first team defense during the open OTAs. Some concern remains about whether Williams is fully recovered from his shoulder injury, but his injured nerve will heal at some point and he kept his starting job throughout 2011 despite his bad shoulder.

Overall competition level: low. Other than a potential battle between Shields and Hayward/House/Bush for the nickelback, there shouldn't be too many surprises here once the longshot, undrafted undrafted cornerbacks fail to move up the depth chart. The cornerbacks need to play a lot better in 2012, but that doesn't mean that there will be a lot of changes to the roster.

NFL Teams Don't Go Wild: Jarrett Bush Returns To Green Bay To Play Special Teams

I cringe every time CB Jarrett Bush takes the field on defense for the Green Bay Packers. But on special teams, it's another story. He used to be called for too many penalties on kick coverage, but it's rarely a problem anymore. Instead, he's become the special teams captain and he occasionally pins the ball near the goal line in punt coverage.

So it's not a terrible thing that the Packers have re-signed him for another three-years. It was almost inevitable: his coaches love him. I'm just always afraid they'll think he's a good cornerback and play him on defense. He's only to be used on special teams, and in case of an emergency (if Charles Woodson is hurt). The three-year deal is supposedly better than his previous three-year contract ($4.5 million, $1 million guaranteed) but I doubt it's better than the three-year, $4.2 million contract the Bears gave to Eric Weems. That contract seems to be the going rate for a top special teams performer. Maybe it has more guaranteed money (Weems got $1.5 million) than Bush received the last time.

I'm not surprised he visited with the Jets and Cardinals because it's his right to see if some cornerback needy team would actually go insane and think he can play in the nickel, or even (shudder) start. His agent said that Bush would have only left the Packers for starter's money, so it's obvious no NFL team has lost their collective mind.