The Green Bay Packers announced 10 roster moves to shrink down to 75 players by today's deadline. Most of the transactions involved injured players and only one healthy player was released.
DE Jarius Wynn. This isn't the first time he's been released by the Packers, so it's not a big surprise. He was re-signed during the great injury rush of 2010, after Justin Harrell's annual season-ending injury. He's also one of the few players I've actually interviewed, so I'm disappointed to see that he's gone, but his play on the field didn't earn him a roster spot. He had a strong couple months down the stretch in 2010, and he was useful during their playoff run to the Super Bowl, but he was a non-factor last season after recording 3 sacks in their first three games. He was involved in a couple plays last week against the Bengals, but he was clearly behind other players like Philip Merling. The Packers might have to release three defensive lineman by the end of the week, so the final game will be very important for Merling, Lawrence Guy, and Mike Neal.
FB Jon Hoese was released, but he's also been out with a hamstring injury, so it's a release related to an injury. The former undrafted free agent was released last season too, and then brought back onto the practice squad late in the year, so we might see him again.
TE Andrew Quarless and LB Frank Zombo have been hurting all training camp, but they both have a chance to return after six weeks on the PUP list. I'm a little surprised OL Derek Sherrod wasn't listed here too, which may be a sign that he'll be ready to play soon.
It's too bad to see LB Desmond Bishop's season end before it began, but his hamstring injury was serious and he'll be out for the season on I.R. A few other players were also placed on I.R. (RB Du'ane Bennett, TE DeMarco Cosby, G Ray Dominguez, DE Johnny Jones, and WR Shaky Smithson) but I wouldn't have expected any of them to make the roster if they had been healthy. Rob Demovsky expects those last five players will "receive settlements and be waived."
There are a few other players that I expected to be released (OL Shea Allard, OL Greg Van Roten, and WR Diondre Borel all stood out in a bad way against the Bengals) but they still need players for the final preseason game against the Chiefs. The starters aren't likely to play, and Aaron Rodgers might not play at all. The front office might have a good idea of their final roster, but some guys will get at least one more chance to make a good impression.
Showing posts with label Philip Merling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Philip Merling. Show all posts
Monday, August 27, 2012
Thursday, August 16, 2012
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.
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.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
The Packers 90-man Roster: Defensive Line
While the Green Bay Packers have created competition on the defensive line by drafting and signing several new players, there aren't enough roster spots for all of them. Most of the competition will be at defensive end, and these are the players from Packers.com that are considered at that position:
I'm expecting three of these players will make the 53-man roster, so the competition should be fierce. Guy was stuck on injured reserve last season, and now (assuming he'll return healthy), he has to fight for a spot on the 53-man roster, though he still may be eligible for the practice squad. Hargrove and Neal are staring down suspensions. While Hargrove may have no chance of changing the commissioner's mind over his participation in the pay-for-performance scheme while he was with the Saints, Neal might have his suspension lifted on appeal because his situation is similar to Andre Brown's. Based on what I read during the open OTAs, Worthy might be considered the top defensive end because of his ability as a pass rusher. Merling, Wilson, and Wynn are going to have to give the team a reason to keep them this preseason, but they all have potential.
Here are the defensive tackles (plus Jones who's listed as a "DL"):
Three-and-three: the Packers should keep three defensive ends and three defensive tackles. Jones spent 2011 on the practice squad, and that's his only hope of staying with the team again in 2012. Muir only played in 4 games in 2011 before the Colts released him, so he'll have to prove that he still belongs in the NFL, which I don't expect he'll be able to do. That could make it easy to keep Pickett, Raji, and 4th round pick Daniels (assuming his lingering shoulder injury doesn't land him on the I.R.).
The wild card is former Packer Johnny Jolly. Reading between the lines on a recent comment from team president Mark Murphy, who mentioned that he just wants Jolly to "lead a productive life" and notes that Jolly's been out of football for a couple years, it looks like the Packers aren't including Jolly into their plans. He might have some football left to play, but it seems they don't want to take back a player who could easily provide more headaches.
Overall competition level: high at defensive end, low at defensive tackle. Other than Pickett, Raji, and Worthy (Daniels will stay either on the active roster or I.R.), the other three positions could be made up of any combination of these players. These two positions will be ones to watch this preseason.
| Player | Height | Weight | Age | Experience |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guy, Lawrence | 6-4 | 304 | 22 | 2 |
| Hargrove, Anthony | 6-3 | 282 | 28 | 8 |
| Merling, Phillip | 6-5 | 315 | 27 | 5 |
| Neal, Mike | 6-3 | 294 | 24 | 3 |
| Wilson, C.J. | 6-3 | 290 | 25 | 3 |
| Worthy, Jerel | 6-2 | 308 | 22 | Rookie |
| Wynn, Jarius | 6-3 | 285 | 25 | 4 |
I'm expecting three of these players will make the 53-man roster, so the competition should be fierce. Guy was stuck on injured reserve last season, and now (assuming he'll return healthy), he has to fight for a spot on the 53-man roster, though he still may be eligible for the practice squad. Hargrove and Neal are staring down suspensions. While Hargrove may have no chance of changing the commissioner's mind over his participation in the pay-for-performance scheme while he was with the Saints, Neal might have his suspension lifted on appeal because his situation is similar to Andre Brown's. Based on what I read during the open OTAs, Worthy might be considered the top defensive end because of his ability as a pass rusher. Merling, Wilson, and Wynn are going to have to give the team a reason to keep them this preseason, but they all have potential.
Here are the defensive tackles (plus Jones who's listed as a "DL"):
| Player | Height | Weight | Age | Experience |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jones, Johnny | 6-4 | 310 | 23 | 1 |
| Daniels, Mike | 6-0 | 291 | 23 | Rookie |
| Muir, Daniel | 6-2 | 322 | 28 | 5 |
| Pickett, Ryan | 6-2 | 340 | 32 | 12 |
| Raji, B.J. | 6-2 | 337 | 25 | 4 |
Three-and-three: the Packers should keep three defensive ends and three defensive tackles. Jones spent 2011 on the practice squad, and that's his only hope of staying with the team again in 2012. Muir only played in 4 games in 2011 before the Colts released him, so he'll have to prove that he still belongs in the NFL, which I don't expect he'll be able to do. That could make it easy to keep Pickett, Raji, and 4th round pick Daniels (assuming his lingering shoulder injury doesn't land him on the I.R.).
The wild card is former Packer Johnny Jolly. Reading between the lines on a recent comment from team president Mark Murphy, who mentioned that he just wants Jolly to "lead a productive life" and notes that Jolly's been out of football for a couple years, it looks like the Packers aren't including Jolly into their plans. He might have some football left to play, but it seems they don't want to take back a player who could easily provide more headaches.
Overall competition level: high at defensive end, low at defensive tackle. Other than Pickett, Raji, and Worthy (Daniels will stay either on the active roster or I.R.), the other three positions could be made up of any combination of these players. These two positions will be ones to watch this preseason.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Packers Sign Phillip Merling and Release Two Others
The Green Bay Packers announced a couple of roster moves. First, they released an undrafted rookie (Wake Forest TE Cameron Ford) after he apparently failed to impress at the rookie camp earlier this month. They also released former arena league QB Nick Hill, which wasn't a big surprise after he showed a lack of arm strength during the same rookie camp. I wouldn't be surprised if they signed another quarterback before the start of training camp so they can have four quarterbacks available during practice.
They also signed DE Phillip Merling, who the Dolphins had released last month because he wasn't very productive on the field and he wasn't showing up for the "voluntary" offseason workouts. But the commentators at The Phinsider believed Merling had played better late last season and they were a little surprised by his release.
Since Merling hasn't recorded a sack since 2009, the former second round pick is probably best suited for a role as a DE in their 3-4 base defense. At 6-5 and 315 lbs., he certainly looks the part. I was a little surprised to see the Packers lining up with C.J. Wilson as the starting DE in the base defense during this week's open OTA because Wilson didn't prove last season that he deserves to start. I'm not sure he's even worth keeping on the roster. It wouldn't take a lot for Merling to move ahead of Wilson and find himself starting in the base defense.
In addition to the lack of effort he's been showing in the offseason, Merling had some problems with the law when he was arrested for beating his pregnant girlfriend in 2010, but those charges were dropped after she wouldn't testify against him. The Packers haven't shied away from players with legal problems. Erik Walden was arrested during a similar incident in 2011 and he was recently re-signed.
The Packers won't tolerate him long if he doesn't show enough effort during the remaining offseason program, but if he can turn himself around and move into a starting role as the defensive end in the base 3-4 defense, he could be a solid value signing for the Packers.
They also signed DE Phillip Merling, who the Dolphins had released last month because he wasn't very productive on the field and he wasn't showing up for the "voluntary" offseason workouts. But the commentators at The Phinsider believed Merling had played better late last season and they were a little surprised by his release.
Since Merling hasn't recorded a sack since 2009, the former second round pick is probably best suited for a role as a DE in their 3-4 base defense. At 6-5 and 315 lbs., he certainly looks the part. I was a little surprised to see the Packers lining up with C.J. Wilson as the starting DE in the base defense during this week's open OTA because Wilson didn't prove last season that he deserves to start. I'm not sure he's even worth keeping on the roster. It wouldn't take a lot for Merling to move ahead of Wilson and find himself starting in the base defense.
In addition to the lack of effort he's been showing in the offseason, Merling had some problems with the law when he was arrested for beating his pregnant girlfriend in 2010, but those charges were dropped after she wouldn't testify against him. The Packers haven't shied away from players with legal problems. Erik Walden was arrested during a similar incident in 2011 and he was recently re-signed.
The Packers won't tolerate him long if he doesn't show enough effort during the remaining offseason program, but if he can turn himself around and move into a starting role as the defensive end in the base 3-4 defense, he could be a solid value signing for the Packers.