Recapping The Packers 2016 Free Agent Period

The NFL free agent period is rarely an exciting time for GM Ted Thompson and the Green Bay Packers, and 2016 has been no exception. Extending DT Mike Daniels was the most important task they could have accomplished, and they did it back in 2015, but I'm still left more disappointed than usual. There were some notable free agent departures and they'll be looking to find replacements, and depth, at those positions in April's draft.

Mike McCarthy confirmed the Packers are moving on from WR James Jones. He praised him for being "such a class... https://t.co/Z6qumLVpIV

— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) March 22, 2016

WR James Jones. Maybe Jones's agent was talking about a $4 million per season Jermaine Kearse type contract, which I would never expect them (nor should they) agree to. But Jones signed for under $1 million twice last season (first with the Giants and then the Packers) so he's probably not looking for a big deal. He finished 2015 as the 20th best receiver in the NFL according to Football Outsiders and he was the team's best receiver by a mile, so asking him to return in 2016 as a $1 million insurance policy looked like a no-brainer, even if he loses the battle in camp this summer to WR Jeff Janis and/or Jared Abbrederis. Yes, WR Jordy Nelson will be back, Janis and Abbrederis should continue to improve, and Jones might not have been necessary. But he was absolutely necessary in 2015 and he wouldn't have broken the bank. I'm also not mentioning WR Davante Adams, who the team appears to have faith in, though I don't. I'd have made re-signing Jones a priority if he's still available in the $1 million range.

DTs B.J. Raji, Letroy Guion, and Mike Pennel. Pennel wasn't a free agent but his upcoming four game suspension should factor into their 2016 plans. But I don't think they expected Raji to walk away from football. Mike McCarthy thinks Raji will return some day but I'm less sure about it because football doesn't seem to be the most important thing in his life. Good for him, but that won't help the Packers much in 2016. That leaves the middle of their line anchored by Guion and Daniels, and a couple other guys who've never played meaningful NFL snaps. DT Josh Boyd will also return, but he was never very good and he's now coming off a season ending injury. I'm worried that some teams will be able to run right over the defense next season.

LB Mike Neal. The Packers want to move LB Clay Matthews back outside next season and they did re-sign LB Nick Perry, so this seems like a good time to let Neal find another NFL home. I've never been his biggest fan so I'm glad they're looking to find someone better than him. But he was 5th on the team with 734 defensive snaps last season so they have to replace him with somebody, and I have no idea who that somebody will be. LB Sam Barrington will return but you never know what a player is like after a season ending injury. LBs Jake Ryan and Joe Thomas should continue to improve while platooning as a run stuffing and pass covering inside linebacker combo. Also, former disappointments LB Nate Palmer and Carl Bradford remain on the roster. The Packers have a lot of draft choices in the upcoming draft and they're sure to draft at least one linebacker, but they haven't had the best track record of developing inside linebackers. The loss of Raji and Pennel up front, along with Matthews moving back outside from inside, has left the middle of their defense looking like a giant question mark heading into 2016.

CB Casey Hayward. The Packers really didn't need Hayward anymore. The Chargers are paying him $5 million per season starting in 2016 and he might have been challenged for playing time with the Packers by CB Quinten Rollins and LaDarius Gunter. Also, former 5th round pick CB Demetri Goodson is in the mix. But letting a solid player like Hayward go for only a future 3rd or 4th round compensatory pick seems like a poor value. Hayward is a good player now, and that future draft choice is only maybe a good player someday. They've given up something without getting enough back, while at the same time the defense is taking a step back at tackle and inside linebacker.

I'm just not feeling the power of young players when a few of them disappointed last season at key positions like receiver and linebacker. That's the way the Packers work and free agency isn't the answer for most teams, but it's still left me underwhelmed with their offseason plans while I wait for them to re-load in the upcoming draft.

The Packers Shouldn't Be Tripping Over Themselves To Re-Sign Their Defensive Free Agents, Except...

The Packers have already re-signed and extended two potential free agent defensive lineman, but there are other defenders who played significant roles in 2015 that could become unrestricted free agents next month.

Player	Position	Age	PFF Grade	2015 Snaps
Casey Hayward	CB	26	5.2	1020
Mike Neal	LB	28	-12.7	822
Nick Perry	LB	25	3.1	365
B.J. Raji	NT	29	-4.6	472
Sean Richardson	S	26	-0.8	98

And of those players, there's only one that'll draw significant attention in free agency.

#Packers Hayward Earning Big Payday, Too - Even without an interception, Casey Hayward has been productive for ... https://t.co/BY7sVtyXYP

— Packers on Scout (@PackersOnScout) December 14, 2015

I'm a fan of CB Casey Hayward. Looking only at conventional stats, he underwhelmed with no interceptions and only 7 pass defenses in 2015. But that's a sign that teams don't throw at him despite him being on the field all the time (see 1020 snaps in 2015 above), and the advance stats like him, having earned a grade of 5.2 from Pro Football Focus last season. Maybe he wasn't targeted because the Packers relied heavily on two rookie cornerbacks last season, and most teams went after the rookies instead, but this wasn't Hayward's first good season. He's been a reliable player ever since he was drafted in 2012, and other teams are going to notice. While teams are burned badly by free agent cornerbacks every year, they always seem to spend irrationally every March. I'm sure GM Ted Thompson will make Hayward an offer but I think Hayward will get more from another cornerback desperate team.

This is LB Mike Neal's second run through unrestricted free agency. He drew little interest back in 2014 and he hasn't done anything to improve his worth since then. But he shouldn't cost too much and the Packers might prefer the limited player they know (see Guion, Letroy) rather than the unknown player they'd have to find to replace him. It's not important to re-sign him but I won't be upset if they do.

While LB Nick Perry is the only defender other than Hayward listed here with a positive PFF grade, his positive grade was from his run support, not his pass rush. The irony is that Perry entered the NFL with a reputation as a great pass rusher at USC and a complete unknown as a run defender. He's obviously worked hard to improve the weakest part of his game. Unfortunately his best skill (pass rush) has either stalled or vanished last season. The Packers declined his fifth-year option last year and he didn't do much to prove them wrong. Whether it was due to injuries or a lack of trust, the former 1st round pick only logged 365 snaps at outside linebacker when there wasn't any serious competition blocking his path to more playing time. I would guess that the Packers might be willing to give him a one-year contract to provide depth, but maybe another team will be more aggressive on giving him a fresh start and seeing if they can find the talent that made him a top prospect.

Like Neal, this is not NT B.J. Raji's first go around as an unrestricted free agent, and he's drawn little interest from other teams in the past. He didn't do much to stand out last season, but if they don't re-sign him then they'll absolutely have to find someone else like him. With $23 million of room available under the cap, there's no reason to go cheap on the defensive line. While Raji could be replaced, his position needs to be filled, and only the Jets's NT Damon Harrison is clearly a better free agent who might be available. GM Ted Thompson will spend for a star player but Harrison doesn't look like that type of player. The Packers know what they've got with Raji as a run stuffer (even if he's becoming a bit injury prone) and that's probably better than spinning the draft roulette wheel.

Unfortunately this is probably the end of DB Sean Richardson's career.

In the end, other than Hayward (the Packers have depth at CB if he leaves) they should probably push to re-sign Neal, Perry and Raji because they should be affordable and they'd leave holes on the roster if they departed. And the Packers already need to add another inside linebacker (or two) and need more depth at every offensive skill position. This team is good enough now to win a championship and they should try and keep it all together, as best as they can.

The First Week of Packers Training Camp Is In The Books

Though the Green Bay Packers started training camp last week, I haven't been too interested in who's playing in the first few practices of the season. It'll be the preseason games that really matter. But early season injuries are a big deal and several players were held out of practice to start the second week.

#Packers DNPs: Clay Matthews Adrian Coxson Ricky Collins John Crockett Matt Rotheram Jared Abbrederis Mike Neal Returned: Quinten Rollins

— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) August 3, 2015

Only four names really need to be discussed.

LB Clay Matthews had been practicing but he was held out for the first practice this week due to "knee soreness" and I don't think it's a big deal. Matthews said he's "just taking care of my body" and they probably don't want him to overdue it. Plus it's more practice time inside for LB Nate Palmer, who's coming off a lost 2014 season due to injury and changing positions.

WR Jared Abbrederis. I thought he would need a strong 2015 camp to bounce back from a lost 2014 season (knee injury) and that hasn't worked out for him so far. I'm a little worried about this concussion, he insisted that he's only had one concussion in college, but that could potentially be more of a problem than a bad knee. There is a lot of competition at receiver but he still has the preseason games to prove his worth.

LB Mike Neal. He's coming off a terrible 2014 season, and it's not clear when he'll be returning from offseason hernia surgery. They have some depth outside at linebacker in the meantime.

CB Quinten Rollins. Their 2nd round pick was held out for the first week with a hamstring injury. His absence gave more screen time to undrafted rookie CB LaDarius Gunter and he looks like a keeper, which isn't a problem since they have to replace the three cornerbacks they lost in free agency. Also, the news that CB Casey Hayward had foot surgery this offseason gives me some concern about his long-term future, which potentially makes Rollins even more important.

The Ongoing Musical Chairs At Linebacker

The linebacker core is the one unit that always seems to be undergoing some sort of shuffle. While Julius Peppers and Clay Matthews have excelled this season, it's been terrible times for Brad Jones, Mike Neal and A.J. Hawk.

Top photos from Sunday's #Packers win: http://t.co/YLxg3qvMq9 pic.twitter.com/ZD6nlgNeiB
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) November 24, 2014

In my recap of the win over the Vikings, I wrote that it was a quiet game for Matthews, who seemed a step slow as he played and practices through a groin injury. It looks like he's feeling better now, but in case his groin injury remains a problem, they'll need DE Mike Daniels and Peppers to make plays against the Patriots.

According to the ESPN playing time breakdown, rookie Jayrone Elliott was given some meaningful snaps for only the second time this season, without making much of an impact one way or another. Unfortunately he was only taking away snaps from Matthews outside, as Neal played as many snaps (59) as he's played in any game this season and received his worst game grade of the season from Pro Football Focus. Hopefully Nick Perry feels better this week and can take away snaps from Neal.

It was interesting that Brad Jones played his first meaningful snaps (13) on defense since a terrible performance against the Dolphins a few weeks ago. Against the Vikings, he received a slight positive grade from Pro Football Focus, which is a massive improvement for him. I'm not expecting too much from Hawk, but he's looking slow in coverage against the tight end, and it's forced them to reconsider Jones, who has the potential to be their best linebacker in coverage though he's been awful this season. The Patriots rely heavily on their tight ends and the Vikings game might be a prelude to a bigger role for Jones next week.

Five Key Things To Watch In Camp: Number 1 - Julius Peppers and the Defense

Julius Peppers comes to Green Bay as one of the biggest free agent signings in GM Ted Thompson's tenure, and he is the face of the new look defense Dom Capers is bringing to the Packers in 2014. While everyone will be watching to see how many sacks he records, he's only going to succeed if Capers's new defense is a hit.

What has #Packers DT Mike Daniels learned from new teammate Julius Peppers? Watch: http://t.co/ZuyBqfzYQv pic.twitter.com/bZROVqQDyv
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) July 8, 2014

If you look at the defensive front seven, which is where the new defensive look should be obvious, the roster is mostly the same as it was in 2013. Peppers is on board, along with rookies DE Khyri Thornton and LB Carl Bradford, but the rookies might barely play in the early goings. The only mountain on the line remaining is NT B.J. Raji (gone are Pickett and Jolly) and the Packers could frequently line up with only two 300 lb. lineman and an army of linebackers and defensive backs behind them. That formation will be easier to run against, but it'll be hard for a receiver to find any room in coverage.

Capers described the defense as "less volume, more packages" which actually brings some simplicity to the defense. The personnel on the field will "dictate the defense" instead of going with the same personnel group and asking them to do different things. I expect that means he'll be coaching more to his players' strengths.

So Peppers might be playing primarily at linebacker, but he's still listed as a LB/DE, so there should be packages that line him up at defensive end. It's probably the same role they had in mind for Mike Neal last season, but injuries forced Neal to play at linebacker most of the time. Asking Nick Perry to play the same role wouldn't be a bad idea either because he's never looked great dropping back into coverage.

We should be seeing more players rotating on and off the field in 2014, and maybe they'll keep an extra defensive end and linebacker on the roster. However, the disappointing thing is that we might not see what this new defense looks like until the regular season. The Packers have already coached the players on how these new packages work during OTAs, but there's no incentive to give the rest of the NFL an early look during the preseason. Maybe a few of them will be shown, but the Packers will probably play nothing other than their base defense as they evaluate some of the fringe roster candidates during the bulk of the preseason games.

While everyone will be watching Peppers and the new look defense this season, unfortunately neither of them should be seen much during the preseason games.

2014 Free Agency: Packers Re-Sign Mike Neal

I wasn't in favor of having the Green Bay Packers re-sign DE/LB Mike Neal because I thought he might get a big offer from another team since he's young and recorded 9.5 sacks over the last two seasons. Some other team might get stars in their eyes and think he can be even better in their system with more playing time. He really isn't an outside linebacker and I'd rather they try and find a real outside linebacker in free agency.

But Neal didn't find much of a market in free agency. Maybe other teams didn't know what to think of him either, and he re-signed with the Packers at a modest price with $2.5 million guaranteed.

Mike Neal Reportedly Gets $8 Million Over Two Years http://t.co/ik1oo8cTIJ #packers
— Cheesehead TV (@cheeseheadtv) March 13, 2014

Neal's best role is probably as a backup who can line-up anywhere when DC Dom Capers wants to bring an extra pass rusher. That seems to be what the Packers have in mind, based on what Jason Wilde wrote. He shouldn't start on the defensive line because that seemed to aggravate his knees, and he shouldn't start at outside linebacker because he was terrible at holding the edge against the run. I don't want to see him dropping back into pass coverage on a regular basis either. But as a situational pass rusher who they can line up at various positions, he's worth $8 million.

While GM Ted Thompson hasn't been known for paying $4 million annually for a backup player, they have so much salary cap room in 2014 (and it'll be hard for a two-year deal to cause future salary cap problems) that this contract is a good one.

2014 Packer Free Agents: Mike Neal Really Isn't A Linebacker

Mike Neal is a good story for the Green Bay Packers. After knee injuries kept him off the field for well over a year, and kept him ineffective for halves of two more seasons, he finally came on late in 2012 to provide them with another pass rusher. Last year they made the surprising decision to move an almost 300 lb. lineman to outside linebacker. If Neal wasn't the biggest linebacker in the NFL season, I don't know who was bigger.

Previous 2014 Packer Free Agents: Sam Shields, James Starks and Andrew Quarless, B.J. Raji and Ryan Pickett, Marshall Newhouse, and a bunch of other guys.

Our #Packers free-agent countdown has reached No. 6: LB/DE Mike Neal. http://t.co/L8oRerwF3y pic.twitter.com/Sv9VJq3J9u
— Packers News (@PGPackersNews) February 25, 2014

There are already some rumors of interest in him, which makes sense because he's coming off his rookie contract and entering what should be the prime of his career. He finished 2013 with 5 sacks, which was fairly impressive considering he was playing through a few injuries late in the season. Because of LB Clay Matthews's hamstring and broken wrist, the lousy play from rookies LB Nate Palmer and Andy Mulumba, Neal, and inconsistency/injuries with LB Nick Perry, Neal was the most reliable outside linebacker they had last season.

The big problem is that he's not really an outside linebacker. Thankfully he didn't drop back into pass coverage all that often, but he wasn't very good at playing in space against the run and he earned a negative run defense grade from Pro Football Focus. When he's out on the edge, he just couldn't react to a running back like any of the other linebackers on the roster. It's not really his fault; it's the reason why there aren't a lot of 280-290 lb. outside linebackers in the NFL.

There had been a rumor that the Packers were going with smaller defensive lineman next season so maybe a move back to the line would help him, but if they really liked him as a defensive lineman then I doubt they would have moved him to outside linebacker in the first place. Though he had 5 sacks in 2013, a large part of his success was that he had a lot of opportunities to rush the passer. He only earned a positive grade as a pass rusher in three games last season, according to Pro Football Focus (Lions and Bears at Lambeau, and Falcons).

At best, he's a complementary pass rusher, he's got a long history as an injury risk, and he doesn't have an obvious position. He's an interesting player who's young, played multiple positions, and been effective at times. I can see why other teams are interested in him. However, I don't see how he makes the Packers' defense any better in 2014, other than to provide depth. I'm not expecting the Packers to promise him a starting role next season, but I think he will get such an offer from another team.

Free Agent LB Neal wants to stay with Packers

According to Bleacher Report, Packers OLB Mike Neal, who's currently a free agent, is interested in returning to the team next year if "they'll have him back." Neal, who has spent each of his first four NFL seasons with the Pack, had a nice 36 tackles (23 solo) in 2013. 

Now while I guess he's not the best player in the world, I wouldn't mind keeping #96 around. He's no Jared Allen, but he contributes to the team, doesn't he? And when you're on a defense like Green Bay's, you should know that any kinda help is more than welcome. 

Position Review: Defensive LIne

Ever since the 2010 season, when B.J. Raji and Cullen Jenkins were a quality pass rush tandem in their nickel package, the Green Bay Packers's defensive line has been a disappointment. It was awful in 2011 and there wasn't much improvement in 2012.

Previously: Position Reviews - Offense.

B.J. Raji. He hasn't regained the form he showed during the 2010 playoffs, but he's still their best lineman and his 2011 decline was caused by massive overuse on an awful line. The Packers have re-stocked their depth and he could return to his 2010 level now that he's surrounded with better teammates.

Ryan Pickett. The 13 year veteran still provides a solid presence against the run, but hardly anything as a pass rusher. He's a free agent after this year and GM Ted Thompson doesn't usually keep veterans in their 30s, but he's still the same player that he was when he joined the team in 2006. I'm expecting more of the same in 2013 and maybe even a return performance in 2014.

Datone Jones. He looked really good at UCLA and could become their best pass rushing lineman since Jenkins left in free agency. All eyes should be on him this preseason.

Mike Neal. He was second on the team last season with 4.5 sacks, but his future on the line looks cloudy after the selection of Jones in the 1st round. He got some work at outside linebacker but that seems like an unlikely transition for a 294 lb. lineman. He's sure to get another chance in 2013 and it'll be up to him to take advantage of it before he hits free agency.

C.J. Wilson and Mike Daniels. They're different types of players, Wilson has more size and Daniels has more hustle, but they were about as equally productive. Neither one is going to be asked to anchor the middle of the 3-4 formation and both of them might have been pushed back by Jones. They both should make the team but it's not clear whether either player has a long-term future.

Jerel Worthy. I had really high hopes for the him after his 2012 selection in 2nd round, but his biggest impact last season was his inability to stay onside before the snap. A late season knee injury will probably keep him out next season so there's nothing to see here until 2014.

Johnny Jolly. If this was 2009, I'd be really writing about how he's a young anchor to build around. But the prime of his career has been wiped out by years of legal problems. At age 30, he's finally back but who knows how he'll look after missing three seasons. I can't think of another healthy player in recent years who has missed three seasons.

Josh Boyd. I'm not sure where he fits on the roster, but I would expect the Packers to keep their 2013 5th round selection. However, I'm not sure if he can overtake either Wilson or Daniels on the depth chart. If he does make the team, I can't imagine he'll do anything except provide depth.

Gilbert Pena. Packer fans should love a big defensive lineman named Gilbert. He's a big run stuffer who probably went undrafted because he's already 26 years old. Maybe he'll turn out to be a young Ryan Pickett type lineman.

Jordan Miller. He was signed to the practice squad late last season and he's probably the longest shot to stick with the team.

Once Worthy goes on I.R., the Packers will have ten lineman for what will likely be six roster spots. It's possible that someone like Neal or Wilson is released/traded depending on what happens during the preseason. That could open up a spot for Jolly, Boyd, or Pena. But probably those three players will be looking to resume their NFL careers somewhere else at the start of the regular season.

The Press Got To Watch The Packers Practice

The Green Bay Packers are in the middle of their offseason program, which began on April 15th and it will end on June 14. Only a few practices are open to the public, and Tuesday May 28th was supposed to be one of them, until it got moved inside due to rain. So only the press got to watch it.

In position drills, Neal is with the OLB's.#Packers serious about the switch for now.
— Tyler Dunne (@TyDunne) May 28, 2013

Mike Neal's move from the defensive line to outside linebacker is probably the biggest story of the last two open practices. It's a little surprising, Neal did record 4.5 sacks last season, but his future probably isn't as a starter since they drafted DE Datone Jones in the 1st round. Of course, they drafted LB Nick Perry in the 1st round in 2012, so his future doesn't look promising as a linebacker either. This looks like a last chance for Neal.

There hasn't been much else to see or report, but Tyler Dunne has a good Twitter feed if you're interested. I'm glad to read that TE Andrew Quarless looks as good as ever, but you never know until you watch the preseason games. OL Don Barclay, after playing almost exclusively at offensive tackle last season, seems to be playing everywhere on the line. It's like they know they've got a good lineman in Barclay but they aren't sure what to do with him. DE Johnny Jolly, who's coming back from a three year suspension, still isn't with the team but Mike McCarthy didn't seem too concerned.

There's never much to see in May, but the coaches and players seem to be keeping busy and working to improve on last season. That's all that can be asked of them at this point.

Preview: Lions at Packers On Sunday Night

At first glance, this injury report looks bad. On the other hand, the Green Bay Packers are almost in the same situation they were when they last faced the Lions back on November 18.

#Packers practice report: Lang returned but no Matthews, Nelson, Neal, Wilson, Starks
— Wes Hodkiewicz (@WesHod) December 7, 2012

Having RT T.J. Lang would be a big help, and it looks like he'll play. It's always a concern when LB Clay Matthews is out, but the defense put a lot of pressure on QB Matthew Stafford in their last meeting (5 sacks, 2 INTs, 1 fumble) without him. WR Jordy Nelson had a quiet day (3 catches for 45 yards) during their last meeting, and his loss is offset by the return of WR Greg Jennings. RB James Starks is replaced by RB Ryan Grant, which is arguably an upgrade. Losing DE Mike Neal and DE C.J. Wilson will stretch their depth, but I expect the Packers will spend most of the time in their two lineman, nickel package, so D-line depth won't be as important.

Though the Lions haven't won at Lambeau since QB Aaron Rodgers was in elementary school, I'm worried about this game. In their last meeting, the Lions turned the ball over four times and the Packers' offense only managed to score 17 points. While not much has changed on offense since that meeting (assuming Lang starts), 17 points is not enough if the Lions can avoid the turnovers.

However, the Lions' offense has since taken a step back. On November 18th, the Lions' second leading receiver was WR Ryan Broyles, who's now out for the year with an ACL injury, and their third leading receiver, WR Titus Young, is out for the year because he's a complete headcase. Though that's an addition by subtraction because Young was in open rebellion against the Lions and ended up helping the Packers more than hurting them. Still, the loss of Broyles, combined with the earlier loss of WR Nate Burleson, has to be a problem.

The Lions haven't scored under 20 points in their last six games, so assuming they don't commit four turnovers again, they should still manage around 24 points. The Packers, on the other hand, haven't scored over 24 points in their last three games, but they did have 31 points against a very good Cardinals defense back on November 4th. In that game, Rodgers threw for four touchdowns and he'll have to make plays like that again for them to win next Sunday.

Packers 31, Lions 24.

Packer Injuries: Matthews, Sherrod, and the D-Line

The bad news is that LB Clay Matthews may still not be available next Sunday, but the bigger concern might be on the defensive line.

DNP for the #Packers: Woodson, White, Shields, Matthews, Driver, Pickett, Wilson.
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) November 28, 2012

They've survived so far without CB Charles Woodson and CB Sam Shields. WR Donald Driver hasn't played much this season. DE C.J. Wilson is not a surprise, neither is backup RB Johnny White, since they both were hurt during the loss to the Giants. I'm not sure why DT Ryan Pickett has been held out because the injury report hasn't been released yet, but Mike McCarthy said Pickett will return to practice no later than Friday.

While shutting down the Vikings' passing attack is probably the key to the game, I still expect the Packers to frequently line up with three defensive lineman when they face RB Adrian Peterson. That could be hard to do if two starters (Pickett and Wilson) are out. However, DE Jerel Worthy has returned from his concussion, so he'll provide depth alongside DE Mike Neal and DE Mike Daniels. But that would with only be five healthy lineman, and any setback by Pickett could leave them with a very tight four man rotation.

I doubt it's a surprise to anyone reading this but it's finally official: OL Derek Sherrod is not playing this season. His leg injury was severe, and it happened late last season, so it's not surprising he needs more time to recover. I'm not sure how much could have helped anyway, but the offensive line's problems aren't going away so he can become part of the solution in 2013.

Could Mike Neal Help The Packers?

#Packers have activated DE @mneal96 and released DE Phillip Merling, the club announced. Neal now eligible to play vs. #Colts Sunday.
— Jason Wilde (@jasonjwilde) October 6, 2012

After he was a complete zero last season, and then suspensed four games to open 2012, I was on the fence whether the Packers would release DE Mike Neal. He hadn't been able to stay healthy in either of his first two seasons and he hadn't done anything memorable on the field. His only hope was that his status as a former 2nd round pick would give him another chance and then he'd have to stay healthy for an entire season.

The last defensive lineman in this situation was former first round pick DE Justin Harrell, and the Packers gave him four seasons to turn it around. So it seemed unlikely they would give up on Neal after only two. But the selection of DE Jerel Worthy and DE Mike Daniels, and the free agent signings of DE Anthony Hargrove, Merling, and NT Daniel Muir, gave Neal a lot of competition. However, Neal showed just enough during the preseason to stick ahead of Hargrove and Muir. He's now been kept ahead of Merling too.

Something that's really helped him is that none of the other players the Packers have added this year have made much of an impact. Worthy is often on the field, but he's more notable for jumping offsides. Daniels has shown hustle, but he's played little and only recorded 1 sack and 1 tackle on the season. Merling only recorded 2 tackles in his first four games. So if Neal is improved a year after knee surgery, and he can rush better than Worthy or Daniels (neither of them have shown much so far), then he could be a welcomed addition. I expect he'll still be behind Worthy on the depth chart, but Neal should get a chance or two against the Colts to prove that he can do more. We'll have to wait and see whether he can take advantage of it.

Packers Down To 75 Players: Jarius Wynn Released

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.

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:

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.

Mike Neal's Appeal and Atari Bigby in San Diego

Green Bay Packers DE Mike Neal is currently expected to begin the 2012 season with a four-game suspension because he took Adderall (which is commonly used to treat ADHD) without realizing the NFL considers it a banned stimulant. However, the NFL has made exceptions for it and Neal is appealing the suspension. Originally, I thought the league office would never lift the suspension, but a running back for the Giants recently had his similar suspension lifted on appeal. I would be more excited by the prospect of having him available for all 16-games next season if he'd played better or stayed healthy over the past couple seasons.

Speaking of healthy players, former starting safety Atari Bigby is currently healthy and making a good impression with his new team, the Chargers. They have an opening, and Bigby is certainly good enough to start, even if his pass coverage skills aren't great. For him, it's all about staying healthy, which is easier said than done. He's a big hitter and it has to take a toll on him.