Farewell, Tyrell...We Barely Knew Thee...

I am going to join some other fellow bloggers in displaying my regret in the Packers' choice to keep three fullbacks and to allow Tyrell Sutton to depart for more southern pastures yesterday.

Andy at PackerGeeks says:

I’m tired of the Packers being content with bigger body type runners. Sutton was exciting because he could make people miss better than any back we’ve had in a long time (probably back to DeMond Parker days…yes, Steve, DeMond Parker). I’m frustated by this move...If I hear arguments saying that Kuhn is more versatile and can be used as a halfback etc, I’ll be [ticked]. Sutton would be 10x more effective as a half back.

Brian at Railbird Central agrees:

Did you see this guy play football? I cannot believe they cut him. This one may come back to bite the Packers. Sutton can run, can catch the ball out of the backfield, and he looked decent on kick returns. Sure, he struggled in pass protection. But guess what? He's a rookie! He'll learn and get better. This frustrates me more than any other cut.

I have to agree that there is such an emphasis on special teams that it was driving some of the final decisions for roster spots: Swain over Ruvell, Kuhn over Sutton, Derrick Martin over Anthony Smith. There is definitely some room for concern here. I am all for improving special teams, but not at the cost of damaging the units that are out there for 100 snaps a game.

As for Sutton, I think the Packers missed the boat on this one. I was excited about this kid from early on, despite the knocks on his height and lack of explosive speed. However, speed is overrated. Face it, how often do you see Ryan Grant exploding into his sprint speed? Hardly ever, because in order to get to that gear, you have to choose your blocks and hit your hole. If you have lightning speed, but can't follow a block or hit a hole, your name is LeShon Johnson.

No, Sutton didn't explode any huge plays the last two weeks. All he did was rack up yards. That's it. If you watch him get the ball, his eyes are upfield and quickly processing the blocking ahead of him. He's not fast, but he is agile and able to move laterally very well. You combine field vision with that agility and you have something that the Packers don't have right now.

Ryan Grant is a good ZBS runner (I don't mean that as an insult). He is at his best when he can get the ball, make one cut, and turn it upfield. Last year, that usually meant a run of between 2-4 yards. If you need three yards, Grant got you three yards. If you need eight yards, Grant got you three yards.

Jackson is the third-down back, the receiver out of the backfield.

DeShawn Wynn and Gregg Lumpkin, for as much as I like them, add nothing more to this mix. They are both big-bodied running backs that will take the ball and run forward through the hole, if they can.

When is Wynn going to get playing time? I'll tell you:

* When Ryan Grant or Brandon Jackson is hurt
* When Ryan Grant or Brandon Jackson need a breather.
* When Ryan Grant or Brandon Jackson are being held out because the game is a blowout and they don't want the starters to get hurt.

In other words, the Packers will treat Wynn like the third quarterback, and that's not what Sutton brought to the table. Sutton would have allowed the Packers to have three different backs in the stable, each with their own gifts to bring to the line of scrimmage. Sutton adds a whole new dimension, able to use his vision to stretch out a sweep or change direction on a run...not trademarks of the zone blocking scheme.

Instead of being stashed on the bench and being an emergency guy like Wynn will be, Sutton could have come in a split backfield with Grant or Jackson, forcing linebackers covering him to account for his agility. And, the fact that he had developed a good rapport with fullback-of-the-future shouldn't be looked past, either.

Maybe the Packers naively thought that Sutton would survive the waiver wire and could be hidden on the practice squad, but they had to know a player who had a bidding war for his services following the draft (and then led the team in rushing in the preseason) would have little to no chance of surviving 31 teams' needs. Now, Sutton is a Carolina Panther.

So, we move on. But as Brian stated earlier, this might be a move that the Packers may end up regretting in the future. Best of luck to Tyrell Sutton, a kid who did everything to earn a spot on the Green Bay Packers roster, but looks like he lost out to special teams.

Harrington to Green Bay? Could Be, But Don't Expect a Miracle.

Michael Lombardi over at the National Football Post says aloud what I was thinking yesterday when I saw Joey Harrington was cut from the Saints. He's worth a shot in green and gold.

I’m hearing the Packers might make a move for Joey Harrington now that the Brian Brohm era has ended in Green Bay. Brohm never looked quick-minded or in rhythm the past two summers. Matt Flynn clearly out-played Brohm and looked like he had a much better command of the offense.

Obviously, I wish he would give us a little more to go on, but ever since the Lions let Harrington go, I thought he might be a good reclamation project for the Packers. Harrington hasn't thrown a meaningful pass in the NFL since 2007, and after being cut by the Saints in favor of 39-year-old Mark Brunell, you have to think Joey's at the end of his rope.

It's too bad. The former third pick overall can join a pretty exclusive club of quarterbacks that watched their high potential get shot because the team that drafted them decided they would be so much better off behind a terrible offensive line and no talent surrounding him in the backfield.

Mr. Harrington, meet Mr. Couch. This is his friend, Mr. Akili Smith, and over there is Mr. Carr. Here's another relative newcomer to "the club", Mr. Alex Smith.

Aaron Rodgers can thank Brett Favre for his stubborn passion to keep on playing into his AARP eligibility. There is no doubt in my mind that had a jumpy, pressure-unaware rookie quarterback lined up behind Wil Whittaker and Adrian Klemm, been handing off to Samkon Gado and throwing towards Antonio Chatman, Rodgers would also be a member of this club.

Rodgers' time on the bench was well-served, not only for his own maturation, but for Thompson to have time to build a team around him that would allow him to learn good habits on the playing field, not simply how to panic and scramble away from sacks, as David Carr did.

Is Harrington a lost cause? Chances are pretty good. Tim Couch and Akili Smith each attempted a comeback with the Packers under coach Mike Sherman, and both didn't show any measurable improvement over their Brown/Bengal days.

But coach Mike McCarthy has been lauded for his quarterback development skills, from Aaron Brooks to Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers. Certainly, Matt Flynn has to be a feather in his cap, too. If Ted Thompson wants to bring in Joey Harrington, it has the potential to be a good situation.

For Harrington, he would have the luxury of sitting behind a strong young quarterback and try and break down the bad habits he learned playing for the Lions. He would have a strong mentor in McCarthy and have some time to relearn his trade.

For the Packers, they would have a veteran presence on the team who could have familiarity with the system in the event Rodgers were to go down for extended time (instead of a mid-season free agent pickup). No offense to Flynn, but we haven't seen him against #1 defenses yet, and his injury situation has to make you think that the #3 guy is just a hit or two away from starting.

Obviously, it is that line of thinking that likely led to Ted Thompson cutting Brian Brohm, and Harrington would at least bring NFL experience to a scaled-back offense in the event of catastrophic injuries to the quarterbacking corps.

But, let's be honest, too. Like Carr, Couch, and Smith, quarterbacks who have had their formative years marred by ineptitude around them (and the pressure of being the "savior" who is supposed to single-handedly raise the entire offense) rarely bounce back. Vinny Testaverde might be one example of a quarterback who suffered through such a beginning and was able to become a solid veteran backup for many years.

For the most part, however, Harrington hasn't thrived in any other places after Detroit (Miami, Atlanta, New Orleans), and isn't likely to raise the level of his game unless he is truly willing to break down everything he's learned and start over again. He has a lifetime quarterback efficiency rating of 69.4, certainly nothing worth writing home about.

However, the talent of the teams he's played on over the years are certainly in question. The Lions from 2002-2005, under Matt Millen's leadership, set a record for most consecutive road losses (24). His next season as a part-time starter for the Miami Dolphins saw the team finish 6-10, but Harrington himself was 5-6 as a starter. In Atlanta, he played on the 4-12 team that virtually imploded following the Michael Vick dogfighting scandal.

In other words, he's never been surrounded by the talent the Packers have right now. Like anything else, it's a risk to bring in a guy like Harrington. There's precious little history that would lead us to believe that he would be able to ascend above what he's been bred to do in Detroit.

And some of his biggest knocks are some of the same ones that we just jettisoned with Brian Brohm: lack of mobility in the pocket, forced passes, and playing "soft".

But, as many of Brohm's defenders commented, the chance that a third-string quarterback will see significant time in the regular season is pretty slim, and the Packers have to balance developing a young prospect with potential versus putting some veteran experience in that spot. Flynn's injury status has to make both McCarthy and Thompson realize what a risk they took in 2008 with little experience behind a starting quarterback who had his own injury history.

It might be Harrington, and it might not. But with the departure of a young project that many felt "just needed time", you get the feeling that Ted Thompson isn't looking for another young, raw talent at this point.

TundraVision QuickHits: 2009 Final Cuts

Dude....

Some pretty interesting final day cuts by Ted Thompson. We all know final cuts are a painful process, but some of them, well, make you go hmmmmm...

18 players cut, and among them we see:

Anthony Smith: The former safety from Pittsburgh seemed to have a stranglehold on the backup safety position, especially with Atari Bigby struggling this preseason as he recovers from the injury that plagued his 2008 campaign. Smith seemed to be a playmaker on the field in his time during the preseason games, and was a foregone conclusion he was the glue as the Packers transitioned to the 3-4. Yeah, he was nicked up, but so was Rouse, and he made the team.

This means our safeties for this year (for now) are Nick Collins and Atari Bigby, with only Aaron Rouse and Jarrett Bush backing them up. (Peprah was placed on season-ending injured reserve) Anyone else suddenly worried?

Tony Moll/Derrick Martin: Well, maybe the safety position isn't completely lost. Tony Moll, on the bubble with Breno Guacamole, was traded to the Baltimore Ravens for defensive back Derrick Martin, another fourth year player.

The 5-10, 200-pound Martin has played in 28 games, including three starts, for the Ravens over his first three seasons and was a sixth-round pick by Baltimore in the 2006 draft.

Little yellow flag on Martin: he was cited for marijuana possession last year. However, most of what I've read has him as a natural cornerback who has been playing safety this season, and done so rather impressively. Have to imagine the Packers saw more potential in Martin than in Smith, but I'm not about to bet the farm on it.

As for Moll, I wish him the best of luck. People have been piling on him quite a bit as late, but he's probably not a bad reserve lineman. But, like the Ravens and their secondary, the Packers already have a lot of reserve talent on the line, and Moll was expendable. I never thought Thompson would get any value for him, so it does bring a level of skepticism on my part as to what Martin will actually bring to the team.

Incidentally, this means that Guacamole made the team. For now.

Tyrell Sutton: Without a doubt, this is my most disappointing cut. I've been rooting for this kid since he was signed, and he led the team in rushing this preseason. Perhaps the most intriguing part of this cut isn't who left the team, but who remained behind: the Packers, after having spent so many years with William Henderson as the only fullback on the roster, have kept all three of their fullbacks (for now). This means that John Kuhn, Korey Hall, and fifth-round project pick Quinn Johnson simply have more value as special-teamers than Sutton's scat-back potential in the game.

I think it's a bad move. Just me, though...the coaches and GM see a lot more behind the scenes than I do, and I'll admit I'm basing my judgement for more on rooting for the underdog than the practical, cut-throat world of winning football games.

Don't expect Sutton to last long on the practice squad. He got more than enough visibility in the preseason that many teams will consider adding him to their roster. In a way, if the Packers weren't going to keep Sutton, at least they were good enough to let him audition for a job elsewhere. I wish the little guy the best of luck.

On another note: Gregg Lumpkin was also cut, leaving Grant, oft-injured Brandon Jackson, and comeback story DeShawn Wynn as our stable of three running backs.

Brian Brohm: Well, I hate to say I told you so, but I told you so. Repeatedly. Obviously, the Packers will be scouting the waiver wire looking for a third quarterback, but it is clear that Thompson simply didn't believe that Brohm was going to develop into a solid NFL quarterback, and the injury to Flynn made it all that more clear that he was two injuries away from having to be one.

I took some shots for suggesting that Brohm may not be ready, and the Packers might be wise to look elsewhere. "He'll be just fine," I was told, "He will develop on the bench and become a good backup." Not here, I guess.

While his stats on Thursday looked good, it was a scaled-back offense with safe, quick throws (mostly slants, as I've noted before). Both Rodgers and Flynn are mobile quarterbacks and Brohm changes that whole dynamic. I wish him the best of luck, and hope the Packers find a good one.

I was rooting for Josh Johnson of the Bucs to be waived, another mobile quarterback who would likely be thrilled to move up to 3rd on the depth chart from 4th, but it appears (for now) the Bucs are keeping four QBs until they can get a deal for one of them.

Ruvell Martin: Another slight surprise, but fifth wide receivers are probably pretty interchangeable. Martin was Rodgers' homeboy for quite some time, and I wish him the best of luck. I really thought they'd keep him on as a veteran presence with good rapport with the quarterback, but perhaps that fumbled punt against the Titans was a tipping point that made Thompson want to see what he has in Brett Swain, who made the team.

A little confusing as, while Swain has been doing well on special teams, Martin has been rather dependable in his role over the years. I'm certainly on board with how much special teams need to improve, and I'm glad to see the Packers addressing it by keeping more special teams studs on the roster, but hopefully its not at such a high price that we lose our depth of players who can actually produce on offense and defense.

Jamon Meredith: I'm not completely surprised by this cut. Ted Thompson has had a tendancy to keep every single one of his draft picks they year they were drafted, but he's developed his roster now and it is unlikely his can keep them all anymore...just not enough room.

The Packers might be able to stash him on the practice squad, as he was viewed as a project player and fell in the draft.

The bad part of this cut is that Meredith was the other player we got in return for the Clay Matthews deal...the fifth rounder that, for some folks, made that trade "even-steven". I didn't think so then, and I don't think so now...and the fact is now that the fifth rounder didn't even make the team.

Other players included in the final cutdown: wide receiver Jake Allen, cornerback Trevor Ford, guard/tackle Andrew Hartline, wide receiver Kole Heckendorf, linebacker Danny Lansanah, defensive end Alfred Malone, nose tackle Dean Muhtadi, linebacker Cyril Obiozor, cornerback Joe Porter, tackle Dane Randolph, defensive end Ronald Talley and nose tackle Anthony Toribio.

Defensive end Justin Harrell (back), cornerback Pat Lee (knee), tight end Evan Moore (finger) and safety Charlie Peprah (knee) were placed on injured reserve. Like Peprah, Moore likely will be waived with an injury settlement.

While the departures make for some interesting stories, the players who were kept have just as many intriguing angles:

Spencer Havner: The two-way player had enough versatility to make the team. It allowed the Packers, who might have considered keeping ten linebackers, to stash promising LB Brad Jones on the bench while keeping only two tight ends. No, he's not Deion Sanders, but he's proven to be adequate at both positions, and when you have the talent you have in front of him at both positions, he's a luxury you can afford to keep.

Scott Wells: The former starting center will start the season on the bench. No players has been rumored in trade talks longer and more fervently than Wells, even long before training camp started. Wells had a strong preseason, but was still benched in favor of Jason Spitz.

As I commented earlier today over at CheeseheadTV, Wells does have value. He will have more value as we get close to the trade deadline and teams aren’t fretting about their final cuts and protecting their prospects. When a center gets injured anywhere in the NFL in Week 3, Scott Wells will be the first name brought up by their (and our) media. Right now, you stash him on the roster and feature him a couple times in early games. If a playoff-caliber-team loses their center and has few options behind him, I would be willing to bet you would see an early-second-day pick offered in exchange for Wells and a late pick.

Is it wise? No. But is it good business practice to let a guy you really don’t want fester on the bench when market value comes knocking?

Jarius Wynn: A guest on last week's Cheesehead Nation Blogcast, Wynn makes the team and forces the equipment manager to finally sew first initials on both his and DeShawn's jerseys.

All in all, you have to expect the unexpected on final cutdown day, and I am very happy that, unlike nearly everyone else in the media and Packer Blogosphere, I did not attempt to pick the final 53-man roster (and would have incredible respect for anyone who did pick it exactly).

And, the key words to remember is "for now", as this can and will change before our first game against the Chicago Bears.