Training camp fodder.

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Cheesehead
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Every year the Packers, like all clubs, bring in a bunch of guys to training camp who have barely a ghost of a chance of making the team. But they provide additional bodies for the early scrimmages and preseason games when the risk of injury to regulars isn't worth the chance. And occasionally a "diamond in the rough" emerges or someone gets a break if someone ahead of them gets hurt. The Packers have some intriguing prospects in this year's "camp fodder" group that might give somethng more than usual. Most interesting is undrafted rb Tyrell Sutton out of Northwestern. A small back at only 5-8,190, Sutton was one of the top backs in the Big Ten but injuries limited him the last two seasons. He did rush for over 1400 yds. and scored 16 td's as a freshman, had another thousand year season as a sophomore and managed 890 in only 8 games last year. He came back from a broken wrist to rush for 114 in the Alamo Bowl vs. Missouri. Sutton is also a good receiver. He had 40 or more catches in each of is full seasons in the Big Ten. He would make the Packers ifhe can offer them something good as a third down back and kick returner. Sutton's chances, aside from the merits of his own performance in camp & preseason games, will depend on what the Packers decide to do with DeShawn Wynn & Kregg Lumpkin as back-ups or with fb John Kuhn and the "loser" of the Korey Hall-Quinn Johnson battle for starting fb. The Packers also have another small back, Josh Abrams of Ohio University, added to the roster. But as Brian Westbrook, Steve Slaton of Houston and Chris Johnson of Tennessee have shown; good things do sometimes come in small packages. Back in the day when Green Bay had elite tight ends in Mark Chmura & Keith Jackson they also had very good back-ups in Jeff Thomason, Mike Bartrum and, for awhile, Tyrone Davis. They appear to be trying to get back to that kind of situation as they brought in 4 free agent or undrafted rookie tight ends for this year's camp. Most of the attention will be on the contest between Donald Lee & Jermichael Finley for the starter's job, Tory Humphrey will be pushed for the third spot by Carson Butler (6-4,255, Michigan), Travis Dekker (6-4,256, Air Force), Brandon Ledbetter (6-5,232, Western Michigan) & Evan Moore (6-6,247, Stanford.) While it's the assumption that the Packers' wide receiving group is set continued injury issues with James Jones, failure of Ruvell Martin and/or Brett Swain to fulfill their potential could present opportunity for some young wideouts to land jobs with the team this season. Kole Heckendorf (6-2,191,North Dakota St.), Lorne Sam (6-3,220,Texas El Paso), Jamarko Simmons (6-2,231, Western Michigan),Patrick Williams (6-1,204,Colorado) are the kind of big, physical receivers the Packers need Jones & Martin to be. JaRon Harris (6-0,193,South Dakota St) could be the downfield deep threat Swain is supposed to be. If the Packers don't find their next good offensive tackle from Giacomini, Barbre, Lang, Meredith or Moll they might see him emerge from among Nevin McCAskill (6-4,300, Hampton), Andrew Hartline (6-5,297, Central Michigan), or Dave Randolph (6-5,300, Maryland.) With issues of health (Cullen Jenkins), durability (Justin Harrell), age (Ryan Pickett) and legal issues (Johnny Jolly) on their d-line the Packers may have a place for NT Brian Sol (6-3,315,Utah St.), Anthony Toribio (6-1,300,Carson-Newman), DE Cyril Obiozor (6-5,267,Texas A&M), Dean Muhtadi(6-3,295,Maryland) and Alfred Malone(6-5,308,Troy.) Malone has managed to stick with the team for at least the last two seasons as a back-up and practice squadder. These guys will at least be competitive with Mike Montgomery and Jarius Wynn for back-up jobs.
 

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