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<blockquote data-quote="IPBprez" data-source="post: 20502" data-attributes="member: 51"><p>Here's the JSonline article... sorry if it's a re-print... but I think it's necessary...</p><p></p><p><img src="http://graphics.jsonline.com/graphics/packer/img/news/aug05/leach906.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.jsonline.com/packer/news/sep05/353587.asp" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 26px"><strong>Packers add muscle, drop Luchey, Steele </strong></span></a></p><p><span style="font-size: 26px">Backups replaced by more physical players</span></p><p>By BOB McGINN</p><p><a href="mailto:bmcginn@journalsentinel.com">bmcginn@journalsentinel.com</a></p><p><span style="font-size: 26px">Posted: Sept. 6, 2005</span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 26px"><strong>Green Bay</strong> - A desire to field a more physical football team was at the heart of the two roster transactions made by the Green Bay Packers Tuesday that cost veteran backups Nick Luchey and Ben Steele their places on the 53-man roster.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 26px"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 26px">The overweight, underachieving Luchey and Steele, a powderpuff blocker, were replaced by rugged fullback Vonta Leach from the practice squad and former Miami Dolphins tight end Donald Lee.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 26px"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 26px">In the end, the Packers made the decision that Leach, not the high-priced Luchey, should be the heir apparent whenever William Henderson abdicates his job as starting fullback.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 26px"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 26px">"There were people that liked Vonta quite a bit," general manager Ted Thompson said. "After the dust had settled we felt this was the best thing to do."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 26px"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 26px">A National Football League source said the Packers attempted to trade Luchey in the last few days but apparently found no taker. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: 26px"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 26px">By releasing Luchey, the Packers got out from under his $750,000 base salary, a cap savings of $445,000 compared with Leach's base of $305,000. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: 26px"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 26px">However, they will have to count $183,333 for Luchey against the salary cap this year and $549,999 in 2006. That's when the final acceleration of the six-year, $6.6 million contract that Luchey signed to leave Cincinnati in 2003 hits the salary cap.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 26px"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 26px">Luchey, 28, delivered a string of devastating lead blocks in 2003 but their frequency dropped in '04 and seemed almost non-existent this summer. He also didn't help himself by showing up weighing 284 pounds at the post-draft minicamp.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 26px"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 26px">Even now, Luchey was battling a constant battle of the bulge. It slowed him and was another reason he was virtually unusable on special teams.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 26px"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 26px">By contrast, Leach impressed the coaches with his hungry, aggressive approach. Leach weighed about 20 pounds less than Luchey but the better lead blocker early in training camp was Leach, who signed with Green Bay as an undrafted free agent from East Carolina in '04.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 26px"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 26px">Leach's chance to beat out Luchey slowed for a month after he suffered a torn medial collateral knee ligament Aug. 11 in the exhibition opener. But when the Packers determined that Leach would be available for the opener, they decided to shop and then drop Luchey.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 26px"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 26px"><span style="color: yellow">Lee, 6 feet 3 inches and 252 pounds, was the Dolphins' fifth-round draft choice from Mississippi State in 2003. For two seasons, he was No. 2 behind Randy McMichael, catching 20 of the 31 passes thrown to him (two were dropped) for 220 yards and two touchdowns. He played 36% of the snaps in 2004 and 32% in '03.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 26px"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 26px">Miami cut Lee on Saturday, electing to go with free agents Lorenzo Diamond and Will Heller behind McMichael. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: 26px"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 26px">"I think he's an extremely tough guy," Thompson said. "Good special teams player. Athletic. Flexible. <u><span style="color: yellow">Can catch the ball</span></u>."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: 26px"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 26px"><span style="color: yellow">Lee played the second half of last season under Jim Bates, the Packers</span></span></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="IPBprez, post: 20502, member: 51"] Here's the JSonline article... sorry if it's a re-print... but I think it's necessary... [img]http://graphics.jsonline.com/graphics/packer/img/news/aug05/leach906.jpg[/img] [url=http://www.jsonline.com/packer/news/sep05/353587.asp][size=7][b]Packers add muscle, drop Luchey, Steele [/b][/size][/url] [size=7]Backups replaced by more physical players[/size] By BOB McGINN [email="bmcginn@journalsentinel.com"]bmcginn@journalsentinel.com[/email] [size=7]Posted: Sept. 6, 2005[/size] [size=134][b]Green Bay[/b] - A desire to field a more physical football team was at the heart of the two roster transactions made by the Green Bay Packers Tuesday that cost veteran backups Nick Luchey and Ben Steele their places on the 53-man roster. The overweight, underachieving Luchey and Steele, a powderpuff blocker, were replaced by rugged fullback Vonta Leach from the practice squad and former Miami Dolphins tight end Donald Lee. In the end, the Packers made the decision that Leach, not the high-priced Luchey, should be the heir apparent whenever William Henderson abdicates his job as starting fullback. "There were people that liked Vonta quite a bit," general manager Ted Thompson said. "After the dust had settled we felt this was the best thing to do." A National Football League source said the Packers attempted to trade Luchey in the last few days but apparently found no taker. By releasing Luchey, the Packers got out from under his $750,000 base salary, a cap savings of $445,000 compared with Leach's base of $305,000. However, they will have to count $183,333 for Luchey against the salary cap this year and $549,999 in 2006. That's when the final acceleration of the six-year, $6.6 million contract that Luchey signed to leave Cincinnati in 2003 hits the salary cap. Luchey, 28, delivered a string of devastating lead blocks in 2003 but their frequency dropped in '04 and seemed almost non-existent this summer. He also didn't help himself by showing up weighing 284 pounds at the post-draft minicamp. Even now, Luchey was battling a constant battle of the bulge. It slowed him and was another reason he was virtually unusable on special teams. By contrast, Leach impressed the coaches with his hungry, aggressive approach. Leach weighed about 20 pounds less than Luchey but the better lead blocker early in training camp was Leach, who signed with Green Bay as an undrafted free agent from East Carolina in '04. Leach's chance to beat out Luchey slowed for a month after he suffered a torn medial collateral knee ligament Aug. 11 in the exhibition opener. But when the Packers determined that Leach would be available for the opener, they decided to shop and then drop Luchey. [color=yellow]Lee, 6 feet 3 inches and 252 pounds, was the Dolphins' fifth-round draft choice from Mississippi State in 2003. For two seasons, he was No. 2 behind Randy McMichael, catching 20 of the 31 passes thrown to him (two were dropped) for 220 yards and two touchdowns. He played 36% of the snaps in 2004 and 32% in '03.[/color] Miami cut Lee on Saturday, electing to go with free agents Lorenzo Diamond and Will Heller behind McMichael. "I think he's an extremely tough guy," Thompson said. "Good special teams player. Athletic. Flexible. [u][color=yellow]Can catch the ball[/color][/u]." [color=yellow]Lee played the second half of last season under Jim Bates, the Packers[/color][/size] [/QUOTE]
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