PackerLegend
Cheesehead
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Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to mourn our dearly departed, consecrating these poor cuts to a career outside the Green Bay Packers . With their passing (and rushing and defense), we must not think of the past, but rather the future of this Packer roster. The game goes on. The Green Bay obits read as follows.
Najeh Davenport (2002-2006), released due to complications caused by injury after injury. The Packer brain trust had been high on Davenport since drafting him in the fourth round in 2002. Unfortunately, Davenport's career bio reads like a medical chart, having played just 39 games in his four seasons with the Packers. Subtracting his sophomore season, Davenport could muster an average of only eight games played per year. And injury problems dogged Davenport to the present day as well. The back missed mini-camps due to the broken ankle which limited him to just five games in 2005, and somewhere along the way this preseason added a hip flexor injury.
The silver lining for Packer backers here is that Davenport's departure signals Ahman Green's return, improvement in Samkon Gado's play and confidence in upstart Pittsburgh Steelers castoff Noah Herron, the 244th pick in the '05 draft.
Rod Gardner (2001-2006), of natural causes. Gardner was a first-round pick drafted out of Clemson in 2001. After starting in Washington for four seasons, including a huge 2002 season in which he ended up with over 1,000 yards receiving on 71 receptions, was a question mark after having been mostly wasted in Carolina as a reserve WR in 2005. Though he never produced numbers quite like those of his second season, Gardner was thought to be a short-term long option in the passing game. After wowing all observers in the preseason, perhaps head coach Mike McCarthy and co. see rookie Greg Jennings in this role. Gardner may well be resurrected with another team before season's end. (Hark, is that the New England Patriots calling?)
Cory Rodgers (2006), of leaden hands and trigger finger. Rodgers was one of three receivers (along with Jennings and Boston College's Will Blackmon) taken by Green Bay in the draft and was expected to see time on special teams. However, as the Associated Press release announcing Rodgers' cut so bluntly put it, the former TCU Horned Frog "struggled to catch punts both in practice and in preseason games."
On top of his poor performance - or perhaps the cause of it - was his arrest in a shooting incident in Fort Worth, Texas, in May of this year. The Rodgers release has got to be thought worrisome in Wisconsin, for Packer special teams are currently looking more than a bit gaunt.
Atari Bigby (2005-2006), of indifference. All right, so this DB only played in one game last season and was a long shot to make the squad this year, but you always hate to see such a sweet name go.
Other cuts from the green-and-gold include tight end Zac Alcorn, safety Tra Boger, wide receiver Carlton Brewster, fullback Ben Brown, kicker E.J. Cochrane, cornerback Patrick Dendy, wide receiver Chris Francies, linebacker Tim Goodwell, cornerback Antonio Malone, linebacker Roy Manning, safety Jeremy Modkins, guard Siitupe Peko, DE/DT Kenny Peterson, center Pete Traynor and the third-to-last pick in the 2006 draft, DE Dave Tollefson.
Najeh Davenport (2002-2006), released due to complications caused by injury after injury. The Packer brain trust had been high on Davenport since drafting him in the fourth round in 2002. Unfortunately, Davenport's career bio reads like a medical chart, having played just 39 games in his four seasons with the Packers. Subtracting his sophomore season, Davenport could muster an average of only eight games played per year. And injury problems dogged Davenport to the present day as well. The back missed mini-camps due to the broken ankle which limited him to just five games in 2005, and somewhere along the way this preseason added a hip flexor injury.
The silver lining for Packer backers here is that Davenport's departure signals Ahman Green's return, improvement in Samkon Gado's play and confidence in upstart Pittsburgh Steelers castoff Noah Herron, the 244th pick in the '05 draft.
Rod Gardner (2001-2006), of natural causes. Gardner was a first-round pick drafted out of Clemson in 2001. After starting in Washington for four seasons, including a huge 2002 season in which he ended up with over 1,000 yards receiving on 71 receptions, was a question mark after having been mostly wasted in Carolina as a reserve WR in 2005. Though he never produced numbers quite like those of his second season, Gardner was thought to be a short-term long option in the passing game. After wowing all observers in the preseason, perhaps head coach Mike McCarthy and co. see rookie Greg Jennings in this role. Gardner may well be resurrected with another team before season's end. (Hark, is that the New England Patriots calling?)
Cory Rodgers (2006), of leaden hands and trigger finger. Rodgers was one of three receivers (along with Jennings and Boston College's Will Blackmon) taken by Green Bay in the draft and was expected to see time on special teams. However, as the Associated Press release announcing Rodgers' cut so bluntly put it, the former TCU Horned Frog "struggled to catch punts both in practice and in preseason games."
On top of his poor performance - or perhaps the cause of it - was his arrest in a shooting incident in Fort Worth, Texas, in May of this year. The Rodgers release has got to be thought worrisome in Wisconsin, for Packer special teams are currently looking more than a bit gaunt.
Atari Bigby (2005-2006), of indifference. All right, so this DB only played in one game last season and was a long shot to make the squad this year, but you always hate to see such a sweet name go.
Other cuts from the green-and-gold include tight end Zac Alcorn, safety Tra Boger, wide receiver Carlton Brewster, fullback Ben Brown, kicker E.J. Cochrane, cornerback Patrick Dendy, wide receiver Chris Francies, linebacker Tim Goodwell, cornerback Antonio Malone, linebacker Roy Manning, safety Jeremy Modkins, guard Siitupe Peko, DE/DT Kenny Peterson, center Pete Traynor and the third-to-last pick in the 2006 draft, DE Dave Tollefson.
