net
Cheesehead
This has many good tidbits...like Harris and Woodson lobbying for change..etc. but I had to smirk that genius Ted also got burned in free agency it appears...
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By BOB McGINN
[email protected]
Posted: Aug. 20, 2007
Green Bay - The Green Bay Packers didn't just hand Marquand Manuel's position to Atari Bigby. But clearly the strong safety job now is Bigby's to lose.
In a dramatic move Monday to shore up his weakest position on defense, coach Mike McCarthy announced that Bigby would start Thursday night against Jacksonville at Lambeau Field. As long as Bigby doesn't fall apart, it's almost a foregone conclusion that the Packers will enter the regular season with him opposite free safety Nick Collins.
"He's an ascending young player; I think we all agree with that," McCarthy said. "He has impact-play ability, which he showed against Seattle. It's something to get excited about."
Cornerback Jarrett Bush also was moved ahead of Patrick Dendy as the nickel back in the 4-2-5 defense. Dendy has held that job since Week 5 last season but Bush is a faster and seemingly more dynamic player.
Meanwhile, the Packers informed safety Marviel Underwood late Monday that he would be released today. A fourth-round draft choice in 2005, Underwood wasn't all the way back from reconstructive knee surgery last August.
McCarthy attempted to couch the significance of Bigby's insertion, saying the position hadn't been settled. But Bigby took every snap alongside Collins with the No. 1 defense Monday night, a far different situation from last week when he took only a few with the starters.
Manuel, who signed a five-year, $10 million deal in March 2006 to leave Seattle as an unrestricted free agent, worked with rookie Aaron Rouse on the No. 2 defense. The No. 3 pairing was Tyrone Culver and Charlie Peprah.
The Packers are expected to keep four safeties. Rouse, a third-round pick, is expected to be one of the backups, and Manuel easily could lose his roster spot to either Culver or Peprah.
Bigby, 5 feet 10½ inches and 211 pounds, came out of Central Florida as a free agent in 2005. After being cut by the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets, he joined the Packers in November of that year. In two seasons, he has played six snaps from scrimmage and 94 snaps on special teams.
"I think he clearly has the physical skills," McCarthy said. "I've never questioned that. We now want to see if he can do it from the beginning of the game."
A source close to the situation said cornerbacks Al Harris and Charles Woodson had been lobbying the coaches for Bigby to replace Manuel, a player whom they apparently no longer trusted.
In the nickel defense, Bush replaced Dendy at left cornerback. Woodson plays the slot and Harris remains on the right side.
The dependable Dendy, however, probably isn't out of the picture. Will Blackmon also has a chance for the job.
"For as good as (Bush) played on defense I thought he played better on special teams," McCarthy said. "He's a very physical football player. He's only going to get better."
Bush, claimed on waivers Sept. 3 from Carolina, played 15 snaps from scrimmage and 276 on special teams in '06.
The release of Underwood wasn't a surprise. He played poorly in Pittsburgh and then missed another open-field tackle against Seattle.
"I don't think he's all the way back to where he was last year," McCarthy said. "A great individual."
Underwood, who had a four-year, $1.815 million deal, will count $107,500 in "dead" money against the salary cap next year.
Injury list: Defensive end Mike Montgomery, the best of the four players who suffered medial collateral knee ligament damage Saturday, also was the most seriously hurt.
Montgomery will undergo arthroscopic knee surgery this week. The injury was to his right knee, the same knee that he had problems with in high school.
"It is an MCL injury," McCarthy said. "There's more things they want to look at."
Kick returner Shaun Bodiford's season and perhaps his career might have ended on the opening kickoff. Bodiford said he would miss four to six weeks with a sprained MCL. It's unlikely that the Packers would retain him on the 53-man roster. They also could reach an injury settlement and release him.
"Hopefully, this is going to make for a great story . . . hopefully with the Green Bay Packers or whoever," Bodiford said. "Hopefully, I can overcome it like I overcame a lot of other things in my life."
Bodiford, who admitted dealing drugs as a teenager growing up in the streets of Seattle, was injured when safety C.J. Wallace hit him on the knee.
"He should have been blocked and he didn't get blocked," Bodiford said. "He came clean off the edge of the wedge. It's OK, it happens. I trust my teammates."
Bodiford suffered almost the same injury to his left knee last August returning a kickoff for the Detroit Lions. The Lions kept Bodiford on their 53-man roster and he made it back by Week 4.
After being claimed by the Packers, the fearless, hard-charging Bodiford lasted three games before suffering a broken leg returning the opening kickoff in Minnesota.
Bodiford had been competing with Blackmon for the return job.
"I think he's just a great returner in general," Bodiford said, referring to Blackmon. "He has incredible vision and ability to break tackles. I think we both have the same attributes. But I don't think I would have got caught on that (83-yard) kickoff return."
Running back P.J. Pope still isn't anywhere close to returning after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery Aug. 6 in which his meniscus cartilage was repaired.
"We haven't really set a timetable," Pope said. "We just want to make sure I'm good when it's time to go. We're not trying to rush it."
If the Packers reach an injury settlement with Pope, there's a chance he might be re-signed by Chicago. The Packers signed Pope off Chicago's practice squad Oct. 31, and the Bears hated to lose him.
Running back DeShawn Wynn tested his injured thigh Monday afternoon in hopes of returning today. He hasn't practiced since Aug. 7.
"I'm missing out," Wynn said. "They've been trying to be real patient with me so these couple weeks don't turn into two, three months."
Fullback Ryan Powdrell said he would miss three to six weeks with a sprained MCL in his left knee. He was injured on his first play from scrimmage Saturday night when players rolled up on the back of his legs.
The Packers also lost tackle Orrin Thompson to a minor MCL injury.
Both Bodiford and Powdrell said their injuries had nothing to do with the new DD GrassMaster synthetic surface at Lambeau Field.
"I think it's just luck of the draw," general manager Ted Thompson said. "We played on the exact same field in Pittsburgh and had nothing, and I don't think the Seahawks had any injuries here."
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By BOB McGINN
[email protected]
Posted: Aug. 20, 2007
Green Bay - The Green Bay Packers didn't just hand Marquand Manuel's position to Atari Bigby. But clearly the strong safety job now is Bigby's to lose.
In a dramatic move Monday to shore up his weakest position on defense, coach Mike McCarthy announced that Bigby would start Thursday night against Jacksonville at Lambeau Field. As long as Bigby doesn't fall apart, it's almost a foregone conclusion that the Packers will enter the regular season with him opposite free safety Nick Collins.
"He's an ascending young player; I think we all agree with that," McCarthy said. "He has impact-play ability, which he showed against Seattle. It's something to get excited about."
Cornerback Jarrett Bush also was moved ahead of Patrick Dendy as the nickel back in the 4-2-5 defense. Dendy has held that job since Week 5 last season but Bush is a faster and seemingly more dynamic player.
Meanwhile, the Packers informed safety Marviel Underwood late Monday that he would be released today. A fourth-round draft choice in 2005, Underwood wasn't all the way back from reconstructive knee surgery last August.
McCarthy attempted to couch the significance of Bigby's insertion, saying the position hadn't been settled. But Bigby took every snap alongside Collins with the No. 1 defense Monday night, a far different situation from last week when he took only a few with the starters.
Manuel, who signed a five-year, $10 million deal in March 2006 to leave Seattle as an unrestricted free agent, worked with rookie Aaron Rouse on the No. 2 defense. The No. 3 pairing was Tyrone Culver and Charlie Peprah.
The Packers are expected to keep four safeties. Rouse, a third-round pick, is expected to be one of the backups, and Manuel easily could lose his roster spot to either Culver or Peprah.
Bigby, 5 feet 10½ inches and 211 pounds, came out of Central Florida as a free agent in 2005. After being cut by the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets, he joined the Packers in November of that year. In two seasons, he has played six snaps from scrimmage and 94 snaps on special teams.
"I think he clearly has the physical skills," McCarthy said. "I've never questioned that. We now want to see if he can do it from the beginning of the game."
A source close to the situation said cornerbacks Al Harris and Charles Woodson had been lobbying the coaches for Bigby to replace Manuel, a player whom they apparently no longer trusted.
In the nickel defense, Bush replaced Dendy at left cornerback. Woodson plays the slot and Harris remains on the right side.
The dependable Dendy, however, probably isn't out of the picture. Will Blackmon also has a chance for the job.
"For as good as (Bush) played on defense I thought he played better on special teams," McCarthy said. "He's a very physical football player. He's only going to get better."
Bush, claimed on waivers Sept. 3 from Carolina, played 15 snaps from scrimmage and 276 on special teams in '06.
The release of Underwood wasn't a surprise. He played poorly in Pittsburgh and then missed another open-field tackle against Seattle.
"I don't think he's all the way back to where he was last year," McCarthy said. "A great individual."
Underwood, who had a four-year, $1.815 million deal, will count $107,500 in "dead" money against the salary cap next year.
Injury list: Defensive end Mike Montgomery, the best of the four players who suffered medial collateral knee ligament damage Saturday, also was the most seriously hurt.
Montgomery will undergo arthroscopic knee surgery this week. The injury was to his right knee, the same knee that he had problems with in high school.
"It is an MCL injury," McCarthy said. "There's more things they want to look at."
Kick returner Shaun Bodiford's season and perhaps his career might have ended on the opening kickoff. Bodiford said he would miss four to six weeks with a sprained MCL. It's unlikely that the Packers would retain him on the 53-man roster. They also could reach an injury settlement and release him.
"Hopefully, this is going to make for a great story . . . hopefully with the Green Bay Packers or whoever," Bodiford said. "Hopefully, I can overcome it like I overcame a lot of other things in my life."
Bodiford, who admitted dealing drugs as a teenager growing up in the streets of Seattle, was injured when safety C.J. Wallace hit him on the knee.
"He should have been blocked and he didn't get blocked," Bodiford said. "He came clean off the edge of the wedge. It's OK, it happens. I trust my teammates."
Bodiford suffered almost the same injury to his left knee last August returning a kickoff for the Detroit Lions. The Lions kept Bodiford on their 53-man roster and he made it back by Week 4.
After being claimed by the Packers, the fearless, hard-charging Bodiford lasted three games before suffering a broken leg returning the opening kickoff in Minnesota.
Bodiford had been competing with Blackmon for the return job.
"I think he's just a great returner in general," Bodiford said, referring to Blackmon. "He has incredible vision and ability to break tackles. I think we both have the same attributes. But I don't think I would have got caught on that (83-yard) kickoff return."
Running back P.J. Pope still isn't anywhere close to returning after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery Aug. 6 in which his meniscus cartilage was repaired.
"We haven't really set a timetable," Pope said. "We just want to make sure I'm good when it's time to go. We're not trying to rush it."
If the Packers reach an injury settlement with Pope, there's a chance he might be re-signed by Chicago. The Packers signed Pope off Chicago's practice squad Oct. 31, and the Bears hated to lose him.
Running back DeShawn Wynn tested his injured thigh Monday afternoon in hopes of returning today. He hasn't practiced since Aug. 7.
"I'm missing out," Wynn said. "They've been trying to be real patient with me so these couple weeks don't turn into two, three months."
Fullback Ryan Powdrell said he would miss three to six weeks with a sprained MCL in his left knee. He was injured on his first play from scrimmage Saturday night when players rolled up on the back of his legs.
The Packers also lost tackle Orrin Thompson to a minor MCL injury.
Both Bodiford and Powdrell said their injuries had nothing to do with the new DD GrassMaster synthetic surface at Lambeau Field.
"I think it's just luck of the draw," general manager Ted Thompson said. "We played on the exact same field in Pittsburgh and had nothing, and I don't think the Seahawks had any injuries here."
