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Packers Release McMillian, Sign Antonio Dennard to Practice Squad

Posted on by Jason Perone
ALLGBP.com All Green Bay Packers All the Time
Packers Safety Jerron McMillian
McMillian was released on Tuesday after appearing in just 28 games for the Packers

On Tuesday, the Green Bay Packers officially announced the signing of running back Kahlil Bell after his Twitter account spurred rumors that he had signed with the team.  In order to make room for Bell, the Packers released second-year safety Jerron McMillian.

McMillian appeared in just 28 games for the Packers after being drafted in the fourth round of last year’s draft.  M.D. Jennings has taken most of the reps at safety opposite Morgan Burnett this season and McMillian was not able to make his way onto the field.  Pass coverage was a weakness of McMillian’s and in a secondary that is already struggling, the Packers decided to cut ties with the young safety.

This could be a sign that the Packers are focused on improving the safety position, something many had expected Green Bay to address in this year’s draft.  It is unlikely that any major moves will be made this season, but I would expect the position to be of high importance during this upcoming offseason.

The Packers also signed cornerback Antonio Dennard to the practice squad.  Dennard was an undrafted free agent in 2012 and spent part of last season on the Jacksonville Jaguars’ practice squad before going on injured reserve.  Dennard also spent part of this past offseason with the New York Giants.

Whether Dennard sees the field this season or not will likely depend on the team’s injury situation.  He is Packers general manager Ted Thompson’s latest undrafted free agent find.  All but three of the team’s defensive backs are former undrafted free agents:  Tramon Williams, Sam Shields, M.D. Jennings, Jarrett Bush, James Nixon and Chris Banjo.

 

 

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Jason Perone is an independent sports blogger writing about the Packers on AllGreenBayPackers.com

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52 thoughts on “Packers Release McMillian, Sign Antonio Dennard to Practice Squad”

  1. Just another blown wasted draft pick from Ted Thompson. So far 6 of 10 from 2011 and now McMillan, Manning, Datko, and Coleman from 2012. What a quality GM! Yes everyone, lets continue to go back to his drafts from 2005 and 2006 to justify Ted is the man!!

    1. Maybe you didn’t notice that three rookies from the current draft class are plying? Or that the entire 2010 draft still with the team?
      To help you better understand the draft these are the percentage of players drafted 2010-2012 by round that are starters. 1st 78%, 2nd 59%, 3rd 36%, 4th 22%, 5th 15%, 6th 11% and 7th 8%. Packers have drafted way better than the average team.

      2. Perhaps you didn’t read a single word from what i said. I was specific to the years of 2011 and 12. That’s what I was speaking of. Please don’t talk about a draft with Neal, Burnett and Newhouse. You’re killing me!!!

        1. The point is how many drafted players actually make it and become starters? What are you comparing the Packers drafts to?

    2. I’d say that T.T. has went down hill along with Dom Capers.Cheers also goes to the “O” line(a bunch of non-blockers) I say clean house for next year.I told Santa that I wanted a pass rusher and 2 new DB for next season and perhaps pick up a tight end to replace Finley(I don’t think he’ll be back,unfortunately.

  2. Glad to see they they’re making moves to change what isn’t working. Wish McMillan well, players are people too, and their lives are greatly affected by personnel moves. Good to see Thompson suck it up and try to move on from past mistakes, not relive them.

    1. While it’s admirable that Thompson sucked it up as you say, this has become sad to watch. The Packers are a draft and develop team, period. We don’t sign FA, make trades, nothing but depend on the draft. When you’ve cut, released, what ever it is 10 of your 17 draft picks from 2011 and 12 alone, what is left to develop?

    2. Now that Thompson has let go of Alex Green and McMillian, can we at least drop the “Ted Thompson only plays his guys because he has a huge ego and won’t cut his draft picks because he’s in love with himself” line for a few weeks?

      1. Absolutely we should drop the Thompson only plays his guys because of his ego.

        At the same time, with the minimal impact of his recent drafts, can we simultaneously drop the TT is drafting guru line?

        Outside of Aaron Rodgers the team has average talent, better than average on offense and below average on defense.

        Time to stop the TT worshipping and take an objective view of what he has (and has not) done.

  3. Lets face it , TT has blown a lot of picks lately. Is it because Reggie McKenzie and John Dorsey left? Didn’t some others in the scouting dept leave? Im holding out hope that the 2013 draft turns out.

      1. Gbs personnel room has lost A LOT of talent since the super bowl year. That’s what happens. Other teams see how good GB’s depth was in 2010 and said “We want that”

        This is the NFL today folks. TT has to restock the scouting cupboard.

        And btw – if we hadn’t had even 1/3rd of the injuries this year, we’d still be looking at 10-2 or so right now.

        Are there holes? Yes. But there’s also a lot of positives going forward.

        1. You can’t say that.. Nick Perry will call you a Ted Thompson lover and criticize you and Ted even more. You know how much of an expert he is on all things football don’t you? He can call plays better than any HC, much less one that has a SB and prolific offense. And don’t forget, he knows more about scouting than Thompson too.

          Just ask him! Why is doesn’t own run, coach and play all by himself amazes. He would be the one man Packers organization. Everything from business decisions, to scouting, to coaching. Hell he’s even a better QB than that Rodgers guy!

          1. I agree with you and am beyond frustrated with the Chicken Little Crowd too. But dude, you really don’t have to resort to name calling.

          2. LMAO!!!! Stroh, now I see why your kicked off most websites. You shove your opinion down peoples face and when they don’t agree you call them names, call them morons, just like my 10 year old daughter. At least I make my argument based on the numbers, not opinion. Which by the way, yours like most stinks like a a#*^$#*.

            1. Kicked off ONE. For say the new site design was gay. Not for anything else. But don’t let FACTS stand in your way, they never have before!

        2. “And btw – if we hadn’t had even 1/3rd of the injuries this year, we’d still be looking at 10-2 or so right now.”

          It’s not 1/3, but just the one: AR. The Packers would–even with the $#!**y defense they’ve been playing–have had a chance to win each of those injury games with AR under center. Even the Detroit game, because there would have been some hope that an AR-led offense would’ve turned some of those Detroit miscues into points.

          They might not be 10-2 right now with AR, but they’d be close to it.

        3. I think,honestly, that 10-2 would be a far stretch given our lack of a pass rush and a weak “O” line.Even if our QB was either Brady or manning,it wouldn’t matter.There is no time to look at the field to find a receive given the time allotted thanks to a very bad line.I’m a huge fan and have followed the Pack since 66. You cannot afford to loose star players just because they want more money.Shall I NAME THOSE WHO GOT AWAY?

    2. I thought the 2013 draft was a excellent draft. I think Jones will be a beast next year and if Franklin can play more like his Senior season at UCLA when his fumbling problems looked to be a thing of the past, he’ll be a nice change to what Lacy brings. Other than Jones, that draft won’t help the defense much.

      1. Micah Hyde? Maybe not a field corner, but a slot corner who could, with an off-season to work on it, transition to the second FS that Dom seems to like.

        1. Thank you Dobbler, I knew I was missing someone other that Palmer. Love Hyde and hope he continues to get better. He’s a good tackler too. Something this D needs. His knock coming out was his speed but the difference between his time and the quickest guy in the draft is about as fast you can click a stopwatch on and off. I stand corrected!

  4. No wonder our secondary is bad, look at all the UDFAs. Bush, Bango, Nixon, Jennings? Wow, some household names there! Williams with one good year..Shields can be good sometimes but inconsistent. Then throw in inconsistent House, injured Heyward, and no longer with the team McMillan, and no wonder this secondary cant cover molasses

  5. McMillan was a big reach so this is no surprise. What is surprising is TT’s blind spots. Safety has been and will continue to be a big problem for this team. You could argue that positions like center, ILB, DE, DT and TE also fall into the same category.

    I never understood the “Ted’s guys” concept but I see evidence of his inability to objectively assess some of his draft picks. He has handed out some big contract to some very average performers. Players like Finley, Hawk and Burnett have all been granted big bucks for little output. I hope that releasing McMillan is an admission of some of this blindness.

      1. I am not talking about his overall body of work but I am becoming more aware of the reluctance to reach outside of a single bag of tricks. Safety, backup QB and backup center are glaring examples of using a longterm draft and develop approach to addressing shortterm needs.

        I admire many of the business moves by this organization but there needs to be a bit more self-scouting with Ted and Mike.

        1. I’m convinced that in personnel, you need to be consistent in how you practice your philosophy, and TT is certainly that.

          I’m not saying that this means automatic success, but if you’re inconsistent in terms of approach to personnel, you can get yourself in trouble.

    2. Razer, you are so correct, my friend.
      McMillian, Jennings, they both should have been released. At least Banjo can hit…Jennings is another poor tackler.

      Overpaid contracts galore…Finley, Hawk, Burnett, T. Williams…Why not look for free agents as opposed to any of these four…
      TT’s three great picks: Rodgers, Lacey, and Matthews…
      Good-to-very good picks: Nelson, Cobb, Sitton, Baktiari, Hyde,…
      TT’s terrible picks and busts: Fill-in-the-Blank…they are numerous…

  6. I agree, the way Thompson runs things, he can’t miss on a lot of picks and expect the team to be a power. Packer fans are used to excellence, mediocre to bad is a tough pill to swallow. As nick Perry points out, TT has lately given up relatively early on a number of his recent highly regarded picks. If it continues, I think he needs to venture into free agency. We’ve seen the dangers of relying on undrafted free agents too much. Speaking of, is Richardson still on the team? At one time he sounded like someone with potential. They desperately need somebody who’s more than filler at safety. Safety should be a position where game changing play are made. We’ve had some great safeties over the years, guys who changed games by making play after play. Guys like butler, sharper, collins or in the old days Willie Wood or Johnnie Gray. Others made the offense tenative with hard hits, like Steve Luke, Murphy or Cecil. Any these guys would make the current group look pretty pedestrian. I’ve got my fingers crossed for Richardson and Hyde.

  7. Thanks Dobber, Hope he, or someone pans out. Its a little late for this year, but its a good time to see what we’ve got for next year. Funny how when things go bad, hopes get high over just about anything.

    1. I think the fact that Richardson played and was regularly around the football on Thursday made this roster move do-able.

      Could he be any worse?

  8. So the Packer brain-trust finally figured out McMillian sucks. Hallelujah!

    Now, let’s see, we know MD Jennings sucks too. I’ve got an idea, let’s give Sean Richardson a shot at winning the job. He can’t do any worse. Oh, wait, sorry, that would be moving too fast for TT/MM. We are only 3/4 of teh way into the frickin season.

    1. JRA…thanks for the chuckle!…

      Here’s all the defense needs: Two Safeties, Two DB’s, Three LB’s (Two ILB’s), and Two D-Lineman, one to replace the pariah, Raji.

      Also, how about giving-up on the failed experiment of the ‘Great 3-4 Defense’ and unload the D-Coordinator.

      That’s all I want for Christmas!

  11. I would like to be a fly on the wall of the packers headquarters. I’m sure there are all kind of things going on that we haven’t a clue of. Like who’s got a bad attitude, who kisses ass, who doesn’t get along, who’s lazy, smart, dumb….on and on. It sure would help complete the picture.

  12. What I’m concerned about is the guys that are actually good players. I’d love to see guys like Nelson and Cobb stick around. I’m sure a extension will be offered to Cobb real soon but if you were Jordy Nelson and the way this reams been handled the last few years would you sign? I’m not so sure all these missed picks, never participating in Free Agency, doesn’t have a trickle down effect that’s negative. Not saying it will happen, just a thought though. Because everyone has found out exactly what and how much bad Rodgers covers up.

    1. On the contrary. Yes, the players want to win. But the most important thing to them is that they make money. This is their job.

      Over and over again, the players that are drafted here say “It’s nice to know that if you produce, you’ll be rewarded in house.”

      If you go the FA route, that’s one less in house player you’ve got to let go.

      1. Players like knowing that if you do your job you’ll be rewarded and paid commensurate with your ability. Thompson has even paid a little more at times to ensure that feeling among the players. Jordy isn’t going anywhere, Raji has a more than fair offer on the table, same for Shields from what I’ve read.

        Everyone bitches about signing Jones to 3M per year. WHen you actually compare him to other average starting ILB 3M is probably right in the ballpark for a guy on his 2nd contract.

        Thompson is more than fair and players that do leave always regret it. Don’t think for a second that the players still in GB don’t hear how good they have it in GB. Everything is at the players asking. Anything the organization can give them to help them succeed. You don’t get that in a lot of other NFL cities!

        2. Stroh, Brad Jones and AJ Hawk may be the two worst starting ILB’s in the NFL. Lattimore is much quicker and a superior tackler than either. This is another position we need to strengthen in next year’s draft…Not to mention: Safety, Center, DB, D-Line, TE…

    2. Jordy’s turned into a superstar over the last couple years. I really doubt he’s upset about the way things have been handled.

  13. I have to say, if this is the only move, I’m disappointed. I wanted MM to kick ass and take names.

    1. Bench Hawk/Jones. Lattimore in
    2. Bench Quarless. Bostick in.
    3. Cut Newhouse.
    4. Move Hyde to safety.

    Why the hell not? What is there to lose at this point?

    2. Love all these ideas. I wouldn’t mind seeing Sherrod get some snaps at some point, as well.

  14. Bearmeat, I agree with your points above but I think that Bostick is hurt. Maybe he is back for this week. As for Nelson, Stroh is correct, he’s not going anywhere. Why would you leave when you are the favorite target of a hall of fame quarterback who will probably play another 8-10 seasons? As for some of the other players, if they get paid they stay. If not they move to the highest bidder. Can’t blame them for that. Thanks, Since ’61

    1. Has Lattimore recovered from his quad injury?
      ow long will it take for Hyde to become an effective safety if he’s moved?

      Bearmeat, I sympathize with your position, but I think all four of the actions you mentioned cannot be done now. Perhaps over time.

      1. I think taking a rookie corner like Hyde and throwing him in at safety is a recipe for disaster. He’s played well in his role and building his confidence is a good thing. Use the off-season to transition if that’s in the cards.

  15. At draft time most commentators suggested that Hyde projected to Safety in the NFL. He is 6’0″, 197 lbs, with 4.52 speed. GB insisted that he was a CB. GB has offensive lineman cross train, like Barclay getting reps at OT, OG and even center. Is there some reason a CB can’t take reps at S too? IDK, maybe he can play CB too.

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