2011 Packers Yearbook: Player You Would Cut Right Now (If You Were Ted Thompson)

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2011 Packers Yearbook: Player You Would Cut Right Now (If You Were Ted Thompson)

(Be sure to place your vote in the poll below.)

Adam: Ray Dominguez. Hey, the Packers were 15-1. Why would I want to cut any of the regulars that contributed to a great season. I’ll cut Dominguez because he was signed late and never played.

Al: Chad Clifton. Cliffy’s been a solid performer and a good soldier, but he’s been fighting a breaking-down body for a few years now. Counting on him would be a huge mistake and the Packers could use the cap room and roster spot. It’s time for Newhouse and/or Sherrod to claim the job.

Chad: Sadly, I would have to release Donald Driver. We’ve all been through this discussion multiple times now, so it’s no shock to say that he’s in his waning years and would just be taking up a roster spot from a younger player on the rise. I would make the move now instead of in training camp so that Driver has the ability to sign and get comfortable with a new team.

Kris: Pat Lee.  Do I really need to show the tape from the regular season finale against the Lions? Don’t make me do it. I SWEAR! I’LL DO IT!!!  To be fair, I’m not basing this on one game either.  Lee has been a punchline for awhile.  Time to go bye bye.

Michael: I agree with Chad’s assessment and would have to cut Donald Driver. With a nice stable of talent at the wide receiver position and practice squad player Tori Gurley set to make the leap into the 53-man roster, there just isn’t any more room for the 37-year old wide receiver. As Chad already mentioned, cutting Driver sooner rather than later makes a lot of sense and would be a classy move to allow Driver every opportunity to find a good fit for his new team.

Thomas: Of course we could all pick some camp body currently on the roster but I don’t think that would really say much, so how about Nick Collins?  Simply put, I’m afraid for his safety.  Neck injuries are dangerous and the NFL is a dangerous place; I think its a fair trade to have creaky knees after playing football, but nothing is worth have to eat through a straw for the rest of your life.  Even if Collins is deemed healthy enough to play by the doctors, Collins is now always going to be a injury risk and frankly I’m not sure Thompson should give Collins the option to play in the NFL (can players be banned for life for their own good?)  I really wish there was someway for Collins to keep playing and still remain safe, but the nature of the injury could preclude that option.

Zach: Pat Lee would be a good choice, but he’s a free agent and can’t be cut. I’ve obviously been a proponent of cutting Donald Driver, too. But letting go of veteran tackle Chad Clifton also makes a lot of sense. He’ll turn 36 years old this summer and is due almost $5.5 million next season. I wouldn’t be against Clifton returning next season for depth at tackle, but there’s no way Thompson can keep such a fragile player on the roster at a $5.5 million cap number. The Packers will be fine up front if he moves on.

 

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Jersey Al Bracco is the founder and editor of AllGreenBayPackers.com, and the co-founder of Packers Talk Radio Network. He can be heard as one of the Co-Hosts on Cheesehead Radio and is the Green Bay Packers Draft Analyst for Drafttek.com.

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39 thoughts on “2011 Packers Yearbook: Player You Would Cut Right Now (If You Were Ted Thompson)

  1. One suggestion, can you have people select more than one person in your poll? For example, I would cut Neal, Collins, Driver, Lee and Clifton.

  2. For trsnsparency’s sake, I didn’t realize Lee is a free agent. My fault for not doing my homework on that one.

    If I had a do over, I’d take Clifton for all the same reasons listed above.

  3. Other than neal… let’s see. I was thinking walden but I like the idea of keeping him on the roster to see if anyone we pick up can beat him out and then making a decision so I’ll give him that and say someone else. Notwithstanding a huge cap hit I’d say Hawk just to clear up 6mil in cap room since there’s better talent on the team at ILB but since it’s early in his contract that would probably be an expensive option. Clifton is an obvious one for me. DD is a tough one to say bye to but it’s time. If I had to say one that stands out above the rest Lee is the most deserving… but really all of them are justifiable and I would take all into serious consideration and cut most of the ones mentioned if I was TT. I am surprised no one went for Hawk. Did you guys think it was too obvious a choice or is the cap hit too much of a concern?

      1. you could hire MUCH better talent with the difference. 4.6 mil could bring in someone that could at least square up and make a tackle.

        1. Better to try to find a sucker, err, trading partner to take on Hawk and his contract.

  4. Erik Walden is also a Free Agent and shouldn’t be in the poll.

    Not quite sure why he is there in the first place, since no one on the committee mentioned him.

    The poll should also include the option to cut no one, which is my choice.

    If I cut someone now and it turns out someone else can’t play this year, I’ve burned my bridges. If I wait until the health situation for players like Sherrod (you guys did see what happened to his leg, right?) is actually clear, and I know what happened in the Draft, I can make a much better decision and still give veterans like Driver and Clifton a chance to find a new team.

    For those who are wondering why I would wait until after the draft, think about the opportunity to trade pick 28 and say James Jones for a shot at a legitimate pass rushing OLB. That’s a lot easier to do if you still have Driver.

    Now maybe the above isn’t realistic as the draft falls. Fine. But the point is to preserve options — measure twice, cut once.

    1. I suggested yesterday trading our 1st, 2nd, and Jones for Miami’s #8. I just don’t know if there’s a pass rusher worth that much. Using the “points” system our 1st & 2nd should be worth the 17th, but that’s conjecture. But remember, cutting guys now means cap room, and right now the Packers have very little.

      1. Ed, P.S. MY proposed Jones to Miami trade was based on their trade of Marshall, they’re getting Flynn, and having a receiver familiar with the system. Otherwise it makes no sense to them. Might not make sense anyway.

        1. I think it makes tons of sense… throw in DD and maybe you could switch the 2nd rounder for a 3rd rounder then you have 2 vet recievers in a familiar system with a QB that they’ve played with for half a decade for miami and for us clears 8mil in cap room gets us the elite pass rusher and makes space for our young use or lose talent… with Marshall gone it makes a lot more sense. Win win all around. I liked it before but didn’t think miami would ever do it and even if they would it’s not really TT’s style. The other thing is like you said, is anyone in this draft actually worth it? I still don’t think it will happen but it’s fun to play around with these crazy fantasy scenarios.

            1. I don’t know who offered him what while he was a free agent… All I know is no one offered him enough that he thought it was worth leaving Green Bay. that doesn’t mean that he didn’t get any offers at all. He’s not the cream of the crop but he’d be a vast improvement to a team like Miami and would still be able to contribute when they found a true #1 reciever.

            2. I agree with you, I think a lot of people overvalue James Jones. I understand putting Driver as an option to cut based on his age. But I feel Driver is a better player for the Packers than Jones is. If you could keep Driver for another year or two to serve as a 3/4 reciver and mentor to Cobb and Gurley, show them the magic of YAC and fighting off defenders there is much more value to keeping him on the roster than releasing him but keeping Jones. I like the idea of trading up to Miami, especially if Upshaw from Alabama is still there.

    2. I’m with Ed-no need to cut anyone now. If it’s anyone it’s Clifton but if Sherrod then has a setback..

      On trading our 1st and 2nd picks to get one pass rusher can’t see it -we need a lot -OLB DL maybe S maybe C. Using the comp picks to move up in rounds 3 and 4 might be more realistic ?

      1. Can’t trade comp picks. Actually see TT trading down if a difference maker isn’t there at 28. There’s alot of good players in rounds 2-4.

  5. I Tweeted that Ray Dominguez was my choice, and Dominguez started following me like two minutes after. Awkward.

    1. I hope you mean “following” on Twitter, he’s a big dude to have in the rear-view mirror! LOL

      1. P.S. Adam, I didn’t like your choice of Dominguez anyway, they must have seen something from him to keep him around, and if Clify and Wells are gone?????

        1. I’m a big softy and could never cut Driver and Clifton, even if I was pretending to be cold-blooded like Ted Thompson. Too many memories.

          But yes, my choice was probably a little silly and if I took the question in pure football terms, cutting Clifton and/or Driver would be my choice.

          1. Daryn Colledge took offense at my season grade for him one year, too. But I was able to blame that one on Jersey Al.

  6. Nick Collins. I can’t imagine how awful I would feel in the pit of my stomach if he came back, took a hit, and was carted off the field paralyzed.
    All the others I keep for selfish reasons. What if something happens to Greg Jennings (injury, accident, arrest) then all of a sudden DD would look ALOT better. Same w/ all other players. Clifton and DD can be let go just before camp and not cost us anything so I would hang onto players until it didn’t serve the team.

    1. For whatever reason, the career-ending neck injury has cropped up fairly often for the Packers in past years. Tim Lewis and Sterling Sharpe are the 2 guys I recall, and both of them made the decision of enduring quality of life over the allure of a few more seasons on the field.

      If there is any question, I hope Nick hangs ’em up and WALKS, not RIDES off into the sunset with the appreciation of the GBP faithful for a great career and an exciting, game-changing play in SB 45.

  7. ON ANOTHER NOTE: Vinny Curry Pro Day

    Curry indeed did much better at home running the 40 in the mid-to-high 4.6 to low 4.7 range. Curry also improved his vertical three inches to 35 and did 28 reps in the BP in which he did not participate at the combine.

  8. 26 comments on this post alaready……you people are way too excited to start cutting guys.

    1. I had a daydream that TT quietly made some of the cuts suggested here and swooped in at the last minute to out-bid Buffalo for Mario Williams. Damn, I just woke up. 🙁

  9. Clifton will not play more than 8 games if he comes back. His salary is a big weight on doing what is neccessary to get the players needed to fix that really awful D. Time to committ permanently to youth at LT.

  10. Cliffy. Let’s face it, everyone, including Clifton knows he’s going to be cut. Do it and get the cap relief. And if they feel he still has something to offer and Cliffy wants to do it, resign him at the veterans minimum. I suspect Cliffy wouldn’t be offended and is probably grateful he’s already pulled in millions over the last two year.

  11. I love him, but bang for buck, it would be Driver. The LT position is still uncertain, neither Sherrod nor Newhouse have proven they are a better option than Clifton (though I believe both will this year).

    The WR position is absolutely stacked. And we need the cap space.

    I’d cut both Clifton and Driver, but having to choose 1, it would be DD.

    My wish would be that both retired, but I don’t think that’s the case…

  12. Clifton said after his recent back surgery he felt instant relief. I’m not willing to let him go just yet. TT/MM have the OTA’s to see how Clifton responds. Granted I would want a contract restructuring but if he can play solid LT I’m all for his return esp considering Sherrod’s status.

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