Packers Cut Pease, Peña and Add Kicker Ramirez

ALLGBP.com All Green Bay Packers All the Time
Packers Kickers Crosby and Tavecchio
Packers kickers Crosby and Tavecchio have some new competition in town.

The Green Bay Packers have officially released six players as of today, with two more names added to the list of reported cuts from yesterday: RB Angelo Pease and DT Gilbert Peña. They also made a somewhat surprising move in adding kicker Zach Ramirez to the roster. All transactions are official according to the official Packers.com website.

With the exception of Graham Harrell, all six of the released players were undrafted rookie free agents. Pease didn’t see any time with the offense during Friday’s preseason game, while Peña was only in for a handful of defensive snaps. The Packers still have to trim their roster down by ten more players by Tuesday, August 27th, since they added a player in Ramirez.

Zach Ramirez, a rookie out of Portland State, participated in the Seattle Seahawks’ rookie minicamp on a tryout basis in May 2013. He adds another level of competition to the kicker position, though it will be interesting to see what his chances are with just a week of preseason left. Ted Thompson indicated in a press conference this past week that the kicker position wasn’t set in stone and that outside options were still possible.

So far, the list of players released by the Packers is QB Graham Harrell, RB Angelo Pease, WR Alex Gillett, WR Omarius Hines, WR Justin Wilson, and DT Gilbert Peña.

——————

Chad Toporski, a Wisconsin native and current Pittsburgh resident, is a writer for AllGreenBayPackers.com. You can follow Chad on twitter at @ChadToporski

——————

33 thoughts on “Packers Cut Pease, Peña and Add Kicker Ramirez

  1. With what amounts to two weeks or so before the NFL opener, what the heck are the Packers going to do with another kicker??

    I can’t believe there would be enough time to evaluate a new kicker without NFL tape that he could legitimately be chosen as the Packers’ kicker to usurp Crosby.. That’s kind of the same issue with Tavecchio as well- even if he outperforms Crosby kick for kick throughout camp, he doesn’t do anything at a marked level greater than Crosby to make a coach feel comfortable treading into the unknown with him over Mason… Especially since he hasn’t kicked in the cold.

    Ugh, who knows, maybe this new kid will knock their socks off and show some dominant physical talent that would justify risking naming him the opening day starter at K.. Just color me skeptical.. Maybe it’s just an attempt to see if either current kicker on the roster is rattled? Mind games?

    1. FWIW, I hope that tweet is right Packers got a sleeper.

      However, if he’s such a stud kicker, why was he was only invited to one camp (Seahawks) on a try-out basis (he was never signed), and then has been sitting on the street until the Packers picked him up hours ago?

      I know talented guys sometimes take a rough road in the NFL (Think: Dujuan Harris),but It’s still a long shot.

        1. Remember, Ryan Longwell was cut by the 49ers before GB signed him. Many kickers finish their careers with second or third teams.

  2. I’d go with the new guy in a heartbeat, he sounds excellent. Just tell Crosby to stay in kicking shape, and you can always bring him back if the new guy doesn’t work out.

    1. You can’t just do that.

      That requires two things:

      1) Crosby being AVAILABLE if/when the new guy doesn’t work out

      2) Crosby signing a contract with the Packers if the Packers would extend one to him if/when the new guy doesn’t work out

      People seem to forget with regularity when talking about signing players that it takes two to tango.

      1. Oppy…Do you really think Crosby could unseat any NFL kicker right now? After last season, after family night which I’m sure every G.M. knows about, I have my doubts that he wouldn’t be available. Ramirez comes in his first day and hits 10 of 11, just like Crosby. My concern and I’m sure it could be yours is if the Packers kept Crosby and he misses that first FG. Does he go 5 of 12 his next 12 kicks again? Crosby scares the hell out of me, more than a unproven Ramirez even.

        1. Of course you don’t… You think as soon as a Packer does something that doesn’t measure up he’s the worst whatever in the NFL. Truth is he would as likely to be given a chance somewhere and he goes on to a great career, as it is his career is finished.

          1. Again Stroh your comment seems personal towards me which is fine. You’ve called me names here, attached me verbally. My comment is based on his % from last year, his results from family night, his overall career % was ranked 29th overall of active kickers. To me that a bad kicker, especially with some of these new kids coming out. Do you really think a team is going to rush to sign Crosby? If so who? It has nothing to do if he doesn’t measure up “As a Packer”, as you say. It has to do with measuring up to NFL standards. I hope Crosby if cut does land a job, especially against a team on the Pacers schedule. But if it did happen, it would be because a injury yo their kicker, nothing more.

            1. I didn’t say measure up as a Packer. I meant measure up to you. Soon as a player doesn’t measure up to your expectations or what you think he should do you act like he is useless and should be released. And yes it was pointed at you. Its a constant w/ you… Not against you, just that’s how you are. Not trying to make it personal, just my observation of how you respond. If you take it personal that’s an issue you have.

  3. Actually, Ramirez was still in the process of recovering from a serious knee injury sustained his senior year, which he missed most of, when he tried out with the seahawks. But he was head and shoulders the best kicker in I-AA at Portland St. Dump crosby and go with him, as far as I’m concerned.

    1. I’m with you bobalou 13… The tape I saw of this kid (Granted the conditions were perfect) he was kicking from the 45 yard line, that’s 65 yards and he was hitting them. M.M. isn’t going top try many 65 yard FG, but the fact they weren’t hooking towards the end zone pylon is refreshing to say the least.

        1. General rule is 17 yds plus the LOS. Not 20. Kicks I saw were w/ the ball placed on the 50, making it a 60 yd kick, in perfect conditions, no snap/holder or rush. He sounds good but I wanna see how he kicks in a game and against a live practice before I would give him the job.

          1. Yup, from the 50 and then he moved it back to the 45 plus the 10 for the end zone. 55 + 10 = 65. He was kicking with a tee, you know practicing.

        2. Also have to consider his steps. Crosby is a 2 step kicker, Tavechio a 3 step. Don’t know about Ramirez. 3 step is less preferable (much more likely to get blocked). Most kickers come out of college 3 step kickers who have to learn to do it on 2 steps to make the NFL.

  4. Seems to me the Packers had no real intent on keeping Tavecchio unless he hit all his kicks and Crosby stank it up. Since that hasn’t happened just cut him already and make the competition between Ramirez and Crosby. Give Ramirez all the kicks against KC and if he looks good go with him and cut Crosby. I’ll take my chances after that.

  5. I have a sneaking suspicion Oakland will end up cutting Matt Flynn. If you’re the Packers do you consider resigning?

      1. If he’s release and clears waivers the Packers can sign him for whatever they want. If they pick him up immediately his contract numbers go w/ him. Packers would have to wait to see if he clears waivers before signing him and hope another team wouldn’t claim him ahead of them.

      2. Not a chance Oak cuts him. Plus remember McKenzie is the GM in Oak. He knows Flynn very well.

  6. If the Raiders release Flynn(doubtful because Pryor is anything but a sure bet at this point) then TT picks him up FAST.

    If this Ramirez guy looks good for the week keep him on the PS in order to get a longer look at him during the year. And that way, the first time Mason has a bout of misses, you bring him up!

  7. 1) if Ramirez was kicking from your own 45 then yes, that would make it 65 yards. Do the math yourself. You are correct n yes it would be 55 yards if it was from opponents 45 yard line.
    2) TT & MM are really mishandling the placekicking position. TT goes out and gets someone with no NFL regular season experience to compete with Mason “Oops I missed it again” Crosby who’s a proven NFL kicker. Then with only 1 more preseason game left, TT signs yet another unproven kicker who has never kicked in any NFL game. TT had a chance to sign a proven NFL kicker over a week ago when Miami released Dan Carpenter n Bills released Lindell. What a mess.
    Crosby should be gone like Harrell.

    1. Carpenter is still available, and a proven NFL kicker. Miami rolled the dice by keeping a rookie, and Arizona had an established kicker. Green Bay needs to win now.

      1. Carpender was cut cuz he got a 26 yd FG blocked! Why the hell would you even consider him? All he has to do on a kick that short is get the ball in the air high enough to not get it blocked and he couldn’t do it. Carpender is available cuz he sucks, Period.

  8. I’m sure the pack will decide on one of these guys to kick field goals & he better be good given the state of our running game. how do we get the ball over the line if our best backs are averaging inches not yards. Rogers better get his track shoes on again to get the ball into the end zone. I think the running talent is there, but not the blocking. Here we go again!

    1. I’m with you on this one.

      The run blocking was horrible against Seattle. I saw the game and was not impressed. I can see Harris, Lacy, Green, any RB they put in there having a bad game with that kind of blocking.

  9. I just have this intuition that Crosby had a bad year and will recover. The point made about being a cold weather kicker was a good point.If Taveechio is not good enough to start,then why would he be any different the this guy from PSU? We had the greatest kicker in Packer history and we let him go which I will never understand.

Comments are closed.