The Time to Retool Your Roster is Now

Let the Lady Packerbackers make the call-Steve Weatherford
 instead of Tim Masthay?

The final cuts were not unexpected although I missed on four (running back Rajion Neal was cut instead of Alonzo Harris; defensive end Christian Ringo instead of defensive tackle Bruce Gaston; inside linebacker Carl Bradford instead of outside linebacker Nick Perry and safety Jean Fanor instead of Chris Banjo).

 

Now let's look at the best free agents now available and who Packers General Manager Ted Thompson might be interested in or should be interested in. The Giants cut punter Steve Weatherford in a cost-cutting move and I think he should be signed immediately before someone else gets him.

 

Tim Masthay is in his second year of struggles and Weatherford's stats last year were better than Masthay's. You just can't have an erratic punter or place kicker. Being patient with Mason Crosby when he lost it three years ago worked, but it hurt in between. Masthay lost it the second half of last season and is still in his "slump". A good punter is now available and I vote for signing him.

Jeremy Ross is an intriguing possibility

Some other interesting cuts took place last week and three of them are ex-Green Bay wide receivers, a position that many think is a weakness after the loss of Jordy Nelson. James Jones was let go by the Giants, despite leading them in receiving during the pre-season. In addition Jarrett Boykin was also released by the Panthers as was Jeremy Ross by the Lions.

 

I actually think the current set of post-Jordy receivers are just fine, but wouldn't be upset if he did re-sign Jones because I think he could step right in and be productive.

 

James Jones down and out in New York

However, both Jones and Greg Jennings, for that matter, were available during this past off-season after Jennings was released by the Vikings and Jones by the Raiders. Jennings took a long time to sign with the Dolphins and Jones took even longer to sigh with the Giants. However, Thompson never considered re-signing them then even though Nelson wasn't lost for the season at that time, but even though the situation is different I think Jones is not on Thompson's radar.

 

Boykin was an up-and-comer two years ago, but Davante Adams took his place and eventually knocked him off the team and seemingly out the league. Ross is an interesting case. He is more a returner, a lot like Desmond Howard, than a No. 1, 2, 3 or 4 receiver and after he was cut the became a very good returner for the Lions, even hurting the Packers in one game. If Ty Montgomery turns out to have a lingering hamstring issue Ross might be more of a consideration than Jones or Boykin, but only as a returner.

 

On a related issue a lot of pundits are speculating on which of the Packers dearly departed will be re-signed for the practice squad. While Thompson does lean more on bringing back his own players for the practice squad every year he always brings in players who are cut from teams, so I would guess that will happen again this year with some fan or pundit favorites left to explore their options elsewhere.

 

I think once Thompson has decided you are not good enough for the 75 or the 53 it's best you look for other opportunities than to be a one-striker on a team that let you go. The odds are better to catch and flourish elsewhere like Johnson did.

　

You Can't Go Home Again If Ted Thompson Is Your Father

 

There is a another reason I think Jones, Boykin or Ross probably won't be re-signed. Thompson does his homework when he cuts or trades a person he rarely looks back and almost always looks forward.

 

The only one I can see who has had a successful homecoming was quarterback Mike Flynn. But if you think about that was an extraordinary situation that needed an extraordinary solution. Aaron Rodgers was lost for at least six weeks it was thought and Scott Tolzien proved he wasn't ready for prime time, so at the most important position on a football team a steady hand was needed and Flynn, who had crapped out with three teams, could step right in and at least run the offense with some sense of competence, which he did.

 

Out of the 137 players Thompson booted out the door and ended up signing with another team only eight had a second chance with the Packers (5.8%) and for most of them it was very short-lived. You can say a lot of things about Thompson and how he does business, and I have, but once he makes up his mind he moves on.

 

The Boomerang Eight are Flynn (1 year and a half), running back Ahman Green (8 games), defensive end Mike Montgomery (2 games), defensive tackle Daniel Muir (cut again), running back Ryan Grant (4 games, 1 start), offensive tackle Jamon Meredith (1 game-inactive), safety Anthony Smith (4 games) and running back Michael Hill (re-signed to practice squad and then quickly released again).

 

I'm speculating that if Thompson, who is not married and has no children, but if he did have children once they left the house the second after graduating high school and returned home for Thanksgiving they would find their room had already been rented out. Little did they realize when Dad said goodbye he meant it, unless you were his favorite, maybe, but by the time Christmas rolled around your room wasn't your room any more.

 

A good example of "Thompson Think" is the case of Vikings wide receiver Charles Johnson. He was a 2013 seventh round pick and was highly thought of by Thompson because he had the desired height-weight-speed blend ala Calvin Johnson. However he was injured most of the time with what was thought at the time to be sprained MCL and ended up being released in the final cut to 53, but he was re-signed to the practice squad.

 

To make a long story short he spend five weeks on the practice squad and was signed by the Browns, who found out immediately he had a torn ACL (don't get me started on the Packers medical staff). Instead of returning him as damaged goods he was allowed to recover and put on their practice squad the next year. At this point Thompson could have re-signed him, but the Vikings did shortly thereafter and he is now their No. 1 receiver with a bright future.

 

And Now For The Rest Of The Story

 

On a side note, the return of Ahman Green bothered me. When he left the Packers as a free agent to sign with the Houston Texans he was only 46 yards shy of surpassing Jim Taylor as the all-time leading rusher in Packers history. If he hadn't missed 11 games in 2005 with a thigh injury he would have easily surpassed Taylor, but as it turned out he left in second place.

 

Thompson brought him back after two injury-plagued seasons with the Texans for the final eight games of the 2009 season when any running back could have been signed to fill his backup role and he ended up with 160 yards on 41 carries to become the greatest running back in Packer history, at least statistically.

 

I was not a fan of that decision and while Green had broken Taylor's single season record (albeit in 16 games verses 14) I felt breaking the career rushing record this way was wrong. I still do. Don't get me wrong I think Green was a great back for seven fabulous seasons, but to come back and break Taylor's record as a reserve was and still is wrong.