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Packers LB Terrell Manning

Packers rookie linebacker Terrell Manning had a mysteriously quiet training camp.

Although Manning was just a fifth-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, many draft experts had drafted rated much higher than where he ultimately came off the board–ESPN tabbed Manning the tenth-best outside linebacker of the 2012 draft class.

Fast forward to the summer, Manning was buried behind D.J. Smith and Robert Francois on the depth chart and starving for an opportunity to showcase his abilities. When starting linebacker Desmond Bishop suffered a season-ending injury in the team’s first preseason game in San Diego, the door opened for Manning to step into the spotlight.

But the former North Carolina State standout continued to hide in the shadows.

And as Rob Demovsky of the Green Bay-Press Gazette points out–Manning was battling more than just his fellow linebackers this summer:

His problems began the first week of training camp, and the Packers’ medical staff quickly realized this was no ordinary stomach flu or food poisoning. The 6-foot-2, 237-pound Manning was tested for everything from Crohn’s disease to cancer before he was diagnosed with a parasite that caused colitis, an inflammation of the large intestine.

Manning says at one point during training camp, he weight as little as 220 pounds–which is less than the average weight of the Packers’ top four running backs. However, the rookie linebacker refused to use his health as an excuse to sit out of practice, as he was on the field for all 21 training camp practices and all four preseason games.  Read more... (400 words + 1 image, estimated 1:36 mins reading time)

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The official 2012 Green Bay Packers 53-man roster has been announced. Without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, we present to you, your 2012 Green Bay Packers!

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Well here we go again, last year I was completely off and I don’t expect to be much different this year.  I have however thought a lot about the rationale for creating a NFL roster and I came up with these ideas a couple weeks ago, which I’ll try to use as my baseline rules.

Offense – 24 players

Quarterback (2): Aaron Rodgers, Graham Harrell

Rodgers is obviously a lock and I almost think it’s too late for a backup quarterback switch.  I know some people have been speculating that the Browns will drop the price for Colt McCoy and Thompson will trade for him, but my assumption is that the Brown’s asking price is way too high at the moment (since as far as I can tell no team has been in serious talks with the Browns), and chances are good Thompson will get outbid by some other team if the price does indeed drop into a competitive offer, so I suspect McCoy goes somewhere else and Harrell remains the backup quarterback.

Running Back (5): James Starks, John Kuhn, Cedric Benson, Alex Green, Brandon Saine

I’ve put Starks still as the lead runner, as I think Benson needs more than one good outing to take the pole position in my opinion; but really that might be a moot point if Starks can’t get on the field.  I think Brandon Saine’s spot really depends on the health and performance of Alex Green; if the Packers believe that Green is healthy and productive enough after his ACL injury that he can manage the 3^rd down back role by himself (with help from Kuhn), then Saine might be expendable, but personally I think was quietly becoming a very decent pass blocker, which the Packers highly covet.  Kuhn rounds out the group as the sole fullback.  Read more... (1685 words + 1 image, estimated 6:44 mins reading time)

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The Turk visited the Green Bay Packers today

4PM EST today is the deadline for the Green Bay Packers to pare their roster down to 75 players. Here are the cuts and/or roster moves as we hear them:

Jarius Wynn – Reported by Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. This isn’t the first time Wynn has been cut by the Packers. Wynn was a sixth round pick for the Packers in 2009 and surprisingly made the team that season. The next year he was cut and then brought back onto the practice squad when Justin Harrell went down again and then eventually onto the 53-man roster. Wynn played in every game last season, even starting four. But DL improvement was obviously a priority for the Packers this year with all the new additions, so the handwriting was on the wall for Wynn. Evidently, he didn’t do enough this camp to keep his spot.

Jon Hoese – The former Minnesota fullback was sidelined for much of training camp with injuries, and the team ultimately cut him Monday afternoon. Reserve fullback Nic Cooper was a much better runner than Hoese, which made the Packers’ decision relatively easy.

DeMarco Cosby – Placed on Injured Reserve. The tight end from Central Missouri had a very brief stint with the Packers and was never a serious threat to make the roster. He was consistently outperformed by fellow tight end Brandon Bostick–whom also will likely not make the 53-man roster.  Read more... (781 words + 3 images, estimated 3:07 mins reading time)

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NFL CBA: Practice Squad Rules & Eligibility

As NFL teams prepare to cut down their rosters, an important element for NFL GMs is intelligent use of the 8-man practice squad. Eligibility rules for practice squads can be pretty confusing, so here is something to help. In plain English, here is an explanation of (eligibility and signing) NFL practice squad rules.

NFL PRACTICE SQUAD RULES:

Accrued Season:

A player earns an Accrued Season if he is on the team’s 53-man roster, Injured Reserve (IR), or Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) for 6 or more games in any one season. Players on practice squad or PUP / non-football related injury list do not accrue an NFL season.

Practice Squad:

a) If a player has been on a team’s practice squad for three regular season or playoff games during their first or second year on the practice squad, that counts as a season on the Practice Squad.
b) If a player has been on a team’s practice squad for one regular season or playoff game during their third year on the practice squad, that counts as a season on the Practice Squad.
c) a bye week counts as a week on the practice squad as long as the player remains on the practice squad for the entire bye weekend.

Players can be on the practice squad a maximum of three years, but certain conditions must apply to allow a third year.

Eligibility for players in their first or second year in the NFL:  Read more... (1013 words + 3 images, estimated 4:03 mins reading time)

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The Turk pays the Packers a Visit

Here’s your complete list of Packers roster cuts and trades the team implemented to get them down to the mandated 53-man roster limit:

G Caleb Schlauderaff - Seemed overmatched in the running game, which does not come as a big surprise. Was supposed to be strong pass blocker but did not distinguish himself. Would have been a good practice squad candidate, but the Jets came calling with a trade and Schlauderaff is now a Jet.

CB Brandian Ross - Since flashing early in camp, Ross has been relatively quiet. With Davon House assured a spot, Ross had a slim chance at best.

CB Josh Gordy - This was probably a difficult cut for the Packers – Gordy flashed excellent speed and football instincts, but struggled a bit in man-to-man coverage. With development, could turn into a good backup corner in the NFL. Packers will surely sign him to the practice squad if he clears waivers.

S Brandon Underwood - The move to safety helped Underwood, but in the end, he did not distinguish himself enough from the likes of M.D. Jennings to warrant keeping the often-in-troubleUnderwood around. A fresh start for him on another team is probably best for him, anyway.

WR Tori Gurley - The only cut that really pains me. I have high hopes for Gurley down the road and will be praying like hell that he clears waivers and sits comfortably on the practice squad all year. Tori, if you’re phone rings and it’s not a Wisconsin area code – DON’T ANSWER IT!  Read more... (1304 words + 3 images, estimated 5:13 mins reading time)

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Green Bay Packers Trade Quinn Johnson

As many have speculated, Packers players being cut today are coveted and in demand by other NFL teams. Ted Thompson has been fielding offers and has managed to pull off some trades, in effect getting something back for players that were just going to be cut anyway. Here’s what we know so far:

FB Quinn Johnson - The Tennessee Titans are reported to have made a trade for Packers fullback Quinn Johnson. As reported on Twitter by Jim Wyatt, Titans FB Ahmard Hall has been suspended 4 games for violation of policy on performance-enhancing substitutes. Hence, The Titans came knocking on Ted Thompson’s door and the two teams were were able to work out a trade for an undisclosed future draft pick.

Entering his third season with the Packers, Johnson was facing what was probably a make or break preseason for him. He had to show that he could be more versatile than just being a run blocker. There was no evidence to show that he had, so the handwriting was on the wall for Johnson. Luckily for him and the Packers, he now has a new team to play for.

G Caleb Schlauderaff - The Green Bay Packers sixth round draft pick, who was released today in the final round of roster cuts, has been traded to the NY jets for a conditional draft pick. This was reported on twitter by Chase Callahan of Rep1Sports, Schlauderaff’s agent.  Read more... (355 words + 3 images, estimated 1:25 mins reading time)

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