The Packer Pundit

There were so many good stories today that I couldn't choose --



Harrell deep on depth chart
By Jason Wilde / madison.com
Posted August 28, 2007
GREEN BAY — Having grown up in Martin, Tenn., a 2 1/2-hour drive from Nashville, Justin Harrell's cheering section for Thursday night's preseason finale at LP Field will be 40 or 50 people strong. It also could be the last folks see of the Green Bay Packers' first-round draft pick for awhile. While the Packers' first-round pick (16th overall) has a roster spot secured by virtue of his draft position, he's likely to be inactive for the Sept. 9 regular-season opener against Philadelphia if the team keeps five defensive tackles, as expected. With Ryan Pickett locked in at one starting spot and Corey Williams and Johnny Jolly battling for the other, Colin Cole is solidly fourth and undrafted rookie free agent Daniel Muir is perhaps even with Harrell at this point.

"Is (Harrell) where we want him to be? Probably not," defensive tackles coach Robert Nunn said. "But still yet, I think with this kid, if you start judging him right now on what kind of player you think he's going to be, I think you're going to be wrong. It's just too early. He's got a lot of catching up to do, and there's a lot of good players in front of him right now."

With coach Mike McCarthy planning to mix-and-match lineups throughout Thursday's game, Harrell should see more action during the first half than he has in the first three preseason games. But unless the Packers trade one of the defensive tackles ahead of him, it's hard to envision him playing his way onto the 45-man game-day roster when the games start to count. More >>



Final roster may favor depth at defensive line
By Pete Dougherty / greenbaypressgazette.com
The Green Bay Packers probably will max out their defensive-line depth when it comes to final cuts on Saturday. The Packers finished last season with eight defensive linemen on their roster, and many teams prefer to carry nine. But the Packers have quality depth on the line, with at least five defensive tackles worth keeping and also probably five defensive ends, especially with injuries to Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila and Michael Montgomery. That opens the door for one of two young ends to make the 53-man roster: Jason Hunter or Larry Birdine. Gbaja-Biamila and Montgomery have knee injuries that leave their early-season status uncertain. Gbaja-Biamila’s bruised knee sidelined him for last Thursday’s preseason game and will keep him out of Thursday night’s preseason finale at Tennessee. The Packers have given little indication when he’ll be back, saying his status is day-to-day. More >>



Peprah's play turning heads
By BOB McGINN / journalsentinel.com
Posted: Aug. 28, 2007

"It's pretty much going to come down to me. How I perform is really going to dictate what my future is. I'm just going to leave it all out on the field." -- Charlie Peprah

Green Bay - Consigned to fourth-string safety through the first three weeks of the Green Bay Packers' training camp, Charlie Peprah's chances of making the team were somewhere between slim and none. But after a dynamic last 10 days in practice and praise from coach Mike McCarthy, Peprah has thrust himself into solid contention for one of the four berths at the position. On Monday, McCarthy identified Peprah as a player who had caught his attention. Perhaps as a result, McCarthy announced Tuesday that Marquand Manuel probably wouldn't even play Thursday in Tennessee. "I know where we are with (Manuel)," McCarthy said. "I haven't done a good enough job of getting the younger guys reps, particularly in the first half. That's what we're trying to accomplish." More >>



Fullback Miree suddenly fighting for roster spot
By Rob Demovsky / greenbaypressgazette.com
It might take an eye-catching performance in Thursday’s preseason finale at Tennessee for the Green Bay Packers to consider keeping Brandon Miree on their roster. That’s a hard fall, considering the third-year pro opened training camp as the starting fullback.Coach Mike McCarthy said today — the final day of training camp practice — that rookie Korey Hall, the converted linebacker from Boise State, has locked up the starting fullback job. The coaches and personnel staff want to take a long look at Miree in the exhibition finale and then might give some work to rookie free agent Corey White, who has worked more at halfback than at fullback this summer. More >>




Green Bay hoping to corner the market
By BOB McGINN / journalsentinel.com
Posted: Aug. 28, 2007
Green Bay - The Green Bay Packers have a problem at cornerback, a problem they never envisioned having when training camp opened almost five weeks ago. At the time, position coach Lionel Washington was a bit nervous, hoping that even one of the five backup cornerbacks on the roster would emerge as a serviceable fifth defensive back in the nickel package. Today, Washington doesn't apologize even if he does come across as a tad greedy. Next to defensive line, cornerback appears to be the deepest unit on the roster and multiple nickel candidates have surfaced. Promising Jarrett Bush can lock up the nickel job Thursday night in Tennessee, if he hasn't done so already. Gifted Will Blackmon has the team all but made, both as a backup cornerback and dual return man. And former Giant Frank Walker, incumbent Patrick Dendy and free agent Tramon Williams all have demonstrated redeeming qualities at cornerback and on special teams in their pitched battle for the fifth and probably last berth at the position. "They've all played well," Washington said. "Nobody is out of it. As far as the third corner goes, nothing is settled." More >>



Kicking competition still unsettled
By TOM SILVERSTEIN / journalsentinel.com
Posted: Aug. 28, 2007
Green Bay - A miss here, a miss there, there's not much Dave Rayner and Mason Crosby can do about it now. After 114 field-goal attempts apiece in practice and three conversions in three tries in exhibition games, there's almost nothing to distinguish one from the other. The two will kick again Thursday night against Tennessee but barring a major meltdown, the results are in and it's up to Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson to decide what to do. Cut Rayner? Cut Crosby? Trade one or the other? Keep both? It's too close to call at this point. More >>


Finally... here's a little 'Foot'-age I found of mason Crosby --