Green Bay Packer 2009 Training Camp Cuts Part One: Pure Conjecture

(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

It's early September and for 22 soon-to-be-former Packers, time is running out.

It's currently Noon EST on Sept. 4, 2009.  This means the Packers have 29 hours to trim their roster down from it's hefty total of 75 players into a lean, mean, 53.

Now, not all of the 22 cuts will be saying goodbye to the Packers entirely.  The practice squad can hold up to eight members and at this time of year it is almost exclusively made up of cut players off the summer roster.

Being on the practice squad also leaves a player open to be signed by another team, and the eight man roster can change quickly.

This is part one of a two part series in which I will make my own 22 cuts to the Green Bay roster.  This article is, as the title states, pure conjecture.  I'm sure some of my guesses will turn out to be true and others woefully inadequate.

Let's get this started.

What position will have the biggest loss in personnel?

I'm a big fan of the secondary.  Big hitters lurk behind the linebackers, which means excitement, and LeRoy Butler can come over to hang out at my house any day of the week.  Someone who smiles like that is a great person, they just have to be.

That being said, it's time to make some hard decisions as the current general manager of my living room couch (burn!).

The Green Bay secondary has way too many people in it.  Right now there are nine cornerbacks and six safeties.  Veteran Jarrett Bush is the only member currently listed as a corner/safety so I included him in both categories.

This still adds up to a secondary with 14 members.  Fourteen is far too many; let's make it nine.

Trevor Ford, CB, Troy: Signed as a rookie free agent this offseason.  Sorry Trevor, it's way too crowded in here.

Brandon Underwood, CB, Cincinnati: I had high hopes for Brandon Underwood, and still do.  I just think the numbers are against him.  Some veterans will also be feeling the blade and it's just not his year.  Definite scout team potential.

Joe Porter, CB, Rutgers: Another rookie free agent, this time from 2007.  Porter is a little small at 5'10", but has shown some definite signs for the Packers.  I may be wrong but I believe he's already spent time on the Packers practice squad.  This will be a difficult cut for the Packers as Porter may get some interest from other teams.

Charlie Peprah, S, Alabama:  Peprah is a steady veteran contributor to the Packers secondary but will never be anything more than a backup.  He was acquired on waivers from the New York Football Giants in 2006.  Peprah, if cut, will find another team relatively quickly.

Jarrett Bush, CB/S, Utah State:  Another four-year veteran waiver wire pick-up by Ted Thompson, this time from Carolina.  Bush, like Peprah and Porter, will be yet another difficult cut by the Packers, as he is not a scout team candidate.  He will be signed by somebody else, having shown versatility and improvement over his time in Green Bay

Wow, five guys already?  What's next?

What's next is the defensive line and four more players hitting the skids.

Ronald Talley, DE, Delaware: Another rookie free agent from this offseason.  Talley is definite practice squad material.

Dean Muhtadi, DE/NT, Maryland: Another RFA, another practice squad candidate.

Anthony Toribio, NT, Carson-Newman: One more year of experience but otherwise just the same as Talley and Muhtadi.  The Packers have a lot of potential on their defensive line but injuries are always a potential problem.  They'd like to keep guys like Toribio, Talley and Muhtadi close because of their familiarity with the system but don't have room for them on the active roster.  This means scout team.

Alfred Malone, DE, Troy: If both Malone and CB Trevor Ford are cut the Packers will no longer have any players from Troy on their roster.  Now I've never met Troy and I don't want to bad mouth him but maybe this is a good thing.

Nine from the defensive side already? 

There's three more.  We haven't talked about the linebackers yet.

Cyril Obiozor, OLB, Texas A&M: Yet another RFA.  Cyril has the right size for a three-four outside 'backer and is another potential scout teamer.

Brad Jones, ILB, Colorado: Jones seems to be valued fairly highly by the Packers for a seventh round rookie.  He missed most of the preseason due to injury and didn't have much of a chance to prove himself.  Apparently he's a special teams ace and that could allow him to beat out, say, Spencer Havner.

Danny Lansanah, ILB, Connecticut: Lansanah was brought in last year at the cost of veteran defensive-end Jason Hunter who had to be cut to make roster room.  Nothing against Lansanah, but if he gets cut that will really burn my briquettes.  Why not, say, trade a useless Justin Harrell to the Lions for a sixth round pick, not sign Lansanah who you'll eventually cut anyway and keep Hunter?  At least Hunter did something for the team, unlike the other JH. 

Whatever, Ted Thompson has a difficult job and more often than not he looks pretty good.  Jason Hunter is certainly not the most controversial decision he's ever made. 

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