The Packers Make A Trade With Carolina

Anyone who read the above title expecting something regarding Carolina's unsigned franchise DE Julius Peppers will be disappointed.

Instead they traded LS J.J. Jansen to Carolina for what might amount to a 6th round pick in 2010. Not a bad haul for a player who spent all of last season on the I.R. and, as far as I recall, has never played in a single regular season game for the Packers.

And GM Ted Thompson has done pretty well in the 6th round since 2005. He's drafted four players who started games last season (DE Michael Montgomery, DT Johnny Jolly, LB Desmond Bishop, and FB Korey Hall) plus K Mason Crosby.

.....

On a side note, Pittsburgh signed reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, LB James Harrison, to a contract extension that will pay him $20 million in guaranteed money. That's a good contract for Pittsburgh, it's probably much less than he would have gotten as an unrestricted free agent. But since I don't know much about the Steelers or their roster, this really caught my eye:

Harrison, cut four times earlier in his career, cashed in after being an NFL starter only two seasons.

He was released four times? Looking back at the list of former winners of that award, none of them have ever been an undrafted player. I doubt any of them were released before they won that award either.