Packers bring in SEVEN for workouts and news around the league

With the recent rash of injuries, the Packers brought in a slew of new players for work outs. Most of them are people the average fan hasn't even heard of so its unlikely any of them are anything more than roster depth. The most interesting to note is RB Aaron Stecker who established himself as a decent runner with the Saints in the recent past. Other players to note included: DB Michael Greco, and linebackers Dominic Douglas, Cardia Jackson, Steve Octavien, Mike Rivera, and Lee Robinson. Octavien appeared in 16 games over the previous two seasons for the Dallas Cowboys. The other linebackers are practice-squad eligible. None of them will make up for the absence of Barnett, but maybe the Packers will find a younger player to develop.

• Another interesting story is that Chris Bryan, the punter who lost out to Masthay, was released by the Buccaneers. Bryan ranked last in the league with a 37.4 gross punting average on 23 tries and his 34.3 net average was tied for 27th among NFL punters.
• Shawne Merriman's time with the Chargers has come to an abrupt end as they have placed him on IR with a "minor-injury designation". The designation means that once he is healthy enough to return, the team is required to cut him. There is still a chance he could be resigned for a much lower amount but its highly unlikely. This could be another option for the Packers if our injury woes continue. He's not the guy we all got to know a few years ago, but he's certainly better than Cardia Jackson!
• DeShawn Wynn was released by the Saints to make room for Julius Jones. He might be another option for the packers to consider since he knows the system and could step in immediately to help. They also released John Carney to make room for Matt Giordano, another familiar name for all of us.
• The Vikings got a taste of what we are all feeling as they placed promising young corner on the IR for the second straight year. Cedric Griffin has now suffered a "significant knee injury" in both knees which doesn't bode well for a young promising career or for the Vikings defensive backfield. They got some good news though as Sidney Rice is now off crutches...though he is still well behind the recovery plan they were hoping he'd be on.