Mike Neal has shown flashes of great ability in the limited time that he has been able to play for the Green Bay Packers. That time has been limited because he has been unable to stay healthy. That time is going to be even more limited in 2012 because he is suspended for four games, due to a violation of the NFL's substance abuse policy.

Neal is obviously a talented player, but it remains to be seen whether or not that talent will ever translate to him being a consistently effective NFL player. Due to his health issues and suspension, a lot of Packers fans think the team is best off cutting Neal. They might get their wish. Below the jump, some stuff from Pro Football Weekly on Neal and his potential release.

PFW, take it away:

Although it is not a given, our Packers sources will not be shocked in the least if the team releases injury-prone DE Mike Neal after the draft. The announcement that Neal will be suspended for the first four games of the 2012 season for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing substances certainly isn't helping his chances of remaining on the roster, we hear.

Obviously, "wouldn't be surprised" is a lot different than "will", but it's the first I've heard that the team is actually considering releasing Neal. I'm all for giving him another chance, but the team has a lot more information on Neal's health and attitude than we do, and this is probably a situation where I'm going to trust their judgment no matter what they do with him.