This morning I questioned why the Green Bay Packers had signed so many linebackers this week, and the answer is that LB Brad Jones has been placed on I.R. and is out for the season. As Tom Silverstein reports, he injured his shoulder during training camp and aggravated it against the Vikings. Mike McCarthy hadn't mentioned him during his post-game press conference, but he did sneak in that Jones had a shoulder strain on Monday. He's played through it so far this season so couldn't he get back on the field after a week or two of rest? The Packers didn't think so, but maybe Jones thought differently because he didn't want to talk about it to reporters.
This brings the total up to five starters on I.R. LB Frank Zombo will replace Jones as the starting outside linebacker. While the undrafted free agent looked great this preseason, and recorded a sack in the opener against the Eagles, and another in his 1st career start against the Bears, he's done very little since and had lost his starting job. Pro Football Focus confirms that he hasn't played well this season. It's important to remember that he's a rookie, he did play great during the preseason, and it's reasonable to expect him to get better as the season goes on.
Journeyman NT Howard Green was claimed off waivers from the Jets. He's recorded stats for five different NFL teams, and was signed but never played for the Redskins earlier this year. This marks the second time he's been released by the Jets this season. At 6'2", 340 lbs., he provides a wide body and not much else, but that might be exactly what the Packers need. If DE Ryan Pickett remains out with his bad ankle, there's nobody else on the roster to spell NT B.J. Raji against the run-first Jets next Sunday. It's very likely Green will sub for Raji and replace OL T.J. Lang on the defensive line in short yardage situations.