Roger Goodell will be at the Green Bay Packers shareholders meeting next month to show how much money the NFL is losing. Of course it means the NFL will want the players to take a pay cut, while the NFL is making so much money from their TV deal that they could turn a profit in 2011 even if there is no 2011 season. Maybe they want to pay the players 10% less so they'll only have to guarantee $37 million to Albert Haynesworth instead of the entire $41 million.
The Packers released four players to open some roster spots and start signing their draft picks. All four players were at the bottom of the depth chart and longshots to make the 53-man roster (or even the practice squad), so none of these releases were surprising.
- CB Trevor Ford. He was signed as an undrafted free agent before last season, made the practice squad, and was even signed onto 53-man active roster during the last couple weeks of the season. But he could never move ahead of players like CB Josh Bell, and they certainly gave him a fair chance to show them something over the last 12 months.
- S Khalil Jones. He was signed as a free agent near the end of 2009, originally as a wide receiver, but they tried to switch him over to defense. It probably didn't matter but he was interviewed by police after the incident in the Dells earlier this month. His main contributions would have come on special teams. The Packers have another former WR trying to make the switch to defense, CB Sam Shields, who's best shot is to make it as a special teams player, and apparently they like Shields more.
- LB Tim Knicky. He's a former college DE who's trying to stick in the NFL as an OLB. The Packers already have some similar guys like LB Cyril Obiozor, LB John Russell, and LB Frank Zombo, as well as LB Robert Francois and LB Alex Joseph. There's just not room for all of these guys.
- QB Noah Shepard. His release was unexpected since I thought they'd take four QBs to training camp. More practice work for QB Aaron Rodgers! From a talent standpoint, this is not surprising. I read a tweet from Greg Bedard that on one of Shepard's attempts last week in practice, he threw the ball at an offensive lineman's head on a screen pass, so he wasn't likely blowing the coaches away.