Packers re-sign two more on defense

News broke Monday night that the Packers have re-signed two reserve pass-rushers, Mike Montgomery and Jason Hunter, both of whom could have an impact on the new 3-4 defense.

The signings were not earth-shattering by any means, but at least it is something Green and Gold fans.  But in all seriousness these moves do add depth to the defense and with the new scheme it is too early to predict how Montgomery and Hunter will adapt.

Montgomery was an unrestricted free agent and while Houston and Detroit showed some small , if not very small,  interest the fourth-year veteran inked a two-year deal to stay in Green Bay.  Financial terms were not disclosed.

As an restricted free agent, Hunter signed the one-year tender of $1.01 million the team offered him at the beginning of free agency, which nearly tripled his old salary.

Both players have played key roles in the past, either on special teams or in Montgomery’s case starting eight games for the injured Cullen Jenkins.  Heading into the 2009 season, the team expects the same kind of contribution, if not more.

Hunter will be moved to the OLB position to be an edge pass rusher, which might suit him very well.  Among him, Jeremy Thompson, Brandon Chillar, Brady Poppinga and whoever comes in from the draft, the team really needs to find pressure opposite of Aaron Kampman to make this defensive transition successful.

In Montgomery’s case, it is unsure what position he will play.  At 6-feet, 5-inches and 275 pounds, he is confident he is big enough to play defensive end in the scheme, but his size and versatility (let’s be optimistic, it’s only March) could be an asset when the team needs to make final cuts at the end of training camp.  If Montgomery can prove he can backup both postions, it could allow the team to keep an extra offensive lineman, running back, cornerback, etc.

In the end not a bad night at the office for Ted.  He brought back two reserves on the cheap, while committing little future to either.  If one of them hits in the new scheme it could make Thompson look very smart, or if they both don’t pan out it probably won’t hurt the team in the long run.

-Adam Somers

@#%&! @#%&! @#%&!!

It was Friday night and things were going well for yours truely.

I had a cold, wide-mouthed beverage in my hand (being responsible, of course) and the Tennessee Titans had signed cornerback/safety/bain of my existence Jarrett Bush to an offer sheet.

Certainly, the Packers would not match the offer, right?

After all, Bush had essentially been relegated to special teams’ duty last season. In addition, they tendered him at the lowest possible restricted free agent-level, just $1.01 million for the upcoming season. They wouldn’t get any compensation if they declined to match any offer sheet and, really, they seemed fine with that as the weekend went by and Tennessee’s offer was not matched.

Then came Monday, and then came this.

The title of this post was my reaction, in a nutshell, to the news.

Naturally, I had to take some time to calm down before I wrote anything on this situation.

Now that I’ve settled, I have some thoughts:

• At least the deal is cheap, at three years, $4.5 million ($1 million signing bonus). The $1 million Bush is scheduled to make this season isn’t any more than he would have made had no offer been extended. So that’s good…I guess.
• It looks like the Packers will either have six cornerbacks (Charles Woodson, Al Harris, Pat Lee, Will Blackmon and Bush) or five safeties (Atari Bigby, Nick Collins, Anthony Smith, Aaron Rouse and Bush) on the roster next season. Either way, it doesn’t look like they’ll be selecting Ohio State cornerback Malcolm Jenkins with the ninth overall pick next month. They won’t need him…I guess.
• Clearly they see something in him that I don’t (and by “I” I mean every Packers fan in the universe). But it wasn’t just Green Bay and Tennessee. According to the Journal Sentinel article, Baltimore, Cleveland, Tampa Bay and New Orleans all expressed interest in Bush. That’s why they’re the experts and we’re not…I guess.
• Time to gear ourselves up for another year of stupid special teams penalties and clueless, if brief, defensive play from Bush.

There’s no cute ending on that last thought. I know that to be true.

–Chris Lempesis