Packers ready to part ways with ILB Desmond Bishop

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NJPackfan wrote:Packers ready to part ways with ILB Desmond Bishop



By [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] of the Journal Sentinel
Updated: 9:32 p.m.


Green Bay --- It appears the Green Bay Packers won't be giving Desmond Bishop a chance [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] in his notebook this season.
According to a NFL source, the team will release the inside linebacker if they're unable to restructure his deal or pull off a trade. Bishop is currently set to make $3.464 million this season, part of the four-year, $19 million deal he signed in January 2011.
The source indicated that this is "number's game"-related more than injury-related. Bishop did not fail a physical.
Either way, Bishop tore hamstring in the preseason last August, missed the entire 2012 season and the Packers didn't take any chances through free agency. General manager Ted Thompson re-signed Brad Jones at $11.75 million over three years and also restructured A.J. Hawk's deal.
With both being paid as starters, a logjam was created at inside linebacker. Now, Bishop may be the odd man out.
Last month, Bishop indicated that he'd be ready to participate by training camp.
"My injury side is perfect," Bishop said in May. "It's 100%. But I have little nicks and knacks here just from being out and trying to get back in. So we'll see how I feel, but I don't really want to rush it. There's no point in rushing it right now."
Through OTA's and minicamp, Bishop had been doing conditioning off to the side and he remained optimistic for August. Yet the Packers, apparently, are set to move on with Hawk, Jones and multiple other young players at inside linebacker. Green Bay also drafted Terrell Manning last year, Sam Barrington this year and released another inside linebacker coming off of a season-ending injury (D.J. Smith).
When healthy, Bishop has been a presence in the middle of Green Bay's defenses. In 2011, Bishop was arguably the best defensive player on the team, finishing with 115 tackles, five sacks and two forced fumbles in 13 games.
Now, he may be forced to chase those Defensive Player of the Year hopes elsewhere

duck wrote:I'm not buying this.  Reading between the lines, I think it means Bishop is damaged goods.

You don't let a player of his calibre -- and in a position of need for the Packers -- walk.

milani wrote:

duck wrote:I'm not buying this.  Reading between the lines, I think it means Bishop is damaged goods.

You don't let a player of his calibre -- and in a position of need for the Packers -- walk.

I'd agree. The 3.4 mil is not much for what Bishop has done and would normally do. If this were the case it would have to be injury. Since when is Brad Jones or Hawk better than Bishop. I still believe he'll be there this season.

 

duck wrote:I'm not buying this.  Reading between the lines, I think it means Bishop is damaged goods.

You don't let a player of his calibre -- and in a position of need for the Packers -- walk.

_HD_ wrote:

milani wrote:

duck wrote:I'm not buying this.  Reading between the lines, I think it means Bishop is damaged goods.

You don't let a player of his calibre -- and in a position of need for the Packers -- walk.

I'd agree. The 3.4 mil is not much for what Bishop has done and would normally do. If this were the case it would have to be injury. Since when is Brad Jones or Hawk better than Bishop. I still believe he'll be there this season.

Doubtful.  McKenzie is extremely conservative in his clearance assessments and Bishop has been cleared to play.  Bishop claims he's 100% as well, and, if he wasn't--there'd be an advantage to the Pack financially of reaching an injury settlement with him and waiving him off the physically unable to perform list... No--what they're trying to do is squeeze him on the money at the risk of releasing him if he doesn't agree...   As I said previously--right idea/bad choice of player to do it on.  They'll take an immediate $1.6M dead money cap hit the minute he's released...and that's more than they could ever get him to cut his pay from $3.4M to...  It's an ill-conceived application all the way around...and bush league, IMO, to pimp a guy over an injury he sustained while fighting your war on your battlefield before even having a chance to step back on the field to prove whether a pay cut is justified...especially at the very reasonable $3.4M to start with.  I'd do what Bishop is and tell them to go fuck...or better yet say--go talk first to Mason Crosby, Tramon Williams and John Kuhn (all WAY underperforming their contracts)--then we'll talk.  Bishop is a beast who happened to get hurt--so give the guy a fucking chance before you start trimming his shorties.  Like I said--uncharacteristically bush league...