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Packers Waive 8 In Reaching Regular-Season, 53-Player Limit
posted 08/31/2003
The Green Bay Packers Sunday placed eight players on waivers, including 17th-year veteran center Frank Winters and running back Herbert "Whisper" Goodman, in reaching the NFL-mandated regular season player limit of 53 by Sunday's 3 p.m. (CDT) deadline.
GM/Head Coach Mike Sherman also announced the waiving of offensive linemen Bill Ferrario and David Brandt, running back Lamar Smith, defensive tackle Steve Martin, linebacker Steve Josue and safety Scott McGarrahan, re-acquired in a conditional draft choice trade with Miami last week.
Rookie wide receiver Carl Ford, a seventh-round draft choice from Toledo who suffered a knee injury in last Thursday night's preseason finale against Tennessee, was placed on injured reserve. Josue, out of Carson-Newman, also was a seventh-round selection in this year's draft.
Winters, who had joined the Packers as a Plan B free agent in 1992, ranked fifth among NFL active players in most games played, 231, at the end of the 2002 season. Had he survived the cutdown process, he would have been the second player in team history to wear a Green Bay uniform in a 17th season, tying placekicker Jan Stenerud.
Winters, 39 in January, was the Packers' starting center en route to their back-to-back Super Bowl appearances in 1996-97, holding the position until 2001, when he gave way to Mike Flanagan. But, targeted for a backup role in 2002, he found himself playing in all 16 games (10 starts) once more as injury first forced Flanagan to the sideline and later left tackle Chad Clifton, requiring Flanagan to take over the latter position as Winters returned to center.
Ferrario, originally a fourth-round draft selection out of Wisconsin in 2001, had played in all 16 games last season after being inactive throughout his rookie, 2001 campaign.
Goodman, also a third-year professional, closed out the preseason as the Packers' leading receiver with 11 catches for 100 yards and with a team-leading 198 total yards from scrimmage.
Smith, a 10-year veteran, was hampered by injury throughout the preseason and made his only game appearance in the finale against Tennessee, gaining 4 yards in 2 rushing attempts and catching one pass for 21 yards.
Martin, an eighth-year veteran, posted seven tackles and one of the Packers' four preseason interceptions during his tenure.
McGarrahan weighed in with a pair of tackles in his lone appearance, against the Titans.
The final, 53-man roster includes five selections from this year's NFL draft - linebackers Nick Barnett of Oregon State (first round) and Hunter Hillenmeyer of Vanderbilt (fifth), defensive lineman Kenny Peterson of Ohio State (third), offensive tackle Brennan Curtin of Notre Dame (sixth) and cornerback Chris Johnson of Louisville (seventh).
In addition, defensive lineman James Lee of Oregon State (fifth) and wide receiver Carl Ford (seventh) also remain on injured reserve.
Curtin, at 6-9 1/8, officially becomes the tallest player ever to wear a Green Bay uniform.
The Packers, along with all other NFL teams, may establish a 5-player Practice Squad after 11 a.m. Monday. |
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