Packers "Actively Shopping" LB Desmond Bishop?

Are the Green Bay Packers actively shopping linebacker Desmond Bishop? One reports says so.

Here's another draft-day shocker: According to Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network, the Green Bay Packers are "actively shopping" inside linebacker Desmond Bishop.

From a purely football standpoint, such a move would seem to run counterintuitive to what the Packers have attempted to accomplish this offseason. Bishop, one of the team's most physical players, would appear to add a thumping linebacker back into the Packers' front-seven in 2013.

Of course, that's assuming Bishop is healthy.

The 28-year-old linebacker tore his hamstring in late August of last season and was placed on season-ending injured reserve.

Back in late February, agent Blake Baratz told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that Bishop was "85-90 percent," and with the expectation that he would be get cleared for minicamps and OTAs. After extensive rehab, Bishop's goal now is getting strength back into his lower half.

Shopping Bishop now could be a sign that his recovery is either behind schedule, or the Packers don't think he'll be the same player once he returns. Bishop is also owed almost $7 million over the next two seasons.

Finding a trading partner might be difficult, however. Any team dealing a pick for a player coming off a serious injury would have to be confident in that player's recovery. The injury would also keep the Packers from getting fair-market value for a player that was an impact defender before the injury.

Overall, I'm skeptical the Packers will end up dealing Bishop. But the idea that Green Bay is shopping him now suggests a hiccup in Bishop's return for 2013.

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Comments (2)

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Johnny's picture

April 28, 2013 at 03:05 am

I don't see how this could possibly be true. When healthy, Bishop is easily our most punishing LB and I'd argue second best player on the defense.

Even if he isn't fully healthy yet, how could you get rid of him after just releasing DJ Smith with only AJ Hawk, Brad Jones, and Robert Francois on the roster with any sort of starting experience?

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Stroh's picture

April 28, 2013 at 04:51 am

DJ Smith was nothing but at most a backup LB. That's his ceiling. The Packers need a playmaker at ILB, and Bishop is good, not great.

Manning is the playmaker that the D needs. He is also a very physical and aggressive player, strong run defender and every bit as good as Bishop in pass D. Clearly the Packers want to get Manning on the field and instead of being in position to have to possibly release him, they tried to trade him.

Bishop also is TRYING to recover from an injury that has and does end careers. Bishop didn't just have a torn hamstring, that heals on its own and doesn't require surgery. Bishop had his hamstring torn away from the bone! That is why he had to have surgery. To reattach the hamstring to the bone. Its highly likely that Bishop will start playing again, and it will tear away again, which would necessitate another surgery and end his career in the meantime, the Packers would have to continue to pay his salary.

Trading Bishop releaves that possibility from occurring. It gets an equally as good of player on the field. It saves them money and gets a young ascending player on the field.

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