Packers To Release Poppinga, Harrell

Linebacker Brady Poppinga and defensive lineman Justin Harrell have been informed they'll be released by the Green Bay Packers.

According to Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com on Twitter:

The @packers have informed Brady Poppinga and Justin Harrell that they are being released.

Coming on the heels of news that the Packers would either trade or release linebacker Nick Barnett, today's news shouldn't come as much of a surprise. It's been know for months that the Packers would have to clear salary cap space, and they're doing so with two players whose backup status and injury history makes their salaries unmanageable.

Poppinga has a salary cap figure approaching $2.5 million that the Packers will use to sign free agents, their draft choices and other undrafted rookies, not to mention any future contract extensions they may negotiate with players like Josh Sitton, Jermichael Finley and Clay Matthews.

Justin Harrell also has a salary around $2.5 million, but because of the way his contract was structured, the Packers will only be saving a little more than $500,000 in cap relief this season. Still, his injury history has been too much to overcome.

It's possible the Packers may make a few more cuts when teams are allowed to make such information official at 3:01 p.m. Central time.

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Comments (11)

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Tim Backes's picture

July 28, 2011 at 02:14 pm

Harrell's no big loss at all, I'm actually surprised he managed to make it this many years without being canned. Maybe it was just a slight bit of stubbornness by Ted to admit he messed up... but now that he's got a Super Bowl ring, I think we can forgive him for one minor screw up, haha.

Poppinga is an OK role-player and maybe even a starter for a team understocked at LB, but he's honestly no big loss at all for the Packers. With Walden and Zombo emerging last year, Jones returning from IR and Matthews beasting all over everybody, we're well stocked at OLB.

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Majik Man's picture

July 28, 2011 at 07:02 pm

Don't forget Ricky Elmore. I'm excited to see what he brings to the table. Was pretty pleased when we drafted him. We're gonna be fine. It's really fun watching the Bears fall apart this off season, and we're cutting dead weight. :)

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PkrNboro's picture

July 28, 2011 at 02:30 pm

did Poppinga's ACL injuries happen to the same knee ?

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PkrNboro's picture

July 28, 2011 at 02:39 pm

Yes.

http://nfbc.nbcsports.com/recent/nfl/3318/brady-poppinga

(it took about 20 google searches...)

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BrianD's picture

July 28, 2011 at 05:00 pm

The James Jones-Justin Harrell era is about to begin in Minnesota

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Wiscokid's picture

July 28, 2011 at 05:29 pm

With Sydney Rice going to Seattle it wouldn't surprise me at all to see Jones end up in Minny. Jones can "alligator" catches for McNabb. I don't know about Harrell though, but if he does who cares?

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Norman's picture

July 28, 2011 at 05:24 pm

What a shame, I was really counting on Harrell to contribute again this year.

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fishandcrane's picture

July 28, 2011 at 06:29 pm

Last year I think we saw what he was capable of.

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Nononsense's picture

July 28, 2011 at 06:20 pm

Gonna miss the "Swarmin Mormon" Brady Poppinga as a man but we have better options to replace the player.

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Ruppert's picture

July 28, 2011 at 09:39 pm

Never been much of a fan of Poppinga. He did a weekly bit on Sirius NFL radio a few years ago that was cool, but as far as football went, we need an upgrade. Colledge and Poppinga were two of my least favorite Packers....man, who will I want to leave now? Jarrett Bush gets a 1-year exemption for his playoff/Super Bowl performance and his general attitude and personality, too. I'm stuck.

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Mojo's picture

July 28, 2011 at 10:59 pm

Sports headline from the GBPG:

'Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson receives standing ovation at shareholders meeting.'

Redemption is sweet.

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