The Green Bay Packers have released LB Nick Barnett, LB Brandon Chillar, DE Justin Harrell, LB Brady Poppinga and T Mark Tauscher. The team also waived first-year S Michael Greco and first-year LB Curtis Young. The transactions were announced Friday by Executive Vice President, General Manager and Director of Football Operations Ted Thompson.
Barnett, who was selected in the first round by the Packers in 2003, ranks No. 2 in franchise history with 1,014 career tackles (703 solo). He started all 107 games that he appeared in during his eight seasons in Green Bay and led the team in tackles five times. In 2005, Barnett set the single-season franchise mark with 194 tackles (128 solo), breaking a 24-year old mark of 180 held by LB Mike Douglass (1981). Barnett was limited to four games in 2010 due to a wrist injury.
Chillar, who signed with the Packers in 2008 as an unrestricted free agent from St. Louis, played in 34 games with 12 starts during his three seasons in Green Bay. In '08, he appeared in 14 contests with seven starts and registered 65 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and a career-high nine passes defensed. Chillar was limited to eight games in 2010 due to a shoulder injury after missing just seven contests in his first six NFL seasons.
Harrell was drafted in the first round by Green Bay in 2007 and appeared in 14 games with two starts during his four seasons with the Packers. He played in seven games as a rookie in '07, recording 24 tackles (13 solo) that season. Harrell was limited to seven games over the past three seasons due to injuries.
Poppinga, a fourth-round pick by the Packers in 2005, played in 81 games with 44 starts during his six seasons in Green Bay. He registered 271 tackles (174 solo), five sacks, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and eight passes defensed during his career. Poppinga played in a career-low six games in 2010 after his season was cut short by a knee injury.
Tauscher was a seventh-round pick of the Packers in 2000 and went on to play 134 games with 132 starts during his 11-year career in Green Bay. He was named the team's Ed Block Courage Award winner in 2008, following a 2007 campaign that saw him start all 16 games for a Green Bay offense that ranked No. 2 in the NFL. In 2009, Tauscher returned from a significant knee injury sustained the previous season to start eight contests and help the offense allow only 10 sacks in the final seven games.
"We want to thank all of the players for their many contributions to the Green Bay Packers throughout their careers," Thompson said. "During their time here, they have been valuable members of our organization and our community. We wish all of them the very best in the future."
