Back in April, I wrote about how it would be foolish to trade Mike Daniels. Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel wrote a piece about Daniels getting traded and seemed to come out of nowhere as there were no reports about Daniels being moved. I was wrong, obviously. Daniels is no longer a part of the Green Bay Packers. Green Bay decided to release him right before training camp begun as they were unwilling to find a trade partner for him. Originally in April, I didn’t think this was possible, but after reviewing the reasons, it makes sense why the Packers want to part ways.

1. The foot injury is likely more serious than we think – Daniels suffered a foot injury in November of last year that kept him out all last season, and he did not do any team drills all offseason. It is more than likely he would have spent time on the PUP list which means he is sidelined for all of training camp. Foot problems for a big guy are not a good thing, and it’s evident that this may have scared teams off.

2. He doesn’t fit in the Packers defense anymore – Even in April, I mentioned how he is the Randall Cobb of the Packers this season explaining how this is the final year of his deal with young guys ready to take his spot. Well, Green Bay decided those young guys were better than him or fit what Mike Pettine is trying to do with his team. They’re looking for big, lengthy guys instead of the short, stocky types like Daniels. This could pave the way for the return of Muhammad Wilkerson who is still unsigned.

3. He frees up cap space – He had a year left on his deal around 8.4 million dollars. That’s a significant chunk of coin, and now, Green Bay does not have to deal with it. They’re able to shelve that money off the books and reinvest in other things they may need this season. Packers go from having around nine million in cap space to roughly 17 to 18 million dollars. That’s a nice bump for the remainder of the year and allows you to try and get other deals done AKA Kenny Clark.

4. He is likely past his prime – This is the tough things as sports fans. We never actually realize when someone might be past their prime. That’s why so many had the issues with getting rid of Jordy Nelson. For the first time, Green Bay recognized that Daniels didn’t have it anymore before the year started and cut bait. That’s a wise decision.

Daniels will be missed but Green Bay made the right move.

Charlie.