Veteran defensive lineman hasn’t played since 2009
According to the National Football Post, Packers defensive end Johnny Jolly has applied for reinstatement to the National Football League. The 29-year-old has been on indefinite suspension since July 2010. He was recently released from prison just six months into a six-year sentence for violating the terms of his probation for a drug conviction.
If reinstated by Commissioner Roger Goodell, Jolly would like to return to the Packers. “I am dedicated to really make a change in my life and come back and be a positive role model,” he said. “I think I have a great shot at going back to those guys. They’re a great organization. The coaches are very good, the players are good. I know they have supported me 100 percent. I want to say that would be a dream come true, but I made it in the NFL before. So, I would say it would be like another dream. It would be a journey and going back to do the things I love and showing everybody you can make mistakes but it’s the way you correct the things you’ve done wrong. I want to make the Packers look good if they want to take me back or not.”
Prior to his off-the-field problems, Jolly was developing into a premier 3-4 end. The former Texas A&M star was a big reason the Packers were the No. 1 run defense in the league in 2009. Blessed with great size (6’3, 325) and strength, Jolly was rarely knocked off his spot that season. And while he managed only one sack, he was athletic and alert enough to bat down a franchise-record 11 passes at the line of scrimmage. He also played the game with unbridled energy – an often overlooked trait that was glaringly missing from last season’s zombie-like defensive unit.
Assuming Jolly is clean and sober, it’s hard to imagine Goodell not allowing him back into the league. After all, plenty of currently active players have done far worse things. Philadelphia’s Michael Vick killed and tortured dogs. New England’s Donte’ Stallworth killed an innocent pedestrian while driving drunk. Chicago’s Brandon Marshall has been arrested multiple times on suspicion of domestic violence. Baltimore’s Ray Lewis, one of the faces of the NFL, was sentenced to probation for obstructing justice in the stabbing deaths of two men. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
It’s likely that general manager Ted Thompson will have a decision to make in the near future. Jolly signed a one-year deal worth $2.5 million on June 15, 2010, so the Packers still own his rights. But would Thompson want him back? That’s hard to predict, but the guess here is no. And it has nothing to do with morality. Thompson has given second chances to a number of other players in the past. A good example is wide receiver Koren Robinson, who was welcomed back in October 2007 after completing a one-year suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.
But Jolly’s situation is different. He hasn’t played a down of football since January 2010. Even worse, he hasn’t worked out with the Packers since that time. The odds of him being in anything resembling football shape are about the same as the odds of Sean Payton and Gregg Williams vacationing with Goodell this summer. In fact, Jolly has already admitted to being overweight. “I’m in pretty good shape,” Jolly told the National Football Post’s Brad Biggs. “I would like to lose about 10 pounds. I’m probably at 332 right now, about 7 pounds over my playing weight.”
Look, I have no idea how much Jolly weighs, but if he admits to 332, I’m guessing the actual number is a bit higher. I just don’t think he’ll be ready to play football in September – at least not this September. I hope I’m wrong. I’ve been one of Jolly’s biggest supporters for years and the state of the current defensive line – even with the influx of new talent – still concerns me. The Jolly of 2009 would make the Packers defense, or any defense for that matter, a lot better. But that player no longer exists. Here’s hoping neither does that self-destructive human being.
I’d give Jolly one more chance. The Pack has nothing to lose but the 90th player on their current squad. If he can show signs of coming around before camp ends, we could cut him and bring him back during the season if there are injuries. He’s only 29 years old and he’s had two years off from all the pounding. It may take him till 2013 to get back to peak form but if you can do it for Koren Robinson, why not Johnny Jolly?
I would have to believe most people thought the same thing about Michael Vick…speed diminished…Old Michael gone.
If someone who plays QB and relies on speed the way Vick did could return after his absence, I see absolutely no reason a motivated (the key) Jolly couldn’t do the same.
Would TT take him back? He signed Koren Robinson.
Sorry, but, to predict the ultimate conclusion to the Jolly saga is near impossible. Unless you had lunch with TT earlier today, I just can’t believe you would have any idea whatsoever if TT is interested in Jolly as a Packer again. Also, there is nothing anywhere that says Jolly can’t be 332# at this moment. So why infer that he’s lying?
Pretty sure I wrote, “But would Thompson want him back? That’s hard to predict, but the guess here is no.” Note the word “guess.” I’m simply giving MY opinion, which I tend to do on MY blog.
Oh, great. Here we go again with another it’s my “ball’ so I can say anything I want even if it lacks any real integrity. If you’re going to “seriously” blog, at least support your opinions with something to make people think you just might have an idea. The world is full of opinions.
I wish I would’ve known my writing wasn’t serious and lacked integrity 607 posts ago. I could’ve saved myself a lot of long nights and hundreds of dollars. So I thank you. It’s brilliantly perceptive readers like you who make this all worthwhile.
Michael Rodney, this is Rocky70′s schtick at Cheesehead TV as well. His contrarian approach to everything in order to be the authority goes something like this:
All evidence for your position is speculative; All speculation for my position is evidential.
If you were to flip the above logic on his takes it would result in a childish insult, followed be a hasty exit from the thread to avoid being wrong. Arguing with him is like playing chess with a pigeon: he knocks over all the pieces s@*ts all over the board and fly’s away declaring victory.
Don’t even engage him.
I appreciate the heads up.
Hey numbnuts, if you don’t like what you’re reading hit the bricks. Michael’s been providing fantastic information about the Packers for years, which the vast majority of us both enjoy and appreciate.
Thanks.
I know two years away from the game seems like a lot but its not unprecedented for guys to come back after that long away from the game especially when they are only 29 yrs old.
I would love to see him reinstated and brought to camp to evalute him with a renegotiated contract. If hes not ready to practice fully when TC starts he could go on the PUP until he is and possibly stay on there through the first 6 weeks of the season and they can re-evalute him then. If hes looking good after a couple weeks of practice and we could use him then activate him, if not put him on IR and try again next season.
I don’t know much about Phillip Merling but hes been a free man and he came to the Packers overweight and out of shape. Jolly at least has an excuse for being out of shape and has proven he can start and play in this league.
At 29, the human body has a great deal of upside in the strength area. Speed not so much but strength and endurance are two attributes that do get better w/ age. Now that being said, has Jolly been working on his strength/quicknes..only Jolly knows. Also doesn’t mean that a guy in his 50s will be stronger than in his 40s. TT has very little to lose and a lot to gain if he can come back and play like he did in 2009.
Sign him now! There is no reason to assume that he can’t be the same player. He wasn’t an all pro in 2009-I don’t think he even started. He can be a great situational player-great at batting passes. I think he could come in and be better than Wilson and Wynn right away. All D-lineman spend the offseason pigging out and getting fat. Weight issues are nothing new and can be dealt with.
I vote for Johnny to have a chance. He was addicted to a drug. So was Favre. So was my cousin, JJ didn’t kill any dogs. He didn’t do anything violent as far as I have heard. Bring him in and let him heal his wounded soul.
If he can’t make the team- he can prepare himself for some other team.
Go Johnny Go.
I could see the Packers bring him to camp but I would be very surprised if he made the team. Of the 6 available DL roster spots, 4 (Raji, Pickett, Worthy, & Daniels) are pretty much locks to make the roster. That leaves 2 spots for Merling, Wilson, Wynn, Guy, Muir, Jones, Neal (after week 4) & Hardgrove (after week 6).
Not only would Jolly have to beat out all of those guys who have been playing and working out over the past 2+ seasons that Jolly’s been out of football, IMO he would have to beat them out by a wide margin. There is the risk he could fall back into that life and get arrested again, plus I would assume that he is in NFL’s drug testing program and could be suspended if he tests positive. After 2+ seasons out of football, I highly doubt that he can play at a level high enough for the Packers to take a risk on him, much less play to the level he was before his arrest.
However the suspensions to Neal & Hardgrove do give the Packers a 4 – 6 game window of opportunity to give a long shot a chance. I just don’t see them taking that risk with Jolly it’s more likely that opportunity goes to a player like Guy or Merling.
Please never let rocky post…wut a tool?..
Michael, you have a great site. If I want good accurate info…I come here. Keep it up. Not everyone appreciates what you have been able to put together.
OK first, from everything I’ve read, Jolly is in as good of shape as a DL can get w/o being on the football field. When in prison he was able to workout 2x a day and sometimes 3x’s. And since he’s been out he’s been working out to get in as good a shape as possible. Being only 7 lbs from his playing weight is actually doing very well, considering he also hasn’t been able to control his diet too much until recently! He could easily be ready for training camp if Goodell reinstates him. And even if he reports at 7 lbs over his playing weight, he could lose that in 2 weeks of training camp while getting into “football” shape.
Personally, I don’t see any reason why Thompson wouldn’t bring him into training camp gladly! It would be one thing if our DL was great last year, but it sucked rocks! Bringing Jolly back into the fold only adds to what is shaping up to be a pretty competitive DL group in training camp. Jolly has great size and ability as a LDE where the primary job is being a run stopper. He would compete w/ Guy, Merling and to a lesser extent Pickett at LDE for snaps. THese guys don’t have to be the pass rushers, we have Raji, Worthy, Neal, Daniels to rotate in sub packages, anything we get in pass rush from Guy, Merling and Jolly is a bonus.
The Packers could have cut ties w/ Jolly a LONG time ago and not a soul among the Packer and their fans would have had a problem with it. The fact that they held his rights for 2 years while he has battled his demons is a testament that they still want him if he get healthy/clean!