Letroy Guion

Packers Release DT Letroy Guion

The Packers have released defensive tackle Letroy Guion, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Letroy Guion

[RELATED: Packers DT Montravius Adams To Miss Time]

Guion was arrested in Hawaii this offseason for intoxicated driving. The lineman had a blood alcohol content of .086 an hour after the arrest – and smelled of both alcohol and marijuana at the time.

Before the DUI, Guion was already set to serve a season-opening four-game suspension for a separate infraction – a violation of the league’s performance-enhancing drugs policy. It seems that all of the headaches were just too much for the Packers to deal with.

Guion started 15 games for the Packers in 2016, so his production will certainly be missed. The Packers may look for outside reinforcements but, for now, they project to have Christian Ringo, rookie Montravius Adams, and Brian Price at nose tackle. Adams, unfortunately, will miss time with a stress fracture in his foot.

The 30-year-old racked up 30 tackles last year and ranked 63rd in performance among Pro Football Focus’ 127 qualified interior defensive linemen.

Packers Notes: Allison, Guion, Davis

The latest from Green Bay:

  • The NFL announced Wednesday that it has suspended Packers wide receiver Geronimo Allison one game for a violation of its substance abuse policy. Allison was charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession in December and pleaded no contest in April, when he paid a $330.50 fine to reduce the charge to an ordinance violation, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Allison’s Week 1 ban will cost him far more – a $31,764 game check. As a rookie in 2016, the undrafted free agent from Illinois racked up 12 catches, 202 yards and two touchdowns in 10 regular-season games. Allison will enter training camp as the fourth option in a packed receiving corps.
  • Defensive tackle Letroy Guion will go to trial next month in Hawaii for intoxicated driving, reports the Associated Press. Guion was arrested in June on a driving under the influence charge, and his attorney is now seeking witnesses to the arrest, according to the AP. Guion had a blood alcohol content of .086 an hour after the arrest and smelled of both alcohol and marijuana at the time. He’s already set to serve a season-opening four-game suspension for a separate infraction – a violation of the league’s performance-enhancing drugs policy.
  • The Packers will have a new director of player development with Rob Davis having left the organization, Demovsky tweets. Davis spent 12 seasons as a long snapper in the NFL, including 11 with Green Bay, before embarking on a front office role with the Packers for nine years. He’s on to a “special opportunity,” though team president Mark Murphy declined to say where Davis is headed.
  • In case you missed it, the Packers and quarterback Aaron Rodgers have not begun extension talks.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Details On Letroy Guion’s Arrest

Packers defensive lineman Letroy Guion had a blood alcohol content of .086 an hour after his June 21 arrest for driving under the influence in Hawaii, reports the Associated Press. He also smelled of alcohol and marijuana, per the AP, and was stumbling when he walked and slurring his speech.

Letroy Guion

“I know I’m drunk,” Guion told the arresting officer who pulled him over after observing his 2017 Porsche Cayenne drifting between lanes. “I’ve been drinking Hennessy all night. I don’t drink any of that weak stuff, only the hard stuff.”

These details certainly don’t bode well for Guion, who’s already in line to serve a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. A longer ban now looks like a possibility, as do legal consequences, which could lessen Guion’s chances of suiting up for the Packers again. Another suspension would be the third for Guion, who earned his first ban for a violation of the league’s substance abuse policy in 2015. After the league hit him with his PED suspension, Guion agreed in March to a restructured contract, one that both delayed and reduced the value of his bonuses.

Guion, who turned 30 the day of his arrest, is coming off his third season with the Packers. He started in all 15 appearances last season, racking up 30 tackles and ranking 63rd in performance among Pro Football Focus’ 127 qualified interior defensive linemen.

Packers DL Letroy Guion Arrested For DUI

Letroy Guion can’t seem to stay on track. On Wednesday, the Packers defensive lineman was arrested for a DUI in Hawaii, as Sam Spangler of KHON writes. Letroy Guion

[RELATED: Davante Adams Could Cash In]

Guion was already set to serve a four-game ban for violating the league’s PED policy. Now, Guion could be facing legal consequences and an even longer ban. Considering all of his missteps, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the Packers cut ties with Guion this summer.

Guion, who turned 30 today, made 15 starts for the Packers last year and racked up 30 total tackles. After his PED ban, Guion agreed to a restructured deal which took his offseason roster bonuses and delayed them until Weeks 9 and 15 of the season. The bonuses were also reduced in value from $400K each to $300K. When factoring in his suspension, that slip-up cost him about $600K. This DUI is only going to compound the issue and could potentially cost him his job in Green Bay.

The veteran was also suspended three games in 2015 for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.

Packers Notes: Peterson, Rodgers, Guion

After losing guard T.J. Lang in free agency, Packers coach Mike McCarthy says he’s not looking to move tackles Jason Spriggs or Bryan Bulaga to the inside, as Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com writes. Green Bay may have to look for replacements in the draft or in the late stages of free agency, but the team could also consider other internal options. Rising sophomore Kyle Murphy played tackle in college, but he might be a better fit at guard, while the the Packers are also high on fellow second-year lineman Lucas Patrick. Veteran Don Barclay could be a “fallback option,” Demovsky writes, but he wouldn’t be a terribly exciting choice.

Here’s more from Green Bay:

  • While Packers general manager Ted Thompson admitted his club needs to bring in reinforcements at running back, he wouldn’t respond to recent report indicating Green Bay has interest in free agent Adrian Peterson“We don’t talk about players that are not on our team,” Thompson said, per Demovsky. “We never have. We never will.” The Packers’ backfield depth chart is slim at the moment, as the only running backs on the roster are Ty Montgomery, Christine Michael, and Don Jackson. Green Bay is expected to wait until after the draft before assessing its options at running back.
  • The Packers will likely wait until next offseason to work out an extension for quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and the club won’t let a looming Rodgers deal affect its decisions in the present, according to Ryan Wood of PackersNews.com. Earlier this month, Rodgers said Mike Glennon‘s contract with Chicago “has to” push up the top of the QB market, an indication that Rodgers might push for a new pact. Rodgers later walked his comments back, but Green Bay will likely carry over at least $10MM in cap space in an effort to save funds for Rodgers, per Wood.
  • Defensive tackle Letroy Guion is set to serve a four-game ban for violating the league’s PED policy, and Thompson believes Guion’s situation “will work itself out,” reports Wood in a separate piece. Guion has already agreed to a restructured deal that delays his roster bonuses, but Green Bay could cut bait without incurring much dead money. The Packers would be able to recoup 4/17 of Guion’s signing bonus because he’s been suspended, meaning the club would take on fewer than $300K in dead money.

Packers, Letroy Guion Agree To Restructured Deal

Letroy Guion signed a restructured contract with the Packers following his PED suspension, a source tells ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky (Twitter link). The new deal will save the Packers a little bit of money and give them additional time before having to make the payments.

Letroy GuionThe new deal delays Guion’s offseason roster bonuses, which were initially to be paid out on Saturday and again on May 2, back to Weeks 9 and 15 of the season. They were reduced from $400K each to $300K. Guion’s base salary remains in tact, but he will automatically lose four weeks of his $1.7MM payout during the suspension ($400K). All in all, Guion’s slip up will likely cost him $600K.

We learned earlier this week that the defensive tackle had been suspended four games to start the 2017 season. The veteran was previously suspended three games in 2015 for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. Guion played in 15 games last season, compiling 30 tackles. He hasn’t recorded a sack since the 2014 season.

Packers DT Letroy Guion Suspended

Packers defensive tackle Letroy Guion has been suspended for the first four games of the 2017 season, a source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The exact reason for the ban is not yet known. Guion was previously suspended for the first three games of the 2015 season due to a violation of the league’s substance abuse policy. Letroy Guion

Guion, 30 in June, made 15 starts for the Packers last year and racked up 30 total tackles. He’s currently set to enter the second season of a three-year deal worth $11.25MM. Depending on the nature of the suspension, his guaranteed cash could be in jeopardy.

In other Packers news, the team reached out to cornerback Davon House on Tuesday. House became a free agent this week when the Jaguars cut him loose.

NFC Notes: Cowboys, Lynch, 49ers, Packers

There will be no intrigue or drama when it comes to the Cowboys‘ potential use of the franchise tag. Executive VP Stephen Jones announced Tuesday that the team won’t be using its franchise or transition tag, per David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. While Jones’ announcement is somewhat unusual, it’s not surprising — when Luke Adams examined potential 2016 franchise tag candidates on Monday, he didn’t mention a single Cowboy, even as a long shot.

Here’s more from the NFC:

  • If Marshawn Lynch goes through with his retirement, he’ll owe the the Seahawks the $5MM signing bonus from the contract he signed last offseason. However, the team won’t ask for that money back, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
  • Within a look at the 49ers‘ offensive line situation, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes that there’s no timetable for offensive tackle Anthony Davis to file for reinstatement from the NFL’s reserve/retired list. There’s a belief that Davis will return to the Niners after taking a year away from the game. But even if he does, it shouldn’t affect the team’s offseason plan at the position much, as Maiocco notes there’s no guarantee Davis will return at the same level.
  • The Packers have officially announced some changes to their coaching staff, according to ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky, who writes that they’ve hired Ben Sirmans as running backs coach, Brian Angelichio as tight ends coach, and Ejiro Evero as defensive quality control assistant. Sirmans, previously with the Rams, will replace Sam Gash. Angelichio, who was last with the Browns, will take over for Jerry Fontenot.
  • Demovsky has a year-by-year breakdown of Letroy Guion‘s new contract with the Packers. The deal is heavy on bonus money with $50K in per-game roster bonuses plus another $1.7MM in roster and workout bonuses. Last season, Guion played under a one-year, $2.75MM pact.

Connor Byrne contributed to this post.

NFC North Notes: Lions, Bears, Guion

The Lions and Bears each formally announced additions to their coaching staff today, with Detroit naming a new quarterbacks coach and Chicago confirming a new wide receivers coach.

As previously reported, the Lions’ new QBs coach is Brian Callahan, who spent the last six seasons with the Broncos, and has previously worked with Detroit offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter. In 2015, Callahan was an offensive assistant in Denver, playing a part in coaching the club’s QBs.

As for the Bears, their new wide receivers coach is Curtis Johnson, who had been Tulane’s head coach for the past four seasons after serving as the WRs coach for the Saints from 2006 to 2011. Joining Johnson in Chicago is Ben McDaniels, whose hiring was also reported last Friday. Josh McDaniels‘ brother officially joins the Bears as an offensive assistant.

Here’s more from around the NFC North:

  • According to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link), Letroy Guion‘s new contract with the Packers features a modest $500K signing bonus. Silverstein adds that the deal includes “$1.5MM more later,” though it’s not clear if that refers to a signing bonus or his 2016 salary. Friday reports indicated the three-year pact is worth a total of $11.25MM.
  • Having locked up two key defensive players – Mike Daniels and Guion – who would have been eligible for free agency this winter, the Packers‘ next priority may be a special-teamer, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com, who examines kicker Mason Crosby‘s impending free agency.
  • Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com explores the possibility of cornerback Tracy Porter re-signing with the Bears for the 2016 season after a strong 2015 campaign.

Packers Sign Letroy Guion To Extension

12:19pm: The Packers have officially announced their new deal with Guion.

11:21am: The extra $500K in Guion’s deal – noted below – is a Pro Bowl escalator, according to Caplan (Twitter link).

8:34am: The Packers and defensive lineman Letroy Guion have reached an agreement in principle on a three-year deal worth $11.25MM, a league source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The new contract agreement will lock Guion up through the 2018 season, and keeps him from hitting the open market next month. He had been eligible for unrestricted free agency this winter.Letroy Guion

Guion, 28, started all 16 regular season contests as the Packers’ nose tackle in 2014, establishing new career highs in tackles (41) and sacks (3.5). He wasn’t a full-time starter in 2015, however, appearing in 381 defensive snaps in 13 games. He picked up 20 tackles, but didn’t record a sack.

The veteran defensive lineman was suspended for the first three games in 2015 due to a violation of the NFL’s substance abuse policy. Guion was arrested last February when police found 357 grams of marijuana and an unloaded gun in his truck. The case was settled in March when Guion accepted a plea deal, at which point the Packers re-signed him to a one-year contract that ended up being worth about $2.5MM.

While we’ll have to wait for the full details of this new contract to come out, it looks like Guion got a little more security than he did on his previous contracts with Green Bay. His per-year salary also gets a bump — assuming $11.25MM is the base value of the new pact, that’s an average of $3.75MM annually. Guion could also earn up to $500K in incentives on the deal, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com.

With Guion locked up, the Packers will now have to decide whether or not they’ll also re-sign B.J. Raji, whose contract expires this offseason as well. Raji, who took over as the club’s regular nose tackle in 2015, played more snaps than Guion, but he placed just 97th out of 123 qualified interior defenders in Pro Football Focus’ rankings — PFF didn’t view Raji’s work against the run this past season as particularly strong.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.