Packers also cut Donald Lee and Derrick Martin. I don't expect to see either of those guys back.

"Kingkoopa" wrote:

It's possible that this impending lockout could help the Packers to sign Hawk right away. He may want to make a deal within the next day rather than facing several months of uncertainty, as free agency will be delayed.

"Greg C." wrote:

If cutting a very good but not great LB who was set to earn $10 million is Ted's worst move, he must be pretty good. Maybe he'll win a Super Bowl someday.

"Greg C." wrote:

I just hate parting ways with our draft picks. I really hope we can re-sign him for a more reasonable contract.

"shield4life" wrote:

Packers cut three, including Hawk

The Packers have released LB A.J. Hawk, who had his best season with the team in 2010, as well as TE Donald Lee and FS Derrick Martin.

Hawk had a team-leading 111 tackles and three interceptions in 2010, the latter tying him for a league high among linebackers. He has also proven to be very durable, playing in all 16 games in each of his five seasons as a pro, but was set to earn a $10.5 million escalator in 2011.

Lee had fallen out of favor to younger TEs Jermichael Finley, Andrew Quarless and Tom Crabtree, while Martin was a non-factor in the Super Bowl run after going on I.R. in mid-October with a knee injury.

Packers GM Ted Thompson released a statement on the moves on Wednesday.

"We want to thank Donald for all of his contributions to the Packers and for being a good teammate throughout his career in Green Bay. He has been a professional and we wish him well in the future," Thompson said.

"We appreciate Derrick's work and contributions over the past two seasons. He has been a good player on our team and we appreciate his passion and energy.

"With A.J., the business side of the game is driving this decision. We're hopeful that we can continue to work with A.J. to have him be a part of our team in the future."

The way we see it

As Thompson mentioned, it would not be a surprise to see the Packers re-sign Hawk for a lower salary in the near future. Hawk was quite valuable for the team last season, filling in for the injured Nick Barnett as the defensive signalcaller in the nickel and helping the team rank fifth in the NFL in yards allowed during the regular season.

ProFootballWeekly wrote:

Packers and Hawk will continue to talk over next day

Its not a surprise that Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk got released Wednesday considering the huge bonus on his contract. It also wouldnt be a surprise if Hawk returned to the team.

Heck, its even possible Hawk could return to the team by the end of Thursday.

Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports Hawk and the Packers will continue to talk through tomorrow night in hopes of getting a deal done. While that will be tough to accomplish, its a good sign that both sides would like to come up with a contract that makes sense.

Mike McCarthy indicated at the Combine that Desmond Bishop was locked into a starting job at inside linebacker, which would indicate that Hawk and Nick Barnett would likely get the other gig. If the Packers can get Hawk back at a reasonable rate, Barnett could get the boot.

The Packers officially confirmed Hawks release and also announced the release of tight end Donald Lee and safety Derrick Martin. G.M. Ted Thompson wished Lee and Martin well, but hoped Hawk would be back.

With A.J., the business side of the game is driving this decision, Thompson said. Were hopeful that we can continue to work with A.J. to have him be a part of our team in the future.

ProFootballTalk wrote: