Aaron Rouse Cut

[Jackie Chiles]

http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/po...-but-cut-rouse

"Surprising move coming out of Green Bay this morning: The Packers released safety Aaron Rouse to make room for free-agent safety Matt Giordano, who worked out and signed with the team Tuesday.

Rouse started last Sunday’s game against Cincinnati and was expected to continue replacing injured starter Atari Bigby. Tom Pelissero of the Green Bay Press-Gazette notes Rouse struggled in last week's game, but given the injuries to Bigby and fellow starter Nick Collins (sprained clavicle), it’s surprising to see the Packers shedding any depth at the position.

Giordano spent the past four seasons with Indianapolis. I’ll circle back on this move, and take a closer look at the Packers’ safety situation, once we hear from coach Mike McCarthy later Wednesday."


He wouldn't start for us but I wouldn't mind swapping out Nick Ferguson for him. Not likely to happen though.

[76Texan]

I wouldn't mind having him either!

[4Texans]

He ended up being claimed up by the Giants. He's huge for a safety, sized more like a LB.

http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2...new_ny_gi.html

So who’s Aaron Rouse? Well, other than the guy who’s going to give me fits when trying to say Aaron Ross (or vice versa), he’s a guy the Giants claimed off waivers from the Packers and are hoping will live up to his status as a third-round pick in 2007. If so, he’d soften the blow of losing Kenny Phillips for the season.

Rouse, at 6-4, 227 pounds, is much bigger than the average safety. That’s good when it comes time to lay the wood, but bad when it comes to moving in the open field. And that’s been precisely his problem during his brief NFL career.

Rouse had four interceptions combined in his first two seasons and even returned one of them (off Peyton Manning) for a 99-yard touchdown. But that big play was offset by many he surrendered because, as our guys Tom Silverstein and Bob McGinn from the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel tell us, Rouse had trouble getting his big body to break down in space. They also tell us he was extremely stiff in the hips. Silverstein tells us the Packers’ safeties coach, Darren Perry (hardcore fans remember him from his days with the Steelers) would harp on Rouse to bend his knees and get that big body compact and more flexible. Apparently, he didn’t heed the advice well enough.

Rouse can make the big hit, as he proved when he tackled Bears tight end Desmond Clark in Week 1 – a hit that resulted in a cracked rib for Clark. But our eyes in Green Bay tell us Rouse wasn’t as physical as the Packers had hoped he would be.

Rouse does have ball skills, Silverstein and McGinn say, but apparently his lack of speed doesn’t allow him to get to enough balls. Plus, I’ve heard he didn’t always take the best angles to the ball.

These are obviously the negatives because they’re what led to his release. But the Giants clearly believe he has an upside, so it’ll be up to safeties coach Dave Merritt to bring it out of him. Merritt has worked magic with the Giants’ safeties, considering the team has handed him a bunch of low-round picks, undrafted free agents and bargain-priced veterans the past couple of years. If he can massage some ability out of Rouse, it’ll add another player he helped develop to his recent resume.