Mike Montgomery Signs With Minnesota

Relax, Bulldog hockey fans. This is a different Mike Montgomery.

The former Packer defensive end agreed to a one-year deal with the Vikings for the minimum salary.

He joins an impressive parade of former Packers who have moved on to Minnesota. The Vikings have plucked guys like Ryan Longwell, Darren Sharper, Robert Ferguson, and that Favre guy in recent years, and now Montgomery is part of that group.

He's a good player, but Montgomery got lost a bit last year as the Packers switched to a 3-4 defense under coordinator Dom Capers.

"It just wasn't a good fit for me," Montgomery said, "just in the direction they were going to and just overall what I could do."

It was a situation where he really didn't fit as a defensive end, and he wasn't quite fast enough to play linebacker. The Packers need more dynamic players at that position than what Montgomery could provide. He is big enough (280 pounds) to be a 3-4 end, but didn't seem to pick up the system very well.

He's going to be basically a backup to Ray Edwards for the Vikings, but he should get some chances to play, as Edwards has shown the ability to be a real dynamic force, but you can't have enough depth along the line.

It's hardly a crippling loss for the Packers, because they knew he wasn't much of a fit. They need to add a little more depth both at end and tackle in their 3-4 scheme, and Montgomery's presence wasn't going to change that any.

At some point, one has to hope general manager Ted Thompson will start developing players for other NFL franchises, because developing talent for your main rival to poach when they see fit is not going to make the fanbase very happy.