From staff, AP reports
—
Offensive lineman Allen Barbre has been placed on injured reserve by the Green Bay Packers, the team said in a statement Saturday.
Barbre, a former All-American at Missouri Southern State University, is in his fourth season with the Packers, who selected him in the fourth round of the 2007 draft.
The Packers described Barbre as facing a key juncture in his career. He won the starting job at right tackle in 2009 and started in the Packers’ first seven games last season, but lost the starting job and played in two games afterward.
Barbre, who hurt his back in the Packers’ camp, is a graduate of East Newton High School. He did not make the trip to Kansas City for Thursday’s preseason finale against the Chiefs.
By being placed on injured reserve, Barbre cannot play this season.
Barbre played in 25 games during the past three seasons for the Packers. He signed a four-year, $2.1 million contract after being drafted.
The Packers cut 20 players, including linebacker spencer Havner, and also placed return man Will Blackmon on injured reserve to reach the 53-man roster limit.
Havner played offense, defense and special teams in the final three preseason games, but he was cut when the Packers chose to keep four tight ends. They included starter Jermichael Finley, backup Donald Lee, blocking specialist Tom Crabtree and fifth-round draft pick Andrew Quarless.
Three undrafted free agents made the team: linebacker Frank Zombo, cornerback Sam Shields and offensive lineman Nick McDonald.
Among the 20 players who were released were offensive lineman Breno Giacomini, whom the team was trying to trade; wide receiver Jason Chery, who was vying to take over the return duties from Blackmon; and Australian punter Chris Bryan, who was battling Tim Masthay for the job.
Also released were running back Kregg Lumpkin; offensive linemen Evan Dietrich-Smith and Chris Campbell; receivers Charles Dillon, Chastin West and Patrick Williams; defensive linemen Anthony Toribio, Jarius Wynn and Ronald Talley; linebackers Cyril Obiozor, Maurice Simpkins, Alex Joseph and Robert Francois; cornerback D.J. Clark, safety Anthony Levine and quarterback Graham Harrell.
The Packers kept 10 offensive linemen.
, including starters Chad Clifton, Daryn Colledge, Scott Wells, Josh Sitton and Mark Tauscher. First-round draft pick Bryan Bulaga, veteran backup Jason Spitz, T.J. Lang, rookie Marshall Newhouse were the others.
Wynn made the team as a sixth-round pick last year, but he was released in favor of oft-injured 2007 first-round pick Justin Harrell and rookie seventh-round pick C.J. Wilson. They join starters Ryan Pickett, B.J. Raji and Cullen Jenkins along with rookie second-round pick Mike Neal as the team’s six defensive linemen.
Safety Atari Bigby (ankle) and two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Al Harris (knee) are on the physically unable to perform list and will sit the first six weeks of the season, so the Packers kept 10 defensive backs: Charles Woodson, Tramon Williams, Brandon Underwood, Pat Lee, Jarrett Bush and Shields, and safeties Nick Collins, Morgan Burnett, Derrick Martin and Charlie Peprah.
General manager Ted Thompson said last week that he would seek to bolster the roster via trades, but he was unable to do so before the final cuts.
“We are certainly actively involved in looking at other teams and players on other teams,” he said. “You never know, but we’re always going to try to get better.”
