Meet Colin Cole, Same as the Old Howard Green

The National Football Post is throwing its hat into the rumor monger ring, and since rumors are news in the first few days of free agency, let's tackle this little tidbit.

Free agent defensive tackle Colin Cole is in Seattle for a visit with the Seahawks, according to sources close to the situation.  Cole had 30 tackles for the Packers last season and has appeared in 54 games over the past four seasons for Green Bay.

Seattle had a chance to see Cole first hand when the Packers crushed the Seahawks at Qwest. Green Bay defended run all game, rushing its linebackers to the line at the snap, and Seattle's rushing offense sputtered, rushing for only five non-quarterback first downs and 83 non-quarterback rushing yards. The score isn't so lopsided, but the game was.

Maybe that tricked Seattle into seeing Cole as something more than they already have. Cole isn't. Scouting Green Bay before the above mentioned beat down, I observed:

With Ryan Pickett down with a knee injury, Colin Cole has seen considerable time at left defensive tackle. Cole aspires to the quickness of Howard Green and the stoutness of Craig Terrill. He's a true last available talent on a team that didn't see itself so thin at the position, but has been torn down by injury.

. . .

Cole looks a little like Howard Green: Short, stout and too easily blocked.

Cole was the weakest link on the weak link of an otherwise playoff bound team. He might not cost much, but these are the contracts that chip away from the budget and keep teams out of the running for real talent.