Rumor mill heats up

"The Newark Star-Ledger reported the Packers contacted the New York Giants recently about trading one of their kickers, Dave Rayner or rookie Mason Crosby, for a late-round draft pick," writes Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. "The Giants weren't interested, but that was before Saturday, when Giants kickers Lawrence Tynes and Josh Huston went 1-for-4 on field goals. The report said the Giants might revisit the issue after their last preseason game."

Don't be surprised if a defensive tackle isn't paired up in any trade that the Packers might try.

Meanwhile ...

"The Pittsburgh Steelers cut halfback Kevan Barlow, a seventh-year pro," according to Dougherty. "His agent, Gary Wichard, was unavailable to comment on whether any teams had contacted him about his client. The Packers could be in the market for a backup halfback because of injuries to Brandon Jackson (concussion) and Vernand Morency (patellar tendon), and the 28-year-old Barlow played for McCarthy when McCarthy was San Francisco's offensive coordinator in 2005. Barlow, though, appears to have slipped significantly in recent years. He rushed for only 370 yards for the New York Jets last season, and his release came on Pittsburgh's first cuts, with another round of cuts to go next week."