I guess playing like crap during a nationally broadcast game is not a good idea. The Wisconsin writers were calling for this [1], and they got it. Seriously, though, was Carroll that bad? I don't mean "was Carroll so bad that they had to take away his starting job and sign Charles Woodson," because the answer to that one is clearly "yes." But unless I'm mistaken, the Packers are on the hook for Carroll's salary for this season. That's a sunk cost. Most teams carry five cornerbacks. Is Ahmad Carroll so bad that they can't even keep him around to play in the dime defense in case of injury, then release him in the off-season? Maybe they just cut him because it serves a dual purpose. It also sends the message to other players that "the Packers are doing things differently now" or "the Packers are not kidding around anymore" or some such thing. But according to the game charting project last year, 18 different cornerbacks allowed more yards per pass than Carroll. There are worse players in the league, and if Reggie Howard has a job in the NFL, somebody should be able to find a role for this guy. Could he switch to safety, perhaps?
Links:
[1] http://www.packersnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061003/PKR07/610030652/1959