A chapter in Packers history has ended with the release of longtime tight end Bubba Franks.

"We thank Bubba for everything he has given to our franchise," general manager Ted Thompson said in a release. "He was a productive player on the field, a good teammate in the locker room and a fine representative of the Packers in the Green Bay community."

He sure was, with 94 starts, 256 catches, 2,300 yards receiving, 32 touchdowns, and three Pro Bowls.  In the end, though, the only number that mattered was $4.5 million, as in the amount the Packers would have had to pay him this year.

With the emergence of Donald Lee and the steep decline in Bubba's production over the past few seasons, the decision was really a no-brainer, but let WSW be the first to thank him for a terrific career in Green and Gold capped off by one of the biggest plays of his career.

How appropriate for a man who made his hay in the "Bubba Zone" and for long stretches all but disappeared between the 20s that perhaps his most memorable moment was a stretch for a first down that kept the Packers' all-important second scoring drive going against Seattle in this year's divisional round. 

How simple.  How huge.