One day after cutting 27 players to reach the league-mandated roster size of 53, the Packers re-signed 12 of them to the practice squad and added a veteran defensive back. Here are the five most newsworthy items from a very busy August 31:
1) Ty Summers was the only Packer claimed off waivers 20 hours after all teams reduced their rosters to the league-mandated 53 players. The veteran inside linebacker, who was cut on Monday, will continue his career in Jacksonville. Others released, including running back Tyler Goodson, offensive tackle Caleb Jones, and defensive ends Jack Heflin and Chris Slayton, all went unclaimed and were signed to the practice squad. The Packers didn’t claim anyone for the fifth consecutive year. The last time Green Bay was awarded a player on the day after final cuts was in 2017 when then general manager Ted Thompson acquired outside linebacker Chris Odom, who played seven games for the team that season.
2) Patrick Taylor also cleared waivers and was signed to the practice squad. With teams now allowed to elevate a player three times to the active roster, expect the more experienced Taylor to get the nod over Goodson early in the season. Even though wide receiver Amari Rodgers could take snaps in the backfield in case of an emergency, it would make no sense for the Packers to go into a game without a legitimate No. 3 running back on the 46-man active roster. Of course, that No. 3 running back will almost certainly be Kylin Hill as soon as he’s fully recovered from a torn ACL suffered last October. The second-year pro from Mississippi State is the last player left on the team’s physically unable to perform list.
3) The only outsider added to the practice squad on Wednesday was cornerback Benjie Franklin, who was released by Jacksonville during final cuts. The undrafted rookie from Tarleton State was a pleasant surprise early in training camp but struggled late. In 60 unimpressive preseason snaps, Franklin tackled erratically, allowed a 9-yard touchdown, and committed a penalty. While he mostly lined up outside, he did see some time in the slot. The addition of Franklin gives the Packers three cornerbacks on the practice squad. Kiondre Thomas and Rico Gafford were re-signed earlier in the day.
4) I opined late last week that general manager Brian Gutekunst needed to add at least one experienced special teams player to the roster, and it shouldn’t matter whether that person could help on offense or defense. Well, he basically did that today by signing veteran safety Rudy Ford, who was released by Jacksonville earlier in the week. The 27-year-old has logged nearly 1,000 snaps on special teams in five seasons and performed at a Pro Bowl level with Philadelphia in ’20. As far as defense is concerned, Ford never played more than 65 snaps in a season before sextupling that number a year ago. And while he wasn’t awful, suffice it to say, the Packers still don’t have a legitimate No. 3 safety on the depth chart.
As was often the case during the 2020 season, Rudy Ford (#36) was the first Eagle down the field on punt coverage.
5) Gutekunst has apparently decided to head into Week 1 with Jack Coco as the long snapper, even though fellow rookie Cal Adomitis was available after being released by the Bengals. The former Pitt star was arguably the best player at his position in college football last season. Of course, choosing Coco over Adomitis shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. Since being hired as general manager in January 2018, Gutekunst has drafted Hunter Bradley, who was inconsistent his entire time in Green Bay, signed undersized Steven Wirtel, who was flattened like a pancake on the fateful blocked punt against San Francisco last January and released Zach Triner, who’s been outstanding in Tampa Bay for the past three years.
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The LS situation is absolutely mind boggling. It should be the one position where you can look at 3 snaps in college and say “they can play pro”.
And yet Gute can’t figure this one out.