Packers Notes: Dez, Hendrickson, Hayes
Although the Packers have been linked to a possible Dez Bryant addition, quarterback Aaron Rodgers doesn’t see a fit, as Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com writes. “Well, we like young receivers, so I’m assuming that’s the way they’re going to keep going,” Rodgers said. “I don’t know why you’d cut Jordy [Nelson] and bring in Dez, but he’s a talented player. He’s going to end up somewhere. If he ends up here, we’ll obviously welcome him with open arms and get him up to speed as quick as possible.” Green Bay drafted three wideouts to team with incumbents Davante Adams, Randall Cobb, and Geronimo Allison, so as Rodgers notes, there’s probably not room for a veteran like Bryant on the club’s roster. The Packers, despite having been loosely connected to Bryant since he was released by the Cowboys, are not currently pursuing the 29-year-old pass-catcher.
- New Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst attempted to hire Ravens scout Milt Hendrickson as his assistant GM earlier this year, but Baltimore and GM Ozzie Newsome denied the request, as Bob McGinn of BobMcGinnFootball.com reports (Twitter link). Hendrickson has been with the Ravens since 2006, writes Zach Kruse of PackersWire.com, who adds Hendrickson worked alongside Gutekunst at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Hendrickson still lives in La Crosse, per McGinn, and could join the Packers’ staff in 2019.
- Former Buccaneers defensive line coach Jay Hayes will serve as a Packers defensive consultant through at least training camp, per Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter links). While Hayes’ assignment currently only lasts through training, it sound as though there may be an opportunity for Hayes to stick around further. Hayes, who was fired by Tampa Bay in Feburary, previously served on the Bengals’ coaching staff for 13 years.
Packers To Meet With Marcedes Lewis
The Packers are interested in tight end Marcedes Lewis, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel hears. With that in mind, Green Bay expects to meet with the free agent this week. 
The Jaguars released Lewis in March after 12 seasons with the team. Over the past six weeks, we’ve heard very little regarding the veteran.
“I think I deserved a little better than I got,” Lewis said after learning of his release. “I wish they would have done it sooner.”
Lewis, who just turned 34 last week, would be a logical fit for the Packers as they look for a quality blocking tight end. Lewis hasn’t topped 25 catches in each of the last five years, but he offers the protection and veteran leadership that the Packers are seeking.
Although he he has not been consistently used as a pass-catching weapon since 2012, Lewis still managed to appear in all 16 games as he reeled in 24 passes for 318 yards and five touchdowns. Meanwhile, Pro Football Focus ranked him as the league’s best run blocker, edging out Patriots star Rob Gronkowski.
The Packers already have Jimmy Graham and Lance Kendricks on board, but Graham does little in the way of blocking and Kendricks has been deployed mainly as an H-back int he past. Beyond those two, the Packers have a tight end group of young undrafted players including Robert Tonyan, Ryan Smith, and Kevin Rader.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/21/18
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: DT Ashaad Mabry
- Waived: OT Korren Kirven
- Signed: TE Jason Vander Laan
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: G Damien Mama
- Waived: OL Jarron Jones
Detroit Lions
- Claimed off waivers: WR Chris Lacy (from Patriots)
- Waived: CB Josh Okonye
Green Bay Packers
- Placed on Reserve/Retired list: DT Filipo Mokofisi
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: DT Chunky Clements
Packers Notes: Rodgers, Trinnaman
- While his contract is currently a matter of discussion, it doesn’t sound as though Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has plans to hang up his cleats any time soon, per Aaron Nagler of PackersNews.com. “It’s sustained greatness I think is what drives me,” Rodgers said (link via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk). “It’s to be the best and to be able to choose when I’m done playing. I think as you’ve seen here recently with Jordy [Nelson] but even you go back a few years to whether it’s Julius Peppers or A.J. Hawk or John Kuhn or Brett Favre, the fairy tale ending of starting a career and ending it with the same organization rarely happens. So that’s kind of my goal, is to be able to be indispensable to this organization into my 40s to where you’ve got to keep me around.” Rodgers, 34, is currently signed through the 2019 season, but Green Bay general manager Brian Gutekunst expects a contract extension to come together relatively soon.
- The Packers will work out former BYU wide receiver Jonah Trinnaman as a cornerback this week, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. The Jets also plan to audition Trinnaman in the near future, although it sounds like New York will take a look at the ex-Cougar at his natural pass-catching position.While Trinnaman didn’t put up much in the way of production during his collegiate career, he exploded during his pro day with a 4.30 40-yard dash, 12-foot broad jump, and a 40.5-inch vertical jump.
Packers Sign Third-Rounder Oren Burks
The Packers have officially signed their entire draft class. The team announced today that they’ve signed third-round linebacker Oren Burks. This was Green Bay’s second rookie signing of the day, as they inked second-rounder Josh Jackson this morning.
The 6-foot-3, 233-pound linebacker had a standout career at Vanderbilt, including a 2017 campaign where he established career-highs in tackles (80) and tackles for loss (seven). Burks was drafted with the 88th pick by the Packers, providing defensive coordinator Mike Pettine with a versatile weapon.
The 23-year-old primarily played inside and outside linebacker during his time in college, and he also had stints at safety (he had three interceptions during his sophomore campaign). The rookie’s best path to playing time is probably inside linebacker, where he’ll have to compete with Ahmad Thomas for playing time behind Blake Martinez and Jake Ryan.
With this signing, the Packers have officially signed all 11 of their draft picks. This list includes:
- 1-18: Jaire Alexander, CB (Louisville)
- 2-45: Josh Jackson, CB (Iowa)
- 3-88: Oren Burks, LB (Vanderbilt)
- 4-133: J’Mon Moore, WR (Missouri)
- 5-138: Cole Madison, OG (Washington State)
- 5-172: JK Scott, P (Alabama)
- 5-174: Marquez Valdes-Scantling, WR (South Florida)
- 6-207: Equanimeous St. Brown, WR (Notre Dame)
- 7-232: James Looney, DE (California)
- 7-239: Hunter Bradley, LS (Mississippi State)
- 7-248: Kendall Donnerson, OLB (Southeast Missouri State)
Packers Sign CB Josh Jackson
The Packers have signed second-round cornerback Joshua Jackson, per a team announcement. The team has now inked ten of its eleven draft picks with third-round linebacker Oren Burks as the last remaining unsigned selection. 
Jackson was widely projected to be a mid-to-late first round pick heading into the draft. Fortunately for the Packers, the Big Ten defensive back of the year slipped to the middle of the second round, where they were about to pounce on him at No. 45.
The Iowa cornerback positioned himself as one of the best cornerbacks in this year’s draft with a breakout 2017 season. Jackson made a play on one out of every four targets in his direction and allowed zero touchdowns after Week 4 of the season. He finished out with eight interceptions, including three picks against Ohio State and two pick-sixes against Wisconsin. Jackson clearly thrives in pressure situations, though it’s possible that some teams cooled on him due to this being his only real big year in college.
The Packers project to start first-round cornerback Jaire Alexander and free agent addition Tramon Williams at cornerback. Jackson figures to be in the rotation behind them, along with veteran Davon House and second-year corner Kevin King.
Packers Not Pursuing Dez Bryant
Former Cowboys tight end Jason Witten thinks the Packers would be a logical landing spot for Dez Bryant, but we shouldn’t expect to see the wide receiver land in Green Bay. At this point, the Packers are not engaged with Bryant’s camp and nothing is imminent on that front, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link) hears. 
Shortly after Bryant’s release from the Cowboys, league sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com that the Packers were one of four potential destinations for the veteran. Some would argue that the Packers could use more firepower in the WR department, but Packers decision makers do not agree – or, at the very least, they do not see Bryant as a fit at this time.
Bryant turned down a multi-year offer from the Ravens earlier this offseason, a proposal that would have paid him roughly $21MM over three years. Bryant turned down Baltimore as his preference is to play on a one-year deal and cash in next year. Given the lack of league-wide interest in Bryant at this time, he may already be regretting that decision. Since then, the Ravens have moved on by signing restricted free agent Willie Snead.
Bryant’s lack of production in 2017 is obviously at the root of his employment problems, but one has to imagine his perceived attitude issues are also a factor.
Packers Notes: Bryant, Kizer
Dez Bryant remains unsigned, but former teammate Jason Witten has some thoughts on where he might land.
“I think he’s going to end up going to the Green Bay Packers,” Witten told ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (via Drew Davison of the Star-Telegram). “I think that’s a great spot for him. Aaron Rodgers, he throws that back-shoulder throw so well, and Dez [can have] great chemistry with a good quarterback that can put the ball wherever he wants.”
The Packers could be a logical fit for Bryant after the team moving on from Jordy Nelson earlier this offseason. The Packers added a proven weapon for Rodgers in tight end Jimmy Graham, but Bryant would fortify a wide receiver group that is currently headlined by Davante Adams, Randall Cobb, and Geronimo Allison.
Here’s more from Green Bay:
- Bryant’s market has been underwhelming, to say the least, but at least two talent evaluators tell Terez A. Paylor of Yahoo Sports they feel he can still be a contributor on the field. “I know his skillset is still there,” one evaluator said. “Maybe a change of scenery is what he needs to get back to those numbers he’s been putting up the previous years with [Tony] Romo. I certainly feel like he can still play at a very high level. He’s a football player and a very good one that’s sometimes misunderstood.” Reportedly, there are a number of teams who are unwilling to consider Bryant for even the league minimum, possibly because of his attitude.
- The Browns apparently didn’t see much in quarterback DeShone Kizer, but the Packers view him as a first-round caliber talent, as Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com writes. “In my opinion, if he was in that [draft] class this year, he would’ve been part of that group of first four guys, or first five,” coach Mike McCarthy said, in reference to Baker Mayfield (the No. 1 overall pick), Sam Darnold (No. 3), Josh Allen (No. 7), Josh Rosen (No. 10) and Lamar Jackson (No. 32). “I always felt there were five — the five quarterbacks — first-round guys.” The Packers acquired Kizer from Cleveland earlier this offseason in exchange for cornerback Damarious Randall.
- On Tuesday morning, the Packers formally inked first-round cornerback Jaire Alexander.
Packers Sign CB Jaire Alexander
The Packers announced the signing of first-round pick Jaire Alexander. The cornerback out of Louisville was the No. 18 overall selection in the draft.
Alexander put himself squarely in the Round 1 conversation despite missing time with a knee injury in 2017. Some evaluators had concerns about Alexander’s slender build leading to another injury, but the potential was too much for Green Bay to pass up.
The Packers moved around on draft night and still came away with the cornerback they wanted. The Packers shipped their original pick to the Saints for the No. 27 pick, a fifth-round choice, and the Saints’ first-round selection in 2019. Then, the Packers moved up nine spots by giving up their third and sixth-round choices in a swap with the Seahawks.
Alexander will get an opportunity to prove himself right off the bat with the Packers as he projects to start alongside free agent addition Tramon Williams. Veteran Davon House, 2017 second-round pick Kevin King, and this year’s second-rounder Josh Jackson are also in support.
As shown on PFR’s rookie contract tracker, the Alexander signing leaves Jackson and third-round linebacker Oren Burks as the last remaining unsigned members of the Packers’ draft class.
Which Packers UDFA Could Contribute In 2018?
- When eying undrafted rookies who could contribute to the Packers this season, ESPN’s Rob Demovsky says we should “follow the money.” Last season, five members of Green Bay’s undrafted class finished the season on the active roster, and four of those players had received the highest-possible signing bonus. This year, the Packers gave $6K signing bonuses (the top possible amount) to five of their 16 undrafted signings: offensive lineman Jacob Alsadek, quarterback Tim Boyle, center Austin Davis, defensive tackle Tyler Lancaster, and defensive end Conor Sheehy.
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