Packers DC Joe Barry To Remain In Place Through 2023 Season
The Packers’ defense had another poor outing in Week 15, a game in which Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield posted a perfect passer rating. That has led to a fresh round of questions regarding defensive coordinator Joe Barry‘s job security, but it remains intact for the time being. 
When speaking to the media on Monday, head coach Matt LaFleur said Barry will continue as the unit’s coordinator and play-caller through the remainder of the 2023 season. The latter is in his third season at the helm of Green Bay’s defense, and the team’s performances on that side of the ball have increasingly come under scrutiny. Sunday’s 34-20 loss marked the latest example of defensive struggles, but LaFleur remains committed to the status quo.
“If I thought that was the best solution today, then we’d make that decision,” he said, via ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, of a potential DC change. “But when you’re having basic communication problems and you’re supposed to be in a certain coverage or a certain rotation and we’re not getting that communication, that’s what’s so disappointing to me is the fact that it was poor communication.”
LaFleur (who added he will have a larger hand in defensive preparations this week) has not made an in-season change to his staff during his tenure in Green Bay. He gave Barry a vote of confidence multiple times this offseason, despite a pair of campaigns with mediocre results. Expectations have been high for the Packers given their sustained draft investments on defense, but the team has once again not delivered on them in 2023. Green Bay currently sits 17th in the league in points allowed per game (21.5) and 23rd in yards surrendered (350).
Once again, run defense has been a sore spot. Green Bay has given up 139 yards per game on the ground, which ranks 30th in the NFL. The secondary – a unit which has been without cornerback Jaire Alexander for the past six games and saw Rasul Douglas traded away at the deadline – has fared better, but frustration still exists amongst the players. Linebacker De’Vondre Campbell took to social media on Tuesday to voice his displeasure with his own situation, which has included playing through injury in recent weeks.
A report from the summer indicated 2023 would likely be Barry’s final season in Green Bay barring a turnaround. Improvement has not taken place in a number of areas, but the 53-year-old still has the public backing of his head coach. It will be interesting to see if that remains the case after the campaign has come to an end.
Packers Activate CB Eric Stokes
Eric Stokes has continued to miss game action after returning to practice, but that could change tomorrow. The Packers announced on Saturday that the former first-round corner has been activated from injured reserve. 
Stokes returned to practice late last month, opening his 21-day activation window. He would have reverted to season-ending IR in the event he was not brought back into the fold within that timeframe. Instead, Green Bay will now have a former starter available for just the second time this season in time for Week 15.
The Georgia alum saw his first-team role disappear in 2023 with Rasul Douglas being used on the perimeter. The latter was dealt to the Bills at the trade deadline, however, clearing a path for Stokes to reclaim a starting spot. He logged only four special teams snaps in his lone action of the season so far (Week 7), so it will be worth watching how large of a workload he is given upon his return to action.
Fellow corner Jaire Alexander has been out for more than one month, so Stokes’ return will be a welcomed sight. Injuries have been a concern for Stokes during his relatively brief Green Bay tenure, and a healthy finish to the campaign would be signficant. The 24-year-old required foot and knee surgeries this offseason, and his most recent absence was caused by a hamstring injury. Stokes struggled last season after an encouraging rookie campaign, so his ability to rebound down the stretch in 2023 will be a key storyline to watch.
The Packers need to make a decision on Stokes’ fifth-year option this spring. Picking up the 2025 option would lock him into a salary of $11.28MM for that season, a costly figure given his play to date and the CB investment (four years, $84MM) already made in Alexander last offseason. For the time being, however, Green Bay will look to use Stokes to boost a defense which already ranks top-10 against the pass.
Sitting at 6-7 on the year, the team is in play for an NFC wild-card spot. Green Bay’s push for a postseason berth at the start of the Jordan Love era will depend in large part on the play of the first-year starting quarterback, of course, but Stokes could have a notable role to play as well. The Packers have six IR activations remaining.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/16/23
Today’s minor transactions and standard gameday elevations for the Sunday slate of games:
Arizona Cardinals
- Activated from IR: G Elijah Wilkinson
Atlanta Falcons
- Placed on IR: DT Kentavius Street
Baltimore Ravens
- Elevated: OLB Jeremiah Moon
Carolina Panthers
- Elevated: G Gabe Jackson, OL J.D. DiRenzo
Chicago Bears
- Signed to active roster: LB DeMarquis Gates
Cleveland Browns
- Elevated: S Tanner McCalister, LB Charlie Thomas III
Dallas Cowboys
- Elevated: DT Carl Davis, RB Malik Davis
Denver Broncos
- Elevated: NT Tyler Lancaster, QB Ben DiNucci
Detroit Lions
- Elevated: K Michael Badgley, DE Bruce Irvin
Green Bay Packers
- Elevated: RB Kenyan Drake, WR Bo Melton
Houston Texans
- Activated from IR: K Ka’imi Fairbairn
- Elevated: WR Steven Sims, LB Garret Wallow
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed to active roster: S Deon Bush
- Elevated: NT Mike Pennel, RB Deneric Prince
- Waived: LB Darius Harris
Los Angeles Rams
- Elevated: WR Tyler Johnson
Miami Dolphins
- Elevated: CB Ethan Bonner, RB Darrynton Evans
New England Patriots
- Elevated: RB Kevin Harris
New Orleans Saints
- Elevated: WR Marquez Callaway, T Cameron Erving
New York Giants
- Waived: S Bobby McCain
New York Jets
- Signed to active roster: OL Xavier Newman
- Elevated: DE Jalyn Holmes, LB Marcelino McCrary-Ball
- Placed on IR: LB Zaire Barnes
San Francisco 49ers
- Elevated: DT T.Y. McGill, RB Jeremy McNichols
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Elevated: S Richard LeCounte, CB Derrek Pitts
Tennessee Titans
- Elevated: DL Marlon Davidson, LB JoJo Domann
Washington Commanders
- Elevated: RB Jonathan Williams
Wilkinson returned to practice this week, and will be eligible to return to the lineup on Sunday given today’s activation. The addition of a starter up front will be welcomed by the Cardinals by giving them stability at the left guard spot in particular and by providing an upgrade in protection ahead of a matchup against the stout 49ers defensive front in general. The Cardinals now have four IR activations remaining.
Street was acquired from the Eagles at the trade deadline after he failed to find playing time this season. The 27-year-old has started all five of his appearances in Atlanta, however, racking up 14 tackles (including four for a loss) and one sack. Those numbers will help his free agent market this offseason, but a pectoral injury will sideline him for at least four weeks. If the Falcons fall short of the postseason, therefore, Street will not return in 2023.
McCain was a full-time starter with the Commanders over the past two seasons, but his release led to a one-year Giants agreement. The former fifth-rounder has 87 starts to his name, but he has been unable to carve out a role in New York’s secondary, playing only 19 defensive snaps. McCain has logged a 50% snap share on special teams, however, so his absence in the third phase will be notable if he is claimed off waivers or signed as a free agent by an interested team.
NFL Injury Rumors: Holland, Dillon, Pacheco, Miller, Elam
Injuries aren’t anything to keep Dolphins safety Jevon Holland down for long. The third-year starter has missed three games this season (the most he’s missed in his short carer) while dealing with reported knee injuries. According to an interview Holland did with Adam Beasley of Pro Football Network, the Dolphins defender has been dealing with two MCL sprains.
A single MCL sprain is enough to force many players to sit out multiple games, as those knee ligament injuries are not meant to be dealt with lightly. Regardless, Holland wants to be through with missing time, telling Beasley that “he’s optimistic about playing this week.” With the team’s other starting safety DeShon Elliott out this week after suffering a concussion in Miami’s surprising loss to the Titans on Monday, the defense would be glad to return Holland to the field.
Here are a few other injury rumors from around the NFL:
- Packers running back A.J. Dillon has already been asked to step into a starting role with Aaron Jones out for the past three weeks. Green Bay may be down another rusher as Dillon reportedly suffered a broken thumb in the team’s loss to the Giants on Monday night, per ESPN’s Rob Demovsky. Like Holland, Dillon isn’t one to miss time with an injury. The only games he’s missed in his career were due to COVID-19 during his rookie year. That being said, he’s never played with a broken thumb. He’s listed as questionable heading into the weekend, but Dillon is trying to figure out if he can play through the injury. The biggest issue comes with the fact that opposing teams will know of the injury and attempts to punch out fumbles could lead to further harm.
- Isiah Pacheco has only missed one game since taking over as the Chiefs‘ starting running back in Week 2, sitting out for last week’s loss to the Bills. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, head coach Andy Reid reported that Pacheco underwent “a clean up procedure on his shoulder” that will force him to miss this weekend’s matchup with the Patriots, as well. Reid expects that Pacheco should be able to return after that.
- Yet another running back, Saints rookie rusher Kendre Miller has missed the team’s past four games with an ankle injury and is scheduled to miss a fifth straight game this weekend. NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill believes that we haven’t seen the last of Miller this season. While the TCU-product may not be back immediately after this week’s game, Underhill thinks a Week 17 appearance in Tampa Bay could be in the cards for the 21-year-old.
- Lastly, it’s safe to say that we haven’t seen the best from Bills second-year cornerback Kaiir Elam in his sophomore season. 2023 has been an injury-riddled year for the Florida-product as he’s only made an appearance in three games this year, the most recent of which only saw him on special teams. According to Ryan O’Halloran of The Buffalo News, Elam reportedly tore an ankle ligament prior to the start of the regular season. While he did sit out the team’s first four contests, Elam’s Week 5 return apparently saw him attempting to play through the injury without it being healed due to injuries to Tre’Davious White and Christian Benford in the team’s Week 4 win over the Dolphins. The injury would eventually push him onto injured reserve at the start of November. He’s since been designated to return from IR. If he isn’t able to return by shortly after Christmas, Elam will remain on IR for the rest of the year.
Commanders To Waive CB Danny Johnson
Danny Johnson has spent his entire career in Washington, being with the team through its two recent name changes. The sixth-year cornerback will now be available for other teams.
The Commanders informed the veteran defender he will be waived, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. This comes nine months after the team re-signed Johnson to a two-year, $5MM deal. This cut will cost Washington more than $1MM in dead money.
Washington will fill Johnson’s roster spot with another cornerback. The team claimed Kyu Blu Kelly off waivers from the Packers, Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post tweets. A fifth-round Ravens pick this year, Kelly is already on team No. 4. The Ravens, Seahawks and Packers have waived the Stanford product.
Since Johnson re-signed with the team this offseason, significant changes have occurred. Ron Rivera fired DC Jack Del Rio and defensive backs coach Brent Vieselmeyer after a Thanksgiving Day loss. Johnson has been with the team long enough he predates Rivera and Del Rio, however. Among Washington defenders, only Jonathan Allen has been with the team longer. Washington initially picked up Johnson as a UDFA in 2018.
Johnson, 28, has started eight games over the course of his career; four came last season. The 5-foot-9 defender has operated exclusively as a backup this year, though he has played 24% of Washington’s defensive snaps. Johnson’s snap count has tailed off in recent weeks; Johnson has only played more than 11 defensive snaps once since Week 8.
Kelly is six years younger and remains attached to his rookie contract. Three teams have now claimed him. The Seahawks did so in August, and the Packers followed suit in November. Kyu Blu Kelly, the son of ex-Buccaneers Super Bowl-winning cornerback Brian Kelly, has played just one defensive snap over six games this season.
Updated 2024 NFL Draft Order
Two different teams have held the No. 1 overall pick in consecutive years since 2017. Amid a radical rebuild effort, the Browns carried the top pick into the 2017 and ’18 drafts. The Jaguars did the same in 2021 and ’22. It is possible the Bears will follow that up in back-to-back years. The big difference here would be the Bears traded the 2023 top choice and may unload the 2024 top pick for another windfall, depending on their evaluation of Justin Fields.
The Bears and Panthers’ March trade, giving Carolina access to Bryce Young, has become a seminal moment for both teams. As it stands now, Chicago holds two top-five picks. The Panthers are 1-12, giving the Bears a two-game lead on the Patriots and Cardinals for the top slot with four games left. Chicago finishing with the first overall selection, providing access to the quarterback of its choice, would create a big-picture decision for a Bears team that already passed on the 2023 quarterback class to stick with Fields — a QB the Ryan Poles regime did not draft. North Carolina’s Drake Maye has declared for the draft, while USC’s Caleb Williams is widely expected to follow suit.
A new Cardinals regime is also evaluating its QB, though Kyler Murray‘s $46.1MM-per-year contract (which runs through 2028) will be much harder to escape compared to Fields’. This creates an interesting scenario that will have teams who do not land two-two draft slots monitoring how Chicago and Arizona proceed. The Patriots are widely expected to pursue a quarterback in the draft, and they are likely to do so without Bill Belichick.
With gridlock forming in the AFC and NFC wild-card races, considerable movement will take place over the next month. The winner of the NFC South will likely lose several spots in the ’24 draft, as the Buccaneers did this year by winning the ’22 division title at 8-9. Here is how the draft order looks going into Week 15:
- Chicago Bears (via Panthers)
- New England Patriots: 3-10
- Arizona Cardinals: 3-10
- Washington Commanders: 4-9
- Chicago Bears: 5-8
- Las Vegas Raiders: 5-8
- New York Jets: 5-8
- New York Giants: 5-8
- Tennessee Titans: 5-8
- Los Angeles Chargers: 5-8
- Atlanta Falcons: 6-7
- New Orleans Saints: 6-7
- Seattle Seahawks: 6-7
- Los Angeles Rams: 6-7
- Denver Broncos: 7-6
- Arizona Cardinals (via Texans)
- Buffalo Bills: 7-6
- Cincinnati Bengals: 7-6
- Green Bay Packers: 6-7
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 6-7
- Indianapolis Colts: 7-6
- Minnesota Vikings: 7-6
- Pittsburgh Steelers: 7-6
- Houston Texans (via Browns)
- Kansas City Chiefs: 8-5
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 8-5
- Detroit Lions: 9-4
- Philadelphia Eagles: 10-3
- Miami Dolphins: 9-4
- Dallas Cowboys: 10-3
- San Francisco 49ers: 10-3
- Baltimore Ravens: 10-3
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/12/23
Today’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: WR Andre Baccellia
- Released: CB William Hooper
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: TE Chris Pierce
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: WR Thyrick Pitts
- Released: LB Austin Ajiake
Houston Texans
- Signed: WR Chase Cota
- Released: K Matt Ammendola
Kansas City Chiefs
- Activated from IR: LB Cole Christiansen
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: CB Matt Hankins
Los Angeles Rams
- Released: K Mason Crosby
Minnesota Vikings
- Released: WR Daylen Baldwin
New York Jets
- Signed: OT Obinna Eze
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: CB Keenan Isaac
- Released: LB Vi Jones
Mason Crosby‘s stint with the Rams has already come to an end. The veteran kicker was added to the practice squad with Lucas Havrisik struggling, and there was speculation that the long-time Packers kicker was going to get the start when he was promoted to the active roster. Crosby ended up being inactive against the Ravens, the first time in his career that he earned that designation.
Crosby will now look to continue his career elsewhere. The Packers moved on from their all-time scoring leader following a 2022 season where Crosby connected on 86.2 percent of his field goal attempts and 37 of his 39 XP tries.
Chase Cota is the son of former NFL safety Chad Cota, and he’s also the cousin of fellow Texans practice squad safety Brady Breeze. The wide receiver spent four years at UCLA before transferring to Oregon for the 2022 campaign. He finished that season with career-highs in receptions (36), receiving yards (497), and touchdowns (three). He spent the preseason with the Lions before catching on with the Chiefs practice squad. He spent the majority of the 2023 season in Kansas City before getting cut from the taxi squad last week.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/12/23
Today’s minor moves:
Cleveland Browns
- Signed to active roster: DE Sam Kamara
Green Bay Packers
- Waived: CB Kyu Blu Kelly
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed to active roster: OT Brandon Parker
- Placed on IR: LB Kana’i Mauga
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed to active roster: QB Max Duggan
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: LS Carson Tinker
- Placed on IR: TE Hunter Long (story), LS Alex Ward
With Justin Herbert landing on IR, the Chargers have added some depth to the roster in Max Duggan. The rookie seventh-round pick landed on the team’s practice squad after the preseason, and he’s spent the entire season off the active roster. He’ll now have a chance at some game action, although Easton Stick is expected to get the first shot at the starting gig.
Duggan spent four years as TCU’s starter, culminating in a breakout senior campaign where he went 12-2 while tossing 32 touchdowns vs. eight interceptions. That performance helped his draft stock, with the Chargers making him the last QB off the board during the 2023 draft.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/11/23
Here are Monday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived: WR Andre Baccellia
Green Bay Packers
- Elevated: RB Kenyan Drake
Miami Dolphins
- Elevated: LB Quinton Bell, T Ryan Hayes
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived: CB Keenan Isaac
Tennessee Titans
- Signed from practice squad: RB Jonathan Ward, P Ty Zentner
- Elevated: DL Marlon Davidson, LB JoJo Domann
The Packers signed Drake to their practice squad last week, doing so as Aaron Jones continues his rehab from an MCL sprain. The Packers ruled out Jones for a third straight game Monday night. Drake has been with four teams (Colts, Ravens, Browns, Packers) since training camp.
Packers Add RB Kenyan Drake, Claim CB David Long
Enjoying a busy 2023 without seeing much game action, Kenyan Drake has secured an opportunity with a fourth NFL team this year. The Packers are signing Drake, ESPN.com’s Field Yates tweets. Drake posting a Packers logo provided a good indication he has found yet another gig this season.
After being one of the Ravens’ fill-ins during the second season to feature J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards injury trouble, Drake has since bounced from Indianapolis to Baltimore (once again) to Cleveland and now to Green Bay. This is a practice squad agreement. Drake will replace James Robinson on Green Bay’s taxi squad.
Drake, 29, joined the Colts during a training camp overshadowed by Jonathan Taylor‘s absence but did not end up on Indianapolis’ 53-man roster. After losing Dobbins in Week 1, the Ravens brought Drake back. His 2023 season (two games) came in a Ravens uniform. Drake’s Browns stint did not include game action.
In addition to the Drake move, the Packers will become the second team this season to prevent David Long from hitting free agency. Accompanying Drake as a 2023 nomad, the veteran cornerback will join a third team this year. Initially a Raiders free agency addition, Long received his walking papers last month. The Panthers scooped Long up on waivers, reuniting him with former Rams secondary coach Ejiro Evero. After the Panthers cut bait, Long will once again land in a familiar scheme. Packers DC Joe Barry spent four seasons on Sean McVay‘s staff, two of them overlapping with Long.
Long, 25, joins a Packers team that has played without Jaire Alexander for stretches and has seen Eric Stokes land on multiple injury lists. The 2021 first-rounder is again on his way back, but the Packers have not yet activated him from IR. The Pack also traded starter Rasul Douglas to the Bills on deadline day. A regular for the Super Bowl-winning Rams edition two seasons ago, Long has played in 11 games this season. He made one start apiece in Las Vegas and Charlotte, but both teams waived him. Long spent four seasons in Los Angeles, starting 10 games. He played 516 defensive snaps in 2021, when the Rams still employed both Jalen Ramsey and Darious Williams.
As for Drake, he finished last season with 482 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Drake has two 800-plus-yard rushing seasons, with his most productive work coming in Arizona. The former transition tag recipient now profiles as a backup option, but the Packers have been without Aaron Jones for much of this season. After a hamstring injury shelved Green Bay’s starter early this year, he sustained an MCL sprain in November. Jones has missed five games this year. During his most recent absence, AJ Dillon and Patrick Taylor have operated as the Pack’s primary backs.