Packers Sign 14 UDFAs
The Packers have officially signed 14 undrafted free agents in advance of their rookie minicamp. Here’s the full rundown:
- Jacob Alsadek, OL (Arizona)
- Parris Bennett, LB (Syracuse)
- Tim Boyle, QB (Eastern Kentucky)
- Austin Davis, C (Duke)
- Raven Greene, S (James Madison)
- Naashon Hughes, LB (Texas)
- C.J. Johnson, LB (East Texas)
- Tyler Lancaster, DT (Northwestern)
- Alex Light, OL (Richmond)
- Kyle Meadows, OT (Kentucky)
- Filipo Mokofisi, DT (Utah)
- Marcus Porter, LB (Fairmont State)
- Kevin Rader, TE (Youngstown State)
- Conor Sheehy, DE (Wisconsin)
Boyle began his collegiate career at UConn and started for the Huskies as a true freshman. Then, thanks to injuries and coaching changes, Boyle wound up on the bench for his sophomore and junior seasons. For his final NCAA year, he transferred to Eastern Kentucky and put himself on the NFL radar.
“It’s truly a dream come true,” Boyle said of signing with the Packers (via the team website). “I’ve been thinking about this moment pretty much the whole time I’ve been playing football. It’s been a long journey. A lot of ups and downs, but I’m finally here and it’s up to me now to make the most out of my opportunity.”
The Packers have Brett Hundley and DeShone Kizer behind Aaron Rodgers on the depth chart, but they did not select a QB in the draft, so Boyle may have a chance at sticking on the roster if he impresses this offseason. Hundley went 3-6 as a starter last year in Rodgers’ absence last year and coach Mike McCarthy was critical of his performance – as well as the staff’s job in preparing Hundley – when asked about the backup in February.
“Brett Hundley wasn’t ready for what he needed to be ready for,” the coach said (via ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky). “That’s something that we have to learn from, and that stings.”
Packers Waive QB Joe Callahan
Joe Callahan‘s bounced on and off the Packers’ 53-man roster the past two seasons, but he fell victim to a post-draft roster squeeze this year.
The Packers waived the third-year quarterback on Monday. They are now down to three passers on their offseason roster: Aaron Rodgers, Brett Hundley and DeShone Kizer. Callahan served as Green Bay’s third quarterback over the past two seasons, continuing to vacillate between 53-man roster cog and practice squad occupant.
The Division III product was Hundley’s backup last season and played in one game, but his path back to that spot is more complex now that Kizer’s in the picture. It’s possible the Packers could reacquire Callahan as they’ve done in the past, but for now, he’s on the waiver wire.
As a rookie, Callahan saw the Packers, Saints and Browns waive him. He ended up back in Green Bay and remained there for the rest of the 2016 season and throughout last year.
Bryan Bulaga Ahead Of Schedule, Appears To Be In Packers' 2018 Plans
Given that the Packers could save nearly $5MM by releasing RT Bryan Bulaga, and given Bulaga’s recent injury history, there was some chatter that Green Bay could part ways with the ninth-year pro (especially since Bulaga is not even guaranteed to be ready for the start of the 2018 season after tearing his ACL on November 6). But we recently heard that Bulaga remains in the team’s 2018 plans, and head coach Mike McCarthy said Bulaga’s rehab is ahead of schedule (per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com). Therefore, it certainly sounds as if Bulaga will be back for the fourth year of the five-year pact he signed prior to the 2015 season.
Packers Acquire Panthers’ No. 88 Pick
The Packers have acquired the No. 88 pick from the Panthers, Carolina announced. Green Bay will sacrifice pick Nos. 101 and 147.
Green Bay used this selection to draft linebacker Oren Burks out of Vanderbilt. Burks did not serve as a pure pass rusher with the Commodores; he registered 116 tackles as a senior last season and stopped seven ball-carriers behind the line of scrimmage.
Having made 228 career tackles, Burks could be set to come in and play on the inside in Green Bay’s defense and join the likes of Jake Ryan and Blake Martinez. Burks spent the first two seasons of his career as a defensive back before being moved to linebacker as a junior.
Packers Acquire No. 18 From Seahawks
The Packers have acquired the No. 18 overall pick from the Seahawks, per Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com (Twitter link). Green Bay will pick up No. 18 and No. 248 (seventh round) from Seattle, which will acquire No. 27, No. 76 (third round), and No. 186 (sixth round) per Jason Wilde of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
The Packers are using the pick on cornerback Jaire Alexander. The Louisville product was considered to be one of the top defensive back’s in the entire draft despite the fact that he was limited to only six games last season. He did appear in 13 games during the 2016 campaign, compiling 39 tackles and five interceptions. Green Bay acquired the No. 27 pick earlier tonight in a trade with the Saints.
We had heard several times that the Seahawks were interested in trading back in the draft. Seattle previously only had one pick during the first three rounds, and this trade will now give them a second selection during this span.
Saints Acquire No. 14 Pick From Packers
The Saints and Packers have pulled off a deal. New Orleans has acquired the No. 14 pick from Green Bay, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the Packers will receive No. 27, No. 147, and a 2019 first-rounder.
The Saints have used their selection on UTSA defensive end Marcus Davenport. We heard earlier today that the pass rusher could end up being selected earlier than initially thought, although he was listed in the top-20 of Daniel Jeremiah’s prospect rankings. Davenport had another productive season in 2017, finishing with 55 total tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, and 8.5 sacks. The rookie will provide the Saints with another talented defensive end to play alongside Cameron Jordan and Alex Okafor.
There were rumblings earlier today that the Saints had made a number of calls in an attempt to move up in the first round. It was thought that New Orleans could be targeting a potential Drew Brees replacement, but the front office apparently focused in on defense.
Instead of moving down in the draft, we had heard rumors that the Packers may instead move up. Reports indicated that the Packers were among a handful of teams “plotting a potential trade up…for a top-tier talent.” Green Bay’s targets were apparently off the board by the time they got to their selection, and they ended up bailing on the pick. The trade now gives the Packers 13 selections this weekend.
Packers Looking To Move Up In First Round
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst may be looking to make a splash during his first draft. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that Green Bay is among a handful of teams that are “plotting a potential trade up…for a top-tier talent.” The team is currently armed with the No. 14 pick in the first round.
Recent reports have connected the organization with several notable defenders. We heard earlier this week that the Packers were eyeing Virginia Tech linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, although the report indicated that the team would likely have to move up to select the versatile prospect. In Daniel Jeremiah’s recent top-50 list, Edmunds was ranked sixth overall.
The team has also been connected to Georgia linebacker Roquan Smith, another player who would likely necessitate a trade. Smith was listed eighth on Jeremiah’s new top-50 rankings. While the Packers have Clay Matthews, Nick Perry, Blake Martinez, and Jake Ryan slotted in as their starting linebackers, Smith and Edmunds’ versatility could make a trade worthwhile.
Of course, considering the Packers’ depth at linebacker, they might be looking at other positions. The team could presumably be targeting defensive end Bradley Chubb if he manages to fall a bit in the draft. The could also target the top cornerback prospects, a grouping that includes Denzel Ward, Mike Hughes, and Jaire Alexander.
Including the 14th selection, the Packers have 12 picks headed into this weekend’s draft. The team doesn’t have any extra first-, second-, or third-rounders, but they do have a pair of fourth-round picks and three fifth-rounders.
Browns, Colts Lead League In Cap Space
The Browns and Colts have the most cap room of any team in the NFL heading into draft, as Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter) notes. Here’s the official rundown of every team’s cap space for 2018 on the eve of draft weekend:
- Browns – $69.5MM
- Colts – $59.8MM
- 49ers – $43.8MM
- Titans – $35.8MM
- Texans -$35.6MM
- Bears – $24.1MM
- Jets – $21.9MM
- Bills – $19.4MM
- Jaguars – $18.6MM
- Cardinals – $18.1MM
- Redskins -$17.1MM
- Bengals – $16.8MM
- Packers – $16.2MM
- Vikings – $15.5MM
- Broncos – $14.6MM
- Patriots – $13.8MM
- Buccaneers – $12.3MM
- Cowboys -$11.9MM
- Chargers – $11.4MM
- Lions – $9.4MM
- Giants -$9.4MM
- Ravens – $8.8MM
- Seahawks – $7.6MM
- Chiefs – $6.7MM
- Saints – $5.7MM
- Panthers – $5.2MM
- Dolphins – $2.9MM
- Eagles – $2.2MM
- Steelers – $2MM
- Raiders – $1.8MM
- Falcons – $1.3MM
- Rams – $264K
Will Packers Seek Upgrade At ILB Early In Draft?
- Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Video link) believes that the Packers decision to bring in Virginia Tech linebacker Tremaine Edmunds for a visit was not just for show and signaled genuine interest by the team. Silverstein notes that the Packers would likely have to trade up from their No. 14 overall pick to land Edmunds (or Georgia’s Roquan Smith) but Edmunds’ ability to possibly be moved outside could make a potential trade worth their while.
Will Packers Trade Up For LBs Roquan Smith or Tremaine Edmunds
The Packers could target an upgrade at inside linebacker in the form of Georgia’s Roquan Smith or Virginia Tech’s Tremaine Edmunds. But as Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel points out, the team would likely have to trade up from its No. 14 overall pick to land either of the players.
A few other areas of need for the Packers include cornerback and a pass-rusher. But Silverstein notes it would be nice for the team to be able pair another three-down inside linebacker with more coverage ability than Blake Martinez.
- Sticking with the Packers, the Milwaukee Bucks announced at their playoff game Friday that quarterback Aaron Rodgers had purchased a minority stake in the team’s ownership group. The Bucks pointed out that he’s the only active NFL with an ownership stake in an NBA team. ESPN’s Rob Demovsky goes into more detail on the motivation for Rodgers to make the move.