II, it seems we now have a three-player kicking competition. How often does a team consume a place on the practice squad for a kicker?
It’s a fairly common practice now that practice squads have expanded to 17 players. Teams like the option of running their field-goal operation every day in practice.
Were Gutey’s comments about not getting a TE in the draft a perfect example about not drafting for need, but still filling needs? Each time the Packers picked, there was probably a TE available to be drafted, but the TE might not have “fit” where they were picking. For example, a fourth-round grade but in the third round. So, you fill your needs, but you stick to your board and don’t reach.
I suppose one way to read the tea leaves would be to look at how the Packers approached defensive line and drafting Chris McClellan. A positional need aligned with a prospect Green Bay liked and Gutekunst made the move to get him. The Packers obviously didn’t go that direction with tight end.
To say I was happy about our draft picks would be an understatement. The pick that excited me the most was Jager Burton, because as you both know, I have been screaming for GB to get a true center. Next year, Sean Rhyan gets really expensive and it appears that Gute and Matt LaFleur are not totally sold on Jacob Monk. If Rhyan does not excel enough to warrant another contract, Burton could be the Packers’ center for the next several years.
Rhyan just signed a three-year contract, so he’s going to be in the Packers’ plans for the foreseeable future, but you can never have enough jars on the shelf and Burton is one of the biggest in the cupboard with a lot of athletic upside.
OK, so we did the “draft” part (but so did everyone else). What makes Green Bay better at “development” that makes them a draft and develop team … why doesn’t everyone “develop” their players?
Because they’re busy churning through GMs and coaches. Anyone else remember Malik Willis talking about how he had four different offensive coordinators in three years?
Gentlemen, now that the fun stuff is over and everyone has an opinion on who and how well every team did in the draft, was wondering how many undrafted kids will be asked to camp? Can you help out with what the rules are for this, because there are a lot of kids out there that are very good players and still can help out a team in need.
You can invite any unsigned free agent (veteran or rookie) to rookie camp. Green Bay welcomed 11 tryout players to rookie orientation last year, signing one (Canadian quarterback Taylor Elgersma).
Carlo from North Canton, OH
I know there isn’t supposed to be any math in the Inbox, but am I correct in thinking there will only be about 20 players at the rookie minicamp between draft picks and UDFAs? Or is there another group I’m not aware of? Tryout players, maybe? Thanks!
Returning practice squad players and street free agents from January are eligible to participate as long as they haven’t played in an NFL game. Whether the Packers will bring them in, I do not know.
Rudy from Rhinelander, WI
Gutey and staff should be very pleased and proud of their hard work paying off. Other than drafting a kicker, all others were not surprising. The UDFA list filled the holes the draft left. Question: Who makes the calls to UDFA? Also, can any of those calls occur before the draft officially ends? GPG.
The Packers’ scouts make most of the calls on the undrafted free agents, usually working the phones throughout the final day of the draft.
Good morning! If the rumor on the playground is true, the Packers have signed Josh Jacobs’ younger brother as an undrafted free agent. Are you aware of any other instance in Packer history where two brothers played together for the team? Thanks, and great work with the draft information.
The Packers invited Isaiah Jacobs to rookie minicamp on tryout. They did something similar with Aaron Jones’ twin brother, Alvin, in 2020. I get asked this sibling question from time to time and the only brothers I can recall being signed to the Packers’ roster concurrently were Jeremy and Orrin Thompson in the late 2000s.
How much value do you feel “character” has when Packers evaluate and draft/sign talent? It seems, from my view in the cheap seats, that character is taken seriously in Green Bay and that may be a key factor for sustained success.
It’s vital. An NFL team is comprised of 48 players working as one on gamedays. Some may have larger roles to play than others, but nobody is bigger than the team. On average, Ted Thompson and Gutekunst have done a remarkable job of bringing good people into this building who make the Packers, as a whole, better.
Troy from Menomonee Falls, WI
Now we are into UDFAs (not to be confused with what my Norwegian great-grandfather would have called Uf Das). How many players are the Packers allowed to have on their roster at this time of year? I noted that they released three last week just before the draft. Does the salary cap apply or only when they have their final 53 to start the season? Are there any other league limits on signing players at this time?
Teams can carry up to 91 players this time of year (including one player on international exemption) but only 51 count towards the salary cap until the day before a team’s first regular-season game.
