Green Bay Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst has been a part of injury plagued seasons in the past. Front line players were lost and they were replaced by the cultivated draft picks or undrafted free agents next in line on the roster. Rarely under Gutekunst’s apprenticeship under the late GM Ted Thompson, did the Packers scour the veteran free agent wire and close a deal for even short term help.
In the past couple years, when the need arose, Gutekunst had his pro personnel underlings find someone who could fit in quickly and more importantly, perform. Jared Veldheer was coaxed out of retirement late in 2019 and even started a key, late season game. These moves don’t always pan out as Green Bay kicked the tires on receiver Tavon Austin and defensive tackle Damon “Snacks” Harrison and didn’t get much of them. He’s still on the lookout for help with the likes of Rasul Douglas who just might start at corner this week.
With a lot of teams realizing how cash strapped they could be heading into 2022, the last year of a pandemic stressed salary cap before the oodles of cash starts pouring into the NFL with new media contracts, veteran players are getting cut loose even if the cutting team is still on the hook for his contract.
That’s the case with Jaylon Smith, the former Dallas Cowboy linebacker, wearing a Green Bay uniform but cashing nearly all of his check with a Jerry Jones signature on it. Smith made his Packer debut last Sunday in Chicago and maybe showed more signs of why Dallas let him go than reasons he can help the Pack.
With Za’Darius Smith likely on the shelf long term following September back surgery and Preston Smith dealing with oblique strain (he didn’t practice Wednesday), Gutey has struck again. While nothing officially has been announced, it’s been widely reported the Packers will be bringing in 11 year veteran Whitney Mercilus to hopefully give the defensive edge rushers another edge. Mercilus was cut loose by the Houston Texans on Tuesday, a year and a half after they gave him a 4 year extension worth a reported 59 million dollars.
Mercilus does have 3 sacks this year, brining his career total to 57 after getting drafted in the first round out of Illinois in 2012. The 31 year old started the first two games of the miserable year in Houston but has been a spot pass rusher since. His best year was in 2015 when he recorded a dozen sacks.
Head Coach Matt LaFleur said coaches love Gutey’s way of doing business, doing what he can to keep the team afloat, even with other team’s aging castoffs.
Aaron Rodgers talked after practice that while Smith is still learning a limited role in a new system, Mercilus is a pass rusher. Not a lot of scheme is needed for players who chase quarterbacks for a living and if Whitney can give the defense a couple of pressures or a sack each week, it will be significant.
According to some reports, Mercilus took less to come to Green Bay rather than maintain his current income on other teams. Rodgers said going from a 1-5 team to a 5-1 team can be enough to breathe new life into a player who believes he can still contribute. Time will tell but it’s another clear sign there’s a new way of handling player procurement business under Gutekunst.
The Mercilus deal was only half of the story as the Packers hit the practice field for the first time in advance of Sunday’s matchup with the 2-4 Washington Football Team.
For the first time since last December, David Bakhtiari had his helmet on and took part in a team practice. The All-Pro left tackle tore his ACL the week before the regular season finale, underwent surgery in January and had been on the Physically Unable to Perform list since until he was cleared for work on Monday.
David Bakhtiari back at the front of the line for OL drills.
LaFleur said Bakhtiari’s return will give the team a lift but they’ll handle his progress on a day to day basis. He almost certainly won’t play against Washington and with only one practice next week before a Thursday night date at Arizona, Bakhtiari might not be “football” ready until the Kansas City game. With the high number of players in the team’s infirmary, LaFleur basically held a walk-through practice today with limited individual drills, another “neck-up” practice that will help Bakhtiari ease back into the mix.
Rodgers was obviously pleased to see perhaps his best friend on the team, getting back into the swing. When asked to describe his blind side protector, Aaron balked but went on in detail about how his personality is most welcome too.
Rodgers also told quite a tale when asked he came a bit too close for comfort riding back from practice with Bakhtiari in the deluxe, fully decked out Golf Cart purchased by the tackle. They rode together nearly every day of training camp, almost involving me in a cart-pedestrian mishap coming out of the loading dock gate. Today, the gates apparently almost closed right on top of the superstars.
Another player returning to practice was Kevin King.
Kevin King with a pre-practice stretch.
He missed the Chicago game with a shoulder injury and the team is hoping for a quick rebound although he was a limited participant on day one.
Preston Smith, Darnell Savage (concussion), Josh Myers (knee), and Dennis Kelly (back) were the players who did not participate in practice. Wide Receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling, eligible to come off injured reserve, apparently hasn’t been elevated as he was not at practice.
The team worked in shorts and helmets but the hats were devoid of any decals.
Solid yellow hats for throwback weekend.
This weekend, the Packers will honor the not so illustrious decade of the 1950’s with decal-free helmets and the all green with yellow trimmed alternate uniforms.
The Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame, Inc announced it’s class of 2022. The two player class includes former linebacker Tim Harris and wide receiver Greg Jennings.
Harris was a fifth round draft choice out of Memphis in 1986 and quickly emerged as a premier pass rusher recording 8 sacks as a rookie. In just five seasons as a Packer, Harris racked up 55 sacks including the franchise record of 19 1/2 in 1989 when he was named All Pro. His signature six gun shooting sack dance was a fan favorite.
Jennings was a second round pick out of Central Michigan in 2006. By the end of his seven year run with Green Bay, he cracked the all time franchise top ten in catches (425), yards (6537) and touchdowns (53). A two time Pro Bowler, Jennings caught a pair of TD’s in the Super Bowl XLV victory over Pittsburgh along with the clinching third down conversion down the middle.
Harris and Jennings will enter the Hall with an induction ceremony September 1 of 2022.
