Packers News, Transactions - 2025 off-season - McManus Signed - 3 Years/$15 million

[Ron Swanson]

Only surprise for me is them keeping just 5 corners. I thought King and/or Rochell deserved spots. I liked Anthony Johnson but we also drafted 3 safeties that we obviously feel pretty good about, so the writing may have always been on the wall there.

[MickeyDavis]

The Packers placed defensive lineman Jonathan Ford on injured reserve with a designation to return, exercising the NFL's new option to place up to two players directly on injured reserve with a designation to return this season. In the past, Ford would've needed to be carried on the initial 53-man roster before going on IR in order to be eligible for the designation to return.

Running back AJ Dillon (stinger) and tight end Tyler Davis (shoulder) were placed on injured reserve but didn't receive the return designation. Their 2024 seasons are over.

General Manager Brian Gutekunst traded a 2025 seventh-round pick to acquire quarterback Malik Willis from the Tennessee Titans. It's the third time Gutekunst has acquired a player via trade at the end of training camp during his six-plus years as the Packers' GM. He also traded for punter Corey Bojorquez in 2021 and linebacker B.J. Goodson in 2019.
If Willis appears in a game this season, he'll become the first Liberty alumnus to suit up for the Packers since running back Samkon Gado (2005-06). Defensive end Sebastian Barrie (1992) is the only other Liberty product to play in a regular-season game for Green Bay.

It's the fourth year in a row the Packers will proceed into the regular season with two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster. The last time they carried three was in 2020 (Aaron Rodgers, Jordan Love and Tim Boyle).

It's the third year in a row the Packers have carried at least 10 offensive linemen on their initial 53.

Veteran Greg Joseph prevailed in the kicking competition with former sixth-round pick Anders Carlson, who missed a 32-yard field goal in the fourth quarter of Saturday's 30-7 preseason win over Baltimore. Joseph made good on both of his tries from 36 and 55. As a rookie in 2023, Carlson went 27-of-33 (81.8%) on field goals but also missed five of his 39 extra-point attempts (87.2%).

The Packers waived undrafted rookie kicker Alex Hale, whom they designated last week as their player for the NFL International Player Pathway Program. If Hale isn't claimed, the Australian-born kicker may join Green Bay's practice squad, as a 17th player, under a roster exemption.

Kadeem Telfort and Arron Mosby, who spent all last season on the practice squad, both made the initial 53. Telfort, a 6-foot-7, 322-pound tackle, worked extensively with the first-team offense while starting right tackle Zach Tom was sidelined with a torn pectoral at the start of camp. Mosby, a second-year defensive lineman, had a strip sack that led to a 24-yard touchdown and interception on back-to-back series against the Ravens.

None of Green Bay's nine undrafted rookies made the initial 53-man roster. If the Packers don't add one before next week's regular-season opener against Philadelphia, it'll be the first time Green Bay hasn't carried an undrafted rookie on its Week 1 roster since 2004.

While no new undrafted rookies made initial 53, the Packers kept the four who made it last year: receiver Malik Heath, running back Emanuel Wilson, tight end Ben Sims and defensive lineman Brenton Cox Jr.

Green Bay kept nine of its 11 picks from the 2024 NFL Draft, releasing only quarterback Michael Pratt (seventh round, No. 245) and cornerback Kalen King (seventh, 255).

The Packers' 53-man roster is comprised of 41 former draft picks and 12 undrafted free agents. Thirty-three were drafted by General Manager Brian Gutekunst.

[rayallenscalves]

Zayne Anderson making the team as a special teams only player over Anthony Johnson Jr. is the biggest surprise to me.

Hopefully he sticks around on the practice squad, same for Kalen King. A little surprised he got the quick boot also.

I'm sick of the Packers keeping guys on the team strictly for ST purposes. I wouldn't mind it if the Packers actually had great ST play, but they don't. This is Dean Levett all over again.

[RubberSoul]

Zayne Anderson making the team as a special teams only player over Anthony Johnson Jr. is the biggest surprise to me.

Hopefully he sticks around on the practice squad, same for Kalen King. A little surprised he got the quick boot also.

I'm sick of the Packers keeping guys on the team strictly for ST purposes. I wouldn't mind it if the Packers actually had great ST play, but they don't. This is Dean Levett all over again.

Exactly they are keeping core ST guys around for a unit that annually finishes in the bottom 1/3 of the league. Make it make sense. Cutting Johnson Jr for Zayne Anderson seems crazy to me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Ron Swanson]

Zayne Anderson making the team as a special teams only player over Anthony Johnson Jr. is the biggest surprise to me.

Hopefully he sticks around on the practice squad, same for Kalen King. A little surprised he got the quick boot also.

I'm sick of the Packers keeping guys on the team strictly for ST purposes. I wouldn't mind it if the Packers actually had great ST play, but they don't. This is Dean Levett all over again.

This is a fair point. If we've been keeping less talented guys around for their supposed ST prowess then, well, maybe stop doing that when the special teams continues to suck. Just take who you think is the better player and idk, maybe "coach them" to play special teams?....

[Matches Malone]

Wonder if Gute tries to take a look at Brayden Narveson. Packer scouts met with him during the all-star circuit a few times leading up to the draft. Greg Joseph as your starting kicker is yucky.

[Turk Nowitzki]

Zayne Anderson making the team as a special teams only player over Anthony Johnson Jr. is the biggest surprise to me.

Hopefully he sticks around on the practice squad, same for Kalen King. A little surprised he got the quick boot also.

I'm sick of the Packers keeping guys on the team strictly for ST purposes. I wouldn't mind it if the Packers actually had great ST play, but they don't. This is Dean Levett all over again.

This is a fair point. If we've been keeping less talented guys around for their supposed ST prowess then, well, maybe stop doing that when the special teams continues to suck. Just take who you think is the better player and idk, maybe "coach them" to play special teams?....

That's what I was about to post basically. Instead of utilizing valuable roster spots on special teams only guys how about the guy we're paying a **** ton of money to coach special teams takes the guys we give him and, I don't know, actually coaches them to be good special teams players.

[MVP2110]

Putting Ford on IR designated to return is interesting. He's probably DT6 at this point? Would have to have several injuries for him to make any sort of impact you'd think

[Ayt]

They probably kept only 5 CBs since they think the safeties can play the slot. That is likely also why they had Nixon working outside at times.

[emunney]

Look you're either special or you're not

[Matches Malone]

With AJ likely done career wise, the 2020 class is all but gone. Thank god for Love.

Read on Twitter

[Profound23]

Dillon will retire and just become a full-time gamer

[Treebeard]

With AJ likely done career wise, the 2020 class is all but gone. Thank god for Love.

Read on Twitter

Yup. Both Dillon and Deguara were drafted two to three rounds too early. If they'd been picked later, they probably are viewed more kindly.

Runyan was serviceable and he might still be on the Giants roster today

As has been noted a few times here and elsewhere, the Love pick makes Gute's legacy

The rest....

[Treebeard]

Did the difference in Hafely's player expectations vs Barry shape who filled some the roster spots? Of course some guys would be locks on any NFL team.

[Profound23]

With AJ likely done career wise, the 2020 class is all but gone. Thank god for Love.

Read on Twitter

Yup. Both Dillon and Deguara were drafted two to three rounds too early. If they'd been picked later, they probably are viewed more kindly.

Runyan was serviceable and he might still be on the Giants roster today

As has been noted a few times here and elsewhere, the Love pick makes Gute's legacy

The rest....

Imagine if we drafted Shenault or Claypool over Love like some wanted

[ReasonablySober]

With AJ likely done career wise, the 2020 class is all but gone. Thank god for Love.

Read on Twitter

Yup. Both Dillon and Deguara were drafted two to three rounds too early. If they'd been picked later, they probably are viewed more kindly.

Runyan was serviceable and he might still be on the Giants roster today

As has been noted a few times here and elsewhere, the Love pick makes Gute's legacy

The rest....

Imagine if we drafted Shenault or Claypool over Love like some wanted

If you want some fun reading, here's the Grade the Draft thread. Whole bunch of Ds and Fs.

I'm proud of my take:

Hate to say it but to me it all hinges on Love. If he's a ten year starter then we forget about the rest of the class, which to me looks like sh*t.

[Profound23]

Yup. Both Dillon and Deguara were drafted two to three rounds too early. If they'd been picked later, they probably are viewed more kindly.

Runyan was serviceable and he might still be on the Giants roster today

As has been noted a few times here and elsewhere, the Love pick makes Gute's legacy

The rest....

Imagine if we drafted Shenault or Claypool over Love like some wanted

If you want some fun reading, here's the Grade the Draft thread. Whole bunch of Ds and Fs.

I'm proud of my take:

Hate to say it but to me it all hinges on Love. If he's a ten year starter then we forget about the rest of the class, which to me looks like sh*t.

Ditto

My take is that the Packers do not believe they are close to getting to the Super Bowl and a rebuilding/re-tooling process has begun, but without knowing that is the case I can't really properly understand what this draft was really about.

Let's say that is the case. Then trade Rodgers to Miami for those three firsts and go crazy.

Also, base your grade off of that being the case. They still (more than likely) overdrafted players. The trade up for Love made sense to me....it seems like after that they just picked a player that fit their "rebuild" and drafted him a round, or two, or three rounds before anyone else would.

Of course we will never know.....but it seems weird.

[trwi7]

Look you're either special or you're not

Watch on YouTube

[RRyder823]

The Deguara pick was the one that truly never made sense.

The Love pick even if you hated it and what it meant you could understand the logic whether you agreed with it or not

The Dillon pick most of us were worried about Jones leaving after that season so whether you liked Dillon as a player at least there was a thought process you could understand.

Deguara was drafted in the 3rd **** round to be primarily an H-Back. Not "oh we thought he was a TE and it didn't work out so we'll try him here". They wanted an H-Back so badly they drafted one in the 3rd round. It never made any sense

Sent from my SM-S918U using RealGM mobile app

[ReddRum]

King AND DuBose both cut?? WOW Gonna be some sharks hopping on those guys!