GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – It’s not everyday the Green Bay Packers are courting a couple of veteran Pro Bowl players that surprisingly hit the open market. That was the case today however after the New England Patriots disclosed they were moving on from four time Pro Bowl defensive back Stephon Gilmore, the 2019 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and the Dallas Cowboys jettisoned linebacker Jaylon Smith who piled up over 400 tackles in five years and made the Pro Bowl just two years ago.
Both courtships were the result of injuries, significant ones at that on the defensive side of the ball. Za’Darius Smith is likely done for the year after undergoing back surgery last week and Jaire Alexander suffered a serious shoulder injury last Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Head Coach Matt LaFleur on Monday promised an update on Alexander today but didn’t really deliver. He said the medical staff is still seeking opinions on the severity of the AC Joint sprain and they want to avoid surgery if at all possible. LaFleur has no idea how much time Alexander will miss if this is no operation, he’s obviously out for this week’s game in Cincinnati but is the shoulder goes under the knife?, LaFleur said the Pro Bowl corner will most likely be done for the year.
Enter Gilmore, injured himself and on New England’s Physically Unable to Perform list. He’s eligible to come off the PUP list in a couple of weeks but he’s also been embroiled in a contract battle with the Patriots. Bill Belicheck even issued a formal statement thanking Gilmore for his service to the team but they’ve agreed to mutually part ways.
The Packers were apparently one of the teams Gilmore was strongly considering if he hit the open market and it created quite a buzz in Green Bay through the morning. However, the Pats found a trade partner with the Carolina Panthers instead.
So to fill the immediate need at cornerback, Green Bay signed a former Panther, Rasul Douglas. The defensive back was on the Arizona Cardinals practice squad and immediately joined the Pack’s 53 man roster. He was a third round pick out of West Virginia in 2017, selected by the Philadelphia Eagles where he played his first three seasons. Last year with Carolina,the 6-2, 205 pound corner started 11 games but was released after the season. He spent time in two training camps ths summer before winding up with Arizona.
Rasul Douglas (29) joins the Pack Wednesday.
Then there’ Smith. Dallas selected the Notre Dame linebacker in the second round in 2106 even though he was rehabilitating a devastating knee injury. He finally got on the field in 2017 and started all 48 games for Dallas from 2018 through last year. He apparently fell out of favor with Head Coach Mike McCarthy and new defensive coordinator Dan Quinn because Dallas cut him loose even though the Cowboys owe him more than 7 million dollars guaranteed through 2021.
Ian Rappaport of the NFL Network reported the Packers are finalizing a deal to have Smith on board as soon as Thursday but other reports say he is fielding offers from a couple of other clubs and hasn’t made a final decision yet.
If Smith does come on board, he’ll probably team with De’Vondre Campbell at inside linebacker. Campbell has been a very pleasant surprise for the Packers, leading the team in solo tackles, assisted and total tackles along with an interception. Krys Barnes would still be in the rotation but he’s still working his way through the concussion protocol. He was a full participant at today’s practice, a good sign.
The Packers are hoping Kevin King returns to start against the Bengals along with rookie Eric Stokes at corner. King was a limited participant and “making progress” according to LaFleur.
The rest of the Wednesday injury report and Elgton Jenkins and Josh Myers join Alexander on the did not participate list. Jenkins is still working off the ankle sprain that has sidelined him since the Detroit game and Myers has a finger issue. The pinkie on his right hand was heavily bandaged even though he practiced with it last week and played against the Steelers.
Other limited practice players were Aaron Jones and Jack Heflin with ankle soreness and Chauncey Rivers with a knee injury.
The full participants on the list along with Barnes were A.J. Dillon (back), Dean Lowery (ankle) and Issac Yiadom (quad).
We’ll see if Smith arrives on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the Packers have a 3-1 Bengals team to prepare for. Aaron Rodgers held his media session on Wednesday and spoke of the team missing Jaire, a big loss for sure, but it’s just one more in what’s been a painful first month of the season.
It’ll kickoff at 12:00 PM CDT from Paul Brown Stadium on Sunday.
