Getty Josh Malone #80 of the Cincinnati Bengals warms up before the game against the Minnesota Vikings on December 17, 2017 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The Green Bay Packers might be interested in adding some more receiving talent to their rosters in the wake of several new injuries at the position.
According to Monday’s NFL transaction wire, the Packers hosted fifth-year wide receiver Josh Malone for a roster workout on December 13. The 25-year-old wideout was a fourth-round pick for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2017 and spent the past two seasons with the New York Jets, but he has been mostly forgettable with just 11 receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown over his 26 career games.
Malone, however, was a fleet-footed weapon for Tennessee in his three years prior to declaring for the NFL. He caught 50 passes for 972 yards and 11 touchdowns in his final season alone for the Volunteers in 2016. He also tied for the eighth-fastest 40-meter dash time during the 2017 NFL Scouting Combine, clocking 4.4 seconds and finishing third among receivers behind only John Ross (4.22) and Curtis Samuel (4.31).
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Packers Down to Just 4 Healthy WRs
The Packers could use some receiving help after seeing both Equanimeous St. Brown and Malik Taylor go down with injuries in Week 14’s win over the Chicago Bears. They are also just two weeks removed from losing veteran Randall Cobb for the rest of the 2021 season, leaving them with just Davante Adams, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Allen Lazard and Amari Rodgers as the only healthy receivers on their active roster.
While Malone is not an answer for the active roster, the Packers’ interest in him might be a sign that they are interested in promoting Juwann Winfree from the practice squad in a more long-term capacity. They could sign Winfree to the 53-man roster and add Malone to take his place on the practice squad, bolstering their receiving depth on two levels as they navigate the latest injuries with St. Brown and Taylor.
St. Brown sustained a concussion in the win over the Bears and will have to clear league protocol to have a chance at playing against Baltimore in Week 15. Meanwhile, Taylor dropped out against the Bears with an abdominal injury that could possibly be a re-aggravation of a previous issue. He had missed the last two games before the Packers’ bye week with an abdominal injury and was listed with the same injury again in Week 14; although, he was cleared and not given an injury designation for game day.
If either one of them is in jeopardy of missing time, the Packers might want to promote Winfree just for a sense of security. He does still have one more standard elevation from the practice squad available before an active-roster signing would become necessary, but a long-term commitment could also be in the cards as they finish out the year.
Packers Release QB Danny Etling
In addition to hosting a tryout player, the Packers also released temporary third-string quarterback Danny Etling from their practice squad on December 13. They had signed the fourth-year quarterback after backup Jordan Love landed on the reserve/COVID-19 list last week, but a roster spot needed to be cleared for the return of Kurt Benkert — who was elevated as a COVID-19 replacement in Week 14 and reverted back automatically on Monday.
The Packers’ decision to release Etling would also seem to suggest they expect Love will be activated prior to their Week 15 road game against the Ravens. As a fully vaccinated player, Love needs to test negative twice 24 hours apart and be asymptomatic before returning to the active roster. The backup role behind Aaron Rodgers isn’t exactly filled with glory, but it is becoming increasingly important with his recent setback on his broken pinky toe.
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Packers Work Out Former Bengals 4th-Round WR as Injuries Mount