Getty Head coach Matt LaFleur of the Green Bay Packers watches from the sidelines during the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on November 24, 2019 in Santa Clara, California.
Kabion Ento’s promising start to Green Bay Packers training camp appears to have reached an unfortunate end.
According to Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette, Ento broke a bone in his foot during Tuesday’s practice at Lambeau Field and underwent surgery on Wednesday that will keep the second-year cornerback out of practice for the near future. Wood added his timetable for return is “unknown.”
Ento was having another strong camp after impressing last year as an undrafted rookie and seemed to have a chance at making the 53-man roster as a backup cornerback. He missed the cut in 2019 and spent the entire year on the Packers’ practice squad, but the 24-year-old had continued to impress during his second summer with the team.
The Packers have reliable starters at cornerback with Jaire Alexander and Kevin King with Chandon Sullivan expected to fill out of the slot corner role now that Tramon Williams is no longer in the picture. The back of the position, however, remains in flux with former second-round pick Josh Jackson looking to distinguish himself from a group of youngsters.
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How Many Cornerbacks Will Packers Retain?
The Packers kept seven cornerbacks on their initial 53-man roster in 2019 but could go lower this season with young and stable pieces at the top of the position. Numbers will have to be sacrificed somewhere if they intend to keep three quarterbacks, four tight ends and a bevy of wide receivers on the offensive side.
The number could more realistically be five or six coming into the 2020 season with Alexander, King and Sullivan considered locks. Jackson would also seem to be favored given the Iowa alum was taken just after Alexander in the second round of the 2018 NFL draft, but he will need to start showing some upside to avoid others from rising above him.
Stanford Samuels has been one of the most impressive UDFA signings throughout the first few weeks of training camp practice, doing things like winning one-on-one matchups with Davante Adams and picking off backup quarterback Tim Boyle. Ento’s injury would seem to leave the door open for him to secure a roster spot, especially if the Packers keep six.
A look at Stanford Samuels who has made a little noise and has had a really nice start to camp.
A reasonable six-man unit could look like this: Alexander, King, Sullivan, Jackson, Ka’dar Hollman and Samuels with DaShaun Amos and rookie Will Sunderland left out. Not much can be certain about Ento’s status until his return timeline is clarified, but it is possible the Packers could designate him for an injury list if they liked enough of what they saw.
On a related note, the report of Ento’s injury clears up why so many defensive backs were working out for the Packers on Thursday. The workout list included cornerback Lorenzo Doss, a former fifth-round draft pick for the Denver Broncos, along with three other corners, a safety and a tight end.
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