Getty Josh Malone #83 of the New York Jets works out during a morning practice at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center on July 29, 2021 in Florham Park, New Jersey.
The Green Bay Packers have added a former fourth-round receiver who might be able to give them something new as a returner specialist.
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst signed former Cincinnati Bengals and New York Jets wide receiver Josh Malone to the practice squad on December 14, announcing his addition just one day after the 25-year-old visited Green Bay for a roster tryout.
The Packers also made third-year wideout Juwann Winfree a permanent member of their active roster on Tuesday, signing him to a 53-man roster contract after elevating him from the practice squad three times over their past eight games. He was only really involved on offense in one game, catching four passes for 30 yards, but could have a bigger role with numerous injuries to Green Bay’s receiving corps.
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Could Malone Offer New Option on Kickoff Returns?
Malone — who was the No. 128 overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft — has only made 11 receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown throughout his four seasons in the league, doing the majority of that damage in his 11 games as a rookie for the Bengals. He did, however, have a handful of good reps as a kickoff returner for the Jets in 2020 — which is an asset the Packers could really use at the moment.
The Packers have struggled to find an adequate kickoff returner since rookie Kylin Hill went down with a torn ACL in Week 8 against the Arizona Cardinals. They had been leaning on wide receiver Malik Taylor in his absence, but he missed two games before the bye week with an abdominal injury and only managed to play about a half of Week 14’s game against Chicago before dropping out with the same issue.
The Packers could always go with punt returner Amari Rodgers if Taylor is unable to suit up against Baltimore in the week ahead, but he has experienced his fair share of rookie moments throughout his first season. Perhaps, it would better serve a struggling special teams unit to inject someone new like Malone into the situation in hopes he’ll bring an extra spark.
Should Packers Consider Calling Tyler Ervin?
The Packers are running out of options to put back on punts and kickoffs. Hill is down, Taylor is down and even Randall Cobb is down. Right now, the only other option listed as a return specialist on the Packers’ depth chart is cornerback Chandon Sullivan, and he was hardly electric on the three kickoffs he fielded during the 2019 season.
Maybe that could give the Packers a reason to call Tyler Ervin.
Ervin was a bit of an energizer for the Packers during the 2019 season when he came in as a return specialist and gadget player on offense, doing so well that the team brought him back for another year in 2020. Unfortunately, he dealt with a number of injuries in his second season with the team and was mostly ineffective after the first four games. The Packers ultimately did not offer to retain him during 2021 free agency.
At the same time, the Packers coaches are familiar with Ervin and know he can bring a reliable presence on returns when healthy. He would also cost next-to-nothing to add for the final four games of the regular season, assuming he has stayed in the proper physical shape while being out of a job. Maybe the Packers aren’t feeling desperate enough to explore a signing like that, but it’s worth keeping in the back pocket.