Getty Kamal Martin #21 of the Minnesota Gophers causes quarterback Brandon Peters #18 of the Illinois Fighting Illini to fumble the ball during the first quarter of the game at TCF Bank Stadium on October 5, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Reinforcements have arrived for the Green Bay Packers.
The Packers activated fifth-round rookie linebacker Kamal Martin from injured reserve and signed veteran defensive lineman Billy Winn and offensive lineman Ben Braden off their practice squad Saturday afternoon, filling all three openings on their 53-man roster ahead of Sunday’s road game at the Houston Texans.
The Packers also made a pair of temporary promotions, elevating undrafted rookie safety Henry Black and second-year running back Dexter Williams from their practice squad to the game-day roster. Both will revert back to the practice squad following the game.
Lastly, the Packers made official the signing of middle linebacker James Burgess from the Atlanta Falcons’ practice squad after the news was reported earlier this week; though, he was placed on the exempt/commissioners list and does not currently count against the Packers’ active-roster total.
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Martin Active for First NFL Game
At long last, Martin is ready to make his NFL debut for the Packers.
Things were looking promising for the rookie linebacker coming out of training camp in August with him showing no lingering issues with the right knee he injured last October at Minnesota. Martin was even in the mix to receive starting reps behind Christian Kirksey at inside lineabcker in Week 1 against the Vikings — until he tore the meniscus in his left knee and landed on IR.
Martin was originally expected to miss at least six weeks after undergoing surgery in early September, but he seems to have followed the recovery timeline pretty closely. He rejoined the Packers at practice at the beginning of Week 6 and, despite taking two weeks to get activated to the roster, only missed the first five games of his rookie season.
The Packers could put Martin to work right away against the Texans with another rookie, Krys Barnes, and second-year Ty Summers still holding down the fort in Kirksey’s absence. It would be tough to demote Barnes — who leads the team with 35 tackles — for someone who hasn’t played any NFL snaps yet, but he could be given a nice chunk of them Sunday to wet his feet.
Other Moves Safeguard from Injuries
The remainder of the Packers’ moves from Saturday all went toward shoring up position groups that could be shorthanded due to injury this week.
For instance, Williams — a 2019 sixth-round pick — was promoted for rushing depth with Tyler Ervin out and the Packers expected to also rest star running back Aaron Jones. The same type of connections can be drawn for the rest of them, too: Black boosts the safeties with Darnell Savage Jr. doubtful to play, Braden pads the offensive line during David Bakhtiari’s absence and Winn fills out of the defensive line in relief of the injured Tyler Lancaster.
The least surprising of them all is Winn, who had already been elevated twice for game days this season and is a league veteran with numerous starts on his resume. He has been solid in his limited opportunies and seemed an obvious choice for promotion without Lancaster in the rotation. His signing to the active roster could also see him develop a more regular place in the defense.
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