Getty Lano Hill #42 of the Seattle Seahawks looks on during the second half of the preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on August 18, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings defeated the Seahawks 25-19.
A former Seattle Seahawks third-round pick might soon get the chance to help out a wounded Green Bay Packers secondary.
According to NFL’s transaction wire for October 4, the Packers hosted fifth-year defensive back Lano Hill for a workout on Monday after watching yet another one of their starters in the secondary go down during Week 4’s win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Seahawks selected Hill with the No. 95 overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft, but a myriad of injuries kept him off the field for 21 games over his first four seasons and made it difficult for him to establish a regular place in the rotation. After the Seahawks declined to re-sign him in free agency this past spring, Hill landed a new opportunity with the Carolina Panthers only to have an offseason foot injury and a stint on the reserve/COVID-19 list derail the effort. He was released on August 11 before the first roster cutdown deadline.
The Packers also worked out rookie defensive end Justus Reed, who recorded 28 tackles, nine tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks during his final season for Virginia Tech in 2020. He spent time with Tennessee and Washington this past offseason after going undrafted earlier this year.
The Packers currently have two open spots on their 53-man roster after placing wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling on injured reserve over the weekend. It is possible another spot could be freed up in the coming week Jaire Alexander’s shoulder injury forces him onto IR as well.
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Packers Await Word on Alexander’s Condition
The Packers have already spent an uncomfortable amount of time without some of their key defenders through the first month of the season. Za’Darius Smith has been sidelined since playing a limited role in their season opener, landing on injured reserve on September 17 with the possibility that he might not return at all in 2021. Veteran cornerback Kevin King has missed two straight games with a concussion. Even starting inside linebacker Kyrs Barnes and fourth-year defensive lineman Tyler Lancaster (COVID-19 list) were out during Sunday’s win over the Steelers.
Alexander’s injury, however, could end up being the most vital of them all if he is forced to miss serious time. The All-Pro cornerback is not only one of the Packers’ most impactful defenders, but he is also a starter with a scant amount of depth behind him at the position. Aside from first-round rookie Eric Stokes, the Packers’ only other cornerbacks to step up for Alexander and King are slot corner Chandon Sullivan, Isaac Yiadom and rookie Shemar Jean-Charles — which is hardly an ideal collection of playing experience.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur told reporters the team wouldn’t have an update on Alexander until Wednesday, October 6, as they continue to seek additional opinions on his shoulder, but Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel explained that “multiple specialists” have been looking at Alexander’s injury to determine the severity.
