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The Green Bay Packers are making a series of NFL roster moves in the short week leading up to their Thanksgiving matchup with the Detroit Lions.
According to the team’s official transaction wire for November 20, the Packers poached running back Patrick Taylor — who previously spent time in Green Bay — off the New England Patriots’ practice squad on Monday. They also released veteran safety Dallin Leavitt to create room for Taylor to join their 53-man roster.
Taylor is a familiar face for the Packers. He spent the first month of the 2023 season on the Packers’ practice squad and, after expending all three of his elevation opportunities, joined the active roster for a game before getting released on October 9. In four games, he rushed 11 times for 31 yards and caught a career-high five passes for 28 yards.
Taylor has also played in 23 games for the Packers over the past two seasons, averaging 3.6 yards on 33 carries and rushing for 120 yards and a touchdown. His experience in the system should work to Green Bay’s advantage from a depth perspective with both Aaron Jones (knee) and rookie Emanuel Wilson (shoulder) sidelined with injuries.
The Packers also re-signed running back James Robinson to their practice squad and released linebacker Christian Young in corresponding NFL roster moves. With the acquisitions, the Packers now have at least three healthy running backs available against the Lions.
AJ Dillon Also Dealing With Injury After Week 11 Win
The Packers are most likely going to be without both Jones and Wilson against the Lions on Thanksgiving, but there are also questions about AJ Dillon’s availability.
The Packers flagged a new groin injury for Dillon coming out of their 23-20 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers and listed him as a limited participant in Monday’s first injury report for Week 12 against the Lions. Fortunately, the injury report is just an estimation since the Packers did not practice on Monday; although, it does make Dillon’s status worth monitoring as the team progresses through its short week of practice.
Either way, the Packers might want to elevate one of their practice-squad running backs to ensure they have enough depth on their roster against the Lions. Taylor is a quality, short-term addition behind Dillon, but if there are lingering concerns about Dillon’s injury coming into the game, they may want more than just the two of them ready to go.
Dallin Leavitt’s Release a Bit Surprising Given Role
The Packers adding a pair of running backs to the equation makes sense given their injuries at the position, but the release of Leavitt came as a bit of a surprise.
Leavitt has been a core member of Rich Bisaccia’s special teams unit over the past two seasons and followed him to Green Bay from Las Vegas in 2022 when Bisaccia took the job as the Packers’ special teams coordinator. He has also played more special teams snaps (192) than any other Packer this season despite only having one assisted tackle.
In Sunday’s win over the Chargers, though, Leavitt committed a pair of penalties on the opening kickoff that wiped out a 39-yard return from Keisean Nixon. Officials initially flagged Leavitt for holding on the return, but he drew a second penalty — a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct call — that pushed the Packers back to their own 8-yard line.
As a result, Leavitt caught an earful from head coach Matt LaFleur on the sideline following the play. The penalties were his third and fourth, respectively, of the year.
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Packers Cut Veteran DB After Penalties, Poach RB From Patriots