Getty Head coach Matt LaFleur of the Green Bay Packers.
The Green Bay Packers have decided to give it another go with an offensive lineman who was briefly part of the team’s roster last summer.
Aaron Wilson of NBC’s KPRC2 in Houston reported via Twitter that the Packers signed center Cole Schneider on Tuesday, August 1.
#Packers worked out and agreed to terms with @USFLStallions center Cole Schneider today per a league source @KPRC2
“#Packers worked out and agreed to terms with @USFLStallions center Cole Schneider today, per a league source,” Wilson tweeted.
Green Bay released offensive guard Chuck Filiaga in a corresponding roster move Tuesday.
Packers Add 2 Centers to Training Camp Roster in 2 Days
GettyGeneral manager Brian Gutekunst (left) of the Green Bay Packers speaks with head coach Matt LaFleur (right) during OTAs in May 2023.
Schneider signed in Green Bay as an undrafted free agent in 2022 and spent a brief stint with the franchise before an ankle injury derailed his bid to make the team. The Packers released Schneider as part of their first round of cuts in mid-August, per Bill Huber of FanNation’s Packer Central, partly due to that injury.
As a result, the offensive guard turned center took his talents to the Birmingham Stallions of the United States Football League, helping that organization to its second consecutive USFL title in 2023. Schneider played in nine games for the Stallions during their championship run.
He now rejoins the Packers for a second shot at an NFL gig after a productive collegiate career at UCF. Schneider was highly durable in college, playing in all 49 games for which he was eligible and earning 47 starts. Huber noted that Schneider earned All-Conference honors all four years at UCF and didn’t allow a single sack during his senior campaign.
Schneider is the second center Green Bay has added to its training camp roster in as many days. The team also claimed James Empey off of waivers on Monday following his release by the Tennessee Titans.
Packers Experimenting With New OL Lineups During Camp
GettyCenter Josh Myers of the Green Bay Packers prepares to snap the ball to quarterback Jordan Love during an NFL game against the Buffalo Bills in August 2021.
Center is clearly a position of both concern and intrigue in Green Bay, as the Packers have made some adjustments to the first-team offensive line this week.
Ryan Wood of USA Today reported that Green Bay tried out Zach Tom at center during Tuesday’s practice, bumping Josh Myers to second-team — at least for one day.
Zach Tom getting first-team reps at center. That’s new. Yosh Nijman at RT.
“Zach Tom getting first-team reps at center. That’s new,” Wood tweeted. “Yosh Nijman at RT.”
Tom is considered a potential breakout candidate in 2023 after he put together a solid rookie campaign that included nine games played and five starts. Green Bay is eager to get him on the field in 2023, and Tom has the range to play either right tackle or center if called upon.
Tom logged snaps at every position on the offensive line during his first NFL season in 2022, after the Packers drafted him in the fourth round (No. 140 overall) out of Wake Forest. Ross Tucker of 33rd Team shouted out Tom by name on Tuesday when he ranked Green Bay’s offensive line No. 10 in the NFL, including the unit in his “above average tier.”
“It feels like the third year in a row where the Green Bay Packers’ line comes down primarily to the health of left tackle David Bakhtiari,” Tucker wrote. “If he can stay healthy and play at a high level, this should be one of the better units in the league, especially with the emergence of Zach Tom at right tackle.”
Bakhtiari was back on the practice field Tuesday after the coaching staff gave him Monday off.