Packers Audition Ex-Bears UDFA Pass Rusher for Camp Roster

The Green Bay Packers appear to still be looking for additional competition behind their “Big Three” pass rushers.

According to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, the Packers hosted third-year outside linebacker/defensive end Chuck Harris for a workout on Tuesday, continuing their recent trend of auditioning pass rushers after losing one of their notable depth pieces, Randy Ramsey, to an injury last week.

Harris signed with the Chicago Bears as a rookie free agent in 2019 after going undrafted out of Buffalo and competed all that summer for a backup outside linebacker spot, playing in all four preseason games and recording four total tackles. Ultimately, the Bears rolled into 2019 with Isaiah Irving and Aaron Lynch behind Leonard Floyd and Khalil Mack and left Harris off their 53-man roster.

Harris also spent the final two months of the 2019 regular season on the Jacksonville Jaguars’ practice squad, later signing a reserve/future contract for 2020, but he was cut shortly after the 2020 NFL draft — on the same day the Jaguars signed Lynch, his former Bears teammate, as a free agent.

The Packers would need to clear a spot on their 90-man training camp roster before signing a new player. They will also be required to reduce their roster total from 90 to 85 players before 3 p.m. CT next Tuesday, Aug. 17.

The latest Packers news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Packers newsletter here!

Join Heavy on Packers!

Harris Only the Latest OLB Tryout Player

The Packers may feel more comfortable with their pass-rushing situation after claiming Chauncey Rivers off the waivers from the Baltimore Ravens last Friday, but Harris is far from the only outside linebacker to travel to Green Bay for a workout since Rivers joined the roster. The Packers have also worked out second-year pass rushers Allen Cater and Bryson Young and third-year Landis Durham, all of whom were originally undrafted free agents coming out of college.

If they do add another body to compete with their outside linebackers, the fourth spot in the rotation will essentially be reserved for someone capable of contributing on special teams. The Packers lost value in that department when Ramsey went down with a significant ankle injury during the second week of training camp, and outside linebackers coach Mike Smith made it clear they would be looking primarily for their No. 4 OLB to become a replacement on special teams.

“To get that fourth spot, you better be damn good on special teams, and they know that,” Smith said Sunday. “There ain’t gonna be a fourth spot to play outside linebacker, it’s going to be the fourth spot to be on special teams. That’s the deal with Rambo was he was one of our better special teams players, so (those) are big shoes to fill.”

Rivers will get his chance to fill them, but so, too, will 2020 seventh-round pick Jonathan Garvin and 2020 UDFA signing Tipa Galeai. The latter two have both spent a year in the system and have both drawn a modest amount of praise for their performances in the early days of camp, especially Garvin.

Za’Darius Smith Still Not Practicing

Another reason for the Packers to potentially add another pass rusher would be the continued absence of Za’Darius Smith. The Packers have said they don’t have any long-term concerns about most of their players on the non-football injury list, such as Smith, but more bodies could be necessary to pad out their second- and third-team units with Preston Smith and Rashan Gary taking all the starting reps.

The Packers have also expressed an interest in testing out Kamal Martin, a 2020 fifth-round inside linebacker, at the outside spot. Unfortunately, they didn’t get much of a look at him before he sustained a minor knee injury the day after Ramsey was hurt. Packers head coach Matt LaFleur sounded optimistic about him being able to return in camp, but he has not yet returned to practice.