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The Green Bay Packers could be turning to a big-bodied rookie for more depth at tight end as they prepare for their 2022 season opener.
According to Heavy NFL insider Matt Lombardo, the Packers hosted former LSU tight end Jamal Pettigrew for a roster workout on September 1, potentially considering the 6-foot-7, 254-pound rookie for a role on their practice squad.
Pettigrew, 24, was primarily a blocking tight end during his time at LSU and spent his final year of eligibility as a graduate transfer at McNeese State, catching 18 passes for 132 yards and a touchdown. He signed with the Los Angeles Rams after going undrafted in the 2022 NFL draft, but he was released during the first round of cuts.
The Packers retained Robert Tonyan Jr., Marcedes Lewis, Josiah Deguara and Tyler Davis for their initial 53-man roster, but they waived everyone else at the position — including Dominique Dafney, Nate Becker, Alize Mack and Sal Cannella — and won’t be able to invite any of them back due to injuries. While Tonyan seems to be making good progress toward playing in the opener against the Minnesota Vikings on September 11, it seems like good practice to have at least one on the practice squad.
Then again, the Packers did add one to their practice squad on the same day as Pettigrew’s workout. The team announced on Thursday afternoon that it had filled the final three spots of its practice squad with cornerback Benjie Franklin, wide receiver Juwann Winfree and former Denver Broncos tight end Shaun Beyer.
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Will Davis Prove Worthy of Roster Spot?
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst told reporters shortly after this spring’s NFL draft that he believed the team “really had something” in Davis. They had signed the 25-year-old off the Indianapolis Colts’ practice squad last September and saw a few flashes from him in their offense during the final month of the 2021 regular season.
Unfortunately, Davis heads into the 2022 season needing to repair his reputation a bit after a rough preseason with the Packers. He caught two of the four passes thrown his way over three exhibition games, but one of his misses was a ball that bounced off his hands and turned into an interception for quarterback Jordan Love. He also fumbled away one of his receptions after a 7-yard gain, putting him in a tough spot as roster decisions were made.
For now, the Packers are giving him a chance to redeem himself on the active roster, but it remains unclear how far they are willing to extend that courtesy. One costly mistake in the regular season is much worse than a handful in the preseason.
Packers Have Few Camp Options to Revisit
The Packers have some time to get their practice squad sorted for the regular season, even if it means filling up and trading out a piece along the way. If Pettigrew doesn’t work out, they can always bring in a number of other serviceable talents for workouts from the recent wave of roster cuts. As far as revisiting some of their camp tight ends, though, the options are pretty much nonexistent.
The Packers moved on from Dafney, Mack and Becker by the end of training camp, but all three of them were waived with injury designations and have since reverted back to the team’s injured reserve. That means they can either wait out the year on that list for a chance to sign a futures contract for next season or they can eventually expect to be waived with an injury settlement that allows them to find a new team.
Either way, none of them are options for this year’s roster, meaning the Packers could spend a good amount of time assessing free-agent tight ends in the coming weeks.
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