Getty Head coach Matt LaFleur of the Green Bay Packers stands on the field during the second half against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on September 05, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois.
One of the busiest positions on the Green Bay Packers’ 2021 offseason roster just got a little bit smaller.
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst announced the release of backup cornerback KeiVarae Russell following the start of voluntary team activities on Monday, clearing a spot on their 90-man offseason roster.
Russell, who was originally a 2016 third-round pick for the Kansas City Chiefs, signed with the Packers’ practice squad last October and was elevated three times to the active roster on game day, including for both playoff games while more established players such as Josh Jackson and Ka’dar Hollman were left inactive. He only played 32 collective snaps on special teams, though, across his three appearances.
The Packers opted to re-sign Russell to a reserve/future contract in January, but they also acquired two new cornerbacks through the 2021 NFL draft, including first-round pick Eric Stokes. Following Russell’s release, they have nine cornerbacks under contract for 2021 once Stokes officially signs his rookie deal with the team.
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Will Josh Jackson Succeed Under New DC?
Any Packers cornerback currently on the roster bubble will probably view Russell’s release as good news for their own standing with the team. Guys like Ka’dar Hollman, Kabion Ento, Stanford Samuels and Shemar Jean-Charles now have one less person to outperform in OTAs and this summer’s 2021 training camp.
A more important mystery than who will fill out the bottom-depth spots of the position, though, is whether new Packers defensive coordinator Joe Barry will be able to get more out of some of the team’s more talented corners who underachieved last year.
The Packers decided to take another chance on both Kevin King and Chandon Sullivan in free agency, giving each short-team deals that ensure their place with the team next season, but Jackson, their 2018 second-round pick, does not have such stable ground to stand on. He played more snaps in his rookie season (718) than his second two seasons combined (434) and, despite making five starts as an injury replacement in 2020, was declared a healthy inactive for six of Green Bay’s final eight games last year.
Jackson is entering the final year of his rookie contract in 2021 and might be cuttable if some of the younger bucks look better than expected in training camp, but Barry has an opportunity to potentially turn around a player who was once considered to have a massive amount of upside. Getting regular and quality contributions out of him in 2021 could even buy him another contract in 2022 if the chips fall right.