In recent weeks, two positions on the Green Bay Packers’ roster have raised concerns regarding depth: linebacker and interior offensive line.
At linebacker, the team nearly faced a major challenge heading into their Thanksgiving night game against the Miami Dolphins, with just three healthy linebackers available. Starter Isaiah McDuffie was listed as questionable for the game, leaving rookie Ty’Ron Hopper, who has only played in one career NFL game, as a key option. Additionally, the Minnesota Vikings claimed former first-round pick Jamin Davis from the Packers’ practice squad two days before Thanksgiving, further depleting the team’s linebacker depth.
The interior offensive line has also become a concern. While first-round rookie Jordan Morgan had been filling in as the starting right guard, he is now on injured reserve with a shoulder injury. For the past two weeks, the Packers’ only backup interior offensive lineman on the 53-man roster has been rookie Jacob Monk, who has been a healthy scratch in consecutive games.
All of these factors make Green Bay’s signing of two former draft picks, linebacker Michael Barrett and guard Marquis Hayes, on Saturday unsurprising.
Barrett, a smaller coverage linebacker at 5’11” and 232 pounds, was originally drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the seventh round in April. He was traded to the Seattle Seahawks before the cutdown deadline, leading to a stint on their practice squad. Barrett was then picked up by the Cleveland Browns’ practice squad. The Michigan product also served as a team captain for the Wolverines’ national championship team.
Could Barrett be a little bigger? Sure. But given the Packers’ clear need for depth at linebacker, they can’t afford to be choosy.
Hayes, a seventh-round draft pick out of Oklahoma two years ago, has had stints with the Arizona Cardinals and Washington Commanders. He was released from the Commanders’ practice squad on November 26th after spending nearly two months with the team.
The loss of Davis left the Packers with an open practice squad spot, but the team made a corresponding roster move by releasing receiver Malik Knowles — one of their four practice squad receivers — to make the numbers work. Barrett is now the only linebacker on the team’s practice squad, while Hayes joins Donovan Jennings and Spencer Rolland as the offensive linemen on the practice squad.
