I'm going to start with the obvious: the Green Bay Packers certainly don't have any major need for wide receiver depth. If anything, they have one of the league's deepest receiver rooms. But great NFL rosters aren't made through complacency, and even the end-of-the-bench and practice squad spots need to be heavily scrutinized.
That's why you'll see the Packers likely roll into training camp with 12 or more receivers. And that's why the sudden release of a former Detroit Lions draft pick (and Wisconsin Badgers standout) should immediately catch the attention of general manager Brian Gutekunst.
Quintez Cephus' Sudden Release Makes Him Potential Packers Target
Quintez Cephus was unceremoniously released by the Los Angeles Rams on Wednesday, making him an unrestricted free agent less than a month out from training camp. He's not exactly going to be a heavily pursued signing, but the potential he flashed early in his career will likely still entice teams to roll the dice on giving him, at the very least, an invitation to compete for a practice squad spot.
Injuries and off-field issues prevented any serious collegiate breakout from Cephus, but his physical tools caught plenty of attention coming out of college. Racking up 349 yards and 2 touchdowns as a rookie after being a fifth-round pick helped build on that excitement.
And while he hasn't played a regular-season snap since 2022, he did show some flashes in his limited preseason action last year. PFF gave him an 81.0 grade in his second preseason contest last year (although he only had 3 receptions for 18 yards in the game).
Being waived could be the end of the line for Cephus, but the Rams did see enough out of him to keep him on their practice squad for the entirety of the 2024 season, and that's a franchise that has a tendency to make good decisions with their receiver room.
Adding Cephus for training camp would also be a pretty low-risk move. It's not like he'd demand any guaranteed money on a contract, and so if his NFL career is toast, that will be obvious early, and the Pack can move on. But having a former Badgers standout in town for camp would be a lot of fun, and he genuinely has the potential to fight for a practice squad spot, especially when you look at the other names at the bottom of the Packers' depth chart.
Could the Packers WR Depth Chart Have Room for Cephus?
Let's start with the obvious names who Cephus would never beat out to get those out of the way:
- Matthew Golden
- Christian Watson
- Romeo Doubs
- Jayden Reed
- Dontayvion Wicks
- Savion Williams
But after those six, the list is a lot less formidable:
- Malik Heath
- Julian Hicks
- Mecole Hardman
- Sam Brown Jr.
- Cornelius Johnson
- Bo Melton
The Packers only had two wideouts on their practice squad heading into Week 1 last season (Hicks and Jalen Wayne), and so competition will be fierce. But someone like Hardman, with a $1.5 million salary and who may be signed to another team's active roster if he were sent to the practice squad, might not be in contention for the spot.
Cephus would be a longshot to beat out guys like Melton, Heath and Hicks, who have experience with the team, but that doesn't mean there's not value in giving him a chance to compete.
Plus, how can you discount how funny the possibility is of a failed Lions draft pick finally living up to his potential with the Packers? And if you're wondering how Cephus' career progressed once he fell off everyone's radar, here's a quick recap.
Quintez Cephus NFL Career History
- Teams: 4 (3 practice squad only)
- Games played: 22 (6 starts)
- Receiving yards: 568
- Receiving touchdowns: 4
- Career earnings: $2,856,513
After playing his first three seasons with the Lions (who selected him in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft), Cephus was suspended by the NFL for violating the league's gambling policy by betting on NFL games. He was reinstated one year later (April 2024) and quickly signed with the Buffalo Bills.
The Bills released Cephus in less than a month, then he was signed by the Houston Texans and again quickly released.
The Rams then signed Cephus to their practice squad in September and kept him for the whole season. They even signed him to a reserve/future contract at the end of the season to keep him around as a potential practice squad option, but he was finally waived again on Wednesday.
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