Green Bay added two backs with NFL experience and a 2024 draft pick.
According to NFL reporter Aaron Wilson, the Green Bay Packers made a flurry of moves on Friday that fully filled the team’s 17-man practice squad for the first time this season. The Packers placed running back Nate McCrary on the practice squad injured list, a sort of modified injured reserve, which means that he no longer counts against the 17 players that Green Bay is allowed to keep on the practice squad. McCrary’s injury hasn’t been disclosed as of yet.
With McCrary out of the picture, the Packers had three available practice squad spots to use. They chose to use all three, signing running back La’Mical Perine, fullback Andrew Beck and cornerback Kamal Hadden on Friday.
Perine is a former New York Jets fourth-round pick who has been signed to six clubs now in five seasons. While he did record 64 carries for 232 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie, Perine has only played in seven regular-season games since the end of the 2020 season. With AJ Dillon on season-ending injured reserve and rookie third-round pick MarShawn Lloyd still missing practice with a hamstring injury, the Packers need as much running back help as they can get, though.
On the flip side of the experience front, fullback/tight end Andrew Beck has 66 regular season games under his belt, including 22 starts — 12 of which came last year with the Houston Texans. Beck is a candidate to get promoted off of the practice squad eventually, as he’s played 994 special teams snaps over his NFL career. It’s not rare for the Matt LaFleur-era Packers to keep four tight end-type bodies on the active roster. Right now, the team only carries three.
Hadden is a 2024 rookie who was drafted in the sixth round by the Kansas City Chiefs before being waived at cutdowns. He’s the third cornerback to join the practice squad, which makes the room a little crowded, but he should be able to compete for the sixth cornerback job this season.
Shoutout to general manager Brian Gutekunst for being able to land a draft pick for free in August. That’s one way to earn back value after sending the club’s 2025 seventh-round pick to the Tennessee Titans for quarterback Malik Willis.
