Packers Add Cornerback, Release Three Rookies
GREEN BAY, Wis. – The people in charge of printing Green Bay Packers practice jerseys are having a busy training camp eve.
One day before the Packers hit the practice field for the first time in camp, they signed cornerback Donte Vaughn and made official the signing of receiver Osirus Mitchell as well as the addition of center Ty Clary.
To make room on the roster, they released three undrafted rookies: defensive tackle Hauati Pututau, safety Tre Sterling and cornerback Raleigh Texada. Pututau was injured for the second half of the offseason practices, newly signed safety Dallin Leavitt essentially replaces Sterling and Vaughn essentially replaces Texada as the young cornerback on the bottom of the depth chart.
Vaughn (6-2, 211), a first-year player out of Notre Dame, was signed by the Los Angeles Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2020. After spending his rookie season on their practice squad, he was released following training camp last summer.
Vaughn played four seasons for the Fighting Irish, appearing in 41 games with eight starts. As a senior in 2019, he started three games and broke up five passes. Injuries were a major theme to his career but he didn’t quit. A big game against USC star Michael Pittman helped turn around his career.
“My purpose on this earth is my family,” Vaughn told The South Bend Tribune. “I’ve been blessed with all these abilities and talents. God gave me these for a reason, and that was to maximize everything that I have around me in order to lead my family to a better place when it’s all said and done.”
Because of COVID, Vaughn didn’t get a chance to show his talents at pro day. So, he and some other Notre Dame players filmed a workout and sent it to scouts.
“It feels like I’m a high school player telling a coach to check out my Hudl (highlights),” Vaughn said. “It’s a crazy process, but we’ve all been sticking together and working through this. It’s not only affecting one person. It’s affecting all of us.”
While his NFL dream has been renewed, others might have died.
At Utah, Pututau, who like seven-year pro Kenny Clark is 26, redshirted in 2016 and made his first starts in 2019 (one) and 2020 (three). In 2021, he took advantage of the NCAA’s COVID year. He played in 14 games with eight starts, tallying three sacks and 4.5 tackles for losses among 18 tackles.
At Oklahoma State, Sterling as a sophomore in 2019 and junior in 2020 recorded 144 tackles, including 20 for losses. He led the Cowboys with 12 tackles for losses in 2020 but torn ligaments in his wrist, an injury that required surgery, limited him to only five games in 2021.
At Baylor, Texada was a three-year starter who finished his career with three interceptions, 15 passes defensed and 6.5 tackles for losses. He started eight times in 2021 and intercepted one pass.
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Three: Defensive line – Starters Alongside Kenny Clark
Four: Outside linebacker – Next Man Up
Five: Safety – Next Man Up
Six: Cornerback – Next Man Up
Seven: Special teams – Long Snapper
Eight: Receiver – Randall Cobb vs. Amari Rodgers
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Packers Training Camp Previews
Countdown to Packers Training Camp
Get ready for July 27, the first practice of training camp, with this unique series of features and position breakdowns.
Part 1 (30 days): All Matt LaFleur does is win (in the regular season)
Part 2 (29 days): Dominant Rasul Douglas
Part 3 (28 days): Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon
Part 4 (27 days): 27 is the magic number
Part 5 (26 days): Rich Bisaccia’s brilliance on special teams
Part 6 (25 days): Aaron Rodgers vs. the NFC North
Part 7 (24 days): Can defensive live up to hype?
Part 8 (23 days; July 4): These players will provide the touchdown-scoring fireworks
Part 9 (22 days): Homefield dominance
Part 10 (21 days): Christian Watson and history of FCS receivers
Part 11 (20 days): 20 reasons why Packers will win Super Bowl
Part 12 (19 days): Packers excel at avoiding turnovers
Part 13 (18 days): Why Packers could lead NFL in interceptions
Part 14 (17 days): How Packers will replace No. 17
Part 15 (16 days): Mason Crosby kicking into NFL record book
Part 16 (15 days): Positional preview No. 1 – Quarterbacks
Part 17 (14 days): Positional preview No. 2 – Running backs
Part 18 (13 days): Positional preview No. 3 – Receivers
Part 19 (12 days): Positional preview No. 4 – Tight ends
Part 20 (11 days): Positional preview No. 5 – Offensive line
Part 21 (10 days): Positional preview No. 6 – Defensive line
Part 22 (9 days): Positional preview No. 7 – Outside linebackers
Part 23 (8 days): Positional preview No. 8 – Inside linebackers
Part 24 (7 days): Positional preview No. 9 – Cornerbacks
Part 25 (6 days): Positional preview No. 10 – Safeties
Part 26 (5 days): Positional preview No. 11 – Special teams
Part 27 (4 days): 10 biggest questions of training camp
Part 28 (3 days): 15 biggest battles of training camp
Part 29 (2 days): 10 players Bill wants to see
Part 30 (1 day): 53-man roster projection