Packers Sign Tight End Sal Cannella

The Green Bay Packers filled out their 90-man roster by signing all-USFL tight end Sal Cannella.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers signed one of the four players they worked out this week but it wasn’t receiver John Brown.

Instead, according to a team source, they signed tight end Sal Cannella, who recently was selected to the all-USFL team.

Listed by the New Orleans Breakers as 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds, he ranked sixth overall and first among tight ends in the USFL with 34 receptions, which he turned into 368 yards and two touchdowns.

Cannella played at Auburn from 2017 through 2019 and caught 25 passes during those three seasons. He went undrafted and unsigned in 2020. He was selected in the 34th round of the USFL Draft.

Cannella has a good opportunity with the Packers. The unit’s best player, Robert Tonyan, is coming off a torn ACL. He might not be cleared for Day 1 of training camp. Veteran Marcedes Lewis is the blocker and former third-round pick Josiah Deguara is viewed more as a fullback than a tight end.

The 25-year-old Cannella shows the importance of having a developmental league, whether it’s the USFL or the XFL, to give talented players a huge volume of snaps for NFL scouts to watch.

A story by FoxSports.com, featuring thoughts of NFL talent evaluators, listed eight players competing in the USFL playoffs who were worthy of a shot in the NFL. Cannella was among them.

“Cannella has a long wingspan and does a nice job creating separation in confined spaces such as the red zone. And he’s an able blocker in the run game,” read the story.

A native of Schaumburg, Ill., Cannella was the No. 1-ranked tight end coming out of Scottsdale (Ariz.) Community College in 2016. At Auburn, he played tight end in 2017, tight end and receiver in 2018 and receiver in 2019, when he caught 10 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns.

Cannella wasn’t highly recruited coming out of high school and he was ignored at Scottsdale, despite his performance. He e-mailed coach after coach after coach – multiple times – before finally catching the attention of then-Auburn tight ends coach Scott Fountain.

“I remember him telling me on my visit, ‘Yeah, I remember your email. I kept getting it, and I didn’t open it until like the fourth time you sent it,’” Cannella recalled to AL.com. “And I’m like, ‘Yeah, persistence.’”

His attitude then should work for him now when the Packers hit the practice field for the first time on July 27.

“Nothing’s given,” Cannella said in the AL.com story. “Nothing’s given. I’ve still got a lot to prove. I feel like I can show him a lot. That’s how I go about it every day. I know nothing’s given. I just go out there every day and just show you what I can do and give you a reason to play me.”

State of the Packers Following Offseason

Here is everything you need to know about the offseason that was and the training camp that's coming up.

Departures: Led by Davante Adams

The Packers lost six starters this offseason, none more important than the trade of All-Pro receiver Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders.

Adams is one of the NFL’s marquee players. Over the last six seasons, no receiver had more receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns than Adams. It will be impossible to replace his combination of skill, production and leadership.

The Packers gained the 22nd and 53rd selections of this year’s draft in the trade. Pick No. 22 was used on linebacker Quay Walker. Pick No. 53 and Green Bay’s choice at No. 59 were sent to the Vikings to move up to No. 34 to select receiver Christian Watson. Moreover, the monetary savings allowed them to re-sign cornerback Rasul Douglas.

That’s a pretty good return, but that will matter only if Rodgers has open receivers in big moments in big games.

Other starters who are no longer with the Packers:

RT Billy Turner (released; Broncos)

G/C Lucas Patrick (Bears)

WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling (Chiefs)

OLB Za’Darius Smith (released; Vikings)

CB Chandon Sullivan (Vikings)

These reserves also will be suiting up elsewhere this season.

RT Dennis Kelly (Colts)

WR Equanimeous St. Brown (Bears)

WR David Moore (Bears)

DT Tyler Lancaster (Raiders)

ILB Oren Burks (49ers)

P Corey Bojorquez (Browns).

Additions: Led by Sammy Watkins

Green Bay added four veterans, and they all could have key roles.

WR Sammy Watkins: Watkins, the fourth pick of the 2014 draft, had a 1,000-yard season in 2015 but hasn’t come close since. Injuries have played a role in his career stalling. Having turned 29 earlier in the week, this might be his last chance to earn a prime role on an offense. He knows it, too.

“He’s going to be a big part of our offense,” coach Matt LaFleur predicted. Considering the state of the receiver corps, that statement must ring true.

DT Jarran Reed: Reed, a second-round pick in 2016, has had only one really good season. That came in 2018, when he had 10.5 of his 24.5 career sacks and 12 of his 24 career tackles for losses. Still, he has been a durable, reliable performer. Other than 2019, when he was suspended for six games, he’s played in all but two games in his career. He’s played 60-plus percent of the defensive snaps the last five seasons.

With Kenny Clark, Reed, Dean Lowry, first-round pick Devonte Wyatt and TJ Slaton, the Packers could have a defensive line that will rival just about any team in the NFL.

CB Keisean Nixon: In three seasons with the Raiders, Nixon played mostly on special teams. He’ll be a key figure in that phase, given his experience with new special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia, but he also spent the offseason as the next man up behind the premier cornerback trio of Jaire Alexander, Rasul Douglas and Eric Stokes. He has just one career pass defensed. That is one more than everyone else, though.

P Pat O’Donnell: Corey Bojorquez had a great leg but lacked consistency. So, the Packers let him go and signed O’Donnell, Chicago’s punter from the past eight seasons. What the Packers will lose in distance, they hope they’ll make up for in hang time and holding on kicks.

Staff Changes: Adam Stenavich Replaces Nathaniel Hackett

Considering Green Bay’s success – especially on offense the past two seasons – it was only a matter of time until LaFleur’s staff was raided.

So, offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett went to Denver to be the Broncos’ new coach. Sharing a U-Haul was Justin Outten, with the former tight ends coach joining Hackett as offensive coordinator. Luke Getsy, Aaron Rodgers’ quarterbacks coach the past three seasons, went to Chicago as the play-calling offensive coordinator for new coach Matt Eberflus.

In response, LaFleur promoted Adam Stenavich from offensive line coach to offensive coordinator and bumped Luke Butkus to offensive line coach. Tom Clements, with years of experience with Rodgers, was called out of retirement and brought back as quarterbacks coach. John Dunn, a former tight ends coach with the Jets, was promoted into Outten’s old role.

How will all of that work out? Will the offense have the same creativity with Stenavich? And will Butkus possess the same magic with the linemen?

If the answers to those questions are a mystery, there is no mystery on special teams, with Rich Bisaccia replacing Maurice Drayton (who replaced Shawn Mennenga who replaced Ron Zook who replaced Shawn Slocum …). Green Bay’s special teams will be better because they can’t be worse.

All year, it seemed inevitable that the season would crash and burn on a special teams miscue. In the playoff loss to the 49ers, there was a blocked field goal before halftime and a blocked punt that resulted in the deciding touchdown in the final moments.

Over the last 16 years – dating to Mike McCarthy’s debut season in 2006 – the Packers finished 32nd four times, 31st once and 29th three times in Rick Gosselin’s annual rankings. That’s eight seasons in or near the league’s basement. During that same span, the Packers recorded exactly one top-10 finish, a seventh-place mark in 2007 under Mike Stock. Over that same span, Bisaccia’s units have finished, on average, 11.5 spots better.

In one other noteworthy change, Mike Smith vaulted from Green Bay to Minnesota, where he’ll coach the outside linebackers and serve as pass-rush specialist. Smith, who played a huge role in Rashan Gary’s rise to stardom, was replaced by Jason Rebrovich.

Building Block: Joe Barry’s Defense

Marcedes Lewis called it “salty.”

Jaire Alexander called it “nasty.”

Rashan Gary called it “scary.”

Green Bay’s defense, which was pretty good last season, delivered a masterpiece in the playoff loss to the 49ers. With the re-signing of De’Vondre Campbell and Rasul Douglas, the return of Alexander from last year’s shoulder injury and the addition of first-round picks Quay Walker and Devonte Wyatt, the Packers know the potential they have on the defensive side of the ball.

Defense wins championships. On paper, Green Bay could have that kind of unit. But quarterbacks aren’t sacked, running backs aren’t stuffed and turnovers aren’t created on paper. And, in reality, the defense was mostly terrible for the final seven games of the regular season.

“We’ve got to play a game first,” Alexander said, “but we’ve got all the pieces.”

There is at least one stud player in every position group. On the defensive line, it’s Pro Bowler Kenny Clark. At outside linebacker, it’s the rampaging Gary and veteran Preston Smith. At inside linebacker, it’s the All-Pro Campbell. At cornerback, it’s the elite trio of Alexander, Douglas and Eric Stokes. At safety, it’s the top tandem of Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage. With the addition of Wyatt in the draft and Jarran Reed in free agency, Clark won’t be flying solo. Campbell and Walker could be an elite duo at linebacker.

It all sounds good in May and June, but the depth is highly questionable at outside linebacker, cornerback and safety.

“We’re here for one reason,” defensive coordinator Joe Barry said. “When you have a quarterback like we have and if we keep doing our job building on defense, our mindset is that we want to win a world title. We want to win a championship. That’s the mindset we have every single day when we walk into this building.”

Biggest Question That Must Be Resolved at Training Camp

The Packers aren’t paying Aaron Rodgers a gazillion dollars to hand the ball off 40 times a game. They’re going to continue to throw the football, which means a player or three are going to have to emerge as reliable threats at receiver.

Allen Lazard, Sammy Watkins and Randall Cobb are the veterans. They’ve been there and done that, even if the “there” and “that” aren’t exactly awe-inspiring. Amari Rodgers, who did next to nothing on offense as a rookie, and the three draft picks are the men of mystery. Juwann Winfree should compete for playing time, as well, as could Malik Taylor and undrafted rookie Danny Davis.

“It’s early. I’m not going to make a lot of impression statements about them,”  Rodgers said. “But the most important thing is the mental part right now. As much as there’s conversation around the importance of me being here and how much that means to the young guys, the most important thing for the young guys right now is to learn the offense.

“Like I’ve said many times, there’s two offenses. There’s the offense on paper and then there’s the offense that gets run on the field. They need to learn the offense on paper first, and once they get that down, then we’ll have plenty of time in training camp to get the other offense down.”

The faster the trust emerges and there is a comfort with the other offense, the faster the new-look offense will deliver typical production.

Draft Pick Outlook: Christian Watson Works with Starters

Nothing has been handed to Green Bay’s rookie class.

No. 22: LB Quay Walker – Walker was given some first-team reps but worked mostly behind All-Pro De’Vondre Campbell and returning starter Krys Barnes.

No. 28: DT Devonte Wyatt – Even with Dean Lowry out with an undisclosed injury, the Packers spent most of the spring with Kenny Clark, Jarran Reed and T.J. Slaton as the starting trio.

No. 34: WR Christian Watson – Watson probably got more first-team reps than any of the rookies in the spring, though a lot of that was due to the absence of Allen Lazard. Watson had a few early drops but caught the ball better as the spring progressed.

No. 92: OL Sean Rhyan – Rhyan received second-team reps, mostly at guard but some at right tackle.

No. 132: WR Romeo Doubs – Doubs showed his field-stretching ability a number of times and got some first-team action with Lazard missing all of the practices and Sammy Watkins missing several.

No. 140: OL Zach Tom – Tom wants to be a five-position player but spent the spring getting second-team action at guard and center.

No. 179: OLB Kingsley Enagbare – Worked with the third team, behind starters Preston Smith and Rashan Gary and returning backups Tipa Galeai and La’Darius Hamilton.

No. 228: S Tariq Carpenter – Carpenter, who played safety at Georgia Tech and looks like a linebacker, got third-team reps at safety. If a hybrid role is being crafted for Carpenter, that was done behind closed doors.

No. 234: DT Jonathan Ford – The mammoth Ford got third-team reps on the defensive line.

No. 249: OT Rasheed Walker – With David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins rehabbing knee injuries, Walker was the second-team left tackle.

No. 258: WR Samori Toure – Toure worked mostly with the deep backups but made some plays in a couple two-minute drills.

Injuries: All Eyes on Knees

Pro Bowl offensive linemen David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins, tight end Robert Tonyan and running back Kylin Hill sat out the practices while rehabbing their ACLs. Encouragingly, coach Matt LaFleur said the expectation is Bakhtiari will be on the field for Day 1 of training camp.

“We fully anticipate him being ready to go, but we did last year, as well,” he said. “So, I think time will tell. But we feel good about the work that he’s put in and where he’s at.”

It’s too early to tell when the others will return, though they presumably will open training camp on the physically unable to perform list. That opens the door for them to open the regular season on PUP, as well.

“We’ll have a better idea as we get closer to training camp,” LaFleur said. “Those are some really important players for us.”

Two defensive linemen, veteran Dean Lowry and undrafted rookie Hauati Pututau, were sidelined by undisclosed injuries. Receivers Juwann Winfree and Malik Taylor missed a little time, as well.

Position Previews and More

Get ready for July 27, the first practice of training camp, with this unique series of features.

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

NFC North Insiders

Get ready for the 2022 NFL season with our 12-part NFC North Insiders series, with stories running every Saturday and Sunday until training camp. The series will conclude this weekend with our all-NFC North teams.

Part 1: Team MVPs for each team on both sides of the ball

Part 2: The biggest addition and loss for each team

Part 3: Most overrated player for each team

Part 4: Most underrated player for each team

Part 5: Best-case scenarios

Part 6: Worst-case scenarios

Part 7: Players most likely to surprise

Part 8: Players most likely to disappoint

Part 9: Biggest remaining question

Part 10: Most important rookies

Part 11: All-NFC North offense (coming Saturday)

Part 12: All-NFC North defense (coming Sunday)