Packers Signing Caleb Jones to Active Roster
GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers are signing rookie offensive lineman Caleb Jones from their practice squad to the 53-man roster, according to a source.
By the end of Sunday’s loss at the Minnesota Vikings, the Packers were without three starters. Left tackle David Bakhtiari and right tackle Elgton Jenkins were inactive as they battle back from knee injuries and left guard Jon Runyan dropped out with a concussion. That left them with only two not-ready-to-play rookies, third-rounder Sean Rhyan and seventh-rounder Rasheed Walker, in reserve.
The Packers now have 11 offensive linemen on their roster. Jones takes the place of linebacker Krys Barnes, who was placed on injured reserve.
The transaction has more to do with Jones than the future of Bakhtiari. An undrafted free agent from Indiana, Jones had an excellent training camp. Between his play in three preseason games and the rave reviews of quarterback Aaron Rodgers, it wouldn’t have been a surprise had another team been ready to poach Jones off Green Bay’s practice squad. The promotion prevents the Packers from losing a promising prospect.
“I thought Caleb had a great camp and deserved to be on the 53,” Rodgers said. “Lucky to get him back on the p-squad. Looks like he has a bright future in this league. You can’t teach that kind of size. But, take the 6-9, 340 out of the way, the way that he worked from spring to fall camp and then throughout fall camp, he has what it takes to be a player in this league. I told him that a couple weeks ago.”
Jones weighed 370 pounds at pro day, a big reason why he went undrafted despite being a three-year starter. By midway through training camp, he was 338 pounds. His play reflected his new body.
“Obviously, he’s got rare length and I think he’s one of those guys for as big as he is – everyone wants to talk about his size – he’s a little bit better foot athlete than I think people give him credit for,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said.
“We liked his play temperament coming out of college. You’ve got to give him a lot of credit. He’s made the most of his opportunities. He’s gotten himself in really good shape, probably the best shape he’s been in since high school. He’s done a really nice job, so I’m excited for him, among others, to get out there Friday and really have an opportunity to see what they can do.”
If he plays in a game, the 6-foot-8 7/8 rookie would be the tallest player in Packers history.
Going undrafted “definitely fuels me a little bit,” Jones said during camp. “I can’t blame anybody but myself for where I ended up going in the draft and me being an undrafted guy. I didn’t show people that I can consistently take care of my weight and be an athlete and play with these guys that are running 4.4s or 4.5s. Now that I am at a good weight and now that I’m out here competing on a consistent basis, it plays in the back of my mind, ‘Yeah, I was undrafted.’ But that doesn’t mean anything. I’m going to make a name for myself, same as everybody else.”
