Packers Sign Abernathy; Ahmed Could Be Next

The Green Bay Packers made official the signing of safety Micah Abernathy to their practice squad and cleared a spot by releasing Rico Gafford.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers made official the practice-squad signing of safety Micah Abernathy on Friday. They also released cornerback Rico Gafford from the practice squad, presumably creating an opening for kicker Ramiz Ahmed.

Abernathy was one of the great short stories of the summer. A starter for the Houston Gamblers of the USFL, Abernathy was signed midway through training camp after one injury after another wiped out the depth at safety.

Abernathy wound up being a lot more than a fresh set of legs to take some of the strain off Adrian Amos. He had one interception against the Saints and probably would have had another against Kansas City had he not been grabbed by a Chiefs receiver. He made the 53-man roster on Tuesday, only to be released a day later so the team could sign veteran Rudy Ford.

“Talk about a guy that took advantage of his opportunities,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said on Wednesday. “It really goes to show a guy that had some opportunities early in his career and it didn’t work out for him, and just getting himself prepared with the USFL and all the different league he played in, because he got here really late and hit the ground running. Every time he got an opportunity, he certainly took advantage of it.”

After clearing waivers on Thursday, he signed his practice squad contract. The Packers made it official on Friday.

Gafford, the rocket-fast cornerback who switched to receiver with the Raiders and back to cornerback with the Packers, ran with the No. 2 defense all summer and ahead of Kiondre Thomas. The Packers, though, are sticking with Thomas on the practice squad. The other cornerback on the practice squad is Benjie Franklin, an undrafted rookie from Tarleton State. With a 4.32 in the 40, he’s not quite as fast as Gafford but he’s 2 inches taller at 5-foot-11 1/2.

The 16th spot on the practice squad likely will go to Ahmed. Ahmed, who made a 61-yard field goal in the USFL, was signed for the final two weeks of training camp. He was exceptional, making all his kicks in the two games and only missing a couple at practice.

“He was born with a gifted leg, that’s for sure,” former NFL kicker and current kicking coach John Carney said over the phone recently. “Like many specialists, the next step often takes a few years and some growing and some maturity. He has put a lot of time and effort and education into his kicking and into his craft. He is an NFL kicker. It’s just a matter of what team and when it’s going to happen. He has dialed in his game and his mental process. He showed that in the USFL. I’m excited for him. He’s got a future in the NFL. I think his future is bright.”

Ahmed will provide some insurance for veteran kicker Mason Crosby, who missed all of training camp following knee surgery. He also could be a long-term option with Crosby – who will turn 38 on Saturday – entering his final season under contract.

“We’re very hopeful Mason’s going to be back in time,” Gutekunst said. “We still have a little ways to go, so the plan is to bring Ramiz back to the practice squad and have him there in case we don’t get there. But he’s progressing very nicely and we expect him to kick Game 1. But we’ll be prepared if he doesn’t.”