The Green Bay Packers just pulled off a move that’s rewriting the playbook for in-season roster renovations, bringing in three new offensive linemen in a flurry of activity that’s virtually unprecedented. After an absolutely apocalyptic start to the year, the Packers suddenly raided the Cowboys’ practice squad for Laken Tomlinson, then picked up Mekhi Becton and Kevin Zeitler right off the street.
Unheard Of Moves For An O-Line
Seriously, I’ve been following this league for ages, writing about teams for 20 years, and I can’t recall anything like this kind of in-season renovation for a single position group. Sure, teams add a notable free agent here or there during the season. We’ve seen late-career mercenary signings like Snacks Harrison or Whitney Mercilus. The Packers themselves grabbed Cedric Benson right before the 2012 season to fix a struggling running back room. And who could forget Andre Rison getting claimed off waivers late in ’96? But those were one-off deals. This? This is on another level. Tomlinson, Becton, and Zeitler aren’t just depth pieces. They could all start for Green Bay. It wouldn’t surprise anyone to see two of the three, maybe even all three at some point, in the starting lineup given how bad the injury bug has bitten their line. You don’t just sign three potential starting linemen in the middle of the season. That’s bananas!
What Sparked This Desperate Scramble?
The need for some serious help up front was clear to anyone with eyes, but it felt like Brian Gutekunst and Matt LaFleur weren’t going to do anything about it for the first three weeks of the season. We watched Donovan Jennings get absolutely bullied up and down the field for two weeks straight before LaFleur even tried Jager Burton at left guard. And before this sudden spending spree, Gutekunst’s big move was signing Cordell Volson to the practice squad. What changed? What finally lit a fire under them? We can only speculate, but you gotta wonder if someone like Ed Policy finally threw a fit to get things moving. The fact that this happened now, in late September, instead of the offseason, makes it even more wild.
This situation is definitely something to keep an eye on. How quickly can these three new guys gel with the rest of the team? It’s going to be a fascinating watch to see if this last-ditch effort can stabilize their line and, honestly, maybe even save their season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Acme Packing Company.
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