The Green Bay Packers just made some wild roster moves, adding Laken Tomlinson to their 53-man roster and Mekhi Becton Sr. to their practice squad. Tomlinson was previously on the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad, and Becton was a street free agent. These additions forced the Packers to make corresponding moves, completely reshaping their offensive and defensive line depth.
The New Faces and Tough Departures
To make space for Tomlinson, the Packers placed right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele on injured reserve after he suffered a complete tear of his Patellar tendon. Man, that’s brutal. It’s looking like Bako-Bewele won’t play another game for the Packers in 2026, and his future with the team next offseason is a huge question mark. His IR designation wasn’t for a return, making the roster spot immediately available. Then, to bring Becton into the practice squad as their fifth offensive lineman there, Green Bay cut defensive tackle Eric Johnson II. Johnson was the sole interior lineman on their practice squad, so that’s a big shift in philosophy.
Overloaded Lines and Familiar Faces
These moves leave the Packers with some seriously interesting roster balance issues. They’re already “oversigned” at defensive tackle on the 53-man roster, rocking seven players there. But now, with 15 offensive linemen in practice, they’re clearly “oversigned” on the offensive line too. Talk about a commitment to the big boys up front! It’s not totally out of left field, though. Tomlinson has history with Green Bay offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich, who was the 49ers’ assistant offensive line coach when Tomlinson was in San Francisco from 2017 to 2018. Tomlinson also played for the Jets in 2022 and 2023 under offensive coordinators Mike LaFleur, Matt LaFleur’s brother, and Nathaniel Hackett, who used to be Green Bay’s OC. Becton also spent two years with the Jets under Mike LaFleur in 2021 and 2022. Clearly, they’re bringing in guys who know the system or at least parts of it.
More Injury Woes Looming
Beyond the O-line shuffle, there’s more injury news stirring. Wide receiver Jayden Reed hasn’t been placed on injured reserve yet, but it’s sounding like that move is expected. Head coach Matt LaFleur stated on Monday there’s no timeline for Reed’s return, which is never what you want to hear early in the season. The current roster shows them carrying three quarterbacks, 5-6 running backs, 7-9 receivers, 5-6 tight ends, a whopping 15 offensive linemen, and 7-8 defensive linemen. They’re definitely betting big on offensive line depth.
With Zach Bako-Bewele likely out for the year and Jayden Reed’s return up in the air, the Packers are banking on these new offensive line additions to solidify things up front. It’ll be fascinating to see how they manage an “oversigned” offensive line group and how these new guys, with their familiar scheme connections, impact the team’s early season play.
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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