Packers have a good problem on their hands after Rashan Gary's return
The Green Bay Packers took star pass rusher off the PUP list on Monday, which is obviously great news for the defense.And all of a sudden, an already-crowded OLB/EDGE room just became even more so. With Gary back in action, the Packers now have a legitimate four-man rotation in Gary, Preston Smith, Lukas Van Ness, […]
The Green Bay Packers took star pass rusher off the PUP list on Monday, which is obviously great news for the defense.
And all of a sudden, an already-crowded OLB/EDGE room just became even more so.
With Gary back in action, the Packers now have a legitimate four-man rotation in Gary, Preston Smith, Lukas Van Ness, and then you can make your pick between either KeKe Enagbare or Justin Hollins.
Technically, it's a five-man rotation because, right now, it's uncertain how much of an edge (pun intended) either of the latter two players has over the other – if any, at all. The good news for both guys is the Packers have carried five OLBs/EDGEs since Joe Barry became defensive coordinator in 2021. That doesn't mean it's a lock to happen again this year, but it's always nice to have history on your side.
Said history could quickly change this year, however. A guy like Innis Gaines, Corey Ballentine, or Tariq Carpenter could work their way onto the roster and shrink the OLB room down to four. This is all hypothetical, but it can certainly happen based off of training camp developments, thus far.
There's also undrafted free agent Brenton Cox Jr. The former Florida Gator has shown promise throughout the offseason and there have been plenty of people close to the team that have said it wouldn't be a big surprise if he were to make the roster. With Gary now in the fold and counting toward the Packers roster – Cox Jr. is going to have to bust his ass and really impress his coaches over these final few weeks.
Gary's return is going to ratchet up the competition and intensity in the pass rush department, which in turn, should give the Packers coaching staff some tough decisions to make down the line.
That's a great problem to have in the NFL. Teams want to be forced into making tough calls because, typically, that means there are plenty of good players to choose from.
And when placing that "problem" in the context of pass rushers -some of the most important players in today's game- it becomes that much better.
Packers confirm the suspicion surrounding Rashan Gary’s return from injury
The Packers have started the week off with some excellent news.
Featured image via Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK
