The Green Bay Packers made a roster move on Monday that signals a competition is coming on the offensive line. The Packers promoted guard Mekhi Becton from the practice squad to the active roster and placed Jacob Monk on injured reserve.

Monk suffered a quad injury against the Detroit Lions on Sunday. Now he’s set to miss at least four games while on IR. Starting center Sean Rhyan also suffered a high ankle sprain, so he’s expected to miss some games as well. That type of injury tends to keep players out for three to six weeks. So fat, though, Rhyan hasn’t been placed on injured reserve.

Losing two centers in the same game forces Green Bay to adjust. The bigger story, though, is the decision to bring Becton up to the 53-man roster.

Right guard experience to challenge Glover

Becton signed with the Packers on Sept. 28. Almost a full month later, he’s finally getting his promotion to the active roster.

His background matters here. Over the past two years, Becton played 1,636 offensive snaps at right guard. That’s exactly the spot where the Packers’ offensive line could go through changes, because Travis Glover has been the weakest link up front.

Green Bay also has Kevin Zeitler as an option at right guard. However, Zeitler was inactive against the Lions. Therefore, the door is open for some competition at the position.

It probably won’t happen right away. The Packers face the Carolina Panthers on Thursday, and a short week doesn’t leave much room to reshuffle the starting lineup. After that, though, Green Bay gets a mini-bye before facing the New England Patriots in Week 9. That window gives the coaching staff extra time to evaluate Becton, Zeitler, and Glover before making any decision at right guard.

A crowded room up front

The Packers still carry 11 offensive linemen on the 53-man roster. At tackle, Jordan Morgan and Anthony Belton are the starters. John Williams is also in that group, and he ended up playing center against the Lions after Rhyan and Monk went down.

The guard spot is where the bulk of the depth sits. Laken Tomlinson and Glover have been the starters, but Green Bay also has Aaron Banks, Donovan Jennings, and Zeitler. Now Becton joins them.

At center, Rhyan is the primary option, but he might miss the next few games. Jager Burton, the fifth-round rookie, is also available. Burton has played guard as well, which adds another layer of versatility, even though the results are questionable at best.

The front office chose to create even more options by promoting Mekhi Becton. With Monk on injured reserve and Rhyan dealing with an ankle injury, Green Bay needed bodies on the interior. But the choice of Becton specifically, a player with significant right guard experience, is a signal that the front office and coaching staff could be open to making changes.