Matt LaFleur reveals the one trait that led the Packers to pull off unexpected but relevant trade
The head coach praised new Packers tight end Mark Redman because of his blocking ability.
The Green Bay Packers made a quiet but deliberate move right before roster cuts, acquiring tight end Mark Redman from the Los Angeles Rams for a 2028 seventh-round pick. The trade signals that the coaching staff and front office saw enough in the 24-year-old Y-tight end to skip the waiver process entirely rather than risk losing him.
Redman went undrafted in 2025 and spent his first professional year in Los Angeles. He returned to the Rams for training camp and the preseason this year, but LA’s heavy investment at the tight end position over the past two seasons made him expendable. For Green Bay, the fit was too good to pass up.
“The thing I liked about him most was the contact courage that he displays,” head coach Matt LaFleur said. ”He’s going to stick his face in there. He’s more of a wide body. He’s a big man.”
At 6-foot-5, 258 pounds, Redman brings a physical profile that stands apart from Green Bay’s other additions at the position. Compare him to free agent signing Jonnu Smith, who checks in at 6-foot-3, 248 pounds. That size difference is impactful at tight end, especially when the primary role is blocking at the point of attack.
What Redman adds to the offense
Smith is more of a receiving threat. He posted 884 yards and eight touchdowns for the Miami Dolphins in 2024, so his value in the passing game is well established. Redman, on the other hand, fills a different need within LaFleur’s offensive structure.
Tucker Kraft remains Green Bay’s do-everything tight end. But outside of Kraft, the Packers lacked a true in-line blocking presence. Even when Luke Musgrave returns from his neck injury, Redman provides a skill set that Musgrave (F-tight end) and Josh Whyle (H-back) do not. General manager Brian Gutekunast said he expects Musgrave to play at some point during the season, but Redman’s blocking ability gives the coaching staff an element they can deploy regardless of Musgrave’s timeline.
Preseason production for the Rams
Redman played three preseason games for the Rams and posted a 75.7 pass-block rate, reinforcing the blocking ability that attracted Green Bay. He was targeted only six times as a receiver but caught all six passes for 63 yards, generating a 110.4 passer rating when targeted.
The sample size is small, and nobody is projecting Redman as a significant receiving weapon. What those 39 pass snaps showed, though, is a tight end who can hold up in pass protection and contribute as a blocker. That’s exactly what the Packers were expecting when they made the trade.
