So long, Leonard Payne
According to NFL reporter Aaron Wilson, the Green Bay Packers have made a pair of transactions on Monday: officially re-signing exclusive rights free agent safety Zayne Anderson and releasing defensive tackle Leonard Payne. Anderson’s addition was expected, as the team picked up his ERFA tender a while ago, but Payne’s release is new information.
Based on the Packers’ reported undrafted free agent signings, which will have to be announced officially by the time the team starts their rookie minicamp this weekend, the Packers’ roster was at 92 players coming into Monday. The release of Payne gets them back down to 91 players, the offseason limit. So at this point, it looks like the reported signings were accurate.
The fact that Payne was on the chopping block ahead of cornerback Jaire Alexander, who the team is reportedly looking at still trading post-draft and has reportedly no interest in keeping through the regular season, is notable. If the Packers wanted to, they could have easily moved on from Alexander instead of Payne. Instead, the wait to see what Alexander’s fate ultimately will be continues.
Payne first worked out with the Packers in September but wasn’t signed to Green Bay until after the 2024 season, when he inked a reserve/futures deal with the team, similar to the deal that practice squad players receive. He was a 2024 free agent who played in the preseason for the Miami Dolphins, but never officially went through a practice with the Packers.
Worth noting, the Packers picked Georgia defensive tackle Warren Brinson in the sixth round and have reportedly signed Georgia defensive tackle Nazir Stackhouse as an undrafted free agent. With those additions, despite releasing Payne, the team currently carries nine defensive tackles going into their first week of in-person voluntary workouts.