Packers Sign an Intriguing Return Man to the Practice Squad

Outside of Corey Bojorquez, and even he has had some ups and downs this season, the play of this Green Bay Packers special teams unit has not only been disappointing but a liability as well. 

 

The number of mistakes that have been made this season are too long to list, but we will just say that Green Bay had more special teams errors against Chicago and Baltimore than what many teams will have over the course of an entire season. 

 

Following the Bears game, Matt LaFleur told reporters that it was “all hands on deck,” meaning we could see some key offensive and defensive contributors taking special teams snaps–which we already have with Allen Lazard, Rasul Douglas, and Aaron Jones. 

 

It also meant that GM Brian Gutekunst was scouring the other 31 practice squads as well as free agency for any potential upgrades. 

 

Now, at this point in the season, the Packers are who they are in terms of special teams play. There isn’t a magic addition or strategy that that is going to turn them around and make them a top-10 or even a top-20 unit. However, with that said, if they don’t cut down on the mistakes, it very well could cost them in the playoffs, and finding some added playmaking ability would be a bonus as well. 

 

One way to add more playmaking to this unit is to upgrade the return positions, which have been very underwhelming. Out of 18 eligible punt returners, Amari Rodgers ranks 12th in average return, but the real issues have been the indecisiveness he displays with the ball in his hands, as well as the inability to field punts cleanly at times.

 

On kick returns, Taylor ranks 69th out of 100 eligible returners with an average return of 19.4 yards. It’s also worth pointing out that Rodgers ranks 100th. But even if Green Bay wanted to continue leaning on these two, they can’t right now because Taylor is on IR and Rodgers is on the reserve/COVID list. 

 

Internal options to replace Taylor as kick returner include Patrick Taylor or Aaron Jones–although that comes with some risk. On punts, the Packers could look to Chandon Sullivan, something they did a few weeks ago, or perhaps they turn to Brian Gutekunst’s most recent addition to the practice squad, David Moore. 

 

A receiver, the 6’0″ – 215 pound Moore was a seventh-round pick by the Seattle Seahawks in 2017. Over his career, he’s been targeted 137 times with a catch rate of 59 percent, including 15.1 yards per catch, and 13 touchdowns, with a majority of his snaps coming on the boundary, according to PFF. Although it’s a bonus that he does have this experience on offense, where Moore can really make his impact on this Green Bay Packers team is by returning punts. 

 

Moore, who ran a 4.43 40-yard dash coming out of college, has 22 career punt return attempts with an average of 8.4 yards per return. For some context, if Moore averaged that this season, he would rank eighth in the NFL, and that average would be nearly a full yard more than Rodgers. Moore does also have four kick return attempts but has averaged only 16.3 yards per return. 

 

“He does have a skill-set and, when he’s ready to rock and roll, I’m sure he’ll get the green light,” special teams coordinator Maurice Drayton said on Thursday via SI.

 

It goes without saying, but expectations should be tempered. We don’t know when or if at all Moore would be added to the 53-man roster or if he’d be given the opportunity to return punts. 

 

But for a Packers team that has struggled mightily in this area all season long, what do they have to lose at this point? I mean, something has to change.

 

Two seasons ago, we saw Tyler Ervin save what was going to be a historically bad punt return unit. Could Moore have a similar impact heading into the playoffs?