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The competition is over, and the result is what many Green Bay Packers fans expected.
According to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, the Packers have decided that Brett Goode will be their long-snapper for the 2017 season. The report indicates that the team plans to release undrafted rookie Derek Hart, and he will be the first player let go as the team works its way down from a 90-man roster to the 53-man limit on Saturday, September 2nd.
Goode spent the past nine seasons as the Packers’ primary long-snapper, only missing time late in 2015 after suffering a torn ACL. At that time, he was replaced by Rick Lovato, whom the team released during the preseason in 2016 to bring Goode back into the fold. Hart then spent the offseason as the Packers’ primary long-snapper until Goode signed on August 12th, after which the two competed in practices and games.
With this move, the Packers will have two-thirds of the kicking game back in place for 2017, with Justin Vogel likely to take over for Jacob Schum as the holder and punter.