Packers sign 2 to practice squad on Tuesday

Per ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, the Green Bay Packers signed two offensive linemen to their practice squad on Tuesday: center Michal Menet and tackle Jean Delance. These two signings were among the six players who worked out for the team on Monday. The corresponding roster moves made to sign Menet and Delance were the releases of receiver Dede Westbrook and defensive lineman Jack Heflin from the practice squad.

Menet, originally a seventh-round pick of the Arizona Cardinals in 2021, was signed to the Packers practice squad late in his rookie season and spent the 2022 training camp in Green Bay. He was the Packers’ third-string center behind starter Josh Myers and backup Jake Hanson, who has been on the injured reserve since Week 7. Until this reunion in Green Bay, Menet was expected to be playing with the Seattle Sea Dragons in the XFL this spring.

Delance also has ties to the Packers, though, he’s never even practiced for the team. Green Bay originally brought in the former Florida Gator on a pre-draft visit back in April. As an undrafted free agent, Delance ended up signing with the Chicago Bears, who waived him with a non-football illness designation in late August. The Packers worked him out a second time in early October before this third visit that finally translated into a signing. For two weeks in November, Delance was on the Cardinals’ practice squad.

The release of Westbrook isn’t surprising, as the team still has three receivers on their practice squad roster: Juwann Winfree, Travis Fulgham and Jeff Cotton. Westbrook was a new-ish signing to the team who was supposed to be a potential return man, a position that Keisean Nixon has run away with over the last month.

The surprise came with the release of Heflin, who has been on the practice squad for the majority of the past two seasons. The Packers only have four interior defensive linemen under contract for 2023, with three of the four being true nose tackles. Green Bay was going to have to add some 3-4 defensive ends to the roster over the offseason, anyway, but this move suggests that they won’t be signing a defensive lineman to a futures contract in January.