Green Bay Packers bring in 5 players on workouts

According to the league transactions report, provided by Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network, the Green Bay Packers worked out the following players on Thursday: Shaun Beyer (TE, Iowa), Rysen John (TE, Simon Fraser), Jamal Pettigrew (TE, McNeese State), Sheldrick Redwine (DB, Miami) and Rod Williams (WR, Tennessee-Martin.) Before the full list of workouts was released, the Packers had already signed Beyer to the practice squad, filling out the 15th of 16 spots on the unit.

Beyer was primarily a run-blocker at Iowa who had a breakout senior season that led to an undrafted free agent contract that included substantial guarantees with the Denver Broncos in 2021. After the staff turned over, Beyer was let go and spent the past preseason with the Minnesota Vikings, who waived him last week.

Now that the tight end position is addressed, don’t expect John or Pettigrew to be Packers in the near future. John, listed at 6’7” and 220 pounds, has been off-and-on the New York Giants’ practice squad, injured reserve and offseason roster since 2020. The former receiver also spent time with the Chicago Bears, where he was just released from in August. His negotiation rights in the Canadian Football League (John both was born and played college football in British Columbia) are held by the Calgary Stampeders, who picked him with the first selection of the third round in the 2020 CFL draft. Pettigrew (6’7”, 247 pounds), who started his college football career at LSU before dropping down to the FCS with McNeese State, is a rookie who previously signed with the Los Angeles Rams as an undrafted free agent.

Micah Abernathy, the safety Green Bay waived from their 53-man roster yesterday, has yet to sign with the team’s practice squad, which general manager Brian Gutekunst stated on Wednesday he had hoped Abernathy would do if he passed through waivers. No one put in a claim on Abernathy following his release, which now makes him a free agent who may sign with any team’s practice squad. In the context of the lack of a decision from Abernathy’s camp, Redwine’s visit is interesting.

Redwine, who plays safety, has played 648 defensive snaps and 329 special teams snaps for the Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins and New York Jets during the regular season. He was originally drafted in the fourth round by the Browns in 2019. If the team does not bring back Abernathy, safety is the only offensive or defensive position not represented on Green Bay’s practice squad.

The other “non-tight end” is Williams, who actually was listed as a tight end by the Denver Broncos when they signed him as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2022. The former FCS All-American is listed as a 6’4”, 235-pounder and recently worked out for the San Francisco 49ers. For whatever reason, the Shanahan coaching tree has been bouncing him around this summer. At his pro day, Williams ran a 4.51-second 40-yard dash.