Packers work out 3 players ahead of trade deadline

According to NFL reporter Aaron Wilson, the Green Bay Packers worked out three players on Monday — which is unusual, as they typically bring in potential signings on Tuesday. Maybe that has something to do with the trade deadline, which happens to overlap with their typical Tuesday schedule.

The players that were brought in, per Wilson, were offensive lineman Obinna Eze, safety Anthony Cook and safety Tyree Gillespie. The biggest name of the bunch is probably Gillespie, who is a former fourth-round pick.

Eze is a 6’6” tackle who was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Detroit Lions in 2022. He made the team’s practice squad as a rookie, but he was not kept by the Lions after cutdowns in 2023. The Pittsburgh Steelers held onto Eze for three weeks earlier this month, but they released him from the practice squad last week. It’s worth noting here that Green Bay plays the Steelers in two weeks.

Cook is a former undrafted free agent from Texas who was picked up by the Kansas City Chiefs this April. He’s a hybrid safety/cornerback who played multiple roles for Texas throughout his college career, including the slot position.

As mentioned previously, Gillespie was a fourth-round pick of the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021, following a college career with the Missouri Tigers. After his rookie year, he was traded to the Tennessee Titans for a conditional seventh-round pick, but the Titans would later release him two weeks later at the cutdown deadline. From there, he was claimed by the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he stuck on the 53-man roster for three and a half months before being dropped down to the practice squad.

The Jaguars waived Gillespie in May, but their divisional rival Houston Texans put in a waiver claim for him. He remained on the Texans’ offseason roster until August 23rd when Gillespie was placed on the injured reserve with a knee injury. A week later, he was waived with an injury settlement.

The fact that the Packers are looking at the safety position is interesting, as Darnell Savage (calf) is on the injured reserve. At the moment, the only safeties on the practice squad are Innis Gaines, who primarily plays a “big slot” role, and undrafted rookie Benny Sapp III.