Packers lose out on guard to New England Patriots

Six United Football League players had their contracts with the league terminated on Monday, the first day that UFL players were allowed to sign with NFL franchises following the spring season. Among those six were two targets that the Green Bay Packers had reportedly tried to sign.

The first is kicker Jake Bates, who signed with the Detroit Lions after a strong campaign with the Michigan Panthers. Bates reportedly visited Green Bay before making his decision, but he chose to sign with the Lions over the other five teams who were interested in adding the placekicker.

The second player of note, from a Packers’ perspective, is offensive lineman Liam Fornadel of the DC Defenders — who was an All-XFL player in the 2023 season. Like Bates, Green Bay reportedly brought in Fornadel — who is best known for his guard play — on a visit before the offensive lineman signed with the New England Patriots.

Currently, the Packers have limited guard depth on their roster, compared to how many bodies they’ve allocated to the tackle position. Elgton Jenkins plays all across the line as does Zach Tom — who is currently expected to be the team’s starting right tackle in Week 1. Opposite of Jenkins, the players fighting for playing time at right guard are Sean Rhyan and 2024 first-round pick Jordan Morgan, who has also been getting reps at both left and right tackle this offseason.

Depth gets shallow in a hurry at the position, though, as Royce Newman is the only true backup who has any playing experience for Green Bay. Newman might also end up being a cap casualty for the team, due to the NFL’s proven performance escalator program. Besides Newman, the Packers’ other backup guard options are Lecitus Smith, who was signed after a tryout opportunity at rookie minicamp, and Donovan Jennings, who is an undrafted rookie who is transitioning from the tackle position.

Keep an eye on a potential UFL signing down the line, even though the Packers struck out on their first two options. Green Bay currently has an open roster spot available, so they are allowed to sign a player without having to make a corresponding roster move.