The Packers re-signed running back Patrick Taylor from the Patriots’ practice squad on Monday, November 20.
The Green Bay Packers have made a number of NFL roster moves in the week leading up to their Thanksgiving game against the Detroit Lions.
According to the team’s official transaction wire for November 20, the Packers plucked running back Patrick Taylor — who had previously spent time in Green Bay — off the practice squad of the New England Patriots on Monday. They also released veteran safety Dallavitt to make room on the 53-man roster for Taylor.
Taylor is a well-known Packers player. He spent the first month of the 2023 season on the Packers’ practice squad before joining the active roster for a game on October 9 after exhausting all three of his elevation opportunities. He rushed 11 times for 31 yards and caught five passes for 28 yards in four games.
Taylor has also appeared in 23 games for the Packers in the last two seasons, averaging 3.6 yards per carry on 33 attempts and rushing for 120 yards and a touchdown. With Aaron Jones (knee) and rookie Emanuel Wilson (shoulder) both out with injuries, his experience in the system should benefit Green Bay in terms of depth.
In corresponding NFL roster moves, the Packers also re-signed running back James Robinson to their practice squad and released linebacker Christian Young. The Packers now have at least three healthy running backs to choose from when they face the Lions.
AJ Dillon is also injured following his Week 11 victory.
The Packers will almost certainly be without both Jones and Wilson when they face the Lions on Thanksgiving, but there are also doubts about AJ Dillon’s availability.
Dillon suffered a new groin injury in the Packers’ 23-20 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, and he was listed as a limited participant in the Packers’ first injury report for Week 12 against the Lions on Monday. Fortunately, the injury report is only an estimate because the Packers did not practice on Monday; however, Dillon’s status is worth monitoring as the team continues its short week of practice.
Either way, the Packers might want to elevate one of their practice-squad running backs to ensure they have enough depth on their roster against the Lions. Taylor is a quality, short-term addition behind Dillon, but if there are lingering concerns about Dillon’s injury coming into the game, they may want more than just the two of them ready to go.
Dallin Leavitt’s Release a Bit Surprising Given Role
The Packers adding a pair of running backs to the equation makes sense given their injuries at the position, but the release of Leavitt came as a bit of a surprise.
Leavitt has been a core member of Rich Bisaccia’s special teams unit over the past two seasons and followed him to Green Bay from Las Vegas in 2022 when Bisaccia took the job as the Packers’ special teams coordinator. He has also played more special teams snaps (192) than any other Packer this season despite only having one assisted tackle.
In Sunday’s win over the Chargers, though, Leavitt committed a pair of penalties on the opening kickoff that wiped out a 39-yard return from Keisean Nixon. Officials initially flagged Leavitt for holding on the return, but he drew a second penalty — a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct call — that pushed the Packers back to their own 8-yard line.
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