Deals with Reggie Gilbert, Lucas Patrick "Imminent"
Deals are expected to be coming soon to bring Reggie Gilbert and Lucas Patrick back to the Packers' roster... at least for training camp.
By TimBackes
The Packers already tendered offensive lineman Justin McCray today. Now reports are coming that deals to bring back Reggie Gilbert and Lucas Patrick (at least as training camp bodies) are also "imminent."
Reggie Gilbert and Lucas Patrick are imminent, per sources. Honestly, it would be a surprise if #Packers didn’t re-sign an ERFA or RFA. This is housekeeping stuff for NFL teams. https://t.co/KjxxUgp7K6
— Ryan Wood (@ByRyanWood) March 7, 2019
No surprises here--as Wood says, it would be a surprise if a player in this situation wasn't re-signed by a team.
Gilbert was a non-factor for the majority of the 2018 season despite having flashed signs of potential in training camps in past years. Patrick saw significant action as well, to widely varying levels of success.
At the very least, this would give the Packers two experienced players to have around in camp for younger additions to the team to compete with.
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Tim Backes is a lifelong Packer fan and a contributor to CheeseheadTV. Follow him on Twitter @timbackes for his Packer takes, random musings and Untappd beer check-ins.
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Comments (23)
Packer_Fan
March 07, 2019 at 01:54 pm
The calm before the storm when free agency opens. :-)
jeremyjjbrown
March 07, 2019 at 04:04 pm
Every roster needs these kinds of guys. I was surprised to see Gilbert regress so much last season. Was he hurt? Did teams have enough tape on him to neutralize his moves?
The later seams to be a problem with edge. Either they have only a few moves or can't set and edge, and as soon as there is enough tape of it they're done.
dobber
March 07, 2019 at 04:27 pm
How can a guy with no substantive track record regress?
jeremyjjbrown
March 07, 2019 at 07:34 pm
Well he played well in only a few games in 2017. Then had a good preseason, and had 2.5 sacks in the first 9 games of 2018, then poof. He didn't do much.
TheVOR
March 08, 2019 at 04:28 pm
I'm actually OK with both of these signings when they happen. I actually like both players, I think Patrick has a much higher ceiling than McCray.
I don't know if Gilbert really digressed. I want to say he looked really good in preseason games, almost dominant, like he was going to develop into a decent rusher, then when he got into real games against real competition, he came to the reality that he's playing the best of the best every week and was locked down. He only had 2 1/2 sacks in regular season action.
I still want to see them continue to develop him, he's certainly earned the opportunity to compete!
Hawg Hanner
March 07, 2019 at 06:52 pm
Gilbert another Carl Bradford?
jannesbjornson
March 07, 2019 at 07:10 pm
He's not that bad. Carl was clueless and Ted knew it they brought him on as another conversion project. Gilbert could be a 4-5 sack guy if he's given more reps.
TXCHEESE
March 07, 2019 at 04:19 pm
If nothing else, he's a camp body that has some experience in the system. It he progresses, great. If not, then someone more talented will take his place. Right now with the dearth of edge rushers on the roster, there's no real reason to get rid of one.
cheesehead1
March 07, 2019 at 04:39 pm
Gilbert’s preseason prowess means very little. I’m tired of hearing about preseason stars on this team. This Packers team (specifically on D) needs difference makers and it’s up to management to make this right thru the draft and FA. Fortunately, we always pick later in the first round, but this time is different and we need to hit big in the first two rounds. I have faith in Gutekunst going forward, but hope his potential FA signings pan out better than last offseason. Graham was a big disappointment IMO, Lewis was rarely used (don’t know why) and Wilkerson was unfortunately injured early. Go Pack, and with some wise draft picks/FA and some luck, which every teams needs, this team can turn it around.
Leatherhead
March 07, 2019 at 04:56 pm
The article said Gilbert didn't do much in 2018. I'd totally disagree.
He took quite a few snaps for us. He was actually 11th on the team in defensive snaps. More than Daniels or Perry or King or Breeland. IOW, he was available.
He had two less tackles, and one less sack, than Clay Matthews. His 8 QB hits were 4th on the team behind Fackrell, Matthews, and Clark. He also took a helluva lot of snaps on special teams. For minimum wage.
Resigning him was a no-brainer, as the article said, because he's an ERFA. It was good practice for when we resign another ERFA who played a lot for us last year, Kentrell Brice.....I suppose heads will explode when that happens.
Lare
March 07, 2019 at 07:21 pm
Yes, if you're content with another 6-9-1 season you'd urge the Packers to re-sign every player from last year's roster and keep everything the same.
Or, we could get better talent on the roster and be a legitimate contender for the playoffs & the Super Bowl.
It's all a matter of what you're content with as far as the Packers level of success each season.
dobber
March 07, 2019 at 07:26 pm
You go to camp with 90 guys. Gilbert, Brice, and several of the RFAs they're signing are likely better than many of them...that doesn't mean they make the 53, though.
Coldworld
March 07, 2019 at 07:43 pm
Precisely. You look to players like Gilbert as the base line and seek to improve upon them. At these prices there is zero reason not to bring back any of these players unless the team has decided they are and will remain substandard or have other issues outweighing their merits.
The more interesting ones (unless and until a player is not tendered) are the players signed late in the season like Fadol Brown. Those are often not retained as they were need based pick ups from the in season remnants. I’m hoping that Campbell is also tendered from that group.
Thegreatreynoldo
March 07, 2019 at 08:38 pm
Agree on Campbell. He is a UFA, so he'd need to be re-signed. Not much difference since he should come pretty cheap due to his injury.
arthurl
March 07, 2019 at 05:40 pm
I struggle why either of these guys are being retained. We have seen their performance and neither warrants spot on the 53. So that being said, I don’t understand why team is wasting reps on guys that haven’t produced. Now I could see the McCray move. He never was starter talent, though they tried. He’s a stopgap off the bench for couple games.
jannesbjornson
March 07, 2019 at 07:17 pm
They're cheap contracts, they provide depth and they play special teams.
Patrick is the only lineman since Lang that will peel the pile and keep a hat on somebody
when blocking for a RB or defending a teammate. He has a football mentality. He filled in ok and can handle the bull rush. He's not Mr. Mobility but can backup Lindsley and the guard spot.
Roadrunner23
March 07, 2019 at 06:02 pm
Just dotting the I's and crossing the T's before the Free Agency Period, nothing to see here. They will bring them to training camp, see if they've improved, if not they will be cut or traded at the end of training camp.
That is all...
AgrippaLII
March 07, 2019 at 07:56 pm
You've got to have camp bodies and so far I like the guys Gutekunst is bringing back...if a newbie wants to make the team he knows he has to beat out one these guys.
pooch
March 07, 2019 at 09:05 pm
ONG why are they signing all these jags??,
pooch
March 07, 2019 at 09:05 pm
OMG
Leatherhead
March 07, 2019 at 10:04 pm
Because the majority of the players in the NFL are JAGs..
Bell curve? 2/3 near the median? Then 1/6 are above and below average. That means that about 84 out of 100 are JAGs or worse.
So that would mean that the 53 man roster is going to have 36 JAGs , 9 above average players and 8 guys that are below average.
Of your JAGs, a few are above and below. Most are average JAGs.
LambeauPlain
March 08, 2019 at 06:00 am
Gilbert was being “ coached up” by the worthless Winston Moss.
When Moss coached the ILBs....Hawk and Jones...they were one of the worst ILB tandems in the league.
So MM put SIR Winston in charege of all LBs with his major responsibility for OLBs. Both CMIII and Perry regressed.
Let’s see what Smith can do with the OLBs....maybe Gilbert will take a big step up. He did a great job with Houston and Ford in KC.
Slim11
March 09, 2019 at 08:24 am
Very astute point about Moss and the LB group.