The Packers had to make room at tight end, and the result was Tuesday’s pair of waivers: Luke Lachey and RJ Maryland, both with injury designations.
Neither player was on the field for practice after the team signed McCallan Castles and Drew Biber. The moves had been expected. Lachey finished Monday’s session on a scooter and in a boot, while Maryland had already hurt his hamstring before practice.
Tight end has been the rough spot in Green Bay’s camp, and that’s saying something for a team that has otherwise dodged major injury trouble. Tucker Kraft is dealing with an ACL injury, and Luke Musgrave remains out of team drills with a neck issue. Musgrave is still on the PUP list and has not practiced.
The Packers also brought in Eni Falayi as a UDFA tight end with Maryland, but Falayi failed his physical when he reported to camp. Maryland’s deal included $15,000 guaranteed, while Falayi’s contract would have paid him $125,000 if he had cleared his physical.
Lachey’s path back to Green Bay has already had a detour of its own. The Packers tried to claim him off waivers earlier this offseason, but he failed his physical then too because of an unrelated hamstring issue. He was re-signed only after getting healthy.
Add it all up, and the Packers have dealt with six injuries or failed physicals involving five tight ends. Not ideal.
Green Bay has also been busy trying to patch the position group. Over the past week, the team has added Castles, Biber and international exemption Thomas Yassmin. Last week’s workouts included six tight ends, among them the three who eventually signed.
At the moment, the healthy tight ends available for team drills are the ones the Packers can actually count on right now. And if the starters suit up in the preseason, Green Bay could be rolling out some unfamiliar names in premium snaps for the first-team offense. Castles, who was cut by the Packers before the draft, wasted no time getting into the mix on Tuesday with the second-team offense.
The message is clear: the Packers need bodies at tight end, and they need them badly.
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