HEADLINES

Eric Stokes

DB Notes: Packers, Chinn, CJGJ, Roby, Rams

October 19th, 2023 at 9:43am CST by Sam Robinson

The Packers do not likely have a starting spot waiting for Eric Stokes upon his return. As we heard in June, the 2021 first-round pick is on track to return as a backup. Green Bay has Jaire Alexander, Rasul Douglas and Keisean Nixon as its top three corners, and unlike 2022, the team is not planning on changing Douglas’ position to accommodate a cornerback surplus. Douglas moving to safety appears a non-starter, per The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman. Last season, the Packers moved Douglas to a slot role to make room for the returning Alexander. After Stokes’ midseason Lisfranc injury, Douglas moved back to his more natural boundary position.

Stokes, who underwent foot and knee surgeries this offseason, remains on the Packers’ reserve/PUP list. The team designated him for return two weeks ago, setting his activation deadline at Oct. 24. Stokes was running at full speed in July and would have been ready to come back had multiple hamstring issues not slowed him during training camp, Schneidman adds. Stokes fared better as a rookie, when the Pack were down Alexander, than he did last season. Pro Football Focus graded Stokes outside the top 100 among corners last season, and this backup role does not present an ideal rebound opportunity.

Here is the latest from NFL secondaries:

  • Mentioned as a trade candidate last week, Jeremy Chinn now looks likely to finish his contract year in Carolina. The fourth-year Panthers safety sustained a significant quadriceps injury that ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter expects to sideline him for up to six weeks. Despite being a versatile cog who has been a Panthers regular throughout his career, Chinn has seen his playing time dip in Ejiro Evero‘s defense this season. After logging snap rates over 90% from 2020-22, the former Defensive Rookie of the Year runner-up has played 52% of Carolina’s defensive snaps. The Panthers prioritized Chinn as a foundational piece before last year’s deadline; his stock has fallen since.
  • Bradley Roby avoided the worst-case scenario after suffering a pectoral injury in Week 6. The recent Eagles addition sustained a pectoral strain, per NFL reporter Jordan Schultz, who adds the 10th-year cornerback will avoid IR. In the two games since being signed and quickly promoted to the 53-man roster, Roby has played 46% of Philadelphia’s defensive snaps. The Eagles have already lost their top slot corner, Avonte Maddox. Roby’s setback represents another blow for the defending NFC champions, but the 31-year-old cover man should be back fairly soon.
  • C.J. Gardner-Johnson is navigating a longer return timetable, suffering a torn pec in Week 2. The Lions safety, who led the NFL in INTs during his Eagles one-off last season, is believed to be months away from coming back — if he is to return at all — according to the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett. Pectoral tears often end players’ seasons, so it will be interesting if Gardner-Johnson becomes a true candidate to come off IR down the stretch — perhaps if Detroit makes the playoffs.
  • Rams corner Derion Kendrick faces two misdemeanor charges in connection with his recent gun arrest, Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times notes. Arrested Monday morning, Kendrick was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and possessing a loaded firearm. While teams regularly deploy players after arrests, waiting for NFL suspensions to come down later, Kendrick did not practice with the Rams upon his release from custody. The 2022 sixth-round pick has started all six Rams games this year. Discipline should be expected, but until a ban surfaces, Kendrick will likely continue to suit up for the team.
  • In a Ravens workout that led to safety Andrew Adams being signed, Eric Rowe received an audition, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. An eight-year veteran, Rowe spent the past four seasons with the Dolphins. Rowe, 31, signed a one-year, $1.32MM Panthers deal this offseason but did not make the team. Carolina released Rowe from its practice squad last month.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/3/23

October 3rd, 2023 at 7:18pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Chicago Bears

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Tennessee Titans

Packers Place CB Eric Stokes On PUP, Set 53-Man Roster

August 29th, 2023 at 4:54pm CST by Ben Levine

The Packers will roll into the 2023 campaign without cornerback Eric Stokes, who was placed on PUP today. The organization made additional moves to get to the 53-man roster limit:

Released:

Waived:

Placed on reserve/PUP:

Placed on IR:

Waived/injured:

Stokes continues to rehab from foot and knee injuries that limited him to only nine games in 2022. His placement on PUP means he’ll have to sit out at least the first four games before being eligible for activation. The 2021 first-round pick has started 23 of his 25 appearances for the Packers, collecting 81 tackles, 14 passes defended, and one interception.

Meanwhile, Moore won’t be eligible to play for the Packers in 2023 after getting placed on injured reserve with a knee injury. Moore joined the Packers this offseason after spending the first five seasons of his career with the 49ers. He sat out the entire 2021 campaign but otherwise appeared in 61 games across four healthy seasons with San Francisco, collecting 108 tackles.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/21/23

July 21st, 2023 at 7:56pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s minor transactions from around the league as teams prepare their rosters for training camp:

Baltimore Ravens

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

New England Patriots

New York Jets

Washington Commanders

 

There are some big names in Baltimore that won’t be healthy to open camp. Two offensive youngsters who can’t seem to stay on the field, Dobbins and Bateman, continue to struggle to get healthy. Bateman sat out most of the spring after receiving a cortisone shot in hopes it would help get him back in time for camp. While he didn’t report, general manager Eric DeCosta expects him back soon, according to the team’s editorial director Ryan Mink. Dobbins has started thinking about his second contract this summer, and getting healthy will be key to gaining any leverage in negotiations. Ricard is no surprise, as head coach John Harbaugh predicted this placement a month ago. Bowser, though, experienced an unexpected flare up in his knee this spring after missing eight games last season.

In Cleveland, Goodwin experienced a medical scare recently when discomfort in his legs and shortness of breath turned out to be blood clots in his legs and lungs, according to James Palmer of NFL Network. He will miss the start of training camp as the clots are addressed.

In Denver, a kicking competition appears to be in the cards. The team held a workout for Maher, Elliott Fry, and Parker White back in May and ended up signing Fry. Now, with Maher joining the team, and the exit of Brandon McManus, the position battle between Maher and Fry will continue.

In Wisconsin, Gary and Stokes each ended their season after Week 9 of last year due to long-term injuries. Both will continue slowly working their way back in order to play big roles on defense.

In Vegas, Wilson, this year’s seventh overall pick, will have to be patient in finding his way to the field for his rookie year. He was expected to be cleared for training camp after ending his college career with a Lisfranc injury, but he’ll have to wait just a bit longer. The Raiders are counting on him to relieve some of the defensive responsibilities of Chandler Jones and Maxx Crosby.

Packers CB Eric Stokes Not Likely To Start

June 11th, 2023 at 6:08pm CST by Ely Allen

When former Georgia cornerback Eric Stokes was drafted 29th overall in 2021 by the Packers, he was immediately thrust into action as a rookie starter. He performed well as an injury replacement for Jaire Alexander and, at times, Rasul Douglas, but with both returning to form and healthy, Stokes may be coming off the bench for the first time in his career, according to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic.

Stokes started 14 games during that rookie season when Alexander and Douglas missed a combined 18 games. He graded out well in coverage, recording an interception and 14 passes defensed and did well enough as a rookie to slot himself in as a starter over Douglas on the depth chart to begin his sophomore season. Unfortunately, after struggling through a bit of a sophomore slump, the decision was made for the coaches as an ankle injury forced Stokes to miss the final eight games of the season.

Now Alexander and Douglas are fully healthy and are both coming off strong seasons. Alexander continues to be one of the NFL’s top defensive backs, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), rebounding from his major injury in 2021 to grade out as the 8th best cornerback in the league. Douglas ran with the opportunity to start in place of Stokes on the outside and delivered a performance that graded him out as the 30th best cornerback in the league, according to PFF.

Schneidman also points out that cornerback and return specialist Keisean Nixon excelled down the stretch last season in the slot for Green Bay, likely solidifying his as the starting nickelback for 2023. He started four games for the Packers, with three coming consecutively late in the year.

So, after a down second season that saw him grade out as the 105th graded cornerback by PFF, it looks like Stokes will be coming off the bench to fill in for Alexander, Douglas, and Nixon in his return from last year’s season-ending injury. He may not be starting, but he’d be smart to stay ready. Although Alexander and Douglas both appeared in nearly every game last year (Alexander missed one), neither are far removed from injuries, and with Nixon’s heavy involvement on special teams, Stokes should earn ample time rotating in.

Packers CB Eric Stokes Underwent Knee, Foot Surgeries

May 23rd, 2023 at 6:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

Packers plans at using their Jaire Alexander–Eric Stokes cornerback duo have run into consistent turmoil. Alexander went down early in the 2021 season, just as Stokes entered the starting lineup. As Alexander returned last year, Stokes suffered season-ending injuries in November.

As of now, the former first-rounders are on track to suit up together in Week 1. Stokes suffered foot and knee injuries last year, and he confirmed Tuesday each required surgery. The procedures occurred at the same time, per ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky, but they shut down Stokes for months (Twitter link).

Stokes suffered a Lisfranc injury, with the subsequent surgery ending with a plate inserted. Stokes said he resumed running earlier this month, roughly six months since the ailments sidelined him. This will be Stokes’ third season, though he has only played a handful of games with Alexander healthy.

The Packers will keep Stokes sidelined during OTAs, per The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman, who adds the 2021 first-rounder could not walk without crutches until mid-January. The knee surgery addressed Stokes’ meniscus (subscription required).

Should Stokes return to full strength as expected, the Packers will have a cornerback logjam. They tried Rasul Douglas in the slot alongside Alexander and Stokes last season, but the former midseason pickup is more comfortable as a boundary defender. That is also Stokes’ role, complicating matters. The Packers plan to use Keisean Nixon as their primary slot corner.

Although a team having four regular corners would be a good problem to have, the Packers have invested two first-round picks at the position and re-signed Douglas on a three-year, $21MM deal in 2022. Matt LaFleur said the team is planning a rotation between Alexander, Stokes and Douglas on the outside. Given Alexander’s contract (a corner-record $21MM per year) and value to the team, this plan would seemingly affect Stokes and Douglas more than it would Alexander. It will be interesting to see how this comes to fruition by September.

While slotting Alexander and Douglas as top-30 options at corner last season, Pro Football Focus graded Stokes outside the top 100. PFF gave Stokes a much better assessment as a rookie, ranking him inside the top 50. Nixon checked in just outside the top 60 in 2022, though the ex-Raider UDFA only played 290 defensive snaps. This will be an interesting puzzle to follow, with Stokes’ recovery being one of the most notable non-Jordan Love Packers storylines this summer.

Packers HC Matt LaFleur On DC Joe Barry, Secondary Plans

April 23rd, 2023 at 10:24am CST by Rory Parks

When Packers head coach Matt LaFleur endorsed defensive coordinator Joe Barry in January, it was clear that he would allow Barry to lead Green Bay’s defense for a third season in 2023, despite the opportunity to pursue candidates like Vic Fangio, Ejiro Evero, and Steve Wilks.

In his first public comments since making that decision, LaFleur explained that in addition to continuity and staff chemistry — which he had previously cited as reasons for retaining Barry — the defense’s improved performance down the stretch of the 2022 season also played a key role.

“Our defense was getting better, it was progressing,” LaFleur said at last month’s owners meetings (via Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette). “I thought Joe was doing a good job of communicating with our players. I thought our staff was doing a great job together, putting our guys in a better situation, having just more clarity on what it is we wanted to be and our play style, and I thought it got better. I felt like that was in the best interest of us to bring all those (coaches) back.”

The Packers finished the 2022 campaign ranked 17th in both points (21.8) and yards (337) allowed per game, and for a defense that was expected to be among the league’s best, that qualified as a major disappointment. During Green Bay’s five-game losing streak in October and early November, it was reported that players were becoming frustrated with Barry’s scheme and play-calling, and LaFleur acknowledged that adjustments were not made as quickly as they should have been.

Still, after Barry simplified his play-calling, and after other tactical changes — like playing more press coverage and benching underperforming safety Darnell Savage — were made, the defense got better, and the Packers nearly snuck into the postseason. With Jordan Love set to become the club’s starting quarterback, it will be imperative for Barry & Co. to carry their momentum into 2023, and if that does not happen, then Barry could be out of a job and LaFleur will be subjected to plenty of second-guessing.

Another productive adjustment that was made in the second half of the 2022 season was moving Rasul Douglas from nickel corner to the boundaries (although that move was only made due to Eric Stokes‘ season-ending knee and ankle injuries). Per LaFleur, the team will utilize a rotation of Jaire Alexander, Stokes, and Douglas outside the numbers, and Keisean Nixon will get a chance to claim the slot corner position. Nixon has never been a full-time defensive player — his 28% defensive snap share last year was a career-high — but the coaching staff is clearly high on his ability and prefers to have one player predominantly occupying the nickel role.

Nixon did earn a First Team All-Pro nod for his work as a return man in 2022, and he was retained for the 2023 season on a one-year pact that can max out at $6MM. LaFleur said that the team will create an offensive package for Nixon in an effort to get the ball in his hands more often (Twitter link via ESPN’s Rob Demovsky).

The team’s plan for Nixon means that Savage is not, as had been suggested previously, presently under consideration to man the slot. Instead, Savage will get the chance to reclaim his job as a starting safety and to work alongside free agent acquisition Tarvarius Moore on the back end of the defense. Savage is entering a platform year, so his 2023 performance will have a major impact on his financial future.

Packers CB Eric Stokes Unlikely To Return This Season

November 12th, 2022 at 7:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

NOVEMBER 12: The Packers announced on Saturday that Stokes has been placed on IR. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes that the team originally hoped he had only suffered sprains in the affected areas, but that further testing revealed structural damage (Twitter link). Green Bay has used the open roster spot by signing journeyman Corey Ballentine from their practice squad to the active roster.

NOVEMBER 11: The Packers’ defense is expected to be without a key piece for the rest of the season. Matt LaFleur views it likely Eric Stokes will be shut down.

A 2021 first-round pick, Stokes will see ankle and knee injuries end his sophomore NFL season early. This will certainly be a big loss for a Green Bay team in unexpected territory at the nine-game mark.

Green Bay devoted considerable resources to stocking its cornerback position this offseason, re-signing Rasul Douglas and extending Jaire Alexander on a corner-record AAV ($21MM). Stokes has been a key part of this puzzle since being taken 29th overall last year. While Alexander missed most of the 2021 campaign and Douglas did not become a key factor until midway through last season, Stokes has been a constant during his career. Sunday will only be the Georgia product’s second missed game as a pro.

Week 9’s Lions matchup has ended up costing the Packers essential personnel. Rashan Gary suffered a torn ACL during the upset loss, and Stokes’ forthcoming absence will shake up Green Bay’s secondary. DC Joe Barry mentioned the prospect of moving safety Darnell Savage into the slot. The team now has an extra player that would help allow for such a transition, in recent waiver claim Johnathan Abram. Still, the Packers being without Gary and Stokes will bring difficulties during a season that has drifted well off course.

Stokes, 23, moved into the Packers’ starting lineup in Week 3 of this rookie season. By Week 5 of last year, Alexander was out of the picture with a significant shoulder injury. Stokes manned one of Green Bay’s boundary positions, joining Douglas. The latter, re-signed on a three-year deal worth $21MM, moved inside this year. Stokes’ injury would allow Douglas to move to the position at which he is more familiar, but the Packers losing two starting defenders in the same week will remind of last season.

The team lost Alexander and Za’Darius Smith early last season. David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins were also out of the mix for Green Bay’s stretch run. That team, which of course featured Davante Adams, navigated the injuries effectively and zoomed to a second straight NFC No. 1 seed. This edition, which is sitting with its worst nine-game mark (3-6) since 2005, stands to be more impacted by major injuries.

Latest On Packers’ Secondary

July 17th, 2022 at 3:56pm CST by Adam La Rose

The strength of the Packers’ re-tooled defense figures to be its secondary. While depth could be a question mark, the starting unit features a number of former first-rounders and effective veterans. Which five players are in line to see the field full-time isn’t a concern heading into training camp, but how they are aligned could be. 

As detailed by The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman (subscription required), Green Bay is set to use Jaire Alexander, Eric Stokes and Rasul Douglas as their top three corners. The latter enjoyed a late-blossoming breakout campaign last season, recording a career-high five interceptions. That performance earned him a three-year, $21MM contract in free agency.

The group will still be led, of course, by Alexander; the Pro Bowler became the league’s all-time highest-paid corner (in terms of AAV) when he signed an $84MM extension which will keep him in place through 2026. He and Stokes in particular figure to serve as a foundation on the backend for the foreseeable future, along with, in all likelihood, safety Darnell Savage Jr. 

An important question Schneidman raises is the matter of who mans the slot when each of the top five defenders (the aforementioned four players, along with safety Adrian Amos) are healthy. DBs coach Jerry Gray indicated that any of the starting corners or Savage could find themselves in the role. “There’s a lot of action at the nickel,” he said. “[A]nd everybody wants to be in the action.”

As Schneidman notes, different players would be better suited to shift inside at different points, depending on individual circumstances. Ultimately, though, the health of the secondary’s top five members will be the most important factor in the defense’s success, given the distinct lack of known commodities lower on the depth chart. How the unit shakes out at camp will be worth watching in the lead-up to what the Packers hope will be another Super Bowl run.

Packers Sign First-Round CB Eric Stokes

June 2nd, 2021 at 3:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

Eric Stokes became the latest first-round pick to sign his rookie contract Wednesday. The Packers now have all but one member of their 2021 draft class signed.

Green Bay added Stokes with the 29th overall pick, continuing a heavy emphasis on the cornerback position in the draft. The Packers chose Jaire Alexander in the 2018 first round and have used first- or second-round picks on corners six times since 2015. Stokes will be expected to play a key role for the Packers as a rookie.

Scouts Inc. viewed the Georgia alum as a bit of a reach, ranking him 71st among this year’s prospects. The Packers were viewed by many — including the Ravens — to be eyeing Minnesota wide receiver Rashod Bateman with their first-round pick, but Baltimore swooped in at No. 27 to select him. Stokes, however, was a first-team All-SEC pick in 2020 and a second-teamer in the powerhouse conference in 2019. He intercepted four passes last season and logged 18 throws defensed from 2018-19, seeing steady action in all three of his Bulldogs seasons. The 6-foot defender declared for the draft after his junior year.

The Packers have Alexander back, with the Louisville product positioned as a possible long-term No. 1 corner, and re-signed Kevin King this offseason. Stokes will join this mix. With this contract, only third-round wideout Amari Rodgers is unsigned from this year’s Packers draft haul.

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