Green Bay Packers have Signed 19 Players to Futures Deals

Unfortunately, the offseason is here. And that means looking ahead to free agency, the NFL Draft, and the 2021 season. For the Green Bay Packers, they’ve already started putting their roster together for next year by recently signing 16 players to a futures deal, which brings their total to 19.

A futures contract is pretty much the same as a normal contract. There are minimums, signing bonuses, cap hits, and everything else that you’d normally find. But the difference is that it doesn’t take effect until the new league year begins and is a way for teams to fill out their 90-man rosters ahead of time.

Many of the names on this list for the Packers you will recognize as just about all of them were on the practice squad at one point this season. So here is a quick look at who Green Bay has signed recently for the 2021 season.

Reggie Begelton – WR

About a year ago, the Green Bay Packers signed Reggie Begelton to a futures deal for the 2020 season. He was coming off a monster 2019 season in the CFL, posting 102 receptions for 1,444 yards and 10 total touchdowns. This year, he saw four total snaps — all of which came in Week 4 — with two on kick return coverage and two out wide. He was not targeted.

Juwann Winfree – WR

Juwann Winfree is a really intriguing player and someone I’ll have my eyes on during training camp. Winfree was the 187th pick in the 2019 draft by Denver after appearing in 15 games with Colorado, totaling 649 yards and four touchdowns.

He saw 29 snaps with the Packers this season, 19 of which came on special teams. In his limited time on offense, Matt LaFleur did use him as the motion man.

Jake Hanson – C

Out of Oregon, Hanson was a sixth-round pick by the Green Bay Packers in the 2020 draft. He started 49 games for the Ducks but did not make the 53-man roster out of camp and was eventually placed on IR in October.

KeiVarae Russell – CB

Russell was a third-round pick by Kansas City in the 2016 NFL Draft, but he was cut that following September by the Chiefs and has had trouble sticking since. Prior to this season with Green Bay, Russell had 186 career NFL snaps on defense with 20 tackles, a completion rate of 81.5 percent, and one interception.

Russell was called up to the active roster in Week 10, along with the Divisional and Conference Championship Rounds of the playoffs. All of his 32 snaps were on special teams.

Delontae Scott – EDGE

Scott was an undrafted rookie signed by the Green Bay Packers following the draft. At SMU, he appeared in 40 games collecting 97 tackles, with 36 of them being for a loss. He also had 18 sacks and five forced fumbles. Scott spent all of 2020 on the practice squad.

JJ Molson – K

Molson was signed to the practice squad in mid-December as what I imagine was insurance for Mason Crosby. He was an undrafted rookie out of UCLA this past offseason, where he hit 51 of his 74 field-goal attempts and 151 of his 152 extra-point attempts. He has no career attempts in the NFL.

Tipa Galeai – EDGE

Out of Utah State, Galeai is another undrafted rookie signed by Green Bay after the draft ended. During his 25 games at Utah State, Galeai recorded 119 tackles — with 24 being for a loss — two interceptions and 15 sacks. He was solid against both the run and the pass and has a wide variety of pass-rush moves.

Galeai played nine snaps in Week 1 against Minnesota but spent the rest of the year on the practice squad. He will be another exciting player to watch this summer as Green Bay looks for added depth at the edge position.

De’Jon Harris – LB

Harris was an undrafted rooking in 2020 out of Arkansas and signed with New England before joining the Green Bay Packers in early September. During his time in college, Harris tallied 371 tackles, 26 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, and nine pass breakups in 45 games. He saw 25 special teams snaps with Green Bay this season.

This is what Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network had to say in his pre-draft scouting report:

"“Dependable run-defending linebacker who gives terrific effort. Explosive, rarely off his feet and patient with assignments. Plays with balance, breaks down well and flows to the action laterally. Instinctive, effectively reads and anticipates the action and takes proper angles to the play. Fires up the field to fill gaps in run defense. Gets depth on pass drops and covers a lot of area on the field.”"

Zack Johnson – OG

Johnson was an undrafted rookie this past season out of North Dakota State and was signed by Green Bay following the draft. Johnson was an experienced player coming out of NDSU, appearing in 54 games over his career. He was also versatile, being named an All-American in 2018 at right tackle and an All-American in 2019 at right guard.

With the Packers, however, Johnson will be a guard. He didn’t take any snaps this season but was elevated to the active roster for a game in December.

Isaac Nauta – TE

Nauta was a seventh-round pick in 2019 by Detroit and was signed to the Green Bay Packers’ practice squad in December. He has appeared in 13 games at the NFL level — all with Detroit — hauling in three receptions on five targets for 16 yards. By Pro Football Focus’ grading system, he is rated as a very good blocking tight end.

Willington Previlon – IDL

The Green Bay Packers signed Previlon as a UDFA following the 2020 NFL Draft. At Rutgers, Previlon appeared in 26 games and recorded 71 tackles, with 11.5 being for a loss, as well as four sacks. Entering the draft, Previlon was noted for his versatility along the defensive line. He had no NFL snaps with the Packers this season.

Anthony Rush – IDL

A run-stuffer, Rush is listed at 6’5″ – 350 pounds. He was an undrafted free agent in 2019 out of UAB, and prior to joining the Packers, he had 237 NFL snaps over 13 games. In those appearances, Rush totaled four pressures, a sack, 14 tackles, three tackles for loss, and two pass breakups.

With the Packers in 2020, Rush was on the field for 67 defensive snaps and tallied a sack, three tackles, and three run-stops, according to Pro Football Focus ($).

Stanford Samuels – CB

Many believe that Samuels went undrafted this past year because of a poor 40-yard dash time at the combine, but he put up impressive numbers and tape while at Florida State. Samuels made 23 starts and appeared in 37 games during his career, and in his final season, he allowed a completion rate of just 51 percent while coming away with an interception and seven pass breakups.

With the Packers, Samuels saw 35 total snaps, all of which came in Weeks 9 and 10, and 13 came as the slot corner. He was targeted three times, allowing two receptions for 11 yards. Samuels also added two tackles and had a quarterback rating when targeted of only 72.9.

Mike Weber – RB

Weber was a 2019 seventh-round pick out of Ohio State by Dallas. He has no NFL snaps on offense during his career, but in 38 games with the Buckeyes, he had 455 rushing attempts for 2,676 yards at nearly six yards per carry with 24 touchdowns. He also hauled in 54 receptions for 297 yards and a touchdown.

Dexter Williams – RB

We all know Dexter Williams; he was a sixth-round pick by the Green Bay Packers in 2019. With Aaron Jones, Jamaal Wiliams, and for this season, AJ Dillon ahead of him, Williams has spent most of his first two years on the practice squad. Although he did have two carries for eight yards in Week 9 against San Francisco.

This feels like a make or break training camp for Williams, but with Jones likely gone and Jamaal Williams potentially leaving as well, that could open the door for Dexter to make the 53-man roster.

Ryan Winslow – P

Much like the addition of JJ Molson to the practice squad, the signing of Winslow in late December was added insurance for Green Bay. Winslow has six career NFL punts, all of which came in 2019 and averaged 48.5 yards per attempt with a long of 55. At Pitt, he had 226 career punts and averaged 42.1 yards.

Innis Gaines – S

The next three players were all signed in early January during Green Bay’s playoff run. Gaines — a former teammate of Vernon Scott — was a 2020 undrafted rookie. At TCU, he appeared in 29 games, totaling 105 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, four sacks, three interceptions, three forced fumbles, and 10 pass breakups.

Gaines brings versatility to the secondary, telling reporters before the draft that he “can play outside corner, nickel, strong safety, deep safety…I just like being by the ball.”

Chris Blair – WR

Blaire was an undrafted rookie this past offseason out of Alcorn State. In 2018, he hauled in 43 receptions for 529 yards with six touchdowns. Then in 2019, Blair really began making plays downfield, catching 44 passes for 931 yards and at a ridiculous 21.2 yards per catch with seven touchdowns.

Ryan Wilborn – LB

A 2020 undrafted rookie out of Ball State, Wilborn appeared in 24 games, logging 166 tackles, 13 of which were for a loss, while also adding three sacks, four interceptions, eight pass breakups, and two forced fumbles.

Here is what Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline had to say about Wilborn before the draft:

"“Wilborn possesses solid size and speed and has shown some versatility. He must brush off his instincts if possible, but he could make an active roster as an eighth linebacker and special-teams player.”"