What to Know: Packers sign Alex McGough and Luke Musgrave, release DJ Scaife

ASHWAUBENON, WISCONSIN - MAY 31: Luke Musgrave #88 of the Green Bay Packers participates in an OTA practice session at Don Hutson Center on May 31, 2023 in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
ASHWAUBENON, WISCONSIN - MAY 31: Luke Musgrave #88 of the Green Bay Packers participates in an OTA practice session at Don Hutson Center on May 31, 2023 in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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The Green Bay Packers made the signing of quarterback Alex McGough official on Wednesday, which meant a corresponding roster cut had to follow. The team also announced that center DJ Scaife was released.

For more on McGough, you can click here, but he put together an impressive 2023 season in the USFL, where he was named league MVP after completing 67% of his passes while throwing for the third most yards, rushing for the sixth most, and totaling 25 touchdowns. McGough was a 2018 seventh round pick by Seattle, who has no career NFL snaps.

Adding McGough to the mix gives the Packers four quarterbacks on the current roster. Although during OTAs, Matt LaFleur said the team would add a fourth quarterback if they felt that was best, he also mentioned that with such an inexperienced room where practice reps are incredibly valuable, getting four players enough snaps could be a challenge. Recent history suggests that these won’t be the only moves the Packers make in the coming weeks.

Scaife, meanwhile, was a 2023 undrafted rookie out of Miami who began offseason programs with the Miami Dolphins before being released in May and claimed off waivers by the Packers. During his most recent college season, Scaife played right tackle but has right guard experience as well. With Green Bay, he was listed as a center. With an abundance of offensive tackle depth and experience along the interior offensive line, this is a fairly crowded offensive line room that the Packers have constructed.

One other move that the team made was that they signed second-round pick Luke Musgrave. Due to the guarantees within the contracts of second-year players increasing each year, there is typically more negotiating and market observation that needs to take place, leading to a delay in the signings becoming official.

Although no contract specifics have been reported, Spotrac projected that Musgrave would earn $8.47 million over his four-year deal, including $3.2 million guaranteed and a cap hit in 2023 of $1.54 million.

Wide reciever Jayden Reed, also a second-round pick, is the final member of the Packers’ 2023 draft class that remains unsigned. A number of other second-round picks around the NFL remain unsigned as well.