Packers elevate S Innis Gaines vs. Rams: What to Know
By Paul Bretl
Ahead of their Sunday afternoon matchup with the Los Angeles Rams, the Green Bay Packers have elevated safety Innis Gaines from the practice squad. Here is what you need to know and what it could mean for Sunday’s matchup.
This will be the third time this season that the Packers have elevated Gaines, meaning that if Green Bay wants him active on game days beyond Week 9, they will have to sign him to the 53-man roster. Each practice squad player has a maximum of three game day elevations.
Gaines was active for the Packers first two games of the season where he was a core special teams player, seeing 35 total snaps across four different phases. Gaines logged two special teams tackles in those appearances. Defensively, he would play just five snaps.
At the moment, the Packers find themselves with some unknowns at safety. Darnell Savage is on IR, while Rudy Ford is questionable with a calf injury and did not practice on Friday. However, I’m not sure that this elevation allows to glean whether or not Ford will be available against the Rams.
For one, I would anticipate Anthony Johnson being in line for the start next to Jonathan Owens if Ford can’t go. Second, Gaines spent all of summer lined up in the slot defensively and has no regular season snaps as a free safety, according to PFF. So even if Ford can’t go, Gaines likely isn’t an option to replace him and the Packers will still have four other safety options on the roster in Johnson, Owens, Dallin Leavitt, and Zayne Anderson—although, Anderson, is yet to be active this season.
He also isn’t going to see any snaps at cornerback. Even without Douglas, and Eric Stokes on IR, Green Bay still has Keisean Nixon in the slot, Jaire Alexander and Carrington Valentine on the boundary, along with Corey Ballentine and Robert Rochell on the 53-man.
My guess is that this is a move to help bolster the special teams unit. In trading Douglas, the Packers only have 52 players on the active roster and are choosing not to fill it with an official signing before Sunday’s game.