Former Packer Without a Job Deserves Training Camp Invite

It could be time for a reunion between the Packers and their former cornerback.
Green Bay Packers cornerback Rasul Douglas (29) celebrates breaking up a pass intended for Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet (85) in the end zone during second quarter of their game on Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023 at Soldier Field in Chicago.
Green Bay Packers cornerback Rasul Douglas (29) celebrates breaking up a pass intended for Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet (85) in the end zone during second quarter of their game on Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023 at Soldier Field in Chicago. | Mike De Sisti / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

Just 15 days separate fans from the start of Green Bay Packers training camp, with the whole team commencing on Wednesday, July 23rd at Ray Nitschke Field. Until then, the Packers will look to get their 90-man roster straightened out ahead of the midsummer practices and preseason games.

Plenty of new faces will be featured in two weeks, and fans will get their first glimpse at offseason additions like Aaron Banks, draft selections like Matthew Golden, and their favorite Packers players in action.

After the team parted ways with two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander, the Packers defensive back room will look a little different this season. Since his arrival in 2018, Alexander had started 76 of 78 games, and was a focal point on the Packers defense for seven seasons, always matching up with the opposing teams best wideout.

With Alexander now being a Baltimore Raven, this season will be a test for a young Packers cornerback room. The NFC North possesses some of the best receiving talent in the league, including Jefferson and Addison of the Vikings, Moore and Odunze in Chicago, and St. Brown, LaPorta and Williams in Detroit.

While there is no shortage of offensive firepower in the North, Green Bay will need to have all hands on deck when it comes to defending the pass this season. Losing Alexander won't be a quick fix, and there is a former Packer still lingering in free agency as July rolls on. With the Packers' oldest cornerback being Keisean Nixon (28), reuniting with Rasul Douglas could give the Packers another element to their back end in 2025.

Packers Should Reunite With Rasul Douglas Ahead of Training Camp

After being brought in by the team in October 2021, Douglas made a name for himself in Green Bay over the course of two and a half seasons.

Under DC Joe Barry, Douglas started 9 games in 2021, totaling 5 interceptions (two returned for a touchdown), 13 pass deflections and a forced fumble. After being a third-round selection by the Eagles in the 2017 draft, Douglas rose to fame in his first season in Wisconsin after stints with the Eagles and Panthers.

Douglas' successful season in 2021 granted him a three-year, $21 million dollar deal from the Packers in 2022 free agency. Douglas made it halfway through that deal with the Packers before getting traded to the Buffalo Bills on Halloween of 2023.

Now, the soon-to-be 31-year-old is without a job after an unsuccessful last season with Buffalo. According to PFF, Douglas took a major step back in 2024, finishing with a 59.2 overall grade (122nd out of 233 cornerbacks). His performance, paired with his age, has left him unemployed as the Bills didn't resign him.

The departure of Jaire Alexander has the Packers yearning for depth at the outside corner position, which is mostly made up of late-round rookies and UDFAs heading into camp. Nixon and Valentine should be able to hold their own as starters alongside each other, but it wouldn't hurt to add a veteran like Douglas behind them.

It has been reported that the Dolphins and Vikings are two potential suitors for Douglas' services, especially with the Jalen Ramsey trade. But the Packers are also in need of a player like Douglas, a veteran who can guide this young corner room. Douglas also has shown success as a blitzer over the years, with 23 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles to his name.

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