Green Bay Packers outside linebacker coach Mike Smith knows exactly what it’ll take for second-year edge rusher Tipa Galeai to make the team and become a contributor as a rusher.
Special teams, and adding weight and power.
“Damn good football player,” Smith said of Galeai, an undrafted free agent entering Year 2 in Green Bay. “He’s another one that needs to get the special teams rolling.”
The Packers have an opening at the fourth edge rusher spot after losing Randy Ramsey to a significant left ankle injury. The door is wide open for Galeai, who has all the tools of a disruptive pass-rusher but also needs to add weight and become more powerful to take the next step.
“If that joker can put on 10 more pounds, he’s a demon now,” Smith said. “He plays hard. Very smooth, quick. Great chop and spin, great counter, great get off to beat you on the edge. Gotta get better with his power. He’s learning that’s all they’ll do. They’ll set you soft and wait for you. You have to threaten. A guy with a great get off, he should have great power, because they are going to open up on you early. You have to threaten them with that. If he puts some weight on, he’ll be a damn good player.”
Galeai’s pass-rushing potential was never in question coming out of Utah State, but he lacked the size and strength needed to survive as an edge rusher at NFL level. As Smith noted, offensive tackles can play “soft” against an athletic rusher like Galeai who doesn’t present the threat of overpowering with size and strength, negating much of his athletic advantage.
The Packers list Galeai at 6-5 and 229 pounds. He is long and lanky but lacks mass. Note: the average weight of Za’Darius Smith, Preston Smith and Rashan Gary is 271 pounds. Even getting into the 240- or 250-pound range would put Galeai well under the three veteran edge rushers.
But Galeai, who spent the entire 2020 season on the team’s practice squad, is a different type of rusher, with a game built around explosiveness and flexibility.
Smith knows adding the weight and the power would give Galeai another important pass-rushing tool and make offensive tackles think twice about their blocking plan, opening up chances to use his speed and counter moves.
In the end, special teams may determine his fate in 2021. The fourth outside linebacker has to be able to contribute consistently on special teams. Ramsey played on several different special teams groups and was one of the team’s best on special teams to end the 2020 season.
Can Galeai carve out a role on special teams while continuing to add weight as he develops as a rusher? The opportunity is there. His coach believes in the potential. It’s on Galeai to make it happen over the next few weeks.
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