The Green Bay Packers made a change on the practice squad on Monday, swapping veteran running back James Robinson for rookie running back Ellis Meriweather.
Robinson was signed by the Packers on Oct. 17. He spent three weeks on the practice squad but was not elevated to the gameday roster.
Meriweather, 24, is an undrafted free agent out of UMass. After a rookie tryout with the Packers, Meriweather signed with the New Orleans Saints in May and spent all of training camp with the Saints. He rushed 22 times for 71 yards and caught eight passes on 11 targets for 48 yards and a touchdown during three preseason games.
During his final collegiate season, Meriweather rushed 150 times for 575 yards and three scores. He rushed for over 1,000 yards and scored six touchdowns during the 2021 season.
With Aaron Jones finally healthy, A.J. Dillon playing better and rookie Emanuel Wilson coming of a 43-yard performance against the Rams, the Packers no longer needed a veteran emergency option at running back and could go with the young, developmental type.
Here is Meriweather’s RAS card:
Ellis Merriweather is a RB prospect in the 2023 draft class. He scored a 5.49 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 786 out of 1740 RB from 1987 to 2023. https://t.co/7K5S66nm2F pic.twitter.com/NrU4UJMRVP
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 18, 2023
Meriweather had two runs over 10 yards and forced five missed tackles during the preseason. He spent a couple of days on the Saints practice squad after being released on final cuts.