Will the Green Bay Packers be willing to spend money to provide help for Rich Bisaccia’s special teams?
According to Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports, the Packers were among a handful of teams expressing interest at the combine in Pittsburgh Steelers returner Ray-Ray McCloud, who will be an unrestricted free agent in seven days.
McCloud, a receiver, caught 39 passes for 277 yards last season, but his primary production came on special teams. He led the NFL with 38 punt returns for 367 yards, and he also returned 35 kickoffs for 776 yards. Overall, he led all returners with 1,143 total return yards in 2021.
McCloud has returned 81 career punts and 76 career kickoffs since entering the NFL as a sixth-round pick of the Buffalo Bills in 2018. He’d provide the Packers with an immediate boost in experience and productivity at both returner spots in 2022.
The Packers ranked 21st in punt return average and 30th in kickoff return average in 2021. The team will return Kylin Hill and Amari Rodgers, who did the majority of the returning last season, but both first-year players struggled in the role.
Bisaccia, the long-time special teams coordinator tasked with fixing the third phase in Green Bay, might want an experienced returner handling the job on kicks and punts.
The Steelers want to re-sign McCloud, per Benjamin, and the Indianapolis Colts, San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions all expressed interest in the player during the combine, so the Packers wouldn’t be alone in pursuing him.
It’s possible the Packers view McCloud as a major upgrade at returner while also fitting in as a gadget-type player for Matt LaFleur on offense.
[listicle id=77902]