Green Bay Packers tight end Jace Sternberger added weight entering his third NFL training camp.
According to coach Matt LaFleur, Sternberger hasn’t lost any speed with the weight gain, providing one potential reason for the young tight end’s strong start to camp.
“Jace has done a really nice job,” LaFleur said Friday. “He’s come in, and he’s a little bit heavier than I think he’s been in the past, but it seems like he’s been able to keep his speed up. He made some really good plays yesterday. Some really nice catches in the one-on-one period.”
The Packers list Sternberger at 6-4 and 251 pounds. He likely cut weight last year to prepare for a role as the move tight end and the potential for playing snaps in the slot, but his role never fully formed in Year 2.
More big plays this summer could help. Sternberger made a spinning one-handed catch against the coverage of safety Henry Black on Thursday.
The Packers are banking on Sternberger, a third-round pick in 2019, taking a big developmental step this summer.
“It’s going into Year 3 for Jace, so it’s a big year for him,” LaFleur said. There’s a lot expected out of him in terms of his ability to go out there and perform on a consistent basis. That’s what we’re really looking for from him. And he’s done a nice job.”
Through two seasons, Sternberger has just 12 catches for 144 yards and a touchdown while playing only 262 total offensive snaps. He was inactive for the final six games of last season, including the playoffs.
LaFleur credited Marcedes Lewis and Robert Tonyan for helping Sternberger during training camp, and tight ends coach Justin Outten is working with Sternberger on understanding the “whys” behind each and every assignment within the offense.
Snaps will be hard to find at the tight end position in Green Bay. Lewis is the primary inline tight end, providing immense value as a blocker, while Tonyan is coming off a terrific season as the primary option in the passing game. Josiah Deguara, a likely H-back, is back from a knee injury, and Dominique Dafney impressed late last season.
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