Packers re-sign LB and core special teamer Eric Wilson

The Green Bay Packers re-signed linebacker and core special teamer Eric Wilson, according to Wilson’s official Instagram page. 

The Green Bay Packers re-signed linebacker and core special teamer Eric Wilson, according to a statement on Wilson’s official Instagram page.

“Another year with the Pack!!” Wilson wrote in the post’s caption.

Wilson, who has played 30 games in Green Bay, led the Packers in special teams snaps with 308 last season. He was also on the field for 121 snaps on defense.

Wilson had 12 special teams tackles in 2023, leading the Packers and ranking eighth in the NFL overall. He had 13 in 2022, the 16th most in the NFL. Wilson’s 25 special teams tackles since the start of the 2022 season rank in the top 10 in the NFL and is first among Packers players.

The Packers are switching to a 4-3 defense and need depth at off-ball linebacker. The team released De’Vondre Campbell but has re-signed Wilson and Kristian Welch — two top special teamers — this offseason.

Wilson entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2017. He’s played in 108 regular season games and six playoff games across seven seasons. He has 1,621 career snaps played on special teams.

Packers want to keep free agents Keisean Nixon, Eric Wilson and Tyler Davis

The Packers want to keep at least three of their own free agents, per new reporting from Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The Green Bay Packers would like to keep free agents Keisean Nixon, Eric Wilson and Tyler Davis, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

All three veterans have expiring contracts and will become unrestricted free agents come the start of the new league year on Wednesday.

Nixon is a two-time first-team All-Pro kickoff returner and was the team’s starter at nickel cornerback in 2023.

Wilson has been a core special teams player for Rich Bisaccia in each of the last two seasons. He played over 500 total special teams snaps across the last 30 games in Green Bay and led the team in special teams tackles between 2022 and 2023.

Davis was a core special teamer in 2022 and looked primed for another big role in 2023 before suffering a season-ending knee injury during the preseason.

All three players returned on the Packers on one-year deals before the 2023 season.

Other unrestricted free agents for the Packers include safety Darnell Savage, safety Rudy Ford, offensive lineman Jon Runyan Jr., running back A.J. Dillon, safety Jonathan Owens, offensive tackle Yosh Nijman, linebacker Kristian Welch, cornerback Corey Ballentine and tight end Josiah Deguara.

The start of the new league year is 3:00 p.m. CT on Wednesday. The legal tampering period — when upcoming unrestricted free agents can begin negotiating with other teams — begins on Monday at noon.

Packers regain lead after spectacular fumble recovery on long kickoff return

Eric Wilson of the Packers made an amazing fumble recovery

Keisean Nixon was off on a long kickoff return. After 73 yards, he was hit and fumbled. Elation turned into horror for Green Bay Packers fans.

However, Eric Wilson was following his kick return and made a dive for the loose football.

He came up with and four plays later, Tucker Kraft caught a TD pass from Jordan Love.

The two-point conversion to Aaron Jones was good and Green Bay led 21-14 in a game that had broken loose at Levi’s Stadium on Saturday.

Packers re-sign linebacker/special teamer Eric Wilson

The Packers continued an offseason dedicated to special teams by re-signing LB Eric Wilson, who led the team in special teams tackles last year.

The Green Bay Packers announced the re-signing of linebacker and core special teamer Eric Wilson on Saturday.

Wilson arrived in Green Bay from the Saints practice squad in October of last season. Over 13 games, he led the Packers in special teams tackles (13) and special teams grade at Pro Football Focus. Wilson was on the field for 197 special teams snaps and 60 defensive snaps in 2022.

The 28-year-old has played in 91 career games and seen action on over 1,300 special teams snaps.

Wilson’s re-signing is the latest in an offseason dedicated to special teams. The Packers re-signed returner Keisean Nixon, tight end Tyler Davis, cornerback Corey Ballentine, safety Rudy Ford and now Wilson, while also signing long snapper Matt Orzech and safety Tarvarius Moore.

Wilson figures to remain a core special teamer for Rich Bisaccia while providing experienced depth behind starters De’Vondre Campbell and Quay Walker at linebacker. Wilson and Isaiah McDuffie will be the likely backups in 2023.

Wilson, an undrafted free agent out of Cincinnati, previously played for the Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles and Houston Texans.

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10 worst NFL free-agent signings in Eagles franchise history

With the NFL’s legal tampering period set to get underway, we’re looking at the 10 worst free agent signings in Philadelphia Eagles franchise history

NFL teams make some of the worst decisions when it comes to the process of properly evaluating and, or adding big named free-agent talents to the roster. When it works, it can change your organization’s path to success, while leading to multiple playoffs or Super Bowl runs.

When it doesn’t work, it can be disastrous with costly consequences from the general manager all the way down to personnel.

We’ve compiled a list of the ten worst free-agent signings in the Eagles’ team history and almost added Eric Wilson (2021) to the list before placing him on the honorable mentions list.

New Packers LB Eric Wilson is getting a back-to-back trip to London

By the time new Packers LB Eric Wilson returns to Green Bay from London, he’ll have traveled almost 40 hours in the air over roughly a week or so.

One week after going to London as a member of the New Orleans Saints, linebacker Eric Wilson is headed back overseas with his new team, the Green Bay Packers.

Wilson, who was on the team’s practice squad, traveled with the Saints to London to play the Minnesota Vikings at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last Sunday. The Packers signed him off the practice squad on Tuesday, and now he’s headed back to London as a member of Green Bay’s 53-man roster.

Wilson didn’t play in the Saints’ loss to the Vikings, but he could be on the field in a special teams role for the Packers on Sunday.

It’s been a grueling week of travel for the veteran linebacker. From New Orleans to London is roughly nine hours of in-flight time. The way back is about 10. So 19 total hours there and back, plus a flight from New Orleans to Green Bay mid-week (roughly four hours), and now another international flight, this time from Green Bay to London (roughly eight hours). By the time Wilson returns to Green Bay early Monday, he’ll have traveled almost 40 hours in the air in a little over a week’s time.

Wilson told Wes Hodkiewicz of the team’s official site that he’s “trying to make the most of it.”

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Packers get more special teams help in new LB Eric Wilson

Eric Wilson joins Dallin Leavitt, Keisean Nixon and Rudy Ford as additions to the Packers 2022 roster geared toward special teams.

The Green Bay Packers dipped into the practice squad of the New Orleans Saints to sign linebacker Eric Wilson, one of the NFL’s best special teamers between the 2017 and 2020 seasons.

Wilson, who has 26 career special teams tackles, joins cornerback Keisean Nixon and safeties Dallin Leavitt and Rudy Ford as additions to the 2022 roster done specifically (or mostly) for special teams. General manager Brian Gutekunst continues to fortify the third phase personnel for coordinator Rich Bisaccia.

Wilson, who will factor in as the team’s fourth inside linebacker, could be an immediate contributor.

Wilson’s special teams grades by year between 2017-20, per PFF:

2017: 90.2 (3rd best in NFL)
2018: 78.9
2019: 77.5
2020: 90.0 (9th best)

Wilson, an undrafted free agent out of Cincinnati, has played 1,112 special teams snaps over his five NFL seasons.

PFF has Wilson down for 19 tackles, eight assisted tackles, four penalties and seven missed tackles on special teams.

One thing going for Wilson: he’s an elite athlete with a perfect body type for chasing down returners on punts and kicks. While a little undersized for an every-down linebacker (6-1, 230), Wilson has 4.5 speed, explosive lower body power (39.5″ vertical, 10-1 broad) and quick feet (6.96-second three-cone). At linebacker, Wilson has a Relative Athletic Score of 9.48 out of 10.0.

Not only do the Packers need the depth at linebacker with Krys Barnes on injured reserve, but Bisaccia and Matt LaFleur might want a linebacker like Wilson to be a core special teamer. Inside linebackers are generally coveted for coverage responsibilities due to tackling ability and general athleticism.

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Saints sign CB Chris Harris Jr. to their practice squad among multiple roster moves

Saints sign veteran CB Chris Harris Jr. to their practice squad among multiple roster moves:

We’ve seen the New Orleans Saints churn their depth chart before, adding new players to the practice squad to bring in new skill sets and fresh competition throughout the season, but on Tuesday they lost a few veteran players while introducing some newcomers. The team reported a busy update to the daily NFL transactions wire with three new players joining the practice squad and a spot opening on the 53-man roster; let’s run through the news.

Packers sign former Vikings LB Eric Wilson off Saints practice squad

The Packers signed veteran linebacker Eric Wilson off the practice squad of the New Orleans Saints.

The Green Bay Packers signed linebacker Eric Wilson off the practice squad of the New Orleans Saints. The team announced the move on Tuesday.

The Packers had an open roster spot after placing offensive tackle Caleb Jones on the non-football illness list last Saturday.

Wilson, an undrafted free agent out of Cincinnati in 2017, has played 78 career regular-season games and made 27 starts, tallying 278 tackles, eight tackles for loss, 8.0 sacks, four interceptions, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and 20 quarterback hits.

Wilson (6-1, 230) originally signed with the Minnesota Vikings. He played 64 games over four seasons with Green Bay’s NFC North rival.

According to Pro Football Focus, Wilson has 78 career stops, 23 career pressures and 37 missed tackles. He’s been penalized twice and has allowed a passer rating of 88.3 into his coverage.

Wilson will provide more depth behind starters De’Vondre Campbell and Quay Walker at linebacker while also giving Rich Bisaccia another weapon to use on special teams. He’s played nearly 1,000 career special teams snaps and has 26 career special teams tackles.

In 2020, Wilson started 15 of 16 games and played 1,034 snaps on defense for Mike Zimmer’s Vikings defense. He spent parts of last season with the Houston Texans and Philadelphia Eagles.

Wilson has been on the Saints practice squad all season. He forced a fumble during the preseason game against the Packers in August.

The Packers now have four inside linebackers on the 53-man roster: Wilson, Campbell, Walker and Isaiah McDuffie. Krys Barnes is on injured reserve.

Saints practice squad takes another hit, loses LB Eric Wilson to the Packers

Saints practice squad takes another hit, loses LB Eric Wilson to the Packers:

The hits keep coming. Veteran linebacker Eric Wilson left the New Orleans Saints practice squad for a better deal with the Green Bay Packers, where he’ll receive a pay raise and more opportunities to get on the field. The sixth-year veteran competed for a spot on New Orleans’ roster throughout training camp and initially joined backups Nephi Sewell and Chase Hansen on the practice squad; Hansen was later promoted to the 53-man roster along with Demario Davis, Pete Werner, Kaden Elliss, Andrew Dowell, and Zack Baun.

Wilson hadn’t appeared in a game yet this season, but this is another hit to the depth chart and the Saints may make a move to replace him. What’s worse is that he’s the second veteran to depart for greener pastures in as many days after the Denver Broncos poached running back Latavius Murray. With the Saints stumbling into a 1-3 record to open the season, experienced players aren’t going to wait around for their number to get called when they can go somewhere else, make more money, and face less competition for a roster spot.

New Orleans has some vacancies opening on the practice squad this week, so look for them to plug those holes soon. They could look to bring in some free agents for tryouts or shuffle players around with some injuries and suspensions ending soon.

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