Tag: Jordan Morgan

Rasheed Walker is solidifying his status as the long-term starter at left tackle and Zach Tom — while still recovering from an offseason pectoral injury — is entrenched at right tackle. So, where is first-round pick Jordan Morgan going to play for the Green Bay Packers in 2024?

Right guard looks like the spot. And more and more, Morgan looks like the favorite there.

While Morgan played primarily left tackle at Arizona, and left tackle is the premium offensive line spot, consider the following:

— Walker was excellent down the stretch in 2023 and has appeared to use his strong finish to create an excellent start to training camp in 2024.

— Tom was one of the NFL’s best right tackles in 2023. He’s one of the best young tackles in football based on his first two seasons.

— The Packers want Morgan on the field as a rookie in 2024.

— The weakest spot on the offensive line is either right guard or center. Based on experience level of the competition, it’s right guard.

— Morgan has the athleticism of a left tackle but the body type of a guard. Many saw moving inside as the best way to maximize his performance in the NFL.

So, it comes as no surprise that Morgan has settled in at right guard. He was the first-team option throughout practices during the second week of training camp and should probably be considered the leader in the clubhouse entering Family Night.

The Packers know Morgan has a lot to figure out as a young player at a new position, but the early returns are positive.

“He’s done a really nice job. Every day, he’s learning something new. He’s taking his lumps along the way, as to be expected,” coach Matt LaFleur said. “He has everything you look for in a guy who can play in this league for a really long time. The athleticism. He just has to learn how to compete down in and down out against really good competition.”

Offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said the Packers wanted Morgan focusing mostly on one position as a rookie in camp. When deciding Morgan’s best pathway to the field, the presence of Walker and Tom at the tackle spots made right guard the easy pick.

“I think with that with young guys, you want to start them at a spot. You don’t want to move them around as much just so they can hone in on the techniques and the assignments and all that stuff,” Stenavich said. “And when you look at the big picture, where we think he would compete best this year for a starting role, we looked and we thought the right guard position was the best spot. As of now, we’ll focus there. As he grasps it and gets better there, we can move him around if we want to or he does a great job there and we’re good to go. Right now, we’re focusing on keeping him at one spot that way he can really hone in on it and be the best he can be.”

Even if Morgan is the preferred option at right guard to start the 2024 season, the Packers still believe he can play tackle in the NFL, raising his value as a depth piece behind Walker and Tom. It’s possible Morgan would be the first or second option at left tackle in the event of an injury to Walker, even if the majority of his training camp reps have come inside at guard. Morgan has also received snaps at right tackle, where the Packers are holding a multi-player competition for backup spots.

While Morgan becoming a Pro Bowler at left tackle right out of the gates might have represented the best case scenario, the current situation looks like a fine consolation prize. The Packers’ first-round pick is likely to start at a weak point on the offensive line, solidifying the best five while also giving the Packers much-needed depth at the tackle spots.

The Green Bay Packers want first-round pick Jordan Morgan focusing on one position early in his NFL career, so when Adam Stenavich and the rest of the offensive staff reviewed the possible pathways to a starting role in 2024, they settled on right guard as Morgan’s best chance to crack the top five along the offensive line.

On Monday, Stenavich said the Packers will have Morgan — the team’s first-round pick in 2024 — settle in within the right guard competition and then go from there.

“I think with that with young guys, you want to start them at a spot. You don’t want to move them around as much just so they can hone in on the techniques and the assignments and all that stuff,” Stenavich said. “And when you look at the big picture, where we think he would compete best this year for a starting role, we looked and we thought the right guard position was the best spot. As of now, we’ll focus there. As he grasps it and gets better there, we can move him around if we want to or he does a great job there and we’re good to go. Right now, we’re focusing on keeping him at one spot that way he can really hone in on it and be the best he can be.”

The majority of Morgan’s training camp reps have come inside at guard. A college left tackle at Arizona, Morgan is still adjusting to life inside at guard at the NFL level.

“He’s done good. He’s flashed some really good things,” Stenavich said. “There’s a lot of technique stuff he still needs to learn, just like any young offensive lineman, and especially with him going from tackle to guard, there’s a learning progression there that you just have to go through.”

Morgan’s top competition at right guard will be Sean Rhyan, a 2022 third-round pick who rotated in and out of the lineup with Jon Runyan Jr. for a big chunk of last season. Runyan signed with the New York Giants in free agency.

Stenavich believes the depth and talent of the Packers defensive line — especially inside — will give Morgan “good competition in practice,” potentially accelerating his development.

“I think he’s done a really good job so far, just learning, and going through the growing pains and things like that,” Stenavich said. “But I do see a lot of really good flashes from him, and I think he’s got a bright future.”

During Sunday’s practice, Morgan won a pair of 1-on-1s against 2022 first-round pick Devonte Wyatt.

“He’s been predominantly inside,” coach Matt LaFleur said. “I think he’s starting to feel more and more comfortable inside, but I think he’s talented enough that if we need to kick him outside, we can do that.”

Without Morgan factoring in at offensive tackle, Stenavich said Andre Dillard, Kadeem Telfort, Caleb Jones, Luke Tenuta and rookie Travis Glover are all competing for the role of swing tackle behind Rasheed Walker and Zach Tom.

The Green Bay Packers have officially signed first-round pick Jordan Morgan. Over the Cap now has the details on what Morgan’s rookie deal will look like.

Morgan earned a standard four-year rookie contract that totals $14.185 million with a signing bonus of $7.136 million, along with $1.085 million in roster bonuses that can be earned during the 2025 and 2026 seasons.

Morgan will receive the full signing bonus up front, but from a salary cap perspective, that $7.136 million can be pro-rated over the life of the contract. Or, in short, the cap hit in 2024 from that bonus is just $1.784 million.

That pro-rated signing bonus amount plus a base salary of $795,000 will make up Morgan’s cap hit for this season, which totals $2.579 million.

Moving forward, beyond 2024, a $1.784 million cap hit from the pro-rated signing bonus will be on the Packers’ books all four years of the contract, along with Morgan’s base salary increasing each year as well.

In 2025, Morgan’s base salary will be $960,000. In 2026 it increases to $1.478 million, and then $2.729 million in 2027. As a first-round pick, the Packers will have the opportunity to pick up or decline a fifth-year option for Morgan for the 2028 season.

Here is a look at what Morgan’s cap hit will be each season:

2024: $2.579 million
2025: $3.223 million
2026: $3.868 million
2027: $4.513 million

In the early going of OTAs and minicamp, the Packers have put a lot on Morgan’s plate, asking him to play both tackle and guard positions during practices. Ultimately, the Packers are trying to collect enough data to accurately evaluate where Morgan fits best as they search for their “best five” along the offensive line.

Once Morgan finds a home, my guess is that there will be more clarity around what the starting configuration will look like. But as Matt LaFleur said during minicamp, they won’t be able to truly determine that until training begins and the pads come on.

The entire Green Bay Packers draft class is 2024 is now signed to rookie contracts. The signing of first-round pick Jordan Morgan — the last of the 11 draft picks to sign — arrived on Thursday, per Aaron Wilson.

Morgan’s four-year deal will be worth $14.18 million. It is fully guaranteed, including a signing bonus of just over $7.1 million. Like all first-round picks, the contract will include a fifth-year option — which must be decided on by the team between Year 3 and Year 4.

Morgan’s salary cap number in 2024 will fall just below $2.6 million.

Here are contract details, via Ken Ingalls:

Jordan Morgan's 1st round contract details with the Packers:

🔹4 years, $14,185,596, 100% guaranteed
🔹Roster bonuses due 5th day of training camp pic.twitter.com/YMQBcDUr6L

— Ken Ingalls – Packers Cap 💰 (@KenIngalls) June 13, 2024

The contract includes roster bonuses totaling over $1 million in 2025 and 2026.

Morgan, a left tackle out of Arizona, was the 25th overall pick in the 2024 draft. He is being cross-trained at four different positions along the offensive line and will likely get a chance to compete for a starting job at both left tackle and right guard come training camp.

Morgan and the Packers completed the offseason workout program on Wednesday. The team is off for five weeks before returning for the start of training camp on July 22.

The Green Bay Packers threw just about everything at first-round pick Jordan Morgan during the offseason workout program. The collegiate left tackle got reps at four different positions — left tackle, left guard, right guard and right tackle — in the latest example of the team’s on-going effort to cross-train the offensive line.

The Packers know Morgan has much to learn as a first-year player learning to play tackle and guard on both sides of the line but will continue pushing him on the mental side.

“He’s got a long way to go in terms of just mentally,” coach Matt LaFleur said. “Physically, he has all the tools that you look for and we’re going keep pushing him and he’s got to understand that…I think he’s approaching it the right way and we’re going to continue to push him.”

It remains unclear where Morgan will fit best come training camp. LaFleur said the Packers would have a better idea about the positioning of individual linemen once camp gets rolling and the team can start playing with the best five starting fits.

Zach Tom, the expected starter at right tackle, has missed most of the offseason workout program with a torn pectoral muscle, opening the door for reps for both Morgan and veteran Andre Dillard. Morgan is also competing with Rasheed Walker at left tackle, and nothing is set in stone at right guard, where Sean Rhyan has been the primary option for the first-team offense.

The Packers want offensive linemen to know multiple positions to provide built-in protection against injuries. Tom, for instance, can play all five positions. The same can be said for veteran Elgton Jenkins. Morgan might have a lot to learn mentally as a first-year player, but he looks like another multi-position puzzle piece for LaFleur, Adam Stenavich and Luke Butkus along the offensive line.

Now, Morgan and the rest of the Packers will get a five-week break before camp. One of the biggest storylines when training camp opens with a practice on July 22: Where will Morgan play primarily, and can he crack the starting five?

The Green Bay Packers have 10 of their 11 member draft class now officially under contract. The one remaining unsigned draft pick is first round selection Jordan Morgan.

Now, of course, there is nothing to be concerned about. A deal is going to get done, and there are actually quite a few early-round picks around the NFL who still remain unsigned. Morgan is one of 12 first-round picks league-wide that still remain unsigned.

The rookie wage scale sets parameters based on where the player was drafted. It establishes a ceiling and a floor for how much each draft pick can earn over their standard four-year contract.

So negotiating can be somewhat limited but does revolve around where the player falls within that salary range and how much of the deal is guaranteed. For a more detailed look at the rookie wage scale, click here.

Oftentimes, the contract value and the amount of guarantees are largely determined by what players in similar draft spots have agreed to. So it’s possible that Morgan’s deal could be done sooner than later, given that picks 22 through 24 and No. 27 have agreed to contract terms–essentially narrowing the already established parameters for where Morgan’s deal can land.

Over the Cap projects that Morgan’s rookie deal will be worth $14.185 million with a $7.136 million signing bonus. His cap number for the 2024 season is estimated to be $2.579 million.

As far as a potential timeline for when Morgan’s deal could get done, 2023 first-round pick Lukas Van Ness wasn’t signed until June 27th.

For a closer look at the rookie deals for the Packers’ other 10 draft picks, follow the links below:

Edgerrin Cooper
Javon Bullard
Marshawn Lloyd
Ty’Ron Hopper
Evan Williams
Jacob Monk
Kitan Oladapo
Travis Glover
Michael Pratt
Kalen King

The Green Bay Packers came out of the 2024 NFL draft believing first-round pick Jordan Morgan could play four positions along the offensive line, and Morgan has already gotten reps at three spots through the first two weeks of organized team activities.

At rookie minicamp, Morgan played mostly left tackle. During last week’s open OTA practice, Morgan got reps at both left and right tackle, likely as a result of starter Zach Tom being out with a torn pectoral injury. On Wednesday, Morgan slid inside to left guard during team drills to fill in for starter Elgton Jenkins, who had a preplanned absence.

“There’s been a lot put on his plate. At times, his head is spinning. You have to keep chopping and grinding and working through it,” coach Matt LaFleur said. “He has all the skills to be as good as he wants to be.”

Like so many others along the offensive line, the Packers are cross-training Morgan at multiple positions. He’s getting a chance to compete with returning starter Rasheed Walker at left tackle, but Morgan will also get reps at right tackle with Tom sidelined and could eventually factor into the competition at right guard, an open spot after the departure of Jon Runyan Jr. in free agency.

Many draft evaluators saw guard as a real possibility for Morgan despite him playing almost every one of his collegiate snaps at left tackle. While strong and athletic, Morgan lacks the length usually weaponized by offensive tackles against the monster edge rushers in the NFL. Moving inside could be one way for the Packers to maximize Morgan’s strengths and limit his weaknesses.

More than anything, learning multiple positions early in his rookie season will give Morgan a chance to contribute early. Injuries up front on offense are common, which is a big reason why the Packers favor offensive linemen who can play more than one position.

“We’re trying to get him as many reps as possible,” LaFleur said.

Might it be better if Morgan could get comfortable at one position as a first-year player? Sure. But if he’s physically and mentally capable, and the Packers clearly believe he is, learning multiple spots is Morgan’s path of least resistance in terms of getting on the field as a rookie.