Tag: patrick taylor

Report: 49ers signing former Packers RB Patrick Taylor to one-year deal

The 49ers are reportedly bringing in a new face to the running back room.

While the San Francisco 49ers missed on restricted Detroit Lions free agent tight end Brock Wright, John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan made an addition to the running back room on Wednesday afternoon through free agency.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the 49ers are signing former Green Bay Packers running back Patrick Taylor Jr. The three-year veteran rusher will join Christian McCaffrey, Elijah Mitchell and Jordan Mason in the running back room in Santa Clara.

Via @AdamSchefter on Twitter:

Taylor spent three seasons in Green Bay after going undrafted out of Memphis. During his time with the Packers, Taylor rushed for 261 yards and one touchdown. Taylor Jr. has also spent time playing special teams with the Packers.

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Packers losing free agent RB Patrick Taylor to 49ers

Former Green Bay Packers running back Patrick Taylor is signing a one-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers.

Former Green Bay Packers running back Patrick Taylor is signing a one-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Taylor, who played in 34 games for the Packers over the last three seasons, was an unrestricted free agent after not receiving a restricted tender.

The Packers swapped out Aaron Jones for Josh Jacobs, re-signed A.J. Dillon and tendered exclusive rights free agent Emanuel Wilson at running back this offseason.

Taylor played 226 snaps and handled 43 touches (32 rushes, 11 catches) in 2023, setting career highs. He played in both playoff games, including the Packers’ loss to the 49ers.

With Taylor headed for San Francisco, the Packers will likely use the draft to provide necessary depth at running back.

The Packers signed Taylor as an undrafted free agent out of Memphis in 2020. He rushed 65 times for 261 yards and one touchdown and caught 14 passes on 20 targets for 69 yards. Taylor was on the field for 322 offensive snaps and 276 snaps on special teams.

With Taylor now signed, the only free agents still unsigned for the Packers are safety Rudy Ford (unrestricted) and left tackle David Bakhtiari (released, failed physical).

Patrick Taylor got call from Packers just minutes after injuries to RBs vs. Chargers

The Packers didn’t take long to get ahold of RB Patrick Taylor when injuries hit both Aaron Jones and Emanuel Wilson in the second quarter on Sunday.

The Green Bay Packers didn’t take long to get ahold of running back Patrick Taylor — who was on the practice squad of the New England Patriots as of last Sunday — when injuries hit both Aaron Jones and Emanuel Wilson in the second quarter of Green Bay’s 23-20 win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.

Their depth at running back devastated by injury and a game to be played Thursday in Detroit, the Packers immediately called Taylor and arranged his return.

How long did it take? Minutes.

“They called me Sunday while the guys were at halftime,” Taylor said Tuesday.

Taylor was watching when Jones and Wilson suffered injuries against the Chargers. Within a few plays, Jones injured his knee on an awkward tackle and Wilson hurt his shoulder while fighting for yards near the sideline.

“I said, we might be going back to the Packers, but I didn’t think it would happen so soon,” Taylor said. “Literally two minutes, three minutes after I said that, my agent called me and I looked at my wife. He (the agent) called her, she said, hey Chris just called. And I looked at her and then she was like, yeah, we are going back to the Packers.”

Taylor said he was on a plane and headed back to Green Bay by 5:00 a.m. Monday morning. He was officially signed to the team’s 53-man roster later Monday. By Thursday, Taylor will be expected to be the top backup behind A.J. Dillon against the Lions at Ford Field.

“It’s a big opportunity for me to put my talent on display,” Taylor said.

Taylor said it was “exciting” to walk back into the facility after being away for over a month.

Taylor, who first arrived in Green Bay in 2020, played four regular season games for the Packers in 2023. He was elevated from the practice squad three times — the maximum in a season — and signed to the 53-man roster before facing the Las Vegas Raiders. But the Packers released him a day after the loss to the Raiders and had no interest in re-signing him to the practice squad.

Taylor found a new opportunity in New England and admitted he wasn’t pleased with how things ended in Green Bay.

“No, they didn’t,” Taylor said when asked if the Packers tried signing him back to the practice squad. “It left a bad taste in my mouth for sure. I know out of everything nobody owes you anything in this league, no matter how hard you work. No matter the things that you do. It’s a performance-based business. If you’re not playing well or you’re not helping the team, they’ll get rid of you. It left a bad taste in my mouth for sure. But I am grateful that it happened because it gave me a different perspective of everything moving forward. But I am grateful for the opportunity to be back here and be back with my boys and play with the Packer G.”

Over the last six weeks, Taylor played 21 snaps for the Packers vs. the Raiders in Las Vegas, was released the next day, flew to Boston, signed with the Patriots, went to Germany during New England’s international trip and is now back in Green Bay with an opportunity to help the Packers in a huge NFC North showdown in Detroit.

Quotes from Packers Wire contributor Paul Bretl was used in this story.

Instant analysis of Packers signing RB Patrick Taylor, releasing S Dallin Leavitt

Breaking down the Packers’ signing of RB Patrick Taylor and releasing of S Dallin Leavitt.

Along with adding James Robinson to the practice squad, the Green Bay Packers continued to bolster their running back depth to combat injuries to Aaron Jones and Emanuel Wilson by claiming old friend Patrick Taylor off the New England Patriots practice squad.

Predicting how a team is going to fill a void on their roster can often be a challenging task. However, bringing back Taylor is about as obvious of a move as we will see take place. Taylor, of course, knows the offense well. With AJ Dillon expected to be the lead back in Detroit, Taylor can fill that third down role for Green Bay, being utilized in pass protection and has proven to be a reliable option in the passing game as well.

Taylor appeared in four games for the Packers this season, and while his primary role came on special teams, he played 70 snaps on offense, holding up well as a blocker, catching five passes for 28 yards, including some key fourth quarter receptions in the Packers comeback win over New Orleans. As a ball carrier, he has averaged 2.8 yards per rush on 11 attempts.

“The thing about it, he’s got better from where he was,” said running backs coach Ben Sirmans about Taylor earlier in the season. “He’s a guy that definitely you rely on because we trust him in those situations. Any time he gets his opportunity, he’s going to go all out. That’s one of the things you do appreciate about him.”

With Dillon and Taylor on the 53-man roster, Robinson will likely be one of the Packers practice squad elevations on Thursday to provide depth.

Although short-handed at running back, finding a way to get going on the ground against the Lions will be an absolute must. As we saw in Week 4 where the Detroit pass rush dominated the line of scrimmage, if Green Bay’s offense is routinely in obvious passing situations, moving the ball through the air becomes a very difficult task against this defense, especially with their ability to get after the quarterback with Aidan Hutchinson.

During the last game, Jordan Love was pressured on nearly 50 percent of his dropbacks, according to PFF. When under that much duress, it doesn’t much matter what the play call is or where the ball is supposed to go—it isn’t going to end well.

In order to make room for Taylor on the 53-man roster, the Packers released safety and core special teams player Dallin Leavitt. There are likely a few contributing factors that went into this decision.

For one, the circumstances that the Packers find themselves in and needing to bolster their running back depth. But in addition to that, Leavitt had a pair of special teams penalties on the opening kickoff that backed the offense up inside its own 5-yard line. As ESPN’s Rob Demovsky put it, that drew the “ire” of Matt LaFleur.

The recent play of Zayne Anderson likely made this move easier to make. Similarly to Leavitt, Anderson is a safety and his primary role comes on special teams. Having both on the roster was a bit redundant to a degree. Anderson is younger and over the last three games, he has made three special teams tackles. For some context, Jonathan Owens is the Packers season leader in that category and he has made five.

Also, and while not the be-all-end-all, Leavitt’s special teams grade from PFF ranked 47th out of 52 eligible Packers. Not ideal for a player whose calling card is special teams and isn’t asked to contribute on defense.

The Packers also announced that the corresponding practice squad move to make room for Robinson was releasing linebacker Christian Young. With five linebackers on the 53-man roster, all of which either contribute on defense, special teams, or both, this is a position of depth for Green Bay.

Patriots sign former Packers RB to practice squad in busy day

A former Packers RB has joined the Patriots’ practice squad

The New England Patriots made a couple of signings to their practice squad on Wednesday, including adding defensive end William Bradley-King.

However, per MassLive’s Mark Daniels, the Patriots have also signed running back Patrick Taylor to the practice squad.

Taylor was most recently a member of the Green Bay Packers. He was waived by the organization last week. He has 27 games of NFL experience and has tallied 151 rushing yards, 48 receiving yards and one touchdown. He has 52 touches in his NFL career.

Taylor also played a dual role on special teams, recording 31 snaps on the unit, via Pro Football Reference.

New England needs additional depth at the running back position. Rhamondre Stevenson and Ezekiel Elliott have proven to be a solid one-two punch this season.

Additional running back help is nothing but a positive for New England, as injuries pile up on both sides of the football.

New England continues to make moves, as they prepare for the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. The kick-off time for the game is set for 1:00 p.m. ET.

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Former Packers RB Patrick Taylor joining Patriots practice squad

Former Packers RB Patrick Taylor is joining the practice squad of the Patriots.

Former Green Bay Packers running back Patrick Taylor will join the practice squad of the New England Patriots, according to Mark Daniels of MassLive.

The Packers released Taylor on Oct. 10, just one day after signing him from the practice squad for the team’s Week 5 matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders. While it was assumed he would simply return on the practice squad, Taylor is choosing a new path in a new NFL city — and the Packers replaced Taylor on the practice squad with veteran James Robinson on Tuesday.

Taylor, an undrafted free agent out of Memphis in 2020, worked out for the Patriots on Tuesday.

Taylor played in four games for the Packers in 2023: three as an elevation from the practice squad and one on the 53-man roster. He carried 11 times for 31 yards (two first downs) and caught five passes on 10 targets for 28 yards (three first downs). Overall, Taylor played 70 snaps on offense and 31 on special teams.

Taylor played in 27 games for the Packers over three seasons. He touched the football 52 times, producing 199 total yards and a touchdown.

It’s possible Taylor grew tired of the back-and-forth between the 53-man roster and practice squad, especially given the Packers usage at running back this season. Taylor has played over 100 total snaps for the Packers while rookie Emanuel Wilson — who is on the 53-man roster — has been on the field for just 14 snaps and has no clear special teams value.

The Packers will move forward at running with Wilson, Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon on the 53-man roster and Robinson as a backup option on the practice squad.

Packers re-sign OLB Justin Hollins, release RB Patrick Taylor

One day after releasing outside linebacker Justin Hollins to make room on the 53-man roster for running back Patrick Taylor, the Green Bay Packers released Taylor to bring back Hollins.

One day after releasing outside linebacker Justin Hollins to make room on the 53-man roster for running back Patrick Taylor, the Green Bay Packers released Taylor to bring back Hollins. The move was announced Tuesday following the Packers’ 17-13 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.

Taylor rushed two times for two yards and caught two of five targets for five yards on Monday night. He played 21 of 58 snaps on offense and three more snaps on special teams.

The Packers needed Taylor at running back vs. the Raiders with Aaron Jones unavailable for the third time in four weeks. Taylor, a practice squad elevation three times during the first three weeks, has played in four of five games this season.

Taylor would be expected to sign back to the practice squad. A transaction adding Taylor could arrive Wednesday.

Hollins, who has played in 10 games for the Packers over the last two years, was on the field for 84 snaps on defense during the Packers’ first four weeks. He’ll likely go right back into the rotation as the Packers come out of bye and play the Denver Broncos on Oct. 22.

Packers sign RB Patrick Taylor from practice squad, release OLB Justin Hollins

The Packers signed RB Patrick Taylor from the practice squad. To clear a roster spot, the team released OLB Justin Hollins.

In a move made necessary by the on-going injury situation at running back, the Green Bay Packers signed running back Patrick Taylor from the practice squad and released outside linebacker Justin Hollins in the hours before Monday night’s showdown with the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium.

The move is an obvious reaction to the unlikelihood of having running back Aaron Jones available on Monday night. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported Jones is unlikely to play, and Taylor’s promotion suggests Jones — who injured his hamstring in Week 1 — won’t be available for the third time in four weeks.

Taylor was elevated from the practice squad during each of the first three weeks. Players are allowed three elevations per season, so the Packers needed to sign Taylor to the 53-man roster to have him on the field against the Raiders.

During the first three weeks, Taylor carried nine times for 29 yards and caught three passes for 23 yards. He was on the field for 49 snaps on offense and 29 snaps on special teams. The Packers like his versatility, particularly as a receiver, blocker and contributor on special teams.

Without Jones, the Packers would be down to Taylor, A.J. Dillon and Emanuel Wilson at running back. Dillon is averaging 2.7 yards per carry and Wilson is a rookie with only five career carries in the NFL.

To clear a roster spot, the Packers released Hollins, a veteran edge rusher who was on the field for 20 or more defensive snaps during each of the first three weeks. The Packers were carrying six outside linebackers on the 53-man roster prior to Hollins’ release. His departure suggests Rashan Gary is closer to being a full-time player and rookie Lukas Van Ness is ready for a bigger role. Rookie Brenton Cox Jr. now becomes the No. 5 edge rusher.

Hollins, 27, will go on waivers. The Packers originally added Hollins off waivers from the Rams last year. He played 84 snaps on defense for the Packers through the first four games of the 2023 season, tallying five tackles, two stops and two pressures. Last week, Hollins was on the field for a season-low 13 snaps vs. the Lions.

Packers coach Matt LaFleur explains decision to release WR Sammy Watkins

The Packers’ need for Patrick Taylor as the No. 3 running back and the improved health situation of the wide receiver position meant a tough decision had to be made on Sammy Watkins.

Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur said the need to bring up running back Patrick Taylor from the practice squad led to the team’s decision to release veteran wide receiver Sammy Watkins before Monday night’s matchup with the Los Angeles Rams.

LaFleur didn’t appear particularly happy about the decision but understood the mechanics behind the roster move.

“That’s one of the things that’s not cool about this business,” LaFleur said following the Packers’ 24-12 win. “You have to make some tough decisions. He’s a guy that (everyone in Green Bay) has a lot of respect for and love for Sammy Watkins. Certainly wasn’t fired up about the timing of it, but it was one of those deals where, you know, we had to get Patrick Taylor up as the third back, and he was out of elevations. It was a tough decision.”

In need of Taylor as the third option behind Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon and without a gameday elevation available, the Packers had to find a roster spot to clear, and wide receiver made the most sense given the improving health situation.

Watkins was the odd man out as rookie Romeo Doubs returned from an ankle injury after missing four games. With Doubs back, the Packers had their top four receivers available and dwindling opportunities available for Watkins, who played only 11 snaps over the last two games and hadn’t made a catch since Week 10.

The decision meant Watkins was out in Green Bay after 13 catches in nine games.

“I can’t thank him enough for the type of person he is, the type of energy he brought to this team,” LaFleur said.

Watkins, who was attempting to revive his career in Green Bay in 2022, caught six passes for 111 yards during the first two weeks but suffered a hamstring injury that kept him out four games and set him back significantly.

He wasn’t the same player after returning. Between Weeks 7-13, Watkins caught seven passes on 15 targets for 95 yards.

“I think it started off pretty good for him to start the season, and then he had the injury and it fell off from there,” LaFleur said. “It’s tough. I don’t like it. But it is what it is.”

Overall, Watkins played 279 snaps from scrimmage for the Packers.

Aaron Rodgers said he believes the Packers can play winning football with Doubs, Christian Watson, Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb as the top four receivers. The quartet combined to catch 13 passes for 140 yards from Rodgers during Monday night’s win over the Rams.

The Packers ended up needing Taylor, who was active and rushed four times for 15 yards over nine snaps. He also played five snaps on special teams. Dillon left the game to be evaluated for a concussion, and Jones was dealing with injury throughout the game, leaving Taylor to handle a few carries in the fourth quarter.

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Packers sign RB Patrick Taylor to 53-man roster for third time in 2022

For the third time this season, the Packers signed RB Patrick Taylor to the 53-man roster from the practice squad.

For the third time during the 2022 regular season, the Green Bay Packers have signed running back Patrick Taylor from the practice squad to the 53-man roster.

His latest activation came Monday as the Packers signed Taylor to take the roster spot of wide receiver Sammy Watkins, who was released. The second-year running back will be available for the Packers on Monday night against the Los Angeles Rams.

Taylor, an undrafted free agent out of Memphis, has gone through an up-and-down season in terms of status. He’s been released three times, signed to the practice squad three times, elevated to the gameday roster three times and signed to the 53-man roster three times.

Most recently, the Packers elevated Taylor for Week 13 against the Bears.

Appearing in 10 games, Taylor has played seven offensive snaps and 96 on special teams in 2022. He has carried one time for six yards (one first down) and made two special teams tackles.

Taylor will serve as the No. 3 running back behind Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon.

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