Tag: Randy Ramsey

Packers release injury-plagued OLB Randy Ramsey

The Packers need to trim the roster to 85 players by Tuesday. The first cut came Monday: OLB Randy Ramsey, who is still dealing with an ankle injury.

With the deadline to reduce the roster to 85 players looming on Tuesday, the Green Bay Packers got a headstart on Monday morning, releasing injury-plagued outside linebacker Randy Ramsey, per Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

An undrafted free agent out of Arkansas in 2019, Ramsey was attempting to come back from a significant ankle injury suffered during training camp last August. He missed all of last season and had only recently returned from the PUP list, but the ankle issues lingered and he was held out of several practices and last Friday night’s preseason opener in San Francisco.

The Packers will move forward with Jonathan Garvin, Ladarius Hamilton, Tipa Galeai, Kinglsey “JJ” Engabare, Kobe Jones and rookie Chauncey Manac as the competition at edge rusher behind starters Rashan Gary and Preston Smith.

The Packers are now down to 89 players, meaning four more cuts are coming before Tuesday afternoon’s deadline.

Ramsey, 26, played 203 special teams snaps and was one of the Packers’ best special teamers during the 2020 season. He was expected to be in the mix for the team’s backup edge rusher jobs opened this summer, but it’s clear the ankle wasn’t willing to cooperate.

Ramsey played in 12 games for the Packers, tallying 11 total tackles. His nine special teams tackles ranked third on the team in 2020.

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Packers OLB Randy Ramsey suffers significant injury

The Green Bay Packers will be without linebacker and special teams contributor Randy Ramsey for the foreseeable future. 

The Green Bay Packers will be without linebacker and special teams contributor Randy Ramsey for the foreseeable future.

Coach Matt LaFleur confirmed the injury suffered by Ramsey on Monday was a significant one.

“That was not a good injury, and it’s a shame, because he’s done so much in terms of bringing that special teams value, but also he’s reliable when we’ve been putting him in there on defense as well, and bringing some much-needed depth to that position,” LaFleur said.

Ramsey, an undrafted free agent signed by the Packers in 2019, saw action in 12 games and tallied two tackles on defense and nine special teams tackles last season. He played 75 snaps as a standup outside linebacker and 204 snaps on various special teams groups.

LaFleur didn’t downplay the injury but he also wasn’t ready to rule out Ramsey for the entire season.

“Hopefully we’ll get him back at some point, but I know it was definitely not one of those injuries you want to have,” LaFleur said.

Ramsey’s injury opens the door for one of the young outside linebackers on the team to make the 53-man roster, both as needed depth at the position behind Za’Darius Smith, Preston Smith and Rashan Gary and on special teams. Candidates include Jonathan Garvin, Tipa Galeai and Delontae Scott.

“Other guys are going to have to pick up the slack, and that’s just the way the National Football League works, unfortunately. But I feel bad for him. He’s worked really hard. He’s improved a lot over the course of two seasons.”

Ramsey (6-3, 238) spent his entire rookie season on the Packers practice squad before making the team to start the 2020 season. He was re-signed as an exclusive rights free agent in March.

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