Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Packer Plus
Tonyan’s uncertainty creates bit of turmoil
Green Bay — After not adding to the position this offseason, the Green Bay Packers’ tight end depth chart is built on hope.
The Packers hope Robert Tonyan returns from his torn ACL to be the borderline Pro Bowler he was in 2020. They hope Josiah Deguara or Tyler Davis can pick up the lost production until Tonyan returns, likely sometime in midseason. They hope Marcedes Lewis, entering his 17th season in the NFL at 38 years old, can thwart Father Time one more year.
For all the concern at receiver, there isn’t a more dire position on the Packers’ roster than tight end. In the best-case scenario, the Packers have a diverse group with enough blocking and playmaking potential to complement a runoriented offense. A lot must break right for that to happen.
If it doesn’t, a lack of options in the passing game will only be compounded.
Tight end
Good bets: Josiah Deguara, Marcedes Lewis.
On the bubble: Tyler Davis, Dominique Dafney.
Long shots: Alize Mack, Sal Cannella.
PUP: Robert Tonyan.
Biggest offseason move
It wasn’t as discussed as receiver, but the Packers entered the draft with tight end posing perhaps their biggest need. It wouldn’t have been surprising for general manager Brian Gutekunst to draft a tight end in the first three rounds, even with a thin incoming class from college. The Packers opted not to draft a tight end, instead taking three receivers in the seven rounds. Gutekunst signed Mack, a seventh-round pick of the New Orleans Saints in 2019. They brought in Cannella, who spent time with the Dolphins in training camp in 2021. They are the only two additions for a position that will need to rely on internal improvement this season.
Position battle
Until Tonyan returns, the Packers must find a tight end capable of being a receiving option. Lewis had his best season with the Packers as a passcatching tight end in 2021, but his 23 catches for 214 yards and no touchdowns don’t add much to the offense. His fumble in the Packers’ upset playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers was a turning point in the game, and a reminder his value is as an in-line blocker. That leaves Deguara and Davis to battle for top receiving tight end early this season. Deguara, a 2020 third-round pick, has had an inconsistent start to his career. After a torn ACL forced him to miss most of his rookie season, Deguara played like a rookie in 2021, at times testing his quarterback’s patience. He also showed glimpses of playmaking potential, including a 25-yard touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers in Minnesota
and a stunning 62-yard touchdown off a screen pass from Jordan Love in Detroit. The Packers have appeared high on Davis this offseason, despite his catching just four passes for 35 yards in 14 games after signing off the Colts’ practice squad in late September. He has consistently repped with the first-team offense this offseason, though that might be at least partly because there are few other options.
Keep an eye on
Lewis is on the last legs of his stellar career. This fall, he’ll tie Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez’s tight end record with his 17th season in the NFL. The 28th overall pick in 2006, Lewis is the only player from his draft class on an NFL roster this offseason after left tackle Andrew Whitworth and punter Sam Koch retired last spring. At 234 regular-season games played, Lewis knows the end of his career is near. He’s hoping to squeeze out another quality NFL season.
Key question
A lot of issues would be solved if Tonyan returns as the player he was before his torn ACL during a Week 8 game at Arizona last season. Tonyan burst onto the NFL scene in 2020, catching 52 passes for 586 yards and tying a Packers single-season record for tight ends with 11 touchdowns. Even with his production slipping early last fall, there was good reason to think Tonyan would rebound in the season’s second half. He never got that chance, and now it’s unclear when Tonyan will return to the field. The torn ACL came at the worst time as Tonyan was set to enter free agency. The Packers signed Tonyan to a one-year, $3.75 million contract, giving him a chance to rebuild his market value with a successful return. The big question is whether a tight end whose game was built on athleticism and movement skills can be as productive as he was before the knee injury.
Prediction
There’s a chance Tonyan could start this season on the Packers’ 53-man roster. Every recovery timetable after an ACL injury is different, but the window usually falls between nine and 12 months. The Packers open training camp with their first practice July 27, one day before the nine-month date of Tonyan’s injury. The initial 53-man roster will be chosen roughly 10 months after the injury. The Packers likely will be cautious with Tonyan, not wanting to rush him back and risk the lengthy return David Bakhtiari has experienced. A lot can happen on the road back from a torn ACL, and recovery timetables are very difficult to predict. Consulting the crystal ball, Tonyan will start this season on the physically unable to perform list, meaning he won’t be available for the first six games. That would mark his return for Oct. 23 at Washington, five days before the one-year date of his injury.