New Additions Could Contribute on Defense

With a lack of depth on the defensive line and outside linebacker, Josh Avery and Chauncey Rivers have opportunities to stick with the Green Bay Packers.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Chauncey Rivers got quite a welcome to Green Bay.

“His first day is Family Night,” outside linebackers coach Mike Smith said on Sunday. “He’s fricking pulling up to the players’ lot and there’s 2,000 people. He’s probably thinking, ‘What the hell is going on?’”

The Packers added two players last week to fortify their defense. One is Rivers, a badly needed addition at outside linebacker with injuries to Pro Bowler Za’Darius Smith, potential combo linebacker Kamal Martin and now Rashan Gary. The other is defensive lineman Josh Avery. With Kingsley Keke on the non-football injury list, the Packers had only seven defensive linemen – and that was before Kenny Clark missed the last two practices with a groin injury.

With the lack of depth at those positions, both players have a chance to be on the 53 next month.

Avery (6-3, 320) played at Southeast Missouri State. In two seasons, he recorded 41 total tackles, seven tackles for a loss, and 2.5 sacks in 23 games. That included 1.5 sacks and six tackles for losses as a senior. Avery went undrafted last year and was signed by the Seattle Seahawks immediately after the draft. However, with teams forced to cut their roster from 90 players to 80 due to COVID, Avery never lined up for training camp. He wound up playing in The Spring League.

“Some of our scouts had been working some of the other league tape stuff that we’ve seen and, obviously, we came in a little light at that position,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said on Sunday. “As we were going, we were looking and, obviously, he’s a big man. He’s got a lot of strength and the tape that we watched, we just thought that he’d have an outside chance to really compete with some of our guys.”

During Avery’s pro day workout before the 2020 draft, he put up 31 reps on the 225-pound bench press and posted an excellent vertical leap of 34.5 inches. Rivers, on the other hand, ran a woeful 4.97 at the 2020 Scouting Combine. He went undrafted and spent his rookie year on Baltimore’s practice squad. The Packers claimed him off waivers just in time for Saturday’s Family Night.

“Chauncey last night, he’s a deer in the headlights looking at me,” Smith said. “I told him at the beginning of the day, ‘Don’t even ask me a football question about defense. The only time you’re going to be in is to set the edge and run and go get the damn quarterback. You don’t have to listen to the call.’”

At 6-foot-2 and 259 pounds, he played outside linebacker with the Ravens so he’s been able to hit the ground running. The Packers have a hole at No. 4 outside linebacker; special teams will be a determining factor.

“He’s been up, dropping, all that type of stuff,” Smith said. “I like the kid. He’s got a good look in his eye. I can tell he’s got some dog to him, which I like. We’ll see what kind of player he is, but that’s the part I like.”