Signs Point to the Packers Signing TE Jake Stoneburner
With Randall Cobb expected to be out from four to eight weeks, the Packers added another pass catcher to their offense.
A couple of Jake Stoneburners former college teammates at Ohio State have offered him congratulations in being signed to the Green Bay Packers' 53-man roster:
Congrats to my bro @STONEYeleven getting called up for Green Bay, well deserved!
— Reid Fragel (@Fragel79) October 15, 2013
My boy @STONEYeleven got the call up to the big leagues! Pumped for him
— Michael Brewster (@Brewster50) October 15, 2013
If true, Stoneburner would be elevated from the team's practice squad, although the Packers would have to make a corresponding move on their 53-man roster in order to make room.
The Packers have a need for receiving help now that it's been reported Randall Cobb will miss between four and eight weeks due to a broken fibula.
Some may have assumed the Packers would be looking to add a wide receiver, but at 6-3 and 249 lbs., Stoneburner is basically a wide receiver in a tight end's body.
For that matter, so are Jermichael Finley and Brandon Bostick, all of whom figure to be split out in the Packers offense as long as Cobb and perhaps James Jones are out.
A spot on the practice squad also opens up with Stoneburner getting called up to the big leagues.
Comments (50)
October 15, 2013 at 01:12 pm
my question is how effective can a TE be vs a corner? The Pats shut down the best TE in the game (Graham) by putting a corner on him. GB loses quality match ups by having tes and only 2 wrs. however this problem is potentially rectified if Jones can play
October 15, 2013 at 01:30 pm
The Pats shut down Graham by putting their best corner on him. If the Browns/Bears/Vikes want to free up Nelson like that, so be it.
October 15, 2013 at 01:37 pm
yeah but when talib got hurt, they put another cb on him and he was still shut out. plus finely is no where near graham in terms of production.
October 15, 2013 at 01:49 pm
True, true.
I still say teams will put their #2 CB on Nelson at their own peril.
October 15, 2013 at 01:52 pm
I think Jordy will see a whole lot of double teams until someone else steps up.
October 15, 2013 at 01:15 pm
Interesting.
October 15, 2013 at 01:32 pm
you got that right...
Honestly, right now it raises some questions about Myles White. First the Packers reportedly offered a WR from another teams' practice squad a spot on the 53 man roster, and now they go to a different position.
Pretty much tells me that they don't think White is ready.
October 15, 2013 at 01:44 pm
RS, couldn't agree more. It tells you more about White than about Stoneburner. I also think that Charles Johnson wouldn't have been signed. I don't think the young WRs are ready. Showed in camp as well.
Also people don't forget that MM likes his TEs for ST play. Stoneburner will be better on ST than White.
October 15, 2013 at 01:50 pm
I agree as well - I thought they would sign White because of the speed he bring to the table. He is no where near Cobb talent level but he would have brought the speed element they will miss with Cobb on the shelf for two months.
October 15, 2013 at 02:07 pm
I really am scratching my head here and its not danddrift either. We need a speed receiver not another TE.
October 15, 2013 at 01:59 pm
I agree with you PackerPete, except I do believe Johnson would have been called up. Maybe not, I just think he would have been.
They did have the opportunity to bring him up a couple of times already and elected to bring other players up, but those were different situations too. So there is a chance they wouldn't have brought him up now too, but I think they would have.
October 15, 2013 at 04:41 pm
Myles White was also signed, and GVR moved to IR.
http://www.packers.com/team/transactions.html
October 15, 2013 at 04:45 pm
Thin at interior OL now...
October 15, 2013 at 04:50 pm
they may not be done yet - Starks may be ready and Sherrod can start practicing this week. If Starks ready to go then they can cut Hill and if Sherrod looks good they can activate him. Rumor has it is he is ready to go
October 15, 2013 at 04:54 pm
True...but Sherrod is not a guard/center. Even with him, they're pretty thin. Unless he is able to take over RT and Barclay becomes a backup guard. I wonder if they'll keep Sherrod at just LT or work him at both sides.
October 15, 2013 at 01:34 pm
Ask. DD would come back. Most yards of any Packers receiver in history and he's in great shape. :)
October 15, 2013 at 01:41 pm
he's done. I would rather have a young guy who could get better vs an old guy who is only going to get worse
October 15, 2013 at 01:43 pm
I agree DD was done last year - he could not get open anymore and was a healthy scratch in favor of Boykin at the end of the year. DD had a great career and he needs to stay retired.
October 15, 2013 at 01:52 pm
Respectfully disagree. DD was one of the best. He was not not open. In fact, watching every game he played, he was often one of the only players to get open and not drop balls. He was "done" because they didn't throw to him in favor of trying to improve the rest of the corp. And the younger thing? I suggested it because they are not looking for a Pro Bowler. They need a superior receiver to come in for 4-8 weeks while we heal. Then he can go back to retirement. Give him the ball, each time, and he will win game after game. BTW, Boyken was a train wreck. He should be on the couch with Ross. Both couldn't find the ball if you taped it to their hands.
October 15, 2013 at 01:58 pm
DD dropped more balls per target than any receiver on the roster his last two years.
October 15, 2013 at 02:08 pm
C=voice of reason/reality
October 15, 2013 at 02:05 pm
JEEEEEEZUS people. He's retired for a reason!! He was not playing last year for a reason! He's old! Slow! Lost a step! Cant separate! Wasn't picked up by any other teams either. This is a young man's game! Not an old, slow legends game!! Its not even that hard to use your head over your heart on this one! Absolute insanity to think Driver is better than Boykin at this point in there (non) careers. Boykin will have a week of practice and will produce just as he did on his only reception. I recall drops from Jones, Jordy, and Finley in that game too. Plenty to blame to go around for the vets as well as the guy thrust into the lineup with limited practice reps. Im pretty sure the all time reception leader at a big time school can catch just fine and will have your remembering Driver for how great he WAS not how great you want him to still be, which he is not! Hes done son. In the words of Garth Algar, "Get over it, go out with somebody else"
October 15, 2013 at 01:42 pm
Wow - Do not know if this is a smart move. Maybe the Packers will mirror the Badgers offense - one good receiver and a bunch of Pass catching TE and relying on the run game.
October 15, 2013 at 01:44 pm
Franklin will be running the Fly sweep. :)
October 15, 2013 at 01:46 pm
I was thinking the same thing - lol
October 15, 2013 at 01:44 pm
1: Browns DBs are short. We got a bunch of tall dudes going up against them. Including Stoneburner, who iirc was a basketball star. White's a smurf, so it could be a matchup dealio
2: Maybe he can also fill in at OLB!
3: I still say, GO GET RANDY MOSS! Do it Ted!
October 15, 2013 at 01:48 pm
Well they did say he was practicing as an LB last week due to how thin the Packers were - maybe a two way player - lol
October 15, 2013 at 01:50 pm
While Hernandez sits in jail and Gronk on the sideline...its pretty bad when only half of that duo 'who has yet to play' is scarier than what we have to scare teams with....sheesh!....I know, I know..there is Mr. Potential
October 15, 2013 at 01:58 pm
You just took a hellacious dump on your keyboard...
October 15, 2013 at 02:05 pm
Says the person who still thinks Donald Driver wasn't done before last season and the only WR that was open but might still be a worth while addition now....how's your keyboard?
October 15, 2013 at 02:23 pm
different guy lol
October 15, 2013 at 04:23 pm
I guess she wasn't finished with that dump.
October 15, 2013 at 01:59 pm
Coach Mike wants to go Belichick circa 2012 with his offensive looks now? I like it.
I'd love to see some creative mutliple TE sets run by this offense. I think it can be highly effective!
October 15, 2013 at 02:15 pm
I expect to see a quite a few different looks this weekend. I think we might see some 2 RB looks, with Franklin and Lacy.
I think we will see a lot of 2 and 3 TE looks. Finley playing WR, maybe Bostick in the slot and Quarless on the line. with Nelson and Lacy.
I think Stonebrunner will be more for special teams then anything.
October 15, 2013 at 02:31 pm
I agree. I think the fact that a TE replacement was called up suggests that the WR replacement is Finley.
October 15, 2013 at 03:00 pm
I agree RC. This is the game where you need another playmaker like a Jonathan Franklin. Running, catching screen passes and even mid range passes. I see McCarthy finally utilizing Mr. Franklin's skills to the max in this game against Cleveland and they need too. You lose Cobb and someone has to make up for it. Franklin to me is the most logical choice to pick up the slack left by Cobb's absence. Can Franklin catch? If he can he's gold coming up!!
If anything it should be fun to watch simply because most of us know what play McCarthy is going to call before it happens from watching him since 2006. To us he appears predictable but that will all change starting this week. Hell, he actually might even run and give the ball to Lacy on a third and one. You never know.
October 15, 2013 at 03:04 pm
I also agree. I think this means that they trust that J.Boykins can man the other wide-out position across from Nelson and that they’re going to lean on the run even more while using an inline blocking TE like Quarless paired with a stretch TE or likely multiple stretch TEs (Finley & Bostick) who I imagine could be playing quite a bit from the slot positions as well as from two inline TE formations. Also, I hope that J.Franklin will get opportunities to be paired in the backfield w/ E.Lacy in Wishbone, T, Wing-T and Splitback (or Veer or Pro) offensive formations; I mean it would be nice to see both of those offensive threats on the field at the same time.
October 15, 2013 at 02:26 pm
I think we'll see throw back uniforms with gold helmets. Right coach?
October 15, 2013 at 02:42 pm
Just a thought---Back to last year when there were 5 TE's on the roster I've been wanting to see some 3 and even 4 TE sets. Now w/ Stoneburner added and the depleted WR corp it may be a scheme that MM uses.
If the D goes big AR could go 5 wide. If the D goes small to match up w/ Finley, Bostick, and Stoneburner's speed AR runs Lacy.
October 15, 2013 at 02:46 pm
Yessssss I wanted this all along!! He's siiiick!
October 15, 2013 at 02:56 pm
Didnt he have an unbelievable bad drop in pre-season? Wiiiiiiide open and he dropped it?
October 15, 2013 at 03:09 pm
I think it was a catch and fumble at the goal line.
October 15, 2013 at 03:39 pm
It was knocked loose.
Solid hit. Learning experience type play.
October 15, 2013 at 04:46 pm
No doubt.
October 15, 2013 at 03:11 pm
He was a beast in school....he will have to be accounted for in the red zone especially.
October 15, 2013 at 03:21 pm
Go bold. Hakeem Nicks.
October 15, 2013 at 03:24 pm
Yep. I'm sure that Mike and TT signed Stoneburner because they know he is the absolute worst choice to help the team. Geez. Give it a rest.
October 15, 2013 at 04:05 pm
I think they added a TE because along with WR injuries the LB injuries have had an affect on special teams......needed someone to fill in on ST.
October 15, 2013 at 05:18 pm
This.
October 17, 2013 at 11:51 am
They signed Stoneburner because they plan to use Finley more as a third wide receiver.