Raven Greene Designated to Return from Injured Reserve
Safety Raven Greene makes his return to the practice field for the Packers, coming off injured reserve.
By TimBackes
The Packers are getting some help back in the middle of the defense at a crucial time.
According to The Athletic's Matt Schneidman, the team designated safety Raven Greene to return from injury. He's back practicing with the team today.
#Packers S Raven Greene (24) has been designated to return off IR. He’s wearing a helmet & practicing for the first time since his Week 2 ankle injury.
RB Jamaal Williams also back at practice.
Not practicing: Bakhtiari, Bulaga, Linsley, Turner, Graham, P. Smith, Vitale, Lewis pic.twitter.com/eGlxD5RFn4
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) January 2, 2020
Greene has missed almost the entire season with an ankle injury, and had been expected to play a major role alternating between safety and inside linebacker. He will be available to play in the Packers' playoff game next week against a yet-to-be-determined opponent, assuming coach Matt LaFleur is satisfied with where he's at after missing so much time.
Schneidman also reports Jamaal Williams is back at practice after missing the Packers' week 17 game.
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Tim Backes is a lifelong Packer fan and a contributor to CheeseheadTV. Follow him on Twitter @timbackes for his Packer takes, random musings and Untappd beer check-ins.
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Comments (27)
Lare
January 02, 2020 at 12:12 pm
Hopefully Greene can help shore up the middle of the run defense.
packerbackerjim
January 02, 2020 at 12:30 pm
I am eager to see what Greene brings to the team, especially with fresh legs.
Bear
January 02, 2020 at 07:21 pm
"yan Wood
@ByRyanWood"
Caught up with #Packers safety Raven Greene in locker room. He described his ankle injury that landed him on IR as "three different injuries in one," the worst being deltoid tear that needed surgery. Only started running couple weeks ago, but he's hopeful to be activated to 53.
Bear
January 02, 2020 at 07:21 pm
"yan Wood
@ByRyanWood"
Caught up with #Packers safety Raven Greene in locker room. He described his ankle injury that landed him on IR as "three different injuries in one," the worst being deltoid tear that needed surgery. Only started running couple weeks ago, but he's hopeful to be activated to 53.
Bearmeat
January 02, 2020 at 12:35 pm
I'm not sure I see him playing on defense in a playoff game unless Campbell tanks - so let's hope not? He could help on special teams though and be injury insurance.
flackcatcher
January 02, 2020 at 01:06 pm
He'll play. He was Pettine's preferred starter in the hybrid. I doubt he will start, but with Pettine sliding more to a 2-3-6 to deal with double TE sets and bunch formations, along with how both him and Campbell are stout in run defense, there is no reason not to play him in this playoff run. Of course the Packers can get away with this because they they the Smiths...
Thegreatreynoldo
January 02, 2020 at 10:51 pm
Do we know that Greene was Pettine's preferred starter over Campbell? Campbell was on PUP for the entirety of training camp. Campbell had a much higher PFF grade (85) than Greene in 2018, but Campbell, in more snaps in 2019, has fallen to a 60.3 grade this year.
Greene played 56 snaps against Chicago and 15 against MN before getting hurt. His PFF grade for 2019 was 62 and he had just a 51.3 grade in 43 snaps in 2018. Greene has only played a full game against Miami in 2018 and Chicago in 2019. He's only played against 4 teams so we don't know if there are things that can be exploited or if Miami and/or Chicago had the personnel to exploit them.
I expected Campbell to be an upgrade from Greene, but that hasn't been the case. Campbell has played about as well as Greene has. It will be interesting to see which player gets snaps in the playoffs, assuming Greene is fully recovered. If he only just started running a few weeks ago, it sounds like Greene might need some time yet.
flackcatcher
January 03, 2020 at 04:02 am
Greene was playing the second slot/LB last year while Campbell was playing SS beside Ha Ha (Dix) in the striped down version of Pettine's 3-3-5 last year. That was before the last wave took Campbell then Greene out for the year. At training camp Greene was installed as starter based on his performance at the position last year. (Pettine statement early in camp on Greene) Campbell played it briefly but was slotted backside due to lack of familiarity with the current scheme last season. I think Campbell is still the starter due to Greene's injury. If as I said Greene is healthy to go, then he will get limited snaps at the hybrid/ILB or second slot/hybrid in Pettine's 2-3-6. Look how long it took Jackson to round up into football shape. If the Packers get 10-15 snaps (minus ST) from Greene, then they will be very lucky indeed.. (TGR, we need to remember the Packer defense is racially different from the past year. And both Greene and Campbell are playing in effect a new position in Pettine system. While I do believe the new formations came about due to need. (lack of athletes at ILB) Both have covered the backside and countered TE pass patterns and effectively set the edge to counter the run.)
jeremyjjbrown
January 02, 2020 at 01:59 pm
Why? He was playing great before he got hurt. I Campbell has just been OK.
GBPDAN1
January 02, 2020 at 12:46 pm
Good news. Hopefully he's not to rusty
Houndog
January 02, 2020 at 12:56 pm
Fabulous!
With a little luck he's not too rusty and his stamina is there.
They'll need all the help they can get against play-off teams.
Bear
January 02, 2020 at 07:23 pm
"yan Wood
@ByRyanWood"
Caught up with #Packers safety Raven Greene in locker room. He described his ankle injury that landed him on IR as "three different injuries in one," the worst being deltoid tear that needed surgery. Only started running couple weeks ago, but he's hopeful to be activated to 53.
murf7777
January 02, 2020 at 01:10 pm
What is interesting to think about is who are going to be the X-factor(s) in the playoff game(s) for us. Someone who plays a smaller percentage of plays but has one of the big plays in the game. Could it be a Raven Greene? Since it could happen on ST's it could be. Big playoff runs seem to have an unheralded player or two that creates big plays to help win the games!
Bure9620
January 02, 2020 at 01:43 pm
Or an unheralded player destroying a playoff run......cheers Brandon Bostick
CAG123
January 02, 2020 at 03:02 pm
(hissing noise) We speak not his name! We simply refer to him as "hewhoshallnotbenamed"!
Packers0808
January 02, 2020 at 01:23 pm
Let us hope this a good omen, timing can't be much better for his return if he plays before the way he did before injury!
porupack
January 02, 2020 at 01:26 pm
Packers have been so fortunate in 2019 on being spared injuries. Pretty much the same roster options that were there at the beginning of the season. Incredible. And seeing Jamaal back. Hope we get some good news on Lindsley and Bulaga soon.
The Eagles have experienced in this year about 3 seasons worth of injuries. Incredible that they made the postseason, or nevermind, they're in the NFC East. Still, I have to admire them, knowing how the packers have gone through a near decade of above average injuries.
dobber
January 02, 2020 at 03:37 pm
Wentz has been really good the last several weeks. I think they surprise Seattle this weekend.
JonathanSpader
January 02, 2020 at 08:59 pm
I'll take Wilson over Wentz. Metcalf & Locket over well who is a WR healthy Eagle?
Thegreatreynoldo
January 02, 2020 at 11:06 pm
Agreed, but I wonder about Zach Ertz. While they wait for DeSean Jackson to return, I tend to think they need Ertz who has a low ankle injury but whose kidney has stopped bleeding. Even if he plays one has to figure Ertz will be on a snap count. Agholar is not expected to play and Mike Sanders also did not practice with a low ankle injury but is hopeful to practice Friday. So Jeffrey and Goedtert and maybe Sanders and maybe, maybe Ertz.
I think Philly had a really good team, but they are just so banged up. I definitely am waiting to get a better idea about these injuries before making my choices for the pick em.
pacman
January 02, 2020 at 01:46 pm
I'm glad to hear that Williams is back. As good as Jones is, when you need the 2 yards and planning a run up the middle, he's seems to have more power than Jones. How many times have we seen Jones get stuffed when going up the middle. Williams is a very good #2 RB.
Cubbygold
January 02, 2020 at 01:55 pm
Agree, Williams is going to be an important factor in a cold Lambeau game
CAG123
January 02, 2020 at 03:13 pm
I think its very telling about the lack of talent at the LB position when a safety playing the dime linebacker goes down and suddenly the defense slips as talented as Greene may be his absence should not be missed that much and his reemergence into the lineup should be more of a bonus. Its time the Packers start taking the ILB position more serious and get them a three down coverage LB.
flackcatcher
January 03, 2020 at 07:11 pm
Pettine does not believe the ILB position is as important in today's NFL. The Packers starting last year converted one ILB slot to a big SS. With the pass interference, and now pass blocking rules imposed early this season by NFL New York, smaller players at those positions who can play in line and drop back are in need. In other words, tweeners. The big ILB is fading away because they have trouble handling pass coverage, and more slot/SS/hybrid types are taking their place. This is not new, Green Bay made to the 2016 NFL champ game by playing a big 6 package of combo SS and 2 and sometimes 1 CB. In that same game Atlanta played a big 5 package and a slot CB in place of another ILB. And that was their preferred defense going into the Superbowl. So don't look for Green Bay under Gute to draft ILB as need 1. If anything, look for more big DB who can play at the LOS and set the edge and more P and Z Smiths who can play the gaps at the LOS. In other words, hybrids...
PackfanNY
January 02, 2020 at 03:23 pm
Certainly another reason why the bye was beneficial. Now they have a solid week of practice to see if he can play. Even if he doesn’t this week, maybe he comes back the week after if they win. Hopefully he can help.
PAPackerbacker
January 03, 2020 at 05:28 am
Raven Green's return couldn't come at a better time. The bye week will give him time to shake off a little rust and prepare for the next game. This is great news. Also nice to see Williams back as well.
BoCallahan
January 04, 2020 at 08:56 am
I have to admit, that was funny.