On Sunday, the Green Bay Packers will seek to rebound against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Packers lost to the New York Giants on Monday night after winning three straight. They added a piece to the defense today that could assist… a lot.
Prior to their game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Green Bay Packers add a significant piece to their defense.
According to USA Today’s Paul Bretl:
The Green Bay Packers activated Eric Stokes from injured reserve and added him to the 53-man roster ahead of their game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“It would be fantastic to finish these last four games on a high,” Stokes remarked on Friday. “It would be fantastic just to plan for next year.” Build for everything, but especially for the playoffs. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Green Bay’s decision to reinstate Stokes to the active roster was a foregone conclusion. Stokes has been fully engaged in practice for the past two weeks. Earlier this week, the team released cornerback Kyu Blu Kelly, freeing up a roster spot, and the deadline to activate Stokes or have him revert to season-ending IR is this coming Monday.
What Impact Will Stokes Have On The Defense?
He had just played four special teams snaps before tearing his hamstring against Denver. Green Bay, on the other hand, has a different cornerback scenario this time around. Raul Douglas is now in Buffalo, and Jaire Alexander’s availability is unknown.
Stokes’ position in the Packers’ secondary could expand on Sunday. That is something that the coaching staff seemed to agree on:
“We’d love to get him some snaps,” Matt LaFleur said of getting Stokes some defensive snaps before the season ends. “He’s given us some really terrific ball. We’re hoping he’ll be returning soon, and I know it’s been frustrating for him. But I believe we are getting closer to that day.”
It will be intriguing to see how big of an impact Stokes makes against Tampa Bay’s premier wide receiving corps.
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