Green Bay Packers fans took a collective double-take on Friday after reporters revealed the attendees at rookie minicamp.
We could've sat here all day predicting which veteran player was in Green Bay for a tryout and never landed on Chase Claypool. Yet there he was. It's unclear whether Claypool will sign a deal with the Packers, and the decision to bring him in for a tryout came out of nowhere.
Head coach Matt LaFleur provided some insight on the why.
"I mean, you guys saw him, right?" LaFleur said, when asked why the Packers brought Claypool in. "He's had great film out there, he's been productive, and he looks like he's in great shape. I mean, he's big. So we'll see how it goes."
Packers give Chase Claypool an opportunity to revitalize his career
That's fair enough, and it's a truly fascinating move.
Claypool hasn't played an NFL snap since featuring in the Miami Dolphins' playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on January 13, 2023. For perspective, that was one day before the Packers crushed the Dallas Cowboys 48-32 in the wild-card round. It was Jordan Love's true breakout performance. Micah Parsons was playing for the Cowboys. Mike McCarthy was their coach.
That's how much time has passed since Claypool last played. Despite that, he's only 27 years old and has been a productive NFL receiver in the past.
Between 2020 and 2021, he caught 121 passes for 1,733 yards and 11 touchdowns for the Pittsburgh Steelers. It's why the Chicago Bears gave up a second-round pick to trade for him.
It fell apart from there. Claypool caught only 18 passes in 10 games for the Bears before heading to the Dolphins.
From the Packers' perspective, it's a no-risk move. As LaFleur said, Claypool is in great shape and will undoubtedly have the motivation to prove he can still contribute for an NFL team. Green Bay doesn't have a desperate need at wide receiver, with Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, Matthew Golden, Savion Williams, and Skyy Moore leading the depth chart.
LaFleur alluded to Claypool's size when he said to reporters, "You guys saw him, right?" Claypool is 6-foot-4 and 238 pounds, with some speculating that he could transition to tight end to find a role in the Packers' offense.
Tucker Kraft is 6-foot-5, 259 pounds, while Luke Musgrave is 6-foot-6, 253 pounds. Claypool isn't far off, and he's a similar size to other productive tight ends. That includes Darren Waller, who is 6-foot-6, 238 pounds. Many forget that Waller played wide receiver for Georgia Tech and didn't switch to tight end until his second season in the NFL.
So it's not impossible. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Claypool is in Green Bay for a tryout, but that's as far as it has gone. Only time will tell whether he sticks around for OTAs and beyond, but LaFleur and Brian Gutekunst wanted to take a closer look. Stay tuned.
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