Packers find a way to keep a key veteran

An important piece of the Green Bay Packers' roster in 2023 will be back for another year. According to a post on his own Instagram profile, off-ball linebacker Eric Wilson has re-signed with the Packers.

Wilson played 10.89% of the team's defensive snaps in 2023, plus 71.79% of the special teams snaps. He was the fourth linebacker in the rotation, behind De'Vondre Campbell, Quay Walker, and Isaiah McDuffie.

With Campbell released and without any free agent addition at the position, Eric Wilson might be even more important to the roster.

Eric Wilson finished the season with a 67.0 PFF grade on defense, including a 75.4 run defense grade and a 60.5 coverage grade.

The linebacker went undrafted in 2017 out of Cincinnati. He played the first four years of his career for the Minnesota Vikings, where he was a defensive piece as well as a special teamer.

Since then, he has gone through experiences for the Philadelphia Eagles, Houston Texans, and New Orleans Saints.

The Packers originally signed Wilson off the Saints' practice squad during the 2022 season. Last offseason, he signed a new one-year contract - and that's probably what he did once again.

Depth

After releasing De'Vondre Campbell, the Packers had already re-signed linebacker and special teamer Kristian Welch.

For the moment, Wilson and Welch are expected to be linebackers three and four on the Packers' depth chart, behind Quay Walker and Isaiah McDuffie. The team also has Christian Young, who spent time on the Packers' and Seattle Seahawks' practice squads during his rooki season in 2023 and signed back with Green Bay in January.