It's a shame. I liked the energy he was bring to the game. He will be missed even when Z returns.

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If Z returns (Gute latest comments suggest it's a possibility but not guaranteed)... yes the Packers have been killed at OLB this year...

Z. Smith, Merciless, Ramsey, Rivers... the first three would be ong the Packers top 5 pass rushers.

No offense to Garvin and Burks but they're steep dropoffs... though Garvin is still a growing boy, this playing time might do wonders for him next year... and Burks is playing out of position for this.

Need to look everywhere for potential talent and I know LaFleur said Gute and staff are doing just that... but tough to find pass rushers at this stage, and past the trade deadline.

We did just release La'Darius Hamilton, though he seemed well behind Garvin.

Packers do have Tipa Galeai on the PS and the OLB coach did talk him up with the others top guys in preseason, but he's still listed at 6-5, 229 which suggest he's WAY under lb per height you normally prefer in edge rushers. Usually you want a guy at 250 lb for edge, more if they got a bigger frame, and while Galei might be thinner than average, he's 6'5"... he should be at minimum like 245...

Which gets to Galei in college and the little we've got to see him, quick as hell, but the question is does he have enough power to hold his own?

And he might be able to learn from Preston how length can also do it with less pure power, but he needed more pure power too... but Packers might be able to settle for great quickness to chase the more mobile QBs which is when they might need more edge rushers. Bit the run heavy heavy might be tougher to deal with... of course for those, maybe we could have Keke and Lowry help out at edge rusher?

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Yeah this sucks, he was a really good mid-season pickup. Hopefully Z. Smith is back at some point, otherwise they're very thin at the position now. It's going to be tough to pull someone off the scrap heap at this point in the season.

Oliver Vernon? 30 years old. He's a DE but played some OLB in his last season with the Giants. PFF grades of 74.8, 80.4, and 86.3 (his season at OLB) in '20, '19, and '18. 9 sacks last year. Trending downward but probably at worst a below average starter if he's in shape. Doesn't look like he signed a contract/was in camp with a team. Maybe he's done?

Reggie Gilbert? Was in camp with the Lions for a bit and probably isn't worse than Garvin.

Maybe pull a guy off someone else's practice squad?

Run some 4-3 with P. Smith and Gary at DE, Keke or Lowry spelling... Clark and Keke or Lowry at DT, with Slaton rotating in. If nothing else, teams would have trouble running against them lol. I'm not sure who is more of a edge/DE type there, Keke or Lowry?

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Sucks about Mercilus. I’m not very impressed watching Garvin in this last game, seemed like he just ran into the tackle and that’s where his rush stopped. No speed or power to get around him. Burks looked really fast off the edge but I haven’t seen enough of him to know how he will do.

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Do we get Mercilus back next year? Love to keep that guy on the team.

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He's a FA after this year, so it depends, do they resign him? I think he was getting most of his money from the Texans in the form of guaranteed money, which was offset if he signed with a different team... so basically he just signed the minimum and let the Packers pay as little as possible and kept collecting from the Texans his like Jaylon Smith was doing from the Cowboys (which I'm surprised Jaylon Smith hasn't resigned anywhere).

Also Packers signed OLB Tipa Galeai to the main 53 man roster and signed OLB La'Darius Hamilton to the PS.

Packers also signed RB Kerrith Whyte to the PS and released DL Auzoyah Alufohai from the PS.

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