While losing veteran Will Redmond to a season-ending foot injury was less than ideal because of his role as a key special-teams contributor, his landing on injured reserve opens up another spot for one of the four young safeties the team likes: Henry Black (above), Vernon Scott, Christian Uphoff and Innis Gaines. Black and Scott are likely the backups behind starting safeties Darnell Savage and Adrian Amos, but Scott’s late-in-camp hamstring injury may complicate matters. If he’s going to be out awhile, the team could keep him on the initial cutdown to 53, then place him on IR with the ability to return in a few weeks. That would open another spot for Uphoff or Gaines, or both.
Of the two, the hard-hitting Uphoff could probably help soonest on special teams, while Gaines could probably use a year on the practice squad after his two ACL tears in college at TCU.
“I’m a playmaker. No matter where I’m at – defense, special teams – I’m going to make plays,” said Uphoff, who knocked off two would-be Jets blockers last week to make the tackle on a punt return. “I made a couple plays last week, and I’m going to make some more this week, so we’ll see.”
Jason Wilde covers the Packers for ESPN Wisconsin. Listen to him with former Packers and Badgers offensive lineman Mark Tauscher weekdays from 9 a.m. until noon on “Wilde & Tausch” on 100.5 FM ESPN Madison.
