It’s been a busy year for Carolina Panthers defensive back David Long, who is no longer Carolina Panthers defensive back David Long. He’s now a former Panther. In a bit of Packers news, Long had been waived by the Panthers over the weekend but, on Monday, was scooped up by Green Bay off of waivers.
The news was reported by NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, who wrote on Twitter/X:
“The #Packers were awarded DB David Long off waivers from the #Panthers, per the wire. Meanwhile, former #Jets S Adrian Amos is a free agent.”
Long was a third-round pick of the Rams in 2019, and played four seasons with L.A. Long played 52 games in four years with the Rams, including 10 starts, and recorded one interception and 77 tackles. The Rams ultimately let him go in free agency, and he signed a one-year, $1.5 million deal with the Raiders.
But the Raiders let him go in November, after eight games, including one start. He played three games for Carolina, including another start, before the Panthers, too, cut ties with him.
It was fitting that Rapoport also mentioned Adrian Amos becoming a free agent, because there was speculation that Amos could be a future Packer after he was abruptly cut—by mutual agreement with the Jets—over the weekend. Amos had been a favorite of coach Matt LaFleur until he left the team after last season.
Amos is a safety and David Long is a corner, indicating that the Packers are more worried about their health at the corner spots than at safety.
Star corner Jaire Alexander has been out since November 5 with a shoulder injury and is listed as questionable for Week 14 against the Giants. The Packers have been hopeful of getting Eric Stokes back after he was lost last season to a Lisfranc injury as well as a torn MCL. He returned to the field in October and played briefly on special teams, but he suffered a hamstring injury in that game. There has not been happy Packers news on Stokes since.
The Long acquisition could be taken as a sign that the Packers are not very confident that Stokes will play again this year and/or that they’re concerned still about Alexander. The Packers have been relying heavily on new starters Carrington Valentine, a rookie who was a seventh-round pick, and Corey Ballentine, who had not been a starter since 2020. Some veteran depth was in order.
Packers News on Safeties Lessened Need for Adrian Amos
The Packers are, perhaps, less concerned about depth at safety now that Darnell Savage is back on the field. Savage had been out since October 22 with a calf injury, but returned to play 61 out of 67 defensive snaps on Sunday against Kansas City. Rudy Ford (biceps) also returned to action, but did not play much on Sunday.
The good health from the safeties probably doused any hopes of feel-good Packers news of reunion with Amos, who left to join Aaron Rodgers with the Jets in the offseason but did not get to play as much as he’d hoped. He is looking to join a playoff contender after leaving New York — and lo, and behold, the Packers are one of those.
In his four seasons with the Green Bay Packers, Adrian Amos made quite a reputation for himself. Signed from the Bears in 2019, Amos played 66 straight games for the Packers in his time there, starting all 66, and was named team captain before the start of the 2022 season.
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