The Green Bay Packers didn’t get Stephon Gilmore, but the team still needed to make a move to acquire a cornerback, so general manager Brian Gutekunst took one off the practice squad of the Arizona Cardinals.
The team announced the signing of Rasul Douglas from the Cardinals on Wednesday.
Douglas was a third-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017. He’s played in 60 career games, making 29 starts, and has produced five interceptions and 34 pass breakups.
Douglas was with the Carolina Panthers last season. He made 11 starts and was second on the team in pass breakups with nine.
The Packers needed depth help at cornerback with Kevin King still in the concussion protocol and Jaire Alexander dealing with a new shoulder of unknown severity. Douglas will join rookie Eric Stokes Isaac Yiadom and rookie Shemar Jean-Charles as the healthy cornerbacks on the Packers roster.
At the very least, Douglas will provide an experienced option. He’s played at least 400 snaps each of the last four seasons, including a career-high 821 with the Panthers last season.
But manage expectations. According to Pro Football Focus, Douglas has allowed eight total touchdowns without an interception since 2019, and opposing quarterbacks have a passer rating over 100.0 when throwing into his coverage during each of the last two seasons.
Adding Gilmore, the 2019 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, could have been a season-defining move. Signing Douglas is a temporary patch over a roster hole.
The Packers are expected to provide an update on Alexander’s injury at some point on Wednesday.
