The Green Bay Packers Thursday re-signed linebacker Marcus Wilkins to an exclusive-rights free agent contract, GM/Head Coach Mike Sherman announced.
In 2003, the 6-foot-2, 235-pound Wilkins contributed on special teams and as a backup at weak-side linebacker. He played in seven regular-season games and was inactive for the other nine contests.
He suffered a left calf strain in the regular-season finale against Denver (Dec. 28) that rendered him inactive for the Wild Card playoff game vs. Seattle (Jan. 4) and eventually landed him on injured reserve Jan. 10. All told in 2003, Wilkins had three tackles from scrimmage, along with five special-teams stops.
Wilkins, 24, blocked a Brad Maynard punt late in the first quarter of the Monday night contest at Chicago (Sept. 29) - the Packers' first punt block since the 1997 season; Green Bay took possession at the Bears' 20-yard line and scored a touchdown two plays later for a 17-0 lead in the eventual 38-23 victory. He later recovered a fumble by Broncos kickoff returner Adrian Madise in the end zone for the game's final points in a 31-3 win over Denver (Dec. 28).
Now entering his third NFL season, Wilkins originally signed as an undrafted free agent out of Texas, April 26, 2002. That season, he was one of three undrafted rookies (also Kevin Barry and Tony Fisher) to earn a spot on the Packers' opening-day roster.
