The Green Bay Packers signed TE Austin Allen, WR Jeff Cotton, T Jean Delance (JEEN duh-LANTS), QB Danny Etling, CB Tyrell Ford, CB Benjie Franklin, RB Tyler Goodson, TE Nick Guggemos (GOOG-uh-mohs), LB La'Darius Hamilton, DL Chris Slayton, CB Kiondre Thomas (kee-ON-dray), K Parker White and S James Wiggins. General Manager Brian Gutekunst announced the transactions Tuesday.
Of the 13 players signed, 10 spent at least part of the season on the Packers' practice squad.
Ford (5-11, 188) was selected by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the first round (No. 13 overall) of the 2022 Canadian Football League Draft out of the University of Waterloo (Ontario, Canada). As a rookie, he played in 18 games for the Blue Bombers, recording three tackles on defense and 10 tackles on special teams. While at Waterloo, the Niagara Falls, Ontario, native was a three-time Ontario University Athletics (OUA) All-Star and was twice named second-team All-Canadian. In four seasons, Ford registered 94 total tackles, six sacks, 20 pass knockdowns and six interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown.
White (6-4, 207) played for five years (2017-21) at the University of South Carolina and left as the school's all-time leading scorer with 368 career points. He finished ranked among the top three in school history in field goals made (t-No. 1, 72) and attempted (No. 1, 99) and PATs made (No. 2, 152) and attempted (No. 2, 154). In 2021, White made 16 of 17 field goals and was named second-team All-SEC and honorable mention All-America by Phil Steele's College Football as well as third-team All-SEC by Pro Football Focus. He logged six fourth-quarter or overtime game-winning field goals in his career, providing the deciding points in wins over Louisiana Tech (2017), Tennessee (2017), Missouri (2018), Tennessee (2018), Georgia (2019) and East Carolina (2021).
Wiggins (5-11, 209), a second-year player, was originally selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the seventh round (No. 243 overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft out of the University of Cincinnati. As a rookie, he started the season on the Cardinals' practice squad before appearing in three games for Arizona and then being placed on injured reserve on Dec. 4, 2021. Wiggins was released by Arizona after the 2022 training camp and spent some time in September on the practice squad of the Kansas City Chiefs. He was named a second-team All-American by The Associated Press and was a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award in 2020.
