Packers’ bold roster gamble just exploded on them, yet they insist the fallout is still fully within their control.QQ
Packers waived wide receiver Malik Heath, and now he’s headed to the Atlanta Falcons.
The Green Bay Packers started the season with six wide receivers on the 53-man roster, but Malik Heath secured a roster spot with Christian Watson on the physically unable to perform list to kick off the year. Eventually Watson came back, but Jayden Reed was on injured reserve.
After 13 weeks, though, the group was finally back healthy, and Heath got waived late last week ahead of the Chicago Bears game. Possibly, the Packers could want to get Heath back on the practice squad — after all, he’s a proven player, with a decent track record of efficiency and all-around ability as a receiver and run-blocker.
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That’s too good of a profile for a player to go unclaimed, though, and Malik Heath was claimed off waivers by the Atlanta Falcons on Monday.
The Packers have depth to manage Heath’s departure.
While Malik Heath’s getting claimed wasn’t the ideal outcome, the Packers have a fairly comfortable depth situation at wide receiver. The team has veterans in Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, and Dontayvion Wicks, in addition to rookies Matthew Golden and Savion Williams. Of all these players, Doubs is the only one slated to hit free agency next offseason.
More than that, though, Bo Melton was converted to cornerback in training camp but showed time and time again that he can still be an offensive contributor — which included a monster 45-yard touchdown reception against the Bears.
Green Bay has developmental pieces at WR.
Beyond Golden and Savion, the Packers have three rookie wide receivers on the practice squad — Will Sheppard, who recently spent a week on the active roster, Isaiah Neyor, and Jakobie Keeney-James. Theoretically, the Packers could have released one of them to bring Heath back had he cleared waivers. But on an individual level, it would likely be better for Heath to sign elsewhere anyway.
A new opportunity for Malik Heath.
Heath was claimed off waivers by the Falcons, who are still handling an injury to their top target, Drake London. But that seems more like a long-term plan. Right now, Atlanta has nine wide receivers on the 53-man roster — London, Heath, Darnell Mooney, David Sills, Dylan Drummond, Deven Thompkins, KhaDarel Hodge, Jamal Agnew, and Casey Washington.
Those are obviously not household names after Mooney, so Heath can have an opportunity to establish himself as a useful depth piece.
This is his third NFL season, so he’s slated to be a restricted free agent next offseason. The Falcons could apply the rights of first refusal, projected by Over the Cap at $3.263 million, or allow Heath to reach unrestricted free agency and maybe get a lower deal.
That’s in part why the Packers were comfortable letting him walk — it would be hard to keep him beyond this season anyway.
Off-field incident may have affected Heath’s situation.
Malik Heath was always a valuable part of the roster, but a weird situation popped up earlier this season — and that might be at least in part why the Packers cut him. Heath didn’t play against the New York Giants due to a coach’s decision after Bo Melton had more snaps and targets than Heath against the Philadelphia Eagles. Matt LaFleur didn’t share many details about the situation, but it’s easy to see how that could have been a factor.
