Tight end Matthew Mulligan agreed to a one-year deal with the Green Bay Packers, according to WCSH TV 6 in Portland, Maine.
Mulligan, a four-year veteran out of the University of Maine, played with the St. Louis Rams in 2012 after spending three years with the New York Jets. The Packers, having lost reserve tight end Tom Crabtree to Tampa Bay earlier this offseason, are looking for some depth at the position.
Mulligan was credited with 18 starts the past two years, catching a total of 13 passes for 142 yards and one touchdown over that span.
Behind starter Jermichael Finley, Mulligan will compete for playing time with the likes of Andrew Quarless, Ryan Taylor and D.J. Williams. If healthy, Quarless is likely the frontrunner to be No. 2 on the depth chart, but he missed the entire 2012 season after tearing his ACL and MCL in December of 2011.
Brandon Bostick, an undrafted free agent from Newberry College, stuck on the team’s practice squad last season after an impressive training camp. Bostick played wide receiver in college and could threaten for a spot on the Packers’ 53-man roster this season.
For depth and special teams purposes, the Packers typically carry multiple tight ends on the roster. Brining Mulligan into the fold is a minor move that could help mask the loss of Crabtree, while adding another capable veteran to a young group of tight ends.
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Marques is a Journalism student, serving as the Sports Editor of UW-Green Bay\'s campus newspaper The Fourth Estate and a Packers writer at Jersey Al\'s AllGBP.com. Follow Marques on Twitter @MJEversoll.
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They seem to be trading out one lower range salary for another, much like last year. To be evaluated as improving year-to-year, they will need to have the returning injured from 2012 comeback and improve and stay helthy for the 2013 season. In addition the Yr. 1 and Yr. 2 players will have to show noticable improvment. Not impossible but they’ll need some luck.
Might not be a good sign for Quarless? Hope he is ok.
GB might have some trade potential for the other 1 & 2 year TE’s in works but I’d agree about trading 1 low range salary guy for another. The walking wounded need to get healthy.
After reading up on him, it appears he was ranked 10th best blocking TE compared to Crabtree (55). Mulligan is also a backup Long Snapper (LS). Might be an upgrade over Crabtree.
Now if the receiving coachs can teach him to catch passes…
He’s not being paid to catch passes. And I haven’t read that he can’t catch, just that he’s not used as a receiver. I wouldn’t be upset if he didn’t have to catch a single pass all year (and I doubt he would either) as long as he’s a better blocker than Crabtree was and can play ST. That’s the only reason he was signed. He’s role player, let him play his role and don’t try to force him into a role or make him something he’s not.
The TE position is critical in MM’s offense, but once you get past FinMe, the receiving chops of the TE’s drop into this kind of homogenous pool of mediocre guys. Can anyone seriously differentiate between the skill sets and deliverables of Quarless, Williams or Taylor? Are Bostick or this guy any different?
I wonder if these guys are MM’s version of infantry or foot soldiers, and just the Packers version of cannon fodder – the quintessential expression of the “Next Man Up” philosophy.
Yes, actually, it’s easy to differentiate between the skill sets of Quarless, Williams, and Taylor.
They’re all completely different TEs.