Green Bay Packers

Bring Back Marshall Newhouse

Photo Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel (USA TODAY Sports)

If the name Marshall Newhouse sounds familiar, that’s because it should.

Newhouse was the Green Bay Packers’ fifth-round pick in 2010 and played with the green and gold between 2010 and 2013. He has been a journeyman since leaving Wisconsin, playing for nine other teams. Nearing 33 years old, he’s no longer a star offensive lineman, but he has never stopped being a reliable player.

Could a reunion with the former draft pick happen? He would be in their price range. Newhouse is a tackle, and the team needs depth while David Bakhtiari recovers from injury. It would also add a veteran and teaching presence for Green Bay, who will most likely use a few of their 10 draft picks on the offensive line.

Newhouse’s Career

Newhouse spent his entire rookie season either inactive or on injured reserve. Although he didn’t play, he got to walk away with a Super Bowl ring when the Packers beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25 in Super Bowl XLV. That’s a heck of a way to begin an NFL career.

He started at left tackle for 13 games in 2011 and was a starter in all 16 regular-season games and two playoff games in 2012. However, a year later he played in 15 games but only made two starts.

Marshall played for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2014 and then the New York Giants for two seasons. The Oakland Raiders signed him to a two-year deal in 2017, but he was released after just one season. A week later, he was with the Buffalo Bills. That September, he was traded to the Carolina Panthers and played in 11 games after left tackle Chris Clark was injured.

Another two teams were added to Newhouse’s resume in 2019. After signing with the New Orleans Saints in May, he was released at the end of August. A few weeks later, he was signed by the New England Patriots and started nine games.

He joined the Tennessee Titans last year, joining their practice squad in November and being activated in December to play in four games.

Why the Packers Makes Sense

It isn’t surprising that Green Bay has been awfully quiet during free agency. They already signed Bakhtiari, Kenny Clark, and Aaron Jones to big contracts and are barely under the salary cap. It was recently announced the Packers will have 10 draft picks this year but need to address several positions.

The offensive line is one of them. The team is pretty solid right now when healthy. But with Bakhtiari still recovering, they only have Billy Turner, Elgton Jenkins, Lucas Patrick, Jon Runyan, and Yosh Nijman. Jenkins can play center, but that’s not his best position out there. Not being able to bring back Corey Linsley was a huge blow.

The Packers need to spend money on protecting Aaron Rodgers, but they can’t. They will have to look to the draft to fill in some holes. So how else can they bring in some depth? Veterans who have some experience.

That is where Marshall Newhouse comes in. He has made solid money over his career but was on a practice-squad salary in 2020. That means Green Bay might be able to bring him in for less than $150K. That is ideal for their current situation.

Newhouse’s Role

Is Newhouse the answer at tackle? Probably not. His 2020 overall PFF rating was 49.1. If you want to compare him to other current Packers players, Patrick had a 2020 rating of 64.8, and Jenkins had a 67.7. His best years are behind him, but the man can still play.

Marshall’s name obviously stands out because he was drafted by the team and was a former starter at tackle. The Packers could easily bring in two or three other veterans just like him to add depth. Green Bay is always able to find players in the draft, but would several of them be able to start in Week 1? Probably not. You also don’t lose anything if they don’t end up making the active roster.

Giving someone like Marshall a chance is a no-brainer. Give him a shot to compete in Training Camp; you know he is willing to be on your practice squad and is also ready to play. Newhouse has been around for 133 NFL games for a reason.

Luckily, there is plenty of time for the Packers to fill their roster for the 2021 season. Bringing in Newhouse, a former teammate of Aaron Rodgers, would be a good start.

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