Vince Biegel Foot Injury Lands him on PUP List

Former Wisconsin Badger LB Vince Biegel will miss the beginning of Green Bay Packers training camp

It was a dream destination for Vince Biegel.  He was selected as the first pick of the 4th round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers.  The Wisconsin Rapids native was starting his professional career with his home state team.

It’s less than a two-hour drive from Wisconsin Rapids to Lambeau Field.  Green Bay was able to acquire Biegel after trading out of the 1st round of the NFL Draft.  The Packers bypassed former Wisconsin Badger T.J. Watt but acquired the first picks of round two and four.

But Biegel reaggravated a troublesome foot injury during rookie minicamp and missed valuable initial practice time.   The injury is significant enough to linger on into summer and preclude Biegel from taking the field for Packers training camp as reported by Rob Demvosky from ESPN.

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"Vince Biegel, one of the rookie draft picks the Green Bay Packers are counting on to bolster their pass rush this season, isn’t ready for the start of training camp and will start on the physically unable to perform list.Biegel, a fourth-round pick from Wisconsin, underwent surgery on his right foot in May shortly after the rookie minicamp. It’s the same injury that kept him out of two games last season for the Badgers."

The article goes on to highlight that Biegel does not deem this is a chronic problem and does not anticipate having another reoccurrence once he’s healed.   Biegel and the Packers better hope so.  That trade gave Green Bay a pair of picks they used on Kevin King a tall, fast CB and Biegel instead of snatching a pass-rusher like Watt or the somehow-still-on-the-board-shoulders-and-all ILB like Reuben Foster.

This off-season the Packers lost Datone Jones and Julius Peppers from their OLB pass rush rotation.  Clay Matthews and Nick Perry are the incumbent starters but neither have been the picture of health recently.  With the injury, Biegel will lose some significant practice reps to 2nd year OLB Kyler Fackrell and special teams ace Jayrone Elliott.

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Of note, Biegel is versatile enough to contribute at ILB as well.  Both projected Packer starters Jake Ryan and Blake Martinez are serviceable NFL starters but neither add juice in the pass rush.  While the secondary got considerable grief and the target of much hot stove ire, the pass rush didn’t exactly offer much assistance.

There are plenty of pass rushing snaps available for somebody to claim in Green Bay especially if Perry and Matthews are limited by injuries.  But Biegel needs to digest the playbook and get practice reps.  Green Bay plays a lot with just two down lineman when in the dime defense for obvious passing situations.  That leaves some LB spots open for him even if fellow rookie S/LB hybrid Josh Jones is playing some ILB snaps.

Biegel may find that special teams is the most direct route on the field for awhile until he earns the trust of the defensive coaches.  If he’s in there as an ILB that means making defensive calls and adjustments.  This may not be the NFL start envisioned for Biegel in Green Bay, but there will be opportunities to contribute on special teams and rushing the passer when he returns to full health.