The Green Bay Packers have executed what was more or less a formality and re-signed safety Chris Banjo.
It was a formality because Banjo was an exclusive rights free agent. Unless the Packers had renounced his rights, he was going to be playing for them in 2014.
Banjo is a good story and because of that, we like him. Like majority of the safeties on the Packers’ roster, Banjo was undrafted out of SMU in 2012. He had a couple tryouts that year, but wasn’t signed. In the spring of 2013, Banjo signed with Jacksonville after a tryout.
Then he was released by the Jags just before training camp. In swoops patron saint of discarded players Ted Thompson, who signs Banjo to a one-year deal. Here’s a guy who was originally viewed as nothing but a training camp body — I mean, he got cut by the fucking Jaguars — until he started making plays.
Against all odds, Banjo played his way onto the roster. You could say that’s because the Packers were awful at safety. However, if you watched any of the preseason games, you know he earned that spot.
During the season, Banjo played special teams and also got some snaps on defense. He recorded 19 tackles and broke up two passes.
Comically, — you’ll love this — the guy who started all 16 games at free safety for the Packers, M.D. Jennings, broke up only one pass all season.
I cannot make this shit up.
Banjo is going to have another uphill battle to make the roster in 2014, but we’ll be pulling for him.
Leggo!
Good for him, like the kid as well, best of luck to him.
Harris, Boykin, and Banjo all have one thing in common-they were cut by the Jaguars. The Jags seem to be decent drafters but they couldn’t develop film if they had a thousand dark rooms. Glad the NFL hasn’t created a farm league a la mode NFL Europe, because the Packers already have one in Southern Florida.
Banjo will never be more than practice fodder and mediocre special teamer…get real….like one scout said last season,”whats all the excitement about Banjo, just another guy” of course when you look at the rest of the guys he was competing against for playing time i guess it was exciting to see anyone else in there…perfect TT player…cheap and polite…