Packers add Jonnu Smith, release S Tra Fluellen in roster move

The Green Bay Packers made a specific personnel adjustment to their roster on Saturday, signing tight end Jonnu Smith while releasing safety Tra Fluellen. The move, announced by General Manager Brian Gutekunst, is the type of transaction that can ripple through a team’s final preseason planning, particularly for position groups fighting for limited spots.

For the Packers, adding Smith indicates a commitment to tight end production and flexibility in the passing game. In Green Bay’s offensive structure, the tight end position is often tasked with more than just route running, it is also used to create mismatches and help manage blocking schemes on running plays. Bringing in a player at that spot can offer both short-term depth and a clearer path for utilization once game plans tighten.

Smith’s signing arrives as the Packers continue to evaluate how their offensive weapons fit together under live-game conditions. Tight end depth matters because the position can influence how protections are handled, how play-action concepts are set up, and how often the offense can stay multi-dimensional when personnel groupings change from drive to drive.

On the defensive side, the Packers released safety Tra Fluellen. Fluellen’s departure reduces the group competing for roles in the secondary and special-teams ecosystem, areas where coaches typically look for reliability in coverage assignments and readiness for substitutions. Even when roster spots are limited, safeties can affect defensive calls by how quickly they can adjust to formation changes and pass-game routes.

Roster moves like this also highlight the balancing act teams face during the final stages before the regular season, when every transaction is tied to a broader strategy. A signing is rarely only about one player, it is also about freeing up roster capacity, shaping practice priorities, and ensuring each unit has enough trained options for the opening weeks.

What to watch next is how Green Bay uses its tight end group in the coming practices and preseason appearances, including whether Smith is immediately placed into roles aligned with third-down and red-zone packages. On defense, the aftermath of Fluellen’s release will be clearer as the Packers narrow the safety rotation and define who is most trusted for specific coverage looks.