Green Bay Packers sign USFL tight end Sal Cannella before training camp begins

The Green Bay Packers have added tight end Sal Cannella to the roster, general manager Brian Gutekunst and the team announced Thursday. Cannella comes to Green Bay just days before the Packers are set to start training camp. 

Cannella spent time with the Miami Dolphins during training camp in 2021 before moving on to join the New Orleans Breakers of the United States Football League. He was named to the all-USFL team after a season in which he accumulated 34 receptions for 368 yards, with two touchdowns. 

The 6-foot-5, 242-pound tight end began his college career in 2016, playing for Scottsdale (Ariz.) Community College. He then went on play for Auburn University from 2017-19. He played in The Spring League in 2020-21. 

Cannella will join tight ends Robert Tonyan, Marcedes Lewis, Tyler Davis, Dominique Dafney, Josiah Deguara, Eli Wolf and Alizé Mack on the 90-man roster.

Packers tight ends coach John Dunn praised his tight end room in May. 

"I've been extremely impressed with who they are as people and their personal character, their football character, the way they go about their business," Dunn said. "They're smart. They've been coached well in the past and they really do a nice job of attacking. Where that goes, ultimately, again, you have to earn that every day by playing the game."

Tonyan has not participated in offseason practices open to the media while recovering from an ACL tear that happened during Week 8 of the 2021 season. 

As to whether Tonyan will participate in football activities during training camp, that is to be determined. 

"I can't speak to that or for him," Dunn said in May. "I just know that he attacks every day as hard as he possibly can and he works hard. What that looks like down the road, I can't certainly, you know, predict the future but he attacks it every day and he's trying his best to catch up to speed." 

The Packers will begin training camp at 10:45 a.m. July 27. Practices are open to the public, weather dependent.