-- Just hours before kickoff for Thursday's preseason opener against the Houston Texans, the Green Bay Packers parted ways with running back Corey Grant, who they had just signed roughly two weeks prior.

In return, they made room for a familiar face.

Enter Ibraheim Campbell, signed by general manager Brian Gutekunst last November as a versatile defender capable of playing various positions in the Packers' defense. Unfortunately, a leg injury landed him on injured reserve after just three games. It wasn't until March that it was revealed Campbell had suffered a torn ACL.

But in those games, Campbell finished with 18 tackles. Only linebacker Blake Martinez -- a renowned tackling machine -- had more during that three-game span. Campbell lined up on the back end, down in the box as a hybrid linebacker and even saw reps covering in the slot.

It's the convincing play of Campbell in those games that further incentivized the decision to bring Campbell back once he was healthy enough. Once he returned to the team, he was immediately placed on the PUP (physically unable to perform) list.

The Packers have long had interest in retaining Campbell, even before they acquired Adrian Amos in the spring and Darnell Savage Jr. in the draft. It's just been a matter of when he's been healthy enough to return. Campbell stayed behind in Green Bay and was operated on by Dr. Patrick McKenzie, who has specialized in the surgery and recovery of a myriad of other world-class athletes. 

"I kinda got that sense that I left a great impression when I left here," Campbell said after Saturday's practice, via Packers.com. He didn't participate, but it was his first practice since returning to the team. "I was fortunate when they called me back and were able to work something else."

Campbell makes things somewhat interesting at the Packers' safety position. Both Amos and Savage are penciled in as the primary starters at free and strong safety, but Josh Jones and Raven Greene both sport interchangeable assets that can fill multiple positions in coordinator Mike Pettine's defense.

Jones and Greene -- depending on how the final roster looks -- may heighten the amount of nickel looks the Packers present this season due to the pectoral injury Oren Burks suffered in the preseason opener. With Burks expected to be absent for an extended period of time, a hybrid safety will become more of a normal occurrence in the Packers' defense.

This could be Campbell's calling and a route for him to make the roster. Tray Matthews and Mike Tyson are at the bottom of the depth chart -- they combined for 50 defensive snaps against the Texans -- and, barring anything unexpected, are on the outside looking in.

What could help make Campbell's transition back to the field significantly easier is his familiarity with Pettine.

A fourth-round pick of the Cleveland Browns in 2015, Campbell played under then-head coach Pettine and essentially knows what's expected of him in this particular scheme.

"This isn't a complicated game," Campbell said. "A lot of times, you get caught up overcomplicating things. He's a great coach, he has a great system, so it was kinda familiar stepping back into it. I felt like I did well because of that."

It's somewhat of a rarity that the Packers kept Campbell in their long-term plans, especially given the short leash kept with players like Damarious Randall, Ty Montgomery and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. All three of which were traded in return for some form of capital, whether a player or draft assets.

But Campbell feels what he offers the Packers -- despite their infusion of safety talent over the offseason -- and what he showed in his limited showcase last season helped expedite their decision.

"Just who I am as a football player. I played my game, did what I was supposed to do. In this league, that says a lot."