Roster deadline looms
Packers will cut roster down to 53 players on Tuesday
Ryan Wood projects what the 53-man roster might look like as the Packers prepare for their 2021 opener.
GREEN BAY - Throughout training camp, the top of the Green Bay Packers' roster has had little fluidity.
The Packers held out 31 players in their preseason finale Saturday at the Buffalo Bills, including almost any player who figures to have meaningful snaps this season. That followed 32 players held out a week earlier against the New York Jets, and 30 held out of their preseason opener against the Houston Texans.
General manager Brian Gutekunst said midway through camp he feels good about his team, and the lack of preseason snaps for veterans might be the best indicator those aren't empty words. But the bottom of a 53man roster usually is full of difficult decisions, and this year is no different.
The Packers must trim their roster to 53 players by 3 p.m. Tuesday, the NFL's mandated deadline. They figure to complete that work early, with coach Matt LaFleur saying Sunday he'll have a practice with his 53 on Tuesday.
Here's a projection of what that roster might look like as the Packers prepare for their 2021 opener at the New Orleans Saints in two weeks.
Quarterbacks (2)
Aaron Rodgers, Jordan Love Kurt Benkert's bid for a 53-man spot falls just short. It was never ideal for the Packers to keep three quarterbacks on their initial roster. It would have taken a seismic preseason to force their hand. Benkert was good this month, showing he belonged on an NFL roster in some capacity, but ultimately didn't move the needle enough to force his way onto the 53. The Packers should be able to get him to their practice squad.
Running backs (3)
Aaron Jones, AJ Dillon, Kylin Hill This triumvirate became very clear early in camp, and it never wavered. You already knew Jones and Dillon
would be the two-headed monster atop the rotation. Hill secured that third spot early in camp and never let go. Barring injury, Hill’s primary function will be as a kick returner. As good as he looked in the preseason, Hill is a seventh-round rookie. Remember how difficult it was for Dillon to get any touches behind Jones and Jamaal Williams last season, and he was a second-round rookie.
Receivers (6)
Davante Adams, Marquez ValdesScantling, Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb, Amari Rodgers, Malik Taylor
It’s possible Cobb’s inclusion on the roster cost the Packers the luxury of more patience with Equanimeous St. Brown. The fourth-year Brown is talented and has obvious potential, but he just hasn’t been healthy the past three years. Malik Taylor earns the final spot based on the strength of his special teams. The Packers need to find new faces on teams units hit hard by injuries this preseason.
Tight ends (4)
Robert Tonyan, Marcedes Lewis, Josiah Deguara, Dominique Dafney
Jace Sternberger will start this season serving a two-game suspension, so he won’t count against the initial 53. The Packers will have an interesting decision to make when he’s eligible to return in Week 3. Depending on your view of Sternberger, he probably did enough to justify it — either way — in this camp. The Packers have to feel good about the top of their depth chart with Tonyan, and Lewis should return as the oldschool veteran.
Offensive line (9)
David Bakhtiari, Elgton Jenkins, Billy Turner, Josh Myers, Royce Newman, Lucas Patrick, Jon Runyan Jr., Ben Braden, Yosh Nijman
To activate Bakhtiari off the physically unable to perform list, or to not activate him off the physically unable to perform list? That is the biggest question of cutdown day. It’s difficult to predict how the Packers are going to go here. The guess is they activate him because, if nothing else, he’ll be eligible to practice sooner than if he stays on the
PUP — which means returning at the earliest possible time.
Nijman figures to be retained on the 53 as insurance at left tackle, especially after offensive line coach Adam Stenavich said the third-year blind-side blocker showed this preseason he can be counted on. The guard position might have been camp’s fiercest battle. The rookie Newman is poised to come out on top as the starting right guard, with either Patrick or Runyan getting the consolation prize of starting left guard. If Newman plays well, he’ll remain at right guard when Bakhtiari returns and kicks placement holder Jenkins back inside to left guard.
Defensive line (5)
Kenny Clark, Kingsley Keke, Dean Lowry, T.J. Slaton, Jack Heflin
The Packers will need to find a way to replace Tyler Lancaster’s 352 snaps from last season if they release him. That was more than a third (34%) of the total defensive snaps played in 2020. They seem to be high on Slaton, the 2021 fifth-round pick. The 6-4, 330-pound rookie should consume a healthy amount of those snaps, allowing the Packers to lean toward a younger, cheaper undrafted rookie in Heflin for the final spot on their defensive line.
Outside linebacker (4)
Za’Darius Smith, Preston Smith, Rashan Gary, Jonathan Garvin
Don’t be surprised if Gutekunst adds to this position after final cuts, depending on who’s available to be claimed elsewhere. This position is awfully thin, even more so with Za’Darius Smith’s back injury threatening his availability for Week 1. There is a clear top three at this position. As such, Garvin is also the clear No. 4 above any other depth options.
Inside linebacker (5)
Krys Barnes, De’Vondre Campbell, Oren Burks, Ty Summers, Isaiah McDuffie
It was a slow start to McDuffie’s first camp. The sixth-round rookie started on the non-football-injury list, but he returned midway through and led the Packers with nine tackles while adding a half sack in their preseason finale at Buffalo. Yes, five inside linebackers are a lot, but Burks and Summers’ primary function on this roster continues to be special teams. And if it’s close, drafted rookies are usually kept on the 53.
Cornerbacks (6)
Jaire Alexander, Kevin King, Eric Stokes, Chandon Sullivan, Kabion Ento, Shemar Jean-Charles
Isaac Yiadom’s special teams skills could still land him on the 53, but he falls just short in this projection. It was always an uphill climb for Yiadom to make the roster after arriving late in camp from the New York Giants in a trade for former Packers second-round pick Josh Jackson. There is a clear top four at corner. Ento and rookie JeanCharles seemed to separate themselves early for the fifth and sixth spots, surviving a round of trades with Jackson and former draft pick Ka’dar Hollman.
Safeties (6)
Adrian Amos, Darnell Savage, Henry Black, Vernon Scott, Christian Uphoff, Innis Gaines
It’s so difficult to separate Gaines and Uphoff, the guess here is the Packers won’t. Yes, six safeties is a lot, but Gaines and Uphoff provide special teams value — especially important after safety and special teams ace Will Redmond was lost to a toe injury that placed him on injured reserve. Defensive backs coach Jerry Gray has emphasized how vital it is for safeties to provide special teams value. That’s what the Packers get at the bottom of their depth chart here.
Specialists (3)
Mason Crosby, JK Scott, Hunter Bradley
No, Crosby is not your new punter. Crosby got what the Packers hope is his one crack at punting, a 41-yard boot with a 7-yard return in Buffalo, because Scott had cramps on the sideline. Scott’s lone punt in the preseason finale was 56 yards, but it had a 20-yard return. If the punt unit was a problem last season, it remains inconsistent entering this preseason. Same goes for long snapper Bradley.