Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Packer Plus
CUTDOWN TO 53
Wide receive Jake Kumerow among cuts
Green Bay — On a cutdown Saturday conducted in the middle of a pandemic, the most surprising part of the Green Bay Packers’ trim to their initial 53-man roster was how few things were unexpected.
When the biggest surprises on the day were bubble receiver Jake Kumerow and potential backup left tackle Alex Light being released, is there really a surprise? It’s a far cry from releasing All-Pro guard Josh Sitton at the deadline, or the shock of last season when receiver Equanimeous St. Brown was placed on injured reserve.
The Packers cut Kumerow in favor of keeping Malik Taylor as their fifth receiver, no doubt choosing Taylor’s upside over Kumerow, who is what he is as a receiver at this point. Even with the urging for more playing time from Aaron Rodgers last season, Kumerow ranked fifth among Packers receivers with 328 snaps in 2019. That was 350 snaps fewer than Geronimo Allison.
The argument for keeping Kumerow might have hinged on his readiness early this season. But if the Packers were making that decision based on Kumerow’s track record, his past production wasn’t much to keep him tethered to the roster. Kumerow ranked ninth on the team with 12 catches last season, three fewer than tight end Marcedes Lewis. His 219 yards were eighth, 34 fewer than running back Jamaal Williams.
Taylor, who spent all of 2019 on the Packers’ practice squad, was an emerging talent after a strong camp. He ran a 4.4 40 with a 36-inch vertical at his pro day in 2019, numbers that indicate his superior athleticism and higher upside.
Kumerow likely had his quarterback’s backing.
“Jake Kumerow has been such a solid performer for us for the last couple years,” Rodgers told Sirius XM NFL Radio on Thursday. “I love his reliability. I think he’s a fantastic, steady player who’s very heady on the field, he makes plays. He plays with a lot of confidence, and he’s a guy you love having on the squad.”
Rodgers later said he was unsure what the front office would decide, which is also unsurprising. If there’s one thing 2020 has showed about the influence the two-time MVP holds inside the organization, it’s that Rodgers does not have the power to make roster decisions.
The Packers also went with athletic potential over known product on their offensive line. Alex Light has put his play on film. It wasn’t pretty last season, when he struggled mightily in San Francisco, leading the Packers to make the late-season acquisition of Jared Veldheer. Light stayed with the team this offseason, and while Nijman started camp on the physically unable to perform list, Light got backup left tackle reps.
He apparently didn’t show enough improvement from the product he put on the field last November. With Nijman, superior potential won out.
The rest of the Packers’ cutdown day went mostly as expected. They kept three quarterbacks, with Tim Boyle expected to enter Week 1 as the top backup ahead of rookie Jordan Love after a strong camp. The rest of the roster breakdown included: four running backs, five receivers, four tight ends, three offensive tackles, five guards, one center, five defensive linemen, five outside linebackers, four inside linebackers, six cornerbacks, five safeties and three specialists.
The Packers were not afraid to place injured players on their initial 53. Outside linebacker Randy Ramsey made the cut despite missing the final week of camp with a groin injury. While a source said Ramsey’s availability for Week 1 is in question, the injury is believed to be minor.
Cornerback Kabion Ento had his day to celebrate. Ento, a feel-good story on cutdown day, made the initial 53 despite having foot surgery to repair what a source called a Jones fracture midway through camp. It was the second straight camp Ento failed to finish because of injury. A year ago, Ento injured his hamstring after landing awkwardly on an athletic interception. Ento stayed on the Packers’ practice squad throughout the season, and the team appeared high on him
On Monday, however, the Packers moved Ento to injured reserve. But keeping him on their initial 53 gives them the option of returning Ento midway through the season.
Inside linebacker Kamal Martin also moved to injured reserve after having knee surgery last week Tuesday to repair a torn meniscus.
In a bit of trivia, the Packers decided not to include an undrafted rookie on their 53-man roster for the first time in 15 years.
General manager Brian Gutekunst has continued the franchise’s reputation first established under predecessor Ted Thompson as a place undrafted rookies get a fair shot. But with COVID-19 erasing preseason games this season, undrafted rookies both had less opportunity to play their way onto the roster.
Olivia Reiner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel contributed to this report.