Packers 53-man roster projection, pre-training camp

I wasn’t planning to do this, but saw the article at the link below and really didn’t agree with a number of that writer’s decisions.  So compelled me to do my own.  Way too early for, but still fun.  As always, welcome your take!

NOTES

• I’ve noted players who were drafted this year and what round (D-#), and those that are college free agents (CFA)
• I’ve attempted to keep the 63 best players (53 active roster + 10 practice squad), but understand salary cap considerations may sometimes force different decisions
• Latest I’ve seen is teams will be allowed to have 12 players on the Practice Squad (PS).  I’ve only for now designated 10, allowing for a couple of pickups from other teams.
• This is once again a very young team overall, with only 3 players over 30:  QB Rodgers (37), TE Lewis (37) and PK Crosby (36)
• It’s also on paper one of the very strongest rosters we’ve had in years – if Rodgers is on it – and easily a Super-Bowl competitive one
• Full Packer roster with heights, weight, age, school, etc. found here:  https://www.packers.com/team/players-roster/

OFFENSE

QB (2):  Rodgers (37), Love

PS:  Benkert

Cut: Bortles, Dolegala

Comments:   Of course whether Rodgers is our starting QB or not will likely impact this and other parts of the roster.  If he’s traded, will we want/get a veteran QB back as part of the deal?  Would any other players come to us, or only draft choices?  If Rodgers does come back, I think odds are good he can replicate the high level of play he gave us last year – assuming of course he remains healthy.  From all I’ve read and watched, I am very high on Love’s potential.  Very excited to see what he can show in camp and especially the pre-season games.  But not ideal for him or this team is he’s forced to start this season.  Bortles stays only if Rodgers doesn’t return and we don’t get another veteran back in a trade.  Toss-up at this point whether Benkert or Dolegala is the #3 on the Practice Squad.  

RB (3):  Jones, Dillon, Hill (D-7)

PS:  Taylor, Williams

Cut:  None

Comments:  Loved Jamaal Williams, wish we could have kept somehow.  But Dillon is a huge upgrade purely running the ball.  He and Jones could give us the best pair of backs we’ve had since John Brockington and MacArthur Lane in the early ‘70s.  Kylin Hill certainly reads like a steal in the 7^th round.  Patrick Taylor is unknown to most, but he is big and fast and has the pedigree to beat out Hill for that 3^rd spot.  Dexter Williams gets his third and likely last shot to demonstrate the talent he showed at Notre Dame.  

WR (6):  Adams, Valdes-Scantling, Rodgers (D-3), Funchess, Lazard, St. Brown

PS:  Winfree

Cut:  Taylor, Begelton, Blair (CFA), Gaither (CFA), Thompkins (CFA)

Comments:  Packers supposedly working on a contract extension for Adams that will make him highest paid WR in the game.  Some have suggested that’s not the best investment.  But while he’s on the roster, he’s an elite weapon.  Valdes-Scantling took a nice step up last year, hopefully can take another one this year.  Third round pick Amari Rodgers looks ready to contribute from the get-go, be the jack-of-all-trades LaFleur’s been looking to add.  Hoping Funchess can shed the rust and show why the Colts just a couple of years ago threw big money at him in free agency.  He appears motivated and tailor-made for this offense.  Lazard a solid player and a clone of Funchess.  Having both a real strength.  Like Dexter Williams above, I think this is St. Brown’s last and best chance to show he belongs.  He’s got size and speed, knows the playbook, but hasn’t been very productive and too injury prone.  If Winfree – the star of the off-season workouts – continues to show well he could easily grab that last spot from St. Brown.

TE (4): Tonyan, Deguara, Lewis (37), Dafney

Suspended:  Sternberger (will miss first 2 games)

PS:  None

Cut:  Kaufusi (30), Nauta

Comments:  Hoping Tonyan gets even more balls thrown his way this year.  The guy catches everything.  Excited to get Deguara back.  LaFleur had last year’s 3^rd round pick playing all over the place in the first couple of games, and he looked excellent before he was then lost for the season.  Another Amari Rodgers chess piece that should be a major contributor.  A bit surprised Packers resigned Lewis, but I guess even at 37 they feel he can still block.  Dafney was a nice pick up off the street, a poor man’s Deguara.  Sternberger, another former 3^rd round pick, still has significant potential, hopefully demonstrates it in camp and pre-season before missing the first two games.  If so, he and Tonyan would form a lethal pass-catching TE duo.  Guessing Dafney goes to Practice Squad when Sternberger returns.

OL (10): C/G Myers (D-2), G/OT/C Jenkins, G/C Patrick, G Runyan, G Stepaniak, OT/G Turner, OT Newman (D-4), OT Nijman, OT/G Braden, OT Cronk (CFA)

PUP:  OT Bakhtiari (will miss at least first 6 games)

PS:  G/OT Van Lanen (D-6A)

Cut: C Hanson, G Johnson, G Dietzen (CFA), OT Capra (CFA)

Comments:  I’m assuming Packers go conservative with the highest paid LT in the NFL, start Bakhtiari on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, get by for at least the first third of the season without him.  Even if that ends up being the case, this is a good unit with good, young – if albeit untested – depth.  2^nd round pick Myers replaces Linsley, starts from day one at Center.  Jenkins already a young star, may move to LT until Bakhtiari returns.  If that happens, Patrick and Runyan the likely starting Guards.  Runyan appears ready after showing well as a 6^th round rookie last year.  Patrick’s come a long way and is tough/scrappy, but if Stepaniak is fully healthy after a lost rookie season, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him emerge as a starter.  He’s bigger, stronger and more talented.  If that happens, Patrick would then become the primary backup at C and both G spots.  After a so-so initial season at Guard, Turner proved to be an excellent free agent signing in his second season with us last year with his play at both Tackle positions.  So he remains at RT as a quality starter.  4^th round pick Newman will be groomed to be the swing OT.  Nijman has all the measurables, Packers have been patient with him, but he needs to show significant development this year to stick.  I never would had Braden in the mix until the OL coach raved about him in the off-season, suggesting he’d compete for a starting position at either G or T.  I have a hard time believing, but hoping he’s right and therefore he makes the 53.  Assuming Packers keep 10 OL, most I would expect would automatically give 6^th round pick Van Lanen – a local favorite – a spot.  But I like more so what I’ve read about Cronk, who if fully recovered from his injuries had a more impressive college career.  Regardless, I think you can keep both – one on the 53 and one on the PS.  When Bakhtiari returns, both can be on the PS.     

DEFENSE

DL (5):  Clark, Keke, Lowry, Slaton (D-5A), Lancaster

PS:  Previlon

Cut:  Heflin (CFA)

Comments:  On paper this remains the weakest unit on the team for the 3^rd year in a row.  Frustrating.  Still hoping Packers pick up a quality veteran like Jurrel Casey or Geno Atkins to improve the picture.  Kenny Clark one of Ted Thompson’s best picks, a stud that new Defensive Coordinator Joe Barry will reportedly move around more.  Keke developed nicely last year, especially for a former 5th round pick.  His inside pass rush was really missed against Tampa Bay in the NFC Championship Game.  He’s being counted on to be strong contributor.  Lowry’s been a huge disappointment, but coaches say he played his best at the very end of last season and are hoping that continues.  I didn’t see it, but we’ll know soon enough if they’re right and Gutekunst was right not to cut him this off-season.  Slaton is huge, talented and comes from a major college program.  But was a 5^th round pick largely because of his inconsistency.  Up to Packers coaches to get him to realize his potential as the next Gilbert Brown.  Hopefully can contribute from the start in spot duty against the run.  Lancaster a decent backup, should never be a starter.  Guessing Previlon just a guy.  We really ideally need to replace Lowry and Lancaster with better.

OLB (5):  Z. Smith, P. Smith, Gary, Garvin, Galeai

PS:  Scott

Cut:  Ramsey, Kemp (CFA)

Comments:  Zadarius was a great Free Agent signing, has have two excellent years for us, should offer a third.  Preston Smith had a huge drop-off last year after a very solid season the year before.  His history, restructured contract, coming into camp this year in much better shape, new Defensive Coordinator all factors that point to a bounce-back season.  Gary was 2^nd most productive pass rusher in the NFL the second half of last season, appears poised for a truly breakout year and to fully justify Gutekunst taking that swing for the fences with the 12^th pick in the draft 3 years ago.  Garvin didn’t do anything last year – even considering he was only a 7^th round pick.  But he is extremely young and has genuine potential – as does Galeai, a CFA last year.  Expecting both to show much more in their second seasons.

ILB (4):  Campbell, Martin, Barnes, Burks

PS:  McDuffie (D-6B)

Cut:  Summers, Wilborn, Harris

Comments:  Very pumped about the Campbell signing.  Remember well him making plays seemingly all over the field for the Falcons.  Not an All-Pro by any means.  But I expect he’ll bring much better size and pass coverage ability than we’ve had at ILB in many, many years.  All up to the coaches to get Martin to take that exciting speed and hitting ability we saw in flashes last year and get him to apply it consistently.  He could easily emerge as one of our young stars on defense.  Barnes was a nice surprise as a College Free Agent.  He may be like Lucas Patrick – a decent starter with a fairly low ceiling.  Burks has done absolutely nothing to warrant a roster position.  But like some other players mentioned earlier, this is clearly his last best shot to realize his potential.  He’s got the size and speed.  Doesn’t seem to have either the instincts or the heart.  Can the new Defensive Coordinator – who specializes in LBers – get him to show why Guteknust traded up into the 3^rd round a few years ago to grab this guy?  Odds say no, that 6^th round pick McDuffie gets that 4^th spot.  But for now, we’ll hope Burks surprises and we let McDuffie spend his first year on the Practice Squad.  Had higher hopes for Summers, even though he was only a 7^th round pick.  But I just haven’t been impressed with him, so moving on.       

CB (6):  Alexander, King, Stokes (D-1), Sullivan, Jean-Charles (5B), Jackson

PS:  Ento

Cut:  Hollman, Samuels

Comments:  When Gutekunst bounced back and forth in the first round in his first draft as GM 3 years ago and ended up with Alexander, I wasn’t thrilled.  I was wrong, as Alexander quickly developed into one of the very best CBs in the league.  Hopefully Gutekunst has struck gold again with Stokes.  We know he has world-class speed and size and held up extremely well against the very best WRs in college football.  He may start at some point in the season.  Surprised King was resigned.  He did seem to have a fairly decent regular season until he looked like one of the worst CBs to ever play in the NFL against Tampa Bay in the NFC Championship Game.  Still unfathomable how incredibly bad he played.  Maybe Jerry Gray and the new DC can squeeze a decent season out of him.  Even then, no Packer fan will ever be able to forget Ted Thompson passed up ********* for this guy.  Sullivan also sucked in that game, but at least he had the excuse of being a former College Free Agent and not picked at the very top of the 2^nd round like King was.  Hoping 5^th round pick Jean-Charles develops quickly so he can leap-frog Sullivan and improve our play at slot CB.  Jackson same story as Burks above.  What Gutekunst saw in this guy we’ll likely never know.  He didn’t have the speed or tackling ability in college, yet he spent a 2^nd round pick on him and the guy’s been an absolute bust to date.  He gets one last chance with new DC to replicate his production at Iowa.  Converted WR Ento remains intriguing.  Hollman has never turned his size and speed into anything, likely runs out of chances.  Samuels was a CFA last year who stuck around, but probably no room for this year.  

S (5):  Savage, Amos, Scott, Redmond, Uphoff (CFA)

PS:  Gaines (CFA)

Cut: Black

Comments:  Like Gary, his fellow #1 pick three years ago, Savage had an excellent second half of the season last year and appears ready to have a truly breakout season.  That play against Tampa Bay in the 1^st quarter when he badly misplayed that bomb still bothers me.  But can’t argue with his world-class speed and overall potential.  Amos also came on in the 2H of ’20 and is a high quality starter.  I really liked the flashes I saw of Vernon Scott, a 7^th round pick last year.  I expect him to emerge as the 3^rd Safety over Redmond, who to me has never shown much of anything.  His dropped INT against Tampa Bay was pathetic.  Uphoff reads like an uncommon CFA, and he too may be able to leap-frog Redmond.   

SPECIAL TEAMS

ST (3):  PK Crosby (36), P Scott, LS Bradley

PS:  None

Cut:  PK Molson, P Winslow, LS Fortunato

Comments:  No surprises.  Crosby as good as ever last year, hoping we see no decline at 36.  Scott a huge disappointment to date.  Maybe he can still tap that potential and provide the consistency he’s been missing.  Bradley shaky, would not be a surprise if Packers determine Fortunato better.

https://packerswire.usatoday.c...n-roster-projection/