By Tuesday afternoon, the Green Bay Packers’ roster should be reduced from 80 to 53 players. The action began on Sunday when the team fired linebacker Ty Summers. That leaves 26 more decisions to be made between now and Tuesday’s deadline.
Here’s one last attempt at predicting the list:
attack (26)
QB (2): Aaron Rodgers, Jordan Love
RB (3): Aaron Jones, AJ Dillon, Patrick Taylor
WR (7): Allen Lazard, Randall Cope, Sammy Watkins, Romeo Dobbs, Christian Watson, Amary Rodgers, Joan Winfrey
TE (4): Robert Tonian, Mercedes Lewis, Josiah DeGuara, Tyler Davis
OL (10): Elgton Jenkins, David Bakhtiari, Josh Myers, Jon Runyan Jr., Royce Newman, Yosh Nijman, Zach Tom, Sean Rhyan, Jake Hanson, Rasheed Walker
ideas: Taylor wins in running backs based on special teams and passing pros, while Tyler Goodson eventually returns to the coaching staff. In what will soon become a pullback saturated market, neither Taylor nor Judson is likely to be claimed, making the idea of just two runs all the more appealing. I still think the packets keep three. I would have accepted the Samori Toure on Winfree, but Winfree puts more in the special teams and the midfielder trusts him. Once again, the hope will be Toure’s return to the coaching staff. Retaining the 10 offensive linemen will probably be necessary as Bakhtiari and Jenkins are both question marks to start the season. Walker, a test pick who played well in the season finale, got the nod of Caleb Jones, who will likely use a year on the coaching staff.
Defense (24)
DL (5): Kenny Clark, Jarran Reed, Dean Lowry, TJ Slaton, Devonte Wyatt
OLB (5): Rashan Gary, Preston Smith, Jonathan Garvin, Kingsley Inagbar, Teva Galley
ILB (4): De’Vondre Campbell, Quay Walker, Isaiah McDuffie, Krys Barnes
CB (6): Jaire Alexander, Rasul Douglas, Eric Stokes, Keisean Nixon, Shemar Jean-Charles, Kiondre Thomas
S (4): Adrian Amos, Darnell Savage, Shawn Davis, Dallin Leavitt
ideas: There is not much mystery here. About 19-20 of these sites are already booked. Again, Heflin made pre-season tearing plays, but can the Packers keep six defensive players? Maybe he’d stick if players only had two running backs in the first 53. Gallie, Thomas and Levitt make the list because of their advantages over their special-team counterparts.
special teams (3)
K (1): Mason Crosby
F (1): Pat O’Donnell
LS (1): Jack Coco
Crosby’s case still lingers on this whole thing, but Packers still seems optimistic he’ll be ready for the first week. His applicability was strong, but he eventually overcame some attempts at intervention.
