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Preseason progression from Malik Willis sparks Packers’ interest

Paul Bretl | 8/28/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Brian Gutekunst’s decision to make the trade for now former Tennessee Titans’ quarterback Malik Willis was two-fold. On one hand, as Gutekunst put it, the Packers’ backup quarterback competition underwhelmed. On the other hand, he was impressed by the improvement Willis had made this summer.

“I think certainly there were some underwhelming performances at times,” said Gutekunst of the backup quarterback competition this summer. “But at the same time, Malik is a guy that certainly – he’s in his third-year and he really has shown a lot of progression, particularly this preseason. It was just an opportunity for us to add a guy that I think can not only make plays with his arm but with his legs, as well. I’m excited to get him, get him in the building and see where that goes.”

Willis is entering his third NFL season after being a third-round pick by Tennessee in 2022, and put together a strong preseason performance. Over those three games with the Titans, he completed 74.1 percent of his 27 throws at 7.6 yards per attempt with two touchdowns to one interception, along with rushing for 101 yards at 9.2 yards per carry.

That progress Willis made this summer, and not only in the final numbers he produced but in how he acclimated himself to the new offense and the process component of playing the quarterback position, is what really stood out to Gutekunst. That growth coupled with Willis’ big arm and ability to make plays with his legs are what sparked the Packers’ pursuit.

“I thought this year in particular,” said Gutekunst “and there was a coaching staff change as well, took over the new system, but the way he kind of–his patience, the way he was going through his progressions and able to play from the pocket. When to run, when not to run–those kind of things. I thought, again, it’s a short sample size in the preseason, but I thought he did a nice job. Just again, I think his ability to win with his arm and with his legs was something that attracted us to him.”

In addition to the strides Willis has made this summer, the eventual continuity that the Packers can provide will hopefully help him get to the next level as well. Although it’ll take some time for the continuity aspect of being in LaFleur’s offense to become a benefit for Willis, that element has been missing in his first three NFL seasons. Navigating three offenses in three seasons is by no means the only reason that Willis took some lumps during his first two years, but it didn’t help things either.

“I learned at a crazy rate,” said Willis. “This is my fourth offense going into my third year, so it’s what it is and just being able to adapt has really made me not proud but definitely leaning on that and continuing to just grind and work hard and continuing to let things play out how they’re supposed to.”

Now a part of the Packers, Willis will be tasked with learning as much of the offense as he can before the team’s Week 1 matchup in Brazil against the Philadelphia Eagles, which is now just 10 days away. It’s always a quick turnaround in the NFL. After being told on Monday he was being traded, Willis arrived in Green Bay Tuesday afternoon, was at the facility well into the night, and then on the practice field Wednesday.

“The process it’s more than anything getting in front of it and learning everything you can,” said Willis about learning a new offense. “Being really a sponge to anything the coaches have, anything the other guys in the room have, anything I can read on my own and watch film and seeing it done, just more than anything repetition. That’s what it is at this point.”

Willis is going to be the Packers’ backup quarterback this season. However, in such a short timeframe to acclimate himself to a new offense, can he be relied upon to fill that role in just a week and a half? That part of the equation is still to be determined.

“We will see,” said LaFleur. “I don’t know. We’ll see how it goes today. I know he’s a pretty smart guy. We’ve had an opportunity to meet with him. It’s not like you’re getting a rookie in here. He does have obviously a foundation. It’s just translating what he’s learned in the past and putting it into our terms, and then coaching him on the run.

“So there’s a lot of work to be done between now and when we have to play our game, but we’ll see where he is at that moment and make the best decision for our football team.

Helping Willis get acclimated to the Packers playbook, a fairly robust one under LaFleur, is his past experience of playing under then Titans’ offensive coordinator Todd Downing, who had spent time under Arthur Smith on the heels of him spending time with LaFleur when he was in Tennessee. As LaFleur put it on Wednesday, there is “a little bit” of crossover in terminology and some of what Willis will be asked to do in Green Bay.

If Willis isn’t quite ready to assume that role, the Packers do have Sean Clifford back on the practice squad and could choose to elevate him to the active roster for Week 1. Despite the very up and down performance throughout training camp and the preseason from Clifford, the Packers brought him back because of what he’s previously shown them he can do, and are willing to rely on him in that backup role early on if that’s what is needed.

“I think we have confidence in him,” said LaFleur of Clifford. “I told Sean, I think we’ve seen him play better than all the things we saw throughout the course of the offseason I would say, from training camp and in those preseason games. He’s just got to get back to really the core fundamentals that allow you to play the game fast. Reading with your feet is one of those. But we certainly still have a lot of confidence in Sean. It’s just the circumstance we’re in right now.”

In his first two seasons, Willis has appeared in seven games. He’s completed just 51 percent of his throws with no touchdowns and three interceptions. Some may view the move to Green Bay as a fresh start for him. However, Willis doesn’t see it that way. Of course, he’s appreciative of the opportunity, and thanked both the Titans and Packers’ organizations in the first question he answered at his locker.

But instead, Willis is more concerned with the day-to-day. He understands that in the NFL, your tape is your resume, and it’s his intention to change those perceptions. Accomplishing that isn’t done by worrying about what’s happened in the past or what could happen in the future, rather it’s about focusing on the process.

“You work hard every day to work on those things that may be deficiencies or just mistakes,” said Willis. “You learn from those bumps and bruises. You just wait for another opportunity. You just stick around until you get another opportunity, and I think that’s been the main thing – focus on the process and not maybe the results.”

Instant takeaways from each Packers’ position group following roster cuts

Paul Bretl | 8/27/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Packers initial 53-man roster is set. On Wednesday afternoon, we will hear from both Brian Gutekunst and Matt LaFleur about these decisions, but for now, here are my instant takeaways from the newly built 53-man roster.

The Packers move on from both Clifford and Pratt. Once the trade for Malik Willis took place, it’s not surprising that both Clifford and Pratt were released. According Packer Central’s Bill Huber, is that the Packers’ preference is to bring back Clifford over Pratt. Initially, this may come as a bit of a surprise.

As I discussed recently, the advantage Clifford had was his experience, resiliency, and game-like quality. However, those elements didn’t shine through consistently enough in the preseason, with Pratt being the more effective and efficient of the two.

However, taking a step back, it’s a move that does make sense. Willis is still going to be learning this new offense come Week 1. This means that in the first game and even further into the season, Clifford or Pratt will be elevated as the potential backup, and from an experience standpoint, Clifford has a deeper understanding of the offense.

Throughout the summer, whether it was LaFleur, Clements or Adam Stenavich being asked about Pratt, there is always this initial pause before they respond. The pause is not a negative or a knock on Pratt, who is doing all the right things and continuing to make plays on the practice field. The pause comes from him being a first year quarterback, who is learning a new offense, which LaFleur equates to drinking water out of a fire hose.

MarShawn Lloyd was not placed on IR. The good news at the running back position is that the Packers did not place Lloyd on injured reserve. He has missed the last two weeks with a hamstring injury, but not going on IR suggests he could be available for Week 1.

However, even if that’s the case, I would guess right now that Emanuel Wilson is the backup, given Lloyd is a rookie who has missed his share of time already. AJ Dillon was unfortunately placed on season-ending IR. He has been working through a stinger, and last we heard was that they were still gathering second opinions.

Tyler Davis also ends up on season-ending IR. Davis suffered a shoulder injury during the Packers’ second preseason game and did not practice this last week. That means the Packers will roster three tight ends and potentially could have Henry Pearson on the practice squad as someone to elevate on game days if needed. Ben Sims would come on strong at the end of training camp–making plays as both a blocker and in the passing game.

Malik Heath over Grant DuBose. DuBose would get off to a fast start in training camp, but Heath finished out the summer on a high note. However, more than just in that final preseason game, Heath has been playing some good, steady football throughout the summer. Against the Ravens starters in joint practice, he showed the ability to separate. The same thing was true in the preseason game against Denver. The production didn’t always show up, but from a process standpoint–route running, releases, creating space–I thought Heath was the more consistent of the two throughout the summer between him and DuBose.

Packers go heavy along the offensive line. I thought that this might be the case. Instead of having a true swing tackle, I wonder if it’s going to be a by-committee approach, with Andre Dillard handling left tackle duties if needed and Kadeem Telfort right tackle–or even moving Rasheed Walker to the right side if in a pinch.

Watching the rotations in practice, it became clear before the first preseason game that Dillard was ahead of Telfort and Travis Glover. Telfort. meanwhile, was the clear No. 2 option off the bench, seeing some time with the ones, but also being asked to play both tackle spots along with playing some guard during OTAs and minicamp. Glover didn’t start seeing steady snaps with the second offense until recently, but as we’ve seen in the past with Caleb Jones and Luke Tenuta, the Packers have no problem rostering developmental, high upside tackles. This will be a red-shirt-like year for Glover.

Packers go heavy along the defensive line. There’s a few reasons that I think the Packers went this route. For one, in Jeff Hafley’s attack front defense, the need for a heavy rotation becomes much greater. You can read more about that here. Secondly, I do wonder if trying to get Brenton Cox through waivers would have been a risky move. He’s a young, developmental player at a premier position who has shown he has the ability to get after the quarterback.

With that said, special teams is an area where Cox still has to improve if he’s going to see regular playing time. Mosby, however, is more equipped to come in and make an impact in that phase of the game. While both players flashed defensively this summer, seeing defensive snaps won’t come easy with the depth of this unit.

There’s only so many spots for special teams contributors. The Packers have had quite a few draft picks over the last two years, and in general, this is a very young team. That makes rostering veteran special teams-only players, like Kristian Welch, a lot more challenging. Especially for those back end roster players, being able to contribute in multiple ways is often a must.

Also a part of this decision-making process is whether or not the team believes a player can make it through waivers and back to the practice squad. Welch has a more clear path to contributing this season than Cox does, for example, but which player is more likely to get claimed? Welch was released by Baltimore last year, went unclaimed and was signed to Green Bay’s practice squad.

Now, having said that, this does set the stage for the Packers to have to rely heavily on rookies Ty’Ron Hopper and Edgerrin Cooper to help out on teams. Just like with offense and defense, there is a learning curve that can come with making the jump from college to the NFL in this phase of the game as well.

Kalen King gets left off the initial roster. Ultimately, if you’re going to go heavy at one position, or in the Packers’ case two positions on the offensive and defensive lines, you have to go light elsewhere and one of those decisions came at cornerback. Realistically, King would have been the fourth option at the nickel, behind Keisean Nixon, Javon Bullard, and Corey Ballentine. He also played just 38 special teams snaps during his final year at Penn State.

There was a lot to like about what King showed this summer, both from a physical play-style, along with making some splash plays, but his path to seeing the field was limited and as a seventh-round rookie, he likely makes it back to the practice squad. Whereas with Ballentine, he’s shown he can contribute on teams and be relied upon heavily on defense if needed.

Zayne Anderson in and Anthony Johnson out. I mentioned before cutdowns that it felt like one of Welch or Anderson was going to make the team to provide that special teams presence on the roster. However, I did not expect Johnson to be left off because of it. For what it’s worth, I thought Johnson had put together a solid summer, playing both strong and free safety.

My guess is that with three safeties ahead of him for playing time on defense and another rookie in Kitan Oladapo also on the roster, this decision came down to who was the better special teams player–although, if that’s the case, I’m still a bit surprised that took precedent with Johnson only in Year 2.

Greg Joseph is the Packers kicker–for now. The Packers had to keep one of their kickers on the roster. Hoping to land someone on the waiver wire without a backup plan is a highly risky move. So we will see if another move is made. On my roster prediction, I did have Carlson over Joseph, not only because he did make more kicks during camp, but I thought if the production was relatively equal, the Packers would choose his upside over knowing who Joseph is as a kicker at this point in his career.

I guess I should have reversed my thinking and thought of that as an advantage for Joseph because while Carlson may still have more upside, the Packers need stability, and right now, Joseph seems to provide more of that given his larger body of work.

Packers journey to 53: Analysis and observations

Paul Bretl | 8/27/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — By 3:00 PM CT on Tuesday afternoon, the Packers along with the rest of the NFL must have their initial 53-man rosters set. As part of this difficult decision-making process, Matt LaFleur and GM Brian Gutekunst are in constantly communicating.

“We’re in constant communication,” said LaFleur after the Ravens’ game. “I think we come to pretty much a consensus on a majority of the guys. But yeah, we’re in constant communication, just always talking about the roster and there’s gonna be some very tough decisions and sometimes, I’m like, man, I’m glad I don’t have to make the decision.”

Throughout the day, there will be reports of players being cut, and right here I’ll keeping you up to date with those roster moves, along with providing my analysis and observations on each decision. So be sure to bookmark or save this article and continue to check back in throughout the day.

Before beginning, one clarification: we will see reports of players being both released and waived. Players who are released are veterans with four years of accrued NFL experience and will immediately become free agents. Players who are waived have fewer than four years of accrued experience and will go on waivers. If that player goes unclaimed and clears waivers, they then become a free agent.

Packers trade seventh-round pick to Titans for QB Malik Willis

The backup quarterback competition underwhelmed so the Packers went outside the organization to hopefully find an answer. Willis is still a more developmental player, but with his rocket arm and mobility his ceiling is much higher than that of Sean Clifford or Michael Pratt. Willis will be the Packers’ backup and there is no longer room for both Clifford or Pratt. My guess is that the Packers choose Pratt over Clifford, but the other question in all of this is do they roster a third quarterback or try to get one of them back on the practice squad? For more on the addition of Willis, click here.

Packers release OT Caleb Jones per Matt Schneidman

Jones was on the Packers roster the last two seasons as a developmental tackle. However, during the final two weeks of practice in particular, it became clear based on rotations that he was fourth option at tackle among the backups–often playing with the third team offense behind Andre Dillard, Kadeem Telfort, and Travis Glover. Consistency in pass protection was always the big question for Jones.

Packers release WR Samori Toure per Adam Schefter

Ultimately, this receiver room just became too crowded for Toure. Best case scenario was that he was the eighth receiver on the team’s depth chart. He would get some work here and there with the second offense but was mostly with the threes this summer.

Packers release K Anders Carlson per Matt Schneidman

Carlson finished training camp and the preseason with a higher field goal hit rate than Greg Joseph, but any sort of momentum that he had established over the last week seemed to be negated by that missed 32 yard attempt at the end of the Baltimore game. It was an energy zapping moment, reminding everyone once again of the volatility that has come with Carlson. I would presume that an outside addition is going to be made, but we will see. Similarly to when Matt LaFleur was asked about the backup quarterback role after Saturday’s game, he expressed that the Packers would look into all options at kicker.

“We’ve got a really good sample size,” LaFleur said after the Baltimore game, “and then we’ll see what happens just around the league. Certainly, there were some really good moments. Both those guys went in there, hit a 54-yarder and a 55-yarder, and then there’s a poor moment there where we missed a chip shot. You know, again, lot of good. Some we know we can be better at, and we’ll wait and see.”

Packers release TE Joel Wilson per Matt Schneidman

Wilson had a nice stretch over a few practices and in the first preseason game where he saw some opportunities in the passing game with the second and third team offenses. When tight ends coach John Dunn was asked about Wilson’s performance, he mentioned his ability as a route runner standing out. However, base case scenario, Wilson was the fifth tight end on the depth chart.

Packers release OL Luke Tenuta per Bill Huber

Early on in training camp, Tenuta was mentioned among those competing for the swing tackle role, but he would spend most of training camp playing guard, with most of his snaps coming with the third team offense. If among the backups I would categorize Caleb Jones as the fourth tackle option, Tenuta was the fifth.

Packers release WR Jalen Wayne per Bill Huber

Jalen Wayne, the cousin of Reggie Wayne, caught one pass in the preseason eight yards and played eight special teams snaps. He spent his time with the third team offense.

Packers release TE Messiah Swinson per Bill Huber

Swinson was signed following April’s draft as an undrafted rookie out of Arizona State. There he would spend most of his time as a blocker, but has pass-catching upside, often asked to line up in the slot. Huber adds that Swinson “should” be back on the practice squad.

Packers release WR Julian Hicks per Bill Huber

At 6-2 – 201 pounds and having posted a RAS of 9.18, Hicks has measurables that teams will want to take a swing on developing. Huber adds that Hicks is a prime practice squad candidate for the Packers. Hicks had one catch in the preseason for 23 yards, but it was an impressive back-shoulder grab on a throw from Michael Pratt. He also played 13 special teams snaps.

Packers release WR Dimitri Stanley per Aaron Wilson

Stanely went undrafted in April out of Iowa State and signed with the Packers after a rookie camp tryout. He brings ample return experience to the NFL from his time in college. He lined up both from the slot and out wide in the preseason, catching three passes on four targets for 12 yards.

Packers release RB Nate McCrary per Ryan Wood.

McCrary was a very late addition to the Packers roster as they dealt with injuries at running back with both MarShawn Lloyd and AJ Dillon sidelined. In that short timeframe there were limited opportunities for McCrary, but credit to him for making the most of them, averaging 5.4 yards per rush in the preseason, showing good burst with the ball and being difficult to bring down, averaging 3.64 yards after contact. Wood adds that McCrary will be a practice squad candidate.

Packers release LB Chris Russell per Ryan Wood

Russell was another late addition to the Packers training camp roster, providing some needed depth at linebacker when they were without both Ty’Ron Hopper and Edgerrin Cooper. Russell played 31 defensive snaps in the final two games and seven on special teams. He made six total tackles and held pass-catchers to 10 yards on two receptions.

Packers release LB Kristian Welch per Bill Huber

There’s no doubt about it, this was an impressive training camp preseason and training camp performance from Welch, who made an impact on special teams–as we saw from him last season–and on defense as a middle linebacker, which included coming away with two interceptions. However, as I wrote in my roster prediction, with so many draft picks the last two seasons, it’s not easy finding roster space for veterans whose role comes solely on special teams. I would imagine the Packers will try to get him back on the practice squad. For what it’s worth, Welch was released by Baltimore last summer, went unclaimed, and then signed onto the Packers’ practice squad.

Packers release QBs Sean Clifford and Michael Pratt per Ian Rapoport

Once the Packers traded for Willis, it became clear that he was going to be the backup and presumably both Clifford and Pratt would be released. Now, one of them will be back on the practice squad.

Prior to this move for the Packers, the backup quarterback battle between Pratt and Clifford was one of the bigger positional competitions to take place in training camp. However, it also underwhelmed with there being little clarity gained over three preseason games and 19 training camp practices about which player should assume that role.

Through three preseason games, Pratt would complete 65.7 percent of his 35 pass attempts for 178 yards (5.08 yards per attempt) with one touchdown and one interception. His quarterback rating was 78.4. Clifford, meanwhile, would complete 51.1 percent of his 43 passes for 207 yards (4.81 yards per attempt) with one touchdown and one interception. His passer rating was 59.4.

While there were glimpses here and there from each quarterback, inconsistent play and poor decision-making at times were far too prevalent. We often heard Clifford praised for his resiliency and gamer-like play-style, but the moments where those qualities shined through were few and far between. Pratt, meanwhile, like any seventh-round rookie, is navigating a steep learning curve as he transitions to the NFL.

Following the Packers’ preseason finale against the Ravens, with neither Pratt or Clifford unable to instill much confidence, LaFleur hinted at the team exploring options outside of the organization.

“We’ll see,” said Matt LaFleur after the third preseason game when asked if the backup quarterback play was good enough. “Certainly, again, I think it’s similar to the kicking competition in terms of there were some really good moments and then there were some things we absolutely have to do better, and then we’ll evaluate everything that’s out there for us.”

Packers release DE Deslin Alexandre per Matt Schneidman

Alexandre did make a few standout plays as a pass rusher during OTAs but in a crowded defensive end room, making the initial roster wasn’t in play. He was also injured for the first part of training camp, making it more challenging to make a push towards the practice squad as well. Alexandre played in the final two preseason games. He recorded four total tackles and had no pressures.

Packers release DT James Ester per Ryan Wood

As an undrafted rookie, Ester joined a Packers’ position group this offseason that was already well-established. There were never any unknowns about who would make up the defensive tackle position group on the 53-man roster. But Ester showcased his potential, which has the Packers interested in bringing him back on the practice squad. In college at Northern Illinois, he was someone who impacted both the run and passing games. In three preseason games, he recorded three pressures and three total tackles in the run game across 69 total snaps.

Packers release OL Lecitus Smith per Ryan Wood

Ultimately, there just wasn’t room for Smith on the roster with Sean Rhyan or Jordan Morgan, and Jacob Monk as backup interior offensive line options. However, getting Smith back on the practice squad would feel like a win for the Packers. Smith spent the latter portion of training camp playing with the second team offense and has the versatility to play all three interior positions.

Packers release OL Royce Newman per Aaron Wilson

This was an expected move at this point. Newman was entering the final year of his deal, and the Packers already made him rework his contract early in the summer by taking a pay cut. Throughout camp, he provided a veteran presence, playing guard mostly with the second unit but spent some time with the ones when needed. However, over the last two years there has been too much inconsistent play. Sean Rhyan and Jacob Monk will now provide the interior depth.

Packers release RB Ellis Merriweather per Matt Schneidman

I wouldn’t be surprised if the Packers want to get Merriweather back on the practice squad as depth at the position–especially with AJ Dillon and MarShawn Lloyd dealing with injuries. He brings a physical running style to the backfield. On 16 carries against the Ravens, Merriweather averaged 4.6 yards per attempt.

Packers release OL Donovan Jennings per Matt Schneidman

Jennings was signed as an undrafted rookie and fits the mold of what the Packers look for in an offensive lineman. He’s a college tackle, who’s a good athlete, and will be asked to play guard in the NFL. An injury early on in training camp put Jennings behind and my guess is that there just wasn’t a long enough runway for him to fully show what he could do when it came to making the team. Schneidman adds that the Packers would like to bring Jennings back on the practice squad.

With uncertainty at backup QB, Packers make trade for Titans’ Malik Willis

Paul Bretl | 8/26/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — With uncertainty surrounding the backup quarterback role for the Packers, the team made a trade, acquiring Malik Willis from the Tennessee Titans in exchange for a 2025 seventh-round pick, according to Adam Schefter.

Willis was a third-round pick by the Titans in 2022 draft out of Liberty. He has appeared in 11 games in his career, making three starts. During that span of playing time, Willis has completed 53 percent of his 66 pass attempts–61 of which came in 2022–at 4.5 yards per attempt with no touchdowns and three interceptions. In the very small sample size that the 2023 season provided, Willis was 4-for-5 passing for 74 yards.

In his final season at Liberty in 2021, Willis completed 61.4 percent of his throws at an impressive 8.4 yards per attempt with 27 touchdowns to 12 interceptions. He also rushed for 1,220 yards and 13 scores.

Willis is still a developmental player, but will presumably now be the Packers’ backup quarterback for this season. For what it’s worth at this time, in Lance Zierlein’s scouting report of Willis prior to the 2022 draft, he noted his high upside with his “elite rushing talent” and “rocket-launching right arm.” But on the flip side, Zierlein mentioned “mechanical and operational inconsistencies” leading to inaccurate passes. For Zierlein’s full report, click here.

Unlike Michael Pratt and Sean Clifford, Willis put together a strong preseason performance. Over those three games with the Titans, he completed 74.1 percent of his 27 throws at 7.6 yards per attempt with two touchdowns to one interception, along with rush for 101 yards at 9.2 yards per carry.

Following the Packers’ preseason finale against the Ravens, with neither Pratt or Clifford unable to still much confidence, LaFleur hinted at the team exploring options outside of the organization.

Instead of trying to decide between Clifford or Pratt, the Packers will take a swing on being able to unlock the high upside and potential that Willis possesses. Now the next question becomes, will the Packers roster a third quarterback or try to bring back Pratt or Clifford on the practice squad? Odds are, even with the practice squad, there is no longer room on this team for both.

I would guess that Pratt is the favorite of the two to stick around as the younger player who did outperform Clifford in the preseason. But in what capacity—on the 53-man or practice squad—remains to be seen.

Final Packers’ 53-man roster prediction before cutdowns take place

Paul Bretl | 8/25/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Three preseason games and 19 training camp practices are complete for the Packers. We’ve gained all the information that we can from an evaluation standpoint, along with trying to gauge where things stand on the depth chart based on playing time and rotations.

With league-wide roster cuts needing to be complete by Tuesday, August 27th, here is my one and only Packers’ 53-man roster prediction after taking in training camp and the preseason games.

Quarterback (2): Jordan Love, Michael Pratt

The biggest advantage, in my opinion, that Sean Clifford had over Michael Pratt was his experience. Common qualities we’ve also often heard to describe Clifford are that he’s a gamer and resilient. However, as I detailed recently, we didn’t see those attributes routinely on display. The summer was filled with inconsistency from Clifford. Pratt would certainly take his lumps as well, but was the more efficient and effective quarterback throughout the preseason, while having to navigate the learning curve that comes with making the jump to the NFL.

Running back (3): Josh Jacobs, Emanuel Wilson, MarShawn Lloyd
Designated to return from IR: AJ Dillon

This is just a guess on my part, but as of Thursday, Matt LaFleur said they were still waiting on opinions before deciding what the next steps are for AJ Dillon who has been sidelined with a stinger. To me, I just don’t get the sense he’ll be ready for Week 1–but I could be wrong. With Lloyd, who is dealing with hamstring injury, again another guess, I’m assuming that with two weeks already missed, he won’t need another six weeks–two weeks before Week 1 plus four weeks on IR–to be ready to go.

Tight end (3): Luke Musgrave, Tucker Kraft, Ben Sims
Designated to return from IR: Tyler Davis

Putting Davis, who has been out with a shoulder injury, designated to return from IR is just speculation on may part. We do not know the extent of it or even what the specific injury is, but we’ve recently seen Jordan Morgan miss several weeks with a shoulder injury of his own. I know Davis had a rough performance against Denver, but I do believe he’s been a more steady blocker overall than Sims and we know how highly he is thought of on special teams. Davis can also fill in as the do-it-all H-back, a role held by Josiah Deguara, who saw 12-15 snaps per game late last season.

Wide receiver (6): Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, Bo Melton, Malik Heath

DuBose or Malik Heath? Flip a coin. Heath finished out the summer on a high note but more than just in that final preseason game, Heath has been playing some good football. Against the Ravens starters in joint practice, he showed the ability to separate. The same thing was true in the preseason game against Denver. The production didn’t always show up, but from a process standpoint–route running, releases, creating space–I thought Heath was the more consistent of the two throughout the summer between him and DuBose.

Offensive line (10): Rasheed Walker, Elgton Jenkins, Josh Myers, Sean Rhyan, Zach Tom, Jordan Morgan, Jacob Monk, Andre Dillard, Kadeem Telfort, Travis Glover

We know the first seven players are going to be on the team. Based on his play in the preseason and the offensive tackle rotations at practice, I feel confident in saying Dillard will be on the team as well. To me, this decision comes down to keeping Telfort or Glover, or in this instance, I kept both. Again, looking at how each player was used in practice and their overall performance, I have Telfort ahead of Glover on the depth chart. However, as we’ve seen the last two years with Caleb Jones and Luke Tenuta, the Packers have no issue rostering developmental tackles, so I went heavy here.

Defensive line (10): Kenny Clark, Devonte Wyatt, TJ Slaton, Karl Brooks, Colby Wooden, Rashan Gary, Preston Smith, Lukas Van Ness, JJ Enagbare, Brenton Cox

This is pretty cut and dry. Although I will mention that I did consider leaving Cox off of the roster in favor of putting Kristian Welch on at linebacker. The reason that I considered this was because as the fifth member of the rotation, I don’t see him seeing much playing time on defense. He also hasn’t seen a ton of special teams snaps. However, I ultimately kept him because the odds of Cox getting claimed are higher than Welch, who was released by the Ravens last season and went unsigned. Long-term, Welch may not be on the team, but with Preston Smith potentially in his last year or two with the Packers, you can see a path to Cox becoming a member of that rotation.

Linebacker (5): Quay Walker, Isaiah McDuffie, Eric Wilson, Ty’Ron Hopper, Edgerrin Cooper

Without having room for Welch, this position group is pretty straight forward. In not having Welch or Zayne Anderson, the Packers will need Hopper and Cooper to make a quick impact on special teams.

Cornerback (6): Jaire Alexander, Eric Stokes, Carrington Valentine, Keisean Nixon, Corey Ballentine, Kalen King

As I wrote recently, Ballentine brings a lot of value on the back end of the roster. He got some work out of the slot this summer, adding some versatility to his game. He’s been a key teams contributor and was quite steady last season when relied upon defensively, playing over 400 snaps. King, meanwhile, flashed playmaking abilities from the slot this summer and brings physicality to the position.

Safety (5): Xavier McKinney, Javon Bullard, Evan Williams, Anthony Johnson, Kitan Oladapo

Overall, I was quite impressed with Anthony Johnson this summer who has taken well to Jeff Hafley’s defense. His snaps may be limited defensively, but if called upon, I like the stability he can provide if needed. Oladapo’s primary role will be on special teams this season, where there will be a learning curve as he didn’t play a ton of teams snaps at Oregon State, but his combination of athleticism and physicality makes him someone who can be really good in this phase of the game.

Specialists (3): Anders Carlson, Daniel Whelan, Matt Orzech

Over the course of the summer, Carlson had the better hit rate on field goal attempts compared to Greg Joseph. I also think he has the advantage as the younger player who still has some upside that the Packers will want to tap into. Whereas with Joseph, who is in Year 5, we know who he is at this point as a kicker.

Sean Clifford or Michael Pratt? Both or neither? It’s decision time for Packers

Paul Bretl | 8/25/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — There will be a number of roster decisions that Packers’ GM Brian Gutekunst will have to make over the next roughly 60 hours. However, one of the more difficult decisions to be made lies at the quarterback position.

The good news for the Packers is that these decisions at quarterback don’t involve the staring position–they obviously have that part figured out. But as far as the backup role goes, I’m not sure of how much clarity there actually is, even after three preseason games and 19 training camp practices.

“We’ll see,” said Matt LaFleur after the preseason finale when asked if they are good enough at backup quarterback. “Certainly, again, I think it’s similar to the kicking competition in terms of there were some really good moments and then there were some things we absolutely have to do better, and then we’ll evaluate everything that’s out there for us.”

As has been the case throughout much of the summer, in the Packers’ preseason finale against Baltimore, there was some good and there was some bad from both quarterbacks.

Clifford and Pratt would rotate every two series in this game. Afterward, LaFleur said that they did this to provide a more fair comparison, with both quarterbacks playing with the same units and, for the most part, going up against the same players on defense.

For Clifford, he got off to a very slow start. He began the game just 1-for-7 passing on his first two series. Overall his numbers weren’t all that impressive, completing 6-of-14 passes at a very low 3.8 yards per pass attempt with one touchdown–although it was a very good touchdown pass squeezed into a tight window to Malik Heath.

“First and foremost,” said Clifford of the touchdown pass, “Malik ran a great route and they do that little double bracket, where they bracket certain players. So I just saw that they bracketed the through route that we had going and we were able to kind of sneak it behind the ear of that linebacker, and Malik obviously made a great catch as well. It was a great play, great protection as well.”

Pratt was the far more efficient of the two, completing 8-of-12 passes at 6.7 yards per attempt. His back-shoulder touchdown pass was a really well-placed ball and a big time throw with Bo Melton having very little separation from the defender. However, just when it looked like Pratt was going to win the day, he threw an interception right to a Ravens defender. A throw and a decision that just cannot happen.

“I thought they competed hard,” said LaFleur of the quarterback play. “I thought, for the most part, they did what we asked them to do. There’s a couple throws that you always want to have back. Certainly, the interception there, when (Michael) Pratt looked like he was a flyer on a punt going after the guy that picked off the ball. Was it (Trenton) Simpson I believe that picked that off? So that was a good lesson for him. Like, you don’t have to go like you are running down on kickoff and making a tackle.”

Through three preseason games, Pratt would complete 65.7 percent of his 35 pass attempts for 178 yards (5.08 yards per attempt) with one touchdown and one interception. His quarterback rating 78.4. Clifford, meanwhile, would complete 51.1 percent of his 43 passes for 207 yards (4.81 yards per attempt) with one touchdown and one interception. His passer rating was 59.4.

While the preseason games will certainly carry some weight in the decision-making process, Gutekunst and LaFleur are evaluating the entire body of work this summer from both quarterbacks. We’ve heard LaFleur previously discuss the importance of the quarterback getting the process right and if that is done consistently, the results will follow.

After Jordan Love would sign his extension, LaFleur referenced the 2022 preseason as a turning point in his development. However, if you go back and look at Love’s numbers that summer, they weren’t all that impressive, but the process component of it–getting in and out of the huddle, pre-snap adjustments, footwork, decision-making, going through his progressions, and more–were where LaFleur saw great strides. The point being, when discussing Pratt and Clifford, it’s not only about the final numbers.

With that said, what was supposed to be Clifford’s advantage in this competition–his experience–didn’t necessarily play out that way in live game action, with Pratt being the more efficient and effective of the two overall in preseason games.

“I think I had a pretty good camp and I just think the most important thing was to learn throughout,” said Pratt. “I think there were a lot of things I really learned throughout the process and I think I got a little bit better every single day, so that was what was really important to me.”

Two qualities used to describe Clifford is the gamer-like quality he possesses, as quarterbacks coach Tom Clements has described, and that he’s resilient, as we’ve heard LaFleur say. However, while there were flashes of those qualities, inconsistency defined Clifford’s summer.

Pratt, on the other hand, is navigating the learning curve that stokes with making the jump from college to the NFL—something LaFleur has equated to drinking water out of a fire hose, resulting in the up and down play that we’ve seen from him.

Gutekunst said on a few occasions this offseason that he wants to get back to “drafting and developing” quarterbacks. It’s for this reason that I don’t think an outside addition is in the cards for the Packers. As we’ve seen with starting quarterbacks, this is a process that takes more than one offseason, or in Clifford’s case, more than a year, particularly when you’re working with Day 3 draft picks.

It’s for this reason, that I do think keeping three quarterbacks is in play for the Packers, but then that decision impacts the makeup of the rest of the roster, forcing the Packers to go lighter at another position group. As a trickle-down effect, who then has to be released? Also a part of this decision-making equation is the Packers belief–whether it exists or not–that they can get one of these quarterbacks to the practice squad without being claimed by another team.

So with the evaluation process now complete, the decision now for Gutekunst becomes Clifford, Pratt, or both? If either has to take over for a long period of time, the Packers are going to be in trouble–as is the case for most teams at the backup quarterback position. So the question becomes, in the short term, which of the two gives you the best chance to win a game or two? And in the long-term, who has more upside–and then striking a balance, or a compromise, between the two if the answers are different.

“It’s not my decision to have,” said Clifford. “I think the world of Mike (Pratt). I think that he’s a great player. I think that I’m also a great player, so it’s not my decision to have here. I think they should keep all of us.”

Packers vs. Ravens instant takeaways: On to the regular season

Paul Bretl | 8/24/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Packers wrapped up their preseason with a win over the Baltimore Ravens. Next up for the team are some difficult roster decisions with cuts looming and needing to be completed by 3:00 PM CT on Tuesday, August 27th.

But before we dive into that conversation, with the game having finished up not too long ago, here are my instant takeaways.

The starters did not play. Matt LaFleur was non-committal all week in regards to whether the starters were going to play in this one. From the sounds of it, he wanted to evaluate how the week went. Then after an impressive all-around performance in Thursday’s joint practice, it’s not a surprise that the starters did not play.

“I thought it was a pretty productive week for us,” said LaFleur post-game. “Gotta give hats off to the Baltimore Ravens, first class operation. I gotta lotta respect for Harbaugh and his crew, and just the way those guys conducted themselves in practice. It was a great opportunity for us to play and practice against a premier team in this league, and I thought there was a lot of value into that, and I was pleased with our performance today.”

After sitting 31 players against Denver, 38 players did not suit up against Baltimore. Of note, not playing included Carrington Valentine, Edgerrin Cooper, and Jordan Morgan. All three have missed time with various injuries and recently returned to the individual portions of practice. It’ll be interesting to see what the extent of the roles are Week 1 for Morgan and Cooper–neither of whom played in the preseason. Also not practicing were Andre Dillard (shoulder), Tyler Davis (shoulder), and AJ Dillon (stinger), all of whom did not practice this week. A new addition to the injury report was Robert Rochell with a hip injury.

The starting offensive line consisted of Kadeem Telfort at left tackle, followed by Royce Newman, Jacob Monk, Lecitus Smith, and Travis Glover. Newman and Smith would both rotate reps at left and right guard. Telfort and Glover played the first few series, then we saw Caleb Jones (left tackle) and Luke Tenuta (right tackle) begin seeing snaps later in the game. Emanuel Wilson, Ben Sims, Bo Melton, Grant DuBose, and Malik Heath were the skill position starters.

Both Telfort and Glover appeared to perform better than in Denver. The more I think about it, my guess is that both of them make the 53-man, along with Dillard, with the Packers going heavy with 10 offensive linemen. Telfort and Glover are both young developmental tackles, and I just don’t see the Packers parting with either for that reason. Overall, the Packers offensive line played well, particularly in the run game, with Green Bay rushing for nearly 200 yards.

“I feel like I did everything I could,” said Telfort. “I made a huge, huge leap from last year to this year, and I just focused on the small things. Talking to some of the older guys like Elgton and Zach Tom, anytime I have any questions I just ask them to clear my mind and help me play faster, give me a little edge. I feel like I did everything I was supposed to this go ‘round.”

The Packers starting nickel defense included Cox, Wooden, Brooks, and Mosby on the defensive line. At linebacker were Kristian Welch and Ty’Ron Hopper. The cornerbacks were Kalen King (slot), Corey Ballentine, and Germon Green. At safety was Zayne Anderson and Anthony Johnson. Of note, on obvious passing downs, Christian Young–a former college safety–came in for Welch. I also wouldn’t read much into Anderson being on the field over Kitan Oladapo. Anderson was the free safety and Oladapo is more a strong safety, a role that Johnson–who has been ahead of Oladapo all of camp–was filling.

Karl Brooks and Colby Wooden were going up against backups and looked the part doing so. A nice finish to the preseason for the second year defensive tackles.

Kalen King made another splash play with the forced fumble. By my count, he’s also had a “sack” and two interceptions in practice this summer. He spent most of his career on the boundary at Penn State, but acclimated well to the nickel, where his physical play-style is showcased.

“I think it went great,” said King of his performance. “I felt like I was flying around, racing to the ball, just making plays and trusting myself.”

Overall, a really good performance by the Packers second and third defensive units. All three levels were flying around the field and swarming to the ball, which helped create three turnovers. As an offense, the Ravens would average under 4.0 yards per play and finished with under 200 total yards.

Speaking of turnovers, Arron Mosby was responsible for two of them. He sacked the Ravens quarterback creating a fumble that Anthony Johnson was able to scoop and score on. Then dropping back into coverage, he had an interception. This past week, LaFleur spoke highly of Mosby’s performance this summer. LaFleur would also mention Cox, who I still think makes the team over Mosby. I think this is one of those instances where you have to ask: who is more likely to get to the practice squad? And I believe that player is Mosby.

“Really just read my keys,” said Mosby of the sack. “The tackle went down and just kept going vertical and finished with a run-run-reach and try to get the strip-sack. The ball came out and tried to go get the scoop and score but my teammate got it and he finished it off.”

The backup quarterback battle. Both Sean Clifford and Michael Pratt had their moments. The back-shoulder touchdown throw from Pratt to Bo Melton was a beautifully placed ball. Clifford’s touchdown pass to Heath was impressive as well, avoiding the linebacker and putting right on Heath.

“It was a great offensive call,” said Pratt of his touchdown pass. “Got the one-on-one coverage we were looking for. It was a slot fade and he ran a great route. The offensive line did a great job protecting, giving me some time and he made a play. It was awesome.”

However, as we’ve seen all summer, there were lows for each as well. The interception thrown by Pratt looked like just a bad decision. Clifford, meanwhile, struggled to find a rhythm early on. Pratt was by far the more efficient of the two, both by completion percentage and yards per attempt.

“I thought we did some good things today,” said Clifford. “A little bit slower start in the passing game. Getting heated up a little bit, I thought we rebounded pretty well. Made some adjustments at halftime and it definitely showed. It was a good day. When you win by that margin in the NFL, whether it’s preseason or not, you gotta be happy with it. Got a touchdown at Lambeau, so happy about that.”

My gut still says the Packers keep both quarterbacks because in wanting to get back to “drafting and developing” quarterbacks as Brian Gutekunst has said, time is needed for that to take place. As far as who the backup is–well, that’s anyone’s guess right now. Particularly as of late, Pratt seems to be the more in control of the two.

Emanuel Wilson again looked quite good with the ball in his hands. He has been really difficult to bring down, coming into the game with seven missed tackles forced and averaging 3.69 yards after contact. Another sneak peak at my roster prediction, I’m going to have him on it. The area of continued emphasis for Wilson will be in pass protection.

“I felt like I put in good work. It starts in practice,” said Wilson. “The coaches always get on me about my pad level and hitting the holes when I see them. I’ve been trying to do that every time I get the ball.”

Malik Heath has had a really good week. It was a very good day for Heath, who is coming off two good days of practice. Even in the Denver game where the stat sheet didn’t reflect a whole lot, there were two deep balls where he had his defender beat, but the Packers quarterbacks were unable to connect with him. Deciding who will be the sixth receiver–Heath or Grant DuBose–won’t be an easy one, and it’ll come down to a litany of factors.

“You’re looking at everything,” said LaFleur about the receiver battle on Wednesday. “I think any time you’re talking about that spot in particular, whether it’s the fifth receiver or the third runner, some of your backup linebackers, your fourth safety, your fifth corner, those guys have to be able to contribute on special teams. Absolutely. And I think that’s pretty standard around the league, but also, I mean you certainly want someone that can come in and help you on the offensive side of the ball and right now we’ve got a great competition. I think all those guys are doing a really good job.”

In previous years, it felt like Zayne Anderson and Kristian Welch would have been good bets to make the roster because of their contributions on special teams. And we again saw today the impact that both players have in that phase of the game. However, with so many draft picks the last two years in particular, I doubt there is room for both and there may not be room for either. If on the roster, Welch’s impact will come on teams, but credit to him for his play the last two games as the middle linebacker, which included coming away with two interceptions and almost another.

“Honestly, it was similar to the one I tipped,” said Welch of his interception. “I should’ve had another interception. It was kind of similar. That defense allows us to keep our eyes and it’s just zone coverage, so keep our eyes on the quarterback. Kind of had a good bead on it. Knew the down and distance on that play that he was probably – they were running a lot of in-breakers, so I knew that was something they were going to continue to do; it’s their offense. So, had a good bead on that one, specifically.”

Keeping Anderson as the sixth safety or Welch as the sixth linebacker means going light elsewhere–potentially releasing a more long-term higher-upside player. It’ll be really interesting to see how this plays out. With that said, I’ll reshare this quote from Brian Gutekunst at the NFL Combine about the linebacker position. Take it as you will–perhaps it’s nothing–but it’s stuck with me.

“There’s not a lot of personnel changes we’re going to have to make with the scheme change,” said Gutekunst at the NFL Combine, “but we’ll probably have to carry a couple more linebackers into training camp and maybe one or two more through the 53- and 69-man roster as we go through.”

Anders Carlson just couldn’t put this competition away. While Greg Joseph was 2-for-2 on field goals, which included making a 55 yarder. Anders Carlson was 1-for-2, making a 54 yarder, but missing a 32 yarder. Joseph has bounced back the last two days after a rough stretch, however, my question–even with Carlson’s miss–I don’t know that there is a long enough runway for Joseph to rebound after what had been a rough showing the previous week. Over the last 2-3 weeks, Carlson has been the more steady of the two. Carlson has made 81.6% of his kicks this summer and Joseph 78.9%, but we will see, and perhaps the Packers kicker isn’t on the roster yet.

“I feel like I was just going a little fast, trying to force the ball where I wanted to instead of just being smooth,” said Joseph of his rough stretch. “Today smooth was fast and it felt good. It felt good to get back to that.”

15 Packers players to watch vs. Ravens with roster cuts looming

Paul Bretl | 8/24/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Training camp practices are now over and the Packers’ preseason will conclude on Saturday afternoon following the finale at Lambeau Field against the Baltimore Ravens. For Brian Gutekunst and Matt LaFleur, the evaluation process is nearing an end and decisions will have to be made with initial 53-man rosters needing to be set by 3:00 PM CT on Tuesday, August 27th.

For a number of players, Saturday’s contest with the Ravens will be their last chance to earn a roster spot. However, while performing well in a game can certainly carry weight when it comes to making these decisions, LaFleur is taking into account each player’s entire body of work this summer.

“I think it’s the totality,” said LaFleur. “I think you can’t put too much stock in one or the other. You’ve got to look at the whole. Granted, those games get heavily magnified because of the situation. That’s when you’re playing real football, so, obviously, there’s a lot of value to that and making sure that we get the right guys in there to see what we need to see in order to make the best decisions possible for the football team.”

So with roster cuts looming, here are 15 Packers players to watch for against Baltimore as they have one last chance to add to the foundation they’ve established over the last month of practices and games.

Sean Clifford and Michael Pratt

For the record, I do think the Packers keep three quarterbacks. Gutekunst had mentioned on a few occasions this offseason the desire to get back to drafting and developing quarterbacks. Well–and the Packers know this–but that process can’t be accomplished in one year, in Clifford’s case, particularly when taking quarterbacks on the back end of the draft. Time and patience is required.

With that said, the backup role is up for grabs. Both players are coming off less than desirable performances against Denver, but both Clifford and Pratt had strong days against Baltimore on Thursday. Here and there, we’ve also seen Pratt getting some practice reps with the twos.

For Clifford, he has to find some sort of consistency and reignite that big play ability he brings. A big difference between last summer and this one, is that while there were still interceptions being thrown in 2023, Clifford often bounced-back with a big throw or long drive. That hasn’t been the case in 2024. With Pratt, as an incoming rookie playing in what can be a complicated offense, he’s drinking water through a fire hose, as LaFleur often says, and trying to navigate that learning curve.

Emanuel Wilson

Wilson has made the most of his opportunities with the ball in his hands. He’s averaging 4.2 yards per carry in the preseason, has a few explosive runs, and is averaging an impressive 3.69 yards after contact with seven missed tackles forced. He’s shown great burst as a ball carrier, but the question mark for Wilson when it came to making the team was always around his ability in pass protection and to be a three-down back. He’s improved in this regard, there were some nice pass-blocking reps against Denver, but there is still work to be done.

“Well, we’re still working on that part of it,” said RB coach Ben Sirmans. “He has shown whether it’s 1-on-1s that when he does attack things with the proper technique that he can block people, and I think the other thing besides that is he’s shown whether it’s a walkthrough or different phases we’ve put him in where we’ve brought pressure that he’s much more I guess educated at what his assignment is and making really good decisions.

“So I think that’s something that we’re working towards, but we’ve just got to continue to put him in those situations to get a full answer on that. but my trust level is growing with him.”

Injuries, however, at running back have changed the complexion of this position group. MarShawn Lloyd has been sidelined with a hamstring injury and for a rookie learning a new offense and trying to get acclimated to the NFL level, he’s missed more practices than he’s been a part of. AJ Dillon is also dealing with a stinger and right now the team is still in wait-and-see mode, gathering other opinions.

With the new IR rules for this season, allowing up to two players to be designated to return without having to be placed on the 53-man roster first, that could open up a roster spot for Wilson depending on the extent of either of these injuries.

Grant DuBose and Malik Heath

There isn’t room for both of these players on the 53-man roster. In terms of offensive production, DuBose has made more plays this summer, often working with the second unit. However, while of course, there is a certain prerequisite that both DuBose and Heath must meet from a pass catching perspective, their ability to help in the run game–which both have shown they can do–and to help on special teams will be other key factors in determining who makes the roster.

“You’re looking at everything,” said LaFleur. “I think any time you’re talking about that spot in particular, whether it’s the fifth receiver or the third runner, some of your backup linebackers, your fourth safety, your fifth corner, those guys have to be able to contribute on special teams. Absolutely.

“And I think that’s pretty standard around the league, but also, I mean you certainly want someone that can come in and help you on the offensive side of the ball and right now we’ve got a great competition. I think all those guys are doing a really good job.”

Andre Dillard, Kadeem Telfort, and Travis Glover

If the Packers keep nine offensive linemen, then there are likely two spots up for grabs with Sean Rhyan and Jacob Monk solidified as two of the backups. This means that, in this instance, one of these players will be left off the roster. For a few weeks now, based on rotations in practice and playing time in the preseason, Dillard seems to be ahead of both Telfort and Glover and is someone I would put on the roster right now.

Glover has only entered the swing tackle mix in the last week, and otherwise spent camp practicing with the third team offense. While Telfort has continued to see reps at both tackle spots, Glover works only at the right tackle position. Again, based on performance and opportunities, I would slot Telfort ahead of Glover right now.

“I think we’re trying to figure out who the third guy is and just that consistency that we’re looking for,” LaFleur said on Wednesday. “I think it’s a good battle. We’ve got confidence in all those guys that are battling for it. It just comes down to putting that consistent performance out there.”

Unlike in past years, instead of having a true swing tackle, my guess is that if the Packers need help at left tackle, Dillard steps in. If they need help on the right side, either Telfort or Glover would fill in. Keeping 10 offensive linemen and rostering all three also seems to be in play. I do not think that Caleb Jones or Luke Tenuta have much of a chance of making the roster.

Corey Ballentine, Robert Rochell, and Kalen King

If the Packers roster five cornerbacks, which we’ve seen them do in the past, then just one roster spot is available. It’s also not uncommon to see teams keep six, meaning two roster spots would be up for grabs.

At this point, I do think Ballentine is fairly safe. As I wrote recently, he’s a more experienced defender than Rochell and King, and as we saw last year, can provide quality snaps if called upon. He’s also been working out of the slot a bit this summer to bring added versatility and has been a special teams contributor as well.

Rochell has been a quality special teams player and can likely provide more value this season in that regard than what King can. However, King, who has been lining up in the nickel, has shown acclimated himself well to that role with his physical play-style, and we’ve also seen his playmaking ability flash with two interceptions and a sack this summer. Oftentimes these back-end roster spots go to developmental players over veterans–not to mention that the need for Rochell’s help on teams is reduced with Ballentine already on the roster.

Kristian Welch and Zayne Anderson

With the Packers having so many draft picks over the last few seasons, there just isn’t the same number of roster spots available for special teams only players, which is what Welch and Anderson are. Neither would be expected to see defensive snaps this season. I don’t see a path to where both Welch and Anderson make the team, and frankly, neither might make it.

Keeping Welch likely means keeping six linebackers, just like keeping Anderson likely means keeping six safeties. The trickle-down effect of this is having to go light at another position group. In regards to the long-term outlook of the team, rostering Welch or Anderson over Glover or King or DuBose, for example, certainly doesn’t seem like the prudent move.

The flip side to this is that if both are left off the roster, the Packers are relying heavily on young players to play important special teams snaps. And just like on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball, there is a learning curve that incoming players have to navigate on teams.

“What’s interesting about, when you’re talking team, is some of these guys may have been a non-teamer at their schools,” said LaFleur. “So, I think a lot of guys typically when you come into a situation as a young guy you get thrust into that role and you kind of graduate out of it the more you play.

“So, it’s just kind of getting them re-acclimated to the fundamentals, to the skills, to knowing what to do so they can go out there and play fast, because that is an important part of it. it’s a great opportunity for a lot of these guys to make their impact early on in this league. So those reps are really valuable.”

Anders Carlson and Greg Joseph

Barring a rough performance from Carlson, my feeling is that he has a firm grasp on this kicking competition. Overall, Carlson has made 81.9 percent of his kicks this summer and Joseph 78.1 percent. But beyond the numbers, Carlson has been trending in the upward direction for a few weeks now, while Joseph has been going the opposite direction. With only one game left, I’m not sure there is a long enough runway for Joseph to make up lost ground.

‘Fresh legs’ leading to big plays for Packers TE Tucker Kraft

Paul Bretl | 8/23/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — After working his way back from an offseason pectoral injury, Packers’ tight end Tucker Kraft returned to team drills last week. Now, with several practices under his belt, he has seemingly hit his stride, adding another big play threat to the Packers’ passing game.

“It’s great to get him back out there in those 11-on-11 drills and he’s been chomping at the bit, as you know and working really hard,” said Matt LaFleur recently.

During Tuesday’s team practice, Kraft had a pair of receptions during the 11-on-11 periods. Both were receptions around the line of scrimmage that Kraft was then able to turn into sizeable gains with his yards after the catch (YAC) ability. To put it simply, he looks quite explosive right now.

Then, in Thursday’s joint practice with Baltimore, in what was an efficient day overall for the offense, Kraft was a favorite target of Jordan Love’s. According to Packer Central’s Bill Huber, Kraft caught five passes in that joint practice. One was a screen in the red zone where Kraft broke a tackle and scored a touchdown. Later on, he had two other receptions on pass plays over the middle, one of which went for 20 yards.

In a third-down drill, Kraft caught a pass that moved the chains. Lastly, in the move-the-ball period, Kraft had another 20 yard reception.

“Tucker looks great,” said Love after Thursday’s practice. “Since he’s been back out there, we’ve felt his presence — for sure. And I think he’s hit the ground running. I think he has some fresh legs right now after missing a little bit but he looks great out there. It’s very apparent on the field and it’s great to have him back.”

This YAC ability that we are seeing from Kraft in practices and his overall impact on the passing game isn’t anything new. During the second half of the 2023 season when Kraft was thrust into a larger role while Luke Musgrave was sidelined, he acclimated himself quickly to the Packers’ passing game.

From Week 12 on, Kraft caught 28 of his 36 targets for 327 yards and two touchdowns. During that span, Kraft ranked 10th among tight ends in targets, eighth in yards and was sixth in YAC.

“Well, I just, really I just took what opportunity I had and I ran with it,” said Kraft about his rookie season. “There was a point in the season last year where I had to look myself in the mirror and say if I’m only going to get opportunities to run block and pass pro then I’m going to be the best on our team in run block and pass pro.

“So those opportunities carried through three weeks and my career changed with a flat route. I didn’t have to have a coach try to get me open, I got myself open. Caught a ball in the flat, turned up and I stepped out of bounds, but it was a play that was able to highlight my athleticism and the potential that I could–the impact that I could make in this offense.”

What makes Kraft a real weapon for this offense is his well-rounded skill set that allows him leave his mark on both the running and passing games. Having a tight end who is capable in each of those areas can do wonders for an offense, specifically for Matt LaFleur has the play-caller, as having that element helps open up the playbook for him from a creativity standpoint.

A tight end with these capabilities adds a layer of unpredictability to the offense. Pre-snap, defenses can’t decipher as easily whether a run or pass is coming simply based on where the tight ends are lined up. Opponents are then forced to respect both the run and the pass on any given play, thus having to defend the entire field, which creates better spacing, and opportunities for not only the tight end but the other skill position players within the offense.

“I think he’s a complete tight end and I think he’s only scratching the surface of what he’s capable of doing,” LaFleur said. “I think when you look back last year, I mean it’s night and day from where he is now from where he was at this time. Just the familiarity with the offense, the confidence I would say from going out there and playing at a high level, so we’re excited to get him back in the fold.”

Kraft, along with Luke Musgrave, are both going to be big factors in the Packers’ offense this season, even with all the talent at the receiver position. According to Sumer Sports, 32 percent of the Packers snaps in 2023 came with two tight ends on the field. Behind 11 personnel, this was the offense’s second-most utilized personnel package and only two teams used two tight end sets more than the Packers.

Having Kraft full healthy for the start of the season will allow the Packers to have both him and Luke Musgrave at full strength and playing their best football–something that did not occur often last season. When the two were healthy early on, Kraft hadn’t had his breakout moment yet. Then as Kraft emerged, Musgrave was sidelined with an injury.

Everything previously described about the impact a do-it-all tight end can have is magnified when you have two tight ends who can contribute in that capacity, especially with Kraft and Musgrave bringing different skill sets to the table, with Kraft very good after the catch and Musgrave able to stretch the field.

“No, I don’t,” said LaFleur when asked if the offense had the best versions of Musgrave and Kraft together last season. “It seemed like they were all kind of like going out at different times. Obviously, Luke missed quite a bit towards the end of the season, so yeah, to have both of those guys at full strength I think can definitely change the complexion of our offense.”