The 53 - 2014 Green Bay Packers Initial Roster

Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson recently trimmed the active roster to 75 players. Following the initial rounds of cuts, Packers head coach Mike McCarthy gave the backups plenty of playing time against the Kansas City Chiefs in the preseason finale to give each of the guys a chance to make The 53.  Some of the backups played well, which was evident when Thompson trimmed the active roster from 75 to 53.

In order to get down to The 53, Thompson cut 18 players and placed four players on injured reserve. 

Review of The 53

Initial Review of the Roster Initial Review of the Practice Squad Five Most Overpaid Five Most Underpaid Initial Rankings of the Roster

The players cut were: Chris Banjo (S), Kevin Dorsey (WR), Jake Doughty (LB), John Fullington (OT), Garth Gerhart (C), Alex Gillett (WR), Carlos Gray (DT), Michael Hill (RB), Adrian Hubbard (LB), Jordan McCray (OG), Tanner Miller (S), Justin Perillo (TE), LaDarius Perkins (RB), Luther Robinson (DE), Jumal Rolle (CB), Jeremy Vujnovich (OT), Myles White (WR), and Ryan White (CB).  The players placed on injured reserve were: Aaron Adams (T), Nate Palmer (LB), Jake Stoneburner (TE), and Khyri Thornton (DT). So much for cutting down on injuries this season, the Packers already lost ten players for the regular season before it even started.

Much like I did the lat four years (2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013), here is my first look at The 53 for the 2014 Green Bay Packers along with my thoughts on how each player stacks up in their position group:

QB's (3): Aaron Rodgers, Matt Flynn, and Scott Tolzien

RB's (4): Eddie Lacy, James Starks, John Kuhn, and DuJuan Harris

WR's (5): Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, Jarett Boykin, Davante Adams, and Jeff Janis

TE's (4): Brandon Bostick, Richard Rodgers, Andrew Quarless, and Ryan Taylor

OL's (8): Josh Sitton, T.J. Lang, David Bakhtiari, Bryan Bulaga, JC Tretter, Derek Sherrod, Corey Linsley, and Lane Taylor

DL's (5): Mike Daniels, Josh Boyd, Datone Jones, Letroy Guion, and Mike Pennel

LB's (11): Clay Matthews, Julius Peppers, Mike Neal, A.J. Hawk, Brad Jones, Nick Perry, Jamari Lattimore, Andy Mulumba, Sam Barrington, Jayrone Elliott, and Carl Bradford

DB's (10): Sam Shields, Tramon Williams, Micah Hyde, Casey Hayward, Morgan Burnett, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Davon House, Jarrett Bush, Sean Richardson, and Demetri Goodson

ST's (3): Mason Crosby, Brett Goode, Tim Masthay

There were a few things that stood out to me about The 53.  First and foremost, Thompson kept just as many wide receivers as defensive lineman.  I know the Packers are essentially a 3-4 team in name only given that they lined up in the nickel almost 2/3rds of their defensive snaps last year.  Having only five defensive lineman on The 53 means that Neal, Perry, and Peppers better be ready to contribute along the defensive line if the Packers suffer an injury or two to their defensive lineman.

Besides only keeping five defensive lineman on The 53 there were no other real surprises on The 53, which is to be expected given that at the start of training camp I had 35 locks and 15 most likelies projected for The 53.  All 50 of those guys either made The 53 (46 of 50) or were placed on injured reserve (4 of 50).  That meant there were just a handful of jobs actually up for grabs.  The last three guys kept on The 53 were probably Carl Bradford, Demetri Goodson, and Lane Taylor and the last three guys cut were probably Chris Banjo, Jumal Rolle, and Myles White.

In 2010 the Packers kept 26 offensive players (including just two running backs but three fullbacks), 24 defensive players, and 3 special teams players on The 53 to start the season.  Of those 53 guys, just 19 of them (8 offensive, 8 defensive, and 3 special teams) are on The 53 right now.

In 2011 the Packers kept 24 offensive players, 26 defensive players, and 3 special teams players on The 53 to start the season.  Of those 53 guys, just 25 of them (12 offensive, 10 defensive, and 3 special teams) are on The 53 right now.

In 2012 the Packers kept 24 offensive players, 26 defensive players, and 3 special teams players on The 53 to start the season.  Of those 53 guys, just 26 of them (10 offensive, 13 defensive, and 3 special teams) are on The 53 right now.

In 2013 the Packers kept 23 offensive players, 27 defensive players, and 3 special teams players on The 53 to start the season.  Of those 53 guys, just 25 of them (14 offensive, 18 defensive, and 3 special teams) are on The 53 right now.

Much like 2011 and 2012, the Packers kept 24 offensive players, 26 defensive players, and 3 special teams players on The 53 to start the 2014 NFL season.

If I had to pick a ten player practice squad based solely on the players cut by the Packers today I would pick the following guys: Chris Banjo (S), Kevin Dorsey (WR), Garth Gerhart (C), Carlos Gray (DT), Michael Hill (RB), Adrian Hubbard (LB), Justin Perillo (TE), Luther Robinson (DE), Jumal Rolle (CB), and Myles White (WR).  Make sure to check back tomorrow for my analysis of the players that Thompson actually signs to the ten player practice squad.