Building The 53 - The Most Likelies*

Yesterday I gave you my 35 locks* to make The 53, here are the 9 guys that I think will most likely* make The 53:
 
Quarterback: Brett Hundley

Running Back: None
Fullback: John Kuhn and Aaron Ripkowski 

Wide Receiver: Jeff Janis
Tight End: 
Offensive Tackle: Don Barclay
Offensive Guard: None
Center: None
Defensive End: None

Defensive Tackle: None
Middle Linebacker: Nate Palmer and Jake Ryan
Outside Linebacker: None
Cornerback: None
Safety: Sean Richardson

Specialist: Tim Masthay

That means absent injury, there are really only 9 roster spots on The 53 up for grabs going into training camp.  Check back tomorrow for my initial thoughts on how those final 9 roster spots will shake out.

Building The 53 - The Locks*

Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson already made some hard decisions when he moved on from 13 guys that were either on The 53 or injured reserve at the end of last season.  As training camp opens for the 2015 Green Bay Packers, Thompson still has to make a number of tough decisions to finalize The 53.  The easy decisions to make are the locks* currently on the roster.

The reason all of the guys I am about to list are are locks* stems from one of three reasons.  One, they recently signed a huge contract extension (i.e. Randall Cobb).  Two, they were recently drafted in an early round of the NFL Draft (i.e. Damarious Randall).  Three, they are solid starters (i.e. Mike Daniels) at an important position. 

You may have noticed the asterisk following locks* because if any of the following guys suffer a season ending injury during training camp (knocking on wood as I type), the Packers will place them on injured reserve so they would not make The 53 but still would be in the team's long-term plans.  Also at least two players (defensive lineman Letroy Guion and Datone Jones) look like they will at least be suspended for the first game of the season, if NOT longer, but I still think they are both locks to The 53 once they are eligible to play. 

I did this same exercise in 2013 but skipped it last season.  In anticipation of that I gave my 31 "Locks" for The 53 in 2015 almost a month and a half before the 2015 NFL Draft.  Going into the start of training camp, here are the 35 locks* to make The 53:

QB: Aaron Rodgers and Scott Tolzien
RB: Eddie Lacy and James Starks
FB: None
WR: Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, Davante Adams, and Ty Montgomery
TE: Richard Rodgers and Andrew Quarless
T: Bryan Bulaga and David Bakhtiari
G: Josh Sitton and T.J. Lang
C: Corey Linsley and JC Tretter
DT: Mike Daniels and Josh Boyd
DE: Letroy Guion, B.J. Raji, and Datone Jones
OLB: Clay Matthews, Julius Peppers, Mike Neal, and Nick Perry
MLB: Sam Barrington
CB: Sam Shields, Casey Hayward, Damarious Randall, and Quinten Rollins
S: Morgan Burnett, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, and Micah Hyde
Specialist: Brett Goode (LS) and Mason Crosby (K) 

Those that read both of my 2015 "Locks" posts closely see that I've added some high 2015 NFL Draft picks (Randall, Rollins, and Montgomery), some veteran defensive lineman (Guion and Raji), and dropped Khyri Thornton from being a lock.  That is a pretty rapid decline for Thornton given that he was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2014 NFL Draft and spent the entire 2014 season on injured reserve.  That leaves 18 roster spots on The 53 up for grabs.  Check back tomorrow for my list of guys "most likely" to make The 53.

Building The 53 - Ranking Former Members of The 53

Before I take my annual look at how I think The 53 should shake out for the Green Bay Packers, the first place to start is to look at the players that are no longer with the team that were on the final 53-man roster or injured reserve when the Packers suffered their heartbreaking loss to the Seattle Seahawks in NFC Championship game last season.  While the Packers "lost" 13 guys, you will see that most of the players that have moved on were not top-end guys.  These rankings take into account age, productivity, potential cost, positional strength, and runs in reverse order:

Aaron Adams (T): While the Packers look to have bookend tackles in David Bakhtiari (LT) and Bryan Bulaga (RT), the Packers really have struggled to develop a quality backup tackle for the last few seasons.  Sure, Don Barclay looked like he would fit that void but let's not forget that Barlcay missed the entire 2014 season with a torn ACL so how well he will perform in 2015 is one of the big questions going into training camp big question.  Adam must be far from game form because the Packers kept him on injured reserve for the entire 2014 season but didn't have a spot on the 90-man off-season roster for him.

Jarrett Bush (CB): Tough off-season for Bush given that he was NOT only arrested for public intoxication but he was also suspended from the NFL for testing positive for the use of performance enhancing drugs.  Bush was always the first one at practice and the last one to leave.  Unfortunately because of the off-season incidents, Bush's reputation will forever be tainted and I would be shocked if another team took a chance on him, which (most likely) brings to a close one of the more interesting careers of a Packer from from the last decade given some of the high's (interception in Super Bowl XLV and consistent special teams player) and low's (inability to regularly play of defense because of his limited skill set, which made him a lightning rod with fans).

Matt Flynn (QB): By all account Flynn is a great locker room guy that parlayed one record-setting NFL start against the Detroit Lions thanks to the fact that the Packers already clinched a playoff birth into almost $20 million in career earnings.  Work ethic seems to be an issue for Flynn though so with three younger and more hungry quarterbacks in the fold in Scott Tolzien, Brett Hundley, or Matt Blanchard...Flynn is clearly expendable.  The only caveat to that is Flynn still might give the Packers a better chance to win a game or two this season if starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers gets hurt but the Packers need to develop Tolzien, Hundley, or Blanchard into a capable backup.  I would much rather suffer growing pains with one of the three young guys even if it costs the Packers a win or two in 2015 since it will help them much more in 2016 and beyond.

Brad Jones (MLB): There is no doubt that Jones will go down as one of the most disappointing Packers starters of the last decade because there were too many underwhelming plays out of Jones after he signed a three-year, $11.25 million contract with $3 million guaranteed.  While the Packers do NOT seem to have a ton of ready made candidates to replace Jones, it is almost addition by subtract at middle linebacker.

Jamari Lattimore (MLB): One of the guys that looked like a potential Jones replacement was Lattimore before his ho-hum performance in 2014 that was cut short by a season ending ankle injury.  There is no question that Lattimore showed flashes of being a disruptive force throughout his tenure of Green Bay, the problem was those flashes were few and far between so despite the fact that middle linebacker is a position of need the Packers decided NOT to pay Lattimore what amounts to the veteran minimum next year to see if he can show more flashes of being a violent presence in 2015 and beyond.

Luther Robinson (DT): I must be the last guy on Robinson Island that remembers Robinson's hit on Minnesota Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder on Thursday Night Football that lead to a pick-six for Julius Peppers.  While the Packers look to have a number of more effective options on the roster, I wish the Packers would have kept Robinson around given that they only owed him $510,000 for 2015 so he is a very cost-effective back-up defensive lineman option.

Brandon Bostick (TE): There is no question that Bostick's Bill Buckner-esque gaffe at the end of the NFC Championship game against the Seahawks will be what he is remember for most, which is too bad because Bostick showed flashes of being a poor man's Jermichael Finley throughout his tenure in Green Bay. Sometimes the negative baggage is just too much though so the Packers cut Bostick despite tight end being a position of need.  The Vikings claimed Bostick because they take any chance they can to get their hands on a former Packer, even if he is essentially T.J. Rubley 2.0.

DuJuan Harris (RB): Same goes for Harris given that he is currently a member of the Vikings too.  I know Harris struggled in the return game but he seemed to show enough in 2013 to merit at least a look for the 3rd running back spot behind Eddie Lacy and James Starks.

Kevin Dorsey (WR): Some might be surprised to see Dorsey this high on the list given the depth the Packers have at wide receiver (Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, Davante Adams, Ty Montgomery, Jeff Janis, Jared Abbrederis, and Myles White) but given the fact that Thompson just drafted Dorsey in the 7th round of the 2013 NFL Draft and that he has a slightly larger framer than some of the wide receivers just mentioned, I thought Dorsey was at least worth keeping around for training camp.  Clearly Thompson disagrees.

A.J. Hawk (MLB): After Rodgers there is a chance that Hawk is the guy that I've written about most in this space.  Some of that has to do with the amount of time that Hawk and Rodgers have been on The 53 but mostly I've written about Hawk because he never "lived up" to the lofty expectations associated with his draft status.  While the Packers will NOT miss his play on the field, they will definitely miss his locker room presence and how good of a guy he is off the field (check out Hawk's Locks for Kids).  I know those seem like no big deal but Hawk will go down as one of the best human beings to ever play for the Packers so from this point forward I will do my best to stop killing Hawk for his ho-hum performance on the field throughout his tenure in Green Bay.

Jarrett Boykin (WR): Much of what I said about Dorsey applies to Boykin but you can point to actual NFL production in 2013 (49 receptions for 681 yards and three touchdowns) followed by a down season in 2014 (three receptions for 23 yards and no touchdowns) to back up my argument that Boykin merits at least one of the 90 off-season roster spots.

Davon House (CB): We've finally gotten to the show ponies.  House is nowhere close to American Pharoh but he clearly has the most upside of 13 former Packers on this list.  Given that the Jacksonville Jaguars gave House a four-year, $24.5 million contract with $10 million guaranteed they will need him to NOT only stay healthy, which has been a problem during his tenure in Green Bay given that he appeared in 40 of a possible 64 regular season games but will also need House to blossom into a starting cornerback, again something he never really was in Green Bay.  Bottom line, the contract House signed with the Jaguars was way too rich for me.

Tramon Williams (CB): Sad to see Ole' Faithful go.  For how much House was a question mark, Williams was the exact opposite.  Despite suffering what seemed to be a debilitating shoulder injury midway though his eight year tenure in Green Bay, Williams only missed one game.  Sure Williams never had as many highlight plays as his counter-part Charles Woodson, let's not forget that he did intercept 26 passes as a Packer.  While Williams struggled in bump-in-run coverage following his shoulder injury, he adapted his game to still merit a starting spot on defense throughout his entire tenure.  Given that Thompson drafted two of the cornerbacks of the future in Randall and Rollins with his first two picks in the 2015 NFL Draft, Williams would have been a perfect mentor for 2015 but the Cleveland Browns broke the bank for him when they offered him a three-year, $21 million contract with $10 million guaranteed.  Congrats to Williams and his family on such a lucrative deal, which feels about $6 million too rich.  It was so much of an overpay by the Browns that I would be shocked if Williams played through the 2017 NFL season under that contract for the Browns.

With my "In Memoriam" post in the books, I will turn my attention to the 88 players currently employed by the Packers and vying for one of the coveted 53 roster spots on The 53.  Check back tomorrow when I give my locks* to make The 53.

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.

Building The 53 - The Last Three Roster Spots

Welcome to the third and final installment of my look at the current roster for the 2014 Green Bay Packers heading into the start of training camp this weekend.  As I said earlier this week there are 35 locks* and 15 players that will most likely* make The 53.  That leave just three spots truly up for grabs, which is five less than last year.

Although the Packers usually keep a few undrafted rookie free agents (think Andy Mulumba), it is too hard to tell what players are going to emerge since training camp has not started.  Here are my pre-training camp rankings within each position (best to worst) for the rest of the current roster:

Quarterback: Chase Rettig
Running Back: Michael Hill, Rajon Neal, and LaDarius Perkins
Fullback: Ina Liaina
Wide Receiver: Jeff Janis, Kevin Dorsey, Myles White, Alex Gillett, Chris Harper, and Gerrard Sheppard
Tight End: Jake Stoneburner, Colt Lyerla, and Justin Perillo
Offensive Tackle: Aaron Adams, John Fullington, and Jeremy Vujnovich
Offensive Guard: Lane Taylor, Andrew Tiller, and Jordan McCray
Center: Garth Gerhart
Defensive End: Jerel Worthy, Luther Robinson and Carlos Gray
Defensive Tackle: Mike Pennel
Middle Linebacker: Sam Barrington, Jake Doughty, and Joe Thomas
Outside Linebacker: Andy Mulumba, Nate Palmer, Jayrone Elliott, Adrian Hubbard, and Korey Jones
Cornerback: Demetri Goodson, Jumal Rolle, Ryan White, and Antonio Dennard
Safety: Chris Banjo, Charles Clay, and Tanner Miller

Lots of things can change throughout the preseason but my current advice would be to keep Jeff Janis, Andy Mulumba, and Lane Taylor.  Check back as the preseason plays out for my continued thoughts on Building The 53.

Building The 53 - The Most Likelies*

Yesterday I gave you my 35 locks* to make The 53.  I think there are 15 guys that will most likely* make The 53, which is down from 18 last year, but that is because there are eight more locks* for The 53 this year over last season.

Just to reiterate, you may have noticed the asterisk in the title and throughout this post.  I put that there because if any of the following guys suffer a season ending injury during training camp (knocking on wood as I type), the Packers will place them on injured reserve so they would not make The 53 but still would be in the team's long-term plans.  Absent a season ending injury, here are the 15 most likelies* to make The 53:

Quarterback: Matt Flynn and Scott Tolzien

Running Back: DuJuan Harris

Fullback: John Kuhn
Wide Receiver: Jared Abbrederis
Tight End: Ryan Taylor
Offensive Tackle: Derek Sherrod
Offensive Guard: None

Center: Corey Linsley

Defensive End: None
Defensive Tackle: Letroy Guion
Middle Linebacker: Jamari Lattimore
Outside Linebacker: Nick Perry and Carl Bradford
Cornerback: Davon House and Jarrett Bush
Safety: Sean Richardson

Specialist: None

That means absent injury, there are really only three roster spots up for grabs.  Check back tomorrow for my initial thoughts on the disposition of those final three roster spots.

Building The 53 - The Locks*

As training camp opens this weekend for the 2014 Green Bay Packers, much like I did last year, I am going to run a three-part series of looking at how I think The 53 will shake out before the start of training camp.  This marks my second in-depth look at The 53 following my first look in mid-May, which came a little more than a week after the 2014 NFL Draft.

The first installment are the locks* currently on the roster.  The reason all of the guys I am about to list are are locks* stems from one of three reasons.  One, they recently signed a huge contract extension (i.e. wide receiver Jordy Nelson).  Two, they were recently drafted in an early round of the NFL Draft (i.e. safety Ha Ha Clinton Dix).  Three, they are solid starters (i.e. middle linebacker A.J. Hawk) at an important position.

You may have noticed the asterisk following locks.  I put that there because if any of the following guys suffer a season ending injury during training camp (knocking on wood as I type), the Packers will place them on injured reserve so they would not make The 53 but still would be in the team's long-term plans.  Absent a season ending injury, here are the 35 locks*, up from just 27 last season, to make The 53:

Quarterback: Aaron Rodgers

Running Back: Eddie Lacy and James Starks

Fullback: None

Wide Receiver: Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, Jarrett Boykin, and Davante Adams
Tight End: Andrew Quarless, Brandon Bostick, and Richard Rodgers

Offensive Tackle: Bryan Bulaga, David Bakhtiari, and Don Barclay
Offensive Guard: Josh Sitton and T.J. Lang
Center: JC Tretter

Defensive End: Datone Jones, Josh Boyd, and Khyri Thornton

Defensive Tackle: B.J. Raji and Mike Daniels
Middle Linebacker: A.J. Hawk and Brad Jones
Outside Linebacker: Clay Matthews, Julius Peppers, and Mike Neal
Cornerback: Tramon Williams, Sam Shields, and Casey Hayward

Safety: Morgan Burnett, Micah Hyde, and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix

Specialists: Mason Crosby (K), Tim Masthay (P), and Brett Goode (LS)

That leaves 18 roster spots up for grabs.  Check back tomorrow for my list of guys "most likely" to make The 53.

Building The 53 - 2014 First Round NFL Mock Draft

Welcome to my 5th annual NFL Mock Draft.  I tried to do the traditional "guess what other reams will do" in my first NFL Mock Draft in 2010 but that is futile since I have no real inside information besides ESPN Insider so for the fourth year in a row (2011, 2012, & 2013) I decided to serve as every team's general manager for their pick (or picks) in the first round.

This year, there are wildly different thoughts on whether any of the quarterbacks should go in the Top 10.  Given that most teams picking in the Top 10 have some quarterback need, I actually think it is worth taking a quarterback early because the new rookie salary cap allows you to get cheap assets even in the Top 5.

I am sure there will be a number of trades in the first round, especially towards the end if all the quarterbacks are still available, but I am not going to make any trades because those are too hard to predict too.  Without further ado, here is what I would do if I was in charge of each team when they pick in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft along with some Twitter length thoughts about each pick:

#1) Houston Texans: Jadeveon Clowney (DE, South Carolina) - There is outside chance that Clowney will be the defensive version of JaMarcus Russell but there is an even better chance of him being the next coming of Reggie White so the upside is worth the minimal downside risk.

#2) St. Louis Rams (from Washington Redskins): Greg Robinson (OT, Auburn) - Even as a rookie Robinson projects to be one of the most athletic tackles in the NFL so he could somehow be a steal with the second pick.

#3) Jacksonville Jaguars: Johnny Manziel (QB, Texas A&M) - The Jaguars have a ton of needs on both sides of the ball but their unending pursuit of a franchise quarterback could finally come to rest with Manziel.  Worst case, at least Manziel will bring interest to a fan base for a few years.  Remember this is the same franchise that is the same fan base that wanted Tebow, they are clearly yearning for a real NFL quarterback.

#4) Cleveland Browns: Teddy Bridgewater (QB, Louisville) - Despite having quarterback Brian Hoyer in the fold, let's not forget he is  but coming off a serious kneed injury.  The Browns recently signed quarterbacks Tyler Thigpen and Vince Young too but neither is at long-term answer at quarterback.  Although Hoyer (when healthy) is a serviceable option, much like the Jaguars taking Manziel, the Browns taking Bridgewater will excite the fan base.

#5) Oakland Raiders: Jake Matthews (OT, Texas A&M) - Former Packers front office member Reggie McKenzie was quoted as saying "You draft for the future, not today".  I couldn't agree more with McKenzie.  Although their are some sexier players still available, taking Matthews will allow the Raiders to have their left tackle position settled for the next decade, which is something they desperately need.

#6) Atlanta Falcons: Kahlil Mack (OLB, Buffalo) - There were rumors that the Falcons wanted to trade up to get a pass rusher so staying put and still getting the best pass rusher not named Clowney looks like a steal.

#7) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Sammy Watkins (WR, Clemson) - Thanks to Matt Millen, teams are scared to draft wide receivers too high but I am actually fine with Watkins going as high as third.  If the Bucs can somehow sit at seven and still get Watkins, it will go a long way towards making quarterback Josh McCown or Mike Glennon successful next season.

#8) Minnesota Vikings: C.J. Mosley (MLB, Alabama) - I see Mosley going at least 10 picks later because middle linebacker has such low positional value but let's not forget that some thought the Carolina Panthers taking Luke Kuechly 9th overall in the 2012 NFL Draft was a reach for the same reason...look how well that turned out.  I get that Kuehley is more of a sure thing than Mosley given Mosely's injury history but that doesn't scare me enough to pass on Mosley.

#9) Buffalo Bills: Taylor Lewan (OT, Michigan) - Following the 2013 NFL Draft it looked like Matthews and Lewan were going to be the top two tackles in the 2014 NFL Draft.  Lewan had some off-the-field incidents that hurt his draft stock but there is no denying his talent.

#10) Detroit Lions: Darqueze Dennard (CB, Michigan State) - NFL teams can never have too many cornerbacks given how slanted the rules are in favor of the offense, especially teams playing in the NFC North so Dennard makes a ton of sense for a team with secondary issues.

#11) Tennessee Titans: Blake Bortles (QB, UCF) - Although quarterback Jake Locker has shown flashes, he is clearly not a long-term solution.  Although I am not a huge Bortles fan, I still think it is worth rolling the dice given that they could have him on the cheap for five seasons that to the new rookie contracts.

#12) New York Giants: Aaron Donald (DT, Pittsburgh) - The NFL Draft being a few weeks later hurt some players like the quarterbacks already discuss since it gave scouts a few more weeks to pull apart their game tape or grill them during one of their many private workouts while it helped others like Donald since it gave those same scouts a chance to watch more tape on some lesser known commodities. The Giants could replace the loss of Linval Joseph to the Vikings with a very similar player in Donald.

#13) St. Louis Rams: Mike Evans (WR, Texas A&M) - The chances of Evans getting out of the Top 10 are low but the Rams would be absolutely ecstatic to land him without having to trade up to give quarterback Sam Bradford a huge target to compliment slot receiver Tavon Austin.

#14) Chicago Bears: Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (S, Alabama) - Much like Mosley, I secretly hope that Clinton-Dix is available when the Packers are on the board but think chances are slim.  If the Bears have any reservations about drafting Clinton-Dix, all they need to do is think back to how 2013 finished.

#15) Pittsburgh Steelers: Zack Martin (OT, Notre Dame) - At some point the Steelers have to get a legitimate left tackle to protect quarterback Ben Rothlisberger's blind side.  The upside on Martin is lower than the other tackles taken so far in this mock draft but the floor on Martin is fairly high too, which makes this a nice pick for the Steelers.

#16) Dallas Cowboys: Calvin Pryor (S, Louisville) - The Cowboys have a ton of needs to fill so although safety might not be at the top of the list, getting a thumper like Pryor is too enticing to pass on at this point.

#17) Baltimore Ravens: Ryan Shazier (LB, Ohio State) - The most versatile of the high-end linebackers in the entire draft makes Shazier a perfect fit for the Racens since they like to move linebackers to different spots in their 3-4 defense.

#18) New York Jets: Eric Ebron (TE, UNC) - There is no way Ebron should last this long, especially given the significant drop-off at tight end after him so the Jets should hand in their card the minute the Ravens pick if Ebron is still available.

#19) Miami Dolphins: Justin Gilbert (CB, Oklahoma State) - Shocking that it took 19 picks to have the second cornerback drafted.  Part of that is due to depth at the position but there is still no way that the Dolphins can pass on Gilbert.

#20) Arizona Cardinals: Morgan Moses (OT, Virginia) - There is very mixed opinion on Moses, obviously I am higher on the guy than others.

#21) Green Bay Packers: Oddell Beckham Jr. (WR, LSU) - The Packers clearly need a safety but with Clinton-Dix and Pryor off the board, taking Deone Bucannon (S, Washington), Jimmie Ward (S, Northern Illinois), Terrence Brooks (S, FSU), or Lamarcus Joyner (S, FSU) feels like a reach this early in the draft despite the fact that the Packers desperately need a safety opposite Morgan Burnett.  I guess I favor Bucannon's larger frame but still am leery to pull the trigger on him, which is why I took the best player available even thought wide receiver is not really a need for the Packers.  My guess is that Beckham goes much earlier but at 21, I couldn't pass up such a dynamic pass catcher.  Plus, this feels a little Jordy Nelson-esque, which obviously turned out great for the Packers.

#22) Philadelphia Eagles: Marquis Lee (WR, USC) - Another year in college sure hurt Lee's draft stock given that he looked like a lock for the Top 10 following the 2013 NFL Draft.  Hopefully 2013 was an aberration not the start of a trend line.

#23) Kansas City Chiefs: Cody Latimer (WR, Indiana) - Really hard to tell whether Latimer will create enough separation in the NFL to be effective but his big frame makes him awful enticing.

#24) Cincinnati Bengals: Kyle Fuller (CB, Virginia Tech) - As I've said many times in this space, I have a soft spot in my heart for Virgina Tech since that is where Sister-in-Law Cheese is going to get her Ph.D in less than a week.  Father-in-Law Cheese is a Bengal fan by birth but Packer fan by marriage so this pick is a match made in heaven.

#25) San Diego Chargers: Ra'Shede Hageman (DT, Minnesota) - I got to see Hageman play against the Cornhuskers last season and came away impressed by how much of an impact he had on the game.  Unfortunately it is hard to tell whether Hageman has the motor to play every down that way in the NFL though, which make him a somewhat risky pick in the first round.

#26) Cleveland Browns (from Indianapolis Colts): Jason Verrett (CB, VCU) - There is a chance that Bridgewater is still on the board here but I reached for him with the 4th pick so I decided to get a quality cornerback to play opposite Joe Hayden with the pick the Browns got from the Colts for Trent Richardson, the underwhelming 3rd pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.

#27) New Orleans Saints: Timmy Jernigan (DT, FSU) - Following the national championship game it looked like Jernigan was a sure fire Top 10 pick but some off the field stuff hurt his cause.  If the Saints can get Jernigan to focus, they might get the steal of the first round.

#28) Carolina Panthers: Brandin Cooks (WR, Oregon State) - Given their lack of talent at wide receiver, I might be able to some playing time at wide receiver for the Panthers.  Despite Cooks being diminutive like myself, he automatically becomes the best wide receiver on their roster.

#29) New England Patriots: Stephon Tuitt (DT, Notre Dame) - The Patriots love to plug versatile defensive lineman into their scheme, which makes a guy like Tuitt a perfect fit.

#30) San Francisco 49ers: Anthony Barr (OLB, UCLA) - Some scouts think Barr is too soft to contribute at the next level.  If there is any team that will get the best out of Barr, it is the 49ers.

#31) Denver Broncos: Louis Nix III (DT, Notre Dame) - I love Irish Chocolate's (food) space eating ability.  I know that seems like a cheap shot but I actually think true nose tackles in 3-4 defenses are becoming devalued too much since they setup highlight reel plays instead of making highlight reel plays.  If the Broncos take Nix, I see outside linebackers Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware having huge seasons next year.

#32) Seattle Seahawks: Kony Ealy (DE, Missouri) - There are very few weaknesses on the Super Bowl Champ's roster.  The key to them winning the Super Bowl last season was their ability to consistently getting after the quarterback so the rich get richer by adding another versatile pass rusher.

I was going to write a three-part preview (offense, defense, and special teams) of the 2014 NFL Draft for Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson but work intervened so my half-written preview died on the cutting room floor.  Absent a trade, Thompson is on the clock with the 21st pick in the 2014 NFL Draft this evening.  Make sure to check for my thoughts on Twitter tonight and my in-depth thoughts in this space tomorrow morning, assuming work comports.

The 53 - Packers lose on the road to New York Giants

The Green Bay Packers went 340 games using just three starting quarterbacks: Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers, and Matt Flynn.  In the last three games, the Packers have started three different quarterbacks: Rodgers, Seneca Wallace, and Scott Tolzien.  This week the Packers lost on the road to the New York Giants after losing consecutive weeks at home to the Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles.  I know this sounds like sour grapes but for the third week in a row the Packers lost a game they probably would have won with Rodgers under center.  Instead of being 8-2 en route to hosting a playoff game, the Packers are now 5-5 so they trail the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions by one game in the NFC North standings.  If the playoffs were to start today, the Packers would miss the playoffs for the first time since 2008.

Besides Rodgers being out with a broken collarbone, the Packers were also without the services of Don Barclay (T, knee), Chris Harper (WR, healthy scratch), Casey Haywawd (CB, hamstring), Andy Mulamba (LB, ankle), Nick Perry (LB, foot), and Sam Shields (CB, hamstring) against the Giants.  Not having Barclay and Shields was problematic as Marshall Newhouse continued to struggle at right tackle while the Giants were able to throw at will, in part, because the Packers were without their best cornerback Shields.

Instead of giving a full breakdown of the Packers/Giants loss I thought I would take a look at how general manager Ted Thompson should handle having 15 unrestricted free agents and 2 restricted free agent following this season. Given that the Packers have roughly $10 million in salary cap space for this season, they could get a number of these deals done this year.  If the Packers are unable to extend some of their potential free agents, they will carry that money over to 2014.  Here are my thoughts on how Thompson should handle all of the potential Packer free agents.

The 53

1. Aaron Rodgers (QB, LR 1) 2. Clay Matthews (OLB, LR 2)  3. Jordy Nelson (WR, LR 3) 4. Josh Sitton (G, LR 4) 5. T.J. Lang (G, LR 5) 6. James Jones (WR, LR 6)  7. Eddie Lacy (RB, LR 8) 8. B.J. Raji (DL, LR 9) 9. Morgan Burnett (S, LR 7) 10. Evan Dietrich-Smith (C, LR 12) 11. David Bakhtiari (T, LR 10) 12. Sam Shields (CB, LR 11) 13. Tramon Williams (CB, LR 13) 14. Brad Jones (MLB, LR 14) 15. Mike Daniels (DL, LR 15) 16. A.J. Hawk (MLB, LR 17) 17. Davon House (CB, LR 18) 18. Datone Jones (DL, LR 19) 19. Micah Hyde (CB, LR 20) 20. Casey Hayward (CB, LR 16) 21. Don Barclay (T, LR 21) 22. Nick Perry (OLB, LR 22) 23. Jamari Lattimore (LB, LR 23) 24. Jarrett Boykin (WR, LR 26) 25. Tim Masthay (P, LR 24) 26. Mike Neal (DL/OLB, LR 25) 27. Johnny Jolly (DL, LR 27)  28. Ryan Pickett (DL, LR 28) 29. Andrew Quarless (TE, LR 29) 30. Scott Tolzien (QB, LR 38) 31. Jarrett Bush (CB, LR 30) 32. Mason Crosby (K, LR 32) 33. James Starks (RB, LR 34) 34. Brett Goode (LS, LR 33) 35. John Kuhn (FB, LR 39) 36. Derek Sherrod (T, LR 31) 37. M.D. Jennings (S, LR 35) 38. Jonathan Franklin (RB, LR 36) 39. Brandon Bostick (TE, LR 42) 40. C.J. Wilson (DL, LR 45) 41. Ryan Taylor (TE, LR 37) 42. Marshall Newhouse (T, LR 44) 43. Matt Flynn (QB, LR 40) 44. Chris Banjo (S, LR 41) 45. Andy Mulamba (LB, LR 43) 46. Jerron McMillian (S, LR 46) 47. Nate Palmer (LB, LR 47) 48. Myles White (WR, LR 48) 49. Lane Taylor (G, LR 49) 50. Jake Stoneburner (TE, LR 50) 51. Josh Boyd (DL, LR 52) 52. Chris Harper (WR, LR 51) 53. James Nixon (CB, LR 53)

Physically Unable to Perform

1. Jerel Worthy (DE) 2. JC Tretter (T) 3. Sean Richardson (S)

IR, Designated for Return

1. Randall Cobb (WR)

Injured Reserve

1. Jermichael Finley (TE) 2. Bryan Bulaga (T) 3. DuJuan Harris (RB) 4. Robert Francois (MLB) 5. Greg Van Roten (C/G) 6. Sam Barrington (LB) 7. Seneca Wallace (QB) 7. Kevin Dorsey (WR) 8. Sederrik Cunningham (WR)

Cut

1. Jeremy Ross (WR, Lions) 2. Michael Hill (RB, Buccaneers)

The only player that I would not even tender a contract to is Seneca Wallace (QB, $408,000, UFA) because in his limited playing time he showed that he is no longer an NFL quarterback.  Plus keeping Wallace would deprive other younger quarterbacks from taking important snaps in the off-season.

There are a number of guys that I would not offer more than a non-guaranteed one-year contract for the veteran minimum:

Robert Francois (LB, $725,000, UFA): Certain injuries take more than a year to receiver, a torn Achilles tendon is one of those injuries.  Since Francois suffered a torn Achilles tendon earlier this season I would be shocked if he was healthy by the start of training camp.  If Francois is healthy, his special teams ability make him worthy of a look.

Marshall Newhouse (T, $1.4 million, UFA): The Packers have at least four other more talented offensive tackles under contract for 2014 (David Bakhtiari, Don Barclay, Bryan Bulaga, and Derek Sherrod) and that doesn't even factor in that Thompson might draft a tackle in the 2014 NFL Draft.  I flirted with not even tendering Newhouse given how horrible he has looked the last two weeks but there is no guaranteed that Bulaga and Sherrod will be healthy in 2014 so you can never have too many offensive tackles.

Matt Flynn (QB, $261,176, UFA): Tolzien threw for over 300 yards against the Giants but also had three interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown by defensive lineman Jason Pierre-Paul.  Despite all the turnovers by Tolzien, I really don't see Flynn playing unless Tolzien gets injured.  If Rodgers is healthy soon, I could actually see the Packers cutting Flynn since spots on The 53 are very valuable.

Chris Banjo (S, $450,000, RFA): The safety play for the Packers has been so bad that Banjo has gotten some reps on defense next to Morgan Burnett instead of M.D. Jennings and Jerron McMillian.  Banjo is 5'10" with a slight build so he does not have the build to be an enforcer on defense, which is exactly what the Packers need at safety.  Banjo needs to continue to show promise on special teams, which would give him a slight chance to make The 53 in 2014.

C.J. Wilson (DL, $642,590, UFA): Going into the season I thought Thompson should take care of Wilson with a long-term extension before he priced himself out of Green Bay.  After being a healthy inactive three times this season, the only way Wilson is back in Green Bay next season is if all the defensive lineman I discuss become too expensive for Thompson to re-sign.

It will be virtually impossible to bring back the rest of the guys that I am about to discuss given their salary cap situation and how much the Packers like to skew young but I am still going to give my thoughts on the rest of the potential free agents from least important to most important when you factor in contract, age, and positional depth:

John Kuhn (FB, $2.5 million, UFA): With how much teams like to run the spread on offense, the fullback position is becoming the dinosaur of the NFL.  That hasn't stopped the Packers from using Kuhn extensively the last few weeks in a more traditional I-Formation with a running back and a fullback.  Add in that Kuhn is a special teams maven and the Packers will most likely keep Kuhn around in 2014.  Although it might be perceived as a slap in the face, I wouldn't offer Kuhn very much guaranteed money, if any, as a part of a two-year, $3 million deal to keep him in Green Bay through 2015.

M.D. Jennings (S, $555,833, RFA): There is no question that Jennings is the second best safety on the roster after Morgan Burnett.  The problem is that Jennings has not shown enough to merit being a legitimate NFL starter.  I like Jennings more as a rotational backup at safety.  I would tender Jennings a one-year deal at his original draft position.  Since Jennings went undrafted it will not be much more than $600,000 but those exact numbers will not be determined till the off-season.  Sure someone might tender Jennings so the Packers could lose him without any draft pick compensation, but I just don't see Jennings garnering that much interest, so the Packers could luck out and bring Jennings back on the cheap for 2014.  That is a long way of saying the Packers should not commit long-term or any guaranteed money to Jennings, instead they should add a safety early in the 2014 NFL Draft as long as it is not too much of a reach.

Jermichael Finley (TE, $8.75 million, UFA): Just a month ago I thought Finley was going to sign a long-term deal that averaged at least $6 million per year with at least $10 million in guaranteed money. Just a month later it looks like I might have seen Finley play his last snap in the NFL in-person when he suffered a bruised spinal cord when the Packers beat the Browns at Lambeau Field.  Finley's health off-the-field is the most important thing.  If Finley can show he is healthy enough to return to the field, the best he can hope for is to sign a one-year incentive laden contract.  If Finley's health checks out, I would totally support offering Finley a one-year, $2 million deal to play for the Packers in 2014.  Anything more seems too expensive even for a guy as talented as Finley given the injury risk and all the other deals the Packers need to make before the start of 2014.

Mike Neal (OLB, $920,000, UFA): When the Packers moved Neal from defensive line to outside linebacker at the start of training camp they salvaged his career because before the position switch it looked like Neal was going to get cut given all the depth the Packers had along the defensive line.  Neal has shown the ability to rush the passer in spurts but has been unable to put together full games yet.  Some are trying to make a comparison between Neal and former Packer outside linebacker Erik Walden.  Leaving aside Walden's headbutt from the weekend, I still think the Indianapolis Colts overpaid Walden giving him a four-year, $16 million last off-season.  I still don't even think Neal is at Walden's level of play so any more than a couple million dollar a year is too much for Neal given that he is not even guaranteed to start at outside linebacker with Clay Matthews and Nick Perry on The 53.  Personally I would let Neal leave via free agency but if the Packers attempt to re-sign him, the most I would offer is three-years, $6 million with $2 million guaranteed.

Jamari Lattimore (LB, $556,668, RFA): A big reason why I was against paying A.J. Hawk and Brad Jones big money is how well other guys have looked at middle linebacker in the 3-4.  Injuries hampered D.J. Smith's tenure in Green Bay but let's not forget how productive he was as a 3-4 middle linebacker for the Packers.  Lattimore performed very well at middle linebacker in the base 3-4 defense when the Packers were without middle linebacker Brad Jones due to injury. Lattimore was one of the only bright spots against the Bears a few weeks ago on Monday Night Football with a blocked punt and recovered an onside kick.  Leaving aside Lattimore's ability at middle linebacker because the Packers are financially committed to the Hawk/Jones combo, given that Lattimore has emerged as a special teams maven, the Packers should tender Lattimore at higher than his original draft position since he went undrafted.  Tendering Lattimore at a higher amount would either allow the Packers to get a draft pick if another team signs Lattimore to a bigger deal or retain Lattimore's services for 2014 for roughly $1 million.

James Starks (RB, $655,075, RFA): Evey time Starks starts to show promise he proceeds to get injured.  At one point I had Starks in the one-year veteran minimum group but he is too talented even when you account for his injury problems.  Rookie running back Eddie Lacy's physically running style makes me wonder whether he will have similar injury issues to Starks because much like Starks, Lacy was injured throughout his college career.  Although the Packers also have rookie running back Johnathan Franklin, keeping Starks around will allow the Packers to share carries amongst their running backs to keep everyone fresh.  Much like the Neal contract discussed earlier, I would not offer Starks more than three-years, $6 million with $2 million guaranteed.

Andrew Quarless (TE, $1.4 million, UFA): Much like Starks, Quarless had some injury issues couple with some of-the-field issues as well.  When the Packers lost Finley they turned to Quarless as their starting tight end.  It looks like Quarless finally put his off-the-field issues behind him and has actually been relatively healthy in 2013.  I like what I've seen out of Brandon Bostick as a hybrid tight end/wide receiver while I like Quarless as a standard tight end, especially when you factor in his blocking prowess.  I wouldn't go much higher than four-years, $10 million with $3 million guaranteed but I would actually make a push to keep Quarless long-term even though I could see the Packer using a draft pick on a tight end in the 2014 NFL Draft.

Ryan Pickett (DL, $6.7 million, UFA): The Packers a ton of depth along the defensive line so I would be shocked if Pickett played for the Packers in 2014 given that he is 34-years old and will still command an expensive salary.  Getting Pickett on a two-year, $5 million deal would be good business for the Packers but the fact that Pickett had a cap number of $6.7 million in 2013 makes me question whether Pickett would play for so much less.

James Jones (WR, $3.75 million, UFA): After the 2010 season Jones hit free agency but garnered little interest so he signed a three-year, $9.7 million deal with $2.25 million guaranteed.  This time around Jones will not be overlooked when he hits free agency.  The 10th highest paid wide receiver in the NFL averages $5 million a year, which I bet is the low-end of what Jones will be looking for this off-season.  A four-year, $20 million deal with $8 million guaranteed seems fair but that is still less than the Packers will have to pay wide receivers Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb in the next 12 months so it is probably more prudent to save their money instead of extending Jones.

Johnny Jolly (DL, $715,000, UFA): After being out of football for almost three years due to drug problems that landed Jolly in jail, just the fact that Jolly has been clean this year let alone a legitimate contributor along the defensive line makes him one of the feel-good stories in the NFL. I see Jolly as a cheaper version of Pickett when you factor in the chance that Jolly could relapse.  A three-year, $7.5 million deal with $2 million guaranteed seems reasonable given that Jolly will be 31 before next season.

Sam Shields (CB, $2.0 million, UFA): The Packers are going to have to decide between keeping Shields or cornerback Tramon Williams.  Next season Williams carries a price tag of $9.5 million because he will be in the last year of his five-year, $38 million with $11 million guaranteed.  There is a chance that Williams would accept a pay cut to stay with the Packers, which would allow the Packers to keep Shields and Williams, but I would be surprised given Williams's stature on defense.  The franchise tag for cornerbacks will most likely be $11 million in 2014, which is way too much for Shields especially given all the young talented the Packers have at cornerback (Casey Hayward, Davon House, and Micah Hyde).  I think Pickett is a long-shot to return to the Packers in 2014 but I would actually be more surprised to see Shields playing for the Packers in 2014 than Pickett.

B.J. Raji (DL, $6.6 million, UFA): Apparently the Packers have an $8 million a year offer on the table for Raji.  That seems a little rich to me but given how important Raji has become as a cog in the center of the defense, I no longer think the Packers have the option of letting Raji leave via free agency even when you factor in all their depth along the defensive line.  If the Packers cannot agree to a long-term deal with Raji they better use the franchise tag on Raji, which should be in the neighborhood of $9 million in 2014.

Evan Dietrich-Smith (C, $1.3 million, UFA): After the Jeff Saturday debacle at center last season, the Packers finally identified their center of the future.  The 10th highest paid center in the NFL is Kyle Cook of the Cincinnati Bengals with an average salary of $2.5 million a year.  The Packers would be lucky to get EDS for that amount.  Give that EDS will turn 28 before next season I would support the Packers offering him a four-year, $12 million deal with $4 million guaranteed.  That probably will not be enough to lock EDS down long-term but it provides a starting point.  Despite the fact that I have EDS as the most important player for the Packers to retain for 2014, given the Packers have a ton of money invested in their guards (Josh Sitton and T.J. Lang), the highest that I would for EDS is four-years, $16 million with $6 million guaranteed.

If there are any changes to The 53 before the Packers host the Minnesota Vikings this Sunday, check back for my full coverage.  I am not ready to throw in the towel on the season just yet but if the Packers do not right the ship against the Vikings then their post-season hopes are essentially done.

The 53 - 2013 Green Bay Packers Initial Roster

Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson recently trimmed the active roster from 90 players to 75 players.  Following the initial round of cuts, head coach Mike McCarthy gave the backups plenty of playing time against the Chiefs in their preseason finale.

None of the backups played very well against the Chiefs, which was evident when Thompson trimmed the active roster from 75 to 53 earlier today cutting the following 22 players: Jonathan Amosa (FB), Andrew Datko (T), David Fulton (S), Garth Gerhart (C), Alex Green (RB), Kevin Hughes (T), Charles Johnson (WR), Patrick Lewis (C), Terrell Manning (LB), Loyce Means (CB), Jordan Miller (DT), Dezman Moses (LB), Matthew Mulligan (TE), James Nixon (CB) Chaz Powell (S), Donte Savage (LB), Brandon Smith (CB), Jake Stoneburner (TE), Tyrone Walker (WR), Myles White (WR), D.J. Williams (TE), and Vince Young (QB).

Much like I did the last three years (2010, 2011, and 2012), here is my first look at The 53 for the 2013 Green Bay Packers:

QBs (2): B.J. Coleman and Aaron Rodgers

RBs (4): Jonathan Franklin, John Kuhn, Eddy Lacy, and James Starks

WRs (5): Jarrett Boykin, Randall Cobb, James Jones, Jordy Nelson, and Jeremy Ross

TEs (4): Brandon Bostick, Jermichael Finley, Andrew Quarless, and Ryan Taylor

OLs (8): David Bakhtiari, Don Barclay, Evan Dietrich-Smith, T.J. Lang, Marshall Newhouse, Josh Sitton, Lane Taylor, and Greg Van Roten

DLs (8): Josh Boyd, Mike Daniels, Johnny Jolly, Datone Jones, Mike Neal, B.J. Raji, Ryan Pickett, and C.J. Wilson

LBs (9): Sam Barrington, Robert Francois, Brad Jones, A.J. Hawk, Jamari Lattimore, Clay Matthews, Andy Mulamba, Nate Palmer, and Nick Perry

DBs (10): Chris Banjo, Morgan Burnett, Jarrett Bush, Casey Hayward, Davon House, Micah Hyde, M.D. Jennings, Jerron McMillian, Sam Shields, and Tramon Williams

STs (3): Mason Crosby, Brett Goode, and Tim Masthay

Besides the initial 53-man roster, the Packers have a number of other players still affiliated with the organization even before they sign eight players to their practice squad.  Here is a breakdown of those players:

Injured Reserve (5): Bryan Bulaga (T), Sederrik Cunningham (WR), Kevin Dorsey (WR), DuJuan Harris (RB), and Jarvis Reed (LB).  Look for Bulaga and Harris to stay with the team for the rest of the season but don't be surprised if the Packers attempt sign the rest of the players to injury settlements so they can continue their NFL careers elsewhere.

PUP (4): Sean Richardson (S), Derek Sherrod (T), JC Tretter (G/C), and Jerel Worthy (DL). After the Packers finish their 6th game of the season, if they do not reach an injury settlement, they have three weeks to let the players left on the list start practicing.  From the first day one of those guys start practicing, the Packers have three weeks to add them to the active roster (in place of someone on The 53), cut them, or place them on injured reserve.

Here are a few things that stood out to me about the roster moves:

- For the first time in a number of years I was mildly surprised at some of the guys cut.  On the offensive side of the ball I was mildly surprised the Packers cut: Green, Mulligan, Walker, Williams, and Young.  On the defensive side of the ball I was mildly surprised the Packers cut: Manning, Miller, and Moses.

- The last three guys cut were probably: Terrell Manning, Tyrone Walker, and D.J. Williams.

- The last three guys kept were probably: Chris Banjo, Brandon Bostick, and Lane Taylor.

- The last two years the Packers kept 24 offensive players, 26 defensive players, and 3 special teams players.  This year the Packers mixed it up by keeping 23 offensive players, 27 defensive players, and 3 special teams players.

- Of the 53 players kept on the initial roster in 2010, only 23 of them are on the current 53-man roster: 9 offensive players, 11 defensive players, and 3 special teams players.  Of the 53 players kept on the initial roster in 2011, only 31 of them are on the current 53-man roster: 13 offensive players, 15 defensive players, and 3 special teams players.  Of the 53 players kept on the initial roster in 2012, only 35 of them are on the current 53-man roster: 14 offensive players, 18 defensive players, and 3 special teams players.  That means more than half of the roster has been overhauled in just the last three years.

If I had to pick an 8 player practice squad based solely on the players cut by the Packers today I would pick the following guys: Johnson, Lewis, Manning, Savage, Stonerburner, Smith, Walker, and White.

Make sure to check over the next week because there will be a ton of Packers content leading up to the season opener on the road against the San Francisco 49ers.

Building The 53 - The Last 8 Roster Spots

Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson made some minor roster moves today^ so there are currently 90 players on the roster.  As I said last week there are 27 locks* and 18 players that will most likely* make The 53.

J.C. Tetter (T) is recovering from a broken foot and Jerel Worthy (DE/DT) is recovering from a torn ACL.  Both players, if healthy, are locks to make The 53 but since they are recovering from serious injuries they are are headed for the PUP list.  That leaves 43 guys vying for 8 roster spots.

Although the Packers usually keep a few undrafted rookie free agents, with very little training camp in the books, it is too hard to tell what players are going to emerge.  Thus the following 21 players currently look like long-shots to make The 53:

Quarterback: None
Running Back: Angelo Pease
Fullback: Jonathan Amosa
Wide Receiver: Kevin Dorsey, Alex Gillett, Omarius Jones, Tyrone Walker, and Myles White
Tight End: Jake Stoneburner
Offensive Tackle: Kevin Hughes
Offensive Guard: Lane Taylor
Center: Garth Gerhard and Patrick Lewis
Defensive End: None
Defensive Tackle: Gilbert Pena
Middle Linebacker: Jarvis Reed
Outside Linebacker: Andy Mulumba and Donte Savage
Cornerback: James Nixon, Loyce Means, and Brandon Smith
Safety: Chris Banjo and David Fulton

Sure one of the players above could make a legitimate run at a roster spot but going into training camp there are really 22 guys fighting for 8 roster spots:

Quarterback: B.J. Coleman and Graham Harrell
Running Back: DuJuan Harris and Alex Green

Fullback: None
Wide Receiver: Jarrett Boykin, Charles Johnson, and Sederrik Cunningham
Tight End: Matthew Mulligan and Brandon Bostick
Offensive Tackle: Derek Sherrod and Andrew Datko
Offensive Guard: None

Center: None

Defensive End/Defensive Tackle: Mike Neal, Johnny Jolly, and Jordan Miller
Middle Linebacker: Robert Francois and Sam Barrington
Outside Linebacker: Nate Palmer and Micah Johnson
Cornerback: None 
Safety: Sean Richardson and Chaz Powell

Specialist: Mason Crosby and Giorgio Tavecchio

Lots of things can change throughout the preseason but my current advice would be to keep Coleman, Green, Boykin, Sherrod, Neal, Jolly, Richardson, and Tavecchio.  Check back as the preseason plays out for my continued thoughts on Building The 53.


Footnote:
^ = Waived Ryan McMahon (S), signed Chris Banjo (S), and signed Omarius Hines (WR).