Cheese Curds, 9/9: Breaking down Alexander & Kirksey; analyzing 2020 roster rules

We’re just four days away from the start of the Green Bay Packers’ 2020 season. The upcoming year will look very different from past years. One of the reasons is the massive slate of changes to NFL roster rules this season, which affect everything from active roster limits to gameday rosters to practice squads.

The Packers, of course, will implement those rules to help out with their depth, but the starting lineup and key contributors will not be significantly affected by those changes. Two players whose jobs are safe are Jaire Alexander and Christian Kirksey, and both get some glowing writeups in today’s Cheese Curds. We’ll also take our first real look ahead to week one’s matchup and see what realistic expectations should be out there for this team over the course of the season.

Inside new NFL roster rules for 2020 - Expanded rosters, practice squad and injured reserve | ESPN
This is a tremendous breakdown of all of the changed roster rules for this season. One interesting note is that 21 teams announced their lists of protected practice squad players on Tuesday, but the Packers were not among them.

Packers and Vikings meet in season opener | Packers.com
Here's the first "Dope Sheet" of the year from the Packers' website, which reveals that this is the first time since 1996-98 that the team has opened against NFC North teams three years straight.

A healthy look at how Packers are avoiding injuries | Packersnews.com (subscription)
There appear to be a few critical factors to the Packers' ability to stay largely healthy this summer: Matt LaFleur's approach to practice, no preseason games, and luck.

Matt Bowen's 12 favorite NFL defensive backs, and where they thrive | ESPN+
While you can't see every name on the list and the descriptions unless you have an ESPN+ subscription, you can see the writeup on Jaire Alexander, who Bowen feels can be one of the premier cover corners in the NFL.

Why Christian Kirksey could be the Packers’ missing piece on defense – The Athletic (subscription)
Simply put, it's his potential to be a playmaker, something the Packers have been missing at inside linebacker for some time.

Analyzing the Packers’ floor and ceiling for the 2020 season | Packers Wire
I’ve been predicting a 10-6 record for the Packers this year, which ends up fitting nicely between the 8-8 floor and 12-4 ceiling proposed here.

Saanich police warn of missing python in Marigold neighbourhood – Victoria News
"Once again on the loose" and "yet again" aren't phrases you like to hear when discussing an escaped 4.5-foot snake.