The Packers’ roster bubble (pt. 2): Q&As

Yesterday, Acme Packing Company ran an article describing what the roster bubble looks like for the Green Bay Packers once you start to really focus on who is on the edge of that 53-man cutoff. Many of you wrote comments or tweeted questions at me after the article, so I figured I could address them in a quick Q&A fashion here. I first thought that a 1,600-word article may have been too long for an August 1st post on the roster bubble, but you all, obviously, are as excited about roster-building as I am and dove even deeper.

1.

Tyler Goodson has been a community favorite this offseason, as many Packers fans watched him earn back-to-back All-Big Ten honors over his last two seasons at Iowa. The prospect of a pass-catcher out of the backfield is always fun, but Green Bay can already get that out of Aaron Jones, AJ Dillon and Kylin Hill, whenever he returns from his knee injury.

Patrick Taylor is still getting snaps over Goodson in camp and Packer Report’s Andy Herman noted that Hill looked good while rehabbing alongside the practice field this weekend. Taylor looked like an NFL-caliber back when given chances last season and has the size to contribute on special teams if needed. I’d put Goodson firmly in the “highly likely to make the practice squad” category rather than on the roster bubble, at least until another injury to the position.

2.

deeohen

Jake Hanson is about as much as a “roster lock” as I am an Olympic Pole Vaulter.

Thegreatreynoldo

I don’t think Jake Hanson is a lock; I do think he is a pretty good bet to make the 53. The Packers said he has consistently improved each year. However, there is no real evidence that he can play at present. He played 6 snaps in 2021. If he is still getting reps with the ones and twos in two weeks, that might be indicative of present ability to play.

Our own Rcon14 is with you. Every other day, he’s in the APC Slack surprised that Hanson is getting snaps with the first-team offense.

What I would say about Hanson is that he gives the team depth at two different positions: guard and center. That in itself brings a lot of value to the position. Aside from Hanson, the backup center candidates are probably Zach Tom, who got reps at right tackle with “the ones” today, Michal Menet, who was snapping balls over quarterbacks’ heads yesterday, and Cole Schneider, who injured his ankle yesterday and appeared at today’s practice in a walking boot.

And that’s just Hanson’s competition at center. I wouldn’t bet on it, but I think there’s a real chance that Hanson could start Week 1 at right guard, depending on what the team wants to do with Royce Newman and if David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins start the regular season on the physically unable to perform list.

I wouldn’t have thought of Hanson as a “roster lock” back in April, but it seems to be trending that way as the team’s center depth has taken a hit, the starting tackles are injured and Sean Rhyan is about tenth on the offensive line depth chart when everyone is healthy.

deeohen, if your dream is to become an Olympic pole vaulter, I say chase it. It’s my favorite track and field event along with the hurdles. Go Ducks.

3.

Rasheed Walker came out as a tackle-only prospect and so far Yosh Nijman, Zach Tom, Cole Van Lanen and Royce Newman have seen first-team reps at tackle before he’s gotten a single look. Add in a potential return for David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins and the list of names he’s behind at the position gets even longer. Jon Runyan Jr. and Sean Rhyan also played tackle in college, project as guards and are ahead of Walker on the depth chart.

The preseason can change circumstances for anyone, but at this point, I think there’s a better chance than not that he’s on the team’s practice squad as a developmental player this year.

4.

badgerpackerbacker9620

Good breakdown. Only one minor comment. You have Dean Lowry as a lock. He likely makes the roster but Lowry would be on my list for “surprise” realeases. The Packers drafted two DL in the last 2 drafts. You have to believe Wyatt plays a larger roll as the season goes on and gets more reps and he gets his feet wet. It sounds like Slaton is beginning to make a second year jump. They added Jarran Reed for early down run defense.

On top if all this, Dean Lowry carries an $8 Million cap hit....This is VERY pricy for a rotational D-lineman which he will be by seasons end. He is essentially, at best, your 4th best D-Lineman. The Packers can free up $5.9 Million in cap space by moving on........Something to keep an eye on...Nit saying it happens but I don’t call him a lock.

I understand all of the numbers and how it might be more efficient long-term to move on from Lowry now, but the team did already give him dead/void years, which showed a commitment to him as well. It also made it harder to move on from him, as the dead/void years would push more dead cap into 2023 with a hypothetical post-June 1st release.

At the end of the day, he’s gotten first-team reps as the nickel defensive tackle next to Kenny Clark during camp, ahead of the likes of first-round pick Devonte Wyatt, free agent signing Jarran Reed and TJ Slaton. I don’t know if he should be getting those looks in Week 1, but I bet he sticks on the team as a starting 3-4 defensive end.

5.

Bobby Dillon

I’m wearing one of those new wraparound Headguards as I am reading the comments here.

I will remove it when Season starts, of course, even though I will risk brain damage from the comments.

Based.

This video from Ravens camp stood out to me as a very odd deployment of the NFL’s rules on the caps.

On the offensive side of the ball, #2 on the trips side has to wear a cap because of his listed position on the roster. #3, on the line and closest to the box, didn’t, though. There are three players at linebacker level for the Ravens, too, and only one of them had to wear a cap.

My first thought was that it’s probably better if everyone is wearing a cap, even in-game if they really do benefit player safety. Just throw a logo on the cap, I guess. Then I heard people like head coach Matt LaFleur say that it’s not incentivizing players to get their heads out of plays enough. Who knows the answer here?