Packers claim 2 players off of waivers following cutdowns

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweeted out the full waiver claims that NFL teams made on Wednesday, following the league-wide cutdowns from 90 players to 53-man rosters. The Green Bay Packers were awarded two players, tight end Ben Sims and defensive back Zayne Anderson, and none of the players that the Packers released yesterday were picked up by another squad.

The Packers are now two roster spots over the 53-man roster, without even currently rostering a long snapper — though, it’s expected that Matthew Orzech re-signs with the squad when they open up a roster spot. At minimum, Green Bay will need to make three more roster transactions before Week 1 against the Chicago Bears.

Anderson is a safety, who most recently was a member of the Buffalo Bills. He’s been in the league since 2021 when he was picked up by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent signing. Over the last two seasons, with the Chiefs, he played all 110 of his regular season snaps on special teams. Despite being small for the role, he’s considered a hybrid linebacker type. That could hint at Anderson replacing Tariq Carpenter, who currently fills that role on the team.

Sims is an interesting prospect, as the Packers brought him on a pre-draft visit in 2023. The team couldn’t land him as an undrafted free agent, but they now have room for another tight end body since Tyler Davis went out with a season-ending ACL injury.

The Baylor product was known much more for his run blocking than his pass-catching ability with the Bears, but he posted great workout numbers during the pre-draft process. Sims should be available to the Rich Bisaccia for special teams help, where he can fill out a role as he continues to develop on the offensive side of the ball.

Expect the corresponding roster moves to come out later on Wednesday, as the roster will need to go back down to 53 players. If you want to check out who made the Packers’ initial 53-man roster, you can find that HERE.