2019 Packers’ final 53 man roster breakdown
QB (2): #12 Aaron Rodgers, #8 Tim Boyle
*Released*: #9 DeShone Kizer, #18 Manny Wilkins.
Honestly, I’m not all that surprised by the moves made at QB. Overall, Tim Boyle has looked like the better, more suitable backup QB to Rodgers as opposed to Kizer. He, on the other hand, has been an experiment gone awry for Green Bay since 2016 and one that — thankfully, is over.
If indeed they needed a backup QB in a game, I want it to be Tim Boyle so I’m very glad they went with him over Kizer in the end.
RB (3): #33 Aaron Jones, #30 Jamaal Williams, #22 Dexter Williams
*Released*: #32 Tra Carson, #27 Keith Ford
This one I was also happy about. Dexter Williams was a guy I was very high on for Green Bay when they initially drafted him. It may have come as a bit of a shock to others that he made the cut over Carson, but it was the right move overall. Although Carson showed flashes in the preseason & camp, I just didn’t see him as a final cut guy. Williams, despite some criticism by HC Matt LaFleur in the offseason on pass protection & catching, has shown much more upside to me within the final weeks of camp & the final weeks of preseason play.
FB (1): #45 Danny Vitale
*Released*: #48 Tommy Bohanon
*Waived/injured*: #46 Malcolm Johnson
This was definitely a no-brainer to me. Vitale will provide a ton of options for LaFleur on offense. Bohanon was a good competition for him all told. In the end, though, Vitale beat him out. He is a versatile guy you can line up anywhere in the backfield & can be used as a decoy on pass plays as well. He was a lock for me to make the final cut. I’m very excited to see what he can provide within LaFleur’s system.
WR (6): #17 Davante Adams, #83 Marquez Valdes-Scantling, #81 Geronimo Allison, #11 Trevor Davis, #16 Jake Kumerow, #10 Darrius Shepherd
*Released*: #88 Teo Redding, #86 Malik Taylor, #82 J’Mon Moore, #13 Allen Lazard
*Season-ending Injured reserve*: #19 Equanimeous St. Brown
The biggest shock to me was that Allen Lazard got waived. I saw a bigtime upside with him as far as receiving & special teams play went. I hope he can at least sneak onto Green Bay’s practice squad. St. Brown ends up on season-ending IR with a high ankle sprain, it initially was a 4-6 week recovery time & he was designated to return if placed on the final 53, as first reported by Rob Demovsky. I cannot wait to see what Jake Kumerow can bring to the table in 2019 during real in-game action. We only saw flashes of it in 2018.
TE (4): #80 Jimmy Graham, #89 Marcedes Lewis, #85 Robert Tonyan, #87 Jace Sternberger
*Released*: #84 Pharaoh McKever, #49 Evan Baylis
This again was no shock. Baylis showed some upside in the final preseason game on Thursday night, catching a touchdown pass from Tim Boyle, but in the end, there’s only room for 53 total players. These four tight ends were the right ones to keep on the roster in 2019. Jimmy Graham has a great opportunity to prove that his last few years were simply an aberration. Sternberger is also looking to get some playing time in 2019. Lewis’ primary job will be blocking; although he’s shown he’s not afraid to catch the ball in the open field. It’s going to be interesting to watch how LaFleur utilizes each of them within his system.
OL (9): #75 Bryan Bulaga, #69 David Bakhtiari, #65 Lane Taylor, #77 Billy Turner, #63 Corey Linsley, #74 Elgton Jenkins, #62 Lucas Patrick, #70 Alex Light, #61 Cole Madison
*Released*: #71 Anthony Coyle, #72 Gerhard de Beer, #68 Dejon Allen, #73 Yosh Nijman, #57 Adam Pankey
*Traded*: #64 Justin McCray
Not fazed with this list other than the fact that Justin McCray was traded to Cleveland (albeit for draft capital). I was very high on him during the preseason. I thought he showed a lot of upside in pass protection as well as run blocking. This likely means that draft picks Elgton Jenkins out of Mississippi State will get some playing time on the O-line in real game time — something I’ve been wanting to see since he was drafted this past April. Gerhard de Beer also looked to be a promising player on the o-line, and he has one of the most Wisconsin-like last names ever too. But alas, you can only keep 53 total players on the roster & that’s unfortunately what makes final cuts so tough.
DL (6): #97 Kenny Clark, #94 Dean Lowry, #90 Montravius Adams, #95 Tyler Lancaster, #96 Kingsley Keke, #98 Fadol Brown
*Released*: #79 Deon Simon, #99 James Looney, #67 Olive Sagapolu
This list, all in all, wasn’t that big of a problem for me. Kenny Clark obviously was a lock from the beginning along with Lowry and Adams. Brown really hasn’t shown much within the preseason for Green Bay which is why I see him behind rookie Kingsley Keke (who showed a lot on Thursday night and throughout the preseason). Lancaster also has shown to be more than just a serviceable player on the defensive line for Green Bay. Lowry has to show up this year though, he only has 7 sacks in 19 career starts. His tackling, however, has been great as he has tallied 55 solo tackles thus far (13 tackles for loss, 14 QB hits). His usage under DC Mike Pettine will be interesting to watch as the season plays out.
OLB (4): #55 Za’Darius Smith, #91 Preston Smith, #51 Kyler Fackrell, #52 Rashan Gary
*Released*: #49 James Folston, #56 Randy Ramsey, #59 Markus Jones
*Traded*: #93 Reggie Gilbert
*PUP*: #57 Greg Roberts
No problem whatsoever with this. Obvious locks with Za’Darius and Preston Smith, Kyler Fackrell also earned his spot with his stellar performance last season (10.5 sacks in 7 total starts). It also subsequently earned him his extension in the offseason as well. Hopefully, Rashan Gary can perform well at LB too. I have a feeling he will be more of a versatile, hybrid type of player for them at linebacker, time will tell though. I’m most certainly rooting for him to perform up to his full potential. GM Brian Gutekunst didn’t draft him at #12 for anything, after all. He also sees major potential within him as well.
ILB (4): #50 Blake Martinez, #42 Oren Burks, #54 James Crawford, #44 Ty Summers
*Released*: #58 Brady Sheldon
*Waived/injured*: #40 Curtis Bolton
Absolutely no problem with this either. Although I was pulling for Curtis Bolton, his injury ended up being too much to overcome which led to him getting waived. I am very happy that Ty Summers made it on. His 76-yard interception return for a touchdown basically solidified his place in the final 53 in my eyes. He’s a ferocious tackler on Green Bay’s defense that brings a level of physicality that it has lacked for a long time. I’m also very happy that Oren Burks’ injury isn’t as severe as initially thought. I’m hoping he makes the most of his time on the roster. James Crawford will most likely see time on special teams; which isn’t necessarily a bad thing considering he’s been one of their best players on it this preseason.
CB (7): #23 Jaire Alexander, #20 Kevin King, #38 Tramon Williams, #37 Josh Jackson, #28 Tony Brown, #29 Ka’dar Hollman, #39 Chandon Sullivan
*Released*: #41 Nydair Rouse, #47 Jocquez Kalili, #24 Jackson Porter, #48 Kabion Ento
This was my initial list for a cornerback as well. Obviously, Alexander headlines it, Kevin King (if he stays healthy), is a great #2, Williams is the veteran of the group who I’m sure wants to prove he’s still got something left in the tank, Jackson played well in his rookie year but is hoping to come into his own in year 2, Tony Brown has impressed in preseason; mostly in regards to his tackling and ball-hawking ability. He just has certain instincts you look for in a cornerback which is why I believe Green Bay kept him on the roster. Ka’Dar Holman, rookie pick out of Toledo, definitely has the potential to blossom into an all-pro caliber player. He has great speed in the open field as well as great hands. Lastly, Chandon Sullivan has also been very impressive as of late. He had a game-changing interception against the Texans in Green Bay’s first preseason game on August 8th. He also had an interception during Packers Family Night on August 3rd. Overall, he’s earned his spot on the roster with his consistent effort & elevated play on defense.
S (4): #31 Adrian Amos, #26 Darnell Savage, #36 Raven Greene, #25 Will Redmond
*Released*: #34 Tray Matthews, #21 Natrell Jamerson
*PUP*: #35 Ibraheim Campbell
This was really not that far off of my initial prediction from this position group. Adrian Amos is obviously the starting safety, next is the rookie out of Maryland Darnell Savage; whom I was very high on when they drafted him and still am. He has great speed in the open field and has the ability to jump up and deflect/intercept passes. Both qualities of which will be very useful in today’s pass-happy league. Raven Greene has shown the ability to be a great coverage safety and also serve as a hybrid LB player in the box. He can tackle very well and also has great coverage skills for a player of his caliber. Will Redmond has also shown up in the preseason. He has very good ball pursuit skills as well as excels in coverage.
Specialists (3): #2 Mason Crosby, #6 JK Scott, #43 Hunter Bradley
*Released*: #7 Sam Ficken
This list was exactly what I predicted it to be. The only reason Ficken would get the job over Crosby would’ve been money. That wasn’t the case so they went with the veteran over the rookie. That’s not to say that Ficken wasn’t great competition for Crosby because he was; but in the end, it was a smart move to go with the proven veteran over the flashy rookie. JK Scott has remained impressive at punter for the Packers. His average yards per punt for the preseason was 48, his net average was 41. In 2018, he had punted 71 times for 3,176 yards, giving a yard per punt average of 44.7. He had 19 lands within the 20-yard line. Just absolutely incredible punting stats. Hunter Bradley has been performing great as the long snapper as well. He’s entering his 2nd season as the Packers’ LS.
Final thoughts: This is a great final 53 from Brian Gutekunst and HC Matt LaFleur. Both offensively and defensively there are a plethora of difference makers. Also of note is the overall youth of the team. The average age is 30.6 years. This should end up being a very good thing for Green Bay as far as having fresh legs at all times goes. I see this as a potential championship-level roster, it’s now up to the players & coaches to prove that. It starts on Thursday night in Chicago.
#ParkerMoes @ParkerMoes #DHPF @DieHardPackrFan
