The Green Bay Packers 2023 roster was established this afternoon but it’s far from finalized. General Manager Brian Gutekunst announced the cuts and other moves in bulk form just fifteen minutes after the NFL deadline of 3:00 PM CDT. After purging the roster of significant veterans in the off-season, headlined by the trade of Aaron Rodgers and the release of Mason Crosby, Adrian Amos, Marcedes Lewis, Randall Cobb along with free agent departures Allen Lazard and Robert Tonyan, Gutekunst let go another half dozen players who were with the squad in 2022. The decisions leaves the team with just three players over the age of 30, David Bakhtiari, Preston Smith and De’Vondre Campbell. This will be an extremely young team heading to Chicago to open the season against the Bears on September 10.
Lets get to the departures first.
Punter Pat O’Donnell was the first to go, his cut was announced Monday afternoon. Other players on the ’22 team or practice squad were running backs Tyler Goodson and Patrick Taylor, defensive backs Shemar Jean-Charles and Innis Gaines plus defensive tackle Chris Slayton. Eric Stokes was placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list which will require him to miss the first four weeks of the season. Guard Cole Schneider was a camp casualty for the second year in a row. Former San Francisco 49er safety Tarvarius Moore was placed on season ending injured reserve. Two players were waived injured after reaching a settlement with team, long snapper Broughton Hatcher and draft choice running back Lew Nichols. The only other draft pick who didn’t make it was 7th round pick Grant Dubose. The rest of the cuts were undrafted free agents. Quarterback Alex McGough, running back Nate McCrary, receivers, Jadakis Bonds, Dre Miller, Deuce Watts, Bo Melton and Cody Chrest, tight ends Henry Pearson and Austin Allen, offensive linemen James Empey, Kadeem Telfort and Jean Delance, defensive lineman Antonio Moultrie and Jason Lewan, linebackers Keshawn Banks, Aaron Mosby, Jimmy Phillips Jr., Marvin Pierre and Kenneth Odemegwu, defensive backs Isaiah Hamilton, William Hooper, Corey Ballentine, Tyrell Ford, Kiondre Thomas and Benny Sapp III and the only other long snapper on the roster Matt Orzech.
Now, what’s left, for now.
The Packers will start with just two quarterbacks, three running backs and three tight ends. Jordan Love will be backed up by 5th round pick Sean Clifford. Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon will be backed up by the NFL’s leading rusher in the Preseason, Emmanuel Wilson, one of three undrafted free agents who made the roster the hard way, a terrific find from Fort Valley State. The tight ends are Josiah Deguara and the two draft picks, Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft.
The team is keeping six receivers, three returners in Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs and Samori Toure, joined by three newcomers, second rounder Jayden Reed, fifth round pick Dontayvion Wicks and the training camp sensation and second undrafted free agent, Malik Heath.
The Packers went unusually heavy with the heavyweights on the offensive line, 11 stuck. The front five of David Bakhtiari, Elgton Jenkins, Josh Myers, Jon Runyan and Zach Tom, backed up by Royce Newman, Sean Rhyan, Yosh Nijman, Rasheed Walker, Caleb Jones and Luke Tenuta who made the team despite suffering an injury in the Preseason opener. Don’t be surprised if Nijman or Jones are offered in a trade after Walker emerged this summer.
On defense, the front will be anchored by Kenny Clark who will be flanked by T.J. Slaton and Devonte Wyatt. Two draft picks, Colby Wooden and Karl Brooks proved worthy of snaps with Jonathan Ford holding down the final spot.
A handful of inside linebackers will be led by Campbell and Quay Walker. Isaiah McDuffie started for Campbell while he mended an ankle injury. Tariq Carpenter made the move from safety to linebacker and Eric Wilson is one of the most valuable special teams players.
The edge rushers will welcome the return of Rashan Gary to be joined by Preston Smith, Kingsley Enegbare and veteran Justin Hollins. Number one pick Lukas Van Ness will beck them up along with Brenton Cox Jr., the third and final undrafted free agent who made the squad. Only the Packers appeared ready to give Cox a shot after having getting kicked off the team at both Florida and Georgia.
The back end will start with only four cornerbacks and five safeties. Jaire Alexander and Rasul Douglas will be backed up by nickel Keisean Nixon and 7th round surprise Carrington Valentine. Darnell Savage are Rudy Ford are expected to open the season as the safety tandem along with Dallin Leavitt, former Houston Texan Jonathan Owens and another seventh rounder Anthony Johnson Jr.
The specialists are brand new in rookie kicker Anders Carlson and punter Daniel Whelan, the Irish born Cal-Davis product who cut by New Orleans in camp last year before hooking up with the DC Defenders of the XFL this spring. As of this writing, the Packers are without a long snapper but they are expected to bring back Orzech if he clears waivers on Wednesday.
Gutekunst may also take a hard look at running backs, defensive backs and safeties that have hit the waiver wire across the league and consider bringing a couple of newcomers on board if he believes they offer more than what he has on his initial roster.
I mentioned this will be a young team. The 53 players in the locker room as of now have an average age of 25.49.
Looking forward to seeing what these kids can do starting next week.
