Official Final Cuts/Roster Thread

[Joemailman]

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Miami Dolphins weren't the only team interested in acquiring Jonathan Taylor from the Indianapolis Colts.

The Green Bay Packers also were in talks with the Colts and had legitimate interest in trading for the star running back, sources told ESPN.

Indianapolis moved forward after its self-imposed deadline of Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET came and went without receiving what the team deemed an acceptable offer for Taylor, who requested a trade last month and was authorized by the Colts last week to seek out a trade partner.

But the Packers emerging as a contender remains relevant because Taylor can still be traded, even though he is on the reserve-physically unable to perform list and therefore must miss at least the first four games of the regular season.

A source told ESPN that there is still trade interest in Taylor and the All-Pro would still welcome a trade. The NFL's trade deadline is Oct. 31.

Didn't see that coming.

[Joemailman]

LB Keshawn Banks added to practice squad.

[run pMc]

LB Keshawn Banks added to practice squad.

So far the signings are:
WR Grant DuBose
TE Austin Allen
OL Kadeem Telfort
OL James Empey
OLB Keshawn Banks
CB Kiondre Thomas
CB Innis Gaines
SAF Benny Sapp III

Glad to see Dubose and Allen on the PS.

They've also picked up S Zayne Anderson and TE Ben Sims (who they brought in on a pre-draft 30 visit), so they are 2 over the 53 limit, and Orzech isn't signed yet. More moves happening.

[run pMc]

I was overwhelmed with sadness when I saw that Rolled Royce made the team.

I was surprised they kept Luke TheTuna, but it sounds as if he'll be put on IR.

A little surprised they kept five inside linebackers.

Bisaccia is going to earn his money this year, and I'll bet he went to bat hard for Leavitt, because he needs someone out on the field who can get the team lined up correctly.

I'm hoping Dubose will land on the PS.

Damn that's a young team. I hope the medical staff is loading up on acne cream.

Wasn't sure Newman was going to make it. It's crazy how a guy who was serviceable as a rookie for 1000+ snaps on a 13 win team could regress so much. Their IOL depth is iffy.

They like Tenuta; he got a handful of regular snaps last year and was ahead of Rasheed Walker and Caleb Jones. It's possible he got even better, although I think they really like Rasheed.

5 ILBs is heavy, but 3 of them are ST mainstays and Devondre is hurt.

Very young team. Lots of upside, lots of highs and lows this year. Some of these young players won't amount to anything, but the future could be very bright.

[Joemailman]

Rob Demovsky
@RobDemovsky

The Packers are releasing ILB Tariq Carpenter, according to a source. That's one of the moves to make room for a waiver claim.

Packers News
@PGPackersNews

The Green Bay Packers claimed defensive back Zayne Anderson from Buffalo Bills and tight end Ben Sims from Minnesota Vikings on Wednesday.

Anderson is a safety who has never played a snap on defense in 2 years with Chiefs. He was a core ST player.

Sims is a rookie UDFA who signed with Minnesota. He has a reputation as a good blocker.

[Joemailman]

Here are the players the Packers are signing to their Practice Squad so far:

T Kadeem Telfort
TE Austin Allen
LB Keyshawn Banks
S Benny Sapp III
WR Grant DuBose
CB Kiondre Thomas
CB/S Innis Gaines
C James Empey
WR Bo Melton

[run pMc]

Packers release DL J. Ford

McGough, Pearson, Ballentine, C.Slayton, A.Mosby signed to the PS.

[Fritz]

Packers release DL J. Ford

McGough, Pearson, Ballentine, C.Slayton, A.Mosby signed to the PS.

They just flat-out released Jonathan Ford? That's a surprise - they carried him all last year on the 53 and he didn't play a snap, then had what was supposedly a good pre-season this year.

That's a head-scratcher.

I'm guessing the new safety they picked up is a far better ST player than Tariq Carpenter, and in his brief time as an inside linebacker Carpenter must not have shown enough for them to go through any special teams growing pains.

The new tight end is not a surprise.

I'm curious what they'll do to lose another guy off the current 53, since they seem to have dropped Carpenter and Ford. I'm going to guess Tenuta goes on IR. That's a lot of linemen they have. Unless they get weird and try to trade Nijman.

That was a head-scratcher, that article about the Pack being interested in Taylor. Why pay a back big money when you've got such a young team? Weird.

[Joemailman]

They just flat-out released Jonathan Ford? That's a surprise - they carried him all last year on the 53 and he didn't play a snap, then had what was supposedly a good pre-season this year.

That's a head-scratcher.

I'm guessing the new safety they picked up is a far better ST player than Tariq Carpenter, and in his brief time as an inside linebacker Carpenter must not have shown enough for them to go through any special teams growing pains.

The new tight end is not a surprise.

I'm curious what they'll do to lose another guy off the current 53, since they seem to have dropped Carpenter and Ford. I'm going to guess Tenuta goes on IR. That's a lot of linemen they have. Unless they get weird and try to trade Nijman.

That was a head-scratcher, that article about the Pack being interested in Taylor. Why pay a back big money when you've got such a young team? Weird.

I thought Ford started out strong but tailed off a bit. He wasn't very good against Seattle.

Gute said in his PC they won't be at 11 OL very long. Like you said, Tenuta likely to IR.

I doubt they were close to a deal for Jonathan Taylor. Just not the way they do business.

The Tight End is someone they had in for a pre-draft visit. They tried to sign him as an UDFA.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Ford and Carpenter will likely be back on the PS--unless they get claimed.

[Fritz]

I'm going to guess Ford will be but Carpenter won't be.

Just a guess.

[Joemailman]

Carpenter was someone who didn't seem very happy about the position switch. They might have not liked his attitude.

[Fritz]

I think it was the getting switched from safety to (briefly) OLB, then inside, that threw him. He didn't seem comfortable - didn't sound like a quick study, sounds like a guy who needs time to soak it all in. I get that. It's got to be tough.

But as teams are always looking for those big bodies, my guess is that Ford would be more likely to be claimed than Carpenter. Maybe they kept Ford on the 53 initially so other teams would load up their practice squads and perhaps be more likely to pass on him. But again, I'm just guessing.

This time of year always offers moves from the team that you find puzzling. In the end, most of them don't matter a whole lot.

I will say that Malik Heath seems to be a real diamond, and maybe not even too much in the rough. There must be a Green Bay scout somewhere who has a giant boner right now over that find.

I am hoping Sims can become the blocking-type guy they need. In the meantime, he can work on the other parts of his game. But they need someone who can block and play some ST, I think.

[QBME]

I think it was the getting switched from safety to (briefly) OLB, then inside, that threw him. He didn't seem comfortable - didn't sound like a quick study, sounds like a guy who needs time to soak it all in. I get that. It's got to be tough.

But as teams are always looking for those big bodies, my guess is that Ford would be more likely to be claimed than Carpenter. Maybe they kept Ford on the 53 initially so other teams would load up their practice squads and perhaps be more likely to pass on him. But again, I'm just guessing.

This time of year always offers moves from the team that you find puzzling. In the end, most of them don't matter a whole lot.

I will say that Malik Heath seems to be a real diamond, and maybe not even too much in the rough. There must be a Green Bay scout somewhere who has a giant boner right now over that find.

I am hoping Sims can become the blocking-type guy they need. In the meantime, he can work on the other parts of his game. But they need someone who can block and play some ST, I think.

Was watching GMF on tv this morning and Malik Heath was referred to as "Matt Lafluer's downfield thug."

No shit.

WTF?

LaFluer looks like he's ready to cry every time I see him on camera.

And he has a downfield thug??

[Joemailman]

Was watching GMF on tv this morning and Malik Heath was referred to as "Matt Lafluer's downfield thug."

No shit.

WTF?

LaFluer looks like he's ready to cry every time I see him on camera.

And he has a downfield thug??

LaFleur has referred to Heath, and Lazard before him, as his goon. LaFleur is from Michigan. He knows his hockey terminology.

[Anti-Polar Bear]

When I first read about the Packers signing Ben Sims, I was like, cool. My head was like, Ernie Sims, Michael Sam, Dickey Simpkins.

Then I googled Ben Sims. Much to my dismay, the all-white TE corps has just gotten whiter. What ever happened to J-Mike, Brandon Williams, Brandon Bostick, Tyrone Williams, Ed Harris, Bubba Franks, Mercedes Lewis, Keith Jackson, and hell, even albino Jimmy Graham?

[run pMc]

Careful APB, even in jest, that racist crap about the TE corps could get you banned.

[Anti-Polar Bear]

Careful APB, even in jest, that racist crap about the TE corps could get you banned.

Seriously, I’ve been a die-hard Pack fan since 9-20-92, the day Bert Favor excreted out the rock 4 times but ended up throwing the dagger to Kendrick Taylor, and I don’t think the Packers have ever fielded an all-white TE corps til this season.

For every Mark Chmura, Jeff Thompson, and Ben Steel, there’s a Richard Rodgers, Lance Kendrick, and Dominique Dafney. J-Mike has gotta be the most Wu-Tang (skillful) TE in Packers history.

Btw, I would like to correct some names. Should be Tyrone “Davis”, “DJ” Williams and Ed “West”.

Btw II, Jimmy Graham, despite experiencing a recent mental breakdown, has made the Sodom/Gomorrah Sinners’ 53.