Ridiculously Early 53 Man Roster

[vince]

I don't think he's got much upside but considering he was the #4 linebacker recruit in the country at one point I wouldn't call him an overachiever. Its more about if his game will translate or not. If it doesn't he'll fail fast which is a plus. The versatility is the big thing with him.

As an OLB he reminds me a little of Erik Walden. Not quite as long or as uber physical as Walden but not as stupid either. Same strengths though in that he can set an edge really well and he's abnormally stout for his size. As a pass rusher he's more like Mike Neal than anyone else we've got. Brute strong and high motor. Not the kind of skillset you'd bet on to become a star, Tamba Hali's are super rare, but if he could be the next Mike Neal that's a hell of a deal for a UDFA.

As an ILB I think he has the most upside specifically as a "buck" linebacker in a Capers 30 front. A FB of the defense type. His 7.09 3-cone suggests some upside in coverage. If he can develop there, he's a great find. It's rare to find a guy who can mix with lineman and also drop back into a hook zone with regularity.

That stuff is pie in the sky. I think he'll make the team because while starting 30+ games for Stanford he was also on kick and punt coverage. Physical 250 lb guys with hot motors and special teams experience are tough cuts.

Good stuff thanks.

[smuggler]

I would definitely think Barclay is the backup on the right side. If Bakhtiari goes down, then swing Bulaga from the right and install Barclay. Tretter seemingly is the backup on the inside. Worst case scenario, if both tackles are out, Tretter on the left and Barclay on the right. And pray for a good day running from Lacy, because Rodgers is not going to have much time...

[HarveyWallbangers]

My roster is offensive heavy, so I suspect injuries or a surprise cut (perhaps Quarless or even Kuhn if Ripkowski, Perillo, and Backman show potential) will even things out when it comes down to final cuts.

QB AARON RODGERS
QB Scott Tolzien
QB Brett Hundley

RB EDDIE LACY
RB James Starks
RB Rajion Neal (I hope it's Crockett, but I liked what Neal showed last year in the little we saw him)

FB JOHN KUHN
FB Aaron Ripkowski

WR JORDY NELSON
WR RANDALL COBB
WR Davante Adams
WR Ty Montgomery
WR Jared Abbrederis
WR Jeff Janis

TE RICHARD RODGERS
TE Andrew Quarless
TE Justin Perillo
TE Kennard Backman

OT BRYAN BULAGA
OT DAVID BAKHTIARI
OT Don Barclay

OG JOSH SITTON
OG T.J. LANG
OG Matt Rotheram

OC COREY LINSLEY
OC J.C. Tretter

DE MIKE DANIELS
DE JOSH BOYD
DE Datone Jones

NT B.J. RAJI
NT Letroy Guion
NT Mike Pennel

OLB JULIUS PEPPERS
OLB CLAY MATTHEWS
OLB Nick Perry (alternates with Neal when Matthews is inside)
OLB Mike Neal (alternates with Perry when Matthews is inside)
OLB Jayrone Elliott (I think he's the exception to the UDFA OLB making the team and then falling flat the next year)

ILB SAM BARRINGTON
ILB JAKE RYAN (plays when Matthews is outside)
ILB Carl Bradford
ILB Joe Thomas

CB SAM SHIELDS
CB CASEY HAYWARD
CB Damarious Randall
CB Quentin Rollins
CB Demetri Goodson

SS MORGAN BURNETT
SS Sean Richardson
FS HA HA CLINTON-DIX
FS Micah Hyde (slot CB)

K Mason Crosby
P Tim Masthay
LS Brett Goode
KR Ty Montgomery
PR Micah Hyde

[Brandon494]

Funny how some think we will keep 6 WRS because they want Abby to make the roster...not happening.

[Pugger]

Abbrederis was a better route runner..and football player. Hope he makes it but he'll be the popular guy to leave off the list....white wr coming off an injury vs. the raw guy who is faster but can't run routes nearly as well

I'm eager to see if Abby has filled out some and his injury is healed. I don't think that injury is as career threatening as it once was. I hope we can keep Nelson, Cobb, Adams, Monty, Abby and Janis.

[Pugger]

Funny how some think we will keep 6 WRS because they want Abby to make the roster...not happening.

Because...?

[Smidgeon]

Funny how some think we will keep 6 WRS because they want Abby to make the roster...not happening.

I had six...but none were Abby. Do I get partial credit?

[HarveyWallbangers]

As a Buckeyes fan, I couldn't care less about Abby's hometown connection. Keeping 6 WRS is hardly shocking. McCarthy has done it before. Janis and Abbrederis both are on the bubble. Abby needs to get healthy. Janis needs to improve. But TT had proven on yearly basis that he'll go with bigger numbers at a position of strength. Abby was a midround pick that seemed to be doing well in camp, so I'm projecting that he'll return healthy. I'm also projecting that Thomas's camp performance last year wasn't a fluke and that Goodson will improve this off-season.

[red]

I'm eager to see if Abby has filled out some and his injury is healed. I don't think that injury is as career threatening as it once was. I hope we can keep Nelson, Cobb, Adams, Monty, Abby and Janis.

It really is amazing how even in the 90's a torn ACL was career threatening, and career ending in so many cases. but now its almost no big deal "he'll miss the rest of this year but he'll be back to normal by the start of next season". i mean, we see 1 or 2 ACL tears a week around the nfl. were a couple of guys careers ending a week a couple of decades ago, or were there just less acl injuries?

it seems to me like it use to be a freak injury, now it seems almost run of the mill

[red]

i don't even know how to properly pronounce abby's last name, but he's got some talent, and i don't see us cutting him if he doesn't suck the place up

[Brandon494]

Because...?

-Because we just used a 3rd round pick on a return specialist which was Abby best shot at making the roster

-Because Abby is injury prone, has concussion history, and coming off an ACL tear

-Because need to keep 6 DBs over keeping 6 WRs

-Because Janis can play both sides on special teams and Abby can only return kicks, they aren't going to keep a 6th WR just for depth if he can't contribute on special teams.

[Brandon494]

As a Buckeyes fan, I couldn't care less about Abby's hometown connection. Keeping 6 WRS is hardly shocking. McCarthy has done it before. Janis and Abbrederis both are on the bubble. Abby needs to get healthy. Janis needs to improve. But TT had proven on yearly basis that he'll go with bigger numbers at a position of strength. Abby was a midround pick that seemed to be doing well in camp, so I'm projecting that he'll return healthy. I'm also projecting that Thomas's camp performance last year wasn't a fluke and that Goodson will improve this off-season.

Hes done it once to keep a veteran Donald Driver on the team, not an injury prone player coming of an ACL year who has never played a down in the NFL. Abby was also a late round pick who was doing well in camp...for 4 days. Janis make a big play almost every day from what I remember and Janis is one of my best athletes on the team. IMO its an easy decision to keep Janis over Abby but we'll see.

[Patler]

-Because we just used a 3rd round pick on a return specialist which was Abby best shot at making the roster

-Because Abby is injury prone, has concussion history, and coming off an ACL tear

-Because need to keep 6 DBs over keeping 6 WRs

-Because Janis can play both sides on special teams and Abby can only return kicks, they aren't going to keep a 6th WR just for depth if he can't contribute on special teams.

I doubt that Abbrederis makes it out of training camp in one piece, but even if he does, Brandon has identified why he is facing a real uphill battle to make the team....limited ST potential.

Some have said Montgomery is one of the better return guys to come out in a number of years. Janis showed real potential as a return man, albeit in preseason. Each has the size to play on coverage units. Abbrederis might be (not "is") behind each as a return man and I doubt has any potential on coverage units. He will have to be head and shoulders above the others as a WR to make the team.

Janis is a guy I am anxious to see.

[vince]

My roster is offensive heavy, so I suspect injuries or a surprise cut (perhaps Quarless or even Kuhn if Ripkowski, Perillo, and Backman show potential) will even things out when it comes down to final cuts.

QB AARON RODGERS
QB Scott Tolzien
QB Brett Hundley

RB EDDIE LACY
RB James Starks
RB Rajion Neal (I hope it's Crockett, but I liked what Neal showed last year in the little we saw him)

FB JOHN KUHN
FB Aaron Ripkowski

WR JORDY NELSON
WR RANDALL COBB
WR Davante Adams
WR Ty Montgomery
WR Jared Abbrederis
WR Jeff Janis

TE RICHARD RODGERS
TE Andrew Quarless
TE Justin Perillo
TE Kennard Backman

OT BRYAN BULAGA
OT DAVID BAKHTIARI
OT Don Barclay

OG JOSH SITTON
OG T.J. LANG
OG Matt Rotheram

OC COREY LINSLEY
OC J.C. Tretter

DE MIKE DANIELS
DE JOSH BOYD
DE Datone Jones

NT B.J. RAJI
NT Letroy Guion
NT Mike Pennel

OLB JULIUS PEPPERS
OLB CLAY MATTHEWS
OLB Nick Perry (alternates with Neal when Matthews is inside)
OLB Mike Neal (alternates with Perry when Matthews is inside)
OLB Jayrone Elliott (I think he's the exception to the UDFA OLB making the team and then falling flat the next year)

ILB SAM BARRINGTON
ILB JAKE RYAN (plays when Matthews is outside)
ILB Carl Bradford
ILB Joe Thomas

CB SAM SHIELDS
CB CASEY HAYWARD
CB Damarious Randall
CB Quentin Rollins
CB Demetri Goodson

SS MORGAN BURNETT
SS Sean Richardson
FS HA HA CLINTON-DIX
FS Micah Hyde (slot CB)

K Mason Crosby
P Tim Masthay
LS Brett Goode
KR Ty Montgomery
PR Micah Hyde

So you've replaced Taylor with Rotheram...

I too think Abbrederis has his work cut out for him... injury prone, undersized pedestrian speed, good route runner, good hands, possession receiver - low ceiling with limited special teams value...seems like a combination destined for short career, not a guy you'd hang onto as a sixth receiver. I am looking forward to seeing more of him, Janis and a few of the new guys too. I think at least one of those guys is gonna flash.

This is the first year I can recall being real interested to see who makes the practice squad. You're looking at high-ceiling guys like Dantzler, Coxson, Pinkard, Hunt, Hubbard, Vaughters, Crockett, Ringo, Gunter, Manning, Rotheram, Reed, and I'm sure I'm missing a couple.

[Patler]

I am debating with myself about several roster issues, one of the primary being this:

If Ripkowski is good enough to keep, is there any reason at all to keep Kuhn? I don't think so. This isn't like a few years ago when Hall and Kuhn were both kept, because both were young, valuable ST guys. From what I understand, Kuhn has been used less and less on ST, because he has become less effective. It's been mentioned that he doesn't move guys as a blocker much anymore, either. His value on third downs was diminished last year as Lacy played more 3rd downs. Ripkowski surprised people at his pro day workout when he ran through passing drills and showed good hands.

If Ripkowski is ready to play, I think Kuhn is done in GB..

[Brandon494]

I think they will keep both, Ripkowski has experience blocking from in-line tight end so I could see them keeping him over a 4th TE. People forget Kuhn has been one of the best blocking FBs in the league the past two seasons, I see him staying for one more season. IMO they wouldn't have signed him if they didn't plan on him playing this season.

[Patler]

I think they will keep both, Ripkowski has experience blocking from in-line tight end so I could see them keeping him over a 4th TE. People forget Kuhn has been one of the best blocking FBs in the league the past two seasons, I see him staying for one more season. IMO they wouldn't have signed him if they didn't plan on him playing this season.

They signed Kuhn before the draft, so I don't attach much significance to it after getting Ripkowski

[Brandon494]

They signed Kuhn before the draft, so I don't attach much significance to it after getting Ripkowski

TT doesn't work like that though, he would have just not signed Kuhn and drafted a FB if he thought he was done. I like Ripkowski but hes still a late 6th round draft pick, we are SB contenders and I would much rather have Kuhn out there blocking in critical moments. Kuhn will remain the starter and I see Rip having a role similar to Ryan Taylor and Ryan Crabtree while they were here his first season then eventually taking over for Kuhn in 2016.

[Patler]

TT doesn't work like that though, he would have just not signed Kuhn and drafted a FB if he thought he was done. I like Ripkowski but hes still a late 6th round draft pick, we are SB contenders and I would much rather have Kuhn out there blocking in critical moments. Kuhn will remain the starter and I see Rip having a role similar to Ryan Taylor and Ryan Crabtree while they were here his first season then eventually taking over for Kuhn in 2016.

It's not that I think Kuhn couldn't play (as in, "done for good"), its that if Ripkowski is good enough to make the final roster (and not be targeted instead for PS), I don't see a reason to keep Kuhn. I think Kuhn was signed as a safety blanket, in case they were not able to finds a young one this year. But they did find one, and if he proves to be ready to play, Kuhn isn't needed.

In what areas could Kuhn be expected to contribute this year?

• Special Teams - any of a number of younger guys will be better, as Kuhn has fallen off
  Lead blocker - Ripkowski's strength. Scouts said he will "wow" you at least once or twice every game. If he is ready to take these snaps, I think Kuhn is gone.
  Short yardage - GB has better options with Lacy, maybe Ripkowski, maybe the (big) 3rd back they keep.
  Third down - Lacy is growing into this role as both a receiver and a blocker.
  Pass situation extra blocker - Quarless or another TE, Lacy, maybe Ripkowski are options; but this might be the one situation where Kuhn still provides increased value.
  
  If Ripkowski is ready to take the brunt of the load as a blocker in the running game, I think there will be reasons to keep other younger guys, not Kuhn.

[vince]

Kuhn could be a decision at cut-down time, but I'd expect him to be kept for his reliability in blitz pick-up to keep the franchise from getting crushed if/when needed to do so. Rip and/or Lacy (who's probably a full-fledged three-down back now) may also prove reliable in that fashion but Rip will need time to learn and Lacy could get hurt at any time so Kuhn's more of a security blanket than anything.