Early Stab At 53 Man Roster

[CaliforniaCheez]

I just would like to thank the Packers for making this one of the most boring off seasons. The Packers are a 13-3 team. Most teams would want to be where they are.

No need for free agents. Draft choices are going to have to struggle to become roster depth.

But during the offseason the focus is on improvement. As fans we get to nit pick.

There are a few issues on the team that are unsettled.

a) Long snapper somewhere on the squad or in free agency an adequate one must on the team

b) Blocking TE. Since few TE's block anymore one of the OT's will have to perform this role.

c) Third string Center. If Wells or Spitz can't go, who steps into the mix?

There is more to nit pick but it all breaks down to which players will earn a spot on the roster. The competition is genuine.

Little will happen in the next 98 days. After the preseaon games there will be something to talk about.

[Guiness]

I didn't realize Powdrell was still on the roster. He could definitely push Kuhn. The one advantage Moll has over Coston is that he can play Tackle and Guard. Of course the Packers may feel they already have enough guys who can play both positions (Barbre, Colledge, Sitton).

I hope this isn't the case. I would much rather see a pure guard than a combination player...although I'm not sure we have one of those on the roster, other than Spitz.

Same as I'm glad we tired of the experiment of converted CB's at safety, I hope we stop trying to convert tackles to play guard.

[texaspackerbacker]

The original version comes pretty close.

I'd say Robinson over Swain until proven otherwise--hiding Swain on the practice squad would be nice.

I'd prefer Montgomery over Muir--he has been decent the little we have seen of him being healthy--and Coston over Moll, although I'd almost bet that somebody gets injured and we keep them both.

DeBauche over Ryan is a strong possibility.

I also wouldn't be surprised if Humphrey is cut and only two TEs kept.

And I kinda like the idea of Bush over Peprah, with one or more of the Corners cross-trained at Safety.

I'd still like some position player to be trained by Rob Davis as Long Snapper, but I'm resigned to the fact that it probably won't happen.

[CaliforniaCheez]

When predicting the roster I always start with the traditional boiler plate model and work from it.

QB 3, RB 3, FB 2, WR 6, TE 3, OT 4, OG 3, C 2, for 26 on Offense

DT 5, DE 4, LB 6, CB 5, S 4, for 24 total on Defense

PK, P, LS

Now here is my first stab at it.

Offense (26)

QB (3)

Rodgers
Brohm
Flynn

RB (3)

Grant
Jackson
White

FB (2)

Hall
Kuhn

WR (6)

Driver
Jennings
Jones
Nelson
Martin
Bodiford (bubble)


TE (3)

Lee
Humphrey
Finley

OT (4)

Tauscher
Clifton
Moll
Giacomini


OG (3)

Colledge
Barbre
Sitton or Coston(Bubble spot)


Center (2)
Wells
Spitz*


Deffense (24)


DT (5)

Pickett
Harrell
Jolly
Cole
Jenkins*

DE (4)
Kampmann
KGB
Thompson
Montgomery


LB (6)

Barnett
Hawk
Poppinga
Chiller
Bishop
Hodge (bubble)

CB (5)

Harris
Woodson
Williams
Lee
Blackmon


S (4)

Collins
Rouse
Bigby
Peprah

PK, P, LS

You can see how I manipulated the template (*). There can be many variables but right now you can see my prejudices. Going one shorter at LB, WR, TE could allow one more on the O-line or elsewhere.

The template forces you to make the choices. I think they might go 10 on the O-line. There is always somone in the final cuts I don't like.

[wist43]

CB and LT still seems like a problem area. We're about to lose three important players. We're getting really good players at other positions, but we're going to need at least solid guys at CB and LT if we don't want to get killed.

Right now, I think there is a good chance we have a RT on the roster. I think there is a good chance we have one quality CB (between Lee, Blackmon and Williams) that will be ready by next season.

They do have one more off season to get something developed or have the draft fall the right way. Other than that, the roster looks pretty deep and strong.

At CB, that's a lot of faith to place in development... I see CB as a definite need. Blackmon hasn't stayed on the field, Williams has some ability but he had the farthest to come, and Lee is anybody's guess - he only started one year in college.

If either Woodson or Harris goes down, the defense as a whole could suffer greatly... hopefully Lee will turn out.

[HarveyWallbangers]

LB (6)

Barnett
Hawk
Poppinga
Chiller
Bishop
Hodge (bubble)

I think there's a really good chance that White makes the team again because of his special teams play. I think Bishop and Hodge are fighting for the last LB spot--unless both guys can show they can play STs and LB. That would make White expendable.

[Bossman641]

LB (6)

Barnett
Hawk
Poppinga
Chiller
Bishop
Hodge (bubble)

I think there's a really good chance that White makes the team again because of his special teams play. I think Bishop and Hodge are fighting for the last LB spot--unless both guys can show they can play STs and LB. That would make White expendable.

I agree. They seem to be extremely high on White. I'd say Barnett, Hawk, Chillar, Poppinga, Bishop, and White. Hodge is as good as gone IMO.

[KYPack]

LB (6)

Barnett
Hawk
Poppinga
Chiller
Bishop
Hodge (bubble)

I think there's a really good chance that White makes the team again because of his special teams play. I think Bishop and Hodge are fighting for the last LB spot--unless both guys can show they can play STs and LB. That would make White expendable.

I agree. They seem to be extremely high on White. I'd say Barnett, Hawk, Chillar, Poppinga, Bishop, and White. Hodge is as good as gone IMO.

You wouldn't think Hodge would have learned how to cover while re-habbing two bad knees. Too bad, he was a good kid, but it doesn't look like it worked out.

[Lurker64]

I'd say White is guaranteed to make the team because he's not only "good on special teams", he's our best player on kick coverage. Hodge and Bishop are competing for one roster spot, Hodge might not have learned to cover while rehabbing but I was never too taken by Bishop's ability to cover, we just never saw him exposed because Barnett played essentially the entire year last year.

There's no point in saying "he's gone" or "he's not", training camp is going to decide this one. Hard to say you cut a guy based on lack of production through two injured years provided he's healthy now.

[texaspackerbacker]

Probably true, and I'd bet on Bishop over Hodge in that case.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Chillar go, though. If his money isn't guaranteed, and he proves to be not good enough to beat out Popinga, I'm pretty sure he's the one with the highest salary between Popinga, White, Hodge, Bishop, and himself, and you know Thompson's cheapness.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Probably true, and I'd bet on Bishop over Hodge in that case.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Chillar go, though. If his money isn't guaranteed, and he proves to be not good enough to beat out Popinga, I'm pretty sure he's the one with the highest salary between Popinga, White, Hodge, Bishop, and himself, and you know Thompson's cheapness.

I don't think that will matter. He has the ability to backup at all three spots. Hodge and Bishop are probably MLBs only. Pretty sure Chillar will be on the team, at worst, as the primary backup at all three LB positions.

[sharpe1027]

Probably true, and I'd bet on Bishop over Hodge in that case.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Chillar go, though. If his money isn't guaranteed, and he proves to be not good enough to beat out Popinga, I'm pretty sure he's the one with the highest salary between Popinga, White, Hodge, Bishop, and himself, and you know Thompson's cheapness.

I don't think that money will be much of a factor and they'll just keep the best players. What benefit do they get for being even more below the cap? Thompson is "cheap" only in that he doesn't sign five free agents every year like the Redskins. He has paid well for some FAs and also for players already on the team by renewing their contracts when appropriate.

I guess we'll see, but it is good to have some competition.

[Joemailman]

Probably true, and I'd bet on Bishop over Hodge in that case.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Chillar go, though. If his money isn't guaranteed, and he proves to be not good enough to beat out Popinga, I'm pretty sure he's the one with the highest salary between Popinga, White, Hodge, Bishop, and himself, and you know Thompson's cheapness.

I don't think that will matter. He has the ability to backup at all three spots. Hodge and Bishop are probably MLBs only. Pretty sure Chillar will be on the team, at worst, as the primary backup at all three LB positions.

He will probably get better as the season wears on. We may not see Chillar at his best until the weather turns cold.

[motife]

1 Scott Wells C L
2 Korey Hall FB L
3 Josh Sitton G L
4 Daryn Colledge G L
5 Allen Barbre G L
6 Jason Spitz G/C L
7 Brian Brohm QB L
8 Aaron Rodgers QB L
9 Ryan Grant RB L
10 Brandon Jackson RB L
11 Breno Giacomini T L
12 Mark Tauscher T L
13 Chad Clifton T L
14 Jermichael Finley TE L
15 Donald Lee TE L
16 Jordy Nelson WR L
17 Donald Driver WR L
18 Greg Jennings WR L
19 James Jones WR L

20 John Kuhn FB x
21 Junius Coston G x
22 Matt Flynn QB x
23 Vernand Morency RB x
24 DeShawn Wynn RB x
25 Tony Moll T x
26 Tory Humphrey TE x
27 Ruvell Martin WR x

28 Patrick Lee CB L
29 Charles Woodson CB L
30 Al Harris CB L
31 Jeremy Thompson DE L
32 Aaron Kampman DE L
33 Cullen Jenkins DE L
34 Ryan Pickett DT L
35 Johnny Jolly DT L
36 Justin Harrell DT L
37 Nick Barnett LB L
38 Brandon Chillar LB L
39 Brady Poppinga LB L
40 A.J. Hawk LB L
41 Nick Collins S L
42 Atari Bigby S L
43 Aaron Rouse S L

44 Will Blackmon CB x
45 Jarrett Bush CB x
46 Tramon Williams CB x
47 Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila DE x
48 Michael Montgomery DE x
49 Colin Cole DT x
50 Tracy White LB x
51 Abdul Hodge LB x

52 Mason Crosby K L
53 Jon Ryan P L

[bobblehead]

I have a strange take on RB. I honestly think Grant runs an ugly holdout, gets traded for a second in next years draft and we go in with:

Jackson, Wynn, CWhite

Kuhn

We might keep Morency if he is healthy and looks strong in camp, but otherwise I think we go with 4. Another possibility is that Wynn tears a nail and misses a lot of training camp and they go with the above 4, but morency instead of wynn.

I also think the third TE could be a surprise rookie FA or even another teams final cut.

The most interesting battles imo are on the OLine where we have a lot of young talent, but limited spots. One of TT's draft picks might not make the team. I think the 3 guards locked in are College, spitz, and babre. 3 tackles will be clifton, tauscher, sitton. Wells is the center with spitz his backup. That leaves really one, MAYBE two spots for coston/moll/giocomini/thompson. Palmer lost his career, too bad, I liked him. If none of the above mentioned players wows 'em so to speak I think they go with 7 on the line as a few can play multiple positions. Its very possible some of the guys on the final roster wont' come outta our camp.