THE FINAL 53 – PREDICTING THE ROSTER

 The Turk comes calling. Every training camp the dreaded sound of “Coach wants to see you, and bring your playbook” is uttered at every NFL Training Camp and it means that the hopeful athlete is now without a job, oh and good luck hooking on elsewhere.

 For many coaches this is the most unpleasant part of the job, crushing the hopes of roughly 40 guys in camp that cannot make the 53 man roster.

 The toughest part is to be the young talented WR trying to crack a starting lineup that is all but etched in stone this year. The Packers have the luxury of knowing who will be the 1^st teamers on offense throughout camp. There’s no mystery, which is why the record of 1 – 2 is so irrelevant right now. 1 – 2? Big deal. It means that Green Bay’s 2^nd and 3^rd team units and a bunch of guys who will be out of a job come September couldn’t keep pace.

 But it also means that on a team as talented and as deep as the Packers there will be guys who are auditioning for other teams as well. We have the advantage of knowing that DE Anthony Hargrove has already been released in a bit of a surprise at this juncture. Let’s take a look at who makes this year’s big squad. (STARTERS, Backups, Practice Squad)

 THE FINAL 53

 

QB – When the reigning NFL MVP is in camp there is no chance anyone else even sees the field unless the unthinkable occurs. As Aaron Rodgers goes, so go the Packers. There ain’t no mystery here. Rodgers is everything to the Packers and without him there is bit little chance. Rodgers is and will continue to be Da Man until he decides to call it a career. We get the feeling when his time is up there will be precious little drama for him that he had to endure like he did coming into the league from his predecessor Brett Favre. Rodgers is already on track for Hall of Fame enshrinement both in Canton and in the Packers Hall of Fame. Beyond that the cupboard is painfully bare. Not much depth on this particular chart. B.J. Coleman will be released and signed to the practice squad almost immediately. Graham Harrell should join him because if Harrell has to take the field now the Pack is in deep, deep trouble. There is still a feeling that an end of camp/ preseason deal for either Colt McCoy (Cleveland) or Tavaris Jackson (Seattle) is eminent. McCoy could probably be had for a 5th or 6^th rounder but a draft and develop team like Green Bay needs the picks to draft and develop. Stay tuned.

 AARON RODGERS, Graham Harrell, B.J. Coleman(PS)

RUNNING BACKS – With the addition of Cedric Benson the Packers have more than they planned on in the backfield. FB John Kuhn is a lock and will not be displaced anytime soon. James Starks continues to struggle with nagging injuries and has yet to go through a season healthy. Alex Green shows promise; how well his reconstructed knee holds up to the day to day pounding is a question. Brandon Saine still has hammy problems, so in comes Benson as a free agent. At yet while the addition of Benson almost makes no sense on the Packers as he is a big, bruising runner who is used to getting 25 – 30 carries a game that is exactly what will make him and the Packers much more of a threat. Benson will have to learn to give up carries and personal goals for the betterment of the team. His pass catching is suspect and his blocking will be tested. As it stands Benson will be the feature back and Starks and Green will have him and their injuries to battle for playing time. Look for the Packers top keep 4 on the roster along with 1 FB in Kuhn. Rookie UDFA Marc Tyler has simply not shown enough to warrant a roster spot and has been given a yeoman’s workload in camp to prove himself. Saine may by PUPed or even PSed with Benson’s arrival.

 CEDRIC BENSON, James Starks, Alex Green, Brandon Saine, JOHN KUHN

 TIGHT ENDS – Jermichael Finley is calling for yet another breakout year. For that to happen he will have to end his maddening drops for years past. All the tools are there and Rodgers and Head Coach Mike McCarthy are waiting for Finley to deliver on his potential. Finley is a gifted receiver who can disappear at times, drop an easy toss yet make a play he has no business making. Once he does that on a game by game basis he can be anointed; until then the promise of what could be is becoming a disappearing puff of smoke. Perhaps the most improved players on the team are Tom Crabtree and D.J. Williams. Crabtree has come from nowhere to become a better pass catching threat and his blocking has been stellar. Williams also looks ripped after an off season wrestling cows back on the farm to come in leaner and stronger. Andrew Quarless will likely start the year on the PUP list but 5 TE’s does not make sense on this team. Ryan Taylor will be the odd man out along with the camp legs who have no chance to crack this group.

 JERMICHAEL FINLEY, Tom Crabtree, D.J. Williams, Andrew Quarless (PUP)

OFFENSIVE LINE – There is something very comforting in knowing who your offensive line is going to be heading into the season. Out is last years all Pro Scott Wells (FA – Rams) and in is future Hall of famers and former valet to Peyton Manning Jeff Saturday at C. Saturday brings his savvy and every game ability and will be more than adequate in the middle and buy time for Ted Thompson to draft and develop a center, look for that is this year’s draft. LG T. J. Lang has finally grown up and out of his party boy mindset and has been rewarded with a 4r year deal. Marshall Newhouse has made quantum leaps at LT and Derrick Sherrod will likely start the season on the PUP list, but he will see time later in the year. The right side is locked down by studs Josh Sitton and Bryan Bulaga and they improve every game. Behind them will be a handful of players – the versatile Evan Dietrich-Smith, Rey Dominguez and Sampson Genus. Rookie LT Andrew Datko has shown tremendous improvement from his early camp disastrous showing and will develop ion the PS.

 

MARSHALL NEWHOUSE, T.J. LANG, JEFF SATURDAY, JOSH SITTON, BRYAN BULAGA, Derrick Sherrod (PUP), Evan Dietrich-Smith, Chris Campbell, Rey Dominguez, Sampson Genus(PS), Andrew Datko (PS)

WIDE RECEIVERS – If any position is deep it is at WR. There are a ton of really good receivers in camp who will not make the lineup. With Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, James Jones and Donald Driver all back making this group is like scaling Mount Everest in a bathing suit using plastic utensils. Last year’s PS studs Tori Gurley and Diondre Borel are desperately attempting to get the Pack to notice them and the athletic Borel may have an inside track. UDFA Jarrett Boykin has looked good in preseason as has Dale Moss. There just simply is not enough room to keep all them. At 6’4” Gurley will likely be cut loose and will no doubt land in St. Louis, Miami, Cleveland or Seattle, somewhere where the WR competition is not as tough as it is in GB. Look for Borel to be the #6 WR this year though in a bit of a surprise while Boykin goes to the PS.

 GREG JENNINGS, JORDY NELSON, RANDALL COBB, James Jones, Donald Driver, Diondre Borel, Jarrett Boykin(PS)

DEFENSE

 DEFENSIVE LINE – To say the Pack, MM and TT were not pleased with the performance of the DL is a massive understatement. Very quietly they have seen how they undervalued Cullen Jenkins (FA – Philly) and overvalued Mike Neal who has never come close to the promise he carried. The offseason saw the importing of 3 new DL via free agency and 1 – Anthony Hargrove—has just been cut. Hargrove could not shake the 8 game ban imposed for his role in the Saints bounty-gate scandal and at 287 lbs. was a bit too small in the seat to do what Dom Capers expects in a 3 -4 D. Hargrove is a rusher, a playmaker and did not exactly shine when asked to occupy more space to free up the LB’s to make plays. To avoid the drama and suspension the Pack released Hargrove outright to give him a chance to hook on elsewhere. Former Dolphin Philip Merling has not generated much excitement and is danger of having the “1^st Round Bust” tag slapped on him. B.J. Raji came in in better shape and has had a great camp and the unexpectedly good play of FA DL Daniel Muir (Colts) will land him a spot on the line. Rookies Jerel Worthy (2^nd round) and Mike Daniels (4^th Round) are locks for the team along with vet Ryan Pickett, leaving maybe enough room for Lawrence Guy. The Mike Neal era may soon be over as his future is right now, and as the line and the pass rush goes, so goes the Packers D this year.

 

B.J. RAJI, RYAN PICKETT, DANIEL MUIR, Jerel Worthy, Mike Daniels, Lawrence Guy, Mike Neal ** (4 Game Suspension)

LINEBACKERS – The heart and soul of Capers’ 3 – 4. Clay Matthews, D.J. Smith and Nick Perry are locks. Much is expected from Perry and how quickly he adapts to the NFL will tell the tale of this year's pass rush potential. A.J. Hawk would feel a lot more heat had Desmond Bishop not gone down with a serious hamstring injury. As it stands this will be the core of the LB corps. Eric Walden will serve a 1 game suspension for a domestic alteration last year to start the season, but has showed a renewed focus on the field after last year’s disappointing play.  The unquestioned star of the preseason has been UDFA LB Dezman Moses who will make the team as well. Moses has been a Holy Terror and is a high motor type who will be hard pressed to keep on the bench. On the inside Rob Francois impressed during the preseason. With Bishop likely done for the year on IR Jamari Lattimore may squeak into the lineup as well. 4th rounder Terrell Manning gets numbered out but grabs a spot on the PS to develop. With Perry bookending Matthews the only thing left is to now get to the quarterback much more than last year’s dismal defense did. They will.

 

CLAY MATTHEWS, NICK PERRY, A.J. HAWK, D.J. SMITH, Eric Walden** (1 Game Suspension), Dezman Moses, Rob Francois, Jamari Lattimore, Vic So’oto, Terrell, Manning (PS), Desmond Bishop (IR)

CORNERBACKS – What was once considered a thin position has suddenly blossomed into one of bright promise. Tramon Williams shoulder has healed. He looked like the Tramon of old robbing Chargers QB Philip Rivers in the preseason pick, and camp surprises have been 2^nd year man Davon House (photo left) who jumped out of nowhere to impress all who watched and rookie CB Casey Hayward. House banged up his shoulder and Hayward’s play has been so steady he will see a lot of time this year. How well Houses’ shoulder responds will determine his status. Sam Shields has seemed to have corrected his downhill slide and is playing with more confidence while trying to improve his shaky tackling. Charles Woodson is back and will move into a variety of positions between corner, safety and even a hybrid LB type of spot depending. Woodson’s talent and versatiulity will allow Capers to move him around frequently.

CHARLES WOODSON, TRAMON WILLIAMS, Davon House, Casey Hayward, Sam Shields

SAFETY – Gone is Nick Collins after last year’s awful neck injury. Morgan Burnett locks down one side and will have to keep an eye on newbies Jerron MacMillian (photo right) and M.D. Jennings. The loss of Collins cannot be understated and if the Pack has a glaring weakness anywhere it is in the S spot until someone steps up to prove he can fill Collins very large shoes. All Collins was to be in the top 5 in the NFL at the S spot with Ed Reed, Troy Polamalu and Eric Berry. MacMillian is fast, loves to hit, and is outstanding against the run. How many times he will bite on a fake and get caught with his pants down out of position will be a key factor. Green Bay gave up far too many home runs and deep plays last year. In spite of 15 wins the defense was suspect. Vet Jarrett Bush will likely grab a spot by default as he is a special teams ace and can play a multitude of DB positions and promising rookie UDFA Sean Richardson will round out the PS to develop. This is another area of draft concern for the Packers in the next draft as well.

 MORGAN BURNETT, JERRON MacMILLIAN, Jarrett Bush, M.D Jennings, Sean Richardson (PS)

SPECIAL TEAMS – No need to tinker with what works. K Mason Crosby has rebounded from a subpar season and has been solid. Tim Masthay’s punts have been rockets off his right foot. Brett Goode is locked in as the LS on the special teams. There was no competition in camp for any position here as none was needed. It wasn’t long ago the Special Teams units were a weekly headache. Not anymore. This is a solid spot now in Titletown.

 MASON CROSBY K, TIM MASTHAY P, BRETT GOODE LS

NEXT: THE SEASON PREDICTIONS