10 Quick Things: Final 53

The Packers reduced their roster to the league-mandated 53 players on Tuesday. The following are 10 things worth knowing:




5 QUICK THINGS

1) Keeping Rasheed Walker on the 53 over Caleb Jones would’ve been shocking a week ago, but the former Penn State star played really well in the preseason finale. Still, this is a decision that could backfire if Jones gets claimed off of waivers. There aren’t many humans his size (6-9, 350) on the planet, let alone ones who possess the skill set to play football at the highest level. That said, it’s understandable why Brian Gutekunst preferred Walker. He’s a talented athlete who probably has a slightly better chance of being a future starter than Jones. Plus, all GMs favor their draft picks.

2) The release of Shawn Davis due to an injury suffered in the final preseason game could persuade Gutekunst to add a safety later this week. As of now, the backups are career special teamer Dallin Leavitt, ex-USFLer Micah Abernathy, and seventh-round pick Tariq Carpenter. Fortunately, there will be plenty of experienced options available. Among the vets released in the past few days are Tony Jefferson Jr. (Ravens), Anthony Harris (Eagles), and Tashaun Gipson (49ers). Any of these players would likely be an upgrade from Davis, who did some positive things during training camp but was inconsistent.

3) I was disappointed when Jack Heflin got cut but understood. After all, a defense that figures to play a lot of nickel doesn’t need to keep six linemen. I stopped understanding a few hours later when it was announced that rookie nose tackle Jonathan Ford, who did little to impress all summer, made the final roster. Gutekunst and coach Matt LaFleur always talk about keeping the best 53 players, but this move clearly goes against that philosophy. At the end of the day, releasing Heflin won’t make a difference as far as the Packers’ won-loss record is concerned, but it’s still difficult to accept.

4) Reports surfaced that the Packers were among the teams interested in wide receiver Laviska Shenault, who was traded from Jacksonville to Carolina on Monday. Considering the compensation was only a 7th-round pick in 2023 and a sixth-round pick in 2024, it’s fair to wonder what Gutekunst was offering for a 23-year-old player with 121 receptions and five TDs in his first two seasons (maybe a pair of 7s in 2038, along with coupons to Cranky Pat’s Pizza). Seriously, while Shanault is nothing special, he could’ve helped the offense at a minimal cost. Apparently, minimal was still too much.

5) If Gutekunst is willing to replace one rookie long snapper with another, Cal Adomitis should be a Packer by this time tomorrow. The 24-year-old was nearly flawless in his college career. He also does a good job in punt coverage – a part of the game that Jack Coco struggled with during the preseason. Adomitis lost out to 16-year veteran Clark Harris in Cincinnati, but he gave one of the league’s longest-tenured players a real run for his money. How do I know so much about an obscure long snapper? I have relatives at Pittsburgh, so I’ve been watching the Panthers almost weekly since 2019.




5 QUICKER THINGS

1) Even if Gutekunst adds a veteran in the next few days, expect Rasul Douglas to be the top backup at safety in Week 1 at Minnesota. The veteran corner has been taking reps at the position in practice, and his skill set is probably better suited for safety than the slot. Of course, moving Douglas would mean having to replace him with Keisean Nixon or Shemar Jean-Charles, and while both had solid preseasons, neither has proven they can hold up against starting wide receivers.

2) Some of you probably rolled your eyes when I compared rookie Samori Toure to former 1,000-yard receiver Robbie Anderson prior to the start of training camp, but it’s obvious the coaching staff and front office see something in the seventh-round pick from Nebraska. His competition for the No. 6 spot was Winfree, a reliable veteran who’s better on special teams and was praised by Aaron Rodgers more than once this summer. Still, Toure’s much higher upside won out.

3) It’ll be interesting to see whether Gutekunst changes course as far as the No. 3 quarterback is concerned now that Tim Boyle is available. Danny Etling seemed to be a lock to be added to the practice squad, but that was before Detroit released the former Packer on Monday. While Boyle was never nearly as good as fans and the local media made him out to be, he’s younger than Etling and throws the ball better. Still, the guess here is that Gutekunst sticks to the original plan.

4) Activating veteran kicker Mason Crosby from the physically unable to perform list is good news for special teams. Even better news would be signing Justin Bethel, who was released by the Patriots on Tuesday. The three-time Pro Bowler has been able to stay in the league for nine seasons despite playing a total of only 233 snaps on defense since 2015. While the 32-year-old has slowed down recently, he’d bring much-needed experience to Rich Bisaccia’s young units.

5) Players released today who could be signed to the practice squad include: Etling, Heflin, Jones, Winfree, running backs Tyler Goodson and Patrick Taylor, tight end Sal Cannella, offensive lineman Michael Menet, defensive lineman Chris Slayton, linebackers La’Darius Hamilton, Kobe Jones, and Ray Wilborn, defensive backs Kiondre Thomas and Rico Gafford, and kicker Ramiz Ahmed. One or two could be claimed off waivers, but remember, that hasn’t happened since 2017.

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