Saturday’s preseason finale for the Green Bay Packers provides one last opportunity for players on the roster bubble to impress coaches and the front office before the team has to make final cuts next Tuesday.
Matt LaFleur is expected to rest veterans player of consequence against the Bills, providing more reps and opportunities for all the young players competing for a spot on a deep roster.
Here are the roster bubble player needing to impress against the Bills:
WR Malik Taylor
(AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)
Taylor is the obvious favorite to be the No. 6 receiver, but three others – Juwann Winfree, Equanimeous St. Brown and Reggie Begelton – are still in the running. One more strong preseason performance and Taylor will make the team for the second straight season. He leads the team with nine catches for 116 yards this preseason. At this point, it’s unclear if Winfree or St. Brown will return from injuries to play. This job is Taylor’s to lose.
OL Ben Braden
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Matt LaFleur didn’t include Braden among the three favorites to start at guard, potentially putting him in a precarious roster position entering the finale. Braden can play right tackle, however, and veteran Dennis Kelly – who is still out with an injury – probably isn’t a roster lock. Braden could use another solid outing at right tackle against the Bills. Positional versatility will be the key to winning a roster spot on the 53, but winning the job as the backup right tackle is a sure way to stick around.
LT Yosh Nijman
(AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)
Nijman has produced two quality preseason performances as the primary left tackle. With David Bakhtiari still on the PUP list, the Packers might be tempted to keep Nijman as the primary backup behind Elgton Jenkins to start the season. The team has invested three years into developing him, and it’s finally starting to pay off. He’s always been athletically gifted, but the rest of his game is starting to fall into place. If Nijman is good again while facing a few starters for the Bills on Saturday, it’ll be difficult for the Packers to keep him off the roster, especially considering he made the team last year.
OL Lucas Patrick/Royce Newman/Jon Runyan
(AP Photo/Mike Roemer)
All three are good bets to make the team. What’s more important than fringe roster spots? Starting jobs. The Packers are still in the process of figuring out which players will start at left and right guard in the season opener. Both are important jobs because there will be a rookie (Josh Myers) at center in Week 1. Patrick, Newman and Runyan are the three competitors entering the preseason finale, the final stage of the competition. Patrick has the experience advantage, but Newman has been terrific throughout the preseason, and Runyan is an ascending second-year player. The Packers are looking for the most consistent options. There’s a good chance Newman will win the right guard job with a strong performance against the Bills.
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The sixth-round pick has only played in the second half of the two preseason games, but Van Lanen looked solid at both right tackle and left guard. The Packers have tough decisions to make along the offensive line, but risking Van Lanen on waivers might be unwise. He showed promise as a run-blocker and pass protector at two different positions this preseason, and teams are always looking for help along the offensive line. Van Lanen could force a tough decision on a veteran like Lucas Patrick or Dennis Kelly if he’s good in the finale.
DL Jack Heflin
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Heflin’s strong play this summer could shake up things along the defensive line. Would the Packers keep six on the 53-man roster? And would the Packers keep both Tyler Lancaster and Heflin, two similar players? If Heflin is active and disruptive again in Buffalo, the Packers might have a tough decision to make. With Lancaster nursing an injury, Heflin has a real opportunity to win a roster spot and possibly even a rotational role as a run defender. Expect him to play a lot of snaps upfront on defense against the Bills.
ILBs Isaiah McDuffie/Ray Wilborn
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The Packers’ top four at inside linebacker looks set, with Krys Barnes and De’Vondre Campbell as starters and Oren Burks and Ty Summers as backups. Will the Packers keep a fifth after releasing Kamal Martin? McDuffie, a rookie, and Wilborn, a promising first-year player, look like the top options if a fifth is desired. They are similar players. Both are easy movers in space with obvious special teams potential. And both made impressive tackles in the open field against the Jets.
OLB Jonathan Garvin
(AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)
The Packers need a fourth outside linebacker, and there’s a good chance Garvin – a 2020 seventh-round pick – is the favorite entering the preseason finale. He certainly looks the part, but production has been missing despite playing 61 snaps over the first two exhibition games. Tipa Galeai, Delontae Scott and Chauncey Rivers are also gunning for the job. Keep in mind, with Za’Darius Smith still working through a back injury, the No. 4 outside linebacker could provide an important role early in the season. Garvin has a chance to win a roster spot and playing time as a backup entering his second season.
CBs Kabion Ento/Isaac Yiadom
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The roster battle at cornerback looks pretty simple entering the finale: one spot, two players. Ento and Yiadom are the top options if the Packers want to keep six cornerbacks. Ento has flashed playmaking talent all summer and could be an asset on special teams, while Yiadom is more physical and experienced. Also, Ento might have more potential long-term, but Yiadom is probably more ready to play in a pinch. Saturday against the Bills should help the Packers decide which path to pick.
S Innis Gaines/Christian Uphoff
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There’s a good chance Henry Black and Vernon Scott are going to make the 53-man roster as the primary backups at safety, but keeping five players at the position is certainly and play, especially if Gaines or Uphoff can flash against the Bills. Gaines was terrific against the Texans in the opener but really struggled against the Jets, while Uphoff flashed special teams potential as a gunner and likely earned extra reps at safety in the preseason finale. The Packers like keeping an extra safety on the roster because it’s such a versatile and useful position, so don’t be surprised if one of the two listed here does enough to make the team as the No. 5 safety.
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