Here’s your complete list of Packers roster cuts and trades the team implemented to get them down to the mandated 53-man roster limit:
G Caleb Schlauderaff – Seemed overmatched in the running game, which does not come as a big surprise. Was supposed to be strong pass blocker but did not distinguish himself. Would have been a good practice squad candidate, but the Jets came calling with a trade and Schlauderaff is now a Jet.
CB Brandian Ross – Since flashing early in camp, Ross has been relatively quiet. With Davon House assured a spot, Ross had a slim chance at best.
CB Josh Gordy – This was probably a difficult cut for the Packers – Gordy flashed excellent speed and football instincts, but struggled a bit in man-to-man coverage. With development, could turn into a good backup corner in the NFL. Packers will surely sign him to the practice squad if he clears waivers.
S Brandon Underwood – The move to safety helped Underwood, but in the end, he did not distinguish himself enough from the likes of M.D. Jennings to warrant keeping the often-in-troubleUnderwood around. A fresh start for him on another team is probably best for him, anyway.
WR Tori Gurley – The only cut that really pains me. I have high hopes for Gurley down the road and will be praying like hell that he clears waivers and sits comfortably on the practice squad all year. Tori, if you’re phone rings and it’s not a Wisconsin area code – DON’T ANSWER IT!
WR Chastin West – Seemed like all of Packer Nation was enamored with West early on. I kept asking, why? He’s a decent receiver, steady and consistent, but limited upside. Sorry, but there are plenty of receivers like that looking for an NFL job. That doesn’t mean the Packers wouldn’t keep him on the practice squad – he would be good insurance if someone goes down.
WR Diondre Borel – An excellent athlete, but way too much of a project to keep at this time. If he keeps working at receiver, he could catch on with another team down the road.
WR Kerry Taylor – Had a very good camp, showed some very good punt return skills, but unfortunately for Taylor, he was on a team with 5 excellent receivers and two other UDFAs in camp better than him. I do think that Taylor will be an NFL player. A practice squad candidate if West and Gurley are claimed.
WR/KR Shakey Smithson – A great kid with a great story you can’t help but root for, but Smithson battled injuries and did little to distinguish himself in camp. I don’t think he has enough speed to make it in the NFL as a returner, but the Packers are expected to put him on IR and keep him around.
RB Dimitri Nance – The Packers really liked Nance, who is a solid back, doesn’t make mistakes, helps on special teams and has improved with his blocking. Unfortunately, with Ryan Grant back and new arrival Alex Green, there is just no room for Nance. Nance is not practice squad eligible and is sure to draw interest from other teams.
RB Brandon Saine – The undrafted rookie from Ohio State came in and did some very good things in camp. He showed good receiving skills out of the backfield in addition to his running skills. A very good practice squad candidate.
FB Quinn Johnson – Johnson’s one-dimensional skill set finally caught up to him. Was never able to become a key specuial teams contributor, and that was his undoing. he has value for a team with a more traditional running attack, and not surprisingly, he was traded today to the Tennessee Titans.
FB John Hoese – Didn’t see enough of him to say much, but with the Packers are keeping only 1 fullback, he’s a good bet for the practice squad.
DE Lawrence Guy – Battled injuries for most of camp but in the limited action he saw, looked like a “guy” worth keeping. He was my “sleeper” draft pick for the Packers, because he has just prototypical measurables for a 3-4 DE. Word is that he will be put on IR and kept onboard.
NT Jay Ross – Had a tough battle with the rejuvinated Howard Green and BJ Raji in front of him. I think te Packers will want to stash a NT/DT type on the practice squad. Whether it’s Ross or a cut from another team, we’ll have to wait and see.
S Anthony Bratton – One of several athletic young safeties the Packers had in camp. In the end, that was the problem. I gave him a chance to make the team before camp, but there is no doubt that fellow UDFA M.D. Jennings was better.
S Anthony Levine – Couldn’t seem to shake concussion symptoms, which opened the door for the other safeties in camp. Packers probably had enough health concerns about Levine to just release him.
QB Graham Harrell – Once again, the Packers roll the dice with only two quarterbacks on the roster. They will certainly pray that Harrell clears waivers and sticks around for the year.
C Nick McDonald – This was a guy they kept on the 53-man roster all of last year, though he never saw action. That tells you the high hopes the Packers had for him. Unfortunately, he fell off of a cliff this camp. With Dietrich-Smith a good backup at both guard and center, and McDonald not making good use of his size that the Packers love, McDonald is sent packing. Either Ted Thompson is admitting he made a mistake or he is willing to gamble that McDonald clears waivers and can be brought back onto the practice squad.
C Sampson Genus – A kid the Packers really like and a tough player, but in the end, his lack of size was too much to overcome.
OT Chris Campbell – Campbell’s ticket out of town was written when the Packers drafted Derek Sherrod. A big-bodied, but a bit soft, Campbell had that “potential” tag placed on him. If he could have found the motivation to out-work everyone else, perhaps he could have been another hidden gem discovered by Ted Thompson. Campbell just never has shown much of a spark or desire for the game, so he gets to go home now. He is still practice squad eligible, however.
OG Ray Dominguez – A pleasant surprise in a positive way this camp. A tackle in college, Dominguez took very well to the shift to guard with the Packers, even relishing the move. needs more development – an excellent practice squad candidate.
LB Rickey Elmore – The surprise of camp, from a negative standpoint. Seemed overmatched from day one and did not show significant improvement.
LB Cardia Jackson – Beat out by Robert Francios and diminutive Packers rookie D. J. Smith, Jackson hits the street today. he is practice squad eligible, but with the Packers keeping 10 linebackers, I’m not so sure they would use a spot on a linebacker.
LB Elijah Joseph – Unless you were looking carefully for him late in the preseason games, you probably wouldn’t even have know he was out there. Got very few snaps and did nothing to get himself noticed.
DL Eli Joseph – See his brother, above…
DL Chris Donaldson – A late UDFA signing by the Packers, Donaldson was little more than a camp body.
——————
Follow Jersey Al:
Follow @JerseyAlGBP
Add to Circleson
Jersey Al Bracco is the founder and editor of AllGreenBayPackers.com, and the co-founder of Packers Talk Radio Network. He can be heard as one of the Co-Hosts on Cheesehead Radio and is the Green Bay Packers Draft Analyst for Drafttek.com.
——————
Oh, couldn’t agree more on Gurley. I read that the guy had five punts blocked in practice, and you all say that punt that he NEARLY blocked in Indianapolis. Special teams ability like that don’t come around that often.
Oops, I meant you all “SAW” that nearly blocked punt.
I like Gurley too, but by cutting him, it must mean the Packers are not overly concerned about Driver’s health or diminishing skills.
That’s a good thing……
The Packers are probably figuring that they cut three really good receivers in Gurley, West and Taylor. Even if one or two get claimed, there should be one to stash on the PS in case of emergency.
If I were other teams, I would pick anything GB dropped because of their success and rep. as a draft and scout team.
true, they got a couple of trades done because of the quality of their castoffs.
I really hope smithson doesnt end up spending to much time on the bench, he reminds me of donald driver and maybe when he retires in a few years then shakey will take over