Tuesday was a busy day up at 1265 Lombardi Avenue. The Green Bay Packers, who had a roster of 90 players, had to trim it to 85 by Tuesday afternoon. This process was complicated by Jordan Love’s dinged up shoulder against the Texans. With Love’s availability for this weekend’s game against the Jets up in the air, the Packers decided to re-sign Jake Dolegala. Dolegala previously had been signed by the Packers as an extra arm for OTA’s and mandatory mini camp.
The #Packers are re-signing QB Jake Dolegala per @glose_matt of @GenSportsGroup. With Jordan Love (shoulder) out a bit, Dolegala will help with the reps.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 17, 2021
Josh Jackson Traded
It was also reported yesterday that the Packers acquired cornerback Isaac Yiadom from the New York Giants. In return, Green Bay shipped former second-round pick Josh Jackson to New York. Last Saturday, Jackson allowed seven receptions for 91 yards against the Texans. With that move, nearly half of the Packers’ 2018 Draft class is no longer with the team.
Remaining 2018 draft picks as of now:
Jaire Alexander
Oren Burks
JK Scott
MVS
EQ
Hunter BradleyGone:
Josh Jackson
J’Mon Moore
Cole Madison
James Looney
Kendall Donnerson— Andy Herman (@AndyHermanNFL) August 17, 2021
Monday’s Roster Cuts
On Monday, the Packers cut two players ahead of Tuesday’s deadline. Punter Ryan Winslow was released, signaling that JK Scott will once again be the Packers’ punter in 2021. Additionally, the Packers cut former Wisconsin Badgers’ offensive lineman Jon Dietzen. Dietzen was originally signed as an undrafted free agent.
Packers have started the roster trim to 85 (due tomorrow). They’ve waived OL Jon Dietzen, the undrafted rookie from Wisconsin, per a source.
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) August 16, 2021
Tuesday’s Other Roster Moves
The Packers placed two players on season-ending IR on Tuesday. Tight end Isaac Nauta and wide receiver DeAndre Thompkins will not see the field this season. Additionally, the Packers released offensive lineman Zach Johnson.
#Packers placed TE Isaac Nauta and WR DeAndre Thompkins on the IR and released OL Zack Johnson. Roster is down to 85.
— Nicole Menner (@NicoleMenner) August 17, 2021
Corresponding Move to Make Room for Dolegala
By releasing three players and moving two to IR, the Packers successfully trimmed their roster down to 85. However, in order to re-sign Jake Dolegala, the Packers needed to make another move. According to SI’s Bill Huber, that move is to release cornerback Stanford Samuels.
Looking Ahead
The Green Bay Packers’ final roster will be the 53-man roster required of all NFL teams. The Packers have a few more weeks of camp and two more preseason games to help them make their remaining roster decisions. Several questions remain surrounding who will make the team. For example, their is a huge question surrounding how many wide receivers will or should make the team.
There are also position battles happening on the offensive line. According to reports, Matt LaFleur was so displeased with the guard play against the Texans that he moved Royce Newman, the Packers’ fourth round pick, up to practice with the starters. Jon Runyan and Yosh Nijman were moved down on the depth chart.
Another interesting position battle is the third running back job. Kylin Hill had a 22-yard touchdown reception against Houston, but ran for -2 yards on five carries. Dexter Williams had four carries for 32 yards in the same game. Hill, however, has been turning heads in camp and is a favorite to be the team’s kick returner. Williams is a veteran, but has not made the most of the opportunities he has been given in the past. That being said, there is no clear favorite to win the third running back role at this time.
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