Saturday’s Roster Moves: What They Mean vs. Lions
DETROIT – Green Bay Packers rookie center Josh Myers has been activated off injured reserve and is expected to play on Sunday at the Detroit Lions. That was one of three transactions made by the Packers on Saturday.
Activated from Injured Reserve
C Josh Myers: Myers, the team’s second-round draft pick, won the starting job with ease during training camp. He started the first four games of the season, sat out Week 5 against Cincinnati with a finger injury and returned for Week 6 at Chicago. On the fourth snap of the game, he suffered a knee injury that required surgery.
Myers returned to practice this week. In an accelerated timeline, he will play on Sunday.
With Sunday’s potential returns to action for left tackle David Bakhtiari and Myers, coach Matt LaFleur might have to wrestle with some major decisions on his offensive line for the playoffs. The Packers have won three in a row with the combination of left tackle Yosh Nijman, left guard Jon Runyan, center Lucas Patrick, right guard Royce Newman and right tackle Dennis Kelly.
Is Bakhtiari’s knee strong enough to hold up against playoff competition? Or will the team be better off with Nijman, who has started five consecutive games – all wins? Bakhtiari, his comeback from a torn ACL sidetracked twice, is expected to start and play his first snaps against Tennessee on Dec. 27, 2020.
And what of Myers? Patrick hasn’t been great at center but neither was Myers. In his fifth season, Patrick has experience on his side and is in a groove with 12 consecutive starts.
The best offensive lines are the lines that build chemistry through game snaps. The starting offensive line for the divisional playoff game in two weeks might not have that chemistry.
“I think that’s something that we’ll work through,” coach Matt LaFleur said on Friday when asked if Myers would return to the starting lineup. “But I think Josh has done an outstanding job. He’s looked really good at practice. I would anticipate him playing in this game. We’re always trying to put the best combination of guys out there, especially when you’re talking the offensive line. I think Lucas has done more than we could ever imagine. I think he’s playing at a really high level, so that is definitely within the conversations of just trying to get the best five out there that give us the best chance to win.”
Elevated from Practice Squad
DT Abdullah Anderson: Anderson, who was added to the roster at the end of training camp, has unseated Jack Heflin as the final man in the defensive line rotation. So, he’ll get the nod again with Kingsley Keke out for a third consecutive week. Anderson played 18 snaps in Week 15 against Baltimore and 16 snaps last week against Minnesota.
OLB: La’Darius Hamilton: Perhaps with an eye on limiting the snap counts of the starting tandem of Preston Smith and Rashan Gary, Hamilton is up and will join Jonathan Garvin and Tipa Galeai in providing depth. He played a total of 60 defensive snaps in Weeks 5-7 and 12. He has three tackles and one quarterback hit.
Detroit's Roster Moves
The Lions are expected to have their starting offensive tackles available.
