Live Updates as Packers Cut Roster to 53 Players
GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers trimmed their 80-man roster to 53 players on Tuesday.
In the first big move of the day, the Packers released guard/tackle Ben Braden, who spent the first half of training camp competing for a starting spot at guard and then the second half showing his versatility at tackle.
In the second big move of the day the Packers released No. 3 quarterback Kurt Benkert, as first reported by Paul Bretl. The team hopes to sign him to the practice squad, though that is now out of its hands.
And in the most important move of the day, the Packers are placing All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari on the physically unable to perform list, meaning he'll miss at least the first six games.
Packers Roster Tracker
Note: 27 moves necessary to get from 80 to 53 players. Transactions reported by Bill Huber and other media outlets.
QB: Kurt Benkert
RB: Dexter Williams, Patrick Taylor
OL: David Bakhtiari (PUP), Ben Braden, Jacob Capra, Cole Van Lanen, Coy Cronk
WR: Equanimeous St. Brown, Reggie Begelton, Juwann Winfrey, Damon Hazelton
TE: Bronson Kaufusi, Jace Sternberger (suspended)
DT: Willington Previlon, Carlo Kemp, Abdullah Anderson
OLB: Tipa Galeai, Delontae Scott
ILB: De'Jon Harris, Ray Wilborn
CB: Kabion Ento, Stephen Denmark, Rojesterman Farris
S: Christian Uphoff, Innis Gaines
K: JJ Molson
P: JK Scott
Finally, at right about the 3 p.m. deadline, the Packers traded for a punter and released three-year incumbent JK Scott. With the trade not official, the Packers cut their roster to 52 players.
Along with Braden, the Packers released rookie sixth-round pick Cole Van Lanen of nearby Suamico and undrafted rookies Coy Cronk and Jacob Capra. Those moves led to the surprise of the day. Center Jake Hanson, a sixth-round pick in 2020 who failed to make the roster as a rookie, made it as the ninth lineman. A four-year starting center at Oregon, Hanson played only center in the preseason but took a lot of guard reps during camp.
At receiver, the Packers kept six with the addition of Malik Taylor. They released Equanimeous St. Brown, Reggie Begelton and Juwann Winfrey, the top challengers for that spot, as well as Damon Hazelton. Winfree, Begelton, Hazelton and Chris Blair, who was released last week due to a nagging high-ankle sprain, are practice-squad candidates. A shoulder injury derailed Winfree's bid to make the team after a strong offseason and start to camp. St. Brown, a sixth-round pick in 2018, might want and get a fresh start.
At tight end, Green Bay released Bronson Kaufusi, a source said in confirming a report by NFL Network. A pass rusher at BYU, the 30-year-old showed enough promise as a blocker to potentially land on the practice squad.
Not surprisingly with the rise of seventh-round draft pick Kylin Hill, a source said the Packers released running back Dexter Williams. A sixth-round pick in 2019, he had a disappointing first two seasons but turned in a strong preseason. Also out: Patrick Taylor.
In the logjam at outside linebacker, 2020 undrafted free agents Tipa Galeai and Delontae Scott were released, as reported by Ryan Wood of PackersNews.com. Galeai did not record a tackle in 29 snaps at Buffalo on Saturday. He is a strong practice-squad possibility. Scott went from college edge rusher at SMU to defensive lineman in Green Bay in 2020 to outside linebacker in 2021. Those moves leave 2020 seventh-round pick Jonathan Garvin and Chauncey Rivers as the fourth and fifth at outside linebacker.
At inside linebacker, Ray Wilborn and De'Jon Harris were released. An athletic former safety at Ball State, Wilborn started training camp on the COVID-19 list and never caught up. He played well against Buffalo on Saturday, though. Sixth-round rookie Isaiah McDuffie played his way on the roster in that game, rendering the performances of Wilborn and Harris moot. McDuffie was fantastic against the Bills and, in any case, anything close to a tie goes to the draft pick.
With five inside and five outside, the Packers have 10 outside linebackers on the initial roster.
The first move of the day, as reported by The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman, was the release of cornerback Stephen Denmark. The 6-foot-2 1/2 cornerback, who was drafted in the seventh round by the Chicago Bears in 2019, was signed by the Packers on Wednesday. While he played well in 33 snaps at Buffalo on Saturday, the practice squad might not be in the cards, a source said.
Another one of the new cornerbacks, Rojesterman Farris, was released, as well, according to a source. Another cornerback, Kabion Ento, is out, as well. Those moves put Isaac Yiadom in a good spot to make the 53.
At safety, ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky reported the Packers released impressive undrafted free agent Christian Uphoff. Also released was another impressive young safety, Innis Gaines, according to a source. He played well all summer, though his missed tackle on Buffalo quarterback Jake Fromm's touchdown was a big blunder. Both players could wind up on the practice squad for continued grooming. Those moves would indicate Darnell Savage, Adrian Amos, Henry Black and Vernon Scott will be the safeties. Scott missed the end of camp with an injured hamstring.
On the defensive line, Willington Previlon and Carlo Kemp were released, as was Abdullah Anderson. An undrafted free agent last year, Previlon had a strong couple of joint practices vs. the Jets and could be back for a second consecutive year on the practice squad. Kemp was an undrafted rookie this year. Anderson was signed for depth for the finale at Buffalo and might parlay that into a spot on the practice squad, a source said.
The Packers could go six-deep on the defensive line with Jack Heflin and Tyler Lancaster safe at the deadline. Lancaster missed practice and the final preseason game due to an elbow injury. Heflin really cranked it up down the stretch to put himself in position to make the team.
On special teams, with about 2 hours until the deadline, punter JK Scott and long snapper Hunter Bradley remained on the right side of the bubble. Scott's world turned upside-down, though, with the trade for Corey Bojorquez, who punted the past three seasons for Buffalo and had a massive preseason for the Rams. Kicker JJ Molson, as expected, was released after a strong training camp alongside reliable veteran Mason Crosby.
This will be the initial 53-man roster and not the final 53. By the end of Tuesday, about 860 players will have been released over the past few days. That is a lot of talent for teams looking to bolster the bottom of a depth chart.
While some dreams will come true for players on the roster bubble, it’s a gut-wrenching day for the players whose hard work and sacrifice wasn’t good enough. It’s also a tough day for the coaches, who’ve made relationships with those players.
“It’s always hard this time of year to walk away from players you’ve seen give so much to you,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said last week.
The good news is this isn’t necessarily the end for those whose bubbles burst. The team can begin signing its 16-player practice squad at 3 p.m. Wednesday. Many of those players will get their opportunity to play in games throughout the season.
Of the team's nine-man draft class, only Van Lanen failed to make the roster.
“Obviously, it’s really early,” Gutekunst said last week, “but I’m excited about what they’ve been able to do in their short time here. I think as much as what they’ve done on the field and the production they’ve showed, kind of how they fit into our culture with their work ethic and being a good teammate, those kinds of things, that’s really been positive with pretty much all of the guys. And I think also just how we viewed them coming out of the evaluation process and then once you get them here, are they the same guys you thought they’d be? And they have been. So, we’re excited about that class. We think they’re going to help our football team this year.”
