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Here’s What Packers Roster Moves Mean for Sunday’s Game at Jets

Sometimes, the roster moves the Green Bay Packers didn’t make the day before the game are the most important.
Bill Huber|
Packers DT Javon Hargrave
Packers DT Javon Hargrave | NFL Photos

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Green Bay Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. – First, the good news for the Green Bay Packers: Top edge player Lukas Van Ness has cleared the concussion protocol and will be in the lineup for Sunday’s game at the New York Jets.

Now, the bad news for the Packers: Defensive tackle Javon Hargrave did not clear the concussion protocol has been downgraded from doubtful to out. That means the Packers will be down two defensive tackles, with the other being Warren Brinson (calf).

Saturday’s Packers Roster Moves

Those injury notes are the only personnel-related notes issued by the Packers on Saturday. Unlike last week, when they elevated linebacker Kristian Welch and receiver Bo Melton from the practice squad, there are no elevations this week.

Sometimes, the roster moves that weren’t made are just as interesting. That’s the case this week.

Not Elevated: Edge Nyjalik Kelly

The Packers have only four edge players on the 53-man roster. With Lukas Van Ness removed from the injury report after being listed as questionable on Friday, the Packers obviously feel good enough about Van Ness and Barryn Sorrell, who has been battling a foot injury, that they didn’t feel the need to elevate Nyjalik Kelly or Arron Mosby.

“I think he’s a young player that’s got a lot of potential,” coach Matt LaFleur said of Kelly on Friday. “He comes in with the right mindset and attitude and has gotten better each and every day.”

Not Elevated: DT Eric Johnson

With Javon Hargrave and Warren Brinson out, the Packers are down two players at defensive tackle. The player on the practice squad is Eric Johnson, a former fifth-round pick with a lot of experience. The Packers signed him this week.

That’s OK, though. The Packers had five available for Week 1 at Minnesota and will roll with five again with starters Devonte Wyatt, Jonathan Ford and Karl Brooks and backups Chris McClellan and Anthony Campbell.

It will mark the NFL debut for Campbell, who was a healthy scratch last week.

“It’s the same process” as last week, Campbell said on Friday. “I’m just trusting the process. Hey, whenever gameday comes, just going to do my thing. If I get an opportunity, I’m going to go out there and do my best.”

Campbell and the defensive tackles will have to come up big against the Jets’ backfield duo of Breece Hall and Braelon Allen.

“They’re two good young backs,” linebacker Zaire Franklin said this week. “Breece is more of a fast scat guy. Obviously, he was running downhill last week and did a good job. Braelon’s obviously a lot bigger, wants to stay in between the tackles. I know Frank (Reich), he loves to run the ball, he loves a one-two punch. I guess that’s a really good challenge for us on Sunday.”

Not Elevated: CB Domani Jackson

Veteran Benjamin St-Juste popped up on the injury report on Friday as questionable with a hamstring injury.

Last week against Minnesota, Keisean Nixon and Brandon Cisse started. When Cisse dropped out with cramps, it was Carrington Valentine – not St-Juste – as the next man up. St-Juste played only one snap.

That the Packers didn’t elevate rookie Domani Jackson from the practice squad signals either St-Juste’s limited participation at Friday’s practice was more precautionary than anything or they’ll go with Kamal Hadden as the fourth and final cornerback.

Not Elevated: RB Pierre Strong

Pierre Strong was out last week with a hamstring injury but practiced all of this week. That the Packers didn’t elevate him would indicate they are pleased with the progress of Kaleb Johnson, who was acquired during final roster cuts.

Whoever’s in the backfield, the Packers need to run the ball better this week.

“Adversity is going to come every game,” fellow running back MarShawn Lloyd said. “I think it does help us going on because it showed us what we need to do and how we need to keep our foot on the gas. The game started off really good. We’ve got to just keep that on.” 

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Bill Huber
BILL HUBER

Bill Huber, who has covered the Green Bay Packers since 2008, is the publisher of Packers On SI, a Sports Illustrated channel. E-mail: packwriter2002@yahoo.com History: Huber took over Packer Central in August 2019. Twitter: https://twitter.com/BillHuberNFL Background: Huber graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he played on the football team, in 1995. He worked in newspapers in Reedsburg, Wisconsin Dells and Shawano before working at The Green Bay News-Chronicle and Green Bay Press-Gazette from 1998 through 2008. With The News-Chronicle, he won several awards for his commentaries and page design. In 2008, he took over as editor of Packer Report Magazine, which was founded by Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Nitschke, and PackerReport.com. In 2019, he took over the new Sports Illustrated site Packer Central, which he has grown into one of the largest sites in the Sports Illustrated Media Group.