Lack of Film Undercutting Undrafted Rookies

With no preseason tape, teams like the Packers can release their undrafted players with almost no risk.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – A big streak might end with Saturday’s roster cuts.

Dating to 2005, which was Ted Thompson’s first year as general manager, the Green Bay Packers have kept at least one undrafted rookie on their opening roster. That might not be the case this year.

Because of COVID-19 meaning a delayed start to training camps and the elimination of the preseason, there is no film of this year’s undrafted free agents in action. Thus, with the cuts in progress at midday Saturday, the agent for one of Green Bay’s undrafted rookies predicted the team wouldn’t keep any and precious few would earn roster spots around the NFL.

The reason is simple: If teams didn’t deem a player worthy of drafting in seven rounds, what would change their opinion four months later? Especially with no fresh film to show whether a player has been good or bad in training camp?

It was a reality that Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst talked about last week.

“Obviously, all the teams have a lot less to go off of as far as when we do make the roster cuts,” Gutekunst said. “The guys that we do expose to the rest of the league, it’s not like they’ve got four preseason games and 200 snaps to evaluate to the other teams.”

Even Gutekunst said his 53-man roster might not be formed of the team’s 53-best players. After all, how on earth would another team know whether Joe Free Agent was deemed one of the, say, 45-best players?

“Our decisions, which aren’t easy, is to try to put the best 53 and 16-man practice squad together that make the best team,” Gutekunst said. “It’s not always about picking the best 53 guys. It’s about picking the guys that make the best team. I don’t think this year really changes anything from that perspective, but I do think the opportunities the young players would normally have, they haven’t had this year.”

The Packers haven’t opened a season without an undrafted rookie since 2004.

Perhaps the best of this year’s bunch were Florida State cornerback Stanford Samuels and Utah State outside linebacker Tipa Galeai. Both, however, were among the early releases.

“He’s been doing a good job out on the football field,” defensive backs coach Jerry Gray said recently. You look at his college tape, I thought he did a good job in college. Football happens like that. You can’t draft everyone that you want, and some guys get undrafted and they happen to come to you. It’s our job to see if they can compete at a high level and keep working in practice.”

The Packers probably can get them through waivers. Samuels tested poorly at the Scouting Combine while Galeai is undersized at 229 pounds. Slow corners and light pass rushers aren’t hot commodities on the waiver wire under the best of circumstances.

These, of course, aren’t the best of circumstances. However, it’s also not the finish line. In the past, it was easy to plug a hole by bringing in a veteran off the street. Now, because of COVID rules requiring players to test negative three times before entering the building, the best way to fill a hole might be through promoting someone from the practice squad.

“I do think this year more than any, our roster size with the practice squad will be 69 and I think it’s going to take all 69 through the season,” Gutekunst said. “The rules as they are now, the ability to bring street free agents in and do some different things, it’s more cumbersome. The guys on your practice squad, at some point during the year, I would expect those guys to be on the field helping you.”