Saturday’s Packers Transactions: What They Mean for Sunday vs. Vikings
GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers on Saturday didn’t sign anyone to their 53-man roster. They didn’t elevate anyone from the practice squad. They didn’t put anyone on injured reserve.
Dare it be said, the Packers will be at full strength – by NFL standards, anyway – for Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings.
As always, sometimes the roster moves that aren’t made as the moves that are made. Here’s the weekly rundown of Saturday’s transactions. Or, in this case, the non-transactions.
Not Elevated: RB James Robinson
Aaron Jones is feeling as good as he has since the season-opening game at Chicago. That’s the best news imaginable for the Packers. Not only is Jones a high-impact runner but, even while missing three games with a hamstring injury, he has as many 30-yard receptions (two) as Christian Watson (one) and Romeo Doubs (one) combined.
“I feel like I’m close to getting back to being myself,” Jones said on Friday. “That’s the exciting part. It’s been a while but it’s the best I’ve felt. If I don’t get to 100 [percent] by Sunday, I’ll probably be there next Sunday. Just taking it day by day, continuing to work at it. It’s like someone applied some smiles on my face because I feel like I’m getting there.”
The Packers will square off against the Vikings with Jones, AJ Dillon and Emanuel Wilson as the three-man backfield.
A full-strength Aaron Jones vs. the Vikings?
Photo by Wm Glasheen/USA Today Sports Images
Not Elevated: DT Chris Slayton or Jonathan Ford
Starting defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt aggravated a knee injury early in last week’s loss at Denver and missed most of the game.
Wyatt practiced all week, so there wasn’t much doubt that he’d be available for Sunday. That the Packers didn’t call up one of their practice-squad players signals the team feels good that Wyatt will be ready for his typical 30-plus snaps.
Not Elevated: S Innis Gaines
With Darnell Savage on injured reserve, the Packers are a man down at safety. Their only additions to the 53-man roster this week were at cornerback with the promotion of Corey Ballentine from the practice squad and the addition of Robert Rochell from Carolina’s practice squad.
For Sunday, the starting safeties will be Rudy Ford and Jonathan Owens, with rookie Anthony Johnson, special-teams ace Dallin Leavitt and man-of-mystery Zayne Anderson as the reserves. Combined, those players have logged 11 snaps on defense: seven by Leavitt, four by Johnson and zero by Anderson, who was claimed off waivers after final cuts and hasn’t been active for any games.
Gaines, a proven player on special teams, would have been a logical elevation. Perhaps Anderson will be up and ready to go for the first time.
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