Toure Over Winfree Wasn’t Only Interesting Decision to Rodgers

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is bullish on offensive tackle Caleb Jones, an undrafted rookie who turned in a strong training camp.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Samori Toure over Juwann Winfree wasn’t the only roster decision that caught the attention of Aaron Rodgers.

For most of Green Bay Packers training camp, undrafted rookie Caleb Jones was the No. 2 left tackle and rookie seventh-round pick Rasheed Walker was the No. 3 right tackle.

Depth charts be damned. General manager Brian Gutekunst kept Walker on the 53-man roster and released Jones.

“We know that, at times, it’s not a meritocracy,” Rodgers said. That statement wasn’t a criticism of Gutekunst. Far from it, actually.

Rodgers’ comments demonstrate the stronger relationship he’s built with Gutekunst over the last 13 months. The beauty of communication is understanding decisions that you might not necessarily agree with when viewing them solely through your own prism.

Based on the performances practically any day at training camp, it was clear Jones had outplayed Walker. At 6-foot-9 and with 36-inch arms, Jones presents quite a challenge for any pass rusher to get around to get to the quarterback. A three-year starter at Indiana, Jones was dinged by NFL evaluators for weight issues and the impact those added pounds had on his performance. Tipping the scales at 370 pounds at pro day, Jones was at 338 in mid-August.

“I thought Caleb had a great camp and deserved to be on the 53,” Rodgers said. “Lucky to get him back on the p-squad. Looks like he has a bright future in this league. You can’t teach that kind of size. But, take the 6-9, 340 out of the way, the way that he worked from spring to fall camp and then throughout fall camp, he has what it takes to be a player in this league. I told him that a couple weeks ago.”

After sitting out the first two preseason games, Walker made his preseason debut last week at Kansas City and turned in a fine performance to punch his ticket onto the 53.

Ultimately, all 11 draft picks made the 53-man roster. There’s a reason for that. Months of work by the scouts painted a picture of what each of these prospects could become. When those players show flashes of that potential, like Walker did vs. the Chiefs, it’s easy to project continued growth.

“When we invest in these guys, there’s a reason, and however many weeks in training camp they’re here and OTAs, that’s a part of it,” Gutekunst said. “There’s also a lot of work on these guys, not only the draft picks, but the undrafted the free agents and even the guys we pick up off the street. We’re watching these guys and there’s a lot of investment and time into what these guys are. So, I think you weigh a lot of different things, but it’s not simply because they’re drafted. I think it’s because of the work we’ve done on them and where we think they’re going to be down the road.”

Gutekunst said a number of times, including on Wednesday, that he views the roster as 69-strong and not just those on the 53. Nine members of last year’s initial 16-man practice squad played at least a little, with receivers Equanimeous St. Brown and Juwann Winfree and outside linebacker Tipa Galeai eventually playing significant roles.

So, whether it’s performance or injuries, it could be only a matter of time before a few members of this year’s practice squad find themselves on the field in a key moment on a Sunday.

“There’s other guys that we brought back, as well, that I think have bright futures,” Rodgers said. “[Running back Tyler] Goodson had a great training camp. He’s just got to get a little better on [special] teams and mentally get there. But there’s a lot of guys that are going to get opportunities. You guys know it: Every year, there’s 53 on the active, there’s 16 on the p-squad. That 16 is never the same 16 Day 1 as it is to Week 18 at the end of the season. Those guys will be elevated; some guys won’t be here. The season really begins for everybody next week and the roster you see right now will not be the same roster in Week 18.”