Seven Biggest Surprises of Packers Roster Cuts

The Green Bay Packers cut their roster to 53 players on Tuesday. From quarterback to kicker, here are the biggest surprises of the day.

Green Bay Packers safety Anthony Johnson Jr. (36) celebrates after returning a fumble for a touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens. / Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers selected their 53-man roster on Tuesday. It’s not the “final” 53 so much as it’s the “initial” 53.

“The deadline means nothing,” is how one source put it of the wave of roster moves that are coming around the NFL.

From a Packers perspective, here are the biggest surprises of the day.

Released: S Anthony Johnson

As a seventh-round pick last year, Johnson not only made the team but started four games. At a position practically bereft of playmaking, he had one interception and three passes defensed.

Before Family Night, this is what coach Matt LaFleur had to say about Johnson:

“He’s had an outstanding camp up to this point. I think it’s a very competitive situation. He’s really learned a ton. He’s made a huge jump I would say, in my eyes, to this point from last season. Now he’s got to go out and do it as we get to some live bullets in terms of those preseason games. So, it will be interesting to see how he does. But I’m excited for him.”

Last year, seven safeties played defensive snaps. Every one of those players – Darnell Savage, Jonathan Owens, Rudy Ford, Johnson, Dallin Leavitt, Innis Gaines and Benny Sapp – are no longer with the team. Sapp also was released on Tuesday.

The Packers are going with Xavier McKinney, the team’s big free agent addition, rookies Javon Bullard, Evan Williams and Kitan Oladapo, and Zayne Anderson, a core special-teamer last year.

Released: CB Kalen King and Robert Rochell

The good news is the Packers must feel incredibly good about the health of former first-round pick Eric Stokes, who served more stints on injured lists (three) than he played games on defense (two) last year.

The Packers kept only five cornerbacks, though the slot ability of Bullard helps add to the depth. Rochell spent the summer running with the No. 2 defense while King, the third-to-last pick in this year’s draft, showed some intriguing potential in the slot. While he missed a few tackles, he also forced a fumble.

The Packers haven’t lost a player on waivers since Taysom Hill and Brian Price in 2017. Could King end the streak?

On the Roster: K Greg Joseph

The Packers wanted Anders Carlson to win the job. Everyone knew that – probably including Joseph.

After all, Carlson was a sixth-round pick last year. The Packers suffered through his ups and downs last year. Special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia, who helped bring the best out of Carlson’s brother, Daniel, probably thought he could do the same.

Instead, Carlson missed a 32-yard field goal against the Ravens and was released. The Packers will move forward with Joseph, who fought through a late-camp slump and drilled a long field goal against the Ravens. The Packers no doubt will look to the waiver wire, but they might not find anyone better.

That the Packers picked Joseph over Carlson, no matter their allegiances to Carlson, was the right move. Now, it will be up to Joseph, who will be freed of the “every kick could be my last” pressure. He’s got a big leg and a chance to make his mark.

On the Roster: DE Arron Mosby

The Packers have an excellent quartet of defensive ends with Rashan Gary, Preston Smith, Lukas Van Ness and Kingsley Enagbare. With the ability of Colby Wooden to move from tackle to end, would the Packers keep a fifth?

No, they didn’t. Instead, they kept six.

Brenton Cox made the roster through the totality of his work. According to Pro Football Focus, 90 edge defenders played at least 35 pass-rushing snaps. Cox finished ninth in pressures, fourth in pass-rushing productivity (which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-rushing snap) and 14th in pass-rush win rate.

Mosby made the roster through his brilliance against the Ravens. He was having a good camp, anyway, until he struck for a forced fumble that Johnson returned for a touchdown and an interception.

“This is going into my third year, I would say it finally paid off,” Mosby said afterward. “Just stick to it. You never know how this NFL thing will go, so keep going forward. For any young guy or anybody who watches this, just keep pushing forward because eventually you’ll have a breakthrough.”

Released: LB Kristian Welch

It’s possible Mosby made it as a sixth defensive end over Kristian Welch as a sixth linebacker. Welch had a brilliant preseason, too. The NFL is about turnovers, and he produced one in all three preseason games. The back end of the roster is about special teams, which has been Welch’s calling card in all four seasons.

Really, Welch couldn’t have done anything more to make the roster. To fall short of making the 53 for his home-state team must have been a bitter disappointment.

On the Roster: 10 Offensive Linemen

Did the Packers have even nine offensive linemen worthy of a spot on the 53?

No, they had 10.

Along with the starting five plus first-round pick Jordan Morgan, the Packers also kept fifth-round pick Jacob Monk, sixth-round pick Travis Glover, veteran free-agent addition Andre Dillard and former undrafted rookie Kadeem Telfort.

Dillard, Telfort and Glover are offensive tackles. The Packers covet versatility, but this is how it could break down: Dillard was much better at left tackle than right tackle, so he could be the backup at left tackle. Telfort can play both spots, so he could be the backup at right tackle. And Glover could hone his skills in the NFL version of a redshirt season.

Released: Both Young Quarterbacks

That general manager Brian Gutekunst is going with two quarterbacks isn’t a surprise at all. With some exceptions, that’s standard operating procedure for most teams.

However, Gutekunst entered the draft prioritizing the position.

“For me, getting back to drafting multiple quarterbacks is something that I’ve wanted to do,” Gutekunst said. “We kind of went away from that for a few years and I’d like to get back to that because I just think having young, talented quarterbacks on your roster that the coaches can develop, I just think is really healthy and important for a franchise.”

So much for that, Gutekunst released 2023 fifth-round pick Sean Clifford and 2024 seventh-round pick Michael Pratt. That came on the heels of trading for 2022 third-round pick Malik Willis.

No doubt, the acquisition of Willis – an athletic quarterback with a big-time arm – and the expected practice-squad addition of Sean Clifford fits the bill of having “young, talented quarterbacks on your roster.”

Still, after Clifford battled Pratt since the start of OTAs in May, to see them both released in one fell swoop was an eye-opener.

More Green Bay Packers News

MarShawn Lloyd made the 53, like we wrote early: ⬇️https://t.co/V4gdlMyKX2

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) August 27, 2024

No IR for MarShawn Lloyd | Packers release Sean Clifford, Michael Pratt | Packers release Kristian Welch | Packers release Anders Carlson | Roster cuts tracker | 53-man Packers roster projection (Huber) | 53-Man Packers roster projection (Westendorf)