GREEN BAY, Wis. — In today’s league, the players who end up on the practice squad are just as important as those who make the initial 53-man roster.
The Green Bay Packers released 30 players on Sunday, but the expectation is that several of them will be retained on the 16-man practice squad. If the Packers sign a player in the NFL’s International Player Pathway program, they’ll gain an international exemption and be able to carry 17 players.
The practice squad is essentially an extension of the 53-man roster. It’s an avenue that the Packers—and every team, really—utilize frequently throughout the season as they navigate any injuries that occur. Up to 10 players can have a maximum of two accrued seasons in the league, while a team can carry up to six vested veterans with any experience level, whether it’s three years or 10. A player can be elevated up to three times throughout the season—at that point, they’ll be out of elevations and will have to be promoted to the 53-man roster.
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OT Dalton Cooper
The second-year undrafted free agent hasn’t seen much work outside of the Packers’ No. 3 offense in the preseason. He played 40 pass-blocking snaps and surrendered two sacks while working exclusively at left tackle. He was essentially the third-string player at the position behind starter Jordan Morgan and his backup, John Williams. Even so, Cooper’s size at 6’7” and 315 pounds is intriguing enough for the Packers to want to develop.
S Murvin Kenion III
In 64 coverage snaps this preseason, Murvin Kenion III was targeted just once. It was a 20-yard reception Friday night against the Cardinals. Otherwise, it’s been a relatively quiet summer for first-year undrafted safety from Nevada. He had six tackles in the Aug. 13 opener against the Steelers, showcasing the kind of fearlessness the Packers desperately need in their secondary.
EDGE Nyjalik Kelly
The Packers gave Nyjalik Kelly, an undrafted rookie, $262,500 in guaranteed money. That wasn’t out of the ordinary in the league this year, but it at least paints somewhat of a picture that tells you what they thought about him. He certainly validated their belief with how well he played against the Cardinals. He finished the preseason with eight pressures, four of which came Friday night. He also finished the game with a sack and an interception.
RB Pierre Strong Jr.
The writing was on the wall for Pierre Strong Jr. after the Packers decided to trade for Kaleb Johnson, a former third-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers. That’s to no fault of his own, however. Strong ran well for the Packers in the preseason, galloping 15 times for 58 yards; he was in the driver’s seat for the No. 4 running back job. There’s a realistic chance he’ll be suiting up for the Sept. 13 opener in Minnesota.
TE Drake Dabney
A longshot to make the Packers’ tight end room, Drake Dabney—not Dominique Dafney—simply didn’t do enough to capture anyone’s attention. He caught just one pass in each of the Packers’ three preseason games, but he was falling out of favor on a thin depth chart even before they acquired a pair of tight ends over the last few days. Jonnu Smith was signed, and the Packers also acquired Mark Redman in a trade with the Los Angeles Rams.
CB Domani Jackson
The rookie sixth-round pick never had much of an opportunity to make his mark this summer. An offseason core-muscle injury kept him shelved for most of training camp, and he played just 10 snaps against the Broncos. When he was on the field for 19 snaps against the Cardinals, he was picked on—badly. He gave up five catches on seven targets into his coverage for 97 yards and a touchdown. A redshirt season on the practice squad may be the best route for him.
G Josh Gesky
One of the best rookie linemen in the league this preseason, Josh Gesky didn’t make the cut in Green Bay, but getting him back on the practice squad is a major victory. The undrafted free agent from Illinois played 43 snaps in pass protection at right guard through the Packers’ three games and only surrendered a single pressure.
WR Chris Hilton Jr.
There must be something the Packers really like about Chris Hilton Jr., because they didn’t see much of him in the preseason. Signed on Aug. 9 after spending the offseason program with the Washington Commanders, Hilton drew just one target and didn’t record a single reception in the preseason.
G Dillon Wade
Another interior offensive lineman will be returning to the practice squad. Dillon Wade played 86 total snaps with the Packers’ No. 3 offense this preseason, and all of them were at left guard. In 54 pass-blocking snaps, he surrendered just a pair of pressures.
DT Jaden Crumedy
Defensive tackle was one of the most competitive position groups on the team in Green Bay this summer, with Jaden Crumedy standing out. It was hard to imagine the Packers not attempting to bring him back on the practice squad. Crumedy totaled a pair of tackles against the Cardinals, as well as a hit on quarterback Kedon Slovis. It was one of Crumedy’s pressures on Slovis that led to an errant pass and an interception for edge rusher Nyjalik Kelly.
LB Kristian Welch
Much like TJ Quinn, who had a fantastic preseason, Kristian Welch is a victim of the Packers’ numbers game at linebacker. This is the third year in a row that Welch has been released by the Packers during roster cut-downs, and the second year in a row where he was re-signed to the practice squad the very next day, so this shouldn’t be much of a surprise. Welch’s specialty is, well, special teams, and you can only roster so many players at one position for that department. Nick Niemann, who earned a spot on the 53, handles those duties well.
The following players were either released or traded by the Packers on Sunday: Tra Fluellen, Cal Adomitis, Messiah Swinson, Brant Banks, Kaden Prather, Damien Martinez, TJ Quinn, Kisean Johnson, Mark Perry, Jaylin Simpson, Kristian Welch, Jaden Nixon, Domani Jackson, Isaiah Neyor, Will Sheppard, Murvin Kenion III, M.J. Devonshire Jr., Shemar Bartholomew, Thomas Yassmin, Jaden Crumedy, Kyle McCord, Dalton Cooper, Dylan Barrett, Pierre Strong Jr., Nyjalik Kelly, Drake Dabney, Josh Gesky, Chris Hilton Jr., Arden Walker, Arron Mosby.