The Green Bay Packers haven’t had a player claimed off the books after final roster cuts since 2017, but the NFL clearly believes the roster Brian Gutekunst has put together ahead of the 2024 season is one of the strongest in the league.
Three Packers players were placed on reservations after being ultimately released, tying them for the most points in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers.
On Wednesday, the Miami Dolphins acquired wide receiver Grant DuBose, the New York Giants acquired Anthony Johnson Jr. and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers acquired cornerback Royce Newman.
Gutekunst firmly believed that more than 53 of his players deserved to be on the roster, and the NFL shared his opinion.
“In my opinion, we had more than 53 players who deserved a place on this football team,” Gutekunst said.
That meant tough decisions. That was a good problem to have, but it also meant risking losing good players.
DuBose, a seventh-round pick in the 2023 draft, had a huge summer and forced the Packers to consider keeping seven receivers. Instead, the Packers kept six, with Malik Heath being added to the roster in place of DuBose, who is headed to Miami to play for Mike McDaniel in the Dolphins’ lively offense. A prototypical Packers receiver in terms of size and athleticism, DuBose flashed legitimate receiving and blocking ability in the preseason.
Johnson, also the No. 7 overall pick in 2023, was perhaps the most shocking cut. His roster spot never seemed in solemn jeopardy. He started games as a rookie and had opportunities to play as a first-team defensive end this summer. The Packers opted to keep Zayne Anderson, likely for special teams reasons, and having three promising rookies — Javon Bullard, Evan Williams and Kitan Oladapo — made it arduous to keep Johnson Jr., who will head to New York to support the Giants replace Xavier McKinney.
Newman fell from grace in Green Bay after starting 16 games in his rookie season. The Packers retained three rookies on the offensive line. He will have a chance to revive his professional career in Tampa Bay, where the Buccaneers have needed support on the offensive line.
The Packers also lose rookie quarterback Michael Pratt, who will likely be signed to the Buccaneers’ practice squad, and veteran linebacker Kristian Welch, who Matt LaFleur thought on Wednesday would return to Baltimore.
“I’m glad some of our guys got a chance,” Gutekunst said.
The Packers have assembled a deep roster and had to make tough decisions on the sidelines to get to 53. No one wants to lose good players, and there’s a risk those players could become crucial players elsewhere. Time will tell if Gutekunst and the Packers made the right decisions.
