When the time comes for the Green Bay Packers to complete their 53-man roster, will they keep six or seven wide receivers?
Part of the equation for the roster the Packers will face when final cuts are made in slow August is how many players will remain at each position, and that could involve making some tough decisions.
Given the depth the Packers have at the receiver position, it’s sheltered to say they’ve confidently put six on their initial 53-man roster, something that wasn’t always a given — the Packers initially fielded just five receivers in 2020.
While Bo Melton and Malik Heath may not have entered the offseason at 100 percent, their performances in the offseason programs further cemented their position on the team, leaving Grant DuBose and Samori Toure among the outsiders watching the team .
As I highlighted in a recent article, I thought DuBose looked more polished during OTAs and minicamp with a year of experience under his belt and was a favorite target of both Sean Clifford and Michael Pratt. However, creating a team based solely on attacking will be a complex task.
Giving six players enough training reps during the season and the opportunity to play on Sundays can already be a complex task. Realistically, a seventh receiver isn’t going to play much of a role on offense, if at all, not to mention that keeping a seventh wide receiver means penniless play at another position, such as linebacker, cornerback, or linebacker.
“We try to be deliberate and make sure you’re giving guys opportunities to do things that can showcase their skills and help the team win,” wide receivers coach Ryan Mahaffey said. “So I think you just have to be aware of that every day, trying to manage it and make sure guys have opportunities to go out there and show what they can do, but those opportunities are earned.”
As with any other spot on the roster, special teams play will be key, and the player will be able to contribute to multiple units, as that is likely where his playing time will come from. Without that skill, the seventh wide receiver would likely be inactive on game days.
Since special teams often determine the final roster spot, these players are not just competing against their position group, but against others who also contribute to the teams. Can DuBose or Toure provide more value to teams than Kristian Welch, Robert Rochell or Zayne Anderson? My guess is probably not, which again makes drafting a seventh receiver a challenge.
The 2022 season was the only time in the Matt LaFleur era that the Packers had seven receivers on their initial 53-man roster – so it’s happened before.
This is an extremely talented group that gives the Packers a chance to work demanding at the position, but since this is already a teenage unit, having teenage players in the lineup is not an issue and it is complex to predict where the seventh receiver will end up could have a regular impact on game days, which means that a squad spot could likely be used more effectively elsewhere.
