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The inside linebacker position seems pretty well set on this Green Bay Packers team. However, if they find themselves with a number crunch as they put together their 53-man roster, one decision that could have to be made is whether they keep four linebackers or five.
For reference, since Matt LaFleur took over as the Packers’ head coach in 2019, Green Bay has rostered four inside linebackers in three of the previous four seasons.
In total, there are only six linebackers on the 90-man roster currently, which includes De’Vondre Campbell, Quay Walker, Isaiah McDuffie, Tariq Carpenter, Eric Wilson, and undrafted rookie Jimmy Phillips. Excluding Phillips, the first five players listed all had defined roles on this Packers team in 2022, which is why, as I initially mentioned, this position group seems pretty well set.
Campbell and Walker will take the bulk, if not all, of the defensive snaps, while McDuffie, Wilson, and Carpenter all finished top three on the team in special teams tackles last season. But, potentially, there are other crowded position groups like receiver, edge rusher, and safety, that could lead to a difficult decision as the Packers are forced to go light elsewhere.
At the linebacker position, we know that Campbell and Walker are roster locks, and I would put McDuffie into that category as well, with him emerging as the third linebacker option defensively late last season and throughout this year’s offseason programs, not to mention his contributions on special teams. This would then leave either Wilson or Carpenter on the outside looking in.
Wilson is 29 years old and back in Green Bay on a one-year deal. Although there is not a huge amount of cap savings that comes with moving on from him, if the Packers were to release Wilson, they would save almost $1 million in cap space, which they could always use more of. Similarly to Dallin Leavitt at safety, Wilson is here to play special teams, where in addition to leading the team in tackles last season, he was also PFF’s highest-graded player across the NFL.
Carpenter, meanwhile, is only in the second year of his inexpensive rookie contract, and there is value in that, especially for a Packers team trying to get their salary cap situation back in good order. He is new to the linebacker position but brings a lot more upside in comparison to Wilson as a defensive player, given his athleticism, skill set, and the stages that each player is at in their respective careers.
In terms of immediate impact, specifically on special teams, keeping Wilson over Carpenter for the 2023 season probably makes more sense. But for a Packers team in the midst of a transition, in terms of his contract and potential future impact, keeping Carpenter would be the prudent move. And when it comes to making some of these final roster decisions, where playing time is most likely going to be minimal, teams should feel that they have the freedom to take some risk in choosing upside over the possible stability that a veteran can provide.
As we’ve seen in the past, when the Packers put together their initial 53-man rosters, there is always a surprise or two. But with that said, as of right now, I’d guess that Green Bay does keep five linebackers. Rich Bisaccia clearly has a voice within the building when it comes to the roster construction, as there has been a newfound emphasis put on the special teams unit. With Wilson and Carpenter playing key special teams roles last season, keeping both to maintain continuity and build off of last year’s performance is what I imagine the preferred route for the Packers.