The Green Bay Packers have plenty of roster decisions to make before and after the cutdown deadline on Tuesday, but three big questions stand above the rest coming out of Saturday’s preseason finale against the Baltimore Ravens.
Between now and Friday, Sept. 6, when the Packers kick off the season in Brazil against the Philadelphia Eagles, coach Matt LaFleur and general manager Brian Gutekunst must come together to answer these questions:
1. Who is the starting right guard?
2. Who is the kicker?
3. Who is the backup quarterback?
When compared to other teams and rosters, the Packers’ spot isn’t a terrible place to be with the regular season approaching. The Packers believe they have two starting options at right guard, a backup quarterback doesn’t play in an ideal scenario, and there are ways to skirt around an unreliable kicker.
Still, let’s dive in to the big questions left to answer before Week 1:
Right guard
LaFleur was complimentary of third-year pro Sean Rhyan and what he’s accomplished during training camp. Last season, Rhyan rotated in and out of the lineup with Jon Runyan Jr. and gained valuable experience. It’s possible a similar scenario could play out in a rotation with first-round pick Jordan Morgan, who was the favorite to win the job at right guard before a shoulder injury kept him out of all three preseason games. LaFleur kept that possibility open when asked Saturday. Ask yourself this: Would the Packers go into Week 1 against a fearsome Eagles defensive front with Morgan — who didn’t get any snaps in joint practices or preseason games — starting at right guard? LaFleur said Rhyan had an “outstanding” training camp and improved his in-game stamina. The Packers were excellent up front with Rhyan at right guard in Thursday’s joint practice against a good Ravens front. He’s the likely Week 1 starter.
Kicker
Minutes after Anders Carlson missed a 32-yard field goal wide right, LaFleur left the door open to the Packers adding a kicker from the outside after final cuts. Carlson had been enjoying a nice stretch, and he combined with Greg Joseph to make their first six kicks, counting extra points, on Saturday. But the miss — in near perfect conditions on a perfect snap — was a brutal reminder of Carlson’s inconsistency. Tallying all the kicks from practices and preseason games, Carlson and Joseph both finished the summer around 80 percent. The Packers can and should do better. Waiver wire hunting next is very possible. If the Packers think the right kicker will become available, releasing both Carlson and Joseph on Tuesday is possible.
Backup quarterback
LaFleur gave almost the same answer to a question about backup quarterback as kicker. To make a long story short: inconsistency plagued the position all summer, and the door is open to making an outside addition if the right player is available. For most of the summer, neither Sean Clifford nor Michael Pratt looked capable of coming into a regular season game and holding down the fort. Jordan Love played in all 17 games last season, but injuries at quarterback happen, and the Packers can’t have their season tanked by an absence. Would the Packers release both Clifford and Pratt on Tuesday, with hopes of signing one of the two to the practice squad while adding a veteran to back up Love? It’s increasingly possible after the two young quarterbacks struggled again in the preseason finale vs. the Ravens. The Packers could feel good knowing one or both of the quarterbacks would clear waivers and could return on the practice squad.