We’re going to break down what the roster decisions really boil down to in three categories: roster locks, injury question marks and true roster bubble players. That way, you don’t have to list all 53 names (plus injured reserve players) that you think make the team.
Below are the 44 roster locks on the roster, players who made the team in all 10 of the media’s 53-man projections that I’ve tracked so far. Outside of receiver Malik Heath, I think the chance that these guys get waived this week is basically zero percent.
So there’s 44 of your 53 roster spots, leaving you with nine open jobs. Next are the injury question marks, players who have been projected at least once to hit injured reserve with a designation to return before cutdowns. The Packers are limited to just two of these players, so the remaining players will be absorbed by Green Bay’s 53-man roster, at least for a day. Everyone believes that MarShawn Lloyd, Jacob Monk, Barryn Sorrell and Zayne Anderson will make the team, either on IR-DFR or the 53. So that leaves you with just seven open spots on the team.
If you want to keep safety Omar Brown as a designated to return player, rather than just shutting down his season, you’re only going to have six roster spots to spend on the roster bubble players. Keep that in mind.
Injury Question Marks (5)
Finally, here are the 12 true roster bubble players, healthy Packers who were projected to make the team in at least 1 of the 10 projections but missed the cut in at least 1 list.
True Roster Bubble Players (12)
In all likelihood, the Packers will keep at least one defensive tackle, one linebacker and one cornerback from this list, with the potential of them keeping several. If you think that Jacob Monk will go on IR, Green Bay, at minimum, will hold onto another offensive lineman. If Zayne Anderson is going on IR, it probably means that Isaiah Simmons or an extra cornerback made the team, due to the special teams implications. If Barryn Sorrell hits IR, there’s a better chance that Arron Mosby makes the 53.
As a reminder, Mecole Hardman, Kristian Welch, Simmons and Corey Ballentine are all vested veterans. If they make the team, they will have their 2025 salaries fully guarantee.
Voice your opinion in the comment section below. Tell us which seven (or six if you want to keep Brown) players you’d hold onto. We’ll keep a rolling tally as the results come in.