Packers 2023 UDFA Class.

[craig]

Making the roster is hard for a UDFA.  But practice squad is the more routine avenue to get into the league. 

It seems like odds are stacked against UDFA.  But I think their odds are better than I sometimes realize?  Of the 89 guys on the current roster, I think ≤17 will go unemployed.  <20% of the guys on the roster.  

 53 roster + 14 practice squad + ≥5 injuries = ≥72 guys.  

 

[incognito_man]

2 minutes ago, craig said:

53 roster + 14 practice squad + ≥5 injuries = ≥72 guys

The former math teacher in me cringed a little at the bolded

But I agree with your overall point!

[ThatJerkDave]

32 minutes ago, incognito_man said:

I don't think he's competing with those guys for a spot. I think Gary will start on PUP, so we'll have LVN, Preston, Enagbare as locks. Then Hollins almost certainly as well. So I think Cox is battling Garvin and Hamilton for 1-2 spots until Gary gets back. 

Brooks is in the mix with Wooden and Slayton and Lewan for 2-3 spots.

You think Brooks is a hand in the dirt 34 end guy? He is an interesting piece, I want to see in action before slotting him anywhere.  

[Spartacus]

2 minutes ago, ThatJerkDave said:

You think Brooks is a hand in the dirt 34 end guy? He is an interesting piece, I want to see in action before slotting him anywhere.  

Thats where I would peg him. I think you start him there and hope he beefs up and if that doesn't work you try to slim him down and try him at edge in like an elephant role. 

[HyponGrey]

2 hours ago, ThatJerkDave said:

The buzz is with Brenton Cox.  He has the ability, but he has also been kicked off of two college teams.  I think that may be a tough position to crack with Van Ness and Karl Brooks being drafted, depending on what the team does with them.  

Benny Sapp has a chance because the safety room most likely has a lot of spots up for grabs.  Inside track IMO is with Rudy Ford and Darnell Savage, but neither are a given to start, and that still leaves at least two roster spots at the position as well.

Duece Watts could make it at WR.  If you watch Watts, DuBose, and Wicks, there isn't a momentous difference in talent there.  The draft picks have the edge, but if Watts shows out and one of the picks struggles, he could make it.  

Something tells me Brooks won't be playing EDGE

[Chili]

3 hours ago, HyponGrey said:

So do we think any UDFA make the cut this year?

I think it's a really good year if you're a Packers UDFA when it comes to opportunity.

Cox just need to beat out Garvin, Hamilton and Hollins

Sapp has a real chance of latching one of the safety spots.

McDonald has a chance of latching a spot at TE

Filiaga got a solid shot at guard, not a huge amount of competition in the interior with Hanson, Newman, Rhyan behind the main starters. It also helps we didn't draft an OL.

We didn't draft any ILB and with Barnes and Galeai gone there might be opportunity there for Phillips.

Watts has a harder path to make the roster imo with lots of drafted WRs in front of him. If we keep 6 then he has a slim shot. However he might need to beat out one of the corners on ST to secure himself a spot as 7th WR.

Equally Telfort has a tough path too. He has to beat out Walker, Jones, Tenuta, Delance for the backup tackle spots.

[R T]

1 hour ago, craig said:

Making the roster is hard for a UDFA.  But practice squad is the more routine avenue to get into the league. 

It seems like odds are stacked against UDFA.  But I think their odds are better than I sometimes realize?  Of the 89 guys on the current roster, I think ≤17 will go unemployed.  <20% of the guys on the roster.  

 53 roster + 14 practice squad + ≥5 injuries = ≥72 guys.  

 

Minor thing but the practice squad is 16 now and if the Packers decide to keep the international player on the practice squat, they can keep 17 this year. No international player would be 16 only. 

[craig]

Thanks, RT.  

89 on roster

• 53 roster
• 16 practice
• ≥5 injured
• ≤15 unemployed.  

[Refugee]

49 minutes ago, R T said:

Minor thing but the practice squad is 16 now and if the Packers decide to keep the international player on the practice squat, they can keep 17 this year. No international player would be 16 only. 

Also with the protection and call up rules we could keep a Tyler Davis or Hanson there while new guys prove they are or are not worthy.  As long as we felt they could clear waivers we could use them with their familiarity of the play book the same way we used Winfree early last season.  I like the new flexibility with the PS and it gives some more guys a shot that might ot have gotten one under the traditional rules.

[ThatJerkDave]

2 hours ago, Spartacus said:

Thats where I would peg him. I think you start him there and hope he beefs up and if that doesn't work you try to slim him down and try him at edge in like an elephant role. 

 

1 hour ago, HyponGrey said:

Something tells me Brooks won't be playing EDGE

That is what he did last year though.  He is an interesting watch if you haven't, yet.  He plays better than the work outs suggest, and honestly, he doesn't look like he weighs 300 either.  Perhaps he is more of a Mike Neal or Datone Jones kind of player.  

[HyponGrey]

3 hours ago, ThatJerkDave said:

 

That is what he did last year though.  He is an interesting watch if you haven't, yet.  He plays better than the work outs suggest, and honestly, he doesn't look like he weighs 300 either.  Perhaps he is more of a Mike Neal or Datone Jones kind of player.  

Those are not guys I want anyone compared to. 

[R T]

1 hour ago, HyponGrey said:

Those are not guys I want anyone compared to. 

If Brooks ends up being as good as Neal or Jones the Packers would be thrilled with that 6th round pick. 

[packfanfb]

2 hours ago, HyponGrey said:

Those are not guys I want anyone compared to. 

Mike Neal was actually pretty underrated. Had four straight seasons of 4+ sacks. Decent numbers for a rotational guy. 

Datone was a fish out of water here and was probably a bad pick from Day 1 due to his fit. 

[Refugee]

2 hours ago, packfanfb said:

Mike Neal was actually pretty underrated. Had four straight seasons of 4+ sacks. Decent numbers for a rotational guy. 

Datone was a fish out of water here and was probably a bad pick from Day 1 due to his fit. 

Neal made some contributions. There were more than whispers that he was heavily geared up, definitely looked the part. After some of the testing changed, he lost some of his “juice”.

[PACKRULE]

19 minutes ago, Refugee said:

Neal made some contributions. There were more than whispers that he was heavily geared up, definitely looked the part. After some of the testing changed, he lost some of his “juice”.

Neal, was good for keeping a few guys laced up with gear he was a PED head. With his usage he should have had more sacks. Hopefully our new guys are nothing of the sort.