A lot could be on the line for players on the fringe of the Green Bay Packers roster in this final preseason contest. With the last round of roster cuts looming on Aug. 30, this game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium could be the last chance for some to make an impression.
While it is unlikely we will see any prospective starters in action, the game will decide the depth at some crucial positions and could lead to decisions that have repercussions.
Here are five things to keep an eye on.
Romeo Doubs
Doubs has been the talk of camp and preseason. Packers fans have been rightfully concerned about the receiver room. Still, since Doubs has excelled throughout training camp, expectations for him have continued to rise — and he’s only shown glimpses of what he is capable of.
It is understandable why fans are so excited about the fourth-round pick out of Nevada. He can separate from defensive backs and win with route-running skills that look far more evolved than usual for a player his age. His ability to get open is exciting, although his dropped passes have been a bit of concern.
Doubs bobbled a 70-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers in joint practices with the New Orleans Saints a week ago. He also dropped two of his five catchable targets in their preseason matchup. Every young player will have some hiccups, but it would be nice to see Doubs clear this up in the next week or two to carry momentum into the regular season.
Zach Tom
Tom is another fourth-round pick who has flashed this preseason. The offensive lineman has given up zero pressures on 36 pass-blocking snaps. He has also impressed Green Bay’s coaching staff with his versatility.
Fans should pay close attention to Tom to see if he can replicate his form from the first two preseason games. The regular season begins Sept. 11, and the Packers still aren’t sure Elgton Jenkins and David Bakhtiari will be available. If they cannot go for Week 1, we could see Tom starting at one of the all-important tackle positions.
If Jenkins and Bakhtiari are available for Week 1, we could see Tom supplant Royce Newman or Jake Hanson to play right guard.
Ramiz Ahmed
Mason Crosby has not practiced with the team since sustaining a knee injury this off-season. Last year, he went through a shaky spell and ended up with one of his worst seasons in terms of accuracy.
The Packers brought in kicker Gabe Brkic to serve as competition, but after Brkic sustained a hamstring injury, they waived him and made room for Ahmed. The undrafted kicker out of Nevada was perfect in his first game with the Packers. He also made a tackle on special teams to limit a big return.
If Crosby cannot start the season or winds up on the PUP list, the Packers could rely on Ahmed as their fill-in kicker. He could even earn the starting spot.
RB3
Third-string running back is one of Green Bay’s most prominent roster battles right now. With Kylin Hill on the PUP and Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon locks to make the roster, Tyler Goodson and Patrick Taylor are in a competition for this spot.
Goodson was the starter in the first week of the preseason, but the two backs traded series in the first half of the second preseason game. LaFleur stated that the Packers will consider special teams when deciding who gets the job.
While Goodson has been more productive as a runner, Taylor has been more active on special teams. He’s played on the punt, block, and kickoff teams. Packers fans should pay attention to special teams and the productivity of these backs to see who could make the roster and fill in until Hill returns.
Safety Depth
Everyone knows that Darnell Savage and Adrian Amos are locks to make the final roster, but there remain questions at the position behind them. After initially filling in for Savage when he went down with a hamstring injury, they waived Vernon Scott with an injury designation. The Packers also used Shawn Davis as the primary backup and in three safety packages over the summer.
Other than Davis, Dallin Leavitt and Micah Abernathy were vying for one of the two backup spots. Leavitt started against San Francisco in Week 1 of the preseason but missed the next week with a shoulder injury. Abernathy is a former USFL player who the Packers signed a few weeks ago.
With Savage still out after tweaking his hamstring in the first week of the preseason, cornerback Rasul Douglas has taken starting safety snaps this week across from Amos. Could we potentially see the Packers take an extra corner and three safeties?
