Green Bay Packers v. Chiefs: 7 players on the roster bubble

Heading into the Green Bay Packers’ final preseason game, these seven players find themselves on the roster bubble and in danger of being cut.

The Green Bay Packers will play their final game of the preseason this Thursday night at home against the Kansas City Chiefs. Which means that the regular season is just over a week away and roster cuts are looming.

At this point, a majority of the Packers’ 53-man roster is set and the team is beginning to prepare for their week one matchup with the Chicago Bears. However, not everything is set in stone and these seven players, in particular, have a lot of play for in practice and especially in the final preseason game.

Once again, the Green Bay starters won’t see any time on the field during the preseason game which means these players will get plenty of reps to showcase their value to the Packers in 2019. It is time to go and earn that spot!

DeShone Kizer

While Kizer should have been the favorite to win the backup quarterback gig prior to Training Camp, now entering his third NFL season we just haven’t seen the growth that needs to be there. While at times he makes spectacular throws, Kizer is wildly inconsistent, indecisive, and looks uncomfortable in the pocket when there is pressure.

This preseason he is a combined 17/30 for 196 yards with a touchdown and an interception. The race for the backup spot was fairly close, but with Tim Boyle’s performance against Oakland, it would appear that he is the clubhouse leader heading into the final week.

Chandon Sullivan

Second-year player Chandon Sullivan has made quite a bit of noise this preseason and is making it very difficult for the Green Bay Packers to move on from him. In his three preseason games, Sullivan has 13 total tackles, one of which was for a loss, five pass deflections and an interception. He’s also been a very solid special teams player. Don’t be surprised if Sullivan makes the final 53.

Cole Madison

Both GM Brian Gutekunst and head coach Matt LaFleur were very excited when the news broke that Madison would be returning to the Green Bay Packers this season. While there has been some rust to shake off with his return, overall he has looked pretty good, including winning a number of one-on-one battles in practice.

However, this is a very deep offensive line unit this season with what I count as eight roster spots already accounted for. At this point, we don’t know if the Packers will keep 9 or 10 players along the offensive front but either way, Madison is right on the edge.

Natrell Jamerson

It’s been a bit of an up and down preseason for Jamerson, at times we’ve seen him make some nice plays but he’s also missed some tackles and struggled with his coverage responsibilities. However, he does bring versatility to this defense as he can play safety, cornerback and even was a return man at Wisconsin.

As of now, my gut says that Jamerson is on the outside looking in but like in most cases, it depends on how many players Green Bay wants to keep in the secondary. And for a team that inexplicably seems to suffer a number of injuries in the defensive backfield each season, keeping an extra player or two may not be a bad idea.

Allen Lazard

In what has been a highly contested wide receiver battle, Allen Lazard has emerged as one of the most productive receivers on the team this preseason. Through three games he has caught six passes for 114 yards and a touchdown. Two things, in particular, have made Lazard successful, his reliability and his ability to rack up yards after the catch.

The recent injury to Equanimeous St. Brown adds a new wrinkle to the receiver room and we don’t know how the team wants to proceed, but with five spots on the roster accounted for, that leaves Darrius Shepherd and Lazard fighting for potentially just one spot.

As of now, I give Shepherd the advantage and hopefully, Lazard can return from the injury he sustained against the Oakland Raiders and make a final push over this last week.

Dexter Williams/Tra Carson

We know that Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams are cemented as the Packers first and second running backs, but there is a bit of uncertainty around who will be the third. While Dexter Williams has much more upside, athleticism, and explosiveness, he has been unreliable as well – specifically in the passing game.

Enter Tra Carson who certainly doesn’t have the talent that Williams does but is trusted by LaFleur and has been getting more reps because of it. As we enter the last week of the preseason, do the Packers choose the safe option in Tra Carson, or swing for the fences with Dexter Williams?