Green Bay Packers: 3 Training Camp Predictions
By Paul Bretl
No UDFAs Make the Final Roster
The Green Bay Packers have a rich history of signing undrafted free agents who end up playing significant roles at some point in their careers. Over the years, there has been George Koonce, Tramon Williams, and Ryan Grant, to name just a few.
More recently, some undrafted free agents who have made the 53-man roster include Raven Greene, Alex Light, Tim Boyle, and Tyler Lancaster. While in 2019, two of the Packers’ biggest surprises, Allen Lazard and Chandon Sullivan, were undrafted free agents as well, although they did sign elsewhere initially before coming to Green Bay.
However, this season, I’m predicting that we don’t see any UDFAs make the final roster. At least not right away. Under normal circumstances, making the jump from college to the NFL is already a difficult transition, add in the fact that there have been no OTAs, mini-camps, and now no preseason games to go along with less practice time.
For an unproven player who is trying to show that they deserve a roster spot, there just won’t be as many opportunities for these UDFAs to showcase their talents. And from a coach’s perspective, with less time in the film room with these players and also on the practice field, someone who has at least been in the NFL for two or three years is going to be more appealing than someone who hasn’t. Even if the UDFA may have more upside.
One of the best parts of training camp is that there is always a UDFA or two who grabs the attention of the coaches along with the fans, and while that can still happen this summer, those players will end up on the practice squad rather than the final roster.