6 Takeaways from Packers 2nd week of training camp practices

The Packers are “very bullish” on Amari Rodgers

All offseason, I’ve considered Amari Rodgers a roster lock for this team. In short, I just don’t see them giving up on a second-year third-round pick who they traded up for.

But if you feel otherwise, I can understand why, especially when he hasn’t really stood out during training camp, and we see Juwann Winfree taking more snaps with the starters than Rodgers has.

Rodgers has joined the Packers in better shape than he was a year ago, and as Gutekunst would tell reporters, he is someone that the team is “very bullish” on.

Of course, that could be GM speak, but Rodgers is getting opportunities to work with the starters on offense as well as on special teams, as primarily a punt returner, but he also took some reps as a gunner.

Justis Mosqueda would also bring up an interesting point in a recent article of his. Winfree may have out-snapped Rodgers with the ones during Family Night, but when it comes to the construction of the receiver position, Winfree really lines up only outside, where he would at best be the fifth option at the position behind Sammy Watkins, Allen Lazard, Romeo Doubs, and Christian Watson.

Rodgers, however, is the backup for Randall Cobb at the slot receiver position. Now, Doubs and Lazard can and will both lineup inside, but for a team that doesn’t utilize a ton of five-wide sets and will also actively uses the running backs and tight ends in the passing game, is having Winfree as a fifth boundary target more important or Rodgers as Cobb’s backup?

This was the question posed by Justis and a very good one at that. I think once that is taken into consideration, along with the positive comments we’ve heard about Rodgers and his potential special teams contributions, it all adds up to him being on this roster.