10 Questions about Green Bay Packers roster before final cutdowns
By Paul Bretl
The 20 training camp practices are complete, as are the three preseason games. The next and final step for the Green Bay Packers before they turn their complete attention to the regular season is trimming their roster from 79 players to 53.
Those final cutdowns have to be completed by Tuesday afternoon, and while we know who will make up a majority of the Packers roster, there still are X questions that have to be answered.
Patrick Taylor or Tyler Goodson as the Green Bay Packers’ third running back?
The Packers will need a third running back on the roster until Kylin Hill returns, and that battle is between Patrick Taylor and Tyler Goodson.
Offensively, Goodson has drawn more attention because of the potential playmaking ability that he has with the ball in his hands. He’s also been active in the passing game with 60 yards on eight receptions.
Taylor brings a more physical running style but has found success as well, averaging nearly 5.0 yards per carry in the final preseason game. He also has three receptions for 17 yards.
While offensive production matters, this third running back role is going to come down to special teams play and pass protection abilities, as Matt LaFleur has told us on a few occasions.
For what it’s worth, Taylor has played a few more snaps this preseason and also has the higher PFF grade by a decent amount. Goodson had a rough showing on special teams in the preseason finale, with a dropped kickoff and missed tackle opportunity. We also saw him get pushed into Jordan Love in pass protection–an area where Taylor is the better player.
Now, with all of that said, perhaps the Packers choose to roster only two running backs. If needed, Amari Rodgers could be an emergency option, and the team could also utilize practice squad elevations each week until Kylin Hill returns, which at the earliest, would be Week 5.