5 Players the Packers Will Regret Leaving Off the 53-Man Roster

The Green Bay Packers were busy on Tuesday, wheeling and dealing as they trimmed their roster from 90 players to 53 before the 3 p.m. CT deadline.

It’s a process every NFL team faces, and while the Packers managed to make the necessary cuts, no one ever bats 1.000. There are always a few players you can’t help but wonder about—guys who might have been worth keeping around. Here are five players the Packers could regret leaving off their 53-man roster.

Kristian Welch, Linebacker

It’s hard to imagine what more Kristian Welch could have done to make the Packers’ 53-man roster. If you were looking for big plays, Welch delivered them. He was a consistent playmaker throughout the preseason, seemingly always around the ball and making the kind of impact plays that coaches dream about. Whether it was stuffing the run, dropping into coverage, or even getting after the quarterback, Welch showed he could do it all.

And then there’s his special teams contribution. In today’s NFL, where roster spots are at a premium, being a special teams ace can often be the difference between making the team and getting cut. Welch was one of the standout performers in this phase of the game as well, consistently making plays and showing a knack for being in the right place at the right time.

Yet, despite all this, Welch finds himself on the outside looking in.

The Packers’ decision likely came down to a numbers game. With Quay Walker, Edgerrin Cooper, Ty’ron Hopper, Eric Wilson, and Isaiah McDuffie ahead of him on the depth chart, there simply wasn’t room for another linebacker.

But this decision could come back to haunt the Packers. With Cooper and Hopper both dealing with injuries and Wilson and McDuffie still largely unproven, the Packers may find themselves wishing they had a player like Welch ready to step in.

The hope now is that Welch clears waivers and can be brought back onto the practice squad. He would be an invaluable asset there, someone who could step up at a moment’s notice if injuries strike or if the linebacker corps struggles. But losing a player of Welch’s caliber, especially after the preseason he had, is a risk the Packers might regret.