The Green Bay Packers will wrap up the preseason against the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday afternoon, but head coach Matt LaFleur can’t afford to relax when the clock hits zero. With injuries throughout the roster and a team that needs to improve despite going 11-6 a year ago, the Packers coaching staff will have plenty of tough decisions to make when assembling their 53-man roster.
The injuries help in the long run as they make for an easy cut or an avenue to sneak them onto the team through injured reserve. But there are other battles that must have a winner. The latter scenario could lead to surprises before Tuesday afternoon and could have one Packer turning in his playbook when he least expects it.
Preseason Standout Nazir Stackhouse Likely to Be Cut By Packers
Most of the eyes may be set on what happens at receiver, but pne of the biggest battles on the Packers’ roster is happening in the middle of the defensive line. Kenny Clark, Devonte Wyatt, Karl Brooks, and Colby Wooden have likely sealed up their roster spot ahead of Tuesday’s deadline, but The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman suggests there could be one roster spot to give between Nazir Stackhouse and Warren Brinson.
“The Packers kept only five defensive tackles last season on the initial [53-man roster],” Schneidman wrote. “... Both Brinson, a rookie sixth-round pick, and Stackhouse, a rookie undrafted signing have flashed in camp. Stackhouse probably has more splash plays, but LaFleur has emphasized that coaches are looking at far more than that.”
Schneidman went on to mention that Brinson and Stackhouse were the first two names that defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley dropped when asked who was standing out at camp. But you wouldn’t be able to tell a winner based on their Pro Football Focus stats this preseason.
The former Georgia teammates have been neck-and-neck as they come down the final stretch. Stackhouse has the better overall grade at 53.2 compared to Brinson’s 42.9. But Brinson has five quarterback pressures to Stackhouse’s three. Both players will have a chance to win a job against the Seahawks, but Brinson may have the advantage due to his status as a sixth-round pick.
The Packers could hedge their bets and keep both players, as Stackhouse could be a coveted pickup by another team. But with time running out, Stackhouse may need a solid all-around performance to keep his job next Tuesday.