Green Bay Packers Roster Cuts Tracker: Live Updates, Analysis

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers must cut their 91-man roster to 53 players by 3 p.m. Tuesday.

Here is the latest on what is certain to be a day of agonizing waits and life-changing news for the players on the roster bubble.

Packers Release RB Nate McCrary

As reported by PackersNews.com’s Ryan Wood, the Packers have released running back Nate McCrary.

The Packers released him last year, too; this time, he might return to the practice squad.

With injuries in the backfield, McCrary played in the two preseason games. He carried 14 times for 75 yards, a 5.4-yard average. Against the Ravens on Saturday, he broke three tackles and averaged an excellent 3.91 yards after contact, according to PFF.

“It’s honestly been exciting and, honestly, like a breath of fresh air just to be back here,” McCrary told Packers On SI. “Just being at home waiting for the next opportunity, training, training, waiting and waiting, finally being on a squad, it’s just a dream come true. Obviously, nothing’s set in stone, but I’ve got faith. I’ve got faith in God that he’ll come through, and I believe in myself.”

Packers Release WRs Julian Hicks, Dimitri Stanley

The Packers have released Julian Hicks, according to a source, but should return to the team on the practice squad once he clears waivers.

Hicks caught one pass for 23 yards against the Browns in the preseason opener – a big-time catch. He was not targeted in any other games, though.

Hicks, who almost gave up on his NFL dreams, signed with the Packers after trying out at the post-draft rookie camp. As a graduate student at FCS powerhouse Albany in 2023, Hicks caught 50 passes for 820 yards (16.4 average) and 11 touchdowns.

Dimitri Stanley went undrafted this year and, like Hicks, signed with the Packers after trying out at rookie camp. The son of former Packers star Walter Stanley, Dimitri Stanley started his college career at Colorado before finishing at Iowa State, where he caught 33 passes in 2022 and 15 in 2023.

“I thought this was well-deserved for him, something that he had worked his tail off for,” Walter told Packers On SI.

“The icing on the cake was it being the Green Bay Packers. Of course, in my home, we are all green and yellow. We’re Packers through and through, and to connect with the team that was a childhood dream team has just been phenomenal.”

He caught three passes for 12 yards and averaged 6.3 yards per punt return and 23.7 yards per kickoff return in the preseason.

Packers Release TE Messiah Swinson

Swinson, a 6-foot-7, 259-pound undrafted rookie tight end, has been released and should return to the practice squad, according to a source.

Swinson spent his first three seasons at Missouri before finishing with two years at Arizona State. He caught 28 passes in his five collegiate seasons, with 15 catches for 185 yards and two touchdowns in 2022 and six catches for 48 yards in 2023.

He did not catch a pass in the preseason.

Packers Release OL Luke Tenuta

The Packers have released offensive lineman Luke Tenuta, a sixth-round pick by the Bills in 2022 who joined the Packers off waivers in October of his rookie season.

He played in three games as a rookie with seven snaps on offense and 18 snaps on special teams but spent last season on injured reserve. Tenuta played right guard and right tackle during the preseason. He did not allow a pressure in 22 pass-protecting snaps.

Packers Release WR Jalen Wayne

The Packers have released receiver Jalen Wayne, the cousin of NFL legend Reggie Wayne.

A late arrival to the sport, even with the family connection, Wayne caught eight passes for 115 yards during his first three seasons at South Alabama but 144 passes for 1,863 yards during his final three seasons.

He spent training camp last year with the Bills – he was given Reggie Wayne’s No. 87 – and Browns. The Packers signed him at the start of camp.

“This past summer, I wouldn’t say I was giving it up, but I was pretty close to it,” Wayne told Packers On SI.

Packers Release TE Joel Wilson

The Packers have told tight end Joel Wilson that he has been released. A return to the practice squad is a possibility.

Wilson was signed to the practice squad late last season and had a strong training camp as a pass-catching threat. He dropped a pass in the preseason finale and was up against it from a numbers perspective.

“Joel, he’s a good route runner,” tight ends coach John Dunn said. “He’s got good feet, good hips, he does a nice a job at the top of his routes. It’s fun to watch him. It’s fun to watch those guys go out in a game setting and do it. It’s fun to see him make plays.”

During his final two seasons at Central Michigan, he caught 75 passes for 802 yards and 12 touchdowns. 

Source: Packers Release Anders Carlson

The Packers have released kicker Anders Carlson, a source told Packers On SI, a stunning end after the team stuck by Carlson through thick and thin during a rocky rookie season.

Carlson appeared to have separated himself from veteran Greg Joseph after a strong finish to training camp but he missed a 32-yard field goal during the fourth quarter against Baltimore.

No kicker missed more kicks last year than Carlson, who ranked 23rd in field-goal percentage as a rookie. His success rate was no better during the relatively stress-free days of training camp.

In five seasons at Auburn, Carlson made only 71.8 percent of his field-goal attempts; his only truly good season came in 2020, when he made 20-of-22 attempts. The Packers used a sixth-round pick on him, anyway.

College stats and NFL success don’t always correlate, but they did in the case of Carlson, who made 81.8 percent of his field goals and 87.2 percent of his point-after attempts last year.

Here is the full story.

First Big Move: Packers Release WR Samori Toure

In the first big move of Tuesday, the Packers have released third-year receiver Samori Toure, a source told Packers On SI.

The news wasn’t a surprise given the Packers’ depth at receiver. Beyond the “Big 4,” Toure was at the bottom of the “Next 4” group of Bo Melton, Grant DuBose, Malik Heath and Toure.

“He’s been in there and made some key plays for us at some critical moments, so, like for him to continue that,” coach Matt LaFleur said toward the end of training camp.

Toure caught 5-of-8 passes for 53 yards in the preseason, including a third-down conversion against the Ravens in which he broke a tackle to move the chains.

A seventh-round pick in 2022, Toure caught 13 passes for 160 yards and one touchdown in 22 career games.

While Toure made the 53-man roster ahead of Melton last year, he wound up 12th on the team with eight receptions. He was a healthy scratch for five games and ended the season on injured reserve. After playing 77 snaps in the first three games, Toure played 62 the rest of the season.

More Big News: Caleb Jones Released

Caleb Jones – perhaps the tallest and largest player to suit up for a game in franchise history – was the first big casualty on the offensive line, according to a source.

He was not offered a spot on the practice squad, so Jones will be looking to start his career elsewhere.

An undrafted free agent in 2022 who worked diligently to reshape his body, Jones spent last season on the 53-man roster but played only one snap on special teams in his only appearance.

He spent training camp working behind fellow tackles Kadeem Telfort and Travis Glover.

“It’s honestly insane to even be here and be in Year 3,” he said after Family Night. “It’s a blessing. It’s a complete and total blessing. I’m excited or what the future holds for me in this organization.

Packers Down One Cornerback

Cornerback LJ Davis, who had been selling shoes when the Packers signed him early in training camp, suffered a “multi-week injury” during the final preseason game, a source said, dashing his hopes for a spot on the practice squad.

He signed with the Titans as an undrafted free agent last year but was released in their final cuts. He was out of the NFL the rest of the year.

“Absolutely. It gets very discouraging,” Davis said after signing. “You stay ready, you stay ready. You hear that your whole time when you’re training, but some days are harder than others. You get up and you’re like, ‘Am I doing this for nothing? Hopefully I’m not.’ God always has a plan, so I’m glad that it’s this.”

Bo Melton Doesn’t Forget His Roots

The Packers have two connected locker rooms. Once the season starts, the main locker room is for the players who are on the roster. Through an entryway is another locker room, which is for players on the practice squad.

That secondary locker room is where Bo Melton spent most of last season.

Despite a strong training camp, Melton didn’t make the 53-man roster last year. Late in the season, he was promoted to the active roster and moved into the main locker room.

His locker remained in the main area through training camp this year, but he still likes to hang out in the secondary locker room.

All the players in that smaller locker room dream of being in the main locker room. So, why does Melton spend so much time with the practice-squad players and roster long shots?

“Because that’s where I started from,” he said. “I never want to forget where I came from, the struggle that I had to go through in life in general. Wherever I start, I want to keep being that person. I go back there all the time because that’s where I started. Some of the people are still back there and I’m close friends with.

“I’m close friends with everybody basically on the team but back there being on the P-squad, a lot of guys need motivation. They need people to look up to. I wanted to be that factor for them. They motivated me every single day, so I go back there to remind myself that those are my guys. Those are people who want to make rosters. I was that guy before. I want to keep going back there to remind myself.”

The (Almost) Irrelevant Fear of Waivers

After last year’s final cuts, the Packers claimed tight end Ben Sims and safety Zayne Anderson off waivers.

That was remarkable for one reason.

That’s two more players than the Packers lost over the previous six seasons. That’s right, the Packers haven’t lost a player on waivers since quarterback Taysom Hill and defensive lineman Brian Price were claimed by the Saints and Cowboys, respectively, in 2017.

This year could be different given the Packers depth, overall, and at receiver and defensive back, specifically. Still, for the most part, the fear of losing the 54th- or 55th-best player on the roster is overblown.

Before the Packers won the Super Bowl in 2010, they lost five players on waivers. One of them, center Evan Dietrich-Smith, returned to Green Bay and started 25 games in 2011 through 2013.

Cutdown Day Eve Trade: Packers Acquire Malik Willis

Would the Packers go into the season with Sean Clifford or Michael Pratt as the backup to quarterback Jordan Love?

The answer might be none of the above.

In a Monday trade, the Packers sent a seventh-round pick to the Tennessee Titans for quarterback Malik Willis.

Willis was a third-round pick by the Titans in 2022. He went 1-2 as a starter as a rookie with zero touchdowns three interceptions and a 42.8 passer rating. Last year, he went 4-of-5 passing. This year, he had an excellent preseason but was buried on the depth chart behind Will Levis and Mason Rudolph.

“I work hard and try to handle any mishaps. Learn from it and try to grow each day,” he said after going 3-of-4 for 51 yards and two touchdowns in the preseason finale against the Saints.

The Packers will visit the Titans in Week 3.

Malik Willis Draft Projection

Long before the Packers acquired quarterback Malik Willis on Monday, he was considered a potential first-round pick with an elite skill-set after dominating at Liberty.

Entering the 2022 NFL Draft, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein compared Willis to Jay Cutler (arm strength) and Jaylen Hurts (play style) and projected him as a first-round pick.

In his scouting report, Zierlein said Willis had “special parts” to his game – including a “rocket-launching right arm” – but there was “no guarantee” they would be “assembled properly into a finished product.”

What about Mel Kiper? Here’s what he said on ESPN’s Get Up a few weeks before the 2022 draft.

“If you want the best quarterback on talent, and I go into the history, you learn from the history in the draft. Justin Herbert, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, they weren’t considered necessarily NFL-ready right away, but they had the most talent. And the most talent will win out.

“And for Malik Willis, in this draft, he’s the most talented quarterback. That’s why I have him slightly ahead of Kenny Pickett on the draft board.” 

Instead, Willis was the 86th pick of the draft, the third quarterback taken behind Kenny Pickett by the Steelers in the first round and Desmond Ridder by the Falcons 12 picks earlier in the third round.

Willis shares the same agent as Love, David Mulugheta of Athletes First.

Deep But Lacking?

Thanks to a couple of hefty draft classes, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst has built a deep and talented roster.

That doesn’t mean he won’t be scanning the waiver wire in hopes of adding veteran depth to a roster that is considered a prime Super Bowl contender with the ninth-shortest championship odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Here are three positions that the Packers could be looking to upgrade:

Quarterback: Neither of their young quarterbacks, Sean Clifford or Michael Pratt, seized control of the backup job during training camp or the preseason.

Of 53 quarterbacks with at least 35 dropbacks in the preseason, Pratt ranked 43rd with 5.1 yards per attempt and Clifford was 48th with 4.8 yards per attempt.

The Packers are a title contender but the margin for error is slim. Remember, they barely squeaked into the playoffs last season with a 9-8 record. The Packers were fortunate that Jordan Love got through the season unscathed, but that’s the exception. Last year, only 11 quarterbacks played 90-plus percent of the snaps.

If a stable veteran gets released on Monday or Tuesday, expect the Packers to be interested.

Offensive line: The starting five will be strong but the depth is lacking. Especially at tackle.

Former first-round pick Andre Dillard recovered nicely after a dismal start to camp, but his overall track record leaves plenty to be desired as a potential swing tackle. Dillard allowed a league-worst 12 sacks despite starting only 10 games. He didn’t allow a pressure in 29 pass-protecting snaps in the preseason, though.

The interior depth will be better with Jordan Morgan (assuming Sean Rhyan starts at right guard) and Jacob Monk, but both are rookies. Veteran Royce Newman could factor, too, but it’s not a good sign that the Packers had an established player on the field for 146 preseason snaps.

If Dillard, Morgan and Monk are three backups, will the Packers keep a young player such as Kadeem Telfort, Caleb Jones, Lecitus Smith or Travis Glover as the ninth blocker, or will they look to see if a capable veteran is cut loose?

Kicker: Right when it looked like Anders Carlson had crossed the finish line with the win, he missed a 32-yard field goal to wrap up the preseason.

Several kickers will be released the next few days, but will any of them be more reliable than Carlson or Greg Joseph?

Joey Slye (82.3 percent for his career), Austin Seibert (80.4 percent), Lucas Havrisik (75.0 percent) and Matthew Wright (85.1 percent but only a full-time kicker once since entering the NFL in 2019) – all of whom could lose their kicking competitions – aren’t exactly leaps-and-bounds better.

NFL All-Preseason Team

The Sporting News published its NFL All-Preseason Team. It includes two players who might be on the Packers’ roster bubble.

Kristian Welch was one of two linebackers selected. Not only did he lead the team with 16 tackles in the preseason, he tied for the NFL lead with two interceptions and finished the exhibition slate with a takeaway in each game.

“I’m not even sure in high school if I had that many takeaways,” the native of Iola, Wis., said after Saturday’s game. “Credit to my teammates, too, and the coaches for putting me in the right position.”

At running back, Emanuel Wilson was one of the honorable mentions behind the Giants’ Eric Gray.

Among running backs, Wilson was second in rushing yards (160; the Bills’ Frank Gore Jr. was the champion with 163) and missed tackles (10; the Jets’ Israel Abanikanda forced 12). Wilson was No. 1 with 132 rushing yards after contact. That number alone would have ranked seventh among backs, according to Pro Football Focus.

“I felt like I put in good work,” he said. “It starts in practice. The coaches always get on me about my pad level and hitting the holes when I see them. I’ve been trying to do that every time I get the ball.”

Speaking of Running Backs

Wilson’s strong preseason has him in the running for a roster spot. Pardon the pun. Injuries to AJ Dillon and MarShawn Lloyd could help his chances.

Dillon suffered a stinger during the joint practice at Denver. Considering he missed the final three games of last season with a stinger, both Dillon and the team are going to be cautious.

“You only get one body,” Dillon said.

Dillon had a disappointing season as a runner last year but is an asset in pass protection and as a receiver. Last year, more than 200 players were targeted at least 27 times in the passing game. Dillon ranked third in that group in YAC per catch.

“The good thing is, before this, I have not missed any OTAs, practices for anything,” he said. “I know it’s a big alarm right now, but I have not missed a day in camp. I’ve been healthy throughout it all, not taking any days off, so I’m not going to be worried about us being cautious and try to make sure that I’m around the entire season rather than a day in camp.”

Lloyd, the explosive third-round pick, missed the start of camp with a hip injury, then dropped out of his preseason debut after two touches due to a hamstring injury.

Lloyd said his “goal” was to be on the field for the opener against the Eagles on Sept. 6.

“I’m feeling pretty good and I’m just talking my time,” he said. “We’ve got almost two weeks. That’s more than enough time. So, we’re taking baby steps and when it’s time to let it loose, we’ll let it loose.”

If a player opens the season on injured reserve, he can’t play or practice for the first four weeks of the season. 

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