5 VETERANS WHO WON'T MAKE THE GREEN BAY PACKERS' WEEK 1 ROSTER

It's not going to be easy being a veteran on this young and hungry Green Bay Packers roster in 2024. The Packers have one of the youngest teams in the league, and they have a ton of talent all across the board. While veteran leadership is important, the Packers aren't going to sacrifice talent in order to simply have experience for the sake of it.

Which veteran players could legitimately not make the 53-man roster for Week 1 of the 2024 season? Competition at training camp and in preseason games will make some of these roster battles fascinating, but there are a handful of veteran players who could get replaced by young guys in the coming weeks.

Let's take a look at a handful of guys who need a big camp/preseason to fend off young talent behind them on the depth chart.

1. AJ Dillon, running back

After OTAs and minicamp, it feels like there's at least a little more job security for AJ Dillon as he showed up in incredible shape and perhaps reignited hope that he could be the team's RB2 behind Josh Jacobs this year.

And in the event that Jacobs has to miss significant time, the Packers might prefer to turn to Dillon again as opposed to just throwing rookie MarShawn Lloyd to the wolves. The Packers enter training camp with at least four capable running backs on the roster, Dillon included. Emanuel Wilson was a really nice find for them last year as an undrafted rookie and has a chance to progress in his role this season.

If Dillon has a good camp and preseason, it could lead to an expanded role in Green Bay or somewhere else. If he can boost trade value, the Packers have the depth at this position to dangle him for a draft pick before the start of the season. If he doesn't perform well, there's no dead money on his contract and the Packers can move on quite easily.

There are a few avenues to Dillon not being on this team by Week 1, even if he continues to have a strong offseason.

2. Royce Newman, offensive line

The discourse around Royce Newman has carried on ad nauseam at this point. The former fourth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft will soon likely reach the end of his time with the Green Bay Packers, probably before Week 1 of the 2024 season.

Newman was active every game last year but his snaps diminished and they've been decreasing exponentially since he started 16 games as a rookie. There may have, at one point, been enough promise from Newman for the Packers to believe he could be a starter or key role player, but that no longer appears to be the case. The team can't trust him to perform when he's on the field, and they've done enough in the NFL Draft and free agency this offseason to cut ties when roster cuts are due.

3. Greg Joseph, kicker

The Packers are doing everything they can to push Anders Carlson in his second NFL season. Carlson struggled throughout his rookie year for the Packers, including missing a kick against the 49ers in the playoffs that cost the Packers a shot at going to the NFC Championship Game.

As a result of his struggles last year, Green Bay has left no stone unturned when it comes to the kicker position, adding veteran Greg Joseph as well as James Turner to the mix. Unless Joseph is absolutely killing it this offseason, he's not going to make this team over a player the Packers just drafted last year.

4. Eric Wilson, linebacker

The Packers have completely overhauled their linebacker position this offseason, and there's still certainly going to be room for a player like veteran Eric Wilson, especially thanks to his special teams ability.

But he's going to have to absolutely crush it on special teams in order to make the roster over a number of other young players who have been added to the mix. The Packers got more special teams snaps from Wilson last year (308) than any other player on their roster. If he's that trusted by Rich Bisaccia, the Packers' special teams coordinator, then he should have pretty good job security. But players like Kristian Welch and Isaiah McDuffie also played key roles on special teams last year, and the Packers have added Edgerrin Cooper and Ty'Ron Hopper to the mix with top-100 NFL Draft picks.

Wilson is going to have to hope Green Bay's plan is to keep six linebackers.

5. Andre Dillard, offensive tackle

Even as a former first-round pick, Andre Dillard isn't going to be guaranteed anything as a member of the Green Bay Packers. With Rasheed Walker and Zach Tom currently penciled in as the starters, Dillard is going to have to do one of two things this offseason.

Number one, he could prove himself to be uncuttable as a swing tackle and one of the Packers' best reserves on the offensive line.

Number two, he could legitimately weave his way into the starting lineup and cause the Packers to rethink their starting five alignment.

The second option seems rather unlikely, of course, but you just never know. Dillard certainly has talent. But he's going to have to prove himself as a swing option in order to claim a 53-man roster spot. He signed a risk-free deal as far as the Packers are concerned, and they could cut him without hesitating if he struggles.

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This article was originally published on lombardiave.com as 5 veterans who won't make the Green Bay Packers' Week 1 roster.

2024-07-04T11:12:59Z dg43tfdfdgfd