National Football League

Green Bay Packers' 53-man roster prediction

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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For the Green Bay Packers and the team’s fans It has been a long and eventful offseason.

We’ve seen new talents added, longtime favorites slowly reemerge from lost years, Hall of Fame inductions for longtime idols, training camps, political statements, injuries, suspensions, preseason games (and a bizarre cancellation), and all-round shake-ups both expected and not.

We are (finally, thankfully) nearing the official beginning of the season, but there is still one final important step: the final roster cuts.

This past Tuesday we saw the roster churn begin with the drop from 90 to 75 players, with some notable names dropping along the way (including the surprising move to get rid of the much-maligned-&-oft-despised Tim Masthay).

The drop to 53 is looming fast too – 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 3, to be exact – so now is a good time to look at who could make the final roster.

A couple sidenotes:

Now let’s begin, with the quarterbacks.

Aug 7, 2016; Canton, OH, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Hundley (7), quarterback Marquise Williams (9) and quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) enter the field at the 2016 Hall of Fame Game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. The game was cancelled due to safety concerns with the condition of the playing surface. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Quarterback

* = starter; + = roster spot

* Aaron Rodgers+ Brett HundleyJoe CallahanMarquise Williams

Last season was not at all the kind we have come to expect of Aaron Rodgers; he posted the lowest completion percentage (60.7%), yardage total (besides his injury-shortened 2013 season; 3,821) and yards per attempt (6.68), while also tying his career-high for fumbles (8). He was missing on throws that were usually routine, and after a surprising 6-0 start he had trouble dragging the team’s offense to their expected normal heights (21st in Weighted Offensive DVOA, as per Football Outsiders; their second-lowest in a full Rodgers season was 10th in 2008, his first season as starter).

Regardless of those struggles however, there is plenty of reason to expect a bounce-back from our favorite #12.

He should have his top receiver back in Jordy Nelson (a top-5 WR in 2014), his running game is expected to be more consistent with a fitter Eddie Lacy, his young stable of receivers behind Nelson should all be more experienced and prepared to handle their roles, and his line will (hopefully) stay more consistently healthy.

I’m far from the only source expecting a resurgence; Pro Football Focus — a site whose grading on Rodgers during last season consistently left much blame at his feet alone for the struggles of the offense, and also ended the year with him rated behind the likes of such sterling producers as Sam Bradford — came out strong, having him ranked as their #1 QB going into this season. Rankings from sources like (among others) Robert Mays of The Ringer, Don Banks of Sports Illustrated, and Pete Prisco of CBS Sports echo that thinking unequivocally, with many others putting him within the top three despite such an off year by his standards. If the players around him are able to bring something more along the lines of their expectations in 2016 than they managed in 2015, this should be an excellent season in the land of cheese.

Behind Rodgers, there is some question as to what should happen, but not much. Hundley has shown enough in his short career so far to have people excited about his potential, and is exactly the kind of young & talented prospect most teams covet to have on their roster in case something were to go wrong above them on the depth chart.

The only problem right now might be the ankle injury Hundley suffered. It isn’t something serious enough to threaten his own spot in the final 53, but it does make the team have to consider bringing on a third QB again.

Should they decide to do so, Callahan would be the pick. He’s shown a decent amount of positive signs throughout the preseason that he could be relied upon in an emergency. The decision to keep him will likely fall on Hundley’s ankle; if it is healthy enough and he has no limitations there isn’t a need for Callahan on the 53, but if Hundley is limited to start the year the team could be forced to keep Callahan over a more coveted option at a position elsewhere on the roster.

At this point, it appears Hundley shouldn’t be limited, so two quarterbacks is the way to lean in our expectations. Plus, Callahan can be placed on the practice squad and brought up later on if need be, and he’s more likely to not get picked up there or on waivers by other teams than some of the players at more loaded positions across this roster.

Jul 26, 2016; De Pere, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers running back Eddie Lacy (27) and running back Brandon Burks (34) prepare to do a drill during training camp at Ray Nitschke Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Running Back

* = starter; + = roster spot

* Eddie Lacy+ James Starks+ Brandon BurksBrandon Ross+ Aaron RipkowskiAlstevis Squirewell

Lacy had a pretty awful 2015. He continued his yearly tradition of starting slow, but this time never really found a consistent gear, leading him to lose his starting job while posting career lows in rushing yardage (758) and TDs (5). His weight was a constant topic of ridicule, and he kept getting himself trapped in the doghouse with the coaches, including getting himself benched before the “Hail Mary” game versus the Lions which saved the season.

Immediately following the season, he began working on throwing that awful year into the abyss in a big way. He worked with P90X founder Tony Horton and (based on the photos) appears to have improved his weight dramatically, and it already looks like it’s helping; in the preseason so far, he has racked up 114 yards on 20 carries with 1 TD. Expect him to come out and try to start strong and completely turn around how we think of him.

Behind Lacy, Starks is set to yet again be a strong #2 back who can do well in spot #1 duties if necessary. His ability to slash through a defense continues to be a great compliment to the pounding a healthy Lacy provides.

Looking towards the fullback spot, the team finally moved on from long-time fan favorite John Kuhn at fullback; his replacement is likely the young Ripkowski, especially since the Packers used a draft pick on him last year. He doesn’t have the knowledge of the system that a player like Kuhn would, but he does bring a combination of youth, size, and ability that Kuhn likely could no longer be expected to compete with. Squirewell was brought in as another young guy to compete with Ripkowski, but despite the awesome name he’s probably just a warm body.

There was only one spot left to give this grouping in my estimation, and it was easy to pick; in a battle of Brandons, Burks beats out Ross. Burks managed to have decent-or-better showings in each of the preseason games so far, while Ross ended two of the three with a negative yardage total and a 2.6 yards-per-carry average in the other.

This would have been a much tougher call had John Crockett not sustained an injury versus the 49ers; Burks has made a good case for himself, but Crockett had done pretty well too and he came with the added bonus of having a season with the team already under his belt. With his injury, Burks takes the spot.

August 26, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) shakes hands with wide receiver Jordy Nelson (87) before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi

Wide Receiver

* = starter; + = roster spot

* Jordy Nelson* Randall Cobb* Davante Adams+ Ty Montgomery+ Jeff Janis+ Jared AbbrederisTrevor DavisHerb Waters+ Geronimo Allison

The group that came up the shortest on offense last season is poised for a major resurgence.

First off, we’ve got the return of Nelson. It has been a slow and cautious approach to his return from his preseason ACL tear last year, but for a player of his caliber getting reps in the preseason means a lot less than the end of roster guys. We haven’t seen much beyond some bare minimum practice activities (mainly due to an unrelated injury slowing him down), but he’s had time to heal and should be good to start the year. If he can return to even a semblance of the player we all remember (i.e.: a top-5-caliber WR), this offense should jump immediately back into top-10 quality.

With Nelson back to work on the outside, Cobb should be able to jump back to being one of the most dangerous slot receivers the league has to offer. With Jordy out in 2015, teams were able to gameplan around stopping Cobb, and the young guys left to take Nelson’s place on the outside couldn’t take advantage of the one-on-one coverage they routinely saw themselves matched up against. It also didn’t help that Cobb had to deal with an assortment of his own injuries, including a shoulder problem sustained in the preseason and then the punctured lung (which was possibly caused by being mic’d up) that knocked him out of the playoff game versus Arizona. With improved play around him and better health luck, expect the Cobb of old to show himself yet again.

Behind Cobb is where things are somewhat harder to discern, though.

After a tough season that saw him vastly underperform heightened expectations (at least in part also due to injury issues), Davante Adams was a guy who could conceivably (in my estimation at least) have found himself fighting for a roster despite his high draft status two years ago and all the praise he received around this time just last year. Luckily for him, it has seemed that he’s done enough to start the year as the de facto #3 receiver going into this year; hopefully he can show us more of the positive play he’s flashed at times in the past, and I think he will be given plenty of opportunities to do so — especially if Nelson ends up having any more setbacks.

Montgomery has had about as bad injury luck as any of the guys in this group. He showed signs of being a dynamic option in the mold of Cobb last year, but unfortunately sustained an injury that never healed properly and essentially ended his year right around the time the team began to fall from their surprising 6-0 start to 2015. He has had to deal with more health issues this offseason too, but managed to get himself back on the field in the preseason. If he can put the injuries behind him, he’ll be a guy the team can line up anywhere to attack the defense.

Back on the topic of injuries, Abbrederis has fought through plenty in his two seasons so far; a torn ACL and concussion issues kept him from even being considered for a spot on the team in most of that time. Towards the end of last season however, he managed to find his health as everyone else was stuck in their own injury purgatory, and performed admirably to give Rodgers a slot option that wasn’t seeing constant focus from the defense like Cobb. His best game was his last one, putting in 4 catches (12 targets) and 55 yards to help a massively disadvantaged unit almost steal away a game they honestly shouldn’t have had any shot in. Should his health hold up, he’ll be another useful underneath weapon for Rodgers in 2016.

The preseason darling for two years, Janis finally got to see field time in 2015 (albeit almost entirely due to injuries around him). As a receiver he did little for most of the year, however; based on that work alone, he surely would have been dropped had injuries not created such a dire situation around him. Of course, that’s easy to forget after his signature performance against the Cardinals (7 catches, 145 yards, 2 TDs; that performance also included essentially two Hail Mary catches on the final drive to help send the game into overtime), but besides that he only had 2 catches across the entire year. Add in his recent hand injury and it would be hard to see him grab a spot on this crowded roster in most cases. What saves him though is his special teams ability; he turned himself into one of the best in that regard on the entire team, both as a returner (with multiple big returns on the year) and as a gunner (he made a handful of explosive tackles to end return attempts). With his work on that unit combined with his exciting receiving potential, he should find himself safe on the roster even despite the limitations his hand injury will cause early on.

That’s already six players — usually seen as a lot of spots for this position — but with the propensity of teams like Green Bay to run a lot of 3+ receiver sets, it isn’t out of the question to see a team consider bringing in as many as seven players, and we could definitely see that happening here.

Of the three remaining guys, it would seem the choice falls between Davis and Allison for that possible 7th spot. Davis has the pedigree of being a 5th rounder in this past draft with the element of speed, something the team sorely lacked at WR most of last year. Allison on the other hand has been the one showing the team exciting ability instead of just having it be projected to this point. Both have practice squad eligibility, so either could conceivably end up there. The issue may be that a talent-needy team may try to poach them from there or waivers if given the shot, and for a team that saw about as much flux as possible at this position last year, risking allowing quality talent to leave just isn’t a smart move — and the Packers know it. With Allison showing a good deal more so far than Davis, the likelihood of him being picked up seems higher, so that could be enough to swing this spot towards Allison, with Davis hopefully surviving on the practice squad while he improves on his skills.

August 26, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Green Bay Packers tight end Jared Cook (89) runs with the football against San Francisco 49ers strong safety Jaquiski Tartt (29) during the first quarter at Levi

Tight End

* = starter; + = roster spot

* Jared Cook+ Richard Rodgers+ Justin PerilloCasey Pierce

There have been many calls over the years for Ted Thompson to be more proactive in using free agency, the vast majority of which fall on deaf ears. He has done more movement in recent seasons than we give him credit for though (Julius Peppers & Letroy Guion were good-to-excellent moves), and he made a move this year as well to shore up one of the weakest spots on the roster by grabbing Cook off the scrap heap.

Cook has been a player never lacking in potential, but consistently falling short on the production end. Despite all his athletic abilities, he’s never been able to put it all together for more than a couple games at a time; he’s topped out at 52 catches (2014), 759 yards (2011), and 5 TDs (2013) while struggling with drops and bad route running, causing him to fall out of favor with his teams’ passing attacks on numerous occasions. There are outside factors involved however; the best quarterback he’s played with is probably a well-past-prime Matt Hasselbeck, and the teams he’s been on to date have been a far cry from stalwart units. With Green Bay, he has the chance to play with possibly the best QB of the past decade and in an offense that routinely ranks as one of the best the league has to offer. Should he manage to delve into his talents and actually produce, Green Bay will have the dynamic TE option they’ve lacked since prime Jermichael Finley.

Behind Cook, Richard Rodgers has shown himself to be an okay option, but nothing close to dynamic; his game-stealing Hail Mary against the Lions aside, he rarely made catches that resulted in more than a short completion, and he went down after first contact in every single instance I remember watching. He isn’t what you want as the main TE, but he can be a nice backup and should work out as a receiver in two-TE sets.

This third spot would have had a ton more competition, but due to injuries and settlements, players like Kennard Backman and Mitchell Henry found themselves out of the running. With those guys unable to make it, the only real choice remaining is Perillo. It helps his case that he has done well this offseason. He’ll never be a dynamic option, but you can do worse in a third TE than a consistent option who will catch whatever comes his way.

Aug 18, 2016; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers guard Josh Sitton (71) during the game against the Oakland Raiders at Lambeau Field. Green Bay won 20-12. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Offensive Line

* = starter; + = roster spot; & = PUP

* Bryan Bulaga* David Bakhtiari* T.J. Lang* Josh Sitton& Corey Linsley+ J.C. Tretter+ Lane Taylor+ Don BarclayLucas Patrick+ Kyle Murphy+ Jason SpriggsKyle Steuck

In 2014, this line finally found a way to stay healthy, and it was considered one of the best units in the league. 2015 had promise, but an assortment of injuries threw that plan into flux; nobody sustained the kind of season-ending injuries that have afflicted guys in the past, but nagging problems took just about everyone down for stretches, ruining the chemistry required of a good line.

There are already some unfortunate problems cropping up in that regard to start the year again; the team’s usual starting center Linsley has a twice-torn hamstring that likely gets him set on the Physically Unable To Perform (PUP) list for six weeks.

Fortunately, the team is as set as any in terms of strong lineman depth. Sitton and Lang form one of the top guard duos in the league. Bakhtiari can be overpowered with bull rushes, but is technically sound otherwise, and when healthy Bulaga is a strong option who can play either tackle spot. In Linsley’s stead, J.C. Tretter is the current starter at center and has the kind of malleable talent to work well at any of the line spots as needed.

Beyond the starters, there is still a good group to look towards, one much deeper than what the team had to resort to in 2015. Taylor is a decent backup with multiple years of experience in this offense, capable of taking on either guard spot if needed. Spriggs could be the future at one of the tackle spots, and Murphy could also see himself called upon depending what happens with Sitton and Lang after this year (both are set for free agency in 2017).

The only real question now is who gets brought on as the backup center while Linsley sits. Steuck was brought in as a possible pure center option once Linsley got hurt, but despite the issues surrounding him it could be Barclay that the team ultimately goes with. Barclay had an awful 2015 (by PFF rankings, he was the second-worst rated player on the year), but that may have been at least in part due to the torn ACL he sustained the previous year. With ACLs, there is a tendency to take two years for players to fully return to their prior level; with that in mind, he could conceivably be in line to get back to being the usual multi-talented utility lineman we saw before 2015. The team has already begun using him at center in the preseason, and he has experience at all the other spots on the line as well. In a backup, versatility is much desired; you never know who above them might go down due to injury and/or ineffectiveness, so having someone that can play anywhere makes life easier on a team. Because of that, Barclay will probably have his shot at redeeming his terrible year.

Jul 31, 2016; Green Bay,WI, USA; Green Bay Packers defensive end Mike Daniels (76) practices during the team

Defensive Line

* = starter; + = roster spot; ~ = suspended

* Mike Daniels+ Datone Jones* Letroy GuionChristian Ringo~ Mike Pennel+ Dean Lowry* Kenny Clark+ Brian PriceTravis Kuder

This spot saw a major name leave in B.J. Raji, but they may be able to improve a good deal despite the lack of name recognition.

Daniels, he of the massive extension last December, is one of the best linemen in the league; his abilities and production put him right under the likes of incredible talents like J.J. Watt and Aaron Donald, despite receiving only a smidgen of their spotlight. He’s a foundational talent who never stops hustling, and would be the unequivocal face of the defense if a golden-haired lion didn’t roam the defensive backfield.

Past Daniels the names aren’t sexy, but they are useful pieces. Guion is a player nobody thinks of when building a team in Madden, but his versatility and abilities make him a guy you can put at any spot on a line and he will do what is needed whether it be eating up blocks or penetrating into the backfield.

Pennel would be a good option to start with them, but his suspension prevents him from being an option until Week 5. If the back injury affecting Clark heals up in short order, he would be the likely option to start at the nose tackle spot, with Guion taking the end spot opposite Daniels.

Should Clark take longer than hoped to recover, another option I’ve seen tossed around would revolve around Guion manning the nose (the spot he’s probably best at) while somebody like Lowry handles the non-Daniels end spot.

Jones hasn’t been what the team hoped for when they drafted him in the first round a few years ago, but the team have a role they can use him in: the Elephant end. This role has been used for players like Julius Peppers and Nick Perry before, putting a big LB in a pass rushing situation with his hand on the ground; this lets them put their combination of speed and power to use in a way they normally might not get to, providing a possible advantage against slower linemen and mixing things up.

To round things out, Price could find himself grabbing one of the last open spots due to not just his own play but the circumstances around him. The suspension of Pennel means the team needs to keep an extra guy who normally may not make it. Between Price and someone like Ringo, the former has seemed to be the one the coaches prefer as of now; it was definitely a good sign for him that he was called on before Ringo in the most recent preseason game. What also helps is one of the players listed here (Jones) likely will continue to see time on both the DL and at OLB. One more thing that helps: he’s an undrafted free agent; the Packers routinely keep a couple of the undrafted players they bring in, and he is a strong candidate to be another success story in that area for this team.

Aug 18, 2016; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers linebacker Blake Martinez (50) celebrates following a tackle during the second quarter against the Oakland Raiders at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Linebacker

* = starter; + = roster spot

* Clay Matthews* Julius Peppers* Sam Barrington+ Nick Perry+ Carl Bradford+ Jayrone ElliottJoe Thomas+ Jake RyanBeniquez Brown+ Kyler Fackrell+ Blake MartinezReggie Gilbert

Wide receiver has been highly discussed as a loaded spot on this roster, but the choices here are at least as tough.

Matthews is a lock of course, and with him returning to outside linebacker full-time we should see him at his best much more often than we did while he’s spent time manning the ILB spot the past year & and half; though he’s done a mostly admirable job in his time there — and is better than the other options in recent years — his efficiency dropped and his effectiveness was limited. There are an assortment of guys who can play ILB now, so he can focus on what he does best: rushing the passer like a wild beast.

Peppers is also a lock, and his ageless abilities will continue to work opposite Matthews to form a dynamic two-man attack.

Due to using nickel as the base for this roster build, there is only one other starter to consider. There is a lot to like from the assortment of players there, but for now, it seems Barrington would be the best option there. He’s currently worked as the ILB in both the base and nickel defenses, so it would make sense that he at least begins the season in that role.

Past the starters, there is still plenty of talent to go around.

Martinez has received plenty of rave reviews already, and has worked as the dime linebacker; with time, he could elevate himself to an even bigger role on the defense. Ryan did a decent job when he got elevated towards the end of last season, and once he puts his offseason injury struggles behind him he’ll be another capable option for sharing ILB snaps with Barrington and Martinez.

On the outside, Perry will look to make an impact getting snaps rushing the passer behind Matthews and Peppers; his play against the run makes him a valuable option on early downs in Peppers’ stead too. With this being a contract year for him as well, he’ll be a player to watch for a possible big year from. Behind him, though he hasn’t had the kind of preseason he showed the previous two years, Elliott has done enough in the past to be worth another shot. It also helps that his likely main competition for a spot, Lerentee McCray, was traded to the Bills.

Of the players left, taking a player for each area is a good idea from a team-building perspective. On the outside, it seems likely that despite he’s not really stood out yet Fackrell will be given a shot. He should do better as he gets further removed from the torn ACL he suffered back in college. It also helps his case that teams rarely give up on third rounders in their first year. Inside, the choice falls between Bradford and Thomas. Bradford has been kept around despite struggling mightily to find a role the past two years; Thomas has spent time being relied on as needed for this team as other options fell short. Though Thomas has been more reliable to date, the fact that the team kept with Bradford through his struggles — and that he’s finally showing positive signs of competency in the middle — it appears likely Bradford has the edge here.

Jan 16, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Green Bay Packers cornerback Damarious Randall (23) celebrates with free safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (21) after intercepting a pass against the Arizona Cardinals in the second half in a NFC Divisional round playoff game at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Defensive Back

* = starter; + = roster spot; ~ = suspended

* Sam Shields* Morgan Burnett* Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix* Micah Hyde~ Demetri Goodson+ Chris Banjo* Damarious Randall+ Quinten Rollins+ LaDarius GunterRobertson DanielWarren GatewoodMakinton DorleantJosh Hawkins+ Kendall Brice+ Marwin EvansJermaine Whitehead

By using the nickel package as the base, we end up with five starters in this group.

Shields is the unequivocal starter at one cornerback spot. His concussion issues last year after the Dallas game cemented his importance to this unit; the defense suffered without him before stepping up to another level when he finally returned. His ability to match up against big receivers makes him invaluable on a team with an assortment of shorter cover men; without him, this team has to rely a lot more on luck and scheme to handle guys such as Larry Fitzgerald or Michael Floyd on the outside.

Opposite Shields, Randall should be able to take the next step after having a pretty good rookie season in that spot. He has plenty of ups and downs in his first year, but with the full season at corner under his belt after spending college playing safety, he can become an even stronger contributor going forward.

Burnett has been constantly overlooked over the years, but he’s one of the better-rated safeties the past few years and a good run defender (an area this team seems to constantly need to solidify). His fellow safety Clinton-Dix is the player we should be watching most though; Clinton-Dix already has shown himself to be really strong in coverage, and he could be poised to rise to the top tiers at his position.

To handle the slot starter position, the team will turn to Hyde. He’s worked well at that spot, and he should continue to be a fine option against both slot receivers and tight ends. Should injuries hit the outside guys or the safeties, he has also proven able to step into any of those roles as well.

Past the starters, the depth here is ridiculous.

Banjo has proven himself to be a strong contributor on special teams, to the point he became a captain for his work there. Keeping a strong leader like him is essential to a team that relies so heavily on young players to build their roster.

With more time actually playing football, Rollins should be even more of an exciting option; more games like the one he produced against the Rams are easily foreseeable. As he becomes more accustomed to the game (remember, he had only one season of football in college before he was drafted last year). Along with him, Gunter should continue taking positive steps forward. Once Goodson returns from his suspension, the roster spot for someone like him could be more tenuous, but his talent and experience with the team should keep Gunter safe at least for now. He could possibly still be challenged by an ascending Hawkins, but his positives may be enough to outlast any final push Hawkins manages.

To round things out, a couple talented safeties in Brice and Evans look to have the kind of playmaking talent teams covet. Each has made an impact in the preseason and could be reasonably expected to hold their own should they be called upon during the year. They’ll both be even more essential should the hamstring injury sustained by Banjo remain an issue.

Dec 13, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers punter Jacob Schum (5) catches a snap during the second quarter of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

Specialists

* = starter; + = roster spot

* Mason Crosby (kicker)* Jacob Schum (punter)* Rick Lovato (long snapper)

There have been some surprising developments here as of late.

All summer, we had the prospect of a possible replacement for the oft-maligned Tim Masthay in Peter Mortell. They both battled hard, and Mortell even looked like he could finally displace the player many in Packerland have called for the team to move on from. Once Mortell was dropped for the 75 cutoff, though, it appeared Masthay would once again survive to bring despair to the fanbase.

Then, out of nowhere, he was gone. All of a sudden, the long-time Green Bay punter lost his spot, replaced with an unknown off waivers from the Bucs in Schum.

On the surface, this doesn’t make much sense, no matter how much Masthay may have disappointed. Schum has just one season under his belt, and his raw punting stats all fall short of what Masthay managed last season. This feels like a case where the team just really felt they needed to try something new, and maybe a newer, younger face could turn around a spot that is extremely hard to judge purely on the numbers. Things definitely felt stagnant at best with Masthay, who improved on his raw totals but was too inconsistent at the worst times. Hopefully Schum can prove himself a more consistently reliable option; for now, he’s all the team has at the spot.

Lovato did a decent job after being picked up to replace the injured Brett Goode at long snapper towards the end of last year. Goode could return at some point, but it is unlikely; with his ACL tear coming so late in the year, it could be awhile until he’s fully ready to contribute well again. The team also just brought in rookie long snapper Ryan DiSalvo for a workout, but for now he hasn’t been signed; should he be offered a contract, that likely means he’s replacing Lovato. Until a contract goes out for a competitor however, it’s Lovato’s job.

The one who has had nothing to worry about on this unit is Crosby. He’s continued to be a steadfast presence since he recovered from an awful 2013, and there’s no reason to believe he won’t keep on doing so in 2016.

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