The Green Bay Packers are less than one month away from the regular season. There’s even less time remaining before general manager Ted Thompson has to whittle his roster down from its current 88 players to a final 53-man group.
Nearly every player had a chance to show what he can do during last week’s preseason opener in New England. They will all have another chance this Sunday in Pittsburgh.
This time of year can make or break NFL careers for players who are on the bubble. Will they prove to be worthy of a spot on the 2015 Packers roster, or will they be looking for a new home in a few weeks?
Here are five bubble players trending upwards and five players whose bubble may be bursting:
On the bubble, but looking good
Ladarius Gunter
The undrafted cornerback out of the University of Miami has made every NFL scouting department look foolish for not making him one of the 256 players selected earlier this year. Gunter earned the respect of position coach Joe Whitt early on, and he backed it up once again with an interception against the Patriots. Gunter still has work to do, but at this point, it’s difficult to imagine Green Bay not finding a place for him on the active roster.
Jeff Janis
Janis is a touchdown-catching machine ... in the preseason. It’s safe to assume that with more development time, it will eventually translate into regular-season touchdowns. Janis is likely behind Ty Montgomery for the No. 4 wide receiver job, but he should be ahead of Myles White and the oft-injured Jared Abbrederis. Still, Janis has to get on the same page with Aaron Rodgers on a consistent basis to make his roster spot a lock.
Mike Pennel
The Packers aren’t in need of more nose tackles, not with B.J. Raji and Letroy Guion around. But after Pennel’s superb run-stuffing performance in New England, plus being a full year in the system and being part of a defensive line with plenty of question marks, his chances are looking good.
Nate Palmer and Andy Mulumba
The two third-year linebackers have been getting a lot of work. That means there’s been a lot of evaluation opportunities. Palmer and Mulumba are both showing the ability to play inside and outside linebacker, and their knowledge of Dom Capers’ defense is proving to be a difference-maker in their favor.
Rajion Neal
After Eddie Lacy and James Starks were done for the day in New England, Neal was up next. Mostly working in his favor to be the No. 3 running back on the depth chart is his one year in the system. Neal’s competition, John Crockett and Alonzo Harris, are both undrafted rookies who Thompson might believe need time to develop on the practice squad.
On the bubble and at risk
Jared Abbrederis
Abbrederis has spent 18 days and counting on the sideline with a concussion. That’s a long time for an NFL player to be out, especially one who needs chances to show what he can do. Abbrederis missed all of his rookie season with a torn ACL, and the concussion happened in the first practice of training camp. The Packers want Abbrederis to succeed, but the concussion history is certainly concerning. Even if and when Abbrederis is medically cleared, is there enough time for him to catch up with Janis, Montgomery and White?
Khyri Thornton
Thornton was a third-round pick last season, and he had a good showing against the Patriots. Both of those factors work in his favor. But Thornton will need another productive few weeks to help Thompson forget about last year. Thornton admitted recently that he was out of shape in 2014 and that he believes that contributed to his season-ending hamstring injury. Thornton certainly looks better now, but can he further prove his value in the coming weeks?
Carl Bradford
Like Thornton, Bradford was a mid-round pick last year and had a positive performance in his 2015 preseason debut. Also like Thornton, Bradford has to show more to help Thompson forget about a wasted rookie season.
Demetri Goodson
Goodson, a sixth-round pick in 2014, has already been surpassed by Gunter. That would make Goodson the No. 6 cornerback on the depth chart right now, and that doesn’t even include Micah Hyde’s presence as a slot corner. It doesn’t help Goodson’s case that he missed the New England game with an injury.
Alonzo Harris and John Crockett
If the Packers keep three running backs on the active roster, that third spot figures to belong to Neal. However, Harris and Crockett both had impressive touchdowns plays against the Patriots. They would both be strong practice-squad candidates, but Harris and Crockett have three more weeks to show that what they can offer is better than what Neal can offer.
