While many were predicting the Green Bay Packers would keep only five or at most six wide receivers on the final 53-man roster, we were certain the Packers’ leadership would go with seven. Trouble is, it’s led to some unfortunate consequences.
The first problem to surface was when the team needed to create roster spots for until-then suspended defenders Mike Pennel and Demetri Goodson and decided to move backup quarterback Joe Callahan to the practice squad. Unfortunately, the New Orleans Saints had other ideas and claimed him on waivers. Should either of the Packers’ two remaining QBs be injured over the next few years, losing Callahan might turn out to be a huge miscalculation.
The next roster dilemma came about when running backs Eddie Lacy and James Starks both got injured in succession. The presence of versatile Ty Montgomery might have saved the day there, but the Packers were forced to make two additional roster moves to trade for Knile Davis and activate Don Jackson from the practice squad. Those moves were to put both cornerback Sam Shields and Lacy on injured reserve, which means the Packers can now only recall one of these two starters from IR this season.
And still, the Packers are very shallow at inside linebacker, where they’re carrying only three, and tight end, where only two guys are healthy. One or both of these spots could be where the next personnel crisis happens.
Because the coaching staff couldn’t decide among four backup receivers, all got token playing time in the first several games, but no one was given much of a chance to show what he could do.
Instead, Montgomery had to wait six games before he got thrown a pass – and that was only because the team ran out of running backs. I really liked Jared Abbrederis as a situational receiver, but I would have sent him, rather than Callahan, to the practice squad. I don’t think he would have been claimed by another team. After all, he’s been in that position before, but now he too is on injured reserve, so it doesn’t matter. Rookie Trevor Davis has too much flash to go unclaimed by 31 other teams if he were released.
Now that Abbrederis has been put on IR, the team has added Geronimo Allison to the 53-man roster. That just adds to the problem – is he going to divide up the occasional snaps with Jeff Janis and Trevor Davis?
Coach Mike McCarthy has shown an inability to break up the log jam at wide receiver all season long. It’s maddening. Under personnel management, I’d give him a D- for this alone.