Packers: Reviewing the roster midway through preseason
Offensive line
The offensive line is one of the biggest question marks on the entire team, and may be the largest concern with Rodgers returning from a broken collarbone. Thankfully, Rodgers has one of the best left tackles in all of the NFL protecting his blindside in David Bakhtiari. Lane Taylor at LG, Corey Linsley at center, and Bryan Bulaga at RT create a solid core for the Packers offensive line, but after that is where things get dicey.
Right now, there is a battle at right guard between Justin McCray and Byron Bell, the seven-year veteran FA pickup. McCray played all over the offensive line last season and held his own, but played much better on the inside. The same goes for Bell. He has been tried out at tackle and at guard this preseason, and it’s safe to say that Bell looks much better playing inside, than he does on the edge.
The depth along the offensive line is what is most alarming. Behind Bakhtiari and Bulaga are Jason Spriggs and Kyle Murphy, who have both looked underwhelming thus far in their career, especially Spriggs. The Packers thought so highly of Spriggs that they traded up in the second round of the 2016 draft for him, and going into his third NFL season it is looking like he still needs quite a bit of work. As of right now, it looks like Murphy is the frontrunner for backup tackle.
The depth at guard is a little more comforting than the depth at tackle. Lucas Patrick and Adam Pankey, both second-year players, have performed well enough to deserve a roster spot providing depth along the inside of the offensive line. Both players managed to see the field last year with extensive injuries all along the line, in fact, last season the Packers started more offensive line combinations than any other team in the league.
Even further down the depth chart at guard are Kofi Amichia and Alex Light. Amichia, a sixth-round pick in the 2017 draft, spent last season on the practice squad and it is looking like he will end up on the practice squad yet again this year or he will be cut altogether. Light is an UDFA signed this offseason out of Richmond. Although he is a versatile player, who can play at tackle or guard, it does not look like he will be making the 53-man roster, but he will be a top candidate for the practice squad.
Dillon Day, the backup center behind Linsley, has shown to be one of the all around best backup offensive linemen on the team. Because of his strong performance this preseason, he has certainly pushed himself into a good spot to make the 53-man roster. He is a player that if put on the practice squad, would most likely be picked up by another team.