3 Packers whose jobs are in jeopardy after 2020 NFL Draft

Which Packers may need to find new homes for the 2020-21 NFL season?

Every year, there is some turnover for each NFL team, and the Green Bay Packers are no exception. There are plenty of new faces on the roster of the Packers that will be looking to make the 53-man roster.

There may be a couple of spots open like slot corner, which Tramon Williams left vacant, that will be filled, but there are also possibilities that players who contributed in the past won’t be with the team next season.

Let’s take a look at three players who may be playing for another team by the start of the 2020-2021 season.

1. Lane Taylor

I thought Lane Taylor would have been cut earlier in the offseason, like Jimmy Graham, or traded to make some room on the Packers’ tight cap space. With the need to pay players like Kenny Clark and David Bakhtiari very soon, the Packers may be looking to save where they can. Although it won’t save them a ton of money, it would free up just over $4 million in space if they decide to cut him before June 1, which is more than they would otherwise have. That could go towards the extensions of KC or Bak.

Since the Packers decided not to cut him, it seemed like Taylor would be a good veteran backup to have that would provide some solid depth. They would bite the bullet on the last year of his deal and probably move on after the year is up.

Then the draft came and the Packers took three offensive linemen in the sixth round. All three will likely play on the interior of the offensive line, Taylor’s primary position. With the added youth at the position, it’s looking more and more like Taylor will be out of a job in Green Bay by the start of the regular season.

The Packers may want to keep him on board, since the new CBA rules are expanding the gameday active roster from 46 to 48, and at least one of those two needs to be offensive linemen. Depth at the offensive line is always good, but the Packers will need to weigh up if they would rather have depth or cap savings.

2. Jake Kumerow

Jake Kumerow is a fan favorite and someone that Aaron Rodgers likes to talk up. He has shown flashes of ability and has made some plays every now and then, but is that enough? Last season, the Packers were in desperate need of a receiver to step up and make some plays outside of Davante Adams. It was the perfect time for Kumerow to step up and become a bigger part of this offense. But he didn’t. Instead, it was Allen Lazard who stepped up and became a bigger part of the offense.

Now, the Packers are getting Equanimeous St. Brown back, who missed last season after an injury during the preseason. During his rookie year, he was starting to come on at the end of the season. He could be in line for a significant amount of snaps this season. Marquez Valdes-Scantling will be looking for a bounce-back year and the Packers also brought in free agent and a former first-round pick, Devin Funchess, and CFL star Reggie Begelton, who could also push for a roster spot.

With the roster filling up at the receiver spot, it seems hard to imagine that the 28-year-old fan favorite will make the roster for this upcoming season.

3. Jamaal Williams

Jamaal Williams and Aaron Jones made up Green Bay’s backfield last season. It was one of the best running attacks the Packers have had in a while. It was like thunder and lightning. The problem is that they are both entering the final year of their contracts, and the Packers may not want to pay them both. If they do, they will probably only pay Jones, who is due for a relatively large pay-day for a running back, leaving Williams as the odd man out.

The drafting of AJ Dillon, another physical runner, similar to Williams, in the second round makes Williams’ future in Green Bay a bit murky. I would think the Packers would look to trade him towards the end of preseason, rather than cut him.

Any way you look at it, it’s unfortunate because he became a bit of a fan favorite last season. Whether it was his play on the field or his interesting locker room interviews, Williams is the type of player you want on your team for a long time, but his future may not be in the Packers’ plans.