Hello Wisconsin: 53 and Forward

The preseason is over, the 53 man roster is set, and now it’s time to see what the 2024 Packers are capable of.

It feels like every year there are at least a few surprises or points of intrigue when the Packers release their roster. Here are a few of the things that stuck out to me upon my first viewing Tuesday. (I’m writing this on Tuesday evening, so there’s a good chance by the time this article goes live there will have been some additional decisions made regarding the practice squad). 

• Carlson cut: If the Packers were going to keep one of the kickers on their roster, I really did expect it to be Anders Carlson. Carlson may be young and have a big leg, but he was brutal in the second half of last season and didn’t show enough improvement to be the kicker for a team that is in the beginning of a title window. The Packers clearly didn’t see enough from Greg Joseph either, because the team decided to snatch up Brayden Narveson (who?) from Tennessee on waivers. We’ll see what he can do.
• Bo does it: Great to see Bo Melton make the final 53 for the first time in his third NFL season. Really nice story for a guy who’s done everything you could ask of him since he joined the team midseason last year. It’s almost certain the Packers will seek to bring Grant DuBose back on the final 53, but Samori Toure has now seen his end in Green Bay.
• Dillon’s injury: Apparently AJ Dillon’s injury is worse than we had expected. While it’s not a surprise that he would start the season on the shelf, I don’t remember ever seeing it reported that his season was in jeopardy. It’s a tough way to go out for Dillon; he’s on a one-year deal, and so we may have seen the last of him in a Packers uniform. You hate to see it. He’s been a great ambassador for the team, even if his tenure hasn’t always lived up to his draft position (where most generally had him as having been overdrafted to begin with).
• Shakeups at backup QB: Boy, Matt LaFleur really had seen enough of Sean Clifford and Michael Pratt, huh? To go from two draft picks to a guy coming from a completely different team’s roster who himself hasn’t lived up to draft expectations… that’s a big shift. I’d assume Pratt will be back to the practice squad, but it was clear that Clifford just didn’t have what it took from his in-game action this year. To think there were genuinely people calling for him to start over Jordan Love going into last season. Morons.
• Royce rolls out: Royce Newman had a promising start to his career as a rotational player, but somehow managed to get worse every year since. By last season he was a pretty clear liability every time he was placed on the field. With 10 linemen making the team over him, it’s a pretty brutal fall from a time when he was looked at as a potential long-term starter for the team. Hope he can put it together and find another opportunity elsewhere.
• No Welch: There were some who thought the team would keep Kristian Welch, who showed some good flashes throughout preseason. He did not end up making the team at a deep linebacker position, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him back on the practice squad.
• No UDFAs: According to Packers.com, this is the first time since the 2004 season that the Packers go into the first week of the regular season without an undrafted free agent on their 53-man roster. That’s pretty wild–a 20-year streak. There’s still time for the team to make some additional roster moves and bring one in, but I wouldn’t count on it.
• No Kalen King: Hopefully the Packers can bring back King as a practice squad player, because there may be something there for them to unlock. Many pegged him as the Packers’ steal of the draft, but in a crowded CB room he wasn’t quite able to make the cut. 

Wisconsin Beer of the Week

Of the many types of beers, vacation beers are near the top of the rankings, especially when consumed up north near a lake.

Every year I bring a number of special beers with me on our trip up to St. Germain. I always make it a point to stop by Central Waters Brewing in Amherst to grab some of their barrel aged stouts in particular. This year I did just that–but also found a couple beers I’d never had that were sitting in a fridge drawer. This one is by Point Brewing, located in (of course) Stevens Point, just down Highway 51 from Minocqua. 

Lake Side Vacation Ale is described by Point in the following way:

“It starts in the trees. The warm sunset spills across the lake in a dance of hazy oranges and deep blues. Ahh… lake side. A refreshing pale wheat ale balanced with subtle hints of orange peel. Take your vacation with you.”

I wasn’t expecting much when I cracked this open, but I gotta be honest, it hit. It’s smooth (only 9 IBU), sweet, and moderate (5 ABV). While I wouldn’t be actively searching it out to drink again, I definitely enjoyed it and would recommend giving it a shot if you come across it–especially if you’re up at the lake!

Wisconsin’s largest… Packers corn maze?

Wisconsin loves its Packers, and with fall coming up, there are a lot of outdoor activities to look forward to… including, apparently, Packers-themed corn mazes.

A recent headline claims Petals and Plows in Ripon has the state’s “largest Packers corn maze,” which is surprising to me as it suggests there is more than one Packer-specific corn maze. 

The maze opens up for the season on September 7, just as the NFL prepares to open its full regular season slate. 

It’s pretty cool, honestly. Take a look at this video that shows it off.

Around the NFC North

As always, it’s time to go around the NFC North. 

• The CHICAGO BEARS couldn’t resist picking up a former Packer off waivers (Samori Toure to their practice squad). Looking at the 53-man roster, this definitely appears to be the strongest roster this team has had in a handful of years. There are still plenty of question marks, though. Has the team sufficiently upgraded the offensive line? Will Caleb Williams be able to perform at a high level in his first year starting? Will the team be able to effectively rush the passer? This should be a year of growth, but it is too soon to expect this to be a team that wins a ton of games.

 

• The DETROIT LIONS grabbed a couple veteran wide receivers to stash on their practice squad: former Bronco Tim Patrick, and Allen Robinson, notably of the Jaguars and Bears but who also spent time with the Rams and was recently cut by the Giants. It’s not out of the question for these guys to actually see some time this year, but neither is the player they were. Patrick has missed a lot of time due to injury, and Robinson is old and was cut from a team that has no shortage of needs for a playmaker. But looking at the rest of the roster, this is once again going to be a formidable foe. Now the question is whether they can follow up last year’s performance.

 

• The MINNESOTA VIKINGS have a long year ahead of them. With JJ McCarthy out for the year, this is Sam Darnold’s team, and those are four words you don’t want to hear in the year 2024. It’s going to be unfortunate to watch Aaron Jones languish on a bad football team this year; it’s probably not going to be a great scenario or offensive fit for him, and you hate to see a fan favorite have to suffer through a season in purple. That being said, I hope he loses every game he plays.

Everyone’s fantasy team sucks except mine

At this point I’m down to just one fantasy football league after being in four or five for many years. It just got to be too much for me to keep track of. But this one league is one I’ve run with friends of mine for about 15 years now. Most of the faces have managed to stay the same over that time, which adds some additional fun.

We’ve got a 10-team league, and have some custom scoring rules that can make things interesting (bonuses for 100-, 200-, or 300-yard games for RBs/WRs, escalating points earned depending on the difficulty of a kick, etc.). We allow two flex players in addition to QB, two RB, two WR, TE, K, and D/ST. 

I always like to joke with people that their fantasy team sucks, no matter who they have, but mine is always superior.
I had my draft Wednesday night, and here’s who I picked up:

QB: Josh Allen

RB: Josh Jacobs

RB: Aaron Jones

WR: AJ Brown

WR: Davante Adams

TE: Jake Ferguson

FLEX: George Pickens

FLEX: Raheem Mostert

K: Kai’mi Fairbarn

D/ST: 49ers

BENCH: Jordan Love, Tyler Lockett, TJ Hockensen, Romeo Doubs, Jameson Williams, Hunter Henry, Alexander Mattison

I didn’t intend for there to be so many Packer connections (Jacobs, Jones, Adams, Doubs) but that’s just sort of how things shook out.  

What is wild about today’s fantasy game is just how few viable running backs there are. The game has changed so much that running backs just aren’t the hot commodity they once were in fantasy. Back in the day you’d go the entire first round and have only running backs be picked. In fact, people would poke fun at you if you picked anything OTHER than a running back. 

Very much different these days. It’s all about the pass catchers. It’s a passing league, and there are a plethora of guys who get well over 100 balls thrown their way. More touchdowns are happening via the pass than ever before, and quarterbacks are poaching a lot of running back touchdowns. Like I said, different game.
 

One week to go!

A short one here next week as we have the calm before the regular season storm. There’s going to be so much to talk about next week as we preview Packers/Eagles and the start of the regular season. We’ve made it folks, real football is HERE!!!

See you next week.