Packers release WR Kevin Dorsey

In the wake of yesterday's cutting of TE Brandon Bostick, the Packers have apparently made another move.

The Packers have released second-year WR Kevin Dorsey, reports The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

Dorsey, a seventh-round pick out of Maryland in the 2013 draft, struggled to stay healthy during much of his tenure with Green Bay, missing most of the 2013 offseason program with a hamstring injury before later going on injured reserve with a toe issue. 

The youngster was available for most of 2014, however, and played in three games. He caught one pass for four yards, and committed two special teams tackles prior to breaking his foot November 8. 

The Packers Shuffle The Bottom of the Roster

The Packers have signed two players from the practice squad (WR Kevin Dorsey and DT Luther Robinson) over the last several days, and lost one promising CB to the Texans (Jumal Rolle).

#Packers WR Kevin Dorsey, promoted from practice squad yesterday, wearing No. 13. Was No. 6 in camp. pic.twitter.com/PcS0fp0YEL
— Jason Wilde (@jasonjwilde) October 8, 2014

Unfortunately these moves led to the release of 4th year TE Ryan Taylor. He was a steady player who helped on special teams, but with TE Brandon Bostick returning from injury, the roster was a little overloaded with TEs (plus Justin Perillo on the practice squad) and Taylor had the least upside.

Robinson's already been a contributor in place of Josh Boyd (knee injury) with a tipped pass that was intercepted by LB Julius Peppers. Dorsey has the skills to be a good receiver, but he had trouble catching passes during the preseason. He might not even be active on Sunday, unless they decide to move him ahead of rookie WR Jeff Janis while WR Jarrett Boykin (knee and groin injuries) remains out.

The recent signing to the practice squad (an offensive lineman, defensive end, and cornerback) look like moves intended to fill out the scout team in practice. But you never know, Robinson's come out of almost nowhere to contribute, and it will happen again.

Five Key Things To Watch In Camp: Number 5 - WR Depth

Training camp is starting next weekend and the players will start reporting for camp later this week, so I'm counting down in reverse order the five key things to watch this year in training camp. The good news is that the Packers start the season in pretty good shape having made some key changes during the offseason, but there's always some question marks that will need to be addressed.

Re-setting the #Packers' depth chart on offense: http://t.co/z48h8c0HF2
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) June 30, 2014

The top three wide receivers are set (Nelson, Cobb, and Boykin) and there are six other receivers competing for three to four roster spots (probably two of them on the practice squad). The numbers four and five receivers shouldn't expect to play a major role, but injuries have knocked out the starters for significant time in each of the last two seasons (Nelson and Jennings in 2012, Cobb in 2013) so it's possible one of them will be asked play an expanded role in the offense for a few weeks. Having depth at the receiver position is so important in Mike McCarthy's offense that it elevates this competition to a key one.

Also, one of the backups could be the next kick and/or punt returner. The top two return men are DB Micah Hyde and WR Randall Cobb, but it's possible that both of them are excluded from return duties if they are both starters.

Davante Adams should have the edge on everyone else because of his recent selection in the 2nd round, but as Rob Demovsky mentioned in the above link, Adams had some trouble holding onto the ball in OTAs. Though he has been known as a sure handed receiver in the past. The odds of him not actually making the roster are practically zero, but he's not going to be the number four receiver if he's dropping passes during preseason games. We'll have to watch how he performs in those early games.

Myles White. After the big three, White is next in seniority, having played on 125 snaps and targeted for passes 12 times. It's not much of a resume, but having that experience can be a big advantage. He looked pretty good in training camp last year (with a couple of drops, unfortunately) but it didn't prevent his release.

Jared Abbrederis and Jeff Janis. Having both been recent draft picks helps their case for a roster spot, but its even that they're both healthy and looked good in OTAs. I'm sure the team wouldn't mind if Janis had a strong camp, but if he's too impressive they might have trouble sneaking him onto the practice squad.

Kevin Dorsey, Alex Gillett, and Chris Harper. They all have some experience with the Packers, but they've all been released at least once in their NFL careers. Harper might be struggling with a hamstring injury which is a huge set-back for him. Since they're in camp, they have a chance, but they're currently long-shots.

Which receiver or two emerges as the key backups this season will be something to watch this preseason.

Packers Depth Chart: Wide Receiver

At this time of year, it's not surprising to see as many as ten wide receivers on the Green Bay Packers roster. What is surprising is that they selected three wide receivers in one draft. It didn't used to be uncommon for GM Ted Thompson to draft wide receivers (from 2005-2008, the Packers selected two wide receivers in each year's draft, and also used a 2nd or 3rd round pick on one). However, in the five drafts from 2009-2013, only one wide receiver was selected with a high pick (Randall Cobb) and three overall.

In recent years, the Packers have filled out their wide receiver depth with young veterans or rookie free agents. WR Jarrett Boykin has been a success story but there are at least a dozen other players who didn't work out. The Packers have lost a lot of experience at the position over the past two years (Jennings, Driver, Jones) so it makes sense that they'd want to add some quality in addition to quantity this year.

Roster locks: Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, Jarrett Boykin, Davante Adams. I'd like to see one more solid season from Boykin before anyone talks about a long-term extension, but he should be a very good No. 3 wide receiver. I won't know if Adams is ready to contribute in 2014 until I see him in a preseason game.

The Packers are probably going to keep six wide receivers, one more on the active roster and another on the practice squad, so the final six players are fighting for just those two spots.

Myles White. He lined up on 125 offensive plays last season which makes him the number five WR last season in terms of snap count. He had a strong 2013 preseason, except he had trouble holding onto the ball, which is a sure fire way to get released. Luckily for him, he was signed to the practice squad at the start of the 2013 season and promoted to the active roster in October after Cobb was hurt. If he can bulk up without losing any quickness (and avoid dropping passes) he could be a roster surprise. However, he's probably not eligible for the practice squad (ESPN.com says he played in 7 games last season and players with over six career active games are ineligible). He's going to have to prove he's worthy of a spot on the 53 man roster, and he might lose his spot to another receiver who's still eligible for the practice squad.

Kevin Dorsey and Alex Gillett. If Cobb hadn't been injured, and Jeremy Ross hadn't earned his release, neither player might have stuck around/returned after the last preseason game. I'm not expecting either of them to stick next season.

Chris Harper. He was a 4th round pick by the Seahawks in 2013, but he's been released twice since then. He only played on two offensive snaps for the Packers last season, but he played a lot on special teams, which makes me believe he's a great athlete but not much of a receiver. I don't think the Packers would have drafted either of the following two players if they really liked Harper.

Jared Abbrederis and Jeff Janis. I really want Abbrederis to succeed, so I hope he wins the No. 5 spot, but he'll be battling a similar player (White) who already has a year of NFL experience under his belt. Janis seems like an obvious choice for the practice squad; an amazing athlete with speed and size who could play offensive and defensive roles on the scout team.

Former #Badger Jared Abbrederis is wearing No. 84 for the 13-time World Champion Green Bay Packers. pic.twitter.com/bRGsohIDzp
— On Wisconsin Badgers (@wiscybadgers) May 17, 2014

Position Review: Wide Receivers

This week, the Green Bay Packers signed another wide receiver to bring the total number of wide receivers in camp up to 11. While the top three are locked in, the bottom six are all rookies who probably have to shine during the preseason to stick with the team.

Previously:
Position Review: Offensive Line Guards and Tackles
Position Review: Offensive Line-Center

Starters: Randall Cobb, James Jones, Jordy Nelson. No doubt about it.

The Packers will probably keep three other receivers, two on the 53-man roster and one on the practice squad, and here are the other eight candidates.

Jarrett Boykin. A late season ankle injury ended his rookie campaign early, but before that he looked like a reliable player who ran good routes without dropping passes. He's the early favorite to become the No. 4 wide receiver.

Jeremy Ross. The Packers didn't sign him to the practice squad until October 17, 2012 but he ended up playing in five games (plus playoffs). While he didn't have a single pass thrown to him, he looked like a dynamic return man after big games against the Titans and Vikings. Until this happened against the 49ers. He'll get another chance, but if he drops a punt or two during the preseason, I wouldn't be surprised if he's released.

Charles Johnson and Kevin Dorsey. The two receivers the Packers drafted in the 7th round. Johnson was a small school guy who impressed Mel Kiper Jr. (and obviously the Packers' scouts) while Dorsey was a No. 1 college wide receiver during an epic quarterback injury situation. They might find themselves on the practice squad at the start of the season.

Sederrik Cunningham, Alex Gillett, Tyrone Walker, Myles White. Gillett was just signed this week as he makes the switch from college QB to NFL WR. All four players are going to have a very hard time making even the practice squad.

In the end, while the players will have to learn the offense and train hard, what's going to separate them is whether they drop passes or fumble the ball during the preseason games. It wouldn't be a surprise to see them all stay in camp until the very last preseason game so the Packers can find out who they can trust with the ball.

2013 NFL Draft: Rounds 4-7 Packer Selections on Offense

After trading down in the 2nd round, and still getting RB Eddie Lacy, and trading out of the 3rd round all together, the Green Bay Packers had 10 selection in the final four rounds on Saturday. They did surrender a couple picks to trade up in the 4th round which gave them one more polished prospect to go along with the projects they acquired in the later rounds.

What I love every year about GM Ted Thompson's selections is that he picks a lot of players at different positions, so he keeps his depth deep at every position. The players drafted late aren't likely to become stars, but there should be some future starters and key backups here. With so many picks, I'm splitting my analysis into two posts, the first one is on the offense.

4th round, Colorado LT David Bakhtiari. There's been a lot written recently about how LT Marshall Newhouse shouldn't be viewed as the starter of the future. While he did improve in 2012, he also showed his size limitations (he's short for a LT) and doesn't have quite enough strength and/or size. The team probably views Sherrod and Bulaga as the future at tackle, but they do need to improve their depth so they're not forced to rely on the poor tandem of Newhouse and RT Don Barclay as Plan B. There's a lot to like about Bakhtiari, he was a starter after his redshirt freshman season and he ended up with 33 career starts before leaving school early. He's got the big frame of a left tackle and he could still put some more bulk on it. He was told by the NFL advisory board that he was a likely 2nd or 3rd round selection, but I think he fell to the 4th round because not a lot of people saw Colorado's awful team last season. I wouldn't be surprised to see him in the mix at left tackle soon but he could play on the right side too.

4th round, Cornell OT J.C. Tretter. I'd been hoping the Packers would select one of the top centers available, but instead they'll convert an Ivy League tackle. It hasn't been announced that Tretter will switch to center, but it seems pretty obvious. The knock on him is that he doesn't have the size or length to play at tackle and he was going to have to move inside in the NFL. He's a former tight end who's quick and flexible and he has better size (6-4 height, 33 3/8" arm length) than many college centers.

4th round, UCLA RB Johnathan Franklin. They traded up to grab the player that was viewed as the No. 2 RB pre-draft. Obviously NFL teams thought otherwise, but the Packers made the move up because they did see his value. He's got the speed and quickness while Lacy has the size and strength, but the Packers haven't used a rotation at back in recent years. Maybe they would have if injuries and ineffectiveness hadn't gotten in the way. Franklin had some big question marks (6 fumbles in 2011) that he seemed to have overcome in 2012, but he doesn't look like an every down back due to his smaller size which is maybe why he fell in the draft. The Packers ended the 2012 season with former practice squad RB DeJuan Harris as arguably their best back, so more talent in the backfield can't hurt.

7th round wide receivers, Grand Valley St.'s Charles Johnson and Maryland's Kevin Dorsey. While the Packers haven't shied away from undrafted wide receivers, they usually draft wide receivers in the early rounds, so Johnson and Dorsey are some new ground for Ted Thompson. The two receivers were almost drafted back-to-back which is appropriate because they look very similar (6-2 height with good hands). The Packers lost two receivers this offseason so depth at the position was necessary, but Johnson and Dorsey were selected based on potential, not college performance.

It's an unknown whether these's players will succeed in the NFL, but the Packers addressed the positions where they lost depth (wide receiver) and where they needed better depth (offensive line, running back). I see the potential in all three players they selected in the 4th round, and they all could become involved in the offense as soon as this season.