When the Green Bay Packers assemble for training camp at the end of this month, the strata of players will be clear.  The top layer will be the stars and the veteran starters, those who have proven their worth and who can and will skate through camp with minimal energy, saving their best for the real thing. 

At the bottom are the camp fodder players.  These are the free agent flyers who pretty much knew coming in they had no chance, but who were eager to at least put some things on film that might impress some other coach on some other team at some later time.   

In the middle of those two groups are the bubble players, guys who have a legitimate chance to make the team, but who have to compete with several others for a handful of spots.  Somewhere on this level lie the Last Chance Packers.  These are the athletes that were either drafted, signed, or traded for because the staff saw potential talent that got them excited.  But there’s a reason many feel NFL stands for “Not For Long.”  For a number of different reasons, they have not shown they can be consistently good enough to help the team.  The coaches are likely giving them this camp as their final evaluation before cutting them loose.   Here are some of the names that fit that description: 

Linebacker Oren Burks was a third round draft pick in 2018.  The hope was he would become Green Bay’s version of Devin White, a fast, physical tackling machine who patrolled the middle of the defense.  But after starting four games as a rookie, Burks struggled to tackle and cover.  He has not started a single game the past two seasons and sees only occasional plays from scrimmage.  The Packers moved him to the outside this past season in an attempt to find a home for the former Vanderbilt star, but he didn’t show enough there either.  Burks might have been cut last year except he has excelled on special teams, and that’s not nothing, especially considering Green Bay’s lack of performance on those units.  He is in the final year of his rookie contract.  If he doesn’t shine, it’s probable the coaches will use the roster spot to find someone who can play from scrimmage as well. 

Josh Jackson was a second round pick in that same 2018 draft.  Known for his ballhawking and interception ability in college at Iowa, Jackson has started 15 games in three seasons for the Pack without a pick.  He relies too much on his hands, for which he is often penalized, and lacks the speed to turn and run with NFL receivers.  He lost his starting job immediately when Jaire Alexander arrived, and has played second string ever since.  Pressed into duty for five games after an injury to Kevin King, Jackson did the best he could, but with first round pick Eric Stokes on the scene, with Ka’dar Hollman, Kabion Ento and rookie Shemar Jean-Charles also in the mix, Jackson will need to step up his performance in camp.  There’s been a drum beat to try him at safety but the coaches have never been serious about it. 

Equanimeous St. Brown certainly looks the part of the tall, speedy pass catcher the Packers so often covet.  Many fans, and apparently the coaches as well, thought the Notre Dame alum was a steal in the 6th round in 2018.  Indeed, he flashed promise as a rookie with 21 catches, averaging over 15 yards per reception.  Health issues have put him on the brink.  He missed four games in his first year, the entire season in 2019, and four more this past campaign.  When he has played he has had some bad drops and hasn’t run routes well enough to gain the confidence of the quarterback.  Amari Rodgers and Devin Funchess are new players who will take up two roster spots this season and may well unseat St. Brown unless he really opens some eyes in training camp and preseason. 

Tight end Jace Sternberger didn’t do himself any favors by getting suspended for the first two games of the season for violating the league substance rule.  Some saw the third round pick of 2019 as the next incarnation of Jermichael Finley, but so far the only resemblance is his injury history.  He’s already missed 14 of a possible 32 regular season games.  The tight end spot was wide open heading into last season, but Sternberger watched undrafted free agent Robert Tonyan blow past him to break out, and then saw the Packers draft Josiah Deguara, who immediately showed blocking and receiving skills before getting hurt early.  Marcedes Lewis and Dominique Dafney likely make the team as well.  The fact that Green Bay uses a lot of tight ends in the Matt LaFleur system may buy Sternberger another year, but he figures to be in the doghouse as a result of his suspension, and he had better come on hard to stick around. 

I’m not sure defensive lineman Tyler Lancaster fits into this category, but he probably should.  He’s a try hard, former undrafted free agent who has played a lot of football for the Green and Gold.  But the writing may be on the wall.  In 2020 his starts dropped from ten to three.  He played in fifteen games last year without a sack, a quarterback hit, or a tackle for loss.  Second year man Kingsley Keke passed him up with nine starts, four sacks, and eight hits on the quarterback.  Rookie TJ Slaton will find a place on the roster this year, and the new defensive system may use Za’darius Smith and Rashan Gary with their hand on the ground more often.  The former Northwestern standout will need to impress in camp.  If the Packers troll the cut list around the league and find some DL prospects they like, Lancaster may find himself on the way out. 

Sometimes the light eventually comes on.  It would be an immense help to these 2021 Packers if one or more of these players were to bloom late.  Which one is the most likely to do so?  It’s anyone’s guess.  But the time for them is now.  Green Bay has positioned itself to move on from most of them if they don’t turn heads this summer.