These former Packers made initial 53-man rosters around the NFL

Posted by Admin August 28, 2024 NFL

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The Green Bay Packers and the rest of the NFL set their 53-man rosters Tuesday; of course, those could also be considered a rough draft of the roster with a series of waived players hitting the market and perhaps tempting tweaks.

For the Packers, it means (for now) the end of a 19-year streak in which one undrafted free-agent rookie makes the team. It also means several former Packers officially have a new home. Here’s a look at the players who popped up on initial 53-man rosters who once donned the Green and Gold:

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Aaron Rodgers, quarterback, New York Jets

You’ve heard of him, right? It’s Take 2 for the 40-year-old, whose highly anticipated debut with the Jets ended prematurely with a season-ending Achilles tear on his first series of the 2023 season. Could Rodgers reclaim even a portion of his MVP-caliber powers from 2020 and 2021? Given that the Jets’ defense should be strong, it could be a huge additive for an AFC hopeful.

Aaron Jones, running back, Minnesota Vikings

This is going to take some getting used to. After seven years with the Packers, the team’s fun-loving and talented running back is playing for a divisional foe after the team couldn’t reach an agreement with Jones to bring down his salary-cap number. Jones ran for 656 yards last year in 11 games but did excellent work in the playoffs, averaging 113 yards in two games, with three touchdowns.

Davante Adams, wide receiver, Las Vegas Raiders

The Packers great will head into his 11th year and third with the Raiders. Though he wasn’t named first-team All-Pro for the first time in four seasons last year, he still played in all 17 games while racking up 1,144 yards and eight touchdowns with 103 receptions.

De’Vondre Campbell, linebacker, San Francisco 49ers

The veteran All-Pro linebacker in 2021 spent the past three years with the Packers but has now moved on to the NFC rival, one year after playing 11 games with Green Bay. Campbell made 40 starts for the Green and Gold over the past three campaigns.

Rasul Douglas, cornerback, Buffalo Bills

Traded at midseason last year before the Packers found their footing, he had four interceptions in nine games for the Bills, plus two fumble recoveries. He was a fantastic discovery for Green Bay in 2021 and 2022, initially signed off the Arizona Cardinals practice squad. He quickly became a team leader and force in the secondary.

Darnell Savage, safety, Jacksonville Jaguars

The former first-round pick has spent the past five years with the Packers and had a pick-six in the playoffs against the Dallas Cowboys during the 2023 playoffs, but he never quite lived up to the lofty expectations of his draft spot.

Jon Runyan, offensive line, New York Giants

The guard signed with the Giants in the offseason, a three-year, $30 million pact that reflects his reliability with the Packers. He spent four years with Green Bay after getting selected in the sixth round of the 2020 draft, starting all but one game the past three years.

Za’Darius Smith, defensive end, Cleveland Browns

Smith was a two-time Pro Bowler with the Packers from 2019 through 2021, though his third season was limited to one game because of injury. He had a strong 10-sack season in 2022 with Minnesota and another 5½-sack season last year in 16 games with the Browns.

Allen Lazard, wide receiver, New York Jets

After five seasons in Green Bay, Lazard took a step back in New York last year, catching just 23 passes in 14 games. We’ll see how Year 2 goes, presumably with Rodgers available under center for the duration.

Marcedes Lewis, tight end, Chicago Bears

Big Dog is still going strong. A Packers player from 2018 through 2022, the tight end played in all 17 games last year for the Bears, catching four of five passes thrown his way. He’s 40 years old and embarking on his 19th NFL campaign.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling, wide receiver, Buffalo Bills

The Packers’ deep threat for four seasons spent the last two years in Kansas City, where he won a pair of Super Bowl rings. He caught 21 passes last year for 315 yards and signed a one-year deal with Buffalo.

Yosh Nijman, offensive line, Carolina Panthers

The Packers and Nijman parted after four seasons in Green Bay, where the undrafted player wound up appearing in 67 games and starting 22, often at tackle. The Panthers signed him to a two-year contract worth $8 million and he’ll serve as left-tackle depth.

Lucas Patrick, offensive line, New Orleans Saints

After two seasons with the Chicago Bears, Patrick has a new home. He started 15 games last year for Chicago and signed a one-year deal in the offseason. He played his first five NFL seasons in Green Bay.

Jamaal Williams, running back, New Orleans Saints

Williams ran 106 times last year for 306 yards with the Saints after rushing for 17 touchdowns with the Detroit Lions the year before. From 2017 through 2020, Williams was getting carries for the Packers.

Jonathan Owens, safety, Chicago Bears

Yes, he’s often known as Mr. Simone Biles, but Owens also had a 27-yard fumble return for a touchdown on Thanksgiving last year, which looks like a season turning point in retrospect. He played his first four NFL seasons with the Houston Texans.

Patrick Taylor, running back, San Francisco

The fourth-year player has been in and out of the lineup for the Packers to this point, getting 32 carries last year for 141 yards, but now he plays for an NFC rival.

JK Scott, punter, Los Angeles Chargers

The former Packers draft pick had a tumultuous three years in Green Bay before he went to Jacksonville for one game in 2021. But this will be his third year with the Chargers after he played in all 17 games the past two seasons.

Corey Bojorquez, punter, Cleveland Browns

He was the Packers’ punter in 2021 but has been in Cleveland since, with a career-high total of 4,294 yards last year.

Taysom Hill, quarterback, New Orleans Saints

The former Packers preseason player has fashioned a long NFL career as a multipositional option. In seven seasons with the Saints, he has 2,159 rushing yards, 756 receiving yards and 2,348 passing yards.

Jarran Reed, nose tackle, Seattle Seahawks

Reed spent one year with the Packers in 2022 before jumping to Seattle last year, where he had seven sacks and played in 16 games.

Montravius Adams, defensive tackle, Pittsburgh Steelers

He started his career with four seasons in Green Bay but has been in Pittsburgh since 2021, racking up 24 tackles and two TFLs last year.

Micah Abernathy, safety, Atlanta Falcons

Abernathy briefly made the Packers 53-man roster out of camp as an undrafted free agent in 2022 but was quickly cut; he still got in two games that season. Last year, he played in 12 games for Atlanta.

Isaac Yiadom, cornerback, San Francisco 49ers

He spent the 2021 season in Green Bay but has been with Houston and New Orleans in the two years since.

Cole Van Lanen, offensive line, Jacksonville Jaguars

The fourth-year player out of Bay Port High School in the Green Bay area and the University of Wisconsin is also an ex-Packer, drafted in 2021 and traded to the Jaguars in 2022. He’s had 25 appearances the past two years with Jacksonville.

JJ Jansen, long snapper, Carolina Panthers

Nobody could have known when Jansen signed as an undrafted free agent with the Packers in 2008 but ultimately never played in a game that he’d still be in the league 17 seasons later. The Notre Dame grad has been with Carolina for each one.

Taybor Pepper, long snapper, San Francisco 49ers

He played one year with the Packers in 2017 but has been with the 49ers for the past four years, appearing in every game the last three seasons.

Tyler Goodson, running back, Indianapolis Colts

Goodson was on the Packers’ practice squad two years ago and finally got an NFL start last year with the Colts, running 13 times for 87 yards for the year, playing in six games.

Greg Van Roten, offensive line, New York Giants

After two seasons in Green Bay, Van Roten made stops with five other franchises. He started all 17 games with the Raiders last year.

Other notes

Former Packers receiver Juwann Winfree is on the Colts’ injured reserve (out for season).
Former Packers receiver Malik Taylor is on the Jets’ injured reserve (out for season).
Max Melton, the standout Rutgers cornerback and the brother of Packers receiver Bo Melton, was taken with the 43rd overall pick in the 2024 draft and landed a spot with Arizona.

Who’d we miss? Email jradcliffe@gannett.com.