The Green Bay Packers are preparing this week for their first action against another team in training camp. They will be having a joint practice and their first preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Heading into those games, there are a few guys on the team who need to have some big showings to improve their outlook for the rest of training camp. Moves are going to be made soon with cut days right around the corner, which will provide players with motivation to perform at a high level.
Who could use some good fortune this week against the Bengals? The first player whose stock is down and needs improvement is offensive lineman Josh Myers. The projected starting center has found himself in an unlikely training camp battle with tackle Yosh Nijman.
Zach Tom is going to be one of the five starters along the offensive line for the Packers; it is just a matter of which position will he fill. Myers has been called out for needing more consistency in camp and his starting spot is now on the line as Tom has been taking first-team reps at center.
While Myers is listed as a starter on the first unofficial depth chart, that is something that could quickly change. Another offensive player who is behind the eight-ball is seventh-round rookie, wide receiver Gran DuBose.
DuBose got off to a late start in training camp as he was placed on the non-football injury list at the onset. It allowed undrafted wide receivers Malik Heath and Bo Melton to get a head start and they took full advantage. They have both received praise from Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, as the only advantage that DuBose currently has is that he was drafted.
On the defensive side of the ball, two members of the secondary have been listed as players whose stocks are dropping. First, cornerback Shemar Jean-Charles. Per Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, Jean-Charles has been getting beat with regularity at camp, putting his roster spot in jeopardy.
He saw his role on both defense and special teams diminish in 2022, which was a bad omen. With poor performances during training camp, he is digging himself an even deeper hole to climb out of. Rookie Carrington Valentine has been excellent and looks to have surpassed him on the depth chart.
At safety, Rudy Ford is listed as a starter but he has failed to cement his status in that position. Free agent signings Jonathan Owens and Tarvarius Moore have both been pushing for first-team snaps.
That isn’t a great sign for Ford’s standing in the Packers’ starting unit. If he had locked down a spot, he wouldn’t be rotating in and out of the lineup as frequently as he has. The safety spot is the most wide-open competition that the Packers are having in camp as there isn’t much of anything settled at the position.
