Green Bay Packers: 3 Glaring Roster Questions After the Micah Parsons Trade

There is no question that Parsons is one of the most feared pass rushers in the NFL. However, he is listed as a linebacker and has played outside linebacker for his entire career. One would assume that Packers will also have him lined up as an outside linebacker, but there are some who feel he would be better used as a defensive end.

In fact, it is this debate that led many NFL teams to back off from trade talks with Dallas, which allowed the Packers to swoop in and get the deal done. NFL insider Tom Pelissero recently stated, “Again, I would go back to the draft when Micah came out, where there were some coaches who would say, well, what does this guy really do? Is he a linebacker? is he a defensive end? What is he?”

It has yet to be seen exactly how the Packers will use Parsons, but given his dominant playing abilities, they will not be hard-tasked to find multiple ways to use him.

2. Which Green Bay Packers Player Will Step in for Kenny Clark?

As mentioned, the Packers had to send Clark to the Cowboys in order to get the trade for Parsons done. The longest tenured Packer up until the trade, Clark had played in every single game in each of the past three seasons, and only missed one game in 2021.

Without him, the Packers will have to figure out which of their other defensive tackles can lineup as a starter alongside Devonte Wyatt.

Looking at the team’s website, there is currently no other starting defensive tackle listed next Wyatt. That being said, it lists Karl Brooks, Colby Wooden, Warren Brinson, and Nazir Stackhouse as backups on the depth chart. One of those players can and should emerge as the Packers other starting defensive tackle, but just which one it will be remains to be seen.

3. Do the Green Bay Packers Really Want Jayden Reed Returning Punts?

On that same depth chart, the Packers list third-year wide receiver Jayden Reed as their punt returner. And while Reed has experience returning punts, he has not exactly been very good at it. With two-time All-Pro returner Keisean Nixon now one of the team’s starting cornerbacks, it is likely that they want to keep him away from returning punts as well.

But the fact of the matter is that Green Bay did not keep a single player on their 53-man roster that they, or anyone, may feel comfortable with as the full-time punt returner.

Mecole Hardman, who has experience as a punt returner, was cut when the roster was trimmed to 53 players, but was signed to the Packers practice squad shortly after. One might imagine that Green Bay will elevate Hardman early in the season to return punts, but teams can only do that three times before they must add the player to the active roster permanently.