Packers' cuts include WR Kumerow, OL Light, LB Williams

Green Bay Packers cut wide receiver Jake Kumerow, offensive lineman Alex Light and linebacker Tim Williams among ors as y got ir roster down to 53-man limit heing to ir Sept. 13 opener at Minnesota.

“This is toughest time of year for us,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Friday in vance of cuts. “Any time you’re knocking on door of cutdowns, you’ve got so much appreciation for what our guys do, how y battle and how y come to work, and it’s always tough when you take that away from somebody. As excited as we are to start season, it is, this day (Saturday) especially, is a difficult day just because you have relationships formed with se guys and you just, you want best for m.”

Kumerow’s absence from roster was one of biggest surprises. Kumerow, who played on two Division III national championship teams at Wisconsin-Whitewater, caught a touchdown pass each of last two years and h 12 receptions for 219 yards in 2019.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers h called Kumerow “super reliable” while discussing Green Bay’s receivers in a Zoom session with reporters Wednesday.

Cutting Kumerow created a spot for anor former small-school receiver in Malik Taylor, a 2019 undrafted free agent from Ferris State. Taylor spent last season on Green Bay’s practice squ after getting released by Tampa Bay.

Taylor said Wednesday in a Zoom session with reporters that he felt more settled in this year even without benefit of offseason training activities due to pandemic.

“Everybody did a great job with Zoom meetings,” Taylor said. “It gave me an opportunity to dig in at details a little more and just hearing some of same terminology as last year, it helped me a lot. It’s just allows me to play fast, allows me to go out re and make some plays, and gain trust with coaching staff and quarterbacks.”

Light appeared in 13 games last season as he earned playing time at both tackle spots and also contributed on special teams. 2018 undrafted free agent from Richmond played three games in 2018. He didn’t make any starts last two seasons.

Williams was drafted in third round by Baltimore Ravens in 2017 after playing at Alabama. Last year, he played four games for Ravens and one for Packers, who claimed him off waivers on Oct. 2.

Also cut was 2020 sixth-round draft pick Jake Hanson, a center from Oregon. Packers’ only or 2020 draft choice not to make 53-man active roster was guard Simon Stepaniak, a sixth-round selection from Indiana who went on non-football injury list.

Running back Patrick Taylor, an undrafted free agent from Memphis, also went on that list. Linebacker Curtis Bolton was given physically unable to perform designation.

Or cuts included cornerback DaShaun Amos and Stanford Samuels; linebackers Krys Barnes, Tipa Galeai, Greg Roberts and Delontae Scott; tight end Evan Baylis; wide receivers Reggie Begelton, Darrius Shepherd and Malik Turner; safety Henry Black; offensive tackles Cody Conway and John Leglue; running backs Damarea Crockett and Dexter Williams; guard Zack Johnson; fullback John Lovett; and defensive lineman Willington Previlon.

Baylis played five games for Packers last season, primarily on special teams. Williams, a 2019 sixth-round pick from Notre Dame, played four games last year and h five carries for 11 yards.

Begelton was trying to make transition to NFL from CFL after catching 102 passes for Calgary Stampeders in 2019. Shepherd played six games for Packers last season, mostly on special teams. Lovett, a former Princeton quarterback, h been claimed off waivers last month from Kansas City after spending last season on injured reserve.

Image credits :AP