Thursday Cheese Curds: Youth will be served on the Packers’ 2023 roster

The Packers’ youth movement has been realized in their initial 53-man roster.

One thing is abundantly clear about the 2023 Green Bay Packers. They are young. The youngest team in the NFL, in fact, if you care about such things.

Such a youth movement is not news to anyone who has been paying attention, and it’s been going on for some time. Aaron Rodgers’ exit earlier this year was the most notable domino, but hardly the only one. He took with him veterans Randall Cobb and Allen Lazard, both elder statesmen at their position. Add in the subsequent departures of Mason Crosby and Marcedes Lewis, sprinkle in Pat O’Donnell’s position battle loss, and presto-changeo, you’ve got yourself a young roster.

Whether or not being young is a good thing is almost beside the point, though. A young roster will be portrayed as having “upside” or being part of some sort of long-term plan, and that may be true. But in the Packers’ case, it’s as much about building a new identity as anything else.

The old players were part of the last effort to build a championship team, and now the Packers are trying something new. That just happens to involve a lot of young players, and they’re going to get their shot to be part of the Packers’ long-term plan if they play well.

Emanuel Wilson’s growth and upside land him on the Packers 53-man roster | Packers Wire

Wilson is shaping up to be one of the best stories of the 2023 season, rising from Division II Fort Valley State to a spot on the Packers’ 53-man roster.

‘No Lie Was Told’: Packers Give Real Chance to Undrafted Free Agents | Sports Illustrated

The Packers have a reputation for giving undrafted free agets an extra-long look, and whether it’s ultimately true or not, it worked out for three guys this summer.

5 things learned from Packers GM Brian Gutekunst | Packers.com

Brian Gutekunst had a lot to say at his first post-cutdown press conference.

Trading for Jonathan Taylor makes sense for Packers, but will it happen? | The Athletic ($)

However much Gutekunst may have offered in the above link, he had very little to say about Jonathan Taylor. I’m not sure this headline is accurate, but it’s an interesting exploration of the thought process behind the rumored interest in Taylor.

These former Packers made the initial 53-man rosters for other NFL teams | Packers News

Here’s a look at how former Packers did on cutdown day.

Five million bees fall off back of truck in Ontario | UPI

Link included for headline alone.