The Green Bay Packers have not been afraid of moving on from older players and to give space for younger pieces, especially considering the current moment the team is in its roster-building timeline. Next Tuesday, general manager Brian Gutekunst has to reduce the roster from 90 to 53 players, and that approach can have an impact on what will happen.

So, let's evaluate three players who are expected to make the initial 53-man roster, but you shouldn't be surprised if they ended up being released.

Sean Clifford

Clifford is QB2 right now, and it's unusual to release the immediate backup right before the season. But it's not unprecedented either. In 2013, the Packers cut Graham Harrell, Vince Young, and BJ Coleman after training camp, signing Seneca Wallace to the 53-man roster and Scott Tolzien to the practice squad.

In this case, it would probably be something less drastic. Clifford has had a rough training camp and preseason, and considering how he was perceived in his pre-draft process, it's hard to imagine another team giving him a roster spot.

The Packers could keep seventh-round rookie Michael Pratt on the active roster, expecting to bring Clifford back to the practice squad on Wednesday — which actually feels right based on how he has played.

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Eric Wilson

Wilson has been an important special teamer since he arrived in Green Bay during the 2022 season. During training camp this year, he was even the third off-ball linebacker on the field when the Packers had base defense. So yes, he is expected to make the team after all.

But Kristian Welch had a really good game against the Denver Broncos last Sunday. And they both are basically the same thing to the roster — core special teamer, depth/rotational piece as a linebacker. In terms of money, it doesn't make any difference. But Welch is three years younger and has a higher ceiling at this point.

The Packers might decide to keep both, but that's not likely considering their roles. And if it's a close competition, Welch might fit better into what Green Bay is building.

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AJ Dillon

It seems like Dillon secured a roster spot by not playing on Sunday against the Broncos – after all, he would have played if his place on the team was under risk. That being said, his performance against the Cleveland Browns was concerning. Matt LaFleur blamed the run blocking, but the other running backs had similar circumstances and were all more effective.

Right now, Dillon has a stinger, and the Packers will be careful with his recovery timeline because he had the same issue last season. Maybe Dillon begins the season on injured reserve, or maybe they give him a chance to be around for one extra season. But it's hard to watch tape and say that Dillon is one of the Packers' 53 best players — Josh Jacobs, Emanuel Wilson, and MarShawn Lloyd are the top 3 backs at this point.

Green Bay Packers’ 53-man roster projection after the second preseason game

There are still several battles to keep jobs on the team