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Seven could be the magic number for Packers' receivers as OTAs open

GREEN BAY, Wis. – With organized team activities starting on Monday, the Green Bay Packers reached the 90-man offseason roster limit for the first time after they signed safety Jermaine Whitehead last week.

This week, we’ll get the chance to see the players on the practice field for the first time. Tuesday’s OTA practice will be open to reporters and, weather permitting, to fans.

Here’s a breakdown of the Packers’ roster as they head into OTAs. We’ll start with the offense, where the receiver position appears to be overflowing with possibilities:

QUARTERBACKS

RECEIVERS

  • Returners: Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, Davante Adams, Ty Montgomery, Jared Abbrederis, Jeff Janis, Jamel Johnson, Ed Williams

  • Newcomers: Trevor Davis, Geronimo Allison, Devonte Robinson, Herb Waters

  • Goners: James Jones (unsigned)

  • Outlook: If healthy, this has the potential to be one of the Packers’ deepest receiving corps since the 2011 season, when Nelson, Cobb, Jones, Donald Driver and Greg Jennings all were still productive. In fact, it’s so deep that you wonder if McCarthy would ask GM Ted Thompson to keep as many as seven receivers on the roster. Last year, they opened the season with just five, including Jones after he was signed in Week 1, so keeping even six would go against their grain. Nelson is expected to participate in OTAs on some level but likely won’t be cleared fully from his ACL surgery until the start of training camp. Montgomery (ankle) may not practice at all this offseason. How many receivers Thompson keeps could depend on whether Abbrederis and Janis show they can contribute like they did in the playoff loss at Arizona and if Davis (fifth-round pick) can help, even if it’s only on special teams. But at this point, who could you possibly cut among the group of Nelson, Cobb, Adams, Montgomery, Abbrederis, Janis and Davis?

RUNNING BACKS

TIGHT ENDS

  • Returners: Richard Rodgers, Kennard Backman, Justin Perillo, Mitchell Henry

  • Newcomers: Jared Cook, Casey Pierce

  • Goners: Andrew Quarless

  • Outlook: This also is the first look at Cook, the Packers’ one significant signing this offseason. Can the veteran, who was released by the Rams earlier this offseason, become the deep-threat receiver that Rodgers (8.8 yards per catch in 2015) couldn’t be last year? And how will Rodgers react to the Packers bringing in someone to push him? Backman has the biggest upside of the other tight ends, but the sixth-round pick from last year barely played as a rookie and so remains a great unknown.

OFFENSIVE LINE