Green Bay Packers Veterans Who Have Been Put on Notice This Offseason

There's really no such thing as job security in the NFL, and veterans know this better than anyone. For teams like the Green Bay Packers, which are in playoff contention season after season, the strength of the bottom half of the 53-man roster is just as important as that of the top.

Though the Packers have been trimming the fat all along in Green Bay, cutting veterans who weren't performing such as A.J. Hawk and Brad Jones, even the players who still hold roster spots must earn their keep.

Whether they consisted of adding players in the offseason to compete for starting jobs in training camp or declining to pick up options, the moves the Packers made this offseason should raise the antennae of the following five players.

OLB Nick Perry

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The Packers made it clear to Nick Perry that they expect more from him when they declined to pick up his fifth-year option, which will make him a free agent next March.

It's safe to say that, while he has flashed, Perry's Packers career has been less decorated than expected, given his position as a first-round draft pick.

Since 2012, Perry has started 15 games and played in 32. He has not yet played a full 16-game season. His best season, 2013, saw him post 20 total tackles, four sacks, a pass defensed and three forced fumbles in just 11 games.

In 2014, however, Perry's snaps fell to 429, per Pro Football Focus, with the offseason addition of Julius Peppers being a major factor.

Green Bay has made it clear to Perry that he'll have to earn a contract extension later this season or be prepared to hit the open market.

P Tim Masthay

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Tim Masthay had the worst net punting average of his career, with 37.0 net yards per punt. He also posted his lowest inside-the-20-yard-line percentage, placing just 14 of his 49 total punts inside the 20-yard line, or 28.6 percent of them.

"I need to regain some confidence. I need to perform better in the playoffs, but it’s not something that I’m worried about," Masthay said at the end of the 2014 season, per Jason Wilde of ESPN.com

Not long after he made those comments, however, the Packers brought in some competition in the form of Cody Mandell, formerly of the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Masthay hasn't had competition in training camp for his job since 2010. This season, however, provided that Mandell isn't dropped before camp commences, it appears the Packers will push Masthay to earn his keep.

QB Scott Tolzien

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This offseason has been a mixed bag for Packers backup quarterback Scott Tolzien. On one hand, the Packers elected not to re-sign free-agent quarterback Matt Flynn and, in so doing, finally moved Tolzien into the No. 2 position he has been working toward behind Aaron Rodgers.

On the other hand, Green Bay re-signed Tolzien to only a one-year deal and then traded up to select UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley in Round 5 of the NFL draft. Undoubtedly, given Rodgers' shoulder injury in 2013 and calf injury in 2014, the Packers will carry three quarterbacks into the regular season.

However, Tolzien's one-year deal could be thought of as a prove-it deal, and with Hundley nipping at his heels, it's unclear how long Tolzien will be able to serve as Rodgers' primary backup.

He has an edge over the rookie Hundley, having more experience in Green Bay's offense, but this season is his most important one yet, as he will prove to the Packers that he is an essential part of their quarterback depth.

FB John Kuhn

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It has sometimes seemed that veteran John Kuhn's time in Green Bay would never come to a close. When Kuhn became a free agent after the 2013 season, the Packers signed him to a one-year deal. This past offseason, Green Bay brought Kuhn back on another one-year deal.

This year, however, may be Kuhn's last in Green Bay. Kuhn will turn 33 this season, and the Packers selected fullback Aaron Ripkowski in the sixth round of the NFL draft.

Though fullback is a dying position within the league, the Packers still have a use for it, though the value lies less and less in goal-line and short-yardage situations and more in blocking. Kuhn played only 249 snaps last season, per Pro Football Focus, and had just four receptions for 23 yards after averaging 14.5 receptions over the previous four seasons.

However, Kuhn was the No. 5 blocking fullback in the league, per Pro Football Focus, and was instrumental to Eddie Lacy's success in the run game. Eventually, it seems, Ripkowski will assume that role. 

For now, the Packers may carry both Kuhn and Ripkowski into the regular season. But the stretch of one-year contracts for Kuhn may end in 2016.

WR Myles White

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Last offseaon, Myles White's stock was trending upward. He had been on the active roster for part of his rookie season in 2013 and was the beneficiary of new eligibility rules in 2014 that allowed him to be signed to the practice squad.

This season, however, White is no longer eligible for the practice squad, and the group ahead of him at wide receiver is looking daunting. Elite veterans Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb are at the top. Davante Adams all but earned himself the No. 3 spot with his performance as a rookie last season.

Then, 2014 rookies Jeff Janis and Jared Abbrederis and 2015 third-round selection Ty Montgomery will all compete for roster spots No. 4 through No. 6—if the Packers decide to carry six receivers on the 53-man roster.

There's no telling what could happen in training camp. Last year, Janis suffered through shingles, and Abbrederis tore his ACL. However, it's clear that, given the group he'll have to compete against for a roster spot, the Packers have put White in a prove-it situation.