Projecting Green Bay Packers' Most Heated Roster Battles This Offseason

The Green Bay Packers don't have many starting positions unfilled heading into the 2015 season, but the ones that are could prove to be heated roster battles. 

With the departure of Tramon Williams in free agency, the starting outside corner job opposite Sam Shields is open. When the Packers cut A.J. Hawk and Brad Jones this offseason, it created a vacancy at inside linebacker. 

The starting nose tackle spot on the defensive line is by no means locked down, as the Packers re-signed both B.J. Raji and Letroy Guion. The same goes for the starting tight end spot, where rising talent Richard Rodgers will look to compete with veteran Andrew Quarless for the job. 

Let's break down the big roster battles to watch for this summer and project the winners. 

Starting CB

Mike Roemer/Associated Press

The contenders: Casey Hayward, Damarious Randall, Quinten Rollins, Demetri Goodson

Projected winner: Hayward

Right off the bat, the veteran Hayward has a leg up on second-year player Goodson and 2015 rookies Randall and Rollins in terms of winning the starting outside corner job opposite Sam Shields. 

The veteran has excelled in the slot in his career but has said repeatedly he's ready to take on a starting job. He had his audition in 2012, when he started seven games while Shields was out injured. That season, Hayward led all rookies in interceptions with six.

Cornerbacks coach Joe Whitt would seem to agree Hayward is ready to take on a bigger role. "Casey has played better than most people realize, and he deserves more reps than he has played," Whitt said at the end of the 2014 season, per ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky. 

Hayward's primary competition for the job will come from Goodson, Randall and Rollins. 

Goodson didn't get any snaps on defense in 2014, per Pro Football Focus, just on special teams. He'll have a chance in training camp to prove he's more than just a special teams gunner. 

Cornerback was neither Randall nor Rollins' primary position in college. However, Rollins looked good at the rookie minicamp. (Randall was dealing with a minor ankle injury, as Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.)

Expect Hayward, with his veteran experience and proven playmaking, to win the starting job. But Randall or Rollins could push for the starting slot corner spot.

Slot CB

Tom Lynn/Associated Press

The contenders: Micah Hyde, Damarious Randall, Quinten Rollins

Projected winner: Hyde

Rather than feature a true "starting" slot corner, if Casey Hayward moves to the outside for the Packers, defensive coordinator Dom Capers will likely use a rotation of defenders in the nickel and dime sub-packages. 

While Hyde, given his experience and versatility, will likely see the most snaps at slot corner, Randall and Rollins can certainly push him in camp and will likely be important contributors in the dime. 

Hyde played 242 snaps in the slot in 2014, per Pro Football Focus. He had two interceptions and allowed just 28 receptions and one touchdown on 40 targets. Quarterbacks had a passer rating of just 79.5 percent when throwing into his coverage. 

Hyde, however, is also the primary candidate to step in should something happen to starting safeties Morgan Burnett and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, so Randall and Rollins could see their fair share of snaps in the slot in 2015. 

Starting ILB

Tom Lynn/Associated Press

The contenders: Clay Matthews, Jake Ryan, Carl Bradford, Nate Palmer, Joe Thomas

Projected winner: Matthews/Ryan

At some point, the Green Bay Packers will have to place a name next to the LILB position on the depth chart next to MLB Sam Barrington, and it probably won't be Clay Matthews. It's telling that although in the second half of the season he played most of the early downs inside and rushed off the edge on passing downs, the Packers kept him listed as the starting ROLB all season. 

While Matthews almost undoubtedly will continue moving inside on running downs in 2015, one of the current players on the roster will spell him on third downs and, hopefully, earn more snaps as the season continues.

That player could be rookie Ryan, outside linebacker converts Bradford or Palmer or 2014 undrafted free agent Thomas.  

Bradford didn't have a full training camp last year to work at inside linebacker, but he will this season. Though Ryan has the advantage of having played middle linebacker in his last year at Michigan and Bradford only played defensive end/outside linebacker in college, knowledge of the defense is incredibly important. 

Starting TE

Ann Heisenfelt/Associated Press

The contenders: Richard Rodgers, Andrew Quarless

Projected winner: Rodgers

Andrew Quarless was the Packers' starting tight end for most of the 2014 season, backed up by rookie Richard Rodgers. However, Rodgers' development over five starts and 543 snaps, per Pro Football Focus, last season could help him win the starting job in training camp. 

Rodgers started four games in the first half of the season but had just seven catches for 111 yards and zero touchdowns. Per Pro Football Focus, he played 214 snaps during that time.

In the second half of the season, Rodgers played 277 snaps and totaled 114 yards over 13 receptions for two touchdowns. His play improved in the playoffs, with a crucial touchdown catch in the divisional round against the Dallas Cowboys.

The only thing holding Rodgers back from being the No. 1 tight end is his blocking. He struggled in run blocking last year but improved late in the season. In pass blocking, however, Rodgers finished No. 5 among tight ends, per Pro Football Focus. Quarless tied for 41st. 

Starting NT

Morry Gash/Associated Press

The contenders: B.J. Raji, Letroy Guion

Projected winner: Raji

Raji was the guy the Packers wanted to start at nose tackle in 2014, after moving him back to the position from defensive end in training camp. 

After Raij tore his biceps last preseason, Guion was the guy who did start for them at nose tackle and did a pretty good job to boot. 

However, all things being equal and barring any injuries, expect the Packers to give Raji the nod for the starting job. He's a homegrown player who has never played as well as he did at nose tackle (his best season at the position saw him post 29 total tackles and 6.5 sacks) and who proved his dedication to the team last season. 

"He typically sat in on two to three meetings per week with the defensive line, serving as an extra voice through film review, game-planning, tough love," Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel wrote this offseason. 

Guion could make a serious push for the job, however. After six seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, he had the best season of his career in Green Bay, with 32 combined tackles, 22 total tackles, 3.5 sacks and one forced fumble. 

Guion started 18 games at nose tackle for Green Bay in 2014 as Raji rehabbed. But as long as Raji is healthy, this latest one-year deal could be his last chance to prove he can be the anchor on Green Bay's defensive line.