Rookie linebacker Jayrone Elliott has made the most of his chance when his snap count increased on the right side. Credit: Mark Hoffman

Green Bay — Based strictly on the past four weeks, defensive end Khyri Thornton and outside linebacker Carl Bradford probably don't warrant berths on the Green Bay Packers' final 53-man roster.

General manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy have a week to decide if it's time to cut bait and just move on.

Thornton, the third-round draft choice from Southern Mississippi, has played more snaps (80) than anyone in the defensive front seven. Based on three exhibition games, he can't play now and it's possible he never will be able to play.

Bradford, the fourth-round pick from Arizona State, was given a 24-snap shot Friday night against Oakland to show what he could do. The coaches saw the same Bradford they've been watching all summer, an undersized player that was invisible once again.

In order to win a game today, Thornton would rank either seventh or eighth in a ranking of the team's eight defensive linemen. Injured Letroy Guion was counted and B.J. Raji, having suffered a torn biceps Saturday, wasn't.

Bradford would be tied for eighth among the nine outside linebackers.

Certainly, some of the Packers' coaches and personnel staff would view them differently. They weren't drafted that high without having people in the building being extremely high on them.

Even now, despite the sobering early returns, some at 1265 Lombardi Ave. will remember how they saw the players as collegians and will seek more time during roster deliberations.

Clubs never know about players until they walk into the building for the first time as pros and they practice and play in pads.

Of course, some players need more time to develop than others.

The Packers must decide if Thornton and Bradford, even though they don't have what it takes now, ever can play at a level befitting those high grades from their scouts and coaches that are available in the corporation's computer system for Thompson and McCarthy to review.

After six days of practice, McCarthy used the descriptive term "quick twitch" for Thornton that Thompson did in May.

"He's raw," McCarthy said at the time. "This is a whole different system for him. Everything's new. But, boy, he's got a lot of fast twitch in his body for a big man."

For some reason, none of it has been evident.

Other teams rated Thornton's quickness as average, questioned his level of intensity and didn't think he was a good technician.

Thornton does have bulk (6 foot 2½, 308). He does have decent strength. But what good is it if someone can't make a play? And Thornton hasn't made one in a game yet.

To this point, Thornton hasn't played hard, hasn't gotten off blocks and hasn't bull-rushed or edge-rushed with any proficiency. He doesn't seem to be an aggressive player, and without that, no defensive lineman can survive.

Bradford had shown so little early in camp that the coaches had no reason whatsoever to give him snaps over backups Mike Neal, Nick Perry, Andy Mulumba or Nate Palmer.

With a fourth-round pick hanging in the balance, they deemed it worthwhile to play Bradford ahead of Mulumba and Palmer against the Raiders. He started the second half, playing four series on the left outside.

There was a dulling sameness to his performance. Splitting rushes against veteran Khalif Barnes and then Dan Kistler, a rookie free agent, Bradford never threatened the passer or made an assertive move against the run.

The Packers also gave Bradford a team-high 20 snaps on special teams, including some as a starter. Again, nothing happened.

Every scout in the land knew Bradford's height and arm length would be an obstacle for him in the NFL. What's strange is there doesn't appear to be the urgency in his play that would enable Bradford to overcome his physical deficiencies.

Bradford's build cries out for a move to inside linebacker, the position he played only in 2010 as a redshirt freshman. But it's hardly a given that would work, either. Inside requires keen awareness and nose for the ball, qualities that Bradford might not possess.

The good news for the Packers is that a cluster of free agents in the defensive line and outside linebacker has been playing well.

Nose tackle Mike Pennel had another impressive outing. Two other free-agent rookies, Luther Robinson and Carlos Gray, have been showing up, too.

Pennel, in 23 snaps in total, more than held his own in seven plays against center Stefen Wisniewski, a solid four-year starter. Then Kevin Boothe, who started 62 games at guard and center for the Giants from 2007-'13, took over.

On one play, Pennel knocked Boothe on his butt while being double-teamed by guard Lamar Mady. After shoving aside Mady, Pennel engulfed the running back for a 2-yard gain.

Pennel had four or five plus plays against one minus play.

Robinson has been flashing pass rush and a tough-guy temperament all summer. He set up Pennel's sack last week in St. Louis, using a quick arm-over move to beat a guard badly, and then was around Raiders quarterback Matt McGloin several times. Robinson's work ethic has been superb as well.

Gray, another defensive end, is a little heavier than Robinson at about 310. He's agile, slippery and might have a better feel for the game.

The way it looks now, Pennel makes the team and Guion remains on the physically unable to perform list for at least the first six games. Then it's decision time among Thornton, Robinson and Gray.

Unlike Bradford, rookie Jayrone Elliott made the most of his chance when his snap count increased to 22 on the right side.

In his first series of the second half, Elliott couldn't solve left tackle Donald Penn, a starter from 2007-'13 for Tampa Bay. Elliott also got faked out on a wheel route by fullback Marcel Reece that would have been a 15-yard touchdown if Reece had made the routine catch.

Against backup Jack Cornell, a third-year free agent, Elliott notched a sack, a batted ball and two other penetrating rushes. Obviously, he's rough around the edges, but his athleticism and natural pass-rush skill also were present for the entire league to see.

Rookie Adrian Hubbard, another free agent, didn't play nearly as well as Elliott, but, all things considered, has done as much as Bradford.

The object always is to win games. Does it make any difference if the players contributing to the winning cause are draft picks or free agents? It most assuredly does not.

Impressive again: Rather than insert Pennel with the starters after Raji's departure seven plays in, the coaches went with Josh Boyd.

Boyd (6-3, 310) has almost the exact dimensions of Thornton, but their playing styles are strikingly dissimilar.

Snap after snap, Boyd stays busy. Not only does he have the power to resist most double-teams, he really does have quick twitch.

He's hard to block because of his high level of energy, stamina and ability to get to the edge. He wants in on the action. His range and pursuit are outstanding.

Twenty-five pounds heavier than Datone Jones, Boyd figured to get extensive time at end in the base defense against heavy-duty running teams. Jones did mostly good things in his 16-snap stint, too, which helps because Boyd must help fill the void left by Raji.

Close call: It's clear that Richard Rodgers will be the starting tight end early in the season until Brandon Bostick recovers from the slight fracture in his fibula.

For the second straight game, Rodgers played the entire first series. In this game, he played the first six plays of the second series, too.

Now the Packers must hope the rookie will start playing better in the near future. Other than a 32-yard reception through the middle of an unsuspecting zone, he didn't have a good game.

Defensive end Justin Tuck schooled Rodgers at the point, stopping Eddie Lacy for minus-1. Linebacker Sio Moore had a lane to drill James Starks when Rodgers didn't get to him.

Rodgers got too high in the backfield and allowed Moore to power over the top of him and into Aaron Rodgers after a pass. He fell off linebacker Khalil Mack on another rush, but the ball was out.

For now, Richard Rodgers is playing more of a finesse game, which was his role at California last season. With his weight back up in the low 270s, he needs to start playing with more strength and snap.

Andrew Quarless followed Rodgers in the rotation and was adequate in 14 plays. Then came Jake Stoneburner (23), Ryan Taylor (17) and Justin Perillo (12).

After a week of increased reps in practice, Stoneburner made the most of his big chance. He looked more athletic flanked wide than the others. When he was lined up near the sideline, he broke a tackle on a 5-yard inside-breaking route and showed burst extending the gain to 16.

Taylor didn't have a minus play, produced as a receiver and was the best blocker of the group. However, he wasn't the only tight end that tried hard to finish run blocks. Stoneburner and Perillo were doing their best to get after folks, too.

Whether he's considered the starter or not, Bostick had been the best tight end in camp. He'll be a difficult player to replace.

The other corner: Assuming that Jarrett Bush is safe for a ninth straight year as special-teams dynamo and backup, one of the best battles of camp looks to be for the No. 6 cornerback berth between rookie Demetri Goodson and Jumal Rolle.

Goodson, a sixth-round pick, was up, down and all around before leaving with a concussion. He was hit hard on his 18th snap, losing his headgear, but as another sign of his toughness bounced right up and took another snap before being removed.

Five plays in, the coaches lifted Goodson for two snaps after he stumbled and was out of position on a 40-yard bomb to Denarius Moore and subsequently had an illegal-contact penalty.

He had a couple more awkward moments as well.

On the other hand, Goodson was reckless with his body in run support, tackled crisply on a hitch, broke up a slant and jarred a touchdown pass from the strong clutches of James Jones.

The cover skills of the one-time basketball player aren't nearly as refined as Rolle's. The free agent from Catawba also played both sides and the slot, whereas Goodson has been stationed basically on the left side.

For having a rather thin build, Rolle tackled and blitzed with ease. He also broke up a two-point slant pass.

Rolle also had three passes for 36 yards completed against him and drew a holding penalty.

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