The Green Bay Packers kick of their preseason schedule in Cleveland on Saturday, bringing a boatload of questions along that most likely won’t get answered in this first game.  Here’s my list of things I’ll be watching:

1)  Don’t expect the starters to play much at all.  Nor should they.  The starters usually wouldn’t play past the first quarter even in a normal offseason, and with the expanded rosters the Packers need to start looking at those bottom 35 in game situations.  They don’t want to waste time looking at players they already know what to expect from, and they don’t want to expose them to a stupid injury, either.  Rodgers will be pulled as soon as he gets his first hard hit, which by my guess, will be around the second or third play from scrimmage.

2) My biggest concern going into this game is the lack of conditioning and preparation by both teams.  We already know the impact a protracted holdout has had in the past on a player.  Even if they tried to keep themselves in good condition, they always seemed prone to that predictable hamstring injury once they went back on the field.  This is essentially 180 holdouts going at each other Saturday.  They have had limited shells, limited contact, and even the Packers were still installing schemes just a few days ago.  This game is ripe for injuries when suddenly players are flying around trying to impress a coach and those first hard hits start landing.  I wouldn’t be surprised in the least if Mike McCarthy and Pat Shurmur agree with a wink and a nod to make this game a scrimmage, especially given that Shurmur is in his first season and his whole team, veterans and rookies, are getting the full rush install treatment.

3) In the Probably-Getting-Too-Much-Hype Department, this will be an opportunity for Packer fans across the world to get their first look at Randall Cobb, who certainly has given us a reason to drool over the possibilities (Returns! Wideout! Wildcat!).  I gave him a strong study during the Family Night warmups, and have to admit that my early excitement for the second-round pick seems on solid ground:  he looks sure-handed, fluid, and has great field awareness.  Best of all, he looks like he’s holding back, as if he has a yet-unseen gear he’s just dying to unleash at the right time.  That stated, the expectations for this kid is growing at a wild pace, and it will be prudent for us to get a look-see at what he can do in a game situation.

4) Let’s face it:  Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, Jordy Nelson, James Jones, and Cobb aren’t going anywhere barring injury.   That leaves a much heralded group of young wide receivers who are going to get a lion’s share of playing time tomorrow night with a chance to prove themselves to both GM Ted Thompson and to the other 31 teams that might be looking for a receiver.  Shaky Smithson, Chastin West, Tori Gurley, and Brett Swain have garnered a ton of respect from the Packer beat writers and many of our readers who have attended training camp.  It is no unlucky coincidence that the Browns themselves are rather “shaky” at the wide receiver position, and one of the Packer players could use Saturday’s game as a job interview.

5)  Looking at the left guard position, first-round pick Derrick Sherrod has been taking most of the first-team snaps in practice and has struggled at times compared to the presumed heir to Daryn Colledge’s old spot, TJ Lang.  If Sherrod gets the start (especially if Rodgers is playing under center), watch him closely to see if he puts QB1 in any danger.  If he holds his own, we can expect the Sherrod-the-guard experiment to continue.  If he falters, the chances increase that Lang will get the first team reps and Sherrod will move to backing up Chad Clifton at left tackle, his far more-likely future position.

6) My guess is that we likely won’t get much data to break down on the James Starks/Ryan Grant battle for the #1 RB position, as both probably won't get more than a series or two each.  Look for rookie Alex Green to get some opportunities if his injured thigh allows him to play.  It really would be a missed opportunity for Green if he is unable to go, because in addition to missing out on what would be a fair number of touches in the backfield, he is also being projected as the kick returner.  If Cobb were to impress at both KR and PR, it decreases Green’s potential as an asset on the roster.

7)  Mason Crosby has been surrounded by a mini-tempest since signing his contract extension that left many Packer fans scratching their head, wondering why a 78% kicker is getting a top-five contract.  Add to that some early misses in training camp and now, an ankle injury, and all eyes are going to be on Mason.  As of press time, McCarthy was still optimistic that Crosby will kick in the game, but the impact of bringing in a young kicker to take his place if he cannot go could be an interesting turn.  Remember when the Packers drafted Brett Conway and brought in some kid named Ryan Longwell as a camp leg…and then couldn’t get rid of him?  Nothing worries me more than a kicker with a lot of pressure on him, and this season may well define the rest of Crosby’s career here.

8)  One of my personal favorite players, Quinn Johnson, may well be out of a job this year.  There’s nothing I love more than some good old smash-mouth football, the kind that can save you when you’re protecting a lead or when your passing game isn’t clicking…and Johnson seemed like the perfect blocking back for such an attack.  However, the more you look at the personnel the Packers have, we’re probably looking more at a pass-heavy approach that will utilize John Kuhn and the tight ends in more of an H-back role.  Johnson would be very valuable for a run-oriented team, and I hope to see him get some opportunities in the event he can catch on with another team that would like to use him.

9) The defensive depth is going to be interesting Saturday night.  The starters along the defensive line, BJ Raji, Mike Neal, and Ryan Pickett, have only one “name player” behind them, Howard Green.  CJ Wilson and Jarius Wynn return from last year, too.  But I can see the Packers in a position to be playing the starters along the line a little more in the game than they would like.  The linebacking corps have a solid starting four but, with the loss of Nick Barnett, Brady Poppinga, and Brandon Chillar, have been depleted of the veteran depth they once had.  Erik Walden has been given the nod at the first-string OLB spot opposite of Clay Matthews, with Frank Zombo backing him up and Brad Jones moving inside.  Look for these guys to all get a shot as the game goes on to make an impact.

10) More concerning is the injuries in the defensive backfield, where Sam Shields, (Family Night darling) Brandian Ross,and Davon House are unlikely to go, and if I were McCarthy, veteran Charles Woodson would be out in shorts.  This leaves Tramon Williams, Pat Lee, Jarrett Bush, and Josh Gordy to play most of the game.  I don’t worry too much about this, as I think Williams will be sitting soon and leave the backups to play in a vanilla defense.  Really, are we going to care more about how many passing yards we give up in this kind of preseason game or do we care more about getting out of it with our starters healthy?

11) Finally, Charlie Peprah earned my respect last season as the third option at strong safety, so I was somewhat surprised when Morgan Burnett was essentially handed the position back this preseason.  Burnett didn’t play poorly, but wasn’t necessarily stellar in his four games before he was lost for the season to injury.  Peprah played well down the stretch and through the playoffs.  While he didn’t make a ton of back-breaking interceptions, you can always tell when your safeties are doing their job because it opens it up for your corners to make those big plays as Tramon and Charles (and Nick) did many times.   Kind of the anti-Chuck Cecil effect…that strong safety has to close holes and narrow gaps instead of flying out of position to make big plays, leaving teammates vulnerable.   Keep an eye on the safety position as we go through the preseason.