Offseason Roster Moves:
With the Packers coaching staff and front office continuing to shape into form, it is time to start looking towards the potential upcoming player personnel movement that could happen this offseason. Clearly, there are some players that will be and need to be moving on from the Green and Gold. The question is, will these much-needed changes take place this offseason? Judging from the last few seasons, you can understand my skepticism.
The speculation is that Brian Gutekunst will continue to try to build and develop through the draft, but will be much more active in the free agent market. In order to be a serious player in this year’s free agent market, Packers cap guru Russ Ball will need to get creative and restructure some contracts, cut some players, and negotiate some lower cap hitting free agent deals.
Highlighting Roster Needs:
After completing a dismal 7-9 season, the Packers need a change of philosophy when approaching the construction of their 2018-2019 fifty-three man roster. One of the very few things that I will ever agree with Ha Ha Clinton-Dix about is the fact that the Packers need to have veteran players on both sides of the ball who can fill in for injured players in the starting units.
Each of the last few seasons, the Packers have had young and inexperienced players fill significant roles in key positions in which members of the staring units were injured. As a result of this, key areas of the roster was compromised and productivity was hampered.
Roster needs:
1. More Veteran Depth on both sides of the ball
2. More talented players on both sides of the ball to create fierce competition in training camp and provide the team with a suitable replacement for when a starting player misses significant playing time.
Current Positional Needs:
1. Offensive Line
2.Edge Rushers
3.Corner Back
4.Safety
5.Tight End
Ways to Free up Cap Space:
1. Cut Brian Bulaga
2. Restructure Randall Cobb
3.Restructure Clay Matthews
4. Do not overpay Morgan Burnett
Addressing Specific Positional Needs (Some Potential Solutions):
1. Offensive Line: Resign Jahri Evans, Draft a right tackle, and sign more veteran depth.
2. Edge Rushers: Make a splash! Go all in and sign either DeMarcus Lawrence or Ezekiel Ansah, beg Julius Peppers to come back on a cap friendly deal, and draft Harold Landry (BC) or Clelin Ferrell (Clemson).
3. Corner Back: Use draft picks to trade for Patrick Peterson. 2018 is Peterson’s final guaranteed season under contract (spotrac.com).
4. Safety: Offer Morgan Burnett a fair contract that is team friendly, draft another Saftey, and try to sign Kenny Vaccaro.
5. Tight End: Bring back Lance Kendricks on an incentive heavy one year deal, include Richard Rodgers more in the offense, and draft a tight end.
Final Take:
If the Packers are serious about being a playoff contender, they must break from the old ways of Ted Thompson and intelligently spend money on free agents that can make an impact. This team needs a new culture and an infusion of energy. Hopefully, this offseason will accomplish this and land the Packers back in the playoffs next season.
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David Michalski is a recent college graduate from Princeton New Jersey who has been a life long Green Bay Packers fan. Like the great Vince Lombardi, he values God, family, and the Green Bay Packers in that order. You can follow him on twitter at @kilbas27dave
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21 responses to “A Look Into the Packers Offseason Plans ????”
Agree with article on most except TE. I know Kendricks has a contract, but release him. Even when Rodgers played him and Bendover were bad. Number two, get Calvin Rigley. Number three, coaches: hire K.Green and J. Leonhard now if possible, that will solidify the defense big time.
Armchair GM here. starting with defense: resign Morgan Burnett, then safety is mostly taken care of. i like Roquan Smith in the draft.. i get that we are pretty solid with ILB, but going by BAP, maybe draft Smith at pick 14. restructuring is hard, but, i would go for it with Nelson AND Cobb.. if either refuses, draft a starting WR in rounds 2 or 3 and cut Nelson or Cobb. TE needs addressing: get a good one in this draft.. maybe get a FA TE too. a talented cb will still be available in rounds 2, 3, (or, even 4?): draft him. EDGE is a need, maybe think about Marcus Davenport at pick 14.. too hard to say right now.. if the draft isn’t the answer for EDGE, this could be where you consider spending money for a top FA. Bulaga has been solid when he has played.. unless he is considered too injured, i would keep him however, the Pack could draft an OT to challenge Spriggs as backup/swing tackle. one more comment: unless Rollins and Goodson absolutely ball during camp/preseason, i would cut both of them.
“the Pack could draft an OT to challenge Spriggs as backup/swing tackle.”
It wouldn’t take very much to “Challenge Spriggs” that’s for sure. Hell I could probably be just as effective on passing downs by just getting in the way of the D-Lineman than Spriggs has been so far.
I must add something. Current players should be worried. Many players can come in and play to 7-9 season. So, come in more physical, better attitude, and have a motor! If not, release those players who slack. Also, no restructures, good bye. Simple.
Players that have a history of injuries, that spend half the season on IR year after year, need to be replaced.
Absolutely. Enough carrying their limp butts year after year. There are skilled players who are hungry!
cut Brian Bulaga NOT SURE about that. True he has been hurt the last couple years, but when he is playing he is a damn fine right tackle. We need to resign some of our star instead of letting them walk. Mica Hyde how many times could we have used him this year. And the people who said he wasn’t fast enough. He had a damn fine year in Bufflo
Agreed. The only problem is Bulaga is on the side lines more than he is in the game. Can’t help the team that way.
Agree. Not playing, no help.
I disagree with most of this article.
Offensive Line as our top need and Tight End 5th? Uh, reverse those, buddy. And keeping “Zero Separation-Poor Blocker-Worthless on Special Teams” Richard Rodgers while getting him more involved? Tell me you’re joking.
Then you want to restructure Clay and Cobb (good) while leaving Nelson alone? Jordy is in serious decline, and counting on A-Rodg to make it all better by threading needles for the guy who no longer separates is ludicrous at Jordy’s cap figure. Either Jordy takes a SIZABLE cut, or he’s gone.
Then you want to waive Bulaga when his cap hit is moderate, Spriggs is coming off knee surgery, and we have no other options? Yikes.
Look, let’s get serious here. Aaron Rodgers was wrong; We need to REBUILD, not reload. Every expensive and declining vet–except the Right Tackle keeping Aaron alive–should take a BIG paycut or be released. NOW. We need 2 offseasons drafting speed all over the roster and avoiding big spending except to retain ascending talent. Richard Rodgers and any player vaguely resembling him must be jettisoned into deep space.
Rip off the bandaids and have surgery, or the last 5-6 years of Aaron’s career will be wasted.
Of course, some moron will now chime in with “Speed isn’t everything!”–as if I’m saying it is.
I’m just saying that while we inject all facets of talent into this roster over the next 2 offseasons, we need to emphasize that which we most lack–speed and explosion.
We can’t quick-fix a roster which is this slow and QB-dependent in one offseason without wrecking our cap going forward, so don’t try. Just shed cap fat and build athleticism for 2 years, and we’ll be set for the rest of Aaron’s career.
Some interesting points made, some not, but check Aaron Rodgers contract, he can leave in 2 years
We’ll extend him this Spring.
Rumor has it the Broncos and Jags have expressed interest in him??
Please.
If he’s smart he’ll hold out, or put an out option in his contract each year. He’s great, but the defense had let him down every year! The Pack uppers have totally let him out to dry!
I agree, but this time is the sweet spot for Aaron’s last monster deal.
He’ll get $28-30 million/year.
Release or trade the overpaid, injury riddled players this year. Production and durability business. Pack carries a lot of dead weight.
A-freaking-men, sir.
I think I would go all in on defence. Bring back the attacking defence we once had that could take the ball back. Giving Mr Rogers the ball a lot even with this years offence we would win a lot of games
i agree if we have good defence we can be beast like we were like in 1919 only allowed 6 points at total that season like rodgers is BEAST at throwing and at foot work go pack we can do it we could go back being number 1 in nfc at least in nfc north not be third or fourth okay we we can do it pack i know we can