With the abrupt end to their 2022-23 season, the Green Bay Packers can now focus on the upcoming free agency period this offseason. Needing to determine what kind of team this will be next year and beyond, Brian Gutekunst and Matt LaFleur have a few crucial decisions to make.
While there are plenty of external free agents for Green Bay to target, first they need to focus on their crop of players that need new contracts this offseason. 16 in total represents a fairly large class, and for a team that is already having financial concerns, bringing all of them back will be tough.
Offense (6)
Randall Cobb, Tyler Davis, Allen Lazard, Marcedes Lewis, Yosh Nijman, Robert Tonyan Jr.
With the status of Aaron Rodgers still up in the air, plenty of changes likely will hinge on if he returns, departs, or retires.
The two players that you can most likely tie to the status of Rodgers are Randall Cobb and Marcedes Lewis, players that are in the later stages of their careers and likely would continue playing with Rodgers wherever he went. If he were to retire, it is realistic to think that both Cobb and Lewis could join Rodgers in retirement, but Lewis looks to be the most likely to make that decision.
The tight end room has three players headed for free agency this offseason, as Tyler Davis (RFA), Lewis, and Robert Tonyan all could be playing elsewhere next season. Tonyan would be the biggest loss in this group, but with an estimated market value for his next deal sitting around $5 million, that may ultimately be too rich for the Packers to afford.
Allen Lazard and Yosh Nijman both are unsung heroes in Green Bay’s offense, and both would be substantial departures this offseason. Both players are in line for pretty big raises for their next contracts, but hopefully will be prioritized.
Lazard’s postgame interview after their Week 18 loss to the Lions conveyed a sense of having one foot already out the door, and we could have very well seen the last snap of Lazard in a Green Bay uniform. With the youth movement looking likely to take an even larger role in 2023, Lazard’s veteran role would be much needed, but that role may not be what Lazard is interested in filling next year.
Nijman may very well be the most important free agent on the offensive side of the ball, and the 26-year-old needs to be made the top priority this offseason to bring back, as he has been a key cog in keeping the offensive line unit functioning at a high level.
Defense & Special Teams (10)
Adrian Amos, Dean Lowry, Mason Crosby, Jarran Reed, Dallin Leavitt, Johnathan Ford, Eric Wilson, Keisean Nixon, Justin Hollins, Krys Barnes
There could be a pretty big wave of talent and depth that leaves the defensive side of the ball this season for Green Bay, both veteran and youth.
Adrian Amos, Dean Lowry, and Jarran Reed are the biggest names in this group, and all three players held substantial roles this past season. All three players are age 28 and older, which may be a big factor in if they are members of the Packers next season or not.
Amos has been the most consistent player and with their safety depth not being good, he should be brought back. Lowry had a down year and could very well walk (especially with the emergence of Kingsley Enagbare), and Reed has been a huge help alongside Kenny Clark, but Devonte Wyatt looks ready to take over Reed’s role.
Dallin Leavitt, Johnathan Ford, Eric Wilson, Justin Hollins, and Krys Barnes all hold depth roles and would not require a ton to bring back, but are still important. Barnes may be the most surprising player included in this group, but his fall from being a major contributor at LB to barely seeing the field doesn’t make him a priority to return.
Mason Crosby likely will return for his 17th season with Green Bay, regardless of the type of decision that Rodgers makes. Having been his only team in his career, Crosby looks to be at the return or retire stage of his career, so don’t expect him to go elsewhere.
Finally, we land on revolutionary returner Keisean Nixon, who looks to be one-dimensional even though he was originally brought in to fill a role in the DB room. Bringing Nixon back should not command too much, and with how impactful he was once he earned the full-time returner role, he needs to be an off-season priority.
뿓뿓뿓
Mike Johrendt has been an avid fan of the Packers ever since he can remember. He is now a writer at PackersTalk and you can follow him on Twitter at @MJohrendt23
뿓뿓뿓
