There’s no way to sugarcoat the time of year it is for Packers fans. Free agency, the draft, and even the schedule release have all come and gone. We’ve entered the dead months. This isn’t to say that important things can’t still happen, but by and large its going to be mostly meaningless OTA clips and random bottom of the barrel player signings. So with that in mind, these next few weeks will just focus on any roster changes and some fun hypotheticals.
Packers Sign Free Agent, Linked To Another
The Packers may have just brought in the feel good story of the season. Marlon Jones, CB out of Vanderbilt was signed by the Packers Monday in their continued efforts to reshape last years cornerback room. Jones, who appeared in nine games for the Commodores last season missed the entirety of 2024 batting cancer. While he has to be considered a long shot to make the roster, its easy to root for him to at least stick to the practice squad.
In terms of future options in free agency, ESPN posted an article this week linking the Packers to former Bills edge rusher AJ Epenesa. Given that the Packers don’t yet know when they’ll have Micah Parsons back, signing another edge makes a ton of sense especially after losing Enagbare and trading Rashan Gary. Even after Parsons returns, having someone like Epenesa on the roster makes sense if one of the young players doesn’t step up like you’d hope. Joey Bosa or Jadeveon Clowney would also make sense if the price was right.
Would You Rather?
We’re in the middle of training camp this summer and one of the following reports comes out. Jordan Morgan dominates left side, hasn’t given up a sack yet, or – Packers young pass rushers are living in the backfield? So, would you rather option one? Or option 2? While the latter would be a nice change of pace from the end of last season, I think option 1 has to be what the Packers hope for most.
The biggest issue the Packers line faced last year was consistency, and Morgan being able to step in and be competent even would go a long way for the offense. GM Brian Gutekunst said that Morgan had played well enough to start over former LT Rasheed Walker last year, but that injuries forced the team to make other decisions.
So far the Packers moves this offseason support that being the belief. The only significant addition they made to the line was 5th round pick Jager Burton. The Packers have decided it’s time to throw Morgan in the deep end – and if he can swim don’t be surprised if Green Bay’s offense is a top 5 unit this season.
Don’t Forget About Tucker Kraft, Even If The Media Has
One of the things you see and hear more of this time of year are broader pieces and podcasts about things like team schemes and the evolving importance or lack thereof of certain positions. Tight End is one such position that has been the subject of conversation this offseason, especially in light of the run we saw in the draft.
While listening and reading some of these, one thing stood out – Tucker Kraft has been forgotten about. Maybe it’s just that the Parsons injury was the more recent and he’s a much higher profile player, but it can’t be understated how much Kraft meant to the offense. The man was a yards after catch monster.
Getting that safety outlet back will be huge for the Packers, especially if the reorganized offensive line takes a bit to gel. The narrative around Green Bay this offseason is that they are worse then they were last year, but with full seasons from Kraft, Watson and Tom I think this team is going to surprise this year.
