Green Bay Packers
Where to even begin here? Well, let’s start with the good news. General manager Ted Thompson shocked the football world by showing some activity in free agency. It started with the signing of Pro Bowl tight end Martellus Bennett from the defending champion New England Patriots. Green Bay later doubled down at that position by adding Lance Kendricks. It then brought former draft pick Davon House back after he failed miserably as a high-priced free agent in Jacksonville. Not bad at all, right?
That’s until we run down the list of impact players Green Bay lost in free agency. Running back Eddie Lacy signed with the Seattle Seahawks on what amounts to as nothing more than a prove-it deal.
This leaves wide receiver turned running back Ty Montgomery as the only real player at that position capable of even coming close to shouldering the load in Green Bay. Sure Lacy was a mess his final two seasons with the Packers, but they have not done a darn thing to get Montgomery help at running back. That’s an issue.
Remaining on offense, the Packers also lost stalwart guard T.J. Lang and starting center J.C. Tretter — creating two big holes on the line in front of annual MVP candidate Aaron Rodgers.
Then on defense, the Packers lost strong safety Micah Hyde, EDGE pass rusher Julius Peppers and former first-round pick Datone Jones. This adds even more holes to a defense that was well below average a season ago. Who is going to rush the passer? Can the Packers find any inside linebackers worth a hill of beans so that Clay Matthews can move back outside?
Green Bay has a history of focusing primarily on the draft. It’s a history that has worked out for the team for the most part, but that simply has not been the case recently.
It started with offensive tackle Derek Sherrod in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft. Then in 2012, Green Bay wasted a pick on defensive tackle Jerel Worthy in the second round. The team’s top-two picks from the 2013 draft, Datone Jones and Eddie Lacy, also departed in free agency this month. There’s surely some young talent that’s been added since. But it’s talent that has not necessarily proven itself as of right now.
This leads us to believe the Packers need immediate fixes in the early rounds come April. Maybe that includes trading out of the first round to pick up a couple Day 2 picks. It could also mean trading up in the first round to target an elite prospect at a position of need. Either way, the Packers are again left focusing on the draft as a way to overcome another less-than-stellar free agency period. Whether it’s sustainable remains to be seen.