Chaos lurks in the shadows as we creep towards NFL free agency and the draft. The Green Bay Packers find themselves in a pickle, trying to figure out who to restructure, who to cut, who to re-sign, and who to go after in free agency and the draft. While this happens every offseason, the new wrinkle here is that the Packers find themselves trying to create space in a shrinking salary cap.
Fans are scrutinizing every move as they seek a broader understanding of how Brian Gutekunst and the rest of the front office’s approach to working within the salary cap. Coming off a 13-3 season and a gut-wrenching NFC Championship loss, the Packers are poised to make another run in 2021. However, there are troubling deficiencies on the roster.
So what are the biggest spots Green Bay needs to be addressed during free agency and the draft?
1) The offensive line
This unit was tremendous last season both in pass protection and paving the way for the ground game. Aaron Rodgers remained mostly upright and had plenty of time in and out of the pocket to comb over his passing options. The only time the big boys up front really stunk up the joint was in the NFC Championship game, when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers got to Rodgers early and often. Certainly the absence of David Bakhtiari didn’t help, but the Packers had looked fine without him in previous games. As this off-season looms, so does the need to figure out how the offensive line will look in 2021.
Corey Linsley is an unrestricted free agent. The First-Team All-Pro center is set for a hefty payday, and whether that comes in Green Bay or not is yet to be seen. Linsley would be a massive loss for the Packers offensive line.
Bakhtiari will be returning at some point in 2021, but reports suggest he’s doubtful to be ready Week 1. That’s another All-Pro who could be absent — thankfully in this case, only temporarily.
Rick Wagner was solid at tackle for when called upon in 2020, but last week he was one of the first cap casualties we saw in Green Bay.
The Packers will have to decide where to put Elgton Jenkins on the line. He’s become an absolute stud with tier-one versatility, playing quite literally every single position on the line at some point in 2020. The guy is a freak and on his way to a solid NFL career.
With Linsley potentially on the way out, Bakhtiari returning from a brutal knee injury, and Wagner gone, the Packers absolutely, positively have to prioritize adding quality players to the offensive line this off-season. We saw what the offense looks like when the line is operating at less than 100% (NFC Championship game, apologies for the reminder) and the Packers know how important it is to protect No. 12.
2) Cornerback
Let’s make one thing very clear: Jaire Alexander is a rock and one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL who is just entering his prime. He constantly not only limits the opposing No. 1 receiver, but shuts them down. The dude has so much confidence and backs it up with his play.
But the Packers need help outside of Jaire.
Presently they don’t have depth at cornerback. Yes they have Jaire, but Kevin King is a free agent, Chandon Sullivan is a restricted free agent, and while Josh Jackson is on the roster, he was a healthy scratch in most of the second half of last season.
The Packers probably won’t bring back King — that experiment has been repeatedly tried with mixed results — leaving them SUPER thin at the position.
Perhaps they see if Patrick Peterson would take a minimum deal to go for a ring, and drafting a corner in the first round can’t be taken off the table. Either way, the Packers need to add pieces at cornerback.
3) Running Back
We could’ve gone inside linebacker, but I believe the Packers are smitten with Krys Barnes and Kamal Martin. Certainly they could and probably will add an inside linebacker, maybe even in the first round with Zaven Collins, but the running back spot was put here for a reason.
Look at the current depth:
Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams are free agents. There’s a very real chance neither is back next year, but one of the two could be. No matter what, it’s unlikely both are re-signed, given the Packers’ salary cap situation.
We all love us some AJ Dillon. He made great use of limited playing time in the final weeks of last season, especially in the game against the Tennessee Titans. So running back isn’t on the priority list because of doubt in Dillon. It’s strictly because of the unknown.
The most likely scenario I see goes as follows:
- Jones gets the bag from a team like the Miami Dolphins or the Los Angeles Chargers and he takes it.
- Williams re-signs with the Packers and battles with Dillon for the starting spot.
- The Packers use a mid- to late-round draft pick to select a running back like Chuba Hubbard, Jaret Patterson, or Kylin Hill.
That’s strictly a guess. But the position has become an area of need for Green Bay given their top two backs are currently unrestricted free agents.
There’s no need to press the panic button right now. They have ways to work within the cap crunch and make some noise in free agency. They have a full array of draft selections as well. What’s most critical is how they prioritize their needs.
