The Green Bay Packers have gone about business as usual so far in free agency.
Green Bay has agreed to deals with two players, guard Aaron Banks and cornerback Nate Hobbs. Neither were tabbed by hardly anyone as potential targets for the Packers.
Still, there are holes to fill, and Green Bay could wait until the draft to fill them. So far, though, Pro Football Focus has listed the Packers as the losers of free agency.
Last offseason Green Bay took two rare big swings by shelling out for safety Xavier McKinney and running back Josh Jacobs. It took just one season to realize both were home-run signings.
Green Bay got back to what it knows best this March, which is going for unexpected targets that come with some uncertainty but fit the Packers’ mold.
However, PFF isn’t a fan of either signings.
The most notable signing, Aaron Banks, raised eyebrows after the 27-year-old agreed to a four-year, $77 million deal — $12 million above PFF’s projected contract value. Banks has logged over 3,000 snaps at left guard, a position already occupied by standout Elgton Jenkins, who earned the highest pass-blocking grade (81.6) among qualifying guards in 2024.
While PFF notes Banks’ comfortability at only playing left guard, it’s widely expected he will slot in there while Jenkins moves to center.
As for the Hobbs deal, PFF thinks the money forked over is a big risk for the Packers.
The signing of Nate Hobbs fills a clear need at cornerback, but committing a four-year deal — the longest among free-agent corners this cycle — at an average of $12 million per year raises concerns. While Hobbs has shown flashes of talent, inconsistency and injuries have plagued his career, making his long-term deal a risky investment.
Hobbs’ best season may have been his rookie season in 2021. It may be a concern that his play appears to have dipped a bit, but he’s a physical corner who plays well in the slot and has a hell of a motor. Hobbs checks a lot of the boxes for the Packers.
Regardless of how you view Green Bay’s free agency, the rest of the division has been extremely active. Minnesota has beefed up its offensive and defensive lines while retaining running back Aaron Jones and cornerback Byron Murphy. Chicago has added three offensive linemen and two key pieces on its defensive front. Both were listed as “winners” of free agency so far by PFF.
We’ll see what else general manager Brian Gutekunst has up his sleeve.
