As we get closer to the start of training camp and look over the Green Bay Packers’ offseason, it feels in line with what we all expected. Still, there were some major questions heading into the spring that could determine the success of the season before it even starts. 

The first question was whether new Packers president Ed Policy would keep Brian Gutekunst and Matt LaFleur around after a disappointing playoff collapse.

Following Policy’s decision, the big questions were: Does Jeff Hafley get a head coaching job, and, if so, who do they replace him with? Also, how will Brian Gutekunst reshape the roster with several players set to hit free agency? 

Ultimately, the Packers answered those questions with mostly ho-hum, on-brand, solid solutions. There will inevitabl be some skeptics, but the discourse happened, and we moved on. But what if those skeptics are right? What if these primarily nondescript decisions that have massive implications don’t work? 

What if Brian Gutekunst is wrong about Jordan Morgan?

The Packers lost several players to free agency this offseason. However, none of them were unexpected, and many were seen as an addition by subtraction. The theme with most of the departures was that Green Bay had replacements waiting in the wings that many felt would be upgrades or at least lateral moves. 

• Mathew Golden will replace Romeo Doubs opposite Christian Watson.
• Lukas Van Ness will replace Rashan Gary.
• After a little shuffling, Anthony Belton will slot into the interior of the offensive line in place of Elgton Jenkins. 
• Finally, Jordan Morgan replacing Rasheed Walker at left tackle is the biggest of these changes in terms of positional value.

After a promising start to Walker’s career in Green Bay that earned him the starting job, the former seventh-round pick scuffled at the end of the season. He only got a one-year, $4 million deal with the Carolina Panthers in free agency at a position where teams are willing to spend money on any starting-level player. 

Jordan Morgan will replace Walker. The Packers drafted him with a first-round pick in 2024, and he has played almost every position along the offensive line in his career. 

However, Morgan has performed underwhelmingly at every position except left tackle. He played left tackle in college, the Packers drafted him as a future left tackle, and he has performed and looked most comfortable at left tackle. However, he rarely played there when it mattered in his first two seasons.

It feels like the Packers mismanaged the first two seasons of Morgan’s career. The guy holding down the left tackle spot wasn’t playing well, and all signs pointed to Morgan being at least a stable presence there. Still, that doesn’t matter now. Morgan is the Week 1 starting left tackle and should be better than Walker. 

But what if he’s not? 

If Morgan is a disaster, then Green Bay doesn’t have a clear solution to the problem. Darian Kinnard is their swing tackle. He’s a guy you’d prefer only to have to come in as an injury replacement. 

The other options are shuffling the line. Move Zach Tom to left tackle and have Kinnard play right tackle, where he looked serviceable in relief last season. Or move Anthony Belton to left tackle and bring in rookie Jager Burton at guard. The latter would be dependent on Belton and Burton’s development throughout training camp and the offseason.

If Morgan can’t be a reliable starter, it would have ramifications beyond the offensive line. It’ll be yet another season where Jordan Love has to deal with subpar blindside protection, the run game likely will continue to struggle, and it’ll make everything harder for Matt LaFleur. Finally, it’ll be yet another underwhelming first-round pick for Brian Gutekunst with players like Cooper DeJean still on the board. 

I don’t think drafting Morgan over DeJean will be a fireable offense if it doesn’t work. However, it will likely be a season-altering (for the worse) failure and Green Bay likely won’t be good enough to go anywhere in the playoffs if they make it at all, barring an unforeseen development or trade that saves the season. 

If Morgan is a bust, it will put Gutey back on the hot seat.

What if Matt LaFleur is wrong about Jonathan Gannon?

The second major decision came after Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley departed to become the Miami Dolphins’ head coach. Hafley was the first of three defensive coordinator hires under LaFleur to end in a promotion rather than a firing.

Hafley was a slightly surprising hire; Gannon was the opposite. When the Arizona Cardinals fired Gannon as their head coach, he instantly became a top candidate for a defensive coordinator role. He may not be the most exciting acquisition or have the personality like Hafley. However, he has coached a Super Bowl-caliber defense and has worked under several successful coaches around the league.

Gannon brings vast experience and versatility. Still, that doesn’t mean he’ll automatically be a great coordinator. The Philadelphia Eagles defense that he brought to the Super Bowl was stacked with talent top to bottom. He put that talent together and made a great unit out of it. However, Arizona had the opposite roster situation, and he didn’t meaningfully elevate the defense. 

Green Bay’s roster is between those two teams’ status. The Packers will expect Gannon to elevate their group to a championship caliber, because they expect to contend. If Gannon can’t and this is the third failed hire for LaFleur in four tries, he’s likely looking for work elsewhere. 

Hiring Gannon will determine Matt LaFleur’s future in Green Bay.

What if Ed Policy is wrong about extending LaFleur and Gutekunst?

New Packers president Ed Policy had two massive decisions that loomed over the entire offseason. After not giving extensions heading into this past season, Policy had to decide whether to extend Gutekunst and LaFleur, let them go, or allow them to play out the last year of their contracts after another disappointing season. 

LaFleur and Gutekunst, despite their flaws, are regarded as some of the best at what they do. Policy was wise to hitch his wagon to them. Still, that doesn’t ensure that it will ultimately be correct. 

If this regime fails, Policy likely won’t take the blame because it predated him. Still, it will leave a mark on one of the more disappointing eras of Packers football, given Gutekunst and LaFleur’s talent.

However, it will then be Policy’s turn to make his mark. He’ll have to bring in his own regime and create his own legacy. If that fails, it could raise many concerns about the stability of the structure that has been in place for over 30 years and whether it can continue to be upheld by new leadership, or whether Titletown is destined for darker days in the future.