Where the Green Bay Packers stand ahead of free agency
The Green Bay Packers have clear needs to improve their roster after a disappointing finish to their 2024 campaign.
The start of NFL free agency is around the corner and it should come as no surprise that the Green Bay Packers have already been active.
Over the last week, we’ve seen the Packers take care of business by re-signing depth linebacker Isaiah McDuffie and kicker Brandon McManus. We’ll also soon find out what they end up doing with veteran CB Jaire Alexander, who they’ve publicly dangled as a trade piece to salvage something before his likely exit from Green Bay.
After their disappointing finish in which they fell to the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card round, the Packers — and especially general manager Brian Gutekunst — are ramping up their sense of urgency. To meet the task of being a championship contender requires leveling up and reports have already circulated that the Packers may be aggressive once free agency opens up.
Now whether that proves to be the case is the big question, but there shouldn’t be any doubt to the Packers’ intentions to keep pace with the rest of the NFC, much less those within their own division.
What the Packers need to address on offense
Offensively, the Packers’ youth is an unsettled place, especially at premier positions.
Jordan Love experienced a turbulent 2024, even after signing a massive extension early in training camp that made him the second-highest earning quarterback in the league based on his annual average value of $55 million. The injuries he suffered throughout the year and a few of his wide receiving targets made for a passing attack that was never in sync consistently, especially by the end of the year.
There’s no question that the Packers could use help within their wide receiver room to help elevate the offense, Love and address the absence of Christian Watson, who is due to miss the start of the 2025 season — at minimum — after tearing his ACL late last season. Gutekunst has also been adamant that there is no long-term concern for Romeo Doubs, who suffered a pair of concussions late into the year.
In any event, the Packers have a pair of wide receivers who will both be entering the final year of their rookie contracts and only Doubs may be able to show why he’s due for a pay raise this time next season. Meanwhile, Jayden Reed will look to bounce back from his second half slump, Dontayvion Wicks will look to assert himself as focal point for Love and head coach Matt LaFleur and the likes of Bo Melton and Malik Heath will fight for snaps.
Then there’s the matter of who will be responsible for snapping the ball to Love, a question that is entirely intertwined with what happens with center Josh Myers.
The Packers’ starting offensive line played the most snaps together of any team last season, which, of course, didn’t last long in their defeat to the Eagles once Elgton Jenkins went down. Myers also avoided catastrophe when he left the game with what looked to be a brutal leg injury. Fortunately for him, Myers’ early exit during the loss wasn’t damaging to him long-term and the pay day he is about to command.
Myers has been an iron man for the Packers since becoming their starting center and led the offense in snaps in 2022, 2023 and was fourth in 2024. Whether you think he’s been an adequate center has varied over the time, but there’s no question that the Packers might be in the business of replacing the fulcrum of their offensive line.
What the Packers need to address defensively
It’s a different story for the Packers on the defensive side of the ball.
The first year under defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley showed overdue improvements across many departments. The arrival of safety Xavier McKinney gave the Packers a true safety net and the emergence of rookie linebacker Edgerrin Cooper roaming around the field like a sentry was a boon to the Packers’ defense in the middle of the field and taking away explosive plays.
Yet, the Packers’ pass rush was largely static throughout the year. Their inability to get home with their front four and the disappointing years for their EDGE rushers like Rashan Gary, Lukas Van Ness and with their defensive linemen like Kenny Clark contributed to their lack of firepower. The Packers ought to find some much needed juice along the line.
Not only will Green Bay need to bolster their pass rush, but the Packers are due to improve their interior defensive line with TJ Slaton standing as a pending free agent. Replacing Slaton’s 427 snaps may come internally with the Packers having Devonte Wyatt, Karl Brooks and Colby Wooden seeing more playing time, but they are due more reinforcements to get more options within their front line.
Elsewhere, the impending departure of Alexander and 2021 first-round pick Eric Stokes forces Gutekunst and his front office to rejuvenate their secondary. With only Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine under contract, the Packers have to bolster their outside coverage and maybe even look for a slot cornerback, should Nixon fully move over as a cover corner.
Of course, some of these needs will be addressed in the draft and perhaps via trade as well. The Packers will have nearly $42.7 million in cap space by the time they start talking to free agents starting Monday afternoon and that number will definitely change as time goes on. Having that spending power available to them doesn’t necessarily mean the Packers will use all of their cap space, either. Which I’m sure will ruffle some feathers across Green Bay.
The Packers have such defined roster needs and this free agency gives them the ability to address said roster holes. How aggressive they wind up being will be seen in the coming days and weeks and it will only be the tip of the iceberg of how the Packers can improve going into next season.