Last offseason, the Green Bay Packers executed a franchise-altering move, moving future Hall of Famer and four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets. The change, of course, was made to allow Jordan Love to take over as starting quarterback. While it was the most significant choice of last offseason, it was far from the only one of its kind.
Green Bay did not trade any other veterans, but they did allow numerous to leave through free agency. Wide receivers Randall Cobb and Allen Lazard signed with the Jets to continue playing with Rodgers, while the Packers did not want to re-sign them. Tight ends Robert Tonyan and Marcedes Lewis both signed with the Chicago Bears; again, Green Bay would not have re-signed them.
These players were all replaced by players taken in the 2023 NFL Draft, with Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks playing wide receiver and Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft at tight end. Of course, the franchise’s all-time top scorer Mason Crosby was not re-signed and was replaced by Anders Carlson. The Green Bay Packers Youth Movement Got Off to a Shaky Start in 2023.
Last season, the Packers had the youngest offense in the NFL, and they were even younger after their Week One victory over the Chicago Bears. David Bakhtiari, left tackle, was lost for the season due to a knee injury, while Aaron Jones, running back, missed multiple games due to a hamstring issue.
Rasheed Walker filled in for Bakhtiari at left tackle, and AJ Dillon took over as the team’s starting running back. Furthermore, the Packers’ system was built around Love and his young bunch of pass catchers, which included second-year wide receivers Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson. For the first half of the season, Love and his offense failed to be consistent. Through seven games, the club had gone 2-5 and appeared to be a long way from being a contender.
But they turned things around. Green Bay went 7-3 in their last ten games, clinching a wild card position in the NFL playoffs. Love had the best statistical first season as a starting quarterback in franchise history, and Reed shattered Sterling Sharpe’s rookie receiving record. By all accounts, the Packers’ offensive is an emerging force that should not be overlooked as they prepare to take the next step in 2024.
That is, except for one account. An NFL analyst criticizes the Green Bay Packers for not giving Jordan Love enough support. Unlike many other NFL teams, the Packers do not rely extensively on free agency to add players to their roster. They’re more recognized for drafting, developing, and then re-signing their own players. Granted, they occasionally make splashes in free agency, as they did this offseason with the signings of defender Xavier McKinney and running back Josh Jacobs.
During Rodgers’ tenure, the tendency of not signing major stars in free agency drew frequent criticism. Many believed that a big-name free agent, particularly on offense, could have propelled the Packers to the Super Bowl. The same criticism is now being directed at them, with Love at the center. Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report writes:
“The Packers aren’t meddling with something that doesn’t appear to be broken, because Love was fantastic down the stretch in his first year as a starter. However, this was merely an eight-game sample size. He was not particularly remarkable in the early half of last season, and the rest of the league will now be much more prepared for him. To become a legitimate contender, Green Bay likely needed to do more this summer. This is the type of critique that can only be countered through on-field production. The Packers believe that if their young offensive players perform as expected, acquiring a free agency wide receiver or tight end would be unnecessary.
It should be mentioned that McKinney and Jacobs were regarded the best free agents in their respective positions. Safety was an urgent need, and the Packers made certain they grabbed the finest one available. Offensively, it is difficult to determine which of their top four receivers would lose playing time if they signed a free agent at that position. Any of the four is capable of producing big numbers on any given Sunday.
Indeed, it is impossible to say exactly what else they could have done.
