Packers 2025 offseason

[RedStickBrew]

Rap: The Raiders are adding more on defense, as they are set to sign former Packers first-round CB Eric Stokes on a 1-year, $4M, source said.

[LouisEly]

8 minutes ago, RedStickBrew said:

Rap: The Raiders are adding more on defense, as they are set to sign former Packers first-round CB Eric Stokes on a 1-year, $4M, source said.

The PTBNL for Hobbs?

[RedStickBrew]

3 minutes ago, LouisEly said:

The PTBNL for Hobbs?

Seems like it. A one year show-me deal seems pretty light for Stokes. He needs to stay on the field 

[BrewerFan]

12 hours ago, RedStickBrew said:

Seems like it. A one year show-me deal seems pretty light for Stokes. He needs to stay on the field 

Stokes has a really good rookie year for a rookie and when he was in press man coverage, but things just didn't fall right for him. I thought he had that big injuries that took away the middle two years(though he started his 2nd year poorly)...but once he and Watson went to Madison to work on their soft muscle issues. Both seemed to get over those. You can't prevent an ACL, so I thought that was a successful.

I also thought he was a better just pure cover corner than anyone but Jaire...but he's just not physical and I think Hafley wants more physical CBs and it's just hard for CBs to cover when you're pass rush is poor and you need to send extra guys, you're putting guys on an Island and that's tough for the best CBs. I think Stokes could play really solid football with Crosby, Koonce.

 

But, he's gone. 1/4 seems like a good bet, but we saw him losing snaps.

[jay87shot]

I think when Cooper Kupp gets cut we should use some money on him. Something like the deal Davante Adams got 2/46 but really 1 year guarantee. He has the upside, can be a perfect complement to the guys we have, and would be a great 3rd down safety blanket for Love. The we can focus draft efforts on building depth and picking the best talent.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

I'm an absolutely not on Kupp. The guy is cooked.

[Joseph Zarr]

 

[JosephC]

Amari Cooper and Dante Fowler are the only two remaining free agents that I would have any interest in at all.  I wouldn't be interested in giving Cooper a contract that includes 3 seasons with 35 million dollar cap numbers, but would still be willing to throw pretty significant money at him.  Fowler...only would be interested in a 1 year deal for modest money.  He had 10.5 sacks last year but is a wildly inconsistent player.  Probably only a pass-rush specialist for Green Bay.  I think he's a better fit as a 3-4 OLB.  There is a reason he's been with 5 teams in 9 seasons.  Alot to dislike, but he has shown that he can get after the passer and that's a big need right now.  Worth a gamble at a reasonable price.

[Joseph Zarr]

5 minutes ago, JosephC said:

Amari Cooper and Dante Fowler are the only two remaining free agents that I would have any interest in at all.  I wouldn't be interested in giving Cooper a contract that includes 3 seasons with 35 million dollar cap numbers, but would still be willing to throw pretty significant money at him.  Fowler...only would be interested in a 1 year deal for modest money.  He had 10.5 sacks last year but is a wildly inconsistent player.  Probably only a pass-rush specialist for Green Bay.  I think he's a better fit as a 3-4 OLB.  There is a reason he's been with 5 teams in 9 seasons.  Alot to dislike, but he has shown that he can get after the passer and that's a big need right now.  Worth a gamble at a reasonable price.

Yeah he is definitely a pass rush specialist. 50 pressures too in less than 400 snaps. It would be a really nice 3rd down weapon in Hafley's toolkit. I agree on the one year deal. They'd likely sell it as a two year deal - 2nd year Team Option?

[Joseph Zarr]

 

[jay87shot]

I think Fowler would be a nice add at this point if he isn't to expensive. I won't pay him high end but in the 10-15 probably would be ok.

1 hour ago, OldSchoolSnapper said:

I'm an absolutely not on Kupp. The guy is cooked.

He is past his prime no doubt, but he had 67/710/6 in 12 games (i think a snap count for the 1st couple?). That would be around 90/1000/8 for a full year, way better than Amari Cooper. I think Kupp is likely a good influence on that receiver room. 

[SeaBass]

I'm sure this would be very unpopular but I wouldn't hate signing Keenan Allen. His yardage wasn't impressive but Williams had to be some factor in that. DJ Moore also saw a similar dip in yards from prior year and I don't think anyone is down on him.

Allen will be 33 and has issues staying healthy so I know he's far from ideal but maybe his contract would be on the lower side.

I'd be ok with Kupp also but not for big money. He's not worth Adams money that's for sure.

Neither of these guys would be #1 WRs but that's just not available in FA.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

If we're going with 32 year old WRs that are clearly sliding downward, I would rather just let our young guys play. Those are valuable snaps they are missing with more Randall Cobbs in the lineup. Once we're out on Godwin, Metcalf, Adams...it's not worth any of these other guys. Their biggest problem is catching the ball, no "mentor" is going to achieve that. 

I am unimpressed by what the Packers have done. I am trying not to be a sourpuss about it, but it is feeling like we're running it back and hoping for different results. The draft hasn't happened yet, but I don't think this team was a rookie away from a championship. Gute's speech about it being time to compete for titles got me excited and their moves thus far have been a wet blanket for me. I am just slowly joining the ranks of fans wanting this team to take a big swing. It's been 15 years since we were in the Super Bowl.

I don't think they're going to suck or anything, and it's likely they DO get better as these guys develop, I just think they really needed a veteran addition to the front 7. There is no Reggie White, no Charles Woodson, no Clay Matthews on this team IMO.

[JosephC]

The thing that Amari Cooper brings is more of a down-the-field type threat.  Last year was not a good year, Cleveland turned out to be more than it's usual disaster and then he got traded mid-season and there is that adjustment period when going to a new team.  He was also battling a wrist injury during his time in Buffalo.  But in 2023 Cooper averaged 17.4 yards per catch.  In 2022 Cooper averaged 14.9 yards per catch.  Total over the last three years, 15.2 yards per catch.  I don't think we'll see near that from Kupp or Allen.

Cooper is also a very good locker room guy.  His mentorship of CeeDee Lamb while in Dallas is pretty well known.

[SeaBass]

42 minutes ago, OldSchoolSnapper said:

If we're going with 32 year old WRs that are clearly sliding downward, I would rather just let our young guys play. Those are valuable snaps they are missing with more Randall Cobbs in the lineup. Once we're out on Godwin, Metcalf, Adams...it's not worth any of these other guys. Their biggest problem is catching the ball, no "mentor" is going to achieve that.

I get it. But with Watson out I think there's room for a reliable vet. I'm not overly concerned with the guys on the depth chart "getting snaps" beyond Doubs, Reed and Wicks. I think that leaves room for a vet. Cause I sure hope nobody is arguing in favor of reserving snaps for the likes of Bo Melton or Malik Heath.

If Gute is going to target a #1 type guy in the draft in lieu of signing a vet then he better get the guy in round 1 or 2. If they fail to do that then they missed out on a needle mover for 2025 anyway. Sign the vet, add stability. Allen or Kupp are likely going to miss a handful of games anyway just because that's who they are so there will be opportunities for younger guys.

Again, this is assuming a reasonable short term contract. Something similar to the deal Aaron Jones signed this offseason. Hard pass if it gets into significant money and years.

[LouisEly]

This tweet from Ingalls does a great job of explaining what "effective cap space" is and why what Spotrac shows is not really correct:

://x.com/KenIngalls/status/1899798283297403268

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Kupp's skillset would be pretty redundant with Doubs, Wicks, Reed and Heath around. He was never a burner, but at this point in his career, he's strictly a possession guy. The Packers are in dire need of a receiver that can take the top off a defense until Watson is once again healthy. Bo Melton has some of those traits, but he's inconsistent. After missing out on Metcalf, I almost sort of expected them to throw a cheap contract at MVS, but that didn't happen. Not they are pretty much forced to look for that component in the draft, unless a trade comes out of nowhere.

[Joseph Zarr]

 

[SeaBass]

The problem I have with even mentioning Bo Melton or Malik Heath is that they had all of 8 and 10 receptions respectively last season. That's with the injuries to Doubs and Watson and basically current WR room. If those guys were going to make an impact it would have happened already.

Josh Jacobs and Tucker Kraft made those guys irrelevant. And Luke Musgrave might emerge this season as even more competition. Not to mention a hopefully healthy MarShawn Lloyd.

[HarryDoyle]

3 hours ago, OldSchoolSnapper said:

If we're going with 32 year old WRs that are clearly sliding downward, I would rather just let our young guys play. Those are valuable snaps they are missing with more Randall Cobbs in the lineup. Once we're out on Godwin, Metcalf, Adams...it's not worth any of these other guys. Their biggest problem is catching the ball, no "mentor" is going to achieve that. 

I am unimpressed by what the Packers have done. I am trying not to be a sourpuss about it, but it is feeling like we're running it back and hoping for different results. The draft hasn't happened yet, but I don't think this team was a rookie away from a championship. Gute's speech about it being time to compete for titles got me excited and their moves thus far have been a wet blanket for me. I am just slowly joining the ranks of fans wanting this team to take a big swing. It's been 15 years since we were in the Super Bowl.

I don't think they're going to suck or anything, and it's likely they DO get better as these guys develop, I just think they really needed a veteran addition to the front 7. There is no Reggie White, no Charles Woodson, no Clay Matthews on this team IMO.

1. I suppose it's possible one of our current receivers will take a huge step forward. Remember, Adams had problems with drops early in his career too.

2. I'm also starting to wonder if Gute's talk of ramping up the urgency is just that: talk. There's still time for him to take a swing on Hendrickson or some other top shelf pass rusher if there is another one so I'll reserve my criticism until the horse is out of the barn.

[CheezWizHed]

8 hours ago, SeaBass said:

The problem I have with even mentioning Bo Melton or Malik Heath is that they had all of 8 and 10 receptions respectively last season. That's with the injuries to Doubs and Watson and basically current WR room. If those guys were going to make an impact it would have happened already.

Agreed.  Fine that they are on the roster, but they are unlikely to be anything but a #4WR at best.  I wouldn't count one much from either one.

I think you need to add a FA WR and a draft pick honestly.  Watson might come back late in the season, but I wouldn't count on it. Not at 100% anyway. 

A left field idea might be Elijah Moore.  Potentially redundant with Reed, but he has speed and is about to turn 25 (with 4 years of experience).  

 

[HarveysWBs]

Is the Packers fan base some kind of modern retelling of the Sisyphus myth? How many times does the team have to be used as headline fodder or agent negotiation tactics or both before everyone accepts the simplest explanation as the true one: the front office, which has maintained a remarkably consistent philosophy for over thirty years, is loath to spend big on wide receivers, and definitely won’t do it in free agency. Full stop.

Yet, time and again, the fan discourse (and to be clear, I don’t necessarily mean around here, since I think the level of discussion is a bit more sophisticated here) gets funneled into agonizingly predictable channels: another off season, another round of angst and recriminations about whether there are enough weapons, more media speculation “tying” the team to x y or z wide receivers who could be available, ones who might want a new deal, or guys who probably want out of their current situation.

I don’t care that Schneider and Gutey are best buddies, we were never in on Metcalf. I don’t care that Adams was our guy and he apparently didn’t have any hard feelings about his exit, we were never seriously considering bringing him back. I don’t care that Kupp overlapped with MLF in Los Angeles, we are not going to sign him, and I’d be shocked if the brass have spent more than ten minutes even workshopping the idea.

Oh, and we’re not drafting a receiver in the first round, either. This organization has shown you what they are and how they think for the entire span of my life as a fan. I for one have internalized the lesson. I’m not upset by the decision, it is simply a fact, almost a state of nature.

What does kind of bug me is not trying to make a killer defense by doing what it takes to bring in surefire disruptors up front or on the edge. I figured we’d more or less run the offense back, but I really hoped we’d lean into trying to be elite on the other side of the ball. Oh well, I suppose its still a long way to training camp.

[BrewerFan]

10 hours ago, SeaBass said:

The problem I have with even mentioning Bo Melton or Malik Heath is that they had all of 8 and 10 receptions respectively last season. That's with the injuries to Doubs and Watson and basically current WR room. If those guys were going to make an impact it would have happened already.

Josh Jacobs and Tucker Kraft made those guys irrelevant. And Luke Musgrave might emerge this season as even more competition. Not to mention a hopefully healthy MarShawn Lloyd.

Yeah, Heath was a nice young WR who provided depth, but he was never a guy who you worried about their snaps.

Melton...I did think for a minute he was going to be a nice player but he didn't build off it. He looked like just a speedster coming out of College, he had a few big games, made some big catches while taking hits or running nice routes and then did nothing last year.

I also agree about the FA WRs. I don't think they add a different component...though to be fair, I haven't really watched Cooper. Maybe he's still a big play threat.

This is a big year for Musgrave. He started out well, Kraft was hurt and then he got hurt and he hasn't really been healthy enough to get going, but he can create a lot of mismatches.

I really think this team can do a lot of things with Musgrave and Lloyd if healthy both add different dimensiions to this team.

[BrewerFan]

10 hours ago, HarryDoyle said:

1. I suppose it's possible one of our current receivers will take a huge step forward. Remember, Adams had problems with drops early in his career too.

2. I'm also starting to wonder if Gute's talk of ramping up the urgency is just that: talk. There's still time for him to take a swing on Hendrickson or some other top shelf pass rusher if there is another one so I'll reserve my criticism until the horse is out of the barn.

I think the WR group will step up, but I also don't see Gutey going after a 30 year old pass rusher for the draft capital it'd take and then the money. 

I think he's serious about winning, he's just not going to go LA Rams mode to do it. He's not going to be that aggressive but he's far more aggressive than Thompson and on balance, he's pretty aggressive in free agency. We're just going to have to try and figure it out with another signing or the draft, but I doubt he'd make a move like THAT. 

Also...do you want to give up at least one 1st+ and pay him 35M+ per year...at 30 years old?

[SeaBass]

21 hours ago, HarryDoyle said:

2. I'm also starting to wonder if Gute's talk of ramping up the urgency is just that: talk. There's still time for him to take a swing on Hendrickson or some other top shelf pass rusher if there is another one so I'll reserve my criticism until the horse is out of the barn.

Pete Dougherty had an article yesterday about Hendrickson and the statistics for pass rushers over the age of 30.

Here's a snippet:

Quote

 

According to Pro Football Reference, no player has averaged 15 sacks over the two seasons they turned 31 and 32, which are the ages Hendrickson will be this year and in 2026. Only one, Michael Strahan (14¾) averaged at least 14. And only six others averaged at least 13: Robert Mathis (13¾), Chris Doleman (13½), Deacon Jones (13½), Reggie White (13½), Kevin Greene (13¼) and Joey Porter (13¼). 

Those numbers are bleak considering all the good and great pass rushers who have passed through the NFL. 

Yes, Hendrickson had 17½ sacks each of the past two seasons, and it’s an eye-opener to find out that’s the second-most sacks among players ages 29 and 30 in league history. Deacon Jones is first at 43½, followed by Hendrickson (35), Jared Allen (34), Jim Katcavage (34), Michael Strahan (32), DeMarcus Ware (31), Lawrence Taylor (30½) and T.J. Watt (30½).  

But then there’s the sobering fact that Hendrickson is at an age where pass rushers usually drop-off fast. From that list, Allen, just voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, had 11½ sacks at age 31 and 5½ at 32. Ware had six and 10. Katcavage 5½ and 6½. Ware six and 10. Taylor, the best rusher ever, 10½ and seven. (Watt, who had 11½ sacks last season, turns 31 this year.) 

 

He goes on to say he believes a 2nd round pick would be too much to give up given all of the information above and having to pay big bucks for a contract extension. I think Cincy had originally been asking for a 1st rounder, someone probably will pay the 2nd round pick and I doubt it's going to be Green Bay.