Packers 2025 offseason

[adambr2]

1 hour ago, LouisEly said:

Compared to recent years when Rodgers, Bakhtiari, et. al., left them in cap hell, yes, they had some money to spend.  (Some people don't understand the difference between gross cap space and effective cap space.)

But $30M isn't going to get you a top WR, DE/Edge rusher, CB, and IOL.  Particularly when arguably the top WR available is going to cost $30M/year and draft picks... and you have a top OT that you're trying to extend as well.

The cost per year isn’t really indicative of what the first year costs are, though. Just because a high end WR might get 30M a year and you have 30M of cap space doesn’t mean that’s what you can spend. Almost every NFL contract is backloaded with smaller cap hits in the early years.

Case in point, Josh Sweat only has a $7.3 million cap hit for 2025. Chris Godwin (and yes I know he took less money to stay with Tampa), less than $13M for 2025.

[BrewerFan]

1 hour ago, LouisEly said:

Compared to recent years when Rodgers, Bakhtiari, et. al., left them in cap hell, yes, they had some money to spend.  (Some people don't understand the difference between gross cap space and effective cap space.)

But $30M isn't going to get you a top WR, DE/Edge rusher, CB, and IOL.  Particularly when arguably the top WR available is going to cost $30M/year and draft picks... and you have a top OT that you're trying to extend as well.

I think the problem is...as the Cap goes up, we've still got the old salary numbers in our head.

Giving an OG 27M over 3 years would have been insane 10 years ago unless it was an ELITE OL. I think we moved on from Sitton to save...6.5M. We'd brought back a KR for the price of a guy who'd been a 2nd team AP the previous 3 seasons in Josh Sitton in 2016. 

We were in the ~45M range if you assume Jaire is gone, but that doesn't seem to be the case as of yet(and assuming as post-June 1 trade). 

What's more, even if you WANTED to, who was the top WR, edge, CB and IOL you were signing? You COULD have gotten creative, but who were the players available that we should have signed?

 

This is feelling very Brewers-ish. Despite actually making moves, it feels like we're talking about nobody or anybody. Just get someone...anyone.

[BrewerFan]

23 minutes ago, adambr2 said:

The cost per year isn’t really indicative of what the first year costs are, though. Just because a high end WR might get 30M a year and you have 30M of cap space doesn’t mean that’s what you can spend. Almost every NFL contract is backloaded with smaller cap hits in the early years.

Case in point, Josh Sweat only has a $7.3 million cap hit for 2025. Chris Godwin (and yes I know he took less money to stay with Tampa), less than $13M for 2025.

Sure...you can push it down the road. But the Packers were reportedly interested in Sweat. We always use the contract that player actually signed and then say, 'this is what it cost to sign Josh Sweat.'

Do we know what it'd cost the Packers?

 

What would it cost to convince him to play in Arizona with the Defensive Coordinator he was at his best under vs going to Green Bay?

He would have been an outstanding signing, but how high do you go? 4/88? Might have been worth it...

I wanted to solve our Center position, I wanted to keep Jaire(maybe foolishly) and I wanted to see our pass rush improved by a BIG move. I don't think that turned out to be realistic save for Hendrickson...and it's been discussed ad nauseum why some don't think that's a smart move. We'll see who is right in 2-3 years when he's got a cap hit of 50-60M and a dead cap of 70M with no 1sts. Has he had a couple of 15+ sack seasons and been a top 3-4 edge or has he fallen off. 

 

But aside from that, who should they have spent money on that they didn't? 

[LouisEly]

11 hours ago, adambr2 said:

The cost per year isn’t really indicative of what the first year costs are, though. Just because a high end WR might get 30M a year and you have 30M of cap space doesn’t mean that’s what you can spend. Almost every NFL contract is backloaded with smaller cap hits in the early years.

Case in point, Josh Sweat only has a $7.3 million cap hit for 2025. Chris Godwin (and yes I know he took less money to stay with Tampa), less than $13M for 2025.

Which would be great, if they weren't already pushing up against the 2026 cap... with a top OT that they still need to extend.  The average cap number comes due at some point.

[JosephC]

The Packers have a pretty large amount of cap space left for this year if Alexander is off the roster, which I think is still pretty likely.  If anything, I think if a trade cannot be made for Alexander prior to the draft, that Gutekunst will release him and not put a post-June 1st designation on him.  If so, the Packers would still have about 35.6 million in cap space and that would be after paying the rookies.  As currently stands, that would be the ninth highest amount of cap space in the league, so they have plenty or room.

Just to put some numbers in, if Alexander is released or traded prior to June 1, and Tom is given this type of extension-

EXTENSION #1 = RT-Zach Tom.  5 years, 110 million, 42 million guaranteed.  30 million signing bonus, and between base salary + bonuses the yearly earnings are 4 million in 2025, 10.5 in 2026, 15.5 in 2027, 21.5 in 2028 and 28.5 in 2029.  Cap numbers break down as 10.126 million in 2025, 16.5 million in 2026, 21.5 million in 2027, 27.5 million in 2028 and 34.5 million in 2029.

If those two things happen, the Packers still have about 28.9 million dollars in cap space for 2025 and that is after paying the incoming rookie class.

Overthecap calculates the 2026 cap room to be about 36.5 million if the above happens.  Assuming the Packers are dealing with about the same rookie pool in 2026 as they are in 2025, count about 10 million for the rookie pool and about another 10 million to complete the roster.  That knocks them down to about 16.5 million, which seems like a really concerning number.  However, just doing full restructures on the Gary contract and the Clark contract, and I estimate that the 16.5 million in cap space then becomes 35.7 million in cap space.  That does not even look at the Jenkins contract (Jenkins will be in the last year of his deal, releasing him would create an additional 20 million in cap space, giving him a new contract would likely create at least 10 million in cap space, and as a last resort, they could just add a couple void years onto the current deal to knock off 4 or 5 million from the 2026 cap).  In addition, McKinney has 13+ million and Jacobs has 11+ million in new money coming due in 2026, more options available to reduce the cap.  I don't think they need to go that far, just redoing the Gary and Clark contracts should create enough cap space to get everything done. 

 

[LouisEly]

Gutey formally says that Jordan Morgan will compete for the starting LT job:

https://packerswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/packers/2025/03/31/packers-ol-jordan-morgan-will-get-chance-to-compete-for-starting-left-tackle-job-in-2025/82745350007/

[Joseph Zarr]

1 hour ago, LouisEly said:

Gutey formally says that Jordan Morgan will compete for the starting LT job:

https://packerswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/packers/2025/03/31/packers-ol-jordan-morgan-will-get-chance-to-compete-for-starting-left-tackle-job-in-2025/82745350007/

I have to think, organizationally, they are pushing for Morgan to win that job. You can't pay everyone and you have to pay Tom. I have a nagging suspicion they don't really want to pay Walker starting Tackle money.

[HarryDoyle]

Welp, Gute played the "I was misunderstood" card about his comments on urgency.

Packers GM clarifies 'urgency' statement, defends free agency strategy

He also is under the illusion that the pass rush will be fine with the personnel they already have.

Packers banking on internal improvement from pass-rush, won't chase DL during draft

SMH

[LouisEly]

2 hours ago, HarryDoyle said:

Welp, Gute played the "I was misunderstood" card about his comments on urgency.

Packers GM clarifies 'urgency' statement, defends free agency strategy

He also is under the illusion that the pass rush will be fine with the personnel they already have.

Packers banking on internal improvement from pass-rush, won't chase DL during draft

SMH

Or it's just typical pre-draft misdirection.

Look at who they've brought in for pre-draft visits - three edge rushers projected to go in the top 20 or so picks.

We'll see.

[JosephC]

6 hours ago, HarryDoyle said:

Welp, Gute played the "I was misunderstood" card about his comments on urgency.

Packers GM clarifies 'urgency' statement, defends free agency strategy

He also is under the illusion that the pass rush will be fine with the personnel they already have.

Packers banking on internal improvement from pass-rush, won't chase DL during draft

SMH

"Urgency" is just trendy GM-speak.  Just like 100% of NFL coaches will say "aggressive," and then 95% of them will play ridiculous prevent defenses when up by 9 points with 9 minutes left to play in the game.

[CheezWizHed]

I don't know what people want from Gute frankly. 

Did I want a DE out of FA? Absolutely. But there were only two guys I'd even consider and one re-signed before FA opened.  One of the worst thing you can do in FA is spend big money on mediocrity. 

We signed two FAs and people said, "Who??".  But looking back at Gute's history of FAs (at least the bigger $$ guys), he has been very strong.  

• Jimmy Graham was probably his worst signing and I'd say he was "ok".  A lot of money, but he contributed. 
• Billy Turner was probably the next worst but he ended up being a solid add as OT depth and starter.  
• Both Smiths, Amos, McKinney, and Jacobs were excellent FA signings. 
• Turner, P Smith, and Z Smith were FAs that people also said... Who?  They worked out well. 
• I'm willing to wait on Hobbs and Banks to see how well they perform before panning the signings. Gute's history is far better than the million FA ranking websites. 

Packer's are ranked 10th in FA spending this year.  That is pretty aggressive considering the team we already have.  We aren't like the Bears that failed drafting for the last decade and have to sign everyone and their brother to find talent.  

 

[JosephC]

On 4/2/2025 at 8:32 AM, CheezWizHed said:

I don't know what people want from Gute frankly. 

Did I want a DE out of FA? Absolutely. But there were only two guys I'd even consider and one re-signed before FA opened.  One of the worst thing you can do in FA is spend big money on mediocrity. 

We signed two FAs and people said, "Who??".  But looking back at Gute's history of FAs (at least the bigger $$ guys), he has been very strong.  

• Jimmy Graham was probably his worst signing and I'd say he was "ok".  A lot of money, but he contributed. 
• Billy Turner was probably the next worst but he ended up being a solid add as OT depth and starter.  
• Both Smiths, Amos, McKinney, and Jacobs were excellent FA signings. 
• Turner, P Smith, and Z Smith were FAs that people also said... Who?  They worked out well. 
• I'm willing to wait on Hobbs and Banks to see how well they perform before panning the signings. Gute's history is far better than the million FA ranking websites. 

Packer's are ranked 10th in FA spending this year.  That is pretty aggressive considering the team we already have.  We aren't like the Bears that failed drafting for the last decade and have to sign everyone and their brother to find talent.  

 

I just don't think people were all that impressed with throwing big money at a guard, a guard whose play has been pretty "standard" by most measures and a player whose snap count has been dropping year by year.  With how Over The Cap has players categorized by position, Banks has the 6th highest average value per year contract for a guard.  Is Banks really a top 10 guard?

I think that alone probably sums it up as how the general public feels.  I don't think most Packer fans could probably give a hoot about Nate Hobbs one way or the other.  Let me go more in-depth on him.

When factoring in the money, I can see why they signed Nate Hobbs.  Last year was, by far, his best season when taking a look at the various statistics.  It's pretty obvious that Gutekunst sees him as an ascending player, because this is a bad signing if he reverts back to the form he showed from 2021-2023.  But even if the 2024 Hobbs is the real Hobbs moving forward, it still seems like risky signing considering how many games he's missed.  When looking at the stats, his performance last year fell somewhere between Nixon (who was very good) and Valentine (who the numbers show was very bad....the 80.2 QB rating against makes it appears that he was excellent, but that is because he didn't surrender a TD...completion percentage against...yards per target...all the other numbers were not good).

So I had initially wanted a different cornerback, but in my dream world would have pivoted to DJ Reed after missing out my preferred target.  Reed signed for 3 years, 48 million,  Let's say the Packers would have to go 5% over that to sign him, it would make his deal 3 years, 50.5 million with 33.6 million guaranteed (again, a 5% increase there).  Hobbs is similar money, but for an extra year.  Average per year for the deals would be 16.83 million for Reed and 12 million for Hobbs.  Considering the Packers salary cap situation, I would have gladly paid the extra money for Reed.

2024 Hobbs was by far the best Hobbs.  In 2024 Hobbs played in 49.87% of the team's defensive snaps, completion percentage against him was 64.7%, yards allowed per target as 6.3, yards after catch per reception against was 6.5, QB rating against was 87.2, he allowed 2 touchdown, he had 1 interception and missed tackle percentage was 19.7% (in fairness, the missed tackle percentage was by far the worst of his career).  In 2024 Reed played in 76.66% of the team's defensive snaps, completion percentage against was 57.1%, yards allowed per target was 6.4, yards after catch per reception was 3.1, QB rating against was 87.1, he allowed 2 touchdowns, did not have an interception, and his missed tackle percentage was 7.2%.  I'd take Reed when looking at the 2024 numbers.  If you want to take the average number from the last three years-

percentage of defensive snaps played - Reed = 87.94%, Hobbs = 59.24%

completion percentage against - Reed = 59.8%, Hobbs = 69.9%

yards allowed per target - Reed = 6.3, Hobbs = 6.9

yards after catch per reception against - Reed = 3.6, Hobbs = 5.5

QB rating against - Reed = 83.5, Hobbs = 101.5

Touchdowns allowed - Reed = 6, Hobbs = 11

Interceptions - Reed = 2, Hobbs = 2

Missed tackle percentage = Reed = 7.5%, Hobbs = 12.7%

A three year deal for Reed covers age 29, 30 and 31 seasons.  To get out of the contract after the second year, it would be about an 8-9 million dollar cap hit in dead money.  I wouldn't call Reed a declining player at this point, as some of those stats have trended positive over the last 3 years (completion percentage against).

But I think this illustrates how Hobbs is a risky signing, a signing probably only made because Gutekunst sees him as an ascending player.  Frankly, Hobbs was well below average prior to 2024 and his big jump in 2024 kind of sits him right about at average.

IMO Packer fans have good reason to be disappointed by what happened in free agency this off-season.

[LouisEly]

And that's why Reed got $33.6M guaranteed and why Hobbs got $16M guaranteed.

As for their "salary cap situation", are you referring to this year or next year?  Because for next year, they are already at $270M in cap obligations for only 29 players and have yet to extend any of their 2022 draft class.

[CheezWizHed]

1 hour ago, JosephC said:

IMO Packer fans have good reason to be disappointed by what happened in free agency this off-season.

Just like any draft... the proof is in the pudding.  We fans always have our favorites and disappointed by what actually happened.  But then we look back at it years later and it isn't so clear anymore.

When they signed Amos, P Smith, Z Smith, and Turner people were happy with Amos, luke warm about P Smith, and upset at Z Smith and Turner (who are these guys???).  All four turned out to be good signings. 

No idea if this year's FA class will be the same, but Gute has enough history on multi-year FA signings and really not missed on any one of them.  Jimmy Graham was expensive for what he produced, but he did produce - that was the closest thing to a "miss"

[JosephC]

20 hours ago, LouisEly said:

And that's why Reed got $33.6M guaranteed and why Hobbs got $16M guaranteed.

As for their "salary cap situation", are you referring to this year or next year?  Because for next year, they are already at $270M in cap obligations for only 29 players and have yet to extend any of their 2022 draft class.

If the salary cap situation for 2026 was so dire, I very much doubt Gutekunst would have signed a guard whose contract has a 24.85 million dollar cap number for 2026.

Again, in my dream world, my signings for the Packer would have started with DT-BJ Hill and CB- DJ Reed.  I have the overall money and guaranteed money 5% over what they got and the assumption that they would have taken the highest offer.

BJ Hill contract = 3 years, 34.65 million, 11.55 million guaranteed

11.55 million signing bonus

2025 = 1.5 million salary, 2025 cap number = 5.35 million

2026 = 5.0 million salary, 3 million roster bonus (March), 2026 cap number = 11.85 million

2027 = 10.6 million salary, 3 million roster bonus (March), 2027 cap number = 17.45 million

DJ Reed contract = 3 years, 50.5 million, 33.6 million guaranteed

25 million signing bonus

2025 = 1.5 million salary (guaranteed), 2025 cap number = 9.833 million

2026 = 3.0 million salary, 7.1 million roster bonus (March, roster bonus is guaranteed), 2026 cap number = 18.433

2027 = 6.8 million salary, 7.1 million roster bonus (March), 2027 cap number = 22.233 million

Yearly cap numbers for Hill and Reed=

2025 = 15.183 million

2026 = 30.283 million

2027 = 39.683 million (releasing both would result in 12.183 million of dead cap space)

Yearly cap numbers for Banks and Hobbs=

2025 = 15.020 million

2026 = 37.9 million

2027 = 36.3 million

2028 = 35.45 million

I'd also be looking heavily at Amari Cooper, but really can't do a projection on him until he signs.  Last year was not good but it sounds like a wrist injury pretty much derailed him once he got to Buffalo.  I wouldn't be too concerned about the future impact of a wrist injury.  In 2022 and 2023 combined he only missed two games, had 150 catches for 2410 yards (a very attractive 16.1 yards per reception) and 14 touchdowns.  If he can be had for a bargain price, I'd be all for it.

 

[OldSchoolSnapper]

This is as unexcited as I've been heading into a Packers season in some time. I don't care what they do in the draft. I hope they hit, but nothing they do there will get me excited. 

Probably since 2018 or whenever it was when I was pretty confident they were going to suck, and they did. 

I was definitely excited Love's first year and last year to see the improvement, but the Packers are clearly ok with being ok, and competing for the 5th seed because that is what this team is. Not a chance this team wins the North and it is not a top tier club. 

They're close, which makes it all the more maddening we apparently have this TT reincarnate. My gut right now is they'll be worse than last season. Genuinely not sure this is even a playoff team, with how competitive the NFC looks to be again. 

[LouisEly]

I look forward to you not watching the Packers and then subsequently not posting so that I don't have to read your constant Negative Nellie posts.

Didn't you say that you were going to root for the Vikings (or wherever Rodgers ends up)?  Go do that, please.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

21 hours ago, LouisEly said:

I look forward to you not watching the Packers and then subsequently not posting so that I don't have to read your constant Negative Nellie posts.

Didn't you say that you were going to root for the Vikings (or wherever Rodgers ends up)?  Go do that, please.

Bizarre post as I have not posted here in 3 weeks, and you should probably go back and read the IGT and season threads because I'm definitely more on the optimistic side around here. 

I did not say I was going to root for the Vikings, but I do wish Rodgers would have gone to Minnesota, yes, because I think that would have been incredibly entertaining just like it was when Favre did. And I think watching Rodgers beat them twice would be what this FO deserves for its routine complacency. 

Sorry to break it to you but you don't have a monopoly on what people can post. The majority of the Packers fan base is frustrated with this crap. They haven't played in a Super Bowl in 15 years despite having one of the best QBs of all time. Then they sink $200mm into another guy and just continue to save cap space for a rainy day for some reason. Meanwhile Philadelphia has won it, fired a coach and rebuilt and won it again in less than half the timeframe. It's the GM's job to find creative ways to improve the roster, Gute has not done this. That's not to say he hasn't done anything right, but if you're going to build through the draft, you'd better draft better in the 1st than he has.

I think the Packers have run most people's patience pretty thin especially after giving a speech about how it was time to compete for titles at the EOY. 

I feel the way you do about all the Positive Pete crap. I'll be posting freely, without regard to your feelings, sorry, especially if and when the Packers are 9-8 in 3rd place. 

[BrewerFan]

On 4/7/2025 at 5:21 AM, OldSchoolSnapper said:

Bizarre post as I have not posted here in 3 weeks, and you should probably go back and read the IGT and season threads because I'm definitely more on the optimistic side around here. 

You declared the season over week 1 last year and you declared Hafley a bad hire. 

 

On 4/7/2025 at 5:21 AM, OldSchoolSnapper said:

I did not say I was going to root for the Vikings, but I do wish Rodgers would have gone to Minnesota, yes, because I think that would have been incredibly entertaining just like it was when Favre did. And I think watching Rodgers beat them twice would be what this FO deserves for its routine complacency. 

It feels like you're just locked in the Ted Thompson years and ignoring the actual reality of what's going on now. 

They went out and got McKinney and Jacobs coming off a year in which they were in a game, up 7 vs the 49ers, the team that went to the SB.

This year, they "struggled," and lost 2 games to the 14 win Eagles, SB Champions(5 points and then they were just gifted 7 points to start the game by a horribly botched call on the fumble recovery).

2 games to the 15-2 Lions, 2 games to the 14-3 Vikings...and then to the Bears. 

They went out, they made a big move to shore up the OL. They added a CB...

 

What is "complacent" about any of that?

 

On 4/7/2025 at 5:21 AM, OldSchoolSnapper said:

Then they sink $200mm into another guy and just continue to save cap space for a rainy day for some reason.

Right...OR perhaps to keep some of their talent around. also VERY possible(probable) they went after others, but didn't want to overpay. 

Again, some people on here think a player signs in Arizona to play with his former defensive coordinator and you can just plug in the salary he got from that team and assume the Packers could have gotten him for that same prize. 

But who should have been signed that wasn't?

On 4/7/2025 at 5:21 AM, OldSchoolSnapper said:

Meanwhile Philadelphia has won it, fired a coach and rebuilt and won it again in less than half the timeframe.

I'm not sure what point this is making.

No team has operated with more urgency than the Saints, Browns, Jets...just getting into cap purgatory just for the sake of it seems foolish. 

Philly did lose the #1 and #5 ranked Free Agents, Milton Williams...who got 4/104 as a rotational DE and Sweat who again, went to play with his former DC in AZ. 

 

On 4/7/2025 at 5:21 AM, OldSchoolSnapper said:

It's the GM's job to find creative ways to improve the roster, Gute has not done this.

Kinda feels like he has. 

On 4/7/2025 at 5:21 AM, OldSchoolSnapper said:

I think the Packers have run most people's patience pretty thin especially after giving a speech about how it was time to compete for titles at the EOY.

You're speaking for "most people?"

I don't think you are, BUT I do know "most people," said the Packers were going back to the 70s and 80s version when they let Rodgers leave. 

Their record was better the following year and they remained the youngest team in the NFL last year while rebuilding on the fly. 

 

It's almost like people just...took it for granted. He came in, spent 200M when the cap was ~180. Added 3 immediate bit impact players. The next TWO years, they were right on the verge of the SB. Losing a HOF caliber LT PROBABLY cost them both the Tampa and SF game.

Heading into those two seasons, he drafted  QB  late in the 1st that "most people," hated(the selection, not the player. 

Covid, Cap goes down and then the "complacent" front office spent about 120M more than the salary cap(knowing it'd bite them later) to keep Campbell, Douglas, keep their best players around. 

Then when Rodgers was done, the complacent front office had a plan in place, they dealt with ~140M in dead cap in two seasons while keeping all of their young talent.

 

But they were complacent?

 

On 4/7/2025 at 5:21 AM, OldSchoolSnapper said:

I feel the way you do about all the Positive Pete crap. I'll be posting freely, without regard to your feelings, sorry, especially if and when the Packers are 9-8 in 3rd place. 

Especially then?

How about if they're 0-1?

 

Quote

 

@OldSchoolSnapper

I was definitely excited Love's first year and last year to see the improvement, but the Packers are clearly ok with being ok, and competing for the 5th seed because that is what this team is. 

 

You were excited about last year? Again, before Week One, a game played vs the team that'd win the SB, you declared the season over.

"one of the most optimistic on here."

I can't even imagine how miserable you'd be as a Steelers fan(or instance, or really just a non Philly, KC, NE fan over the last ~20 years, but CERTAINLY during the Gutekunst years.

 

I am still curious, what was the move they should have made but it doesn't really feel like there is one beyond what wasn't available. Or Hendrickson? Surely ONE move couldn't completely change your entire attitude of the direction and mentality of this franchise, right?

If they were to end up with TJ Watt...that'd just be another move, but...still...complacent?

[OldSchoolSnapper]

10 hours ago, BrewerFan said:

You declared the season over week 1 last year and you declared Hafley a bad hire. 

And? They lost in the Wild Card. They didn't elevate at all last year. They were 1-5 in their own division, in which not a single team won a playoff game. They were not a Super Bowl contender last season.

They were arguably a worse team this January than they were last January. I think it's time people re-evaluate what a playoff team really is when 44% of the league makes the playoffs. The NFL skirts close and closer to the NBA in that aspect every 5 years. They were bar none the worst team in the NFC playoffs by the time it started.

These lame-ass comparisons to the 70s and 80s are so dumb and played out. Go tell me who played QB in Green Bay from 1970-1990 and make an honest attempt at comparing it to present day. 

As far as signing Jacobs, yes, great player, but he replaced Aaron Jones who has been one of the most productive players in the team's history. I am not at all saying it wasn't a great move (they had to do it because Jones wasn't reliable and aging), but when you replace somebody who's already really good you're merely doing maintenance. They did the exact same thing this year on the OL and at CB. Those guys will probably be just fine, but they aren't moving the needle at all and they replaced outgoing FA who were either the same or slightly worse. Peddling those two guys off as 'big moves' is an absolute joke. 

"I am still curious, what was the move they should have made but it doesn't really feel like there is one beyond what wasn't available. Or Hendrickson? Surely ONE move couldn't completely change your entire attitude of the direction and mentality of this franchise, right?

If they were to end up with TJ Watt...that'd just be another move, but...still...complacent?"

Wut? Lol. They didn't do ANYTHING remotely close to this. And yes, this is exactly the kind of move I think a LOT of fans were expecting this offseason, especially after Gute's diatribe at the end of the season. SOMETHING, but we got a middling OL, a nickel corner and practice squad WR. "One" move can make a big difference, especially when you're close to contention. The line between very good and good is pretty damn thin in the NFL. There are a lot of losing teams that lose a handful of games by a score or so.

Honestly, can't say I am surprised though. The whole M.O. of this website is that average is fantastic and everyone should be smiling at all times with teams that make the playoffs. It's totally cool that the Packers have 4 MVP awards in the previous 14 seasons and not a single damn appearance in a Super Bowl. Just finished an entire season where they clearly showed they did not have the talent to compete with the upper echelon, and we're supposed to be excited because they are adding a handful of rooks in a couple weeks? Oh, ok.

At least the Brewers have the excuse of competing in a laughably unfair league. The rest of MLB should be embarrassed they manage to win 90 games. How the Packers seem to completely evade criticism from some people truly astonishes me - and for the record - yes - I would say that the majority of Packers fans are frustrated with this offseason and most of the last 15 years. 

You can be a consistently 'good' team that underachieves. They're not mutually exclusive.

 

[OldSchoolSnapper]

  On 4/7/2025 at 5:21 AM, OldSchoolSnapper said:

Meanwhile Philadelphia has won it, fired a coach and rebuilt and won it again in less than half the timeframe.

I'm not sure what point this is making.

 

Let me spell it out: Rebuilding isn't what Packers fans pretend it is. It doesn't take 10 years anymore and you don't need a HOF QB to do it. They did it twice, nearly 3 times (3 appearances) with different HCs and QBs, a backup QB in a playoff run. They did it half the amount of time the Packers have failed to even play in the game. And they did so taking considerable risks.

All the lame excuses about how fans aren't grateful and if they were Browns fans they'd be miserable - whoopity doo. It's not some great point. None of those teams had what the Packers had. I really fail to see the Packers last 20 years as some badge of honor. It's just a massive disappointment for what they had under their roof.

BTW, your entire post is disingenuous. Declaring the season 'over' because your $220 million QB suffers a knee injury is not exactly Mr. Negative. Pretty sure about 90% of the fanbase was despondent when that happened. Don't act like it was about the Packers sucking, I made that comment because Love was hurt. If you're going to do that, go through all the GTs where I wasted breath talking to doomers about how the Packers were looking OK. Don't cherry pick one thread where Love is crying on the ground as some kind of evidence of 'negativity.' You knew exactly what you were doing with that 0-1 nonsense, so just shove it.

Pretty much every GT I was taking an optimistic tone, argued all year they weren't that far off Minn/Det, and I was one of like a handful of people who thought the Packers were capable of a run. This nonsense that I'm some chronically negative poster is quite frankly pure ********.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Lastly, the day people stop referring to the Packers as the youngest team in the league as some excuse, I will throw a kegger. 

They don't HAVE to be the youngest team in the league!!!

[LouisEly]

7 hours ago, OldSchoolSnapper said:

They don't HAVE to be the youngest team in the league!!!

They needed to be the last two years because of all of the dead cap from Rodgers, Bakhtiari, and all of the creative ways that Gutey tried to improve the roster in order to go for it in 2021 and 2022.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

12 hours ago, LouisEly said:

They needed to be the last two years because of all of the dead cap from Rodgers, Bakhtiari, and all of the creative ways that Gutey tried to improve the roster in order to go for it in 2021 and 2022.

Yeah, no they didn't. For one, the "youngest team in the league" is the youngest team by like tenths of years. #1 and #32 are separated by like 2 years. A bunch of teams have their "average age" being beefed up by old kickers and/or backup QBs. If you were to swap out two 22 year olds with 30 year olds, the Packers average age goes up by nearly .4 years. A middling WR who could catch a ball would have been beneficial for them last year, as would pretty much any mediocre vet at any of the spots in which they are very raw.

It's probably the single dumbest stat that keeps getting parroted in regard to the Packers. It's gotten to the point where people say it like it's something the Packers are mandated to do. It's just as much one of the self-inflicted problems so many people have with their roster.

I don't think any rational person is saying that Gute is some terrible GM. But to me he is essentially front office MLF. He's good, but has done some very stupid things that deserve criticism. He could have at least not given his little speech only to walk it back two months later.

[Joseph Zarr]

I like this news wayyyyyy more than I should. Principally, however, imho this is the type of low cost upside ST/Rotational upside Boom/Bust player the Packers should target.