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Don’t expect the Packers to use the Franchise Tag in 2024 (as usual)

Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images Darnell Savage might be the likeliest candidate to get a tag, but it would still be nearly unthinkable for the Packers to give him a deal of that amount. Tuesday, February 20th marks a notable date in the NFL’s 2024 offseason: it is the start of the Franchise Tag period. Teams can begin designating Franchise or Transition players today, with March 5th being the final day to use these tags. As a reminder, the Franchise and Transition Tags are methods whereby NFL teams can retain exclusive or preferential negotiation rights with players who are set to become free agents at the start of the new league year (this year, that date is Wednesday, March 13th). Players receiving one of the tags would receive a one-year guaranteed contract offer, with the value of that offer depending on the player’s position, 2023 salary, and the type of tag used. In general, the Franchise and Transition tag amounts are designed to pay a player an amount near the top of the market for his position. As a result, the Green Bay Packers are highly unlikely to use a tag on any of their pending unrestricted free agents — indeed, it would be a shocking move if they did so. As a reminder, here is the list of UFAs-to-be from the Packers’ 2023 team, sorted by snap counts on offense or defense: SCB/KR Keisean Nixon S Jonathan Owens S Rudy Ford S Darnell Savage RB AJ Dillon CB Corey Ballentine OT Yosh Nijman TE Josiah Deguara LB Eric Wilson TE Tyler Davis LB Kristian Welch Nixon played the most of any of these players in 2023, as he was on the field for more than 70% of defensive snaps as the team’s primary slot cornerback. However, with the cornerback Franchise Tag amount estimated at around $19 million (by Overthecap.com), that number is well out of line with his true value. Likewise, the Packers have three safeties who each went over 50% of the team’s defensive snaps, but are even more unlikely to get a tag. The safety Franchise Tag number should be just north of $16 million, also vastly above any of these players’ market values. The Packers have used the Franchise Tag just once over the last 13 years, doing so in 2022 when they tagged wide receiver Davante Adams. They traded Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders a few weeks later. Prior to Adams’ tag, Green Bay had tagged players just twice since 2000, with defensive linemen Corey Williams (2008) and Ryan Pickett (2010) getting tags. Pickett signed a long-term deal that offseason, but Williams — like Adams 14 years later — was traded, going to the Cleveland Browns.

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Green Bay Packers State of the Roster: Linebacker

Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images Will De’Vondre Campbell be back in 2024? If not, the Packers could be looking for two new starters at off-ball linebacker. Our next edition of our State of the Roster series focuses on the linebacker position, which should see some changes with the transition from Joe Barry’s 3-4 defense to Jeff Hafley’s 4-3 defense. Based on the roster numbers for similar schemes, the Green Bay Packers should be in the roster for three or four new players at the position — making it one of the biggest needs of the 2024 offseason. As a reminder, here’s our position-by-position publishing schedule for this series: 2/13: Offensive backfield 2/14: Pass-catchers 2/15: Offensive line 2/16: Defensive tackles 2/19: Defensive ends 2/20: Linebackers 2/21: Cornerbacks 2/22: Safeties 2/23: Specialists Linebackers Under Contract: Quay Walker, De’Vondre Campbell, Isaiah McDuffie and Christian Young Free Agents: Eric Wilson and Kristian Welch On the off-ball linebacker front, the first decision that the Packers will need to make is whether or not the team will end up keeping De’Vondre Campbell, who was an inside linebacker in the 3-4 scheme and would likely transition to 4-3 middle linebacker if he’s kept. Campbell is a possible cap casualty, as he’s due $10.75 million in cash in 2024, beginning with a $2.9 million roster bonus that is slated to pay out on March 15th. Think of that as a deadline date for the decision. If Campbell is moved on from, Quay Walker, the now third-year former first-round pick, would likely play middle linebacker. Beyond Walker, though, the team has some holes to fill at the position. Behind him, the only other off-ball linebackers under contract for 2024 are Isaiah McDuffie, a rotational player for the Packers last season, and Christian Young, a converted college safety who signed a reserve/futures deal with the team. Green Bay has two players who are expected to hit unrestricted free agency, Eric Wilson and Kristian Welch — both who primarily play special teams ahead of defense. So what does that mean for the Packers? How many players are they going to need at the position? If Campbell is gone, assuming that Young is not much more than a camp body, the number of linebackers they’ll want to add this offseason could be as high as four. If you look at similar defenses to Jeff Hafley’s expected scheme, the San Francisco 49ers kept six off-ball linebackers on their final end-of-season roster, the Houston Texans also kept six and the New York Jets rostered eight. To say the least, this is a major need for the Packers, who not only need to backfill the position with NFL-caliber depth but also are in the market for potentially two starters at the outside linebacker positions. This makes linebacker either the team’s first- or second-largest need on the team going into 2024, along with the safety position. Keep in mind, Hafley’s defense is expected to be a true stack 4-3 defense, as opposed to the 4-3 under defense that plays a strong-side linebacker on the line of scrimmage. Because of this, the thought is that the outside linebackers on the team should be relatively interchangeable. The squad should want smaller, faster backers at those positions to help the defense chase down runs from behind and assist in coverage, while the middle linebacker is primarily an inside run fitter who would have a limited role in coverage. The speed on the field should allow the Packers to play an increased amount of base snaps against three-receiver sets, too, a significant change from how Barry’s defense was deployed.

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Packers hiring 49ers' Aaron Hill as new strength and conditioning coach

The Green Bay Packers have their new strength and conditioning coach. According to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, Matt LaFleur and the Packers are hiring Aaron Hill.

Zach Kruse
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3 voided contracts add almost $10M in dead money to Packers 2024 salary cap

The voided contracts of Darnell Savage, Keisean Nixon and Yosh Nijman will add almost $10 million in dead money on the Packers cap in 2024.

Zach Kruse
packerswire.usatoday.com
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Dan Bogenschuetz’s passion for Packers has forged lifelong friendships

Sheboygan native becomes the 26th member of the Packers FAN Hall of Fame

Wes Hodkiewicz
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Key deadline passes for Packers’ upcoming free agents

Photo by David Berding/Getty Images Green Bay has now taken on an additional $9.5 million in dead cap for the 2024 season. When the calendar turned to February 19th, a couple of salary cap mechanics where triggered for the Green Bay Packers. At midnight, the Packers were no longer able to shed the void years being executed on several deals, which impact tackle Yosh Nijman, cornerback Keisean Nixon and safety Darnell Savage moving forward. In total, the dead cap that Green Bay took on in 2024 by not pushing back those salary cap hits for the trio came out to be $9.48 million, per cap analyst Ken Ingalls. Below is how much immediate cap space that the Packers could have saved by extending each individual player: Safety Darnell Savage: $4.1 million Tackle Yosh Nijman: $1.9 million Cornerback Keisean Nixon: $1.1 million Now that this deadline has passed, it seems less likely that the Packers will re-sign any of these players, though, you shouldn’t take the inaction as a done deal for these players in green and gold. Remember, Green Bay has done this in the past with the likes of Nixon and inside linebacker De’Vondre Campbell, only to re-sign them once they hit the open market. If you want to handicap how likely it is that the Packers would bring back these free agents, the following list is in order of most to least likely: Nixon Savage Nijman Nijman was tendered as a restricted free agent last offseason, which paid him well below the market price of a borderline starting tackle in the league. With the emergence of not only Zach Tom but also Rasheed Walker, Nijman ended up filling in as a swing tackle for most of the year — despite starting left tackle David Bakhtiari missing all but one game in 2023. Assume that he’s going to sign somewhere else in free agency, considering Green Bay’s continued cap crunch. Savage was a weekly starter for the Packers, but a new change in defensive leadership could lead to the team moving on from their former first-round pick. The coaching staff has talked up Savage’s jump in play from 2022 to 2023, but the position was still not a strength of the roster last year. At the moment, his status is the most uncertain of the trio. From #Packers free agent Keisean Nixon’s Instagram story. Nixon told me he didn’t want to talk during locker clean out because he “didn’t want to jinx anything”. After the 49ers game, he said, “The moment I signed my contract and put that G on my helmet, it meant everything.” pic.twitter.com/Mtw8DeTj0p— Lauren Helmbrecht (@lmhelmbrecht) January 23, 2024 Meanwhile, Nixon signed a one-year, $4 million contract with the Packers following his first First-Team All-Pro kick returning season in 2022. He repeated those accolades in 2023, when he led the league in kick return yards on top of being the team’s slot cornerback. He’s also made his intentions clear: He wants to be a Packer moving forward. At this point, it seems like Nixon is more likely than not to return to Green Bay in 2024, though, he will likely test the open market for anything is finalized. The question now is simply if Nixon would re-up a similar short-term, mid-level contract or if he’s going to ask for more pay now that he’s established himself as not only a returner but also a defender.

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Pack-A-Day Collab: All things Jeff Hafley

Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Is cornerback really a major need for the Packers going into the 2024 offseason, especially if Keisean Nixon is re-signed? Acme Packing Company’s Justis Mosqueda was joined again by Pack-A-Day Podcast’s Andy Herman to talk about the hiring of new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley from all angles. In this week’s episode, the duo touches on the personnel and scheme adjustments that Hafley should bring to the table in 2024. If you haven’t heard by now, Hafley is expected to run a 4-3 stack defense that specializes in playing single high coverages — which shouldn’t be much of a shock considering he comes off of the same coaching tree as New York’s Robert Saleh and Houston’s Demeco Ryans. With that in mind, what changes do we expect to see down-to-down for the Packers’ roster? First of all, pass-rusher just became a whole lot more important. If you look at what the Jets, Texans and 49ers do defensively, they’ll want to be extremely strong at the pure pass-rushing position that is now 4-3 defensive end. What does that mean for Preston Smith, though, who was previously praised by the coaching staff for his versatility? The other major change should come at safety, where the Packers will now have more specified roles as they transition out of a split-high safety defense that treated free and strong safety as interchangeable. Now that they’ll be living in the single-high world, that free safety will control the deep middle of the field while the strong safety is more of a box defender who will be asked to simply cover tight ends and running back and/or shallow zones. Beyond touching on Hafley and why he made the jump from college football, there’s a discussion on the hot bottom topic of whether or not cornerback is a major need for the Packers this offseason. Mosqueda claimed that he expects Keisean Nixon, who is coming off of his second straight All-Pro season as a returner, to be back in 2024. With Nixon added to the room of Jaire Alexander, Eric Stokes and Carrington Valentine, he feels like there’s four mouths for 2.5 starting roles on the team already. Herman, like most Packers fans, disagrees with Mosqueda on the subject, though. Timestamps 1:15: Let’s talk about the Jeff Hafley 8:00: Overwhelmed, underwhelmed or whelmed by the Hafley hire? 19:00: Hafley’s personnel 28:00: Hafley’s scheme 44:00: Is cornerback a major need this offseason? Want even more great Green Bay Packers audio content from the Acme Packing Company crew? Subscribe to our feed wherever you get your podcasts for new episodes from different hosts every weekday. If you like what you’re hearing, give us a quick 5-star rating on your podcast app of choice — it boosts our profile and helps more fans like you find our shows.

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Green Bay Packers State of the Roster: Defensive End

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images How does Preston Smith fit in a defense where the ends are asked to be pure pass-rushers? Let’s continue out State of the Roster series to talk about one of the more interesting positions in the Green Bay Packers’ new 4-3 defense: defensive end. If you’re thinking of 4-3 defensive ends in Green Bay, the first name that comes up is probably Reggie White, but we’ll explain why this particular variant of the 4-3 defense is looking for a little bit of a different body type. One of the Packers’ starters at the position doesn’t fit the prototype for the scheme, too, which brings into question of whether or not he’ll remain on the roster this season. As a reminder, here’s our position-by-position publishing schedule for this series: 2/13: Offensive backfield 2/14: Pass-catchers 2/15: Offensive line 2/16: Defensive tackles 2/19: Defensive ends 2/20: Linebackers 2/21: Cornerbacks 2/22: Safeties 2/23: Specialists Defensive End Under Contract: Rashan Gary, Preston Smith, Lukas Van Ness, Kingsley Enagbare, Brenton Cox Jr., Keshawn Banks, Arron Mosby, Deandre Johnson, Deslin Alexandre and Kenneth Odumegwu I want to start this by referencing something I wrote in the defensive tackle edition of our State of the Roster series. Hafley’s 4-3 defense should mimic what the San Francisco 49ers, Houston Texans and New York Jets are running under defensive coaches from the same coaching tree. The idea that the Packers will now want big, edge-setting defensive ends is simply not rooted in reality. Look at who these teams have added recently. The Houston Texans traded up to the third overall pick to select pass-rusher Will Anderson Jr., who is listed at 243 pounds, in last years draft. The New York Jets rush the passer with 255-pounder Bryce Huff and 2023 first-round pick Will McDonald, who comes in at just 241 pounds. The San Francisco 49ers made three moves at defensive end this season, adding Chase Young (264 pounds), Randy Gregory (242 pounds) and Clelin Ferrell (265 pounds). Green Bay isn’t going to be running a 4-3 under defense, which functionally is a 4-3 defense with 3-4 personnel. An example of that is when the Seattle Seahawks were doing just that and had hulking Red Bryant play end at 320-plus pounds. Instead, the Packers will be playing a true 4-3 stack, which with Hafley’s single-high structure means that they’re going to need a hell of a pass-rushing unit. The edge defender position in Green Bay, now defensive end, is going to be all about rushing the quarterback moving forward. I wouldn’t even be surprised if some of the defensive ends on the team ended up trimming some weight off their frame in an effort to get just a tick quicker. So where does that leave Preston Smith, the outside linebacker who has been praised by the coaching staff for his ability to drop into coverage despite being listed at 265 pounds by the team’s official site — likely an underestimation of his playing weight? Smith isn’t the pure pass-rusher that the system typically demands. Set to make $12.4 million in cash in 2024, it’s at least worth having a discussion about whether or not Smith will remain on his current deal with the team. Be it a trade, release or restructure, don’t be surprised if some sort of adjustment is made to Smith’s contract, as he’s a bit of a square peg in a round hole right now. Two players who should be getting a boost in this system are former first-round picks Rashan Gary and Lukas Van Ness, who both rush the passer more efficiently out of a three-point stance than a two-point stance. Van Ness, in particular, always looked awkward and/or uncomfortable as a stand-up pass-rusher. Hopefully, the change in defensive scheme will allow the second-year player to hit the ground running in 2024. Before his injury, the presumed fourth pass-rusher going into this season would have been Kingsley Enagbare. Now that he’s dealing with an ACL tear, though, the assumption is that Enagbare will start the 2024 regular season on the physically unable to perform list. It would be a pretty shocking development if he suited up for at least the first month of the season next year. With Enagbare out of the lineup, at least in the short term, that leaves a bit of a void in the depth at the position. At the moment, the Packers’ approach to solve that issue has been to throw several bodies at the position. Under contract on the lower end of the depth chart are Keshawn Banks, Brenton Cox Jr., Arron Mosby, Deandre Johnson, Deslin Alexandre and Kenneth Odumegwu. When Enagbare went down, it was Banks — a 2023 practice-squadder — who got the nod over Cox — a 53-man roster member. That’s worth keeping an eye on moving forward. Mosby, who mostly plays special teams, might be the lone candidate who could convert from 3-4 outside linebacker to 4-3 linebacker in this scheme. Johnson and Alexandre were late-season signings as reserve/futures players, a contract mechanism that allowed Green Bay to sign these players at league minimum deals. Odumegwu is going into his second season as the Packers’ designated International Player Pathways project. To say that these are unproven products is an understatement. Don’t be surprised if Green Bay adds a draft pick to the mix, as this is a position group that is demanded to be a strength of the roster based on the scheme that they’re set to run.

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50 nonprofits selected to participate in seventh annual Give Big Green Bay

More than $10.46 million donated through the event since 2018

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Drama behind him, Matt LaFleur has earned a normal offseason

Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK LaFleur has been through A LOT in his five years in Green Bay. Matt LaFleur just completed his fifth season as head coach of the Green Bay Packers but don’t let his record fool you. The man has been *through it* since taking over before the 2019 season. If anyone deserves a quiet and normal offseason, it’s him. He barely got moved into his house in Wisconsin five years ago when the questions began to start: How will LaFleur coexist with quarterback Aaron Rodgers? How will “the audible thing” work? Who’s really running the offense? He spent all offseason answering that but the results on the field spoke volumes in his first season. Green Bay finished with a 13-3 record and an NFC Championship appearance. With one year under his belt, LaFleur might have thought his second year would be different and he could just focus on football and have a regular offseason and season. He and Rodgers had worked well together and things looked bright in Green Bay moving forward. Things ended up anything but normal in 2020, both in the Packers franchise and the world at large. First, the COVID-19 pandemic hit and changed everything a month or so before the NFL Draft. How would the league pull off their first big event after the Super Bowl? Would they even have a regular season? It’s weird to think about it now four years later but these were legitimate questions being asked at the time. The league did eventually hold its draft that year and that’s when LaFleur was thrown his next curveball. The Packers stunned everyone and traded up for quarterback Jordan Love. It was a move that incensed Rodgers (more on that in a moment) even if people forgot he wasn’t one of the league’s best in 2019. Hindsight makes the pick much more bearable now, but at the time not many understood there were legitimate reasons Green Bay took Love. Then came playing football during a pandemic and playing in an empty Lambeau Field for a vast majority of the season. Even four years later, those images still seem surreal even if it is still very recent history. It just serves as a reminder how quickly things can change in our world in an instant. There was no further proof of that than in 2021. The world slowly started to return to normal that year, and maybe LaFleur could enjoy a regular offseason for the first time as an experienced coach. That all changed on draft day that year as reports came out that Rodgers was fed up with the Packers and apparently would never play for the organization again. As rumors of a draft day trade fizzled, a three-month-long saga and standoff between Rodgers had just begun. Eventually, there was some semblance of peace and Rodgers arrived with fanfare to training camp, albeit with an airing of grievances on day one. LaFleur again steadied the ship and The Packers ended up having another successful regular season but flamed out in the divisional round. Rodgers however did win another MVP. Now once again the question came up: was Rodgers done in Green Bay? In the midst of that debate, the Packers traded arguably the best receiver in team history Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders. How would that affect the quarterback? Clearly not much because soon after the trade it was announced the Packers and Rodgers agreed to a new extension making him the highest paid player in the league in early 2022 Rodgers said at the time he planned on retiring a Packer “unless they trade me.” He also said he’d evaluate his future again after the season but LaFleur said he’d welcome Rodgers back as long as he wanted to play. After a rough 8-9 2022 season that saw an influx of youth at receiver, LaFleur and the Packers knew a divorce was coming. Rodgers announced in March his intention to play again but this time for the New York Jets, asking for a trade that took until the start of the draft to finalize. The trade meant another weird offseason for LaFleur. This time he’d be getting Love ready to take over the mantle of starting quarterback. How Love would perform was anyone’s guess and LaFleur’s future hung in the balance as much as that of the Packers franchise. Early on this season, it looked like the head coach would be in for another doozy of an offseason in 2024 with Love struggling and a specter of a summer quarterback competition looming in the distance. Then it all started to click. The Packers young playmakers matured before our very eyes and, sure enough, it looked like the Packers hit paydirt on a third consecutive franchise quarterback. Love finished the season as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, and the Packers not only made the playoffs but came within a whisker of making it to the NFC Championship Game. The Packers have their franchise quarterback, who will undoubtedly get an extension this spring or summer and there are no “will he or won’t he?” games. LaFleur finally, FINALLY, gets an offseason where it can be about nothing but football. No drama with a quarterback, no surprising bombshell draft pick to have to justify, just football. (Note: I’m not including world events in that list because I don’t want to put that out in the ether AND they’re really hard to predict!) The biggest move of the offseason was the firing of Joe Barry and the hiring of Jeff Hadley to replace him, but that was an expected (and needed) move. The pending decision about David Bakhtiari is the only other one with potential drama around it and even then the Packers are fine with or without him. LaFleur has shown repeatedly he’s one of the best offensive minds and that’s been with chaos surrounding him more often than not. Just imagine how good he can be with quiet around him and full attention to the on-field product. It’s a welcome change for the coach, the team, and their fans. For once, the end of another season didn’t feel like something was coming to an end or at the very least entering a time of uncertainty. Instead, the Packers and LaFleur find themselves at a new beginning. Packers fans can’t wait to see what comes next.

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Packers positions of need: 7 centers on PFF's top 150 free agents list

Will the Packers add to the center position in free agency?

paulbretl
packerswire.usatoday.com
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No, a decision on David Bakhtiari hasn’t been made (yet)

Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images An aggregator on social media jumped the gun, stating that report claimed that Bakhtiari was set to be released this offseason. On Thursday, The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman wrote an article titled “What will the Packers do at left tackle this offseason to protect Jordan Love?” Obviously, it touched on the upcoming decision that Green Bay will have to make about their franchise left tackle David Bakhtiari, who is coming off a surgery to repair his knee cartilage that has kept him off the field for most games since his 2020 ACL tear. This part of Schneidman’s article was blown out of proportion on social media since the piece went live: The Packers will assuredly trade or release Bakhtiari — maybe the New York Jets fork over a late-round pick to reunite Bakhtiari with his old golf cart buddy Aaron Rodgers, and that’s not a joke — despite the possibility that he’s still elite when healthy, as he showed for a brief Sunday against the Chicago Bears in September. As Schneidman has since stated on X/Twitter, this was him “reading between the lines” and not “a report based on sourcing.” He was simply connecting the dots, as Bakhtiari is currently slated to command a $40 million cap hit in 2024. To put that into perspective, that figure would be the highest cap charge any NFL team has ever taken for a non-quarterback in a single season — if the Packers ride it out with Bakhtiari. This didn’t stop some aggregators from running with Schneidman’s opinion as a fact, though, with one particular guilty party being Dov Kleiman — who has 266 thousand followers on Twitter/X. The #Packers are expected to release All-Pro tackle David Bakhtiari soon, per @TheAthletic Should the #Jets pick him up? pic.twitter.com/iHKtPEzCJB— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) February 18, 2024 Bakhtiari has even joined in on the fun at Kleiman’s expense, claiming that he was going to blame Schneidman if he gets “fired.” If I get fired because of this, I blame you. https://t.co/eWcr6ygKfI— David Bakhtiari (@DavidBakhtiari) February 18, 2024 From the outside looking in, either Kleiman has a poor understanding of the English language or he was just looking to stir the pot for social media attention. Still, the Tweet that Kleiman sent out has reached around a half-million people, just the latest example of how misinformation can spread like wildfire on the internet. One part of his Tweet that is rooted in truth, though, is that the New York Jets might be interested in Bakhtiari’s services. In a long-form article by Zack Rosenblatt and Dianna Russini last month, The Athletic reported that Bakhtiari was on former Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ shortlist of potential Jets last offseason. Bakhtiari and Rodgers are known to be close friends, and Rodgers had a lot of success with Bakhtiari blocking his blindside, so this was a less-than-shocking development. Maybe Bakhtiari does end up being a Jet in the future. In the present, though, he’s under contract with the Packers. Don’t expect the team to turn Bakhtiari loose until at least mid-March when Bakhtiari’s $9.5 million roster bonus is set to trigger for the 2024 season. The waiting game has been long, as far as Bakhtiari’s future is concerned, but we’re still a month removed from any significant deadline.

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Packers positions of need: 11 guards in PFF's top 150 free agents

The Packers might need to add veteran help at guard. Here’s a look at the top free agents available.

paulbretl
packerswire.usatoday.com
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Green Bay Packers State of the Roster: Defensive Tackle

Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images Expect the Packers’ interior defensive linemen to stay in their roles, as Green Bay’s new defense has little use for big run-stopping defensive ends. We’re finally turning our attention to the defensive side of the ball with today’s edition of our Green Bay Packers State of the Roster series. First up on defense is defensive tackle, where there are some questions about the team’s personnel group as it transitions from a 3-4 scheme to a 4-3 defense under new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley. As a reminder, here’s our position-by-position publishing schedule for this series: 2/13: Offensive backfield 2/14: Pass-catchers 2/15: Offensive line 2/16: Defensive tackles 2/19: Defensive ends 2/20: Linebackers 2/21: Cornerbacks 2/22: Safeties 2/23: Specialists 3-Technique Under Contract: Devonte Wyatt, Karl Brooks and Colby Wooden If we’re talking about the 4-3 defense, there are really two roles for defensive tackles to play. The first is a three-technique, a penetrating position where the lineman lines up on the outside shoulder of an offense’s guard. Think Aaron Donald. The second role is a nose tackle, which unlike in the true 3-4 defense will not line head up on a center. Instead, the player will play a one-gap gap role, a more penetrating position than its 3-4 counterpart, as an A-gap player. As far as the three-techniques on the Packers’ roster go, I see three: Devonte Wyatt, Karl Brooks and Colby Wooden, all players selected in Green Bay’s last two draft classes. Some might want to see Brooks and Wooden get a shot at defensive end, but that’s now how Jeff Hafley’s 4-3 defense is expected to operate. Hafley’s 4-3 defense should mimic what the San Francisco 49ers, Houston Texans and New York Jets are running under defensive coaches from the same coaching tree. The idea that the Packers will now want big, edge-setting defensive ends is simply not rooted in reality. Look at who these teams have added recently. The Houston Texans traded up to the third overall pick to select pass-rusher Will Anderson Jr., who is listed at 243 pounds, in last years draft. The New York Jets rush the passer with 255-pounder Bryce Huff and 2023 first-round pick Will McDonald, who comes in at just 241 pounds. The San Francisco 49ers made three moves at defensive end this season, adding Chase Young (264 pounds), Randy Gregory (242 pounds) and Clelin Ferrell (265 pounds). Green Bay isn’t going to be running a 4-3 under defense, which functionally is a 4-3 defense with 3-4 personnel. An example of that is when the Seattle Seahawks were doing just that and had hulking Red Bryant play end at 320-plus pounds. Instead, the Packers will be playing a true 4-3 stack, which with Hafley’s single-high structure means that they’re going to need a hell of a pass-rushing unit. Think about it from this perspective: Playing a dropdown safety with a 4-3 stack defense means that you’re inviting the pass, particularly crossing routes that have a high level of success against single-high coverages. The answer for Houston, New York and San Francisco on these routes is to simply get after the passer quicker, as it becomes a race to the quarterback before he can actually throw that ball. That’s why you should expect Brooks and Wooden to play three-technique and not end. Think smaller bodies that can get after the quarterback all across the offensive line, as the defense will now be inviting the pass with just a single safety deep behind the box. Nose Tackle Under Contract: Kenny Clark, T.J. Slaton and Jonathan Ford Yes, Kenny Clark is probably going to have to change positions yet again. In previous seasons, Clark has bounced between 3-4 defensive end and 3-4 nose tackle. Now, his best role, within the context of the other players around him, will be as a 4-3 nose tackle. There, he should be one of the better pass-rushing nose tackles in the league. If a player like Devonte Wyatt needs a breather, though, don’t be surprised if Clark ends up playing some three-technique snaps on running downs. Clark is versatile enough to do both. Behind Clark will be T.J. Slaton, who started all 17 games as a third-year player in 2023. Slaton is primarily a run defender, which doesn’t fit in as an every-down player in Hafley’s new scheme. Assume that he’s primarily only going to be playing running downs, as long as the defensive line — particularly Clark — is healthy. The reserve in this unit is Jonathan Ford, the former 2022 draft choice who has spent the last two seasons on the Packers’ practice squad.

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Unpacking Future Packers: No. 81, BYU OL Kingsley Suamataia

Up next in the Unpacking Future Packers draft preview series is BYU offensive lineman Kingsley Suamataia.

Brennen Rupp
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Unpacking Future Packers: No. 82, Georgia CB Kamari Lassiter

Up next in the Unpacking Future Packers draft preview series is Georgia cornerback Kamari Lassiter.

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Thursday Cheese Curds: Decisions on David Bakhtiari will define Packers’ 2024 offseason

Wm. Glasheen-USA TODAY Sports From salary cap implications to long-term plans on the blind side, what the Packers do with their veteran tackle will have a major impact on the rest of their offseason plans. The Green Bay Packers have had tremendous success finding quality offensive linemen on the third day of the NFL Draft over the past few decades. That run goes back to the early 1990s, when they drafted players like Adam Timmerman and Marco Rivera, and it carried through into the 2000s and 2010s with names like Josh Sitton, Corey Linsley, and David Bakhtiari. Maybe, just maybe, the Packers did it again in 2022 with Zach Tom and Rasheed Walker. While the former name impressed with his versatility and ability to play right tackle as a rookie, Walker took a while to get his feet under him. But once he did in 2023, he played very well down the stretch in relief of Bakhtiari, who continued to deal with knee issues related to his ACL tear from New Year’s Eve 2020. Now, the Packers face a major decision with Bakhtiari that will have huge ripple effects. Bakhtiari’s contract is set to carry a salary cap hit of just over $40 million in 2024, but if the Packers can release him, they will save about $21 million in cap space. That’s a big deal for a team that is a bit cap-strapped, though the Packers have a number of potential options in terms of opening up some space in 2024. Still, none are likely to free up as much space as releasing Bakhtiari, and doing so would open up a lot of room for the team to make some free agent splashes at other positions. But beyond just the financial piece of the puzzle, the Packers moving on from Bakhtiari would likely signify a plan to move ahead with Walker as their starting left tackle. However, it would also solidify tackle as a need on the roster, at least for depth purposes; and perhaps another day-three developmental prospect would be in order. With the quarterback question well and truly answered for this team for 2024 and beyond (thanks, Jordan Love!), the left tackle spot is arguably the biggest decision that this team will need to make. And that decision, which would ideally take place before the start of free agency, will set the stage for everything else that is to come in the next few months. What will the Packers do at left tackle this offseason to protect Jordan Love? - The Athletic ($)Bakhtiari departing seems to make sense, given his massive cap hit. That would leave Rasheed Walker to man that spot, unless the team decides to draft a tackle early. As Packers’ left tackle, Rasheed Walker found way to ‘just chill, relax’ | Packers.comIn his second season, Walker got a chance to fully audition for the long-term job and largely did well. It would seem that his ability to find a quiet, zen space before games put him in a good mindset to go out and perform at a high level. Packers can save $60 million or more in salary cap space with these 11 potential moves | Packers WireThere is money in the banana stand, and this article doesn't even mention the extra $20 million that the Packers could free up by moving on from Bakhtiari. Seven plays that defined Jordan Love's breakout for Packers - ESPNFrom a great throw over the middle to Luke Musgrave in week 9 to the absurd bomb to Romeo Doubs against the Chiefs to his playoff back-foot touchdown to Dontayvion Wicks, Love's second half breakout was truly a wonder to behold. For the first time, 2 students receive college athletic scholarships for Cornhole : NPRThis is not a drill. Get your kids started on throwing beanbags early and it might just pay for their college tuition.

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Part II: Unvarnished history of 1950s Black Packers

Did Charlie Brackins, one of only two Black QBs over NFL’s first 48 seasons, get a fair shake?

Cliff Christl
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Packers Mock Draft: Green Bay solidifies its offense

Photo by Brandon Sloter/Image Of Sport/Getty Images The offensive line is a strength of the 2024 draft class, so don’t be surprised if Green Bay turns in multiple picks at the position in April. It’s time to finally dip our toes in the mock draft game. Plenty will change on how draft prospects are perceived over the next few months, as we’re still a few weeks out from the combine — let alone pro days — but we might as well take a stab at it. As we’re still familiarizing ourselves with the names in this class, we’ll only be drafting the Green Bay Packers’ selections in the first three rounds of the draft using Pro Football Focus’ mock draft simulator. The good news? The Packers own five selections in the first 91 choices of the draft, so we can still make plenty of picks. First Round, Pick #25: Troy Fautanu, OL, Washington The photo above shows the 24 selections that were made before the Packers were on the clock in the simulation that we ran. Notably, five offensive tackles came off the board prior to Green Bay’s pick: Joe Alt, Olu Fashanu, Taliese Fuaga, J.C. Latham and Amarius Mims. The offensive line is going to be an important position for Packers fans to track this draft season, as the strengths of the draft seem to be receiver, the offensive line and cornerback. Receiver is almost certainly not going to be the team’s top draft choice, in part due to the Packers’ history of not draft first-round receivers and in part due to the fact that they have so many young pass-catchers under contract. Cornerback is another position that I don’t believe is a major problem on the depth chart, but others don’t see it that way. Personally, I think Carrington Valentine showed enough as a rookie in 2023 to treat him like a potential long-term starter moving forward. I don’t think Jaire Alexander is on his way out, by any means, and the team also is expected to get back outside cornerback Eric Stokes back from a hamstring injury next year. On top of that, there’s a decent chance that slot cornerback and kickoff returner Keisean Nixon is re-signed by the team. That’s four contributors for 2.5 starting jobs. So that leaves us with offensive linemen, as running back, off-ball linebacker and safety are not positions with many (maybe any?) players who are considered first-round talents in this draft. If there’s a run on true tackles to start this draft, don’t be surprised if the team ends up looking at one of these hybrid offensive linemen, who might have to kick inside to guard, at the end of the first round. Holy mother of savage blocks Troy Fautanu pic.twitter.com/ddt1pTNmZe— BOLTS Draft Talk (@BoltsDraftTalk) February 8, 2024 One of those players is Washington’s Troy Fautanu. Another is Duke’s Graham Barton. Fautanu started at left tackle for the Huskies, but there are worries that he’ll measure in at under 6’4” at the combine in a couple of weeks. Last season, he was a First-Team All-Pac-12 player who also won the Morris Trophy, which is awarded to the conference’s best offensive lineman. Washington, which went all the way to the national championship game, also won the Joe Moore Award, which is given to the best offensive line unit in the sport. Depending on what happens with David Bakhtiari at left tackle and Jon Runyan Jr. at right guard in the offseason, Fautanu has the potential to start at multiple positions in 2024. Second Round, Pick #41: Kingsley Suamataia, OL, BYU I think we’ll be talking about BYU RT Kingsley Suamataia as a 1st round prospect in a year or so… Only RS-Freshman. 5-Star, Oregon transfer. Really strong season when you focus on him… pic.twitter.com/wlAUbtvXxl— Ben Fennell (@BenFennell_NFL) December 21, 2022 You said you wanted the team to draft fewer defenders at the top of the draft, right? Well, here’s back-to-back offensive linemen. To me, this is simply a value selection. Kingsley Suamataia has as high of an upside as any offensive lineman in this draft class, even if his polish isn’t totally there yet. Even after turning in a card for Fautanu, I think there’s room to add Suamataia. In a world where the Packers draft two offensive linemen early in April, it would probably allow for either Elgton Jenkins or Zach Tom to kick inside to the center position. Adding two more bodies would allow Rasheed Walker, Tom, Suamataia and Fautanu to battle at tackle, Jenkins, Sean Rhyan and Fautanu to battle at guard and Myers, Jenkins and Tom to battle at center. Competition makes for the best results, right? Maybe it takes a year, like it did for Walker, for Suamataia to adjust to the NFL level. If it does, though, Green Bay won’t be pressed to throw him into the fire before he’s ready. Second Round, Pick #57: Edgerrin Cooper, LB, Texas A&M Ignore the number 45. This guy could be a game changer for the Bucs. Such a Todd Bowles player. 90.1 PFF grade and 85.5 coverage grade. Edgerrin Cooper is the real deal at ILB. pic.twitter.com/6wUn2lWwcs— JC Cornell (@CornellNFL) February 7, 2024 As we already mentioned, the off-ball linebacker group is not strong in this class. Only three are expected to be drafted in the first 84 picks of the draft, per the consensus draft board. One of those linebackers, North Carolina State’s Payton Wilson, is over-aged and has already had three season-ending injuries. Another, Clemson’s Jeremiah Trotter Jr., has some serious physical limitations. For my money, Texas A&M’s Edgerrin Cooper is the top off-ball linebacker in the class, with Michigan’s Junior Colson being the runner up. Cooper, like Colson, is an athletic linebacker who has a chance to be a long-term starter, but isn’t a fully-developed player at the moment. In the Packers’ new 4-3 defense, Cooper would be allowed to be a rotational player while Quay Walker and Isaiah McDuffie hold down the fort — assuming that De’Vondre Campbell is a cap casualty. In a couple seasons (or maybe sooner) he should be able to take that job from McDuffie, who is a little undersized and a below average athlete for an NFL starter. Third Round, Pick #88: Trey Benson, RB, Florida State trey benson is #good #imho pic.twitter.com/1BXd5E1MAU— Danny Kelly (@DannyBKelly) February 14, 2024 Someone is going to need to spell Aaron Jones out of the backfield next year, as the team seemed to have no interest in actually giving Emmanuel Wilson carries in 2023. At the moment, Wilson is currently second on the Packers’ depth chart going into 2024, as both AJ Dillon and Patrick Taylor are set to be unrestricted free agents. Who better to fill in for Dillon than Trey Benson, the 6’1”, 221-pound running back out of Florida State? After transferring out of Oregon, Benson earned back-to-back All-ACC honors with the Seminoles, taking 310 carries for 1,896 yards (6.1 yards per carry) and 23 touchdowns. He also caught 33 passes for 271 yards and a touchdown, with the majority of those catches coming in his final college football season. Third Round, Pick #91: Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, SAF, Texas Tech Players often ask about what #NFL scouts are looking for and I usually just say something like, “fly around and make them notice you.”That’s exactly what @TexasTechFB FS Dadrion Taylor-Demerson has done this year.Here’s rep that got @seniorbowl attention.Crazy closing… https://t.co/lrSzRiSf0Z pic.twitter.com/Hm07bfLX2a— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) September 20, 2023 Dadrion Taylor-Demerson was a standout at the Shrine Bowl, being named by the all-star game’s coaches as one of the players of the week for his performance in practice. He’s also expected to be one of the faster players in Indianapolis next month. In new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley’s system, Taylor-Demerson would fit in as a middle of the field safety, allowing him to play sideline to sideline as a deep coverage player. If the Packers can find a player who fits that role, all that will be left to address on the defensive side of the ball is strong safety.

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Green Bay Packers State of the Roster: The Offensive Line

Photo by Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images What the Packers do with left tackle David Bakhtiari’s contract will set the tone at the position. In the third installment of our State of the Roster series, we’re going to be focusing on the Green Bay Packers’ offensive line. Historically, this has been one of the strongest positions of the team, along with quarterback, during the Ted Thompson/Brian Gutekunst era. This year, though, there’s a decent amount of question marks at the position. Not only are two players who played a significant amount of snaps for the line expected to leave in free agency this offseason, but the biggest cap casualty question mark for the team also resides at the position. As a reminder, here’s our position-by-position publishing schedule for this series: 2/13: Offensive backfield 2/14: Pass-catchers 2/15: Offensive line 2/16: Defensive tackles 2/19: Defensive ends 2/20: Linebackers 2/21: Cornerbacks 2/22: Safeties 2/23: Specialists Tackle Under Contract: David Bakhtiari, Zach Tom, Rasheed Walker, Caleb Jones, Luke Tenuta and Kadeem Telfort Free Agent: Yosh Nijman The elephant in the room here is what the team will do with David Bakhtiari in 2024. At the moment, Bakhtiari is scheduled to have a $40 million cap hit going into next season, which would be the highest cap hit ever for any non-quarterback in the history of football. On top of that, Bakhtiari’s health is a question, as he missed the majority of the 2023 season after the decision was made that he needed to have another surgery on his knee, this time to fix the cartilage issue that has now been identified as the reason why he’s rarely seen the field since his 2020 ACL tear. If Bakhtiari is let go by the Packers, the assumption is that Rasheed Walker will take over as the team’s left tackle, though, there is little proven depth behind Walker and presumed starting right tackle Zach Tom in that scenario. Swing tackle Yosh Nijman, who was tendered as a restricted free agent last offseason, almost certainly will leave in free agency after his playing time was slashed to a third of his 2022 snaps with the emergence of Walker in 2023. Behind Tom and Walker, assuming Bakhtiari and Nijman are gone, will be Caleb Jones, Luke Tenuta and Kadeem Telfort, who collectively have not started a single game in their six combined seasons as Packers. Jones has played a total of one snap for Green Bay, on special teams, while Tenuta has played just seven offensive snaps — all coming in 2022. Telfort, who signed a reserve/futures contract after spending last season on the practice squad, has yet to play a regular-season game for the Packers. Early on in April’s draft, the team could address tackle with a player they prefer to start, at least long-term, over Walker. In the later rounds, it wouldn’t be surprising if the team took a couple of swings on players in an attempt to add depth to the position. Guard Under Contract: Elgton Jenkins, Sean Rhyan and Royce Newman Free Agent: Jon Runyan Jr. Guard isn’t a position where the Packers are expected to lose as many bodies as tackle, but the fact that Jon Runyan Jr. is set to hit free agency does leave the position on thin ice. Should Runyan — who has stated that he wants to return to Green Bay — move on, the team’s only backup at the position is Royce Newman, the former draft pick who was once a starter before his struggles led to him falling down the depth chart. If the Packers do select an offensive lineman early on in April’s draft, do not be surprised if one of either the draft pick or Zach Tom ends up kicking inside. Sean Rhyan has yet to be a full-time starter for Green Bay at right guard, meaning that only Elgton Jenkins is a “lock” to start at the position. Center Under Contract: Josh Myers Center is extremely thin for the Packers. The team has a couple of internal options if starter Josh Myers goes down, as all of Elgton Jenkins, Zach Tom and Sean Rhyan have snapped with the team during practices and/or games. That means moving a preferred starter away from a primary position, though, which is never the best option. In recent seasons, Green Bay has stocked up on tackle bodies, which now leaves them with few good solutions if something goes wrong in the interior. Still, the Packers’ coaching staff, and quarterback Jordan Love, have spoken highly of Myers’ play over the last two years, despite fans not being fully sold on his performances. It would be pretty surprising if Green Bay addressed the position early in the draft this year, but it wouldn’t shock anyone if the Packers added a depth swing offensive lineman who could play both center and guard in April. If the team drafts a tackle on Day 1, maybe one of Jenkins, Tom or Rhyan will end up moving to center for the summer and push Myers in a camp battle.

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Draft Talk: The Packers’ needs and Jeff Hafley’s defense

Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images It’s time to turn our attention to the 2024 NFL Draft. Before we go all in, though, let’s talk about what Hafley is looking for in a defense. Draft Talk is back for another season. In our first episode of this series, Acme Packing Company’s Justis Mosqueda and FanBuzz’s Tyler Brooke break all of the Green Bay Packers’ needs this offseason, going position-by-position to determine their level of priority. In the end, our duo settled on four positions being the most important for the team to address this offseason: running back, offensive line, off-ball linebacker and safety. Notably, outside of the offensive line, these are positions where the top of the draft is relatively weak. For perspective, Mosqueda and Brooke discussed The Athletic’s Dane Brugler’s new big board. In it, the top running back in the class is running back Jonathon Brooks of Texas, who is ranked 70th overall and is coming off of an ACL tear. At linebacker and safety, only two prospects, a piece, are ranked within Brugler’s top 60. In the second half of the podcast, the focus is the new Green Bay defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, who comes to the Packers via Boston College. Hafley’s resume and defensive scheme are touched on, as well as how difficult it is to be a college football head coach right now. Numerous examples show us just how badly some, but not all, college coaches want to leave that level of the sport. Also mentioned was a podcast that Mosqueda appeared on this week discussing the Super Bowl with Yahoo! Sports’ Charles McDonald. If you want to listen to that episode, check out THIS link. Timestamps 0:00: WE’RE BACK, BABY 2:00: Our plan for Draft Talk in 2024 4:00: The draft is weak at the Packers’ needs 8:45: A position-by-position breakdown 35:45: Jeff Hafley’s resume, scheme and why college football is a bad line of work Want even more great Green Bay Packers audio content from the Acme Packing Company crew? Subscribe to our feed wherever you get your podcasts for new episodes from different hosts every weekday. If you like what you’re hearing, give us a quick 5-star rating on your podcast app of choice — it boosts our profile and helps more fans like you find our shows.

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Broncos hire Jim Leonhard as next DBs coach

Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images Three years after the Green Bay Packers offered Jim Leonhard a chance to be their defensive coordinator, he finally made the jump to the NFL. On Wednesday, the Denver Broncos officially hired Jim Leonhard as their next defensive backs coach and defensive pass game coordinator. Leonhard fills the defensive backs coach void left by Christian Parker, who split with the team to become the Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive backs coach. Parker was one of the candidates that the Green Bay Packers interviewed during their defensive coordinator search this offseason. Leonhard’s name is notable in the state of Wisconsin for a couple of reasons. First of all, he’s a University of Wisconsin alum who coached the team from 2016 to 2022, filling the roles of defensive backs coach, defensive coordinator and interim head coach. Back in 2021, Leonhard also reportedly turned down the Packers’ defensive coordinator opportunity, a job that eventually went to the recently fired Joe Barry. Leonhard was allegedly head coach Matt LaFleur’s first choice to fill the job, with Barry and Ejiro Evero being close second candidates. When the Packers’ defensive coordinator job opened up again this offseason, many expected that Leonhard would get another opportunity to interview with Green Bay. As of now, no one has reported that these discussions ever took place. Did LaFleur sour from Leonhard after he turned him down back in 2021? We still have no indication there. What we do know is that the Packers’ defensive coordinator job is a more prized opportunity than the Broncos’ defensive backs coach title, meaning that Leonhard likely didn’t turn down Green Bay for a second time. Instead of Leonhard, the Packers turned their attention to Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley, a single-high 4-3 defensive coordinator. Hafley previously spent time in the NFL, at two stops, with San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan. This is notable, as Shanahan’s 49ers fired their defensive coordinator Steve Wilks following the team’s Super Bowl loss. In another reality, Leonhard could be the Packers’ defensive coordinator with Hafley in line to take the San Francisco job. In this one, LaFleur beat Shanahan to the punch.

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Green Bay Packers State of the Roster: Pass-Catchers

Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images The Packers should mostly run back the unit that they fielded in 2023, due to the fact that the players remain under contract. Yesterday, we started our State of the Roster series previewing what the Green Bay Packers’ offensive backfield will look like in 2024. Today, we’ll focus on the pass-catching positions for the team: wide receiver and tight end. As a reminder, here’s our position-by-position publishing schedule for this series: 2/13: Offensive backfield 2/14: Pass-catchers 2/15: Offensive line 2/16: Defensive tackles 2/19: Defensive ends 2/20: Linebackers 2/21: Cornerbacks 2/22: Safeties 2/23: Specialists Don’t expect too much of a change at the pass-catching positions for the Packers this offseason. Due to the youth at the position, along with the promise that these players showed in 2023, Green Bay should, for the most part, run back the unit going into 2024. Let’s get into the preview. Receiver Under Contract: Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson, Dontayvion Wicks, Bo Melton, Malik Heath, Samori Toure, Grant DuBose and Thyrick Pitts The Packers return everybody — yes, everybody — at the position. That includes the seven players who split playing time during the 2023 season and former draft pick Grant DuBose, who spent his rookie year on the practice squad. How the depth chart will shake out in 2024 is anyone’s guess, as Reed, Doubs, Watson and Wicks all saw significant playing time for the majority of last season. The X Factor here is whether or not Watson, who has dealt with hamstring injuries during his career, will be able to stay healthy in 2024. After the season, Watson stated that he would consult with experts on his issue. Head coach Matt LaFleur also claimed that the team’s head trainer, Bryan “Flea” Engel”, would travel with Watson this offseason when the receiver gets his hamstring scanned. It’s also worth noting that the team has a vacancy at their strength and conditioning position, as Chris Gizzi — who previously filled that role — was let go after the 2023 season. The end of the depth chart should be competitive, too, as each of Melton, Heath and Toure had their own stretches of increased playing time. Melton, notably, had a 211-yard run over three games to end the regular season, though, he only recorded 26 yards in the Packers’ two playoff games. Don’t expect Green Bay to add significant competition to the position in 2024, as they already have eight mouths to feed at receiver. The team also has hardly used receivers on the special teams unit under coordinator Rich Bisaccia, though, that might change with the transition to a 4-3 defense — which could force the squad to use more roster spots on off-ball linebackers rather than Bisaccia’s designated special teams-only “safeties.” If the team wants to continue to use similar bodies to Bisaccia’s “safeties” on special teams, it’s possible that the Packers could turn to the receiver position to supplement that change. Heath, by far, was the most impactful special teams playing receiver on the team last year, recording 71 special teams snaps for the Packers — good for the 26th most-played player in Green Bay on the third unit of football. Next up was Reed, who played 42 snaps as a returner. Who knows if Reed, who is now a contributor on offense, will continue to see those reps moving forward? After Heath and Reed, the most-played receiver on special teams was Melton with just 12 snaps. Tight End Under Contract: Luke Musgrave, Tucker Kraft, Ben Sims and Joel Wilson Free Agents: Tyler Davis Like wide receiver, tight end should mostly stay the same in 2024. The only major question mark is whether or not the team will bring back Tyler Davis, who is set to be a free agent this offseason. Davis, primarily a special teams player and blocking tight end, tore his ACL in the preseason after signing a one-year deal with the Packers in the 2023 offseason. If Davis doesn’t come back, the team’s top three tight ends should be Musgrave, Kraft and Sims, the first rookie tight end trio in NFL history to each catch a tight end for the same team in a single season. Both Musgrave and Kraft were featured as pass-catchers and were high draft picks last April. Sims, meanwhile, was brought in on a pre-draft visit for the Packers, but he originally signed with the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted rookie. Green Bay picked up Sims on waivers during roster cutdowns, following Davis’ injury. As we mentioned in the backfield preview, Josiah Deguara — who could be considered a fullback — is also a free agent this offseason. Henry Pearson, the fullback under contract for the 2024 season, probably has a better chance of making the roster over Joel Wilson next season. It’s possible that the team could add some competition in the fourth tight end position to push Pearson, though, it’s no promise that the Packers roster a fourth tight end body next year.

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As Packers’ left tackle, Rasheed Walker found way to ‘just chill, relax’

Seventh-round pick in 2022 turned second season into impressive blindside audition for Green Bay

Mike Spofford
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Titletown Winter Games set for Saturday, Feb. 17

Titletown Winter Games presented by U.S. Venture to feature winter sports and activities; Event modified to accommodate for warmer winter temperatures

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NFL Combine 2024: Full list of 321 prospects set to attend and participate

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports The list of players coming to Indianapolis is here. Believe it or not, but the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine is just around the corner. In about two weeks, over 300 of the top prospects eligible for the 2024 NFL Draft will descend upon downtown Indianapolis for a grueling week of interviews, physical testing, and medical examinations. This year will not be the final year that the event will take place in Indy, however, contrary to some reports during the 2023 Combine. It had appeared that the NFL was set on moving the Combine out to a bigger market after its contract with Indianapolis expired this year, perhaps taking the event closer to the league’s central operating area near Los Angeles or to the greater Dallas area. That would be a big loss for Indianapolis, which has long been a favorite of NFL media as well as team officials such as coaches and GMs. However, the NFL agreed on a one-year extension through the 2025 Combine, ensuring that this year and next will still be in the relatively central location. Indianapolis offers some unique perks as a city that few others can match. It has an NFL stadium, a massive convention center, and a sprawling network of hotels all connected via skywalks, as well as a major university hospital system close by for the medical portion. That makes for a convenient central location for all of the official events inside a very walkable downtown area that has no shortage of bars and restaurants as well. For those in the city during the week, it is common to see coaches, GMs, media members, and draft prospects walking all over the streets of the city — just last year, the APC contingent in attendance had to help future Packers draft pick Lukas Van Ness get back into his hotel after forgetting his keycard. This year, the event is set to feature 321 players over the course of the week, with player media interviews beginning on Wednesday, February 28th and on-field workouts starting on Thursday. Here’s a look at every player set to attend, separated by position. Note: at this time, the NFL has not designated a difference between defensive ends and defensive tackles or between cornerbacks and safeties. The DL and DB groups usually do get split up into those groupings later on.

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Rashan Gary on 2024 Packers: ‘Let’s attack it’

Edge rusher earned new contract with team-best nine sacks, 22 QB hits in regular season

Mike Spofford
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Green Bay Packers State of the Roster: Offensive Backfield

Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images If AJ Dillon doesn’t re-sign with the Packers, who will share carries with starter Aaron Jones in 2024? With the offseason cycle in full force, we at Acme Packing Company decided that now is the perfect time to review the state of the Green Bay Packers’ 2024 roster before everyone’s eyes turn to the NFL Draft in late February with the scouting combine. Below is our expected content schedule for this project. 2/13: Offensive backfield 2/14: Pass-catchers 2/15: Offensive line 2/16: Defensive tackles 2/19: Defensive ends 2/20: Linebackers 2/21: Cornerbacks 2/22: Safeties 2/23: Specialists So let’s talk about the 2024 Packers’ offensive backfield, including one major hole on their depth chart, as it stands today. If you disagree or want to add anything to our positional analysis, go ahead and drop a line down in the comment section below. Quarterback Under contract: Jordan Love, Sean Clifford and Alex McGough The only drama at the quarterback position for the Packers this offseason is a question of just how much starter Jordan Love is going to get paid. From the Chargers game on, Love — who was in his first season as a full-time starter — managed to record 23 touchdown passes and just three interceptions during that 10-game span. Pretty good! The Packers also managed to successfully avoid starting rookie Sean Clifford in 2023. Roughly half of the league, on average, ends up starting a backup quarterback throughout the course of an NFL season. Green Bay, in fact, hasn’t started a rookie passer since 1987. The next longest streak by a team? The Seattle Seahawks, who haven’t started a rookie quarterback in just over a decade. Amazing. The oldest Packer on the roster, tackle David Bakhtiari, was four years from being born when Don Majkowski made his rookie starts. The last time a rookie quarterback started a game for each #NFL team:2023: ARI, CAR, CHI, CLE, HOU, IND, LV, MIN, NYG, TEN2022: ATL, BAL, MIA, NE, PIT, SF, WAS2021: JAX, NO, NYJ2020: CIN, DAL, LAC, PHI2019: DEN, DET2018: BUF2017: KC2016: LA2015: TB2012: SEA1987: GB— Eric Eager (@ericeager_) February 10, 2024 Green Bay could add some competition to the backup (or reserve) quarterback job, but I wouldn’t expect it to come before Day 3 of April’s draft. The team is not yet in a financial place to spend on an experienced veteran backup, and pushing Clifford and/or reserve/futures contract player Alex McGough isn’t high up on that priority list. If you want a list of names to keep an eye on at the position, the players expected to go on Day 3 of the draft, per the consensus draft board, are Florida State’s Jordan Travis, Tennessee’s Joe Milton, Maryland’s Taulia Tagovailoa, Notre Dame’s Sam Hartman, Western Kentucky’s Austin Reed and Kentucky’s Devin Leary. Yes, Taulia is Tua’s brother. Running back Under contract: Aaron Jones, Emanuel Wilson and Ellis Merriweather Free agents: AJ Dillon and Patrick Taylor (RFA) This is a big one. Outside of the offensive line, the biggest concern on the offensive side of the ball this offseason is who will be splitting time with starter Aaron Jones, who missed six regular season games with hamstring and knee injuries but also ended his 2023 campaign with five-straight 100-yard rushing performances. Despite the $17 million cap hit that is currently on the Packers’ books for Jones’ 2024 season, general manager Brian Gutekunst talked about how Jones is the heartbeat of the team in his end-of-the-year press conference. Assume that Jones’ cap charge is going to drop a bit, via one method or another, but he should return to the squad next year. The question mark comes at the RB2 spot, as AJ Dillion is set to become a free agent. Head coach Matt LaFleur said that he hopes that Dillon will return to the team next year, though, Dillon will almost certainly test the open market. Over the last three seasons, Dillon has recorded 551 carries for 2,186 yards and 14 touchdowns to go along with 84 receptions for 742 yards and two more scores. If Dillon signs elsewhere, look for the Packers to be in the running back market, either via free agency or the draft. Patrick Taylor, who was signed off of the New England Patriots’ practice squad following Jones and Emanuel Wilson’s injuries this past season, will be a restricted free agent in 2024. What that means is that the Packers can ensure that Taylor doesn’t hit the open market in March, but it would come at the cost of a right of first refusal tender that would pay Taylor $2.4 million. Considering that Taylor, who mostly played pass protection snaps, split time with Wilson in that RB3 role for most of the season, don’t expect Green Bay to pull the trigger on that deal. Maybe Taylor will return to the team on a cheaper contract after he’s allowed to hit unrestricted free agency, though, like tight end Tyler Davis did in 2023. Wilson should provide depth, but there has been no indication that the Packers think enough of him to have him be truly involved in the rotation. On the year, he carried the ball a total of 14 times for 85 yards. Ellis Merriweather was a mid-season free agent pick-up to the practice squad and signed a reserve/futures deal with Green Bay for 2024. Fullback Under contract: Henry Pearson Free agent: Josiah Deguara If Josiah Deguara does return to the Packers next season, it should be fully expected that he’ll have to sign something close to the league minimum. Since 2021, Deguara’s offensive playing time has dropped each season, relegating him to a special teams role in non-blowouts. The fact that the Packers had three rookie tight ends on the roster in Luke Musgrave, Tucker Kraft and Ben Sims certainly hurts his chances of making the team next year. On top of that, there still is the potential for veteran Tyler Davis, who is a special teams ace, to re-sign with Green Bay after inking a one-year deal with the Packers last offseason. Davis was injured in the preseason and spent the entire regular season on the injured reserve. Despite never officially being elevated to the 53-man roster, rookie Henry Pearson did play for the Packers in 2023, recording 11 offensive snaps and 23 special teams reps over two regular season games. Pearson worked in heavily with the first-team special teams units during the preseason, so it shouldn’t have been surprising that he’s viewed as one of the squad’s premier practice squad options. He recently signed a reserve/futures contract with the green and gold.

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Tuesday Cheese Curds: Running backs will be a big part of the plan in 2024

Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports The Packers will need another big performance from their running backs next season. The 2023 Packers were young, but if there was a position group bolstered by veterans that could have a big impact on the season, it was the running backs. Aaron Jones entered the year as one of the oldest and most successful members on the roster, and AJ Dillon looked to be his right-hand man in his fourth season. If things went according to plan, that pair would be a tremendous asset for first-time starter Jordan Love. And when things went according to plan, the plan looked spectacular. Aaron Jones just about single handedly beat the Bears in Week 1, and his late-season hot streak was one of the best we’ve seen at the position in Packers history. AJ Dillon also came on strong in the second half of the season, looking like the hard-charging back he was always supposed to be. But the running backs also had their struggles. Aaron Jones spent a lot of the season on the sideline, nursing a variety of injuries. In his absence, AJ Dillon struggled, looking more Plodzilla than Quadzilla. And further down the depth chart, Patrick Taylor, Emanuel Wilson, and even Kenyan Drake offered little. If the Packers can get more of the good version of this plan in 2024, they’ll have something special in the backfield. But that’s a pretty big if, and there are big questions to answer before they even get to that point. They’ll have to decide if they even want to fit Aaron Jones under the salary cap (a good bet, but still something they have to do), then decide if they want AJ Dillon on the roster at all. And regardless of the answer to those questions, they’ll probably have to add more talent in the draft. But the plan was solid enough. If they can build on that plan, Jordan Love will have just about all the help he can handle in his second season as starter. Packers running back grades: Aaron Jones defies Father Time, shows he hasn’t lost a step at 29 | Packers News Aaron Jones finished the season as strong as ever, but the Packers will need more at all levels of the depth chart in 2024. Unpacking Future Packers: No. 84, South Dakota CB Myles Harden | Packers Wire It’s never a bad idea to keep an eye on defensive backs with the Packers seemingly perpetually in need. One Big Move Will Determine Whether Packers Can Crash Chiefs’ Dynasty | Packer Central The Packers should probably worry about the NFC North before they try to take down the Chiefs, but this is a good thing to keep in mind. Important NFL players, coaches, execs for the 2024 offseason | ESPN+ ($) A good survey of the state of the league heading into the offseason. Baby rhino at Oregon Zoo goes outside for first time | UPI The rhino is currently projected as a high-upside third-round pick.

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2024 NFL Draft: Post-Super Bowl Mock Draft Round Up

Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images Despite the team’s depth chart at the position, the Green Bay Packers are being mocked several cornerbacks. We have a long offseason ahead of us, as teams haven’t even started to move on from cap casualties ahead of free agency, but now that the Super Bowl is over, it’s time to turn our attention to the 2024 NFL Draft. Last week, we asked Green Bay Packers fans what the team’s biggest needs are going into the offseason. The runaways, by far, were the safety and off-ball linebacker positions, groups where the Packers might need multiple new bodies just to field a functional team next year. Cornerback was one position that didn’t come up as a major need, either in our poll or in the responding comments from Acme Packing Company’s readership. Despite that, five of the nine major mock drafts that have dropped since the Super Bowl went final gave the Packers a cornerback, for one reason or another. Let’s dive into the results of these recent mocks and break down the line of thinking for these selections. Jordan Morgan, OL, Arizona The Athletic USA Today Morgan was a surprise non-declaration from the 2023 draft class. In part due to his return to the Wildcats’ program, Arizona ended up going 10-3 last year — including an Alamo Bowl win over Oklahoma. The offensive line is an interesting position for the Packers, as they have potential holes at left tackle and right guard, depending on how the team views the long-term viability of Rasheed Walker and Sean Rhyan, respectively, two young rookie contract blockers. Then there’s the entire David Bakhtiari question, which seems to have no clear answer at this point. The team will simply need to decide on Bakhtiari’s health in early March, around when the new league year begins. Bakhtiari is coming off of a major surgery that, hopefully, will fix the swelling issue that has kept him sidelined since 2020. Here’s what The Athletic’s Dane Brugler had to say about the Morgan selection: The Packers could use help at tackle and guard. Morgan, who played left tackle at Arizona, might be better off moving inside in the NFL. Either way, this pick would check a box for a young Green Bay squad that’s in great position with 11 draft picks. Kingsley Suamataia, OL, BYU Bleacher Report A couple of weeks ago, ESPN’s Mel Kiper selected Suamataia for the Packers in his first mock draft of the 2024 cycle. As we mentioned in our write-up, Suamataia is a hulking tackle prospect who has played both left and right tackle in the past. The former five-star recruit originally began his college career at Oregon, where he started at tackle as the successor to first-round Penei Sewell before transferring closer to home in 2022. Below is what Bleacher Report’s Brandon Thorn, who scouts offensive linemen for the website, said about the Suamataia selection: “The Packers are able to succeed offensively with a middle-of-the-pack offensive line due to a run-first, play-action based system,” Thorn said. “But if they want to increase their flexibility schematically and open things up a bit more in 2024, the left tackle position could be in need of an upgrade. “What happens with Bakhtiari will determine the urgency of this specific need. But if the Packers don’t bring him back or he’s unable to get healthy enough to play, Suamataia gives the team a golden opportunity to add a tackle with long-time starting traits at the end of Round 1.” Jackson Powers-Johnson, OL, Oregon The Draft Network This is a bit of a wildcard selection. Powers-Johnson was a center for Oregon, but he does have the potential to play guard at the next level. The major question is whether or not the Packers would allow him to compete at the center spot, where starter Josh Myers returns. Myers is a player who doesn’t appear to be playing at a high level, but the coaching staff praises him at every opportunity they’re given. Josh Myers has been underwhelming in Green Bay. Jackson Powers-Johnson showcased his strength, technique, toughness, and athletic ability at the Senior Bowl. He can play both center and guard. Cooper DeJean, CB, Iowa NFL.com Pro Football Focus Out of all the cornerback prospects in the upcoming draft class, the one who makes the most sense for the Packers to draft high in April’s meeting is Iowa’s DeJean. Not only does he have experience at cornerback, but he also played the team’s “cash” position — which is a hybrid nickel spot that is a pseudo safety role. Because of that, it wouldn’t be difficult to project him as a post safety in Green Bay’s new middle of the field closed scheme, which would allow DeJean to play free safety. That would allow the team to look for a bigger, less athletic safety to roam around the line of scrimmage as a drop-down strong safety. Below is what Pro Football Focus had to say about two-time First-Team All-Big Ten defensive back: DeJean can be a starter at the NFL level at both cornerback and safety. For the Packers, I think he would start at a safety/slot spot with outside cornerback flexibility. Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama CBS Sports Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson Sports Illustrated Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo SB Nation I want to talk about all three of these cornerback prospects as a group because they’re fairly similar. Unlike DeJean, all of these players are expected to be outside cornerbacks at the next level. Sure, first-round cornerback Eric Stokes ended the season on the injured reserve, but it seems unlikely that Stokes’ hamstring issue will remain an issue entering the 2024 season. With Stokes, All-Pro Jaire Alexander and 2023 breakout rookie Carrington Valentine returning to the team next season, and the potential of Keisean Nixon re-signing with the team to play the slot in 2024, does the team really need to use a high draft pick on a cornerback? I’m not convinced. Both McKinstry and Wiggins played for defensive powerhouses at the college level, but Mitchell is a player who went the tougher route to get where he is at. For perspective, only one Group of 5 prospect was drafted in the first 68 picks of last year’s draft — SMU’s Rashee Rice, the 55th pick who was taken by Kansas City. Mitchell is currently ranked 18th on the consensus draft board, and is expected to be one of the highest-drafted “mid-major” prospects selected in the NIL/transfer portal era. Toledo plays in the MAC, which last year had their first player draft in the fourth round (Sidy Sow, New England Patriots). The Packers actually drafted the second MAC player off of the board in 2023, Bowling Green defensive lineman Karl Brooks, who played 380 snaps for Green Bay as a rookie.

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Unpacking Future Packers: No. 85, Michigan OL LaDarius Henderson

Up next in the Unpacking Future Packers draft preview series is Michigan offensive lineman LaDarius Henderson.

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Packers positions of need: 15 LBs in PFF's top 150 free agents list

PFF ranks 15 linebackers — a position of need for the Packers — in its top 150 free agents entering the 2024 offseason.

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Micah Parsons: Packers RB Aaron Jones 'unbelievable' in pass protection vs. Cowboys

Micah Parsons and Jordan Love talked about Aaron Jones’ incredible work in pass protection during the Packers’ playoff win over the Cowboys.

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Friday Cheese Curds: Packers effectively shut out at NFL Honors

Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images It’s disappointing to see Matt LaFleur continue to get overlooked for major awards, but he has his sights set on a much bigger goal. What does Matt LaFleur have to do to earn any real consideration for Coach of the Year? It’s hard to imagine a more impressive coaching job than what the Green Bay Packers got from LaFleur during the 2023 season. Yes, the first half of the season saw the offense look largely disjointed as the team scuffled to a 3-6 start, but the midseason turnaround and the drastic development of the youngest team in the NFL — with a first-year starting quarterback — should be a testament to LaFleur and his coaching staff. The fact that the Packers managed to not only make the playoffs but also to win a game in Dallas as heavy road underdogs only underscores what a great job LaFleur did. And the same should be said for general manager Brian Gutekunst, who had an absolutely dynamite draft last spring. And yet, the best the Packers could muster across any category at the NFL Honors on Thursday was three votes for two different awards. LaFleur probably doesn’t care. At least, he wouldn’t admit it if he did. He will simply remain focused on achieving the bigger goals that the franchise has for 2024. But after years of being snubbed for Coach of the Year honors in part because he had a MVP quarterback — rather than media members acknowledging that LaFleur probably played a huge part in his QB playing at that level — it would at least be nice if he and his team would finally get some more recognition for the incredible work they have put in. Then again, if LaFleur can bring another Lombardi Trophy back to Green Bay, that (and the road sign that will inevitably be put up in his honor) will be worth far more than any Coach of the Year vote. Packers WR Jayden Reed and coach Matt LaFleur receive votes for AP NFL awards | Packers WireLaFleur got two third-place votes for coach of the year, finishing in 9th place, while Reed got a single third-place vote for offensive rookie of the year. Julius Peppers: Dominant pass rusher, ‘quiet assassin’ and now a Hall of Famer - The Athletic ($)There was no question that Peppers would be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, and his three years in Green Bay were truly memorable. NFL rookie grades, NFC North: Lions quartet stars; Packers boosted by franchise-altering 2023 class | NFL.comIt's hard to fathom giving the Packers' 2023 draft a grade below the A range after one year, but NFL.com gave them just a B-plus. Maybe if Lukas Van Ness had been a starter and made a bigger impact, perhaps? But the team's massive contributions from nearly every other pick make it an "A" level class in my book. Jordan Love is going back to school to work on his footwork this offseason | Packersnews.comEarly in the season, poor footwork appeared to result in accuracy issues. Later on, he seemed to be delivering the football perfectly even fading away, like his predecessor often did. But one thing is certain: Love and his personal throwing coach are going to focus heavily on getting his feet set after reviewing the tape on his 2023 season. Kenneth Odumegwu’s year in Green Bay was ‘nothing short of amazing’ | Packers.comIn what was effectively a redshirt year as part of the NFL's international outreach programs, Odumegwu had a great experience with the Packers in 2023 and is signed on a futures deal for 2024. Rashan Gary took it upon himself to mentor the youngster, and he sees a real future and NFL-level skills. Justice minister's government car stolen for the third time in as many years | CBC NewsApparently thieves in Ottawa really like Toyota Highlanders and messing with government officials, for some reason.

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Pro Football Hall of Fame announces 2024 class, including 2 former Packers

Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images Green Bay received both players after stints with their rival, the Chicago Bears. During the league’s NFL Honors broadcast, the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2024 was announced. In total, five modern-era players received the votes needed to be allowed into the Hall of Fame, along with two senior players. Two of these players, outside linebacker Julius Peppers and defensive tackle Steve McMichael, have ties to the Green Bay Packers. Peppers, who began his career as the second overall pick of the 2002 draft, spent time with the Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears prior to joining the Packers. From 2014 to 2016, Peppers played in 48 games, making 43 starts, for Green Bay. Statistically, he recorded 103 tackles, 25 sacks, 21 tackles for loss and 45 quarterback hits for the Packers. He also earned a Pro Bowl with Green Bay in 2015. Following his three seasons with the Packers, Peppers returned to Carolina for the final two seasons of his career. Officially, Peppers ranks fourth all-time in the NFL in career sacks with 159.5. Ahead of him are Bruce Smith (200), former Packers pass-rusher Reggie White (198) and former Packers assistant coach Kevin Greene (160). Unlike Peppers, McMichael isn’t remembered fondly by Green Bay fans. McMichael spent over a decade with the Bears before signing on with the Packers in 1994, his only season with the team. According to the Chicago Tribune, this is what McMichael had to say about his time in Green Bay: “For 13 years, I helped the Bears beat the Packers every year. I whupped their ass, right? So the last year, I went up there on my last leg and I wasn’t any good anymore. So I stole their money and whipped their ass again!” With the Bears, McMichael was a five-time All-Pro and won a Super Bowl as a member of their 1985 team. Only 2.5 of his 95 career sacks came with the Packers, to go along with 14 of his 171 career starts. The Pro Football Hall of Fame has yet to announce the enshrinement date for the 2024 class, but it is expected to be in the first week of August. Below is a full list of the players who were announced as future members of the Hall of Fame. 2024 Hall of Fame Class Dwight Freeney Devin Hester Andre Johnson Julius Peppers Patrick Willis Randy Gradishar (senior) Steve McMichael (senior)

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Tom Grossi paved path to NFL Fan of the Year with ‘chaotic good’

Lifelong Packers fan’s “30 in 30” endeavor raised more than $500,000 for charity last summer

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What is the Packers’ biggest need going into 2024?

Photo by Ryan Kang/Getty Images Linebacker and safety could use several added bodies, but don’t look over running back and the offensive line as options. Now that the Green Bay Packers’ 2023 campaign has officially ended and the team has staffed its defensive coaches for the upcoming season, let’s finally turn our attention to the 2024 roster. Obviously, there’s still cap decisions to be made before free agency, but every offseason starts with areas of concern that a team could possibly address. As far as I see it, the four biggest positions that the team has needs at are running back, the offensive line, linebacker and safety. If you believe another position should be in consideration here, drop us a note in the comment section below. At running back, co-starters Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon are on shaky ground. Jones is going into the last year of his contract, which carries a $17 million cap hit in 2024, though, general manager Brian Gutekunst did say in his end-of-year press conference that he hopes that Jones is back next season. Dillon is set to be an unrestricted free agent in March, but head coach Matt LaFleur said that he is welcome to come back to the team — presumably if he finds out that he’s not going to rake in the big bucks in free agency. Behind those two, the only other backs under contract for next season are undrafted 2023 rookies Emanuel Wilson and Ellis Merriweather. On the offensive line, the question marks are at left tackle and right guard. At left tackle, Rasheed Walker played well above his weight as a second-year, seventh-round pick, but is that enough to overlook a loaded tackle class? The status of David Bakhtiari, who has only played a handful of games since his ACL tear in 2020, will dictate a lot at this position. With Bakhtiari set to receive a big roster bonus in mid-March, assume that the team will make a decision — one way or another — by that point in time. At right guard, starter Jon Runyan Jr., who rotated in and out of the lineup with Sean Rhyan in the second half of the 2023 season, is set to be a free agent. The question now is if the team will allow Rhyan to be the uncontended starter going into next year, or if Rhyan will be used as a player to push either the right guard or center positions. Linebacker is going to be interesting because the team is converting from a 3-4 defense to a 4-3 defense. This means that the Packers are going to have to go from playing two off-ball linebackers in base packages to three. To say the least, Green Bay doesn’t have three linebackers who are worth being called starters right now. De’Vondre Campbell is a likely cap casualty, which leaves the team with just three players at the position who are under contract for the 2024 season: Quay Walker, Isaiah McDuffie and safety-convert Christian Young, who signed to the team on a reserve/futures contract. Yikes. From a simple numbers perspective, the team may need to add three more bodies at the position. Safety is another major hole on the Packers’ roster. Darnell Savage, Jonathan Owens and Rudy Ford, the team’s top-three preferred starting players at the position, are all expected to hit free agency in 2024. With that being said, none of them were great in 2023, which led to the turnover of the defensive coaching staff. Next season, the safeties under contract are Anthony Johnson Jr., Benny Sapp III, special teamer Zayne Anderson and practice squadder Tyler Coyle. Like linebacker, this is another position where it wouldn’t be shocking if the team added three or so new bodies between now and the end of the draft. So what do you think is Green Bay’s biggest need going into the 2024 offseason? Vote in the poll below and comment with your thoughts on our analysis of the Packers’ roster.

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Packers' 2023 season-ending Dope Sheet

The Green Bay Packers returned to the postseason after finishing 9-8 in the 2023 regular season.

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Part I: Unvarnished history of 1950s Black Packers

The pioneers who broke the color line in Green Bay

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Thursday Cheese Curds: More changes coming for Packers’ organization in 2025

Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images After last year’s QB transition and a coaching staff overhaul this year, the franchise will welcome a new chairman and CEO in the summer of 2025. He may be famous for uttering the phrase “He’s a complicated fella” about his team’s old quarterback, but there’s nothing complicated about the end of Mark Murphy’s tenure as Green Bay Packers chairman & CEO. According to the franchise’s bylaws, Murphy must step down next summer, when he will turn 70 years old. The man who succeeded Bob Harlan — perhaps the team’s most impactful chairman, who turned around the organization in the early 1990s — always had big shoes to fill. And Murphy was tested early on in his tenure, as the Packers moved on from Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers in his first year at the helm of the team. Since then, Murphy has navigated changes at general manager, head coach, and a second quarterback transition from Rodgers to Jordan Love, all while helping guide the team’s financial position and expanding its footprint outward beyond Lambeau Field itself. He will unofficially wrap up his tenure next April as the team and city brings one of his dreams to fruition — hosting the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay. But what does it look like for the Packers to find a successor for Murphy? On Wednesday, the team revealed some details about its search process, even as the most likely candidate is already in-house. The Packers’ Board of Directors will put together a search committee, but look for Ed Policy to be the front-runner. The son of former San Francisco 49ers chairman/CEO Carmen Policy, Ed has been with the team as general counsel since 2012, first with the title of Vice President and then moving up to Chief Operating Officer in 2018. 2025 should be another year of change for the Packers. But hopefully, change at the top of the organization also comes with a change in playoff fortunes compared to the last 13 seasons. Packers announce process for CEO search | Packers.comMurphy's retirement, which will take place in the summer of 2025 after Green Bay hosts the NFL Draft, comes after a lot of change has taken place around the organization in the last few years. Packers Tailgate Tour, featuring current, former players, to visit southern Wisconsin | Packersnews.comOne of Murphy’s favorite annual events is back in April, with the likes of Kenny Clark, Elgton Jenkins, Bryan Bulaga, and Mike Daniels participating. The tour will stay largely south of I-94, however, with stops in Kenosha, Beloit, Platteville, and Sun Prairie. Matt LaFleur hiring former Packers WR Myles White as assistant WRs coach | Packers WireDo you remember White? He had an impressive preseason in 2013 and appeared in seven games during the regular season. Patriots' Eliot Wolf expected to be in charge of personnel department | NFL.comAfter getting passed up for the Packers' GM job in 2018, Wolf is finally going to head up an NFL personnel department like his dad did before him. He's also apparently hiring his former Green Bay coworker, Alonzo Highsmith, as his right-hand man. Packers Defensive Coordinator Jeff Hafley’s NFL Pass Defenses Have Struggled - Sports IllustratedWhen Hafley has coached defensive backs in the NFL before, the results haven't been great, particularly during a three-year stint in San Francisco. But those teams were ravaged by injuries in the secondary, which could help explain their poor rankings. Lil Jon to Turn It Down, Release Guided Meditation Album | Consequence SoundApparently meditation is the "what" we have all been waiting for over the last ten years.

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Packers’ Tailgate Tour to visit fans around Wisconsin April 9-13

Current players Elgton Jenkins, Kenny Clark and Rasheed Walker; alumni Bryan Bulaga, Mike Daniels and Alex Green to join for visits in Southern Wisconsin

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Kenneth Odumegwu’s year in Green Bay was ‘nothing short of amazing’

Nigeran-born linebacker looks forward to second season with Packers

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Wednesday Cheese Curds: Will a new scheme net the Packers new results on defense?

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images The scheme is the shiny object, but the players and how they’re used matter more. The Packers’ scheme is probably going to be different in 2024, but will the defense itself actually look different? And more importantly, will the results be any different? Since Jeff Hafley was hired as the Packers’ new coordinator, we’ve had a lot of discourse about the potential switch to a 4-3 scheme, which seems to be all but a done deal. But anybody who has followed football for a while knows that your base defense barely matters in 2024, if it matters at all. A team will be in their base defense for, what, a dozen plays a game? Maybe a bit more? That’s not really that noteworthy of a change, especially since the personnel isn’t going to change that much this offseason or into next season. Rashan Gary, Preston Smith, Lukas Van Ness, and other outside linebackers will be called defensive ends instead, but their responsibilities won’t be wildly different. Kenny Clark might line up as an end or three-technique defensive tackle instead of a nose tackle more than he has in the past, but he’s been trending that way for years. Joe Barry himself made that change. De’Vondre Campbell will probably lose playing time to Isaiah McDuffie, but anybody with eyes knew that was likely, regardless of the scheme. Campbell is aging and doesn’t seem to want to be in Green Bay anyway. Of course the Packers were going to look to upgrade. They’d have to no matter what they ran in 2024. And besides, all the scheme wizardry in the world won’t matter if the Packers don’t use it properly. Plenty of defenses around the league succeed with the scheme approach the Packers used in 2023, but the scheme doesn’t matter if you’re lining up your defense in the wrong call for the situation — an occurrence so common under Barry that you’d practically expect the Packers to give up a key conversion just because they had the wrong look for the situation. A scheme is important. It’s your base philosophy for the defense. But regardless of what scheme the Packers are running, who’s calling it, and what assistants are helping him implement it, it’s the players and the execution of that scheme that are going to matter more, and most of them will be in pretty similar positions to what they were in 2023. Can they get better results? Packers expected to hire highly sought-after linebackers coach Anthony Campanile and switch to a 4-3 defense | Packers News Regardless of his scheme background, Campanile seems to be a well-regarded coach. Packers’ 8 best players on defense from 2023 season | Packers Wire A look into who played well on the 2023 version of the Packers’ defense. ‘Little taste’ of action was ‘hugely important’ for Packers G Sean Rhyan | Packers.com After a disappointing rookie season, Sean Rhyan slowly worked into the Packers’ offensive line rotation this year. Former Packers Receiver Myles White Joining Coaching Staff | Packer Central White snagged nine catches for 66 yards during his Packers career. Man plays ‘World of Warcraft’ for nearly 60 hours to break world record | UPI Our man here says he started hallucinating about 45 hours in, but he stuck it out for nearly 15 more hours.

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The Packers have signed their defensive passing game coordinator

Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images Derrick Ansley comes to Green Bay by way of the Los Angeles Chargers, where he was the team’s defensive coordinator in 2023. According to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, the Green Bay Packers have hired former Los Angeles Chargers coach Derrick Ansley to join the team as their new passing game coordinator. Ansley previously held the role of defensive coordinator for the Chargers, a non-play-calling gig until head coach Brandon Staley was fired mid-season in 2023. He also received an interview for the New York Giants’ defensive coordinator opening this offseason, a job that was filled on Monday by former Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Shane Bowen. Ansley is a former Nick Saban assistant who won a national title at Alabama in 2017 as a defensive backs coach. Before his stint with the Chargers, he had only been a defensive backs coach at the NFL level for one season, 2018 with the Oakland Raiders. He was named the Chargers’ defensive backs coach in 2021 and was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2023. Per Demovsky, defensive backs coach Ryan Downard will continue to hold onto his title while Ansley will strictly go by the title of passing game coordinator. Demovsky also broke the news that Jason Rebrovich, the team’s former outside linebackers coach and pass rush specialist, will go by the title of defensive line coach in the Packers’ 4-3 scheme. Vince Oghobaase, Hafley’s former defensive line coach at Boston College who was signed by Green Bay, will serve as the team’s assistant defensive line coach. By the looks of it, Green Bay will have one fewer full-time on-field coach under Hafley than they did under Joe Barry. Last season, the Packers had five of these coaches. According to Demovsky, this is the “last major piece to the new defensive staff.” Here’s how the two staffs compared head-to-head: 2023 Defensive Assistants Defensive line/run game coordinator: Jerry Montgomery Pass rush specialist: Jason Rebrovich Inside linebackers: Kirk Olivadotti Passing game coordinator: Greg Williams Defensive backs: Ryan Downard 2024 Defensive Assistants Defensive line: Jason Rebrovich Linebackers/run game coordinator: Anthony Campanile Passing game coordinator: Derrick Ansley Defensive backs: Ryan Downard

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Packers hire Anthony Campanile as linebackers coach, plan to move to 4-3 base

Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images New titles and a new staff will lead to a switch in base defense in Green Bay this season. The Green Bay Packers have continued to reshape their defensive coaching staff over the last few days. New defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, along with head coach Matt LaFleur, have seemingly decided not only on which assistant coaches on that side of the football will return and which will not, but also on what type of base alignment they will run for the 2024 season. The latest new hire for the Packers’ staff is Anthony Campanile, who will replace Kirk Olivadotti as linebackers coach. Campanile, who had been the Miami Dolphins’ linebackers coach for the past four seasons, was drawing some defensive coordinator interviews of his own this offseason, and according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, former Dolphins DC Vic Fangio was hoping to bring him along to his new job with the Philadelphia Eagles. Instead, Campanile will come to Green Bay, taking the titles of both linebackers coach and defensive run game coordinator. A former college safety and linebacker himself, Campanile played and later coached at Rutgers. This helps identify a connection between him and Hafley; although the two did not overlap in New Jersey, Greg Schiano was Campanile’s head coach as a player and served as Hafley’s boss both at Rutgers and later with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Additionally, Campanile and Hafley also both coached at Boston College, but at different times: Campanile was there from 2016 to 2018, while Hafley was that program’s head coach from 2020 to 2023. Interestingly, former Packers DC Joe Barry just filled Campanile’s former post in Miami. Barry also received the run game coordinator title in addition to taking over as the Dolphins’ linebackers coach. In conjunction with Campanile’s hiring, Silverstein further provides a report on clarity with some of the assistant coaches’ titles, which helps reflect an overall scheme change on defense. Specifically, he notes that Jason Rebrovich, formerly the Packers’ outside linebackers coach, will be the new defensive line coach. This — along with Campanile’s title as simply “linebackers” coach, rather than noting inside or outside linebackers — is a clear indication that the defense will move to a 4-3 base under Hafley in 2024. On Monday, news also broke that Green Bay is reportedly hiring Vince Oghobaase to the defensive staff. Oghobaase was Hafley’s defensive line coach at Boston College, but with Rebrovich now reportedly taking over primary responsibility for the defensive line, he will take on the assistant DL coach title, most likely with a focus on interior linemen. Oghobaase has held that title in the NFL before, when he worked with Hafley on the San Francisco 49ers’ staff from 2016 to 2017. Meanwhile, Campanile will need his room restocked a bit before practices begin in May. The Packers do still have their top three linebackers under contract for 2024 — Quay Walker, De’Vondre Campbell, and Isaiah McDuffie — but there is little to no depth behind them. Additionally, Campbell’s play in 2023 was not up to his previous standard in Green Bay and he dealt with numerous injuries, making him a potential candidate for a salary cap-related release this spring. The major distinctions between 3-4 and 4-3 defenses are less significant in today’s NFL than in decades past, largely due to teams using nickel personnel on the majority of their defensive snaps. Whether the edge rushers align with their hands in the dirt or in a two-point stance, the formation still largely consists of two interior linemen, two edge rushers, two off-ball linebackers, and five defensive backs. Still, the switch is notable, and the likes of Rashan Gary, Preston Smith, and Lukas Van Ness will likely be referred to as defensive ends now instead of outside linebackers.

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‘Little taste’ of action was ‘hugely important’ for Packers G Sean Rhyan

2022 third-round draft pick made the most of job share on offensive line

Mike Spofford
www.packers.com
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Former Packers defensive coordinator Joe Barry lands in Miami with Dolphins

Joe Barry, the ex-Packers defensive coordinator, is headed to Miami to be the Dolphins LB coach and run game coordinator.

Zach Kruse
packerswire.usatoday.com
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Former Packers DC Joe Barry hired for new job

Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images After taking two interviews with other teams, Barry has been hired by the Miami Dolphins. Back in January, former Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Joe Barry lined up two interviews: with the Chicago Bears for their defensive coordinator vacancy and with the Philadelphia Eagles for their linebackers coach position. Barry will not be landing either of those jobs, though, as NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported on Tuesday morning that the Miami Dolphins have made an agreement with Barry to make him the team’s next linebackers coach with a run game coordinator title. Barry’s previous experience in the NFL as an assistant came as a linebackers coach, so this move shouldn’t be that surprising, though, the title of run game coordinator — especially after his stint in Green Bay — is a little ironic. According to Pro Football Reference, the Packers allowed 4.7 yards per carry over Barry’s three seasons in Green Bay, just shy of the Los Angeles Chargers’ league-leading 4.8 yards per carry mark over this period. It’s worth noting here that over these three years, the Chargers were led by head coach Brandon Staley, who was previously the defensive coordinator whom Barry worked as a linebackers coach for with the Los Angeles Rams. In part due to the inability to stop the run consistently over his three years as the Packers’ defensive coordinator, Barry was replaced this offseason with former Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley, who is likely to run a more single-high safety based scheme in Green Bay. It has also been reported that all but two of Barry’s assistant coaches, pass rush specialist Jason Rebrovich and defensive backs coach Ryan Downard, will be replaced by the Packers going into the 2024 season. Downard previously worked with Hafley during their stint together with the Cleveland Browns. Miami is also going through a period of transition on the defensive side of the ball, as their former defensive coordinator — Vic Fangio — was allowed to leave for a lateral job with the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason. Fangio was replaced by former Baltimore Ravens defensive line coach and assistant head coach Anthony Weaver. Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel probably has some good intel on Barry, as both coaches have worked with Packers head coach Matt LaFleur and Rams head coach Sean McVay. Beyond his time as a defensive coordinator, Barry was an NFL linebackers coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2001-2006, 2009), San Diego Chargers (2012-2014), Washington Redskins (2015-2016) and Los Angeles Rams (2017-2020).

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Tuesday Cheese Curds: Packers begin to implement their vision

USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin Brian Gutekunst got the first big part right. Now it’s time to figure out the rest. For the first time since the Packers lost to the Buccaneers in the 2020 NFC Championship, they’re heading into an offseason without major questions at quarterback. Thanks to Jordan Love’s late-season ascension, they’ve at least got that part figured out. The rest of the team? It’s a bit up in the air. That’s not to say things are bad. There is plenty of talent, young and old, on this team. Between promising young playmakers at wide receiver and tight end and an interesting collection of pieces on defense that will now be shaped by a new defensive coordinator, the Packers have plenty to be excited about. And that’s good, because with the post-Rodgers rebuild officially ahead of schedule, expectations are only going to get higher and higher as the Packers roster comes together in its new form. The house money era is over, and it’s now a question of when, not if, the Packers will be ready to contend for a Super Bowl title. That’s the bar when you’ve got your franchise quarterback, and the Packers believe they do. Expectations increase accordingly, and now it’s up to Brian Gutekunst, Matt LaFleur, and the rest of the Packers’ brass to make it happen. Packers GM on contending for Super Bowl: ‘We’re not interested in much else’ | Packers.com Even if the Packers exceeded expectations in 2023, Brian Gutekunst is looking for more. Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst rewarded for returning to the tried and true | Packers News Pete Dougherty argues that the Packers’ youth in 2023 was more of a return to form than an outlier. Vince Oghobaase to be Packers new defensive line coach | Packers Wire New defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley is bringing at least one colleague with him from Boston College as his new staff takes shape. Re-drafting first two rounds of 2023 NFL class: All 63 picks | ESPN+ The Packers still nab a tight end in this redraft, but maybe not where you expect. Parade planned for oldest living American’s 116th birthday | UPI If I live to be 116, I can’t think of something I would want less than a parade.

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Vince Oghobaase to be Packers new defensive line coach

Vince Oghobaase will join Jeff Hafley’s staff as the Packers new defensive line coach, per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

paulbretl
packerswire.usatoday.com