7 Key Items on Brian Gutekunst and Packers Offseason To-Do List

Packers offseason to-do list: Explore free-agent options at these four specific positions

Again, the Packers aren’t going to have a ton of flexibility to add to their roster in free agency, so any signing is likely going to be an inexpensive contract on a one or maybe two-year deal. Also, an important distinction is that re-signing one of their own free agents may very well count towards addressing a positional need–dipping their toe in free agency doesn’t necessarily mean a new player is going to be brought in.

While it can be difficult to decipher which specific players are on the Packers’ radar, there are four positions that make sense to add to in free agency. One is wide receiver, which at the moment, features a very young room with Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Samori Toure, and Bo Melton all 2022 draft picks, while Jeff Cotton was a 2020 UDFA.

Both the tight end and safety positions are very thin at the moment, with Josiah Deguara, Nick Guggemos, and Austin Allen the only tight ends under contract, along with Darnell Savage, Tariq Carpenter, and James Wiggins the only safeties. A veteran presence at both positions could go a long way in providing some needed stability.

Lastly, adding to the interior defensive line room via free agency makes a lot of sense. Outside of Kenny Clark, this position group is filled with players in their third NFL season or younger. This is also a position group lacking some proven depth as well.

Adding to any of these positions in free agency shouldn’t deter the Packers from addressing the same needs in the draft. In fact, that should be encouraged and is something that Gutekunst has done frequently since becoming general manager. There are a number of occasions where Gutey signs a veteran in free agency, only to then select the same position early on in the draft.

The purpose of these signings is to add some stability to the position group. With the Packers’ lack of cap space, finding an impact player just isn’t going to happen–unless Gutey finds the next De’Vondre Campbell out there.

Packers offseason to-do list: Tackle the biggest positions of need

Whether it be through free agency, the draft, or both, the Packers have to tackle their biggest positional needs. I’ve already mentioned a few, with safety and tight end needing more reliable depth, along with both needing more playmaking. The receiver room needs a veteran and more talent overall, even with Watson and Doubs. The interior defensive line, meanwhile, was incredibly inconsistent in 2022, but a big part of the Packers’ defensive success during the last five games was due to the play up front. The best way to bolster the defense in 2023 is to add to the trenches.

Other positions not mentioned include edge rusher. This was a major concern entering the 2022 season, and we saw why when Rashan Gary went down with an injury, as there was very little consistent pressure without him on the field. Offensive tackle is an under-the-radar need. If Bakhtiari is back in 2023, the depth of this group looks quite good; however, there will be a lot of uncertainty in 2024, and the draft is about planning ahead and looking down the road.

A Day 3 running back should be on the Packers’ radar, but that need grows immensely if Green Bay does decide to move on from Aaron Jones. Kicker could also become a major priority if Crosby isn’t back.

For more on the Packers’ positional needs this offseason, I go position by position through their roster, evaluating the need of each unit. Click here to read more.