Re-grading Packers 2018 offseason: Draft picks, free agency signings, etc
In an exercise to review how general manager Brian Gutekunst has fared in his role with the Green Bay Packers, I’m reviewing all of the moves he’s made as the lead decision-maker in the front office.
He was named the general manager in January 2018, giving him the 2018 offseason as his first opportunity to build the team to his vision. That’s where we will start our series reviewing the Packers’ offseason moves, including their draft picks, free agency losses and additions, highlights, lowlights, and overall grade.
I previously graded each of his draft classes which you can check out below:
Let’s hand out some grades for his offseason work without further ado.
Let’s review the Green Bay Packers’ 2018 offseason and grade their draft, free agency signings, departures, and more.
Draft Picks
CB Jaire Alexander, CB Josh Jackson, LB Oren Burks, WR J’Mon Moore, OL Cole Madison, P JK Scott, WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling, WR Equanimeous St. Brown, DE James Looney, LS Hunter Bradley, OLB Kendall Donnerson
I already covered each of their draft picks in depth here, but I’ll give another quick recap. Jaire Alexander–great, everyone else–not so much. Alexander is the only player from this class who signed a second contract with the Packers and remains on the team.
Their second (Josh Jackson), third (Oren Burks), and fourth (J’Mon Moore) round picks were a disaster. Marquez Valdes-Scantling was a nice find in the later rounds, but his best football will come with another team. It wasn’t a good start for a draft-and-build team.
Grade: D+
Offseason Losses:
WR Jordy Nelson, WR Jeff Janis, TE Richard Rodgers, G Jahri Evans, DE/OLB Ahmad Brooks, LB Joe Thomas, CB Damarious Randall, S Morgan Burnett.
As hard of a decision as it was, moving on from Jordy Nelson was the right move. He only played one more NFL season before retiring. The same goes for the decision to move on from Jeff Janis, as upset as Aaron Rodgers was.
Gutekunst gets credit for making hard decisions and prioritizing the business aspect over the relationship part. That’s not always easy to do. Nobody Green Bay let walk should’ve returned or had monster seasons elsewhere.
Grade: A
Free Agency Signings
TE Jimmy Graham, TE Marcedes Lewis, DE/DT Muhammad Wilkerson, CB Tramon Williams.
Jimmy Graham was the highlight of this class, signing a three-year, $30 million deal with the Packers. He was okay his first year as a receiving tight end, before slipping during his second and final year in Green Bay. He never lived up to the hype and brought this grade down.
Marcedes Lewis played five years with the Packers and was a terrific locker-room addition. He essentially played as a sixth offensive lineman, but was excellent in his role. This was a fantastic signing.
Despite his advanced age, Tramon Williams played pretty well during his second stint in Green Bay. He also mentored some of the younger cornerbacks Green Bay drafted, such as Alexander and Jackson. Wilkerson got hurt three games into his Packers’ career and never played in the NFL again.
Grade: C
Highlights
With Nelson gone, Davante Adams went bonkers and had a breakout season. He caught 111 receptions for 1386 yards and 13 touchdowns while developing an even stronger connection with Rodgers. A superstar was born.
Blake Martinez also shined as the Packers’ starting linebacker. He racked up a whopping 144 total tackles to go along with five sacks. It was his second straight season with at least that many tackles.
Alexander also proved worthy of his status as the Packers’ top pick. There were questions about whether Green Bay reached for him at that spot in the first round, but he quickly proved the doubters wrong. He set the stage for his rise to stardom.
Lowlights
Besides Adams, Rodgers didn’t have another trustworthy receiver to throw to. Graham didn’t step up as the team hoped, and the other wide receivers–Valdes-Scantling, St. Brown, Geronimo Allison, Jake Kumerow, and Randall Cobb–were underwhelming.
The Packers’ defense was unable to generate consistent pressure on the quarterback. Clay Matthews’ downfall looked complete, as he only accrued 3.5 sacks in 16 games. Kyler Fackrell was the team’s leading sack-getter at 10.5 and nobody believed that was sustainable.
Overall Grade
Green Bay finished the season 6-9-1 with a losing record for the second straight year. Gutekunst’s big in-season move was the firing of Mike McCarthy, signaling the end of an era. It was clear McCarthy’s time in Green Bay had run its course, and the team needed a new leader if it was going to revitalize Rodgers.
In August 2018, Rodgers agreed to a four-year, $134 million contract extension, making him the highest-paid player in NFL history. In hindsight, this was the beginning of an escalating contract situation that would muck up the Packers’ cap for the foreseeable future.
An unnoticed move (at the time) was the Packers signing Allen Lazard from the Jacksonville Jaguar’s practice squad in December. Gutey deserves props, as it paid dividends over the next five years.
Re-grading Packers' 2018 NFL Draft Class. dark. Next
Overall, it was a pretty blah first year as the general manager. He only added three long-term players to the roster (Alexander, Lewis and Lazard) while missing on several key draft picks.
Grade: C