The Green Bay Packers knew they needed to upgrade some areas if they wanted to compete in the NFC this season, and it led to some key decisions being made this spring. Bringing in cornerback Nate Hobbs has been a mixed bag thus far in camp due to his physical play and latest injury. While Green Bay is bullish on Matthew Golden, they haven’t been able to see what wide receiver Savion Williams can do in camp due to injury.
But when it comes to the Packers’ offseason choices, there’s one that’s been more disappointing than the others and could have a microscope placed on him as Green Bay enters the preseason.
New Packers Guard Aaron Banks Not Off to a Great Start in Green Bay
One of the most controversial decisions of the offseason was the Packers’ choice to sign Aaron Banks. The four-year, $77 million contract felt like an overpay in the opening days of free agency, but Green Bay had a vision of Banks and guard and veteran Elgton Jenkins moving to center.
While the Packers were able to avoid some contract drama with Jenkins earlier this offseason, Banks hasn’t lived up to his high price tag. The 27-year-old exited practice in the opening week due to a minor back injury. While he only missed one day, Jenkins is also recovering from a back injury suffered while training for the upcoming season, and the Packers are being careful with his return to the lineup.
The good news is there isn’t a ton of contact during training camp. But having two players on the offensive line dealing with back injuries isn’t a good thing when their job is to stop 300-pound defensive tackles.
There’s also the point that Banks just wasn’t all that good with the San Francisco 49ers. His 65.4 overall grade on Pro Football Focus placed 34th out of 79 qualifying guards last season, and while that doesn’t scream disaster, it also doesn’t justify making Banks the third-highest paid left guard in annual average value at $19.25 million per season.
The Packers’ offensive line has a high standard to live up to after ranking third with a 79.6 pass blocking grade a year ago. But if Banks can’t start to stand out in practices and Jenkins’s back injury continues to linger, Green Bay could have some buyer’s remorse when the season begins.