The hype of free agency has come and gone and now it’s time to look at what teams have gained and lost since March 16th and where they stand as they prepare for the upcoming draft. Let’s have a chat about the Green Bay Packers.
Green Bay Packers
Key acquisitions: DT Jarran Reed, WR Sammy Watkins, P Pat O’Donnell
Re-signed: LB De’Vondre Campbell, CB Rasul Douglas, TE Robert Tonyan
Departures: WR Davante Adams (Raiders), OLB Za’Darius Smith (Vikings), WR Marquez Valdez-Scantling (Chiefs), OT Billy Turner (Broncos), G Lucas Patrick (Bears), CB Chandon Sullivan (Vikings), LB Oren Burks (49ers), WR Equanimeous St. Brown (Bears), P Corey Bojorquez (Browns)
Remaining free agents: CB Kevin King, OT Dennis Kelly
Analysis: It’s a sad offseason for Packers fans, you got Aaron Rodgers back, but you lost Davante Adams. I won’t get into the trade impacts, you’ve probably heard it a thousand times by now, so I won’t mention it again, or maybe I will, we’ll see how I feel.
Forgetting those storylines (for now?), let’s talk about the other moves. Let’s start with some good.
Other than Adams, Green Bay’s top free agent was linebacker DeVondre Campbell, who had a stellar All-Pro season after being a very good player the last five seasons in Atlanta and Arizona. He lands a solid five-year, $50 million extension, that’s ranked 11th in AAV for linebackers, solid value for an All-Pro.
They also re-signed Rasul Douglas after a fantastic season out of nowhere. Eagles fans know their former third-round well after three seasons of poor play. He then spent 2020 with the Panthers, then bounced around in 2021, signing with the Raiders, then cut in training camp and signed with the Texans, then cut before the season. He then signed with the Cardinals practice squad, only to be signed by Green Bay in October and became a starter and ultimate clutch playmaker that earned him a three-year extension. Incredible story.
The final guy that was brought back was Robert Tonyan, the tight end who had a breakout season in 2020, but missed most of 2021 due to injury. With Adams gone, he figures to be the top red zone target.
Conclusion: Alright I’m gonna talk about it. There is no other team that had a wider array of storylines than the Packers. It started out great with Aaron Rodgers announcing he would return to Green Bay, and later signing a massive three-year, $150.8 million extension, over $50M per year, the highest-paid North American athlete in AAV. So fans were excited that they were able to get their star quarterback back, so now it was time to get his favorite weapon, the best wide receiver in the game: Davante Adams. A long-term contract wasn’t agreed to in time, so the Packers placed the franchise tag on Adams, much to his dismay. After Rodgers signed the massive deal, it became apparent that Adams wasn’t going to get a long term deal, and because Adams refused to play on the $20.145M tag, and thus he was dealt to the Raiders in a blockbuster trade that net a first and a second round pick in return. All hope for another deep playoff run quickly began fading, and it’s starting to look like the Packers are on the down swing, and there’s no hope. The Packers are barely hanging on to relevance because their quarterback is so egotistical and self-absorbed that they can’t properly build a team. He thinks he is above the franchise and only looks out for himself and questions why the front office can’t put a good team around him when he himself accounts for 20% of the roster spending. I hope you’re happy Aaron, you got your money, but what did it cost? Davante Adams.
Football Nerds 