The Green Bay Packers completed their first week of free agency and while they didn’t sign a single player from another team they are certainly one of the early offseason winners. CBS Sports gave the Packers an A grade for the signings of Randall Cobb and Bryan Bulaga. I would have to agree.
Cobb would have been extremely hard to replace no matter how good Aaron Rodgers is. His unique skill set sets him apart from the average NFL receiver. Not only that, he valuable on special teams as well. He is an all-around player well worth the money he signed for.
Bulaga, while having an injury-plagued past, seems to be on the rise. He’ll turn 26 on March 21 so giving him a five year deal is not a stretch for the Packers, he should be in his prime the whole length of the deal. Like Cobb, Bulaga left money on the table to stay with the Packers. Suddenly competing for a championship is worth more than a little extra jack. At least in Green Bay, anyway.
Those two wins overcome the losses of cornerbacks Davon House and Tramon Williams. House has a chance to be a good player in this league but the Packers saw first hand how brittle he is and weren’t going to pay him what he was able to get in Jacksonville. Williams is 32 years old and while still a good player the numbers showed a decline last year and he would only be a stopgap until they found a replacement.
That search will probably start on the current roster in the form of Casey Hayward. The Packers also have the versatile Micah Hyde and last year’s sixth round draft pick Demetri Goodson, whom they were high enough on last year to keep on the roster all season as opposed to the practice squad. I would also expect the team to address depth at cornerback in the draft next month.
I would like to see the Packers get nose tackle B.J. Raji and fullback John Kuhn locked up for another year, but regardless of what happens, the Packers already have won round one of the offseason. Round two is the NFL Draft and if the Packers strike gold again like they did last year they could very well be back in the NFC Championship game again next year. So far, so good in 2015.