With one exception, the Green Bay Packers have continued their frugal ways in NFL free agency. They refused to overpay for T.J. Lang or Micah Hyde or JC Tretter, they didn’t budge when Jared Cook tried to play hardball, and they kept their top pass rusher from last year in Nick Perry.
Of course the big move was signing tight end Martellus Bennett after the Cook negotiations broke down. By all accounts Bennett is an improvement over Cook even though Cook almost single-handedly turned around the Packers’ offense last year. With Bennett, the majority of the football betting sites have Packers as the favorites to win the NFC next year. Add in Saturday’s signing of tight end Lance Kendricks and the Packers all of sudden have a two tight end tandem not seen since the days of Mark Chmura and Keith Jackson.
Before free agency I would have preferred the Packers kept Lang and let Perry walk, but with the way contracts worked out I can see why they did what they did. The Perry contract is front loaded, leaving little cap hit if things don’t work out. What the Lions gave Lang is crazy for a guy his age and his injury history. Plus, he’s a guard, they are a dime-a-dozen, the Packers replaced Josh Sitton with a noname and that worked out pretty well. Maybe they move Bryan Bulaga inside and put the taller, more natural tackle, Jason Spriggs outside, either way, they should be fine.
Elsewhere, as much as I liked Hyde, there is no way that guy is worth six million a year, that’s why the Bills haven’t been to the playoffs this century. Tretter wanted a chance to play and apparently didn’t want to wait out Lang. The Packers would never have matched what the Browns paid him, anyway. He probably broke his wrist signing the contract. Julius Peppers wanted to go back home to close out his career, he was a bit player last year.
The Packers are going to need more than Perry, though, to upgrade the defense. It’s doubtful they find anything from what is left of free agency, maybe a trade for Malcolm Butler is something they are considering, with the Patriots looking to recoup some draft picks. Otherwise, it’s up to Ted Thompson to find help in the April draft.
So with all things considered, I think the Packers are grading out about a B so far this offseason. A lot will likely happen between now and August, and it could even involve a new contract extension for Aaron Rodgers. Should be fun to watch it play out.