Green Bay Packers To Be More Aggressive In NFL Free Agency?
The Green Bay Packers are entering the 2016 NFL offseason with a few holes in their roster that need to be fixed. They are normally the type of team that stands pat in free agency and focuses on improving through the NFL Draft. Mike McCarthy thinks that the team could shock the fans and be more aggressive in the free agency market this offseason.
McCarthy talked to reporters that cover the Packers on Thursday of last week and gave the fans reason to believe that Green Bay could be a much bigger player in free agency than normal.
“We’ll see how it shakes out. We might shock you this year.”
Ted Thompson, the Packers’ general manager, also talked at the NFL Draft Combine in Indianapolis.
“We value draft and development; we value free agency. We have guys, Julius Peppers, guys who have been free agents. If you can help us win football games and be a good teammate and that sort of thing, you have a place for us. We’re not opposed to doing that. We’ve said all along, in a perfect world you’d be able to draft, develop and keep your own players.”
A previous article by the Inquisitr considered the possibility that free agent running back Matt Forte could be an option for the Packers to help light a fire under current starting running back Eddie Lacy’s feet.
Green Bay made it to the NFC divisional playoffs and were knocked out by the Arizona Cardinals. It was a thrilling game, but it showed some of the issues that the Packers have to fix if they want to get back into a Super Bowl in the coming years.
Aaron Rodgers is without question the best quarterback in the NFL right now. He has been able to power the team to successful seasons in years past, but it became obvious in 2015 that Green Bay cannot rely on him alone to lead them to another championship. Green Bay has to figure out how to surround him with the necessary talent, both on offense and defense, to win another title.
The Packers have been very good about bringing their own free agents back in years past. While Green Bay has been very good about retaining talent, bringing new talent on board happens very rarely.
As Thompson mentioned, Julius Peppers is the only big free agency move that Green Bay has made recently. He has made a major difference for the team, which could intrigue the Packers to look into making even more moves this offseason.
McCarthy was rumored to be unhappy with Thompson for not being aggressive in free agency earlier this offseason.
There is no question that Green Bay needs to make a move or two this offseason. They cannot afford to hope that their young players continue growing and that rookies can step into large roles. Signing a veteran or two would be a wise move for the Packers, and it wouldn’t be terribly hard to convince a player to sign in Green Bay with their talent and history.
Green Bay is expected to have around $20 million to spend in free agency should they choose to do so. That is a lot of money and there are a good number of players that would be great fits in Green Bay.
Expect to see the Packers be a much more aggressive team this coming offseason. They know their window isn’t endless, and they also saw how frustrated Rodgers got last season. Green Bay knows they need to make a push for another Super Bowl appearance in the next few seasons, and that is exactly why they will look to dip into free agency more than they have in recent years.
Which free agents do you think Green Bay should target? Do you think the Packers will actually be more aggressive in free agency like McCarthy hinted at?
[Photo by Jon Durr/Getty Images]
