Grading the Green Bay Packers Offseason: A Wild Ride
Let’s start off by declaring this the most topsy-turvy offseason in Brian Gutekunst’s four years as GM.
Pre- Draft
The Packers started off this offseason on a rather disappointing note. Offensive Coordinator Nathanial Hackett left for a Head coaching job in Denver, Devante Adams went west too, for Sin City and a chance to play with his college QB. Overall not anything I thought or predicted. Or that makes this team any better.
GRADE: D
Draft
The Packers had two first round selections, while I was furious at the front office for not taking a first round receiver, I cannot be that mad because every single one of them with a first round grade was gone. While the cheese-heads drafted a Georgia linebacker not named Nakobe Dean with the pick they got in return for Adams, they snagged a great defensive tackle in Devonte Wyatt, also from Georgia, who will greatly improve this run defense that was shall we say abysmal last year.
In the next coming days the Packers got on track selecting a 6’5 speedy, physical machine, in wideout Christian Watson from North Dakota State, Sean Rhyan, a solid, versatile offensive Lineman who can operate both at guard and tackle, and Romeo Doubs, another receiver, and underrated speedster from Nevada. The Pack finished up by grabbing more help on defense and the offensive line with Kingsley Enagbare a linebacker from South Carolina, Tariq Carpenter, a safety/linebacker from Georgia Tech, Jonathan Ford a defensive tackle from Miami, Zach Tom, from Wake Forest, another offensive guard-tackle hybrid, and Rasheed Walker, an offensive tackle from Penn State.
GRADE: A-
Final Thoughts
After a couple days to sit with the draft results and a couple days to let my emotions not get the best of myself, I would say this years offseason was not as bad as I or a lot of people think. Look this team has one of the two maybe three best QB’s in all of football and if Christian Watson turns up ready to be Adams’s heir and the defensive selections pan out for Defensive Coordinator Joe Barry this team will be NFC north division winners once again, Super Bowl contenders is a long shot, but, nothing is out of the question. Maybe I’m right, maybe it’s the hopeless fan in me, but either way the Pack will be ready to run it back come August.
