Although the playoffs continue, the Packers have been eliminated and it has always been a joy for me to predict the unpredictable. The reason I say unpredictable is because when Ted Thompson is at the helm, Packers’ fans have come to expect the unexpected. The two most significant stages of the offseason are obviously the NFL Draft and free agency. These stages are some of my favorite in the professional football offseason.
Packers 2016 Offseason Outlook
Let’s go in chronological order here, starting with free agency.
Luckily enough for my keyboard and fingers I don’t have to write much on the Packers’ behalf when it comes to this topic, because when it comes to players that haven’t been drafted by the Packers, who are impending free agents, Green Bay’s front office is about as exciting as a post office on a Wednesday at three o’clock in the afternoon. Not to say this is a bad thing, it just makes it boring for writers, analysts and fans who follow. A perfect example of how Thompson’s free agency method has kept the Packers afloat is the fact that the Dolphins, who spent the most money in the offseason, were hovering around an 8-8 record the past three seasons have taken a significant step back in 2015, tallying a 6-10 record. Money does not equal wins like it can in Major League Baseball, so there is a certain method to the madness when it comes to Thompson’s approach.
His approach is simple, DO NOT LET YOUR TALENT OUT THE DOOR. This means Thompson will sign a good player on his roster rather than a great player from a different roster. This old school style of roster development has served Thompson well. According to pro-football-reference.com, in his ten years with the Green Bay Packers, his winning percentage is .616, has eight playoff appearances, and a Super Bowl victory. This offseason Thompson will look to resign guys like James Starks, B.J. Raji, Casey Hayward, Mike Neal, Nick Perry and Mason Crosby. Luckily enough, the Packers already signed their biggest name in Mike Daniels (Pro Bowler) who is a force both on run defense and in pass rushing.
The tenured General Manager has also been known to sign an occasional veteran to a short term deal every now and again, such as Ryan Pickett, Charles Woodson and Julius Peppers. Or even more so like James Jones, who came back in to help the receiving corps after Jordy Nelson went down.
The Packers’ General Manager knows how to win in the NFL and he knows it is not through free agency, but through the draft.
The NFL Draft is the Packers’ free agency. This is where they get new faces into the franchise and the Packers… whew, they are very good at their scouting. Their scouting department, led by Brian Gutekunst, is perhaps one of the best in the NFL. They helped to configure a promising rookie tandem at cornerback (Damarious Randall & Quinten Rollins). They also helped to fill a void that has been in the Packers’ defense ever since Charles Woodson left, safety. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix led the Packers in tackles this past season, which is a terrific accomplishment for the second year man out of Alabama.
One thing the Packers cannot afford to do is whiff on consecutive draft picks. One perfect example is the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens have whiffed on multiple picks of recent evaluations. Most notable names are: Sergio Kindle (1st round), Terrence Cody (2nd round), Ed Dickson (3rd round), Jimmy Smith (1st round), Jah Reid (3rd round), Terrence Brooks (3rd round) and Matt Elam (1st round). The list goes on. This can somewhat explain their down season, along with a thing called the injury bug, which every Packers’ fan is familiar with.
I always find it funny, offseason after offseason, writers and analysts try to assume which free agents the Packers will pick up when I know good and well those writers and analysts know Thompson will not sign anyone. Green Bay followers love to speculate, however you cannot predict an unpredictable person, and in that way it is certain that it is uncertain what will happen to the Packers in 2016. Speculation is irrational, when you are talking about the Packers, speculation is irrelevant.
