When the New York Jets decided to part ways with defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson, a former Pro Bowler who has shown a penchant for sacking the opposing quarterback throughout his career, speculation started about Wilkerson ending up in Green Bay. After all, Wilkerson played his first two seasons under then-defensive coordinator Mike Pettine who was hired this off-season by Mike McCarthy as the Green Bay Packers’ new defensive coordinator.
Although defensive line isn’t an urgent need for the Packers, having Mike Daniels and Kenny Clark already manning two of the defensive line spots, Wilkerson would bring in a lot of pass rush ability. In Wilkerson’s seven years in the NFL, he has registered 44.5 sacks. It seems that new top personnel executive Brian Gutekunst has put a premium on a top end pass rush for the Packers, making Wilkerson a good fit for the franchise.
It was reported that Wilkerson was in Green Bay this past Wednesday and Thursday visiting with the team and discussing a possible connection. Wilkerson’s visit came and went, with him leaving Green Bay without a deal, which led to Packers fans to go into a frenzy on Twitter.
Green Bay Packers Fans Panic as Muhammad Wilkerson Leaves Without a Deal
NFL free agency doesn’t get its official start until March 14th. So why did Packers fans hit the panic button so early when Wilkerson left Green Bay without a deal in place? There isn’t just one answer to this question, but actually two. The first comes from the recent history of the Packers and the other has to do with the unknown.
An Unproven Track Record in Title Town
It was almost laughable when NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport came out in January of 2017 and said that the Packers might be big players in free agency. Packers fans knew better that then-general manager Ted Thompson wouldn’t all of a sudden change the way he went about his business, a process that he stuck with throughout his tenure in Green Bay.
Sure, he signed tight end Martellus Bennett and eventually San Francisco 49ers cast-offs Quinton Dial and Ahmad Brooks last season, but it wasn’t like Thompson had adapted Washington’s strategy of signing any big named free agent that was on the open market. So when Wilkerson left on Thursday to visit other teams, reportedly the Kansas City Chiefs and New Orleans Saints, Packers fans believed that once again the Packers were just window-shopping and not seriously considering Wilkerson.
You can’t fault those Packers fans who felt disappointment. Although a free agent visit is a rare sight in Green Bay, this wasn’t the first time the Packers have been linked to an NFL player that didn’t end up with a signed contract. For years, Packers fans had hoped Thompson would dip into free agency and grab several veterans to shore up the usually young Packers roster, but rarely did Thompson do that.
What has frustrated Packers fans even more is when he did, he showed that he and his staff had a good eye for free agent talent. Both outside linebacker Julius Peppers and cornerback Charles Woodson were free agents and both were key contributors on past Packers teams. Woodson, in particular, was a key piece on the Packers 2010 Super Bowl team.
Although it seems too early to panic, you can’t blame Packers fans for doing so. They have seen this before and they have seen how it plays out.
Afraid of the Unknown
Being the new man in charge of the Packers roster, Gutekunst has talked about a new aggressive roster-building approach. But at this point that’s all talk and Packers fans know that. Gutekunst is new to the position and everyone knows that he has spent the past several years working under Thompson and could possibly be more like Thompson than Ron Wolf, the former general manager who originally hired Gutekunst with the Packers.
Gutekunst has yet to enter his first free agency as the man in charge, so he will need time to prove he is his own man and just not another carbon copy of Thompson. Thompson’s way wasn’t completely wrong, as focusing on the draft as the core method to build a roster is still the proper way to go, but his reluctance to fully utilize free agency has hurt the team’s talent base.
The current Packers roster isn’t what it was when Thompson first took over back in 2005. The core is older and most importantly, their best player, quarterback Aaron Rodgers isn’t getting any younger and winning now has become much more important than it was back in 2005.
It can’t be said enough, Packers fans shouldn’t be panicking about Gutekunst himself making splashes in free agency, but should worry about the new set up president Mark Murphy put in place that could hinder Gutekunst. With the Packers now utilizing a triangle of authority approach, similar to what the Minnesota Vikings first utilized back in 2010 and failed miserably, there is a chance that Gutekunst could be undercut by vice president of football operations Russ Ball.
Although Murphy has said that he would step in if a conflict were to take place between Gutekunst and Ball over a contract for a free agent, it still puts Gutekunst in a bad position and puts the Packers in a bad light to players possibly looking to sign with the team. Hopefully the new structure doesn’t become a problem, but history has shown, the odds are stacked against them.
Door Isn’t Shut On Wilkerson
The door hasn’t fully shut even with Wilkerson leaving without a contract. Although the odds of him signing a deal have dropped, there still is a chance that Wilkerson will circle back around to the Packers. Although disappointing, it isn’t time to panic, especially with free agency yet to even begin. Gutekunst and the new front office structure could very well fall flat on their faces, but time is needed to see how it plays out. For Packers fans, put away the pitch forks, but keep them close, if things stay the same in Green Bay in regards to free agency.
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