Official Packers 2025 Off-Season Thread

@FLPACKER posted:

All 30 of the others team's fan bases are coming up with similar scenarios as ours are.

The Lions, in particular, are going to be more than willing to sell their entire future to try to win in the next two years. Their young players start to get very expensive in 2027 when Hutchinson and Jameson Williams hit free agency. That's also when Goff's contract is essentially structured to force a decision (he has a 61 million dollar cap in 2028 and counts only 14 million in dead cap to get rid of).

Some team like the Lions will overwhelm the Browns with an offer commensurate to a player that could very well approach the Aaron Donald, Reggie White, Lawrence Taylor level of impact for a contending team. That won't be Green Bay.

@Fedya posted:

Why would the Browns take Van Ness?

It would be contingent upon them thinking they can “unlock his potential “, but since apparently even a number of non-Packers fan people actually think Van Ness has value, it’s fun to spitball.

I originally said it as a joke because I thought it was ridiculous, hence the Robert Ferguson and beer reference, but maybe some team will still think he holds value.

@DH13 posted:

Lions may get him.  Also possibly CHI.

He may be able to veto a Bears trade. The Lions will likely bid big, though.

Buffalo might be a good bet to get involved, and the Chargers have a boatload of picks.

@Boris posted:

Myles Garrett & Maxx Crosby will be in Green Bay

I like the way you think, but

CHI will have the highest picks and plenty of $ added to the "dream team" coaching staff they're gathering.   Unfortunately for them, if compensation is mostly equal and Garrett has any say, CHI probably has the lower ranked D of the teams mentioned so far.  You would think he'd prefer to join a contender and surround himself with other great players.  He's already seen what it's like to whither on a doormat for so long.

@Chongo posted:

Reggie White was a FA…he didn’t cost any draft picks. Crosby and Garrett will both cost draft capital.

Reggie was a generational talent…he made everyone around him exponentially better at every team he played for. Crosby and Garrett are elite…but are they worth multiple picks including at least one if not multiple firsts? Not so sure in Gutey’s mind.

Give up a decade worth of third rounders.  GB doesn't know what to do with them anyway.

@Herschel posted:

Send Cleveland Van Ness, two cases of Spotted Cow, two Sevenths and sweeten the deal with Robert Ferguson.

If that's not enough, throw in Ahmad Carroll and Craig Nall.

@RochNyFan posted:

Give up a decade worth of third rounders.  GB doesn't know what to do with them anyway.

Thought I read Browns would take a massive CAP hit by trading him. So, I highly doubt he gets traded this year.

Van Ness, Wyatt, Walker and Stokes….Those are the last four defensive first round pics. Gute isn’t getting much value out of his first rounders so maybe he should be more willing to trade them.

A regular Monty Hall

Two 1's for a guy who's about to turn 30? And who's wracked up a lot of snaps over the past five years? Wow. That's a tough one. For the past two years, he's had 14 sacks in each; 12 the two years prior. How many more years of that production does he have in him? In 2025, it looks like his cap number is $19.7 million. That would eat up almost half of GB's cap space next year.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Glad I don't have to make those decisions -- unless I choose the right one! 

I think Gutey will be interested, but in the end a team will either be willing to offer more than us, or a team with higher draft picks will offer the same. I think Adams and Mack are more realistic.

@Fedya posted:

Why would the Browns take Van Ness?

He looks great standing still?

@Fedya posted:

Why would the Browns take Van Ness?

I should also add: he’s relatively cheap.with two more years on his rookie contract and they’re reportedly trying to clear cap space. Clearing Garrett off this year helps create room to jettison Watson next year and you still have to field a team. On the off-chance he does come on, they’d also have his fifth-year option.

I think Garrett is damaged goods unless there is any information to refute that.
He had/was having some kind of foot injury (both feet) that were possibly lisfranc related, and he was seeking opinions from specialists to pinpoint the injury and get treatment options.
It didn't keep him from playing, obviously, and playing well at that, but I'd rather the Packers not risk premium value to inherit injury/availability issues.

Besides, does anyone actually want this asshole playing for the Packers?

He really fits the Dan Campbell profile. That said, Mason Rudolph is a total bitch.

You're not winning an Owl with a team full of choir boys.

Bad boys are always your favorite when they're on your team, always the villain on the other team.

.@heykayadams asked Josh Jacobs this morning on Radio Row if he thinks the Packers need to add a piece.

Jacobs: "I think we need like three."

— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) February 5, 2025

Josh Jacobs on his off-season wishlist for the Packers: “We need a WR - a real WR. Love the guys we have but we need a proven #1”

— Chris Simms (@CSimmsQB) February 5, 2025

Issue with Garrett is the contract. I've just never liked giving up picks for an older veteran who then wants a top of the market contract. Building a team isn't about getting the best players - it's about getting the best players at the best value. Giving up two 2sts AND paying him $30m per year as he gets past 30 just doesn't seem like good value.

The other issue is this draft appears very good at edge rusher. Yeah, the demand is high for them, but the supply of new ones is also very good this year, especially if you don’t require them to be 275#.

I have great confidence in Gutekunst's ability to draft the wrong edge rusher.

@Fedya posted:

I have great confidence in Gutekunst's ability to draft the wrong edge rusher.

He will have all the variables we desire and was #1 on our board all along. 🙄

@michiganjoe posted:

.@heykayadams asked Josh Jacobs this morning on Radio Row if he thinks the Packers need to add a piece.

Jacobs: "I think we need like three."

— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) February 5, 2025

Josh Jacobs on his off-season wishlist for the Packers: “We need a WR - a real WR. Love the guys we have but we need a proven #1”

— Chris Simms (@CSimmsQB) February 5, 2025

Yikes, JJ.  Not looking to make any friends in the lockerroom.

Or, if he feels comfortable saying this out loud, the WRs may have also come to this conclusion.

I agree though.  We probably need 3 more pieces.

Chewy looking like Phil Hartman these days...

You mean dead?

Given his past indiscretions, and high firearm ownership in Wisconsin, he's very fortunate he's not hanging out with Phil.

@DH13 posted:

Yikes, JJ.  Not looking to make any friends in the lockerroom.

Or, if he feels comfortable saying this out loud, the WRs may have also come to this conclusion.

I agree though.  We probably need 3 more pieces.

Sure looks like Jacobs has not yet been apprised of the Cardinal rule that all Packer players are expected to abide by; never, ever publicly mention roster deficiencies, no matter how glaring the deficiency might be. 

Hate to think what blasphemy Josh might utter next?

I mean, given his declaration that the team obviously needs help at WR and the franchise's refusal to use a 1st round pick on the position, I sure hope for Josh's sake he does not make reference to the fact that one SB participant (Philly) dared to use not 1, not 2, but 3 recent 1st round picks on WRs and the other (KC) took a WR in round 1 of last year's draft.

Someone ought to let Josh know that, in Green Bay, locker room "leaders" must praise the roster as being on the cusp of another Super Bowl win even though his comments about the team needing a WR, D-End and DB are obvious and apparent to any fan with a pulse.

@DH13 posted:

Yikes, JJ.  Not looking to make any friends in the lockerroom.

Or, if he feels comfortable saying this out loud, the WRs may have also come to this conclusion.

I agree though.  We probably need 3 more pieces.

It's interesting that JJ feels he can speak up and actively crtiticize others. This can be taken that: he feels comfortable enough to do that; he's an ass who shouldn't be tossing his teammates under the bus; he is speaking up because he doesn't see MLF or others being bold enough to say anything.

I did not expect him to say stuff like this to people outside the organization, and I'm not sure it's a good thing.

@DH13 posted:

Yikes, JJ.  Not looking to make any friends in the lockerroom.

Or, if he feels comfortable saying this out loud, the WRs may have also come to this conclusion.

I agree though.  We probably need 3 more pieces.

The only WR with a ceiling high enough to remotely be considered a #1 was Watson. The fact that he's not going to play until at least mid-season next year should make it obvious they need a #1. That shouldn't be controversial.

In terms of needing a DB, at the start of the 2023 season their top 3 CBs were Alexander, Stokes, and Douglas. They traded Douglas for the draft pick that became Tyrone Hopper. Stokes is a free agent and Alexander is as good as gone. This one is obvious too. They need bodies no matter how good you think the remaining guys are (the fact they aren't that good isn't relevant to making this statement).

On the other hand, if he is saying they need a DE that is a bit more eye-opening. We can all see that Gary has not been a difference maker (despite making the Pro Bowl) and that Van Ness has been a bust, but they are both coming back next year.

@Fandame posted:

It's interesting that JJ feels he can speak up and actively crtiticize others. This can be taken that: he feels comfortable enough to do that; he's an ass who shouldn't be tossing his teammates under the bus; he is speaking up because he doesn't see MLF or others being bold enough to say anything.

I did not expect him to say stuff like this to people outside the organization, and I'm not sure it's a good thing.

I personally am totally fine with what he said and IMHO its all true.  I know Packers players traditionally haven't said anything but I like him speaking up and that is what leaders do they speak up especially on the occasions that its something the higher ups don't want to hear.

I used to be on the fence whether this offense really needs a true #1 but now I really think they need that #1.  Yes, those guys don't grow on trees, but I think Gute has to address this.

As for Watson I agree that he is as they can get to having a #1 but I don't think they can rely upon him playing anymore.  I think of Doubs in the same way he could have been the guy, but I worry for his long term health with the concussions.

DB does have me worried especially if Stokes is gone in FA and if they cut or trade Alexander.  I am ok with Valentine and Nixon as the #2 or 3 CB but I don't think you can trust them being a shutdown guy. 

All that being said when FA starts I kind of expect the Packers to go that route again to improve the team.   

Is this like God telling Reggie to go to GB?

@DH13 posted:

Yikes, JJ.  Not looking to make any friends in the lockerroom.

Or, if he feels comfortable saying this out loud, the WRs may have also come to this conclusion.

I agree though.  We probably need 3 more pieces.

What are the Packers gonna do?? Trade 1 of the 2 best players (X being the other) on the team??

Leaders speak up & say something even if it isn't popular at the time. Sue him!

The way folks are reacting you'd think he said something Looney Tunes like the Packers were going to displace all the Viking fans and make them move someplace else.

@Packiderm posted:

The way folks are reacting you'd think he said something Looney Tunes like the Packers were going to displace all the Viking fans and make them move someplace else.

That’s too insane even for someone with CTE to say.

Renting out US Bank Stadium for the Jawa LARP at sci-fi conventions might be fun, though.

@Packiderm posted:

The way folks are reacting you'd think he said something Looney Tunes like the Packers were going to displace all the Viking fans and make them move someplace else.

None of their neighbors want them.  It would cause way too much strife.

IMHO there's NO WAY the Packers cut Jaire, he's too valuable. He either stays (which I hope) or gets traded.

Anything they can get from Jaire will likely be a plus. Without him the CB room will likely be JAGs, rookies or both.