By: Marques Eversoll
After the Packers’ crushing loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship, left guard Josh Sitton wondered what the team’s future might hold. Just five minutes away from the Super Bowl, the Packers had the ball and a 19-7 lead. You know what happened.
Sitton was understandably frustrated. “This team, I don’t think we can be this good for a while,” he said in the Packers’ locker room one day removed from their improbable 28-22 loss. “It’s going to be tough, anyway.”
It’s easy to see why Sitton had those thoughts. Even with a talented core of players, there’s no guarantee you’ll get back to that position. Behind the scenes, Ted Thompson and the personnel department had tough decisions to make on several key free agents. Would the price be too high to retain right tackle Bryan Bulaga and receiver Randall Cobb?
As it turns out, the answer is no.
Cobb re-signed with the Packers, cashing in with a four-year deal worth $40 million, including $17 million guaranteed. Bulaga, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, is “closing in” on a deal that will keep him in Green Bay.
While the high-priced “outside” free agents – like Ndamukong Suh – tend to steal the offseason headlines, there’s a method to Thompson’s madness. His way works. A top-tier, free-agent wide receiver signing for $10 million per year (like Cobb) is a big deal. But when people realize said player won’t be wearing different colors next season, it’s almost a shoulder shrug.
The bottom line is that the Packers have checked off Nos. 1 and 2 of their offseason To-Do list, and today (March 10) is the first official day of free agency. They have more work to do to shape their 2015 roster, but the Packers have successfully laid down a strong foundation towards maintaining their spot among the league’s elite.
The elephant in the room is the inside linebacker position, and it will remain that way until the position is addressed. Mike McCarthy, at last month’s NFL Scouting Combine, compared inside linebacker to last year’s situation at safety. The Packers used the No. 21 pick on Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, who became an every-down player as a rookie and intercepted two passes in the NFC Championship.
There are some options the Packers could explore on the free-agent market: Cowboys linebacker Rolando McClain seemingly came out of nowhere last year and had a great year, although he’s facing a four-game fine under the league’s substance-abuse policy, Buffalo run-stuffer Brandon Spikes is available after playing just one year with the Bills, and Tampa Bay’s Mason Foster missed significant time with a shoulder injury but is just 26 years old and has been a starter every year since coming into the league.
Saints linebacker Curtis Lofton presents a unique situation; New Orleans is in serious trouble with the salary cap and were shopping the 28-year-old, despite racking up a team-high 144 tackles last season. They found no takers, and opted to release Lofton, who is recovering from a shoulder scope. Operation notwithstanding, Lofton hasn’t missed a single game in seven years. ESPN’s Rob Demovsky suggested that Lofton may make some sense for the Packers.
With veterans A.J. Hawk and Brad Jones no longer with the team, the Packers may have to add multiple players at the position. Currently, the lone inside lienbackers on the roster are third-year player Sam Barrington and second-year player Carl Bradford, a converted outside linebacker.
Other offseason possibilities include bringing in a tight end to complement second-year player Richard Rodgers. The Packers could also add a run stuffer to the defensive line; both Letroy Guion and B.J. Raji remain possibilities to be brought back, although both come with a degree of uncertainty. Cornerback remains a “wait-and-see” conversation, but with Davon House signing a multi-year deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars, perhaps the Packers zero in on veteran Tramon Williams. Micah Hyde, entering his third sesaon, gives the team some flexibility at the position. He can play safety or corner, and if push comes to shove, perhaps the team would move him back to cornerback, should Williams follow House out of Green Bay.
It’s been nearly two months since Seahawks 28, Packers 22. Brandon Bostick – the man who opted not to block, and instead, botched a routine onside kick – was released, and then signed with the Vikings. Shawn Slocum – who oversaw a special teams unit that allowed seven blocked kicks and had several blunders with the Super Bowl on the line – is now on staff at Arizona State. Mike McCarthy is no longer the play caller; Tom Clements is.
There’s been no shortage of changes since the Packers’ 2014 season ended, and they’ve all proven one thing: this team is all-in on making another run at a Super Bowl. The frustration that followed the loss to Seattle is understandable, and Sitton didn’t sugarcoat things the day after. But with the team retaining its top two free agents, and still comfortably below the salary cap, Sitton and the Packers now have every reason to believe they’ll be as good – or better – in 2015.
Marques Eversoll is on-air on SportsLine every weekday afternoon from 4:00-6:00 PM on The Fan, and he hosts the Saturday Morning Showcase every weekend 8:00-10:00 AM. Follow him on Twitter @MarquesEversoll.
