Packers make moves on both sides of the ball

The Good and Bad to the Packers Free Agency Moves

For anyone who has experienced F.O.M.O (Fear of missing out), it's become a regularly recurring theme in Green Bay Packer fans' households come every free agency period. Like clockwork, the free agency bell tolls, teams sprint to sign the best names on the market, and more times than not, the Packers sit idly by as good teams get better.

That's not to say General Manager Brian Gutekunst hasn't been aggressive in past offseasons, and sometimes he is, instead, very passive, but the Packers have always tried to strike a balance in their approach to free agency or roster building in general. Not signing players right away or strapping the cap space for a player who eats up a large percentage of the cap doesn't mean the front office is doing wrong by the team. The Packers, in particular, are a team that cares as much about the long-term as they do the short-term.

Free agency is a time for general managers to choose their battles and weigh more decisions around acquiring a player than fans really care to acknowledge as they're screaming from the sidelines who is best for their team - the theatre of it all is the beauty of fandom. In this free agency, the Packers took to the dotted line with Left Guard Aaron Banks and Cornerback Nate Hobbs. Neither are by any means "splash" signings, but as the Packers moved off Josh Myers, Eric Stokes, and likely Jaire Alexander soon, both players keep the Packers at least at baseline for both cornerback and offensive line rooms. Hobbs packs a bit more upside coming in as one of the better slot corners in football, who the Packers likely see as help on the perimeter while adding versatility to their scheme.

For a free agency class that wasn't particularly suited to fulfill the Packers' most pressing needs, there were a few takeaways on both sides of the aisle.

As the Offensive Line Shifts

You can never have enough good offensive linemen. The Packers started the season with at least seven linemen they felt comfortable putting on the field in any situation. Rasheed Walker and Zach Tom starting at Tackle, Elgton Jenkins and Sean Rhyan starting at Guard, Josh Myers at Center, and then Andre Dillard as a swing tackle and Jordan Morgan as a versatile swing lineman, but mainly lining up at Guard. They had a solid group until injuries took their toll. That is why this offseason, they've already made sure to keep that line strong with the signing of former 49ers guard Aaron Banks.

One question that immediately comes to mind: Where will this leave last year's first-round draft pick Jordan Morgan? Morgan was looking to be coming into his own before injury ended his season. It’s hard to see the Packers making him just a swing lineman, considering that investment. Do they start him at right guard? If so, what happens to Sean Rhyan? Do they start him in his original college position at Left Tackle? Well then, what happens to Rasheed Walker? Both Walker and Rhyan may be too valuable at this point to be swing linemen. With both linemen due for new contracts after next season, it will be interesting to see if the Packers decide to perhaps explore trading one of them to capitalize on their value instead of just losing them.

Regardless, the Packers offensive line looks to be in a good place for 2025 after the signing of Banks and will likely be solidified even further in the draft.

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Azeez Ojulari Is An Intriguing Free Agent Option For the Packers

Green Bay’s main core on the defensive line is under contract for 2025, but that doesn’t mean they couldn’t use an infusion of talent. The Packers' defense ranked just 26th in pass rush win rate last year. Additionally, Rashan Gary’s team-leading 47 pressures were only good for 31st best among all qualified edge rushers. If Super Bowl LIX taught us anything, it’s that you can’t have a successful defense without being able to generate pressure with a four-man front.

There are some intriguing names set to hit the open market in just a few hours, and several have already generated buzz among the fan base. However, there's an under-the-radar option that could make a lot of sense for Brian Gutekunst to target:

Azeez Ojulari.

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Should the Packers Try to Acquire Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson?

The Green Bay Packers need to get more pressure on opposing quarterbacks from their defensive line in 2025. Last season, defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley had to blitz a lot more than he wanted to when the front four failed to supply enough pressure. No defensive lineman had more than Rashan Gary’s 7.5 sacks.

Last week, it was reported Cincinnati Bengals defensive lineman Trey Hendrickson wanted to be traded. Hendrickson led the NFL with 17.5 sacks last season, the second consecutive season he reached that milestone. In addition to the sacks, Pro Football Focus credited Hendrickson with 49 hurries and 16 quarterback hits. He gets consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

Cincinnati’s front office reportedly gave the Pro Bowl defensive lineman permission to seek a trade. Hendrickson would certainly beef up the Packers front four. The 6’4”, 270-pound Florida Atlantic alum has one year remaining on his current deal and is seeking a new contract. His cap hit for 2025 is presently $18.66 million. The expected cost of trading for Hendrickson is reportedly a second or third round draft choice. However, Packers GM Brian Gutekunst would likely only make the deal if the Packers were able to sign him to an extension.

Adding a player like Hendrickson would certainly fit the description of ramping up the urgency. He would be a player who could make an immediate impact to the pass rush and allow Hafley to do what he wanted to do originally with his defense which was to get pressure by rushing the front four and not having to blitz very often.

The addition of an elite pass rushing defensive end would also help players like Gary, Brenton Cox, Kingsley Enagbare, and Lukas Van Ness as Hendrickson would face a lot of double teams and get a lot of attention from opposing coaches and offensive linemen.

It would also alter the team’s top needs heading into the 2025 NFL Draft. If the Packers sign Hendrickson, they could concentrate on adding players at other positions of need like cornerback, offensive line, or receiver. The opportunity may be there to add a real impact player on the defensive side of the ball. Now let’s see if Gutekunst can make a deal and make this happen.

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