With the glut of information flooding the world wide web on the 2021 NFL Draft for weeks, I’ve resisted jumping into the fray but now that Draft Week has finally arrived, it’s time to open the News From The Pack war room.
Beginning today, my Draft Preview Series returns. It’s an 8 part examination of the Packer needs and the college prospects who might be able to fill those needs and the first installment that rolled out Monday morning across the Midwest Communications family is an overview of the three-day event and how General Manager Brian Gutekunst will approach it.
Gutekunst was quiet in the open free agency market, the only signing this spring was a street free agent long snapper, Joel Fortunato. He’s been trying for four years to stick on an NFL roster and will get a chance by competing with incumbent Hunter Bradley. Yet Gutekunst, and Vice President of Football Operations Russ Ball were very busy in creatively moving money around in a depressed salary cap off-season to keep some of their own free agents from hitting the open market.
Restructured money for David Bakhtiari, Preston Smith, Adrian Amos (twice), Mason Crosby and Za’Darius Smith freed up enough cash to bring back most notably, Aaron Jones on a four-year, 48 million dollar deal and Kevin King on a one year, six million dollar contract. Chandon Sullivan and Marcedes Lewis are coming back on team-friendly, one-year deals. All of the restricted free agents, including tight end Robert Tonyan are also coming back.
There wasn’t enough money to keep All-Pro Center Corey Linsley who signed with the Los Angeles Chargers, or running back Jamaal Williams who took a deal with Detroit along with backup quarterback Tim Boyle. Veterans Christian Kirksey and Rick Wagner proved to be one-and-done stopgaps at linebacker and offensive tackle and were released.
So where does that leave the Pack with the draft now just days away?
A restructure with Aaron Rodgers who has three years left on his deal must still be in the discussion stage as is a big-money extension for Davante Adams who is entering the final year of his contract.
Gutekunst clearly believes his roster as it stands is good enough to return to the NFC Championship Game for a third consecutive year and hopefully clear that sizeable hurdle.
The obvious holes on offense are at running back and the offensive line. Only Jones and second-year pro A.J. Dillon are in the backfield, a fresh pair of legs will almost certainly come this weekend. Linsley’s departure could produce some musical chairs upfront with either Elgton Jenkins or Lucas Patrick moving to center which would create an opening at guard. With Bakhtiari mending from off-season knee surgery, it’s unlikely he’ll be ready for the start of the season after tearing his ACL in late December and with Wagner gone, another offensive tackle would appear to be a priority. While a lot of noise has been made in the media and among fans about the wide receiver position, the Packers stood pat last year and the offense flourished. With Devin Funchess finally joining the mix after his 2020 opt-out, Gutekunst will probably feel some of that pressure to deliver another weapon for Rodgers again this weekend.
On the defensive side of the ball, the second part of my series airing Monday looks at the linebacker position.
Even with King’s return, the Packers will strongly consider another cornerback. He’s played in just 41 regular-season games while missing 23 in his four seasons in Green Bay. The defensive line will also get consideration although that group is considered one of the weakest in the draft pool.
Gutekunst conducts his annual pre-draft news conference Monday afternoon and while it won’t offer much in the direction he’s leaning for that first-round pick Thursday night, it should deliver some insight into how difficult it was to scout this year’s college crop with so many players opting out or having seasons cut short, even eliminated because of the pandemic last fall. The NFL Scouting Combine was also canceled and Gutekunst had to crisscross the country to attend as many pro days as possible over the past couple of months.
Highlights from the Gutey zoom session will be posted Monday night and subsequent installments from my Draft Preview Series will be coming daily this week.
It all makes for what will be a very intriguing weekend.
