Free agency is almost here and it’s Russ Ball’s time to shine. I always love the surprises that come along with free agency, seeing where the big names land and how they alter team needs heading into the draft. Now let’s jump in.
“Hey Maggie! I enjoyed your chat with Andy that ran this past week! Good stuff! You guys both talked about the influence Matt had (has) on any QB2 selection. Obviously we all know Brian has final say, but do you think Matt might have more input now with the success he’s had with Malik? Or perhaps it’s from his overall experience through the years? Or maybe he's always had more say than most of us think? Thanks!” - Jim
Thanks for listening! It's always fun to pop back on Pack-A-Day and talk with Andy. I would expect Matt to have plenty of input on what type of quarterback he’s looking for that fits his offense. And I think the Packers will absolutely look for a veteran backup. They may draft a quarterback on day three or sign a priority free agent to have another arm during training camp/preseason, but I would expect QB2 moving forward to be another vet.
I think the Packers (and the rest of the league) have figured out how vital it is to have a reliable QB2. The Brett Favre ironman days are over, and it’s getting harder for any player to last a full 17-game regular season. Malik Willis is going to get some money in free agency because he showed he can lead an offense and win football games, even if the sample size remains small. The Ravens went 2-0 with Tyler Huntley as their starting quarterback. They were 0-2 in Cooper Rush’s two starts. Mac Jones went 5-3 with the 49ers and kept the team in playoff contention until Brock Purdy was able to come back. There are obviously a lot of factors beyond just QB wins, but it certainly seems like if you’re a team that plans to compete, you don’t have the luxury of developing rookie quarterbacks anymore. If you are, you’re probably giving up a spot on your 53-man roster to stash a third quarterback, or you’re hoping they don’t get poached from your practice squad.
And this isn’t to say all veteran backups are created equal. We obviously have seen plenty of examples of veterans not working out. But there’s certainly been an emphasis across the league on finding reliable backups. If you’re a team that isn’t close to competing, like the Dolphins, then you’re more inclined to have a player like Quinn Ewers as your backup so you can see if there’s talent there worth developing or potentially competing for a starting job.
Maybe Desmond Ridder is a guy LaFleur really likes. He’s under contract through 2027, so he’d provide a one-year option. Otherwise Trey Lance (25), Kenny Pickett (27), and Zach Wilson (26) are a few younger backup options with starter experience for Gutekunst to consider. I’m sure LaFleur has a sense of who would be best-suited to run his style of offense, and I think Gutekunst will listen to those opinions. I can’t imagine Gute making any roster decision, especially on offense, without getting LaFleur’s perspective and approval.
“Would you prefer the Packers sign two upper-level free agents, 4 mid-level free agents, or 8 veteran fringe starters/depth pieces?” - Andrew
This is a fun what-if. I’m going to assume that upper-level free agents include the most expensive players on the market, which would likely keep them off Green Bay’s radar unless a lot changes between now and March 11. We did see the Packers restructure Xavier McKinney already, though, so they’re making moves to get into a better cap situation. It looks like that one move was enough to get Green Bay out of the negatives heading into the new league year, but we’re still expecting them to do quite a bit of restructuring.
Now, if I could get Tyler Linderbaum and Jamel Dean as my two upper-level free agents? Sign me up. Honestly, I’d be satisfied with just Linderbaum. Fixing the offensive line would solve just about every struggle the offense had all season. But that would be pie in the sky, and it’s hard to see Gutekunst having the capital (financial or otherwise) to keep swinging for the fences in terms of big-name free agents. Especially after bringing in Micah Parsons.
I’m going to avoid the eight veteran fringe starters/depth pieces solely because if they’re depth pieces, I want those snaps to go to the young players that are developing. It’s why I think the Packers should keep only one guy between Rashan Gary and J.J. Enagbare, not both. Give some of those snaps to Barryn Sorrell.
So that leaves the most realistic option (to me) as four mid-level free agents. I’m not sure where you view Roy Lopez in terms of mid-level vs fringe starter, but he’s someone I earmarked last week in the mailbag. Mike Hilton could be a really interesting option as a slot corner if the Packers are intent on playing Nate Hobbs outside. Maybe I’m kind of squishing your last two categories together and taking swings on four players, knowing I can’t roster eight, and if a few of them aren’t starters for me in 2026, that’s to be expected. There are a lot of interesting names available at cornerback this offseason to challenge Valentine immediately for playing time. Chidobe Awuzie and Roger McCreary are just a few of the names I’d be on board with from the list.
If I could have the Packers sign four players at mid-level contracts going into the draft, here’s the positions I’d want them to sign: center, nose tackle, cornerback, inside linebacker. Knowing I had addressed those positions in at least some capacity, I’d feel a lot better letting the board fall to me. None of those additions would prevent me from drafting a player at that same position, but I’d at least have some insurance going into the draft.
“If they held a combine for writers at Cheesehead TV, what would the drills be? Which would you dominate?” - Tony
I think this question is designed to get me in trouble. I am incredibly competitive so I would just go in assuming I'd perform well in all of the drills. But typing has got to be one, right? Words per minute? How about an agility drill where you have to setup a podcasting station with a microphone and ring light? We can replace the 40-yard dash with the fridge dash. You have to spring up from your desk, run to the fridge, grab a beer, and get back to your laptop. And instead of the Wonderlic we could bring back Packers Trivia from the pandemic. Remember Packers Trivia? That was a blast. Aaron if you’re reading this, bring back Packers Trivia. Which would I dominate? I’m not answering that. I’ll just say this. Rumor has it, there’s a post-it note on Jersey Al’s desk that says “Maggie Loney no matter what.”
That’s it for this week! By the time the mailbag goes live next week, we may already have some new faces in Green Bay. Free agency will have begun and quite a few Packers will become former Packers. Let’s chat about all of it. As always, send your questions to [email protected].