Jordan Love (Photo: Benny Sieu, USA TODAY Sports)
By Mark Eckel
If there was a common goal throughout the Green Bay Packers offseason it's that it was all about Jordan Love.
Those in power at 1265 Lombardi Ave. watched the Packers first-round loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in last year's playoffs and came away with how to get past, or at least catch, the Super Bowl Champions.
And it didn't have a lot to do with defense, not the line, nor the secondary.
No this offseason, free agency, the draft, who they kept, who they didn't keep, was geared toward two aspects of the game. One was bigger and better protection for Love and the other was better, or at least more, weapons for Love.
Of the Packers five biggest additions to the roster two were offensive linemen and two were wide receivers.
The team spent big money on free agent guard Aaron Banks giving the former San Francisco 49er a four-year, $77 million contract, with $27 million guaranteed. Then they spent a second-round draft pick on offensive lineman Anthony Belton, out of North Carolina State.
Banks is going to start at left guard, which will begin the shuffle on the line that might not get sorted out until halfway through training camp, if even then.
Belton could also challenge for a starting spot. He is more likely going to be a key backup on a line that lacked any real depth a year ago, especially after Jordan Morgan went down with a shoulder injury. Again, go watch that Eagles game, as the Packers brass did, and take a look at both Travis Glover and Kadeem Telfort who were forced to play because of injuries up front.
The hope from the front office is that bigger is better. Banks, who is 6-5, 325 and Belton, who is 6-6, 336, should improve Love's protection which wasn't bad in 2024, but could and should be better in 2025.
The Packers other two key additions came in the first and third rounds of the draft when they selected wide receiver Matthew Golden, out of Texas, and Savion Williams, out of Texas Christian, respectively.
Golden, who runs a sub 4.3 in the 40, gives Love a legitimate deep threat in the absence of the injured Christian Watson.
Williams, who lined up all over the field at TCU and had as many rushing touchdowns (six) as he had receiving touchdowns, is the kind of chess piece coaches/offensive coordinators love.
The Packers think Jordan is going to love him too. Because this offseason was all about Love.