A year ago, the Green Bay Packers signed edge rushers Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith, safety Adrian Amos and offensive lineman Billy Turner during a wild spending spree to begin free agency. A month later, GM Brian Gutekunst drafted an edge rusher and safety in the first round and an offensive lineman in the second round, double-dipping at all three positions to solidify clear roster weaknesses.
The strategy is worth considering now. The Packers signed linebacker Christian Kirksey and presumed starting right tackle Rick Wagner on Monday, but neither signing should really alter how the Packers go about attacking the NFL draft.
More simply: If the Packers really like an inside linebacker or offensive tackle early in the draft, expect Gutekunst to pull the trigger without a second’s hesitation.
Kirksey has missed 23 games the last two seasons and is really only contractually tied to Green Bay for one year. The Packers can get out of the two-year deal relatively easily if the signing busts in 2020.
Wagner will turn 31 in October and is coming off one of his worst professional seasons, making him an obvious stop-gap solution at right tackle.
It would be easy to see adding Kirksey and Wagner as the Packers patching the holes and lessening the need in the draft, allowing more flexibility. Maybe that’s true, and Gutekunst will use top picks to address other positions, such as receiver or tight end. But in reality, linebacker and right tackle are still big needs, especially in terms of a long-term roster-building strategy.
Offensive tackle should still be a top priority. Wagner isn’t a sure thing, and the Packers have next to nothing behind him or left tackle David Bakhtiari (who will be a free agent following the 2020 season). A draft pick as a very good chance of being the top backup in 2020 and an expected starter in 2021.
Linebacker is a little less important. The Packers have treated it as a patch-and-play position for years. But if Kenneth Murray or Patrick Queen or Zack Baun are there at No. 30 overall and Gutekunst really likes one of them, Kirksey’s arrival shouldn’t stop him from making the pick. At the very least, it’s a position that could use another mid-round pick to raise the overall talent level and increase the chances of the Packers finding another capable starter.
Who knows how the rest of free agency will play out. The Packers could find a veteran receiver, tight end or defensive lineman at some point, but even if Gutekunst goes bargain shopping again before the draft, there’s really no player available that should drastically change the Packers’ plans come April.
Kirksey and Wagner helped the Packers lessen the impact of losing a pair of unrestricted free agents – Blake Martinez and Bryan Bulaga – that played all 16 games for Matt LaFleur’s team in 2019. They will help mitigate the need at linebacker and offensive tackle, but they have hardly eliminated the two positions as long-term needs. The Packers roster might be treading water, but the draft strategy can move forward unchanged.