A captivating 2019 season for the Green Bay Packers ended Sunday with a disappointing 37-20 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game at Levi’s Stadium.
Instead of preparing to play in Super Bowl LIV, the Packers must now join 29 other teams and enter the offseason – and it’s another important one for GM Brian Gutekunst and coach Matt LaFleur.
The Packers are close. Aaron Rodgers believes the window is wide open. There is an alignment of vision between the quarterback, general manager and coach. The urgency is real, and a few big additions this offseason could help the Packers rise from a surprise team in 2019 to a legitimate powerhouse in 2020.
Here are the biggest needs facing Gutekunst and the Packers to start this offseason, taking note of the 2019 season and the upcoming free agents on the roster:
Wide receiver: The Packers have a legitimate No. 1 receiver in Davante Adams, and Allen Lazard emerged as a contributing role player in the passing game, but the offense lacks a true No. 2 option and desperately needs to add vertical speed and playmaking ability, both on the perimeter and in the slot. No position was more disappointing in 2019. Marquez Valdes-Scantling all but disappeared, Geronimo Allison was one of the least efficient receivers in football and Jake Kumerow probably isn’t anything more than a No. 4 or No. 5 receiver in the NFL. That trio played over 1,500 total snaps in 2019. Better receivers could make all the difference for an inefficient, inconsistent offense. Fortunately, this looks like a star draft class at receiver, so expect the Packers to make a splash. Give Rodgers another difference-maker in his second year in LaFleur’s system and the offense could take off.
Inside linebacker: The Packers’ lack of speed and reliability at inside linebacker got exposed over and over in 2019. It hit an apex when Raheem Mostert ran wild during Sunday’s NFC title game. Blake Martinez might be a tackle-machine, but he lacks impact and is nothing more than an average inside linebacker, and he’s heading for free agency. B.J. Goodson, a two-down player, is also a free agent. Oren Burks has shown a single sign of being a long-term answer in two years. This position needs a complete rebuild. Maybe Gutekunst can pull off at inside linebacker what he accomplished at safety in 2019.
Defensive line: The Packers’ run defense wasn’t good enough in all four of the team’s losses in 2019, including Sunday’s NFC title game. Kenny Clark is a star, but he needs more help, especially if defensive coordinator Mike Pettine insists on playing so much subpackage to stop the pass. Re-signing Dean Lowry might’ve been a mistake. He and Tyler Lancaster weren’t consistent alongside Clark this season.
Tight end: 2019 third-round pick Jace Sternberger came on late and could be a serious breakout candidate in 2020, but the Packers are likely to need more at tight end. Jimmy Graham is a prime cut candidate and 35-year-old Marcedes Lewis is a free agent. The 49ers showed in two different games how devastatingly effective the Shanahan offense can be with two-way players at tight end. The next George Kittle will be very difficult to identify and acquire, but can the Packers find a dual-threat tight end to match with Sternberger in 2020?
Offensive tackle: Left tackle is settled long-term, but right tackle isn’t. Bryan Bulaga, 30, will be a free agent. Jared Veldheer, 32, will be a free agent. Jason Spriggs, who spent the entire 2019 season on IR, is also about to be a free agent. Even if the Packers bring back Bulaga, the future behind him might need to be acquired in this draft. Ideally, the Packers would bring back Bulaga and Veldheer and be completely settled at right tackle for 2020, but that looks like an unlikely scenario.