The Super Bowl is upon us, and the Green Bay Packers are not playing in it.
The Packers were eliminated shortly after the playoffs began with a 22-10 loss at the hands of the NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles.
Once the season was over, all eyes turned to the offseason.
The Packers did some of their best work last offseason. General Manager Brian Gutekunst’s three best moves came before the regular season began.
Xavier McKinney and Josh Jacobs were brought in to solidify the backfields on both sides of the ball.
Both players fit seamlessly into their roles and were stars on offense and defense.
The other big move was a small trade for a backup quarterback. Malik Willis was one of the best moves of the season in general, winning three of the four games he had to play extended minutes in.
That doesn’t include a draft class that included Edgerrin Cooper and Evan Williams.
With the offseason upon us, the question now is who is staying and who is going?
The Packers had some tough draft classes in 2020 and 2021. The only player who is a slam dunk to be on the roster in 2025 from the 2020 draft class is Jordan Love.
The 2021 class is the group slated to be free agents now.
The biggest free agent, however, is someone who was not in this draft class.
Kicker Brandon McManus was another small move made by Gutekunst during the season, and he paid off in a big way.
Replacing Mason Crosby proved to be no easy task. Anders Carlson was given the leash of an entire 2023 season before being let go at the end of training camp.
Greg Joseph was the presumptive winner of the offseason kicking competition, but that lasted all of one day.
Brayden Narveson was brought in and released before Halloween.
McManus was Gutekunst’s fourth crack at attempting to replace the franchise’s all-time leading scorer.
As it turns out, the fourth time was, in fact, the charm.
McManus missed one kick during the regular season for Green Bay and solidified the position.
He ended with a whimper, missing a 38-yard field goal in Philadelphia, but with the issues Green Bay has had at that position, they should be more than eager to give McManus a deal to stay in Green Bay.
“We would,” Gutekunst said in his end-of-year availability when asked if the Packers want McManus back next year. “Had a good conversation with him before he left. Obviously, how he solidified that journey (at kicker) we were going on. He’s a veteran guy. The thing that was so neat about being around him was not only his confidence but his ability to adjust, no matter where we were, what weather we had.”
Apart from McManus, there are not a lot of free agents that represent priorities to be brought back to Green Bay.
Eric Stokes was the team’s first-round pick in 2021, but his career in Green Bay appears to be over. He played six snaps in the final two games of the year, despite being healthy.
Stokes never found his footing after a gruesome leg injury suffered in his sophomore campaign.
He was passed on the depth chart by Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine.
A.J. Dillon is a popular figure in Wisconsin but unlikely to be brought back to Green Bay after a neck injury ended his season.
The only free agents other than McManus that could be a priority is defensive tackle T.J. Slaton and center Josh Myers.
Myers was referred to as a heart and soul player by coach Matt LaFleur during the season. Gutekunst said he felt Myers had his best year.
He’s had more downs than ups during his career, but perhaps the Packers will opt for stability at their pivot position.
Slaton had his best year as a Packer and was the anchor of the team’s run defense. How much is that worth in free agency? That remains to be seen, but the Packers could certainly look to keep him in the fold. They don’t really have a two-down run defender on their defensive line, which is where Slaton excels.
Overall, the lack of options in house make it likely that Gutekunst will once again go shopping in free agency this offseason.
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