The NFL is back, and Sportsnet is breaking down everything you need to know about each of the 32 teams in the month leading up to kickoff on Thursday, Sept. 7. Today, the Green Bay Packers.
Head coach: Mike McCarthy
Last season’s record: 10-6 (first in NFC North)
Playoff result: Lost to Atlanta Falcons in NFC Championship
Key free agent gains: Packers general manager Ted Thompson surprised just about everyone when he strayed from his usual quiet free agency game plan and brought in some help via the open market.
The biggest name? Tight end Martellus Bennett. Fresh off a Super Bowl-winning season in New England, the 30-year-old is an upgrade from Jared Cook and is poised to be Aaron Rodgers‘ best weapon at the position since Jermichael Finley.
.@MartysaurusRex's first catch in the green & gold! #PHIvsGB #GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/PT1khjN346
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) August 12, 2017
The nine-year veteran—and frontrunner for the title of “luckiest TE in the league”—registered 55 catches for 701 yards and seven touchdowns last year under Tom Brady and has the potential to see those numbers rise alongside another surefire Hall of Famer in Rodgers, who’s been known to rely heavily on his tight ends.
Joining Bennett at tight end is longtime Ram Lance Kendricks, who is coming off a 50-catch season and will likely fill a complementary role.
The Packers also signed six-time pro bowl guard Jahri Evans to fill T.J. Lang’s spot on the offensive line and brought in defensive tackle Ricky Jean-Francois on a low-risk deal to add depth and veteran presence to a young defensive line that could certainly use it. Davon House returns after two years in Jacksonville, filling a big need at cornerback.
Key free agent losses: The Packers’ pass rush lost some size with the departure of veteran linebacker Julius Peppers, who took his six-foot-seven, 295-pound frame back to Carolina where his NFL career began. They also said farewell to guard T.J. Lang (Lions) and centre J.C. Tretter (Browns) on the offensive line and released longtime cornerback Sam Shields. Safety Micah Hyde signed with the Bills after failing to receive an offer to stay in Green Bay.
Running back Eddie Lacy will attempt a fresh start in run-first Seattle while fellow RB James Starks was cut by Green Bay back in February. Tight end Jared Cook signed with the Raiders following the Packers’ decision to sign Bennett.
Key draft picks: Kevin King (33rd overall) can be a No. 1 cornerback thanks to his speed, size and proven tackling ability, while safety Josh Jones (61st overall) was another clear positional need after injuries exposed the Packers last season.
Green Bay selected three running backs in the later rounds, throwing Jamaal Williams, Aaron Jones and Devante Mays into the competition for on-field reps (watch out, Ty Montgomery). Meanwhile, wide receiver DeAngelo Yancey has a tough journey ahead of him if he wants to crack the roster—though this is a good start:
X-factor: Head coach Mike McCarthy is determined to find a proper run game in Green Bay this year.
Ty Mongomery is the early front runner to grab hold of the No. 1 spot—a spot the former receiver was thrust into last season following a series of injuries at the position.
[blockquote]If you would have told me when I got drafted in the third round in 2015 that I’d be the No. 1 running back on the Packers’ depth chart two years later, I would have said you were crazy.
Then I would have said, “But hey, I’ll take it.”[cite]The Players’ Tribune[/cite][/blockquote]
2017 will be a success if: The defence can hold up its end of the bargain. Aaron Rodgers carried the team on his arm while they ran the table in the second half of the 2016 season, but the club struggled on the other side of the ball under defensive Dom Capers. Health was a large factor of course, but the Packers can’t let last year’s weakness play the same role this season if they want to reach their full Super Bowl-worthy potential.
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