Jeff Hafley's success might lead the Packers to a different path than usual in free agency
Brian Gutekunst has a clear modus operandi in free agency. It's either go big or go home. In 2019, the Green Bay Packers signed Za'Darius Smith, Preston Smith, and Adrian Amos to top deals — the only mid-level signing was Billy Turner. Over the next few years, the Packers basically didn't add anybody because of […]
Brian Gutekunst has a clear modus operandi in free agency. It's either go big or go home. In 2019, the Green Bay Packers signed Za'Darius Smith, Preston Smith, and Adrian Amos to top deals — the only mid-level signing was Billy Turner.
Over the next few years, the Packers basically didn't add anybody because of their dire cap situation. Until 2024, when the team added Pro Bowlers Josh Jacobs and Xavier McKinney.
With $51 million in projected cap space for 2025, you can certainly expect movement. But this might be different this time around.
There are some intriguing options at the top of the wide receiver market, like Tee Higgins and Chris Godwin, but it's unclear at this point if they will actually hit the market—Higgins will possibly get franchise tagged, for example.
But with Jeff Hafley's success in his first season as a defensive coordinator, the Packers could change their approach in free agency, and it would make total sense based on how this roster is built.
Mid-level as a tool
The defense played at a really good level in 2024, especially down the road, which included a strong performance in the playoff loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
When the unit had tough times and some players underperformed, you could argue that the scheme transition was a part of the problem. The Packers traded Preston Smith away because he didn't fit what Hafley wants to run.
So, instead of hunting big-ticket free agents, Gutekunst could work in consonance with Hafley to find mid-level free agents who fit the scheme.
That might include edge rushers like Chase Young and Dante Fowler or cornerbacks like Paulson Adebo (who might get a little more expensive because he is young) or D.J. Reed. Those are not team-altering signings, but they would give Hafley more options to play the way he wants, and that would open the door for Gutekunst to use the draft as a tool to find blue-chip players on offense — something the Packers badly lacked in 2024.
Over the last two years, the Packers had the youngest roster in football. Much of it wasn't because they wanted, but because they needed to save money after overspending in Aaron Rodgers' twilight seasons. Now, the salary cap situation is back on track, and it's time to invest in more experienced players.
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