What do we need? Early off-season thread.

A lot of wants here that cant be done. You only get so many "high" draft picks. to say we need OLB, OL and S then want to draft a ILB high isn't going to happen. There is only 1 ilb worth drafting early/1st and he is 10x what the small R Smith was last yr and That's Devin White. Hes an all around stud and tone setter. I would be fine with him. All other ilb are not worth the pick.

Same goes for safety. Only one is worth a 1st and the rest are reaches. Thompson has the range and ability you want in a FS. unlike HaHa he wont be a step late and likes contact.

Some real good pass rushers, DL (stacked DL) and OL will be around for us on day 1 and 2. I really like Allen. He is going to be a good olb in the NFL.

Take the best players and not reach for position. We have enough holes that we just need to get better. Adding reds and blues will be a good start to fix the roster

I agree with you, Back. I am hoping with the 40M or so in cap room we can fill a couple of needs via FA. Then draft more of the best value players in the draft. However, if there is a need we can fill in the draft who is a great value then we should go for it. I think we all realize this will be a 3 year rebuild.
 
I'm not sure the who. But the OL had to be priority #1.. I put that above pass rusher. Our OL is that bad. No depth and even the starters outside Bahk are just mediocre and injury prone. Pass rush don't matter if you get Arod killed. If OL doesn't get addressed in draft time to go to FA.

Pass rush second. Followed by well, everything except WR...

This team needs everything.

However I'm ready for Murphy Ball to force Gute to trade away the first round picks because first rounders are too expensive to sign to a second contract down the road.. Cap and profit above all else you know..

But seriously. This is a perfect year to go strict BPA and stock up. Next year they can go for general need..
 
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I don't think we have a clue as to what the Packers front office and coaching staff perceive as needs. I don't think they even agree with each other. It's also an unknown whether or not McCarthy and his entire staff will be fired. If that happens, you can pretty well throw everything out the window as to what happens next, except that Rodgers will be the QB, Bakhtiari will be at left tackle, and Linsley will be at center. I wouldn't even say anyone on the defensive side should get too comfortable because a new coaching staff could convert the team to a 4-3, and that's a new set of player requirements.

Right now, my concern is how much of cap room they should have is going to be wasted on guys who won't be of value to this team next year and beyond.

Taylor has shown to be a solid guard
 
Taylor has shown to be a solid guard

Meh hes serviceable. He could be upgraded. Nothing wrong with him but just ok. I will say our run blocking is better this yr but wow pass pro seems to be going to other way. We need to add some talent. I wouldn't put it ahead or pass rush though. With clay good as gone and perry being a dud we need some young rising talent. Gilbert is ok.

It really is crazy the pack lead the league in sacks but we dont have that guy when the games on the line to get to the qb.
 
Agree, that Taylor is serviceable. That's OK. No team has an above average player at every position. Even Super Bowl champs have some "meh" players. The key is not having them everywhere and also having a handful of difference makers. The Packers need to replace a handful of those below average guys with better guys and need to find a couple more difference makers.

Taylor can certainly be upgraded if it works out, but he's not the first guy I'm looking at. This off season they need to find a RG, and a replacement for Bulaga. You have to have a new RG for 2019. Even if Bulaga is still with the team next year, he's done after that and you need to have a solid RT option ready for 2020.
 
OK, a lot has happened in the last few months. New head coach is hired. Seems likely that Pettine is back at DC so we probably continue to run same/similar defense. We know where we're drafting. Needs have changed some.

1) Pass rusher - still my #1 need but just barely. CM3 is almost done and Perry is MIA, either because he's injured or not producing when he is in the lineup. If I can re-sign CM3 to a short, cheap, team friendly deal I'd consider it because he still is functional and would be decent depth both at OLB and ILB. You could flip a coin on Perry. Hang on for another year because the dead money CAP hit just doesn't make it worth very much to cut him, or just dump him and save $3+mil. Fackrell and Gilbert seems to bring just as much as he does. I draft at least one edge guy high. There should be options at #12. Several from the group of J.Allen, Ferrell, Burns, Polite, Sweat will be there and one might be there at 30ish.
2a) S - HHCD is gone. Brice started OK, but once defenses tested him it was clear he wasn't starter material. Jones seems more suited to a hybrid role or certainly more of an in the box type safely role. They need a free safety and may want to look at Josh Jackson there but that's a gamble and will take time. If I was the GM I'd pick up a FA this spring and draft one as well - probably in the middle to later rounds.
2b) OL - McCray just is not good enough to start but I'd keep him for depth. Bulaga is playing fine when available but injuries continue to plague him. I'm bringing him back, only because I have nothing else right now. You can always cut him later. Taylor seems to have regressed and is just OK right now. Bahk and Linsley are solid. There is no evidence of Spriggs ever being better than he has been so far. I'm taking both an interior lineman and a tackle in the first 5 Rds. I'd also be kicking the tires in FA to see if I can add a guy without breaking the bank.
3) DL - Not a dire need but still pretty high. Clark is a stud, but Daniels is getting older. Wilkerson is all but gone. Lowry is a nice rotational guy. Adams and Lancaster both started to show something late and are nice pieces. Pettine, I think, still would like to get more pressure up the middle. I'm looking for a DE in rounds 1 or 2 with decent size who can do that even if he's purely a situational guy.
4) WR - Adams is the real deal. Cobb is done. While there was some production and promise among the rookies and young guys, I'm thinking the new coach will want a solid slot WR and none of them are that guy. I'd maybe take a look at Cole Beasley or Golden Tate who are about the same age as Cobb but have been much more durable and consistently productive. Not sure what the market would be. Tate would likely be pricey - north of $8mil. Beasley should be cheaper - in the $4-5mil range.
5) ILB - Same old story. Martinez is OK. Not much else there but not sure I would invest much draft stock or FA dollars in the position. I would draft another one and hope to hit on a guy but don't really want to spend a Rd 1-2 pick on the position.
6) RB - They are OK right now but need depth. Jones and Williams are good enough and Jones may prove to be the real deal, but you have to wonder if he can stay healthy. Four injuries in less than 2 seasons including 3 sprained MCLs. Williams is a willing runner, does his job catching and pass blocking and is "available". You need to draft a depth guy, preferably one who can catch the ball and has some speed so that he becomes more of a plug and play guy when Jones goes down for a few games.
7) QB - With ARs new deal, he's not going anywhere for 2-3yrs. Sure, we could use a good back-up, but with the college QB situation what it is, I think that anyone with some solid credentials will be taken early. I'll take a mid to late round flyer on a developmental guy but I'm not sure it's worth taking one early in this year's draft. The 3 most worthy guys are Haskins, Jones and Finley and I don't think any of the 3 makes it to our 2nd round pick. Haskins will likely go top 5. Jones probably not much later and I don't think Finley gets past the top 10 in Rd 2 if he lasts even that long.
8) TE - Graham's tank seemed to get more empty as the year moved along. I'm really torn about him. You save maybe $5mil in CAP if you cut him but there isn't much available in FA and then you just have to stick that money right back into the same position. I'd probably just keep him. Lewis is done in GB. Kendricks is serviceable as a cheap back-up if you want to keep him. Tonyan is a work in progress. Not sure if TE is a priority position for LaFleur. Even though it's not a huge need I'd keep an open mind in the draft and take value if it's there. Maybe as high as Rd 1 if LaFleur identifies it as being important enough.
9) CB - Hell, I don't know. ALexander looked really good at times. King is good if healthy. Jackson needs more time, but I wonder if his grabiness is because he knows he doesn't have the speed to hang with guys. He might be a safety at this level. I'd pay Breeland. Not sure of his value but I'm thinking at least $5mil but no more than $8mil. I'd keep Tramon because he just isn't that expensive and showed yet again that he's versatile and available. I'd also draft one in the middle rounds.
 
57, I agree with everything here except ILB. I think having two solid ILB's is the key to any good D. And you need a play maker at ILB, something Martinez is just ok at. Look at the 85 Bears, Bears with Urlacher, and Bears D now. Look at the 49ers D with Harbaugh and look at the Vikings D currently with Kendricks. I also think adding a really solid ILB opposite will help Martinez's play as well as help our run D. JMO.

Having said that is there a player this year that I would spend a high draft pick on that will be available for the Packers. Not really sure. Devin White will most likely be gone at 12 but if he is there.... How about Germaine Pratt in Round 2 or 3. He would be a steel in those rounds. Again, JMO.
 
I'm actually with you Belt. I'd love to have better ILBs but every draft it seems there are only a 2-3 exceptional ones and there are bigger needs early. Like last year when they passed on Edwards to trade down and then passed on Verder Esch to take Alexander. If Alexander works out it's hard to argue against it, but you lose the chance at an impact player at ILB.

Actually, I think it's possible Smith could be there at 12. Just like Edwards last year who we didn't think would fall to us. Teams near the top need those higher value positions and the next thing you know a QB, CB, DL and/or Pass rusher moves up that you weren't expecting. If he does it'd be hard to pass on him, but I could see it happening if there's a pass rusher there that Gute really wants. Pratt in Rd 2-3 makes a lot of sense and I've been tinkering with some mocks and he's a guy I've looked at. Nice size and decent speed with some coverage skills.
 
Cheese,

I think OL is a priority but do not think it is #1. OLB or DE aka pass rusher is #1, IMO. I just don't like drafting an OL in round 1. Maybe at the 30-32 pick but not #12. You can usually find good OL in rounds 3-5 so that would be my play.
 
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