When it comes to the Green Bay Packers, what a difference a year makes. There are stark differences when comparing where the team was at the end of February 2023 to where they are today. In almost every area, the team is in a better place now than they were 12 months ago. Here’s how and why.
The Biggest Difference for the Green Bay Packers from a Year Ago
One year ago, former Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers had emerged from this darkness retreat but had yet to announce his future plans. Would the future Hall of Fame quarterback retire, return to the Packers, or demand a trade?
The front office could not follow any particular plan for 2023 until Rodgers made his decision because of the enormous dead cap hit his departure would cause. In addition, the team’s direction would change if Rodgers stayed or left.
If Rodgers stayed, GM Brian Gutekunst would have to be all-in again to try to win another Super Bowl with the 39-year-old signal caller before his career ended. He would have to surround Rodgers with veteran players including many players Rodgers himself wanted on the roster.
If he left, the team would be limited by the dead cap hit and would likely be forced to get younger and retool the roster.
Aaron Rodgers Made His Decision
Rodgers eventually made his decision and asked the Packers to trade him to the New York Jets. That put Gutekunst and the front office in a holding pattern until the deal could be completed. Packers fans also waited impatiently to see what the Pack would get in return for Rodgers.
The team also then had to figure out how to build around unproven former first-round pick Jordan Love. Head coach Matt LaFleur had to adjust to coaching a young roster rather than a group laden with veterans.
The trade was finally executed just before the 2023 NFL Draft. This gave the Packers an extra second round pick in 2023 and a conditional first round pick in 2024. That became a second rounder when Rodgers suffered a season-ending injury four plays into his Jets tenure. They also swapped first round picks with the Jets in 2023 which moved the Packers up a couple of spots in the first round.
Another Big Difference for the Packers from a Year Ago
Once Rodgers made his decision, Gutekunst decided to make the team younger. Veterans like Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb, Marcedes Lewis, Robert Tonyan, and Adrian Amos were all not re-signed. Some of them joined Rodgers in New York, others went elsewhere via free agency. The team suffered a loss of veteran leadership in addition to talent.
The Packers roster suddenly only had three players over the age of 30 as they entered training camp. They were offensive lineman David Bakhtiari, inside linebacker De’Vondre Campbell, and edge rusher Preston Smith.
Gutekunst took a chance on the development of young players at many positions. Love had only one previous NFL start in his career. The new backup, Sean Clifford, was a rookie fifth-round pick out of Penn State. That’s a big drop in experience from Rodgers who had been the starting quarterback for the Packers since 2008.
The Packers selected two rookie tight ends on day two of the 2023 NFL Draft and entered training camp with only one experienced player on the roster. That was tight end Tyler Davis who contributed mostly on special teams. Davis suffered a season-ending injury early in the preseason.
At wide receiver, Gutekunst opted not to bring in another veteran like Cobb or Sammy Watkins and emphasized youth. No player on the team’s depth chart at receiver had more than one season of NFL experience.
The Packers Outlook One Year Later
At the conclusion of the 2023 campaign, things looked very different for the Green Bay Packers. Love played like a franchise quarterback during the second half of the season. He will be the team’s franchise quarterback going forward.
The young tight ends and receivers panned out and provided the team with talent and depth. Young players like Rasheed Walker stepped up when injuries hit along the offensive line and gave the team solid play at left tackle.
The Packers made the playoffs in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year and had a better record than they did the previous season.
The big dead cap hit that Rodgers’ bad contract cost the team is now off the books. The Packers are now a young team with a seemingly bright future ahead of them and five picks among the first 100 selections in the 2024 NFL Draft.
What a difference a year makes. The Packers are in a completely different place today than they were a year ago. It’s a better place with a lot less controversy and a lot more hope for the future.
Follow Gil Martin on Twitter @GilPackers
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