You’ll notice that in the first 15 hours of NFL free agency, the Green Bay Packers were not among the teams you’d see on the tweets of Adam Schefter, Ian Rapoport and the like picking up a big name free agent. The Packers let other teams grab those tweet headlines.
Former Ravens LB CJ Mosley intends to sign a 5-year, $85 million deal with the Jets, as @RapSheet said. Jets land Anthony Barr and Mosley.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 12, 2019
The #Chiefs are signing former #Texans S Tyrann Mathieu to a 3-year deal worth $42M, source said. This was their top target in free agency, prying him from the #Texans.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 11, 2019
Good.
What, you say? You rip the idea of “good” for not getting the super free agent pickup that you believe the Packers desperately need to shore up a team with a bunch of holes outside the offensive skill positions, and give Aaron Rodgers his Super Bowl-winning window of opportunity back?
Not a fan of Brian Gutekunst choosing not to get the second coming of Khalil Mack, the franchise-changing player?
Oh, it’s not that I wouldn’t love to see someone of that ilk wearing green and gold.
But you’ll notice something: Gutekunst did say he wants to enter the free agent market more. But not giving up your left arm, my right pinky and the deed to 1265 Lombardi avenue.
It is RARE that a team makes a bunch of high-priced free agent signings and wins championships. You are taking a serious gamble in doing so.
Instead, watch to see if “Gutey” continues to ignore the one big name to fix one of many holes in the Packers’ roster, and chooses to go after numerous mid-level, solid performers to fix those holes.
You can get those players later on in free agency, after the dust settles on the ridiculous megadeals.
Instead, it’s measured moves, with numerous players to give the Pats a team with no weaknesses rather than one super edge rusher but leaving a substandard cornerback for enemy quarterbacks to pounce upon.
Gutekunst knows he needs to be more active in free agency than Ted Thompson was to get the Packers what they need. But the shopping list is too long, and the bank account too small at $36 million in cap room, to get prime rib and a bunch of cans of beans.
A good pack of ground chuck, healthy vegetables and a tasty dessert – a well-rounded and balanced free agency and draft pick meal with zero weaknesses left – is just fine.
And is more often how you win championships when you, as Bill Parcells said, shop for the groceries.