5 Moves the Packers Need to Make This Offseason

The Green Bay Packers have a tall task in front of them this NFL offseason. An 8-9 record saw the Packers miss the playoffs for the first time since the 2018 campaign, leaving fans wanting more — especially as franchise quarterback Aaron Rodgers' future is up in the air.

If Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst wants this past season to be a distant memory, he must make some serious offseason moves. Green Bay fans won't tolerate losing for long, meaning Gutekunst needs to figure out his game plan before it's too late.

Here are five moves that the Packers need to make this NFL offseason.

Packers Offseason Rumors

1. Trade Aaron Rodgers

It's a tough pill to swallow, but it's time for the Packers and Rodgers to part ways. There's no one doubting his talent and past accomplishments, but the fact of the matter is that Green Bay hasn't come close to finishing a championship since its Super Bowl XLV victory. Rodgers isn't at the age where he can win it all by himself anymore and the last thing the fans want is another offseason where the Packers fail to upgrade his supporting cast. Heading in opposite directions is what's best to prevent more hard feelings between the two sides and that's something that must happen this spring.

2. Restructure Aaron Jones' Contract

Although running back Aaron Jones has been nothing but consistent during his Packers tenure, he's not worth the $20.02 million cap (Spotrac) hit he's carrying in the 2023 season. That's a lot of money for someone who hasn't rushed for more than 1,200 yards in a season. Fellow RB A.J. Dillon's presence also limits Jones' upside, proven by the latter having a career-low two rushing touchdowns in 2022. If the Packers want to keep the fan favorite around, they'll find a way to restructure Jones' deal.

3. Release David Bakhtiari

A five-time All-Pro offensive tackle, David Bakhtiari has spent more time off the field than on it lately, playing just 12 games over the last two seasons. Now that he's in his 30s, his health will be even less reliable, making it tough to justify his taking up 12.7% of the 2023 salary cap, according to Spotrac. The Packers have the opportunity to free up just over $5.6 million from cutting him this offseason, which looks like it'll be necessary for a team that's projected to be more than $17.5 million over the cap.

4. Improve the Tight End Position

It seems like it's been years since the Packers last had a reliable tight end. Robert Tonyan and Mercedes Lewis are hardly game-changers and now that they're free agents, it's time for Green Bay to upgrade this position. This year's free-agent class offers several noteworthy options, including Evan Engram and Dalton Schultz. Or perhaps the Packers will use the 15th overall pick at the 2023 NFL Draft to select the talented Michael Mayer out of Notre Dame. Either way, the Packers' TE room must be better than it was last season.

5. Sign Veteran Receivers

If Rodgers does remain in Green Bay, the Packers must bring in some veteran wide receivers. One of the reasons why the Packers failed in 2022 was because Rodgers did not trust his younger wideouts. Outside of Christian Watson and Allen Lazard, no one else did anything of note. There aren't a ton of huge names available in free agency, but the Packers WR room would be much improved if they could even add a name like Mack Hollins, DJ Chark, Darius Slayton or even Odell Beckham Jr. to the mix.

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.