As I continue to look forward, the next step in the NFL offseason is free agency which begins in March. Here is a look at some players I think could help the Packers on offense.
While the Packers are probably not interested, there are some good running backs available. Michael Turner, Jamal Lewis and Julius Jones are three players that would be an upgrade over incumbent Ryan Grant. I’m not sold on Grant and if the price was reasonable I could see going after Jones. At the very least the competition would be good for Grant and an new environment might be just the thing for Jones to return to his 1000-yard form of two years ago. Turner is going to require franchise-type money and the Packers aren’t that desperate with Grant on the roster and while Lewis would be intriguing, you just don’t know what you are going to get with a guy with that much milage. Look at Ahman Green last year, the Texans got about 250 yards out of a former dominating runner. I would like to see Jones added. You can’t stand pat with Grant and Brandon Jackson, competition must be added and Jones would do just that. It would be an interesting battle between two former Notre Dame teammates. Jones won that round, maybe Grant could beat him out now, it would be fun to watch.
There are some interesting receivers available in guys like Bernard Berrian and Patrick Crayton, but if there is one area I think the Packers can stand pat in it would be receiver. With Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, James Jones, Koren Robinson and Ruvell Martin, the Packers deepest position is arguably wide receiver. At tight end you might want some help but the only guy the Packers might be interested in is Marcus Pollard from Seattle, but he is 35 and probably not worth the risk. Maybe Ben Troupe would be of some interest. He was a second-round pick of the Tennessee Titans in 2004 and caught 55 balls as a rookie, but hasn’t done squat since due mostly to injuries. I would think they take a look at him at least. But the Pack might just look for a tight end on draft day instead. I have to believe Bubba Franks days as a Packer have come to an end as well.
The one area the Packers need improvement on the most is the offensive line. Everybody knows about the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Alan Faneca, who might be the best available free agent at any position. Faneca would immediately upgrade the Packers’ line by sending the inconsistent Daryn Colledge to the bench once and for all. The price tag may be too much for general manager Ted Thompson to absorb, but I sure hope he at least tries, especially if Brett Favre comes back. If you are going to make a one-year run with Favre, start with improving the offensive line. Jake Scott of Indianapolis would also be a nice addition, but the Colts will likely have something to say about that, because like the Packers, they like to keep their own. Ruben Brown of the Bears might come cheap and would be an upgrade for sure. As you can see, I’m focused on the guard position. I’m happy with Mark Tauscher and Chad Clifton at tackle. Replacements need to be groomed however as both tackles are getting long in the tooth.
Thursday I will run down the free agents on defense. The Packers could use a few of those as well.
More to come…