What do the Green Bay Packers need to address before the start of the season? Opinions vary, but one side of the ball seems to be the focus.
Recently, four writers who cover the Green Bay Packers (via PackersWire.com) chimed in on how each felt regarding the teams' biggest concerns. Somewhat surprisingly, it was less about inexperienced quarterback Jordan Love and more about areas of the club.
Not surprisingly, the majority of the questions came on the defensive side of the ball. In 2010, the wild-card Packers won it all in 2010 on the strength of quarterback Aaron Rodgers and an opportunistic defensive unit. During the four-game postseason sweep of the Eagles, Falcons, Bears and Steelers, Green Bay forced 11 turnovers and returned interceptions for touchdowns in the divisional round (Tramon Williams), NFC title game (B.J. Raji) and Super Bowl XLV (Nick Collins).
During current defensive coordinator Joe Barry's first season with the team in 2021, the Packers finished ninth in the league in fewest total yards allowed. They were still a mediocre 11th vs. the run, which has been an issue for the team for far too long. This past season, Matt LaFleur's club slipped to 17th in the NFL in total defense and only six team allowed more rushing yards per game.
Maybe that aspect of their game will improve this year. Linebacker Quay Walker led the team in tackles during his debut campaign in 2022. Meanwhile, fellow first-round pick Devonte Wyatt did have much of an impact in his rookie year. Linebacker De'Vondre Campbell, an All-Pro performer in 2021, missed four games in '22. All told, Barry's unit allowed a disappointing 139.5 yards per game on the ground.
Packers concerned about safety position
Another part of the defense that certainly bears watching is safety. Adrian Amos spent four seasons with the team and started every game for the Packers over that span. He was not re-signed by the team this offseason and eventually joined the Jets.
The current depth chart has 2019 first-rounder Darnell Savage and Rudy Ford at the top. General manager Brian Gutekunst didn't add a lot of veterans in free agency but two were safeties in Tarvarius Moore (49ers) and Jonathan Owens (Texans). He also used a seventh-round pick on Anthony Johnson Jr. (Iowa State).
As for Savage, he's looking to make amends for a disappointing 2022, which he spoke about earlier this year. "I'm excited. I'm ready to go…Anxious. Had a long offseason to kind of think about last year, had this kind of bad taste in my mouth for the longest time, so I'm ready to get it out."
Perhaps the four-year pro speaks for the Packers overall after a disappointing 8-9 campaign. Does Gutekunst have another move up his sleeve?