Packer Central

PFF Grades Every Team’s Offseason; Not Much Love for Packers

The Green Bay Packers had one of the worst offseasons, according to Pro Football Focus, because they overpaid in free agency and didn’t get much instant impact in the draft.

Bill Huber

A Green Bay Packers helmet, among others, at the Scouting Combine.
A Green Bay Packers helmet, among others, at the Scouting Combine. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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GREEN BAY, Wis. – Only three teams did worse than the Green Bay Packers in Pro Football Focus’ offseason grades.

The Packers got a C-minus; the Houston Texans and San Francisco 49ers got Ds and the New Orleans Saints got a D-minus.

“I did not love the Packers’ offseason, simply because I don’t think they got much better,” PFF’s Trevor Sikkema wrote.

The team’s major free-agent additions, guard Aaron Banks and cornerback Nate Hobbs, will help, but the Packers “overpaid” them.

While he’s not been a top-tier guard, the Packers are paying Banks like one with a four-year, $77 million contract. A second-round pick in 2021, Banks allowed five sacks in 16 games 2022 but just one in 27 games the last two seasons, according to Sports Info Solutions.

“Love Banks’ physicality,” offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said this week. “I think he’s really going to step up our game there. Just a good veteran presence. I think he’s a guy that we’re going to lean on in a lot of different situations. I’m excited about having him in there to up our physicality, for sure.”

Hobbs got a four-year deal worth $48 million, even though he missed almost a full season’s worth of games the last three seasons. When he’s played, he’s been very good; Sports Info Solutions charged him with a 42.9 percent catch rate in 11 games (seven starts) last season.

“Like Hobbs a lot. Like him a lot,” position coach and Packers defensive passing game coordinator Derrick Ansley said this week. “When I was in LA, he was coming out of Illinois. Loved him then and all he’s done is become the same player that we saw in college. He’s physical, he’s strong, upper body and lower body. He’s very heavy handed. He’s got an alpha personality. He listens.

“He’s been a good teammate to some of the younger guys, encouraging those guys. And him and Carrington (Valentine) are friends from high school and they actually have the same trainer, and him and Keisean (Nixon) played together in Vegas. So, he came in here with some guys that he knew – Josh Jacobs, obviously. He’s done a really good job fitting in with the group.”

In the draft, the Packers wound up with arguably the best receiver in the class with Texas’ Matthew Golden, whose speed and hands should make an immediate difference.

“Wide receiver Matthew Golden was a great draft pick in the first round,” Sikkema wrote, “but how tackle Anthony Belton and wide receiver Savion Williams fit in will go a long way toward the success of the team's offseason.”

There’s no obvious position for Belton to start in 2025, though he could challenge incumbent starter Sean Rhyan at right guard. Williams might have a limited role in 2025, as well, as he learns the finer points of receiver play.

However, the Packers didn’t address their pass rush until Day 3 and they didn’t address cornerback at all until Micah Robinson in the seventh round.

“This could be an offseason with more of a long-term approach,” Sikkema concluded, “but it might not give the Packers much in return outside of Golden in 2025.”

Last season, the Packers went a combined 0-6 against the Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles. All three teams got some version of a B.

However, the Chicago Bears got an A-plus for how they addressed the offensive line via trades and free agency and then gave quarterback Caleb Williams additional weapons with tight end Colston Loveland and receiver Luther Burden III in the draft.

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Bill Huber
BILL HUBER

Bill Huber, who has covered the Green Bay Packers since 2008, is the publisher of Packers On SI, a Sports Illustrated channel. E-mail: packwriter2002@yahoo.com History: Huber took over Packer Central in August 2019. Twitter: https://twitter.com/BillHuberNFL Background: Huber graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he played on the football team, in 1995. He worked in newspapers in Reedsburg, Wisconsin Dells and Shawano before working at The Green Bay News-Chronicle and Green Bay Press-Gazette from 1998 through 2008. With The News-Chronicle, he won several awards for his commentaries and page design. In 2008, he took over as editor of Packer Report Magazine, which was founded by Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Nitschke, and PackerReport.com. In 2019, he took over the new Sports Illustrated site Packer Central, which he has grown into one of the largest sites in the Sports Illustrated Media Group.