Ever the optimist, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers thinks this will be a good season to be a Green Bay fan.
But is there still some work left to do in free agency?
"We probably need a couple more pieces on defense before the season starts, but we're going to be really tough to stop on offense," Rodgers told The Sidelines with Evan Daniels Podcast , via Packersnews.com. "(Coach) Mike (McCarthy) has a great system that's ever evolving and changing, and I put my stamp on it once we get it down on paper.
"It's exciting, man. Green Bay Packers fans should be excited."
The fact that Rodgers mentioned the defense at all is interesting and noteworthy, even if it might have been a passing statement. While Green Bay did make significant upgrades at the tight end position with Lance Kendricks and Martellus Bennett, it seemed to lose more than it gained on defense yet again. The Packers also lost several key pieces across their offensive line.
Bringing in Ricky Jean Francois and bringing back cornerback Davon House fill immediate needs and aid a budding defensive line. Many of their glaring issues from January's playoff loss, however, remain.
At this point, it's difficult to expect general manager Ted Thompson to make a significant splash in free agency, but perhaps that's the way he prefers it. Any move made at this point will be bargain basement, and while that seriously limits the talent pool, it also increases the likelihood that Green Bay will get someone who provides the most bang for the buck.
There were no real premier pocket-crashing ends in this free agency class and the linebacker market also developed quite strangely. It would have been hard to imagine the Packers in the mix for A.J. Bouye or Stephon Gilmore to begin with.
So it goes for Rodgers and Packers fans, who almost need to be grateful for what they get in the spring and trust the draft process. They haven't known a season without a playoff berth since 2008, so something tells us it won't be that difficult getting there again. Somehow, Thompson ends up getting it done.
