The Packers loss to the Detroit Lions now confirms the reality that this roster needs drastic changes to happen and now that the trade deadline has passed the team now needs to look ahead to 2023 to see what can be done to fix this roster.
Starting with the most notable expiring contracts on the team, the packers will have decisions to make on:
Adrian Amos (Safety), Elgton Jenkins (Guard), Allen Lazard (Receiver), Robert Tonyan (Tight End) and Krys Barnes (Linebacker) are all the most likely to stick around for 2023.
Those with expiring contracts likely to be let go are Sammy Watkins, Randell Cobb, Dean Lowry and Jarran Reed.
Currently the biggest issue facing the Packers is Quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ massive three year $150,000,000 contract extension.
If we see more performances from Rodgers’ like the one he put up against Detroit the team will be faced with the exact same situation the Falcons had with Matt Ryan where you have an aging quarterback on a huge contract seeing the rest of the roster get worse around them due to lack of salary cap space.
Rodgers’ dead cap hit means there is no chance of the team moving on from him at all as his dead cap for next year is set at $99 million and $24 million the year after that.
The Packers salary cap for 2023 currently stands at $3.5 million which makes it extremely difficult to bring in any notable free agents.
This means the Packers should look to strengthen at receiver via the draft and with the team currently holding the tenth overall pick they’ll be in prime position to draft the likes of Jordan Addison (USC), Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Ohio State) and Jalin Hyatt (Tennessee).
If the Packers can hit on a wide receiver early in the first round like the way the Bengals have done with Ja’marr Chase and the Vikings with Justin Jefferson they could secure the star receiver that the current roster is crying out for.
Moving onto the defensive side of the ball the Packers claimed former first round pick Jonathan Abram (Safety) from the Raiders adding good competition particularly for Darnell Savage, who has not progressed this season as everyone hoped he would.
Draft wise on the defensive side of the ball it’s highly unlikely the front office will go for a defensive player in the first round again with the offence as lacklustre as it’s been this season.
There simply has to be massive pressure on the front office to get the roster moves right otherwise it’s going to be a very rough few years.
