The Green Bay Packers have 14 unrestricted free agents (Davante Adams, Corey Bojorquez, Oren Burks, De’Vondre Campbell, Rasul Douglas, Dennis Kelly, Kevin King, Tyler Lancaster, Whitney Mercilus, Lucas Patrick, Equanimeous St. Brown, Chandon Sullivan, Robert Tonyan, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling), but there are only three they absolutely must retain in order to compete for the Super Bowl next season if back-to-back MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers returns. The following are those three players, along with an explanation as to why each is so important to keep around:
? DAVANTE ADAMS
While I don’t think the Packers should invest huge money in a wide receiver who turns 30 in December, it’s obvious how important he is to Rodgers. It makes no sense to spend weeks cajoling the QB to return only to move on from his favorite target. Of course, keeping both players would force other veterans under contract to be let go, but I’ll get to that later. Adams is arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL, and he should be good for at least another two or three Pro Bowl seasons. And since that’s probably how long Rodgers would be around, the choice to keep them together makes sense.
? ROBERT TONYAN
As much as the Packers missed star O-linemen David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins in the playoffs, they might’ve missed Tonyan more. The 49ers rushed four and dropped seven into coverage all night. That made it very crowded within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage. Having a tight end who could get open in crowded spaces would’ve given Rodgers a much-needed second target in the middle of the field, and Tonyan’s ability to get down the seam might’ve forced defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans to play his safeties deeper. That could’ve made running the ball a little easier. Tonyan is coming off an ACL and might not be back until October, but that should keep his price down on the open market.
? DE’VONDRE CAMPBELL
The defense showed improvement this season, and Campbell was a big reason why. There’s no sense in bringing back Rodgers and Adams if the defense is going to regress in 2022. Keeping Campbell is imperative for a unit that will likely be without Za’Darius Smith and could also be without a few other starters due to the salary cap. Finding 3-4 defensive ends and edge rushers in the draft isn’t easy, but it’s a lot easier than finding an inside linebacker who can take on 300-pound offensive linemen and run with athletic tight ends. With Campbell, nose tackle Kenny Clark, outside linebacker Rashan Gary, cornerbacks Jaire Alexander and Eric Stokes, and free safety Darnell Savage guaranteed to return, the defense would still have a chance to be pretty good next season even if three or four quality players have to be sacrificed.
In this scenario – keeping Rodgers, Adams, Tonyan, and Campbell, not re-signing any other free agents, and releasing a handful of key veterans – GM Brian Gutekunst would have to replenish a suddenly depleted roster. The Packers would be down to Adams, Allen Lazard, Amari Rodgers, and Malik Taylor at wide receiver, and there would be a need to add talent at defensive end, outside linebacker, corner, and safety if Adrian Amos is cut. Hey, nobody said it would be easy.
The point is, the Packers can still be a winning team even if they have to gut the roster. And with two new coaches in Chicago and Minnesota and the Lions occupying the NFC North, a winning team should be good enough to capture the division and get to the postseason for a fourth consecutive season. Once there, anything could happen. Getting the bye and playing at home hasn’t turned out too well the past couple of years, so maybe going 10-7 or 11-6, winning a wild card game, and then going on the road wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. Rodgers looked absolutely miserable in the bitter cold against the 49ers. Maybe like many people getting on in age, he’d benefit from heading south or west in January.
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Unless some team makes a huge offer to Campbell, I’d love to see him back. It took 20 years to get a really good inside linebacker, and I don’t want to wait 20 more years for another one. It won’t be easy with the cap, but there are plenty of players I’d sacrifice to keep Campbell around.
Michael,
Do you see any upside from a cap standpoint if Rodgers returns, and rather than a new deal for Adams the Packers sign Allen Robinson?
I hate the idea of giving Adams a new deal, but like I wrote, there’s no point in begging Rodgers to come back and then taking away his favorite receiver. If 12 weren’t so emotionally tied to 17, doing something like you suggest makes a lot of sense, although I’m not sure Robinson would be my top choice.