Reassessing Packers' Offseason Plan and Breaking Down What's Left to Address

Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson always has an offseason action plan—even if it doesn't produce a lot of, well, action. 

In reality, though it seems like Green Bay has had a quiet offseason, it's been quite a successful one. The Packers have re-signed nearly all the free agents they wanted to, keeping the cap in excellent standing while doing so.

In fact, per ESPN Stats & Information (via ESPN's Rob Demovksy), Green Bay has the eighth-most cap space of any team with $17.255 million available. 

Let's look back at the transactions the Packers made this offseason, the areas they still need to address through the draft and the moves they could make with their remaining cap space. 

Offseason Transactions

Date	Move	Cap hit	Cap savings
2/17/15	Released TE Brandon Bostick	-	$585,000
2/17/15	Released WR Kevin Dorsey	-	$1.975 million
2/20/15	Released LB Brad Jones	-	$3.75 million
2/25/15	Released LB A.J. Hawk	-	$3.5 million
3/5/15	Signed LB Josh Francis	$435,000	-
3/9/15	Re-signed WR Randall Cobb	$5.35 million	-
3/9/15	Re-signed QB Scott Tolzien	$1.2 million	-
3/12/15	Re-signed OT Bryan Bulaga	$3,568,750	-
3/25/15	Signed DB Kyle Sebetic	$435,000	-
3/31/15	Re-signed DT Letroy Guion	$2.75 million	-
3/31/15	Re-signed DT B.J. Raji	$1.75 million	-
4/8/15	Released OT Aaron Adams	-	$435,000

The Packers began the offseason with $32.8 million in available salary-cap space. Even though their offseason signings added a total of $15,488,750 onto their 2015 cap burden, the Packers made savvy cuts in linebackers A.J. Hawk and Brad Jones. Those departures freed up $7.25 million that helped Thompson and vice president of football administration/player finance Russ Ball re-sign important free agents.

Those signings included wide receiver Randall Cobb, offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga and defensive tackles B.J. Raji and Letroy Guion, three of whom will start in 2015.

Recent News

On Tuesday, ESPN.com's Bill Williamson reported that the Oakland Raiders signed Packers safety Sean Richardson to an offer sheet worth $2.55 million over one year. 

The Packers had tendered Richardson at the low restricted free-agent tender of $1.542 million back on March 10. 

Richardson played 135 snaps in 2014 as a backup safety, per Pro Football Focus, and missed just one tackle all season. He injured his neck in Week 12 of the 2012 season and required cervical spinal fusion surgery in January 2013.

He was activated off the PUP list on Nov. 23, 2013, and played so well that the Packers eventually let safety M.D. Jennings, who lost snaps to Richardson, walk in free agency the following offseason.

The Packers have until Monday to match the Raiders' offer. Richardson provides valuable depth at safety, and his run-defending skills and physical play style will help the front seven as well when he plays near the line of scrimmage. 

Thompson may not like the $2.55 million price tag for a backup player. However, the Packers will receive no compensation from the Raiders if they don't match.

In better news, Thursday saw backup offensive lineman extraordinaire Don Barclay finally sign the restricted free-agent contract the team offered him in March, per Demovsky. 

Barclay re-signed for the low free-agent tender of $1.542 million, but he will only earn it if he makes the roster. Given how important quality depth (and the previous lack of it) on the O-line has proved to be on Green Bay's roster, it's a near-certainty Barclay will make the cut as long as he's healthy enough to fully compete.

Barclay missed the entire 2014 season with a torn ACL.

Offseason Goals Accomplished

Re-sign Bryan Bulaga 

One of, if not the most important objective Thompson had this offseason was to make sure Bulaga returned to the Packers in 2015...for the right price. 

The right tackle has been a key cog in the current iteration of the Packers offensive line, and the 2015 group could be the best unit of head coach Mike McCarthy's tenure with all of 2014's starters returning. 

Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported on March 7 that Bulaga was looking for a deal worth between $7 and $8 million and that Green Bay had "no intention" of paying Bulaga $7 million per year. That's likely because the team's best offensive lineman, Josh Sitton, makes $6.75 million per year on average. 

In the end, the Packers got what they wanted thanks to the skilled maneuvering of Thompson and Ball; ESPN.com's Chris Mortensen confirmed the specifics of the deal—five years, $33.75 million, averaging just under $7 million.

ESPN's Andrew Brandt said on the March 11th edition of the ESPN Football Today podcast that the Buffalo Bills offered Bulaga more money, but that he remained in Green Bay because of the potential to win (and quarterback Aaron Rodgers).

Re-sign Randall Cobb

The Packers have been exceptionally adept at drafting and developing productive wide receivers under Ted Thompson, boasting success stories with Greg Jennings, James Jones, Jordy Nelson and, of course, Randall Cobb.

With 2014 selections Davante Adams, Jared Abbrederis and Jeff Janis chomping at the bit for more snaps, the Packers offense would not have been crippled had Cobb departed in free agency. 

However, it certainly would have been less productive. 

Cobb played 1,076 of 1,216 total offensive snaps, or 88 percent, in 2014, per Pro Football Focus. He also had the highest wide receiver rating in the league last season, a Pro Football Focus stat that calculates the rating quarterbacks have when throwing to a particular receiver. 

Cobb's 91 receptions (7th), 1,287 yards (13th) and 12 touchdowns (T-10th) in 2014 were all top-15 single-season marks among Packers wide receivers, per Pro-Football-Reference.com. He is the perfect complement to Nelson and a versatile weapon for Rodgers. 

His four-year, $40 million contract is no small investment, but Cobb represents the best of Thompson's draft-and-develop strategy. And for that strategy to work effectively, he must re-sign major successes like Cobb. 

Sign a Starting Nose Tackle

In late March, the Packers didn't have one player on the roster they could have feasibly thrust into the starting nose tackle job come September.

Mike Pennel, the only player with enough size to be reasonably considered, only played 181 snaps—at defensive end, not the nose—in 2014, per Pro Football Focus.

Then, on March 30, the Packers turned that weakness into a strength by re-signing both B.J. Raji and Letroy Guion to one-year deals. 

Is it a long-term solution? No. Green Bay will find itself in the same exact situation next March with both big bodies set to become free agents. But the Packers have options; if either Raji or Guion proves himself this season, they can work out a longer-term deal to lock that player down. 

The Packers can also spend a mid-round draft pick on a defensive tackle and groom him to start next year. 

Remaining Offseason Goals

As usual, the Packers will really start to accomplish their offseason goals during the draft, where they'll add players who will develop in the system and become important contributors on offense, defense and special teams.

Here's a quick checklist of the moves Green Bay will still look to make prior to the commencement of training camp. 

Draft (Two?) Inside Linebackers

Middle linebacker Sam Barrington looks to be a lock to earn the starting "Mike" linebacker spot in training camp. There's an opening for a starter next to him, and the Packers should be able to find that player in the first two rounds of the draft. 

UCLA's Eric Kendricks, Miami's Denzel Perryman and Clemson's Stephone Anthony are all excellent fits for Green Bay's system.

The Packers should also circle back to the position in the mid-rounds of the draft. They currently have outside linebacker converts Carl Bradford and Nate Palmer and undrafted free agent Joe Thomas on the roster, but a strong rookie can push those players in camp. 

Ideal depth players could include Georgia's Ramik Wilson, Baylor's Bryce Hager, Michigan State's Taiwan Jones and Penn State's Mike Hull.

Draft a Starting-Caliber Cornerback

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

It's likely the Packers will let 2014 starter Tramon Williams and fellow cornerback Davon House walk in free agency, as defensive coordinator Dom Capers and cornerbacks coach Joe Whitt feel confident in Casey Hayward's ability to transition from the slot to the outside starting spot opposite Sam Shields. 

Having Hayward as an option gives Green Bay some insurance, because ideally, no team would ever want to start a rookie cornerback if at all possible, even if he is a first-round pick. 

Cornerback is one of the hardest positions to develop at the pro level. Multiple strengths need to work together seamlessly, including athleticism, fundamentals, coverage skills and mental acuity—all of which are rare to find in one young player.

Still, there are some promising prospects in this class whom the Packers could groom to start in 2016, or possibly even midseason if Hayward's absence from the slot proves detrimental.

Players who might be on the board at either of Green Bay's picks at No. 30 or in Round 2 include former Washington Husky Marcus Peters, Connecticut's Byron Jones, Utah's Eric Rowe, Miami (OH)'s Quinten Rollins and LSU's Jalen Collins. 

Add a Third Quarterback to the Roster

This particular goal shouldn't be a high priority for the Packers, but Mike McCarthy said earlier this offseason that he hopes to develop another quarterback behind Rodgers and newly re-signed backup Scott Tolzien, per Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. 

Any player drafted this year likely won't be on the roster long enough to become Rodgers' replacement—we're still a good couple of years away from that scenario. But if the Packers make an astute decision here, they'll have depth behind Tolzien (who only re-signed for one year) and could potentially develop a player who could earn them resources via a trade.

The talent drops off pretty steeply after Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota in this year's class. Baylor's Bryce Petty, expected to come off the board in Round 3, would be a luxury. (Interestingly, Petty will reportedly meet with the Packers for a predraft visit, per Demovksy.) 

Two late-round picks Green Bay could consider are South Alabama's Brandon Bridge and Nevada's Cody Fajardo. They're quite different—the former has a cannon of an arm and the latter is a run-pass quarterback who ran the read-option—but both are projects McCarthy could refine. 

Draft a Tight End to Round Out the Unit

How high the Packers select a tight end in the draft will reveal something about their regard for 2014 rookie Richard Rodgers, who started out slowly last season and developed into a nice offensive weapon and red-zone threat by January.

A talented rookie would allow the Packers to utilize two-tight end sets and give Aaron Rodgers more options in the end zone. He would also push both Richard Rodgers and Andrew Quarless in training camp. 

The consensus top tight end in this year's class, Maxx Williams, would be a luxury pick, but he would certainly improve the position. More realistic targets are Miami's Clive Walford, Ohio State's Jeff Heuerman and Penn State's Jesse James. 

Richard Rodgers has great hands and should continue to impress as a pass-catcher. Where the Packers would really score in the draft is if the can land a skilled blocker to complement Rodgers.

In the later rounds of the draft, the Packers could also benefit from adding a skilled return specialist (perhaps Stanford's Ty Montgomery?) and a pass-catching running back.

For the latter category, Boise State's Jay Ajayi would be a rich option in Round 2, and Texas' Malcolm Brown could be a sleeper in Round 5. In the middle, there's Michigan State's Jeremy Langford.