Packers Went Back to Ted Thompson's Free Agency Strategy This Offseason and it's Going to Screw Them

What's going on in Green Bay?

General manager Brian Gutekunst burst onto the scene in 2019 by signing Adrian Amos, Za'Darius Smith and Preston Smith as his high-profile moves to get the Packers back into the Super Bowl conversation, but there's been a whole lot of nothing this offseason despite the team having $14.5 million in cap space.

They've lost linebackers Blake Martinez and Kyler Fackrell, tackle Bryan Bulaga and tight end Jimmy Graham. The only signing they've made was bringing former Browns linebacker Christian Kirksey aboard (and fellow linebacker Oren Burks will be back, too). While they fill needs on defense, what are the Pack going to do on the O-line and at tight end?

It all stinks of the days in which Ted Thompson ran this front office and things steadily got stale.

The loss of Bulaga is fairly significant, as he'd been with the team since 2010 and started 30 games the past two seasons. Graham's departure isn't going to bother anybody, but are the Packers REALLY going to rely on Jace Sternberger to produce for Aaron Rodgers? Even with Graham putting up next to nothing in terms of numbers for a No. 1 tight end in a productive offense, Sternberger had three catches for 15 yards all year.

And yes, while Austin Hooper's huge deal with the Browns would have wiped out al of the team's cap space, they really couldn't convince Emmanuel Sanders to come play alongside Davante Adams?

Gutekunst could have a master plan in place with Kirksey and Burks as well as Ricky Wagner replacing Bulaga on the offensive line, but for them to make just one move this offseason when it was clear the roster needed improvement after their shellacking in the NFC title game, it seems last year's aggression on the free agent market was a one-time thing to appease the fanbase.

This could all change as we get closer to the draft, but the burden's on Gutekunst to show us for sure.