Free agency is officially upon us and it’s been one of the wildest in recent memory. Maxx Crosby is a…Raider still? It feels like something big is still coming…but maybe that’s just me. While we wait, let’s jump into your questions. 

“Hey Maggie! Favorite move (or non-move) so far with the free-agent season underway? How about least favorite move (or non-move)? …Left you with lots of options there :) Thanks!” - Jim

Hey Jim! So many ways to answer this one! My favorite Packers move so far is Javon Hargrave, although I did stump for Benjamin St-Juste a few weeks ago in the inbox, so that one excited me, too. I think Hargrave has the ability to be such a nightmare lined up with Devonte Wyatt. We know the trenches were a problem last season, so Hargrave is about the best insurance Green Bay can have in the middle of the defense. 

For Packers free agent departures, I really like Romeo Doubs going to the Patriots. I think his skillset fits so seamlessly into that Patriots offense, and he’s going to become an immediate security blanket for Drake Maye. I know Doubs preferred to land on the West Coast, but I’m happy he stays out of the NFC, and he’s certainly going to appreciate the payday he got in New England. 

As far as in-house non-moves, I’m happy with Sean Rhyan’s return to Green Bay. Maybe some will disagree with me, but the center market this free agency cycle was crazy, and I thought the deal made a lot of sense for both parties. Rhyan gets his payday and the Packers have reliability along the offensive line. We knew losing Elgton Jenkins was going to happen, and with the Packers restructuring Aaron Banks to keep him around, the offensive line is pretty established outside of maybe some competition at right guard. Banks looked more comfortable as he got healthy and Rhyan was really starting to settle in at center. He brings security to the o-line but doesn’t prohibit them from bringing in a few additional bodies through the draft, which I would have expected them to do regardless. 

“So it looks like we may not be the youngest team in the league this season. Is this a change in philosophy or just the way the free agent chips fell this year?” - Tony

I really see it being a mixture of both. It feels like there’s an urgency with this Packers roster, and I like that. They’ll have even more opportunity in 2027 to swing for the fences given how much they’ll have to spend between cap space and trading compensatory picks. But they’ve done a nice job replacing starters instead of just adding depth pieces. Not having a first-round pick this year or next, the Packers may still be asking some rookies to start, but the emphasis has been on finding proven starters to replace anyone that’s left in free agency (aside from a position like wide receiver where replacements were already ready and waiting on the roster). 

What I’ve most appreciated so far this free agency cycle is that the Packers aren’t being complacent. Moving on from the Nate Hobbs contract after only one season was a significant decision. It felt entirely likely that we’d hear “we have a lot of faith in the cornerback room” at the podium and that would be the end of it. Instead, Green Bay decided to cut their losses and get themselves out of an expensive contract that never lived up to its billing. St-Juste may not be a Week 1 starter on the boundary, but he’s a low-risk, high-upside kind of free agent that brings proven experience to a room instead of banking on a Day 3 draft pick to be ready to start. 

I’ve seen quite a few comments about Hargrave’s age and that being a concern, but he’s had a relatively healthy career. He missed most of the season in 2024 with the 49ers, but played in 16 games for the Vikings last year posting 52 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and 6 quarterback hits. And that’s also taking into account that Hargrave wasn’t an ideal scheme fit for the type of defense Brian Flores likes to run. He played under Jonathan Gannon in Philly and had the best season of his career with 11 sacks. That said, he’s more of a pass rusher than a run stuffer, so I’m hoping the Packers continue building the trenches (and this is where I want them to go young so they can develop their defensive line long-term!)

I’m not entirely sure if I fully answered your question, but yes. I think whenever a team is in their “win-now” window, that’s when you spend a lot of capital on proven veteran experience. Those are the pieces that can get you over the hump while you supplement with young talent you’re developing to be long-term solutions. So I’m glad the Packers are taking bigger swings instead of just relying on the draft to fill the remaining holes on the roster. 

A big thank you to Jim and Tony being weekly contributors to the mailbag and for always asking great questions. As free agency dies down we still have plenty to talk about with the draft only six weeks away! Don’t forget to send your questions to [email protected] if you want to be part of the conversation, too.