Notable Free Agents
QB - Matt Flynn
RB - James Starks
FB - John Kuhn
TE - Jermichael Finley, Andrew Quarless
C - Evan Dietrich-Smith
WR - James Jones
DL - B.J. Raji, Ryan Pickett, Johnny Jolly, C.J. Wilson, Mike Neal
CB - Sam Shields
2014 Draft Picks
Round One, Pick 21
Round Two, Pick 21
Round Three, Pick 21
Round Four, Pick 21
Round Five, Pick 21
Round Six, Pick 21
Round Seven, Pick 21
Biggest Offseason Needs
1. Free Safety
The biggest key to the Seattle Seahawks' Super Bowl run wasn't the play of cornerback Richard Sherman it was the incredible season by free safety Earl Thomas. Thomas ability to cover every inch of the field, stop the run and create turnovers was unmatched at his position. While the Packers won't find a player of Thomas' caliber in this class, they will find a substantial upgrade at free safety early. If Alabama's Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix were to fall he would fit in perfectly at free safety. Louisville's Calvin Pryor could be another option, though he misses a lot of tackles like Packers safety Morgan Burnett.
2. Defensive Line
The Packers face a lot of uncertainty headed into the offseason on the defensive line, with all three starters unrestricted free agents and backups behind them hitting the open market as well. While Green Bay will still have 2013 first-round pick Datone Jones, breakout star Mike Daniels, Jerel Worthy and Josh Boyd, that is far from a complete group, let alone a group you can trust to start. The Packers caught a break earlier in the year when Raji turned down an $8 million extension, and now with talk of a few changes, they may not even bring Raji back. No matter what happens though, Ted Thompson will be focused again on the defensive line this year. Two names that could stick out in the first round are Notre Dame nose tackle Louis Nix III who would fit in perfectly to the Packers 3-4 or Minnesota defensive end Ra'Shede Hageman who is a freak of nature but still needs some time to develop.
3. Cornerback
While cornerback may come as a surprise to some, it could become a very glaring need for Green Bay in a very realistic scenario. Tramon Williams is now in his 30's and with a hefty salary remaining, the Packers might not hesitate to save $7.5 million by cutting him if he doesn't take a pay cut. Freeing up that much money could help bring back Shields, but even with Shields back, Green Bay needs more cornerbacks.
Casey Hayward had a breakout rookie season in 2012, but missed most of the year with a hamstring injury and even when healthy, is ideally suited to be a top cover man in the slot. Shields will be the Packers No.1 corner but they will still need someone opposite of him. Micah Hyde played well this past season but Mike McCarthy would prefer using his versatility with snaps at safety and playing corner, while Davon House just doesn't see the field much anymore.
If Clinton-Dix, Hageman and Nix were all gone when the Packers are on the clock at 21, Thompson absolutely would consider taking someone like Bradley Roby or Justin Gilbert.
One Player Green Bay Should Target
Jimmie Ward Safety, Northern Illinois
When Roger Goodell walks to the podium to put the Packers on the clock, don't be surprised by anything Ted Thompson does. He might reach for a player he just loves or trade down a few spots to pick up extra picks, he isn't afraid to make the unpopular decision.
One move he could make that some Packers fans may not like, but would grow to love is selecting Northern Illinois safety Jimmie Ward. While some believe Ward can't fit at free safety, he is actually exactly what the Packers need, a center fielder who is a true ball hawk.
Just turn on the film from Ward, despite being surrounded by inferior talent around him, you see stellar instincts, athleticism and outstanding ability in coverage. Ward can also work at cornerback and hold his own in single coverage, or bring pressure on the blitz. He is the perfect fit for Dom Capers' defense and would give the Packers defense a "Nick Collins-type" player again.
One Player Green Bay Must Retain
Sam Shields, Cornerback
Green Bay will have plenty of cap space this offseason with nearly $32 million available, they will have plenty of money to bring back their top defensive back. While Shields struggled with some consistency last year, consider how far he has come since the Packers signed him as an undrafted free agent wide receiver out of Miami.
Shields did struggle this year versus Anquan Boldin and a few others he held A.J. Green, Josh Gordon and Torrey Smith to a combined seven receptions for 89 yards and one touchdown. Shields has the fourth-most interceptions since 2010 with 14, and at 26, he still hasn't reached his ceiling. You might have to overpay for him and that could mean potentially paying him $8 million per year.
But Thompson and the Packers can't let Shields leave, if they do this defense will take two steps back and take even more building.
Players in Need of Extensions
Jordy Nelson, Wide Receiver
It's a near certainty that Jordy Nelson will get a new contract from the Packers, the real question is when it happens and how much will it cost Green Bay? Nelson likely won't get the $16 million average per year salary that Calvin Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald are making, but he certainly could get $12 million per year, putting him top-five at his position and similar to the deal Mike Wallace received this past offseason. Aaron Rodgers will make sure Nelson stays no matter the cost, but the sooner the better for the Packers.
Randall Cobb, Wide Receiver
The Packers very well could let James Jones walk this offseason and rely upon Nelson, Cobb and Jarrett Boykin as their top three wide receivers. Green Bay also has Chris Harper waiting in the wings as a developing prospect, and could bring in even more talent in a 2014 NFL Draft class flooded with talent at wide receiver.
Which will make things very interesting when the Packers decide how much they want to pay Cobb to come back after the 2014 season. Cobb has already made it clear he not only wants to stay in Green Bay, he wants to get a contract extension done now before the season starts.
The Packers have plenty of money to bring him back, and Cobb was looking like one of the top wide receivers in the NFC, before fracturing his fibula against the Ravens. Cobb has been deadly in the slot, taking short passes and turning them into big plays. Green Bay should do everything they can to extend Nelson and Cobb, to keep Rodgers' top weapons in place for years to come.
Offseason Outlook
It's cliché to say this is a really important offseason, because every offseason is of great magnitude. But the Packers enter the 2014 offseason with a lot of pressure to really improve their defense and spend money. We've heard rumors that the Packers will be spending some of their $32 million cap space on outside free agents to shore up the defense.
They need a free safety and Jairus Byrd would be a dream fit. But Byrd wants to be the highest-paid safety in the league, which would mean committing at least $9 million per season to him. While there is plenty of reason for pessimism about Green Bay diving into the free agent pool, don't be surprised if Thompson drops a little cash to bring in a starter.
Outside of free agency, this needs to be a bounce back year for the Packers front office with their early selections. Since 2007 the team has selected Justin Harrell, Raji, Matthews, Bryan Bulaga, Derek Sherrod, Perry and Jones. Harrell has been out of the league since 2011, Sherrod played a few snaps this season after missing all of 2012 and the end of the 2011 season with a broken leg, while Perry and Bulaga have battled injuries.
Thompson in the past has backed it up with solid drafting in the following rounds, but he has swung and missed a lot on the defensive side of the ball. Thompson loves to move down the boards and stockpile picks, and we should see even more of that in one of the deepest draft classes in years. But if Thompson wants this team to take the next step and be able to beat teams like the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks, he needs to find some defensive studs this year.
No matter what happens this offseason, the Packers will feel confident heading into the 2014 season on the offensive side of the ball. But expect there to be a lot of changes defensively and a different look when Green Bay opens up the 2014 season. If you want to win a championship you can't just draft and develop well, you have to use free agency to your advantage as well.