The Green Bay Packers feel like a franchise going in a different direction. Despite a 13-3 season that ended with the NFC championship game, the Packers continued their plan to rebuild the organization’s infrastructure. This year’s project came in great detail, but, in my opinion, it supports the idea that the team had a very structured reconstruction plan that began at the end of the McCarthy era. Phase 1 aimed to fill key positions in need, by signing young free agents who were nearing their first years and could continue to grow and prosper in the years to come. The Packers also completed their free will moves by completing the back of their high school (Darnell Savage) and adding to their top seven (Rashan Gary).
This season, the Packers have pursued this same plan by adding future potentials to their offensive, quarterback and ball carrier positions. The infrastructure of the Packer organization looks solid for the foreseeable future, but the question remains: when will time run out on the old guard?
It’s safe to assume that the Packers will run it for another year with the majority of their cornerstone players intact. The team will continue to adopt its first try mentality, will dominate possession time and will rely on one of the most attractive defensive units (of 2019) to play in times of crisis and hope that there is still a race eliminatory.
2021, however, will be interesting … because many big names will be looking for new contracts … and in a league dominated by the salary cap, it is simply unrealistic to expect to sign everyone again.
The next question becomes: among the free agents and players awaiting a contract extension, who is a safe bet to be a member of the Packers in 2021? Surprisingly, only two names jump to my eyes (and those are not the two names you probably think):
David bakhtiari
Kenny Clark
(2b. Aaron Rodgers)
Now before everyone loses his head, Aaron Rodgers is pretty much (2b) on this list to be a Packer in 2021, but there could be a little window so he can be traded under the right circumstances just before the start of the 2021 season. Remember, Jordan Love is on an incredibly friendly contract for the next four years and it’s up to the Packers to leave Rodgers for the next 2 years so they can basically be at least 3 years old (including the option) team control. I’m just saying it’s not impossible that the Packers, in a year and a half to two years, will decide to pay the course penalty associated with Rodgers trading and head into the era of love.
Another player who could still be a Packer in 2021 could be Kevin King:
Think about it, if Kevin King has another solid season and stays healthy; it would probably be easier to get along with him at the end of another solid year than with Aaron Jones who, with a year identical to 2019, could require $ 10 to 12 million per season.
No matter who stays or who leaves, the list of 2021 Packers could and will likely be radically different.
Here is a short list of players who could potentially play their final seasons at Green Bay:
Aaron Jones
Kevin King
Corey Linsley
