Green Bay Packers: Ranking the 5 best moves of the 2019 offseason

The Green Bay Packers changed in many ways over the past six months. We ranked the team’s five best moves of the 2019 offseason.

Heading into the 2019 offseason, the Green Bay Packers held a bevy of needs, starting with hiring a new head coach. After firing Mike McCarthy following 13 seasons with the team, the Packers’ biggest question was undoubtedly who McCarthy’s successor would be.

After forming a search committee, formed and led by Packers president/CEO Mark Murphy and general manager Brian Gutekunst, Green Bay hired Matt LaFleur to be the team’s 15th head coach in franchise history. Only four years older than quarterback Aaron Rodgers, LaFleur will attempt to be a leader of men in one of the most vulnerable environments in sports: the NFL locker room.

Just months after hiring LaFleur in January, Gutekunst wasn’t shy in acquiring free agents in March. The team welcomed four new faces with hefty contracts, including outside linebacker Preston Smith and Za’Darius Smith, offensive guard Billy Turner and safety Adrian Amos.

A stark pivot from the team’s previous regime — which was led by former general manager Ted Thompson, who was never known for signing marquee free agents — Green Bay inked all four players for a combined $183.5 million over four years. Of course, the combined guaranteed money was much less at $57 million, but the Packers are investing heavily, nonetheless.

Following a successful free agency period, the Packers turned their attention to the NFL Draft, highlighted by two first-round selections in pass rusher Rashan Gary and safety Darnell Savage Jr. The Packers finished the draft having selected eight players.

With so many new faces, it can be hard to decipher which moves were beneficial. It’s also foolish to make complete judgments on acquisitions without seeing their performance on the field first. That said, based on the current information we have, here are the five best moves of the Packers’ 2019 offseason.