Packers training camp: 3 Most important position battles
By Lucas Schuh
These position battles at Packers training camp will be critical for Green Bay in 2020.
Entering last season, the Green Bay Packers were forced to deal with a lot of turnover, including both the coaching staff and the roster. With the coaching staff, Matt LaFleur, a first-year head coach, took over for Mike McCarthy, who had been with the team since 2016. That looked to be a good move.
LaFleur went 13-3 with Green Bay in his first season, winning the NFC North along the way. However, he wasn’t the only new face in the building as the organization was busy in free agency and the draft, overhauling the roster and bringing in key players who played a big role in their success last season.
The Packers inked stud defenders such as Za’Darius Smith, Preston Smith and Adrian Amos. Za’Darius was, by far, the most impactful signing of the bunch, showing off as one of the NFL’s best pass-rushers last year. Meanwhile, 2019 draftees Darnell Savage and Elgton Jenkins both came up big for Green Bay as well.
It’s been a different story for the organization in the 2020 offseason, however. Free agency was relatively quiet as their two major signings were linebacker Christian Kirksey and right tackle Ricky Wagner, both of whom have problems. Then the draft class offered little in terms of their most pressing needs after taking quarterback Jordan Love in the first round.
With an offseason in which Green Bay failed to fully address needs, training camp is going to be vital for them to repeat their success. More pointedly, how these position battles play out at Packers training camp will be extremely important.
Note: All stats are via Pro Football Reference unless otherwise noted.