A lot of the attention given to the Green Bay Packers this offseason has been focused on what will happen with star quarterback, Aaron Rodgers. How that situation played out would always determine how the rest of their offseason unfolded. Now, with the decision by Rodgers to return to the Packers, things can start moving forward.
With Rodgers committing to Green Bay, they are going to remain among the contenders in the NFC. They have won 13 games in three consecutive seasons but have come up short in the postseason. If they want to attempt to build off of that in 2022, they need Rodgers under center.
Now that they have an answer from him, they can start filling out the rest of their roster. The front office will have some work to do when it comes to the skill positions, as the team has numerous free agents at wide receiver and tight end.
Using the franchise tag on Davante Adams seems like a no-brainer as they do not want to see him walk away in free agency. It will likely be difficult to retain No. 2 receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling given their salary cap situation. Tight end Robert Tonyan is also a free agent and Marcedes Lewis could be released as a cap casualty.
With limited funds to spend on free agents, Green Bay will have to get creative when it comes to building up the roster. One NFL scout believes that the team should pursue veteran tight end Rob Gronkowski to help get the offense to the next level.
“There is a limit to what the Packers can do this offseason. However, with (Aaron) Rodgers’ return to Green Bay, they should do what they can to sign Gronk. A weapon like that could change everything for that offense.”
Gronkowski has proven the last two seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, after one year spent in retirement, he can still produce at a high level. He may not be as athletic as he was with the New England Patriots earlier in his career, but he still presents some mismatches in the middle of the field and as a red zone threat.
Convincing Gronkowski to continue playing without Tom Brady, who has been his quarterback throughout his career, will be a tall task. But, being able to potentially use Rodgers as a selling point would certainly provide Green Bay with a convincing case.
If Gronkowski is going to continue his career, it will likely be with a contending team. With David Njoku and Mike Gesicki already receiving franchise tags from the Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins, Gronkowski could find himself as the No. 1 free-agent tight end available should he continue his career.
