Getty Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers looks on from the sidelines in the first half against the San Francisco 49ers during the NFC Championship game at Levi's Stadium on January 19, 2020 in Santa Clara, California.
Despite the Green Bay Packers coming within a win of reaching this year’s Super Bowl, the oddsmakers don’t exactly like their chances to contend for a title again next year.
According to OddsShark, the Packers have been given the sixth-best odds (+1600) to win the Super Bowl next year behind the Kansas City Chiefs (+600), Baltimore Ravens (+800), San Francisco 49ers (+800), New Orleans Saints (+1000) and New England Patriots (+1100). The Los Angeles Chargers are also expected to take a big leap next year and have been given the same odds as Green Bay.
The Packers more than doubled their wins from 2018 to 2019 in Matt LaFleur’s first season as head coach, securing home-field advantage in the playoffs and winning in the NFC divisional round over the Seattle Seahawks. Not only did they reclaim the NFC North title, but they swept all three of their rivals on the year with significant prime-time moments against each one of them.
Doubt persists, though, when you consider how they fared in their four losses. The Packers allowed a winnable home game to slip through their fingers against Philadelphia in Week 4, while their three losses in California — once at the Chargers, twice at the Niners — saw them flounder.
“There obviously is (a gap),” LaFleur said about the gap between the Packers and Niners one day after Green Bay was blown out of the NFC Championship game. “I mean, we played them twice and they took it to us two times. That’s something that we’ve got to take a good, hard look at this offseason because right now, they’re the class of the NFC. They’ve shown it throughout the course of the season, and that is a really good football team. It was disappointing to go out there and get beat like that.”
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Packers Will Transform Again This Offseason
The Packers won’t look the same as they did during the 2019 season, for better or for worse. Whether the new look equates to more wins and postseason success remains to be seen.
First and foremost, the Packers have some tough choices to make regarding some of their free agents, including key contributors such as right tackle Bryan Bulaga, inside linebacker Blake Martinez, kicker Mason Crosby and cornerback Tramon Williams. Keeping everyone simply isn’t going to happen, but just as important as who stays will be the new players brought in to fortify the ranks.
Finding new talent at inside linebacker and wide receiver top the list of needs for the Packers after both positions underperformed in the most recent year. Martinez could end up getting his payday and staying in Green Bay, but it seems more likely the Packers will poach a newcomer off the free market who is adept at both coverage and stopping the run. There are also some solid early-round linebackers in the 2020 NFL Draft, including LSU’s Patrick Queen and Oklahoma’s Kenneth Murray.
A look at the 2020 NFL Draft first-round order.
As far as wideouts go, the Packers are searching for someone who can slot in as a reliable No. 2 to star receiver Davante Adams after a number of candidates fell short of consistency in 2019. Some players, including Allen Lazard, figure to push for more playing time, but the upcoming draft class is stacked with wide receiver talent that could add an important weapon to Aaron Rodgers’ arsenal.
A dynamic tight end also couldn’t hurt, if the Packers can find one. There is increasing speculation the Packers will move on from aging veteran Jimmy Graham this offseason, one season before his contract expires, to create more cap space while 36-year-old Marcedes Lewis is set to become an unrestricted free agent. The Packers might be able to address their needs at tight end in-house with Jace Sternberger, who missed half of his rookie season with an injury, but he would be hard-pressed to break out in the passing game right away.
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