The Green Bay Packers did a rare thing this offseason, tapping the reset button a little bit and making massive changes with the front office and coaching staff. Ted Thompson was "transitioned" to a "new role," which was Green Bay's polite way of firing a bastion of the front office. Alex Van Pelt, Aaron Rodgers' longtime quarterbacks coach, was shown the door, as was Dom Capers, who ran the defense since before the Packers' last Super Bowl win.
Brian Gundekunst, who replaced Thompson, dove in headfirst with some bold moves. First off, he released Jordy Nelson, which qualifies as another shock-to-the-system type of move. Then he inked Jimmy Graham to a big contract. Certainly that was the splashiest tight end deal of the offseason. Signing Muhammad Wilkerson qualified as a bold move, the sort of signing you probably wouldn't have seen from Thompson.
In the draft, Green Bay nabbed a couple of cornerbacks early -- Jaire Alexander and Josh Jackson -- after trading down in the first round and getting a future first-round pick from the Saints next year. Both corners were considered potential first-round picks, and even if the Saints win next year, the Packers will have plenty of ammunition in the 2019 draft.
Green Bay president Mark Murphy, who initiated all the changes, said in a Forbes interview he was "extremely pleased" with the draft approach and liked the "aggressive" free agent moves.
"I think we've been a little bit more aggressive in free agency," Murphy said. "I think we helped ourselves there, but not at an exorbitant cost.
"In terms of the draft, I was extremely pleased. I thought that was run extremely well. I thought Brian handled the draft like a seasoned veteran. And I'm anxious to see the draft choices. I think there's a chance for at least a couple of them to have an immediate impact."
But soaking in the success -- and it's fair to call the Packers' offseason just that so far -- isn't what Thompson is here to do. He probably knows all of these moves are pointless if Green Bay doesn't legitimately challenge for a Super Bowl in 2018. He also wants people to know he didn't blow up the long-standing setup for fun.
"I didn't do it for enjoyment," Murphy said. "I did it because I think it will be the best thing for the organization. And hopefully if we're successful and it helps us win, then I'll really feel good about it."
The Packers have Rodgers under contract and will likely drop the news of a new extension at some point leading up to the 2018 season. They have one of the best quarterbacks in the entire world, which gives them an opportunity to win any season in which he plays. Green Bay's been great in terms of making deep runs in the playoffs over the last decade, but has fallen short each year since 2011, when Rodgers and Green Bay beat the Steelers to win his first Super Bowl.
In that moment, it felt like the Packers might reel off a couple of titles in a short span, but the Patriots remaining in power and the rise of several other impressive NFC contenders (Atlanta, Seattle, Carolina to name a few), plus injuries to Rodgers and a bunch of brutal postseason losses led to the Packers not even playing in a Super Bowl since then.
Thompson's moves this offseason made it clear the Packers president wants to try and secure a second title with Rodgers on the roster -- he should, because only coming away from Rodgers' career with a single Lombardi Trophy could very well be considered a disappointment.
Which is exactly why he's not happy settling for an Offseason Champions title belt, as rewarding as the immediate success may look on paper.
