Thoughts On Joe Barry Sticking Around, Packers Draft Day Trade Potential
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Good morning! It’s been a while since I’ve done a Packers Q&A. I asked you guys to send me your questions on youtube and I have plenty to go over.
“What are your thoughts on the front office deciding to keep Joe Barry?” (chadbaxter5578)
After the Packers got clobbered by the Philadelphia Eagles in week 12 I was fully ready to move on from Joe Barry. The Eagles ran for 363 yards. How does that happen?
If the season ended after week 12 I don’t think Joe Barry would have a job with the Packers. Luckily for Barry the season doesn’t end after week 12. He had to know that if he wanted to keep his job he needed to work some magic over the final 5 games to have a chance at sticking around. It seems that he did enough to convince Matt Lafleur to bring him back in 2023 for his 3rd year as the Packers defensive coordinator.
Do I think that the defense improving in the final 5 weeks was enough to give us confidence about Joe Barry leading this defense in 2023? As I first thought about this a few weeks ago I was going back and forth. Yes the Packers defense did play much better in the final 5 weeks, but 2 of those games were against teams that weren’t over .500, the Bears, who were the worst team in the NFL, and the Rams who no longer had their 2 best players in Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp.
So that means the Packers played 3 full games against talented teams at full strength? Not quite. The Dolphins were torching the Packers in the first half. Things did turn around in the second half but after learning about Tua’s concussion I’m not so sure if he was fully healthy if the result would have been the same. He threw 3 interceptions in the fourth quarter. He was not himself. I don’t think that takes away from the dominant performance by the Packers defense in the 2nd half but it’s important to point out.
The Packers did hold an explosive Minnesota offense to 17 and a talented offense in the Detroit Lions to 20 points. I can give Joe Barry props for those 2 performances. After getting smoked by Justin Jefferson in week 1 Joe Barry came to the realization that maybe it’s a good idea to have one of the best corners in the league in Jaire Alexander match up with Justin Jefferson.
So to sum it all up Joe Barry has led an inconsistent defense during his two year stretch in Green Bay. He turned it around at the end of the year but will he be able to start strong next season? The Packers defense shut down the 49ers offense in the 2021 playoffs which led many to believe that the Packers defense would continue that dominance heading into 2022. That was not the case. Overall the Packers finished as the 17th ranked scoring defense.
If I were Matt Lafleur I would have decided to make a change at defensive coordinator. Joe Barry has had 2 years here in Green Bay and we’ve seen inconsistent play from the defense. It doesn’t all fall on him because the players need to do their part as well. But this is the NFL and if your unit doesn’t eventually produce you are not going to have your job for long. I hope that Joe Barry can somehow turn this Packers defense into a top 10 unit next year. Matt Lafleur sounds convinced about keeping him around. Let’s hope Barry can figure it out and find more consistency in 2023.
“At this moment do you see the Packers trading up, down, or staying put with their first round draft position?” (Mit4798)
If I had to guess I’d say they stay put at 15 but Packers GM Brian Gutekunst has shown that he isn’t afraid to move up or down in drafts. Let’s take a look back to Brian Gutekunst’s first draft as GM in 2018 when the Packers had a very similar draft position.
If we look back to 2018 the Packers had the 14th pick in the draft. They ended up making a trade with the Saints sending the 14th pick and in return getting the 27th pick, a 6th round pick, and the Saints 2019 first round pick. The Packers then traded the 27th pick, their 2018 3rd rounder, and a 7th round pick to move up to #18 which is the pick they used to draft Jaire Alexander.
This ended up being a brilliant move by Brian Gutekunst. Not only did he hit a homerun by drafting Jaire Alexander at 18 but the Packers left with another first round pick in 2019. Masterful work.
If Brian Gutekunst thinks he can do something similar in the 2023 draft I’m all for it. It’ll really come down to the Packers board and if they think they need to stay at 15 to pick a guy they love or if he feels comfortable moving back.
“Who will the Packers retain between Lazard, and Cobb?” (evanhayes7577)
This will hinge on whether or not Aaron Rodgers returns to Green Bay in 2023. Rodgers has been adamant about the importance that he places on veterans in the locker room. The Packers traded for Randall Cobb in 2021 solely because Aaron Rodgers wanted him here. That wouldn’t have happened without Rodgers making it clear that he wanted Cobb. Rodgers and Cobb are best friends. I’d want my best friend around if I was in the same situation.
Randall Cobb is now 32 years old and will be 33 when the 2023 season begins. In 13 games he had 34 receptions for 417 yds and 1 touchdown. Not bad for a player nearing his mid thirties. He is going to be a free agent so if the Packers want to bring him back they’ll have to give him a new contract. If Rodgers ends up returning to Green Bay I predict Randall Cobb will be back as well. If Rodgers gets traded I honestly don’t see Brian Gutekunst keeping Cobb around.
Regardless of who is starting at QB in 2023 for the Packers I think it’s important that there is a veteran receiver in the room.
Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs are going to take massive steps forward in 2023 and there’s no doubt they are the future at WR, but considering it’ll only be their second year having a veteran who can lead that room is important. Allen Lazard was the most productive WR for the Packers in 2023 after Davante Adams departure to Las Vegas left hundreds of targets up for grabs. Lazard had the best year of his career with 60 receptions, 788 yards, and 6 touchdowns. I’d love to have Lazard back in 2023.
The question is how much is it going to cost and is Brian Gutekunst willing to pay up. Allen Lazard’s projected market value according to spotrac is 12.5 million per year. If we look back to last year Marquez Valdes-Scantling left Green Bay and signed with the Chiefs as a free agent for 10 mil per year.
Personally I believe that Lazard is more valuable than MVS because he’s more of an all around player. MVS is a great deep threat but he is less polished in other areas of his game. I’d pay Lazard 10-12 million because while he may not be the fastest and most athletic receiver he still produces. We also can’t look past his impact in the running game as a blocker. Matt Lafleur continuously praises that aspect of his game. If Cobb is gone I think the Packers bring back Lazard.
In my opinion the only way both of them are back is if Aaron Rodgers is under center for the Packers. If it’s Love I predict the Packers move on from Cobb. I’d lean towards them keeping Lazard in that situation. If for whatever reason they didn’t keep either of them it’s crucial to sign a veteran free agent WR. I love Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs as much as the next guy but we need much more depth outside of those young receivers.
That is all for today. Thanks for stopping by. I’ll answer more questions later this week so make sure you enter your email down below if you’d like to get sent my next Q&A. Have an amazing day and go pack go.