This Was Written Last Offseason Too: The Packers Need More Cornerbacks

The cornerback position was a mess for the Green Bay Packers during the 2016 season. You can squint at the stats and say it got better last season, but that had more to do with how the games played out, since the Packers had a broken offense and they didn't force opponents into throwing and playing catch-up.

They haven't been strong at cornerback since before Charles Woodson was injured during in 2011, but they had kept it somewhat respectable with Sam Shields as their top cornerback. But now it's approaching two years since Shields played an NFL snap and the Packers' cornerback position has been a disaster since he's been out.

Grading the #Packers cornerbacks from 2017, and looking ahead to how new GM Brian Gutekunst might fix the mess he inherited this offseason. https://t.co/PLHptjtVK2

— Ryan Wood (@ByRyanWood) February 14, 2018

The silver lining to the 2017 season was that Kevin King and Damarious Randall both looked like legitimate starting cornerbacks. The problem is that neither one was healthy for 16 games last season and Randall famously flamed out during an early season game in Chicago. If they really could count on them both next season then I'd only be writing about finding depth and a reliable slot corner (how are Casey Hayward and Micah Hyde doing these days...never mind).

But they can't count on either of them next season. They're the only keepers who can compete for starting jobs but the Packers have to look towards revamping the entire unit.

The entire coaching and strategy side of the defense has already changed. DC Dom Capers was fired, they let safeties coach Darren Perry leave too, and they've handed over the keys to the pass defense to cornerback coach Joe Whitt. It doesn't seem like a stretch that they'd turn over the roster at cornerback either.

The Packers played their final game of the 2017 season with Pipkins and Hawkins at corner and the Lions torched the secondary. Rollins and Goodson are usually hurt, and haven't shown much on the field when healthy. Swapping out LaDarius Gunter for Davon House was meaningless, as limited as Gunter is, House wasn't any different last season. If all 5 of them were released or allowed to leave as free agents, that's fine.

The history of free agent cornerbacks is littered with cautionary tales. They could sign a veteran for a $10 million AAV and it might not be a meaningful upgrade. They might not be able to sign the top two free agent cornerbacks at any price. There are reasons to flinch on every high priced cornerback this offseason, but they have to kick the tires on them. Maybe now they'll actually sign one or two free agent veterans and I'd rather see them bring in a multiple veterans who are coming off injuries or down seasons on one-year "prove it" contracts. I'd rather they take chances on many players instead of risking that one high priced signing works out.

Then there's the draft. I'm sick and tired of young cornerbacks but they have to keep drafting them. It's not a strong draft class so they'll have to scout around the late 2nd, 3rd and 4th rounds for overlooked players.

I'll become a huge fan of the new GM if he can finally find a couple of reliable cornerbacks this year.