Jan 1, 2023; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur encourages the fans to make noise during the first quarter of their game against the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark Hoffman-Imagn Images
In a frenzied past 48 hours of signings and trades, the Green Bay Packers may have slipped under the radar with their pair of moves so far: a 4-year, $77M deal for 49ers guard Aaron Banks and 4 years, $48M for Raiders cornerback Nate Hobbs.
Meanwhile, GM Brian Gutekunst whiffed on the headliners–probably, for the most part, by design, as the Packers have historically not been a splashy offseason team.
Khalil Mack and DK Metcalf have signed elsewhere, as have a slew of other big-name players.
While solid acquisitions, Banks, Hobbs, and linebacker Isaiah McDuffie, whom the Packers re-signed early last week, are hardly the gaudy market gouges fans may have hoped for after all the Metcalf and Myles Garrett talk.
Green Bay Packers Fail To Impress in Free Agency
In PFF’s opinion, “solid” is a generous appraisal of the Packers’ free agent activity on Monday.
PFF on Banks:
G Aaron Banks signs with Green Bay Packers
- 2024 PFF Grade : 65.4
- 2024 PFF WAR : 0.08
- Contract: 4 years, $77 million
- PFF Projected Contract: 4 years, $65 million ($37.5 million guaranteed)
- PFF Deal Grade: Below Average
The good news with this deal is that Banks is coming off a career-high 65.4 PFF overall grade in 2024 and has developed throughout his NFL career. However, a deal that makes him the sixth-highest-paid guard in football is very rich. The Packers are betting on his continued development.
Part of the pause PFF has with this deal is 1) the fact that the Packers may have overpaid for a player of Banks’ quality and 2) the related point that they are shelling out for a player with a relatively unimpressive track record.
As for Hobbs:
CB Nate Hobbs signs with Green Bay Packers
- 2024 PFF Grade : 61.4
- 2024 PFF WAR : 0.05
- Contract: 4 years, $48 million ($16 million guaranteed)
- PFF Projected Contract: 1 year, $4 million ($2 million guaranteed)
- PFF Deal Grade: Below Average
The Packers will hope they can find the rookie version of Nate Hobbs, who in 2021 earned a 79.2 PFF coverage grade, the best of his career. 2024 was the worst year of his career, as he allowed a catch on 68.1% of passes into his coverage while posting a career-low 6.4% forced incompletion percentage. He was also limited healthwise by an ankle injury, missing six of the Raiders’ final eight games.
On the flip side to Banks, Hobbs saw his stock fall after 2024, making him a buy-low opportunity. By PFF’s accounting, however, if anything, the Packers committed a massive overpay. The discrepancy between their projected deal and the one he signed seems a bit wonky. While Green Bay may have overpaid, it is unlikely that the market would overvalue a player to that extent.
How Much Can Green Bay Expect to Get from Banks, Hobbs
For both of their latest signings, at least, the Packers can at least claim that they have made positive impact additions, even by PFF standards. They may not be earth-shattering, but they both bring in players who provided positive WAR contributions last season. Outside of quarterback, is hard for a single athlete to make an enormous difference in terms of wins.
Even moves PFF graded in the “elite” tier, such as the Commanders’ trade for Texans tackle Laremy Tunsil, a 0.46 WAR player last season, are not going to move the needle much in terms of Super Bowl odds or projected win totals.
That said, adding a player like Tunsil will have a measurable on-field impact for Washington’s offensive line. Re-signing Garrett does the same for Cleveland, although, by himself, he isn’t going to save them from mediocrity.
It is hard to fault PFF for being unimpressed with Green Bay’s moves thus far. Fans can probably agree that it would be nice to see Gutekunst do something more before the last top level talent leaves the market.
