There’s just no way to predict what the Green Bay Packers are going to do in free agency in any given off-season. Except that there is.

With the memories of a 2024 offseason that yielded bruising running back Josh Jacobs and All-Pro safety Xavier McKinney still fresh, Packers fans rolled into Monday convinced that General Manager Brian Gutekunst, armed with more available cap space than in recent memory, would bestow us with untold riches. Many felt strongly the Packers would go after edge rushers Myles Garrett (retained by Cleveland), Maxx Crosby (retained by the Raiders) or Harold Landry (snatched up by the Patriots). Not even Khalil Mack got a decent sniff, so he remains a Charger.

The Packers’ roster needs were obvious. As such, it seemed a no-brainer that, to help fill a chasm left by the Christian Watson injury, a premier deep-threat wide receiver like DK Metcalf (re-signed by the Seahawks), or a true No. 1 receiver like Packers legend Davante Adams (he jetted off to the West Coast to be a Ram). Heck, Packers fans probably would have settled for a reunion with Marquez Valdez-Scantling, but he’s now going to be lining up opposite Metcalf in Seattle.

How it would play out seemed so obvious and predictable.

So, what did Gutekunst do as soon as free agency opened on Monday? He signed a guard. A really big guard, that being former 49er Aaron Banks. He followed that up with another solid free agent acquisition in former Raiders cornerback Nate Hobbs, which did address a roster need and brings needed depth to the defensive backfield.

But hey, the talented and competitive Houston Texans signed a whopping seven new free agents to add to their roster. Meanwhile the Jacksonville Jaguars signed nine. So, what gives? Why didn’t the Packers sign more? And who could have predicted that Gutey would ignore pass rushers and wide receivers altogether?

What gives is precisely what’s predictable: The Packers always have a plan. And Gutekunst is hellbent on sticking with that plan rather than overpay for someone else’s veteran. What that exact plan is, fans are never privy to. All we can do is wait. And trust.

And hope.

But the truth is that anyone could have predicted that fans’ free agency predictions and wishes would be dead wrong. Did we ever REALLY think the Packers were going to trade for DK Metcalf? I mean, really? It never seemed realistic, because it just never seemed to fit the legendary Packer Way.

And that’s exactly why we should stop perseverating on whether the front office will trade for Cincinnati Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson. No chance is Gutekunst going to part with the kind of draft capital Cincinnati apparently is asking for, a price that The Athletic writer Dianna Russini said GMs around the NFL deem as “ridiculous.”

Let’s just be glad we got Brad McManus back, shall we? That’s a signing all Packers fans should be crediting Gutekunst with, rather than complaining about who he DIDN’T sign.

Wait. Isn’t Amari Cooper still available? And Cooper Kupp? Hmmm. (Naaah.)