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The Green Bay Packers beefed up their offensive line on Monday\u00a0when they signed\u00a0left guard\u00a0Aaron Banks. The move to get Banks on a four-year deal gives the Packers their left guard for the next few years.<\/p>\n
The domino effect it\u2019s leaving on the rest of the offensive line is intriguing. The most pressing question: What happens with\u00a0Jordan Morgan\u00a0in 2025?<\/p>\n
Morgan was Green Bay\u2019s first-round pick in 2024, a versatile lineman out of Arizona. When training camp started last year, it became evident that Green Bay would let\u00a0Sean Rhyan\u00a0and Morgan battle for the starting right guard spot. Morgan suffered a\u00a0shoulder injury\u00a0in camp, which limited Morgan, and Rhyan ultimately won the gig.<\/p>\n
Green Bay didn\u2019t pack things in, though. Morgan played 28 snaps in Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles and 20 in Week 2 against the Indianapolis Colts. While Rhyan earned the starts, the Packers were filtering in Morgan at right guard during games.<\/p>\n
Morgan\u00a0reinjured his shoulder\u00a0in Week 2, causing Morgan to miss the next three games. Upon returning in Week 6, Morgan logged snaps in four consecutive games and started Week 9 against the Detroit Lions.<\/p>\n
Again, Morgan reinjured the shoulder, and the Packers\u00a0ruled him out\u00a0for the season in the middle of November, ending a roller-coaster ride of a rookie campaign.<\/p>\n
There would already be a logjam for Morgan to work through in 2025; the Banks signing only adds to it.<\/p>\n
Banks will be cemented as the left guard, while\u00a0Elgton Jenkins\u00a0will likely slide over one spot to center.\u00a0Zach Tom\u00a0isn\u2019t going anywhere at right tackle, and\u00a0Rasheed Walker\u00a0and Rhyan were the starters at left tackle and right guard, respectively, last season.<\/p>\n
Is it possible that in his second year, even after being a first-round pick, Morgan will be a reserve in 2025?<\/p>\n
It\u2019s very possible.<\/p>\n
Walker was solid at left tackle in 2024. Handing over the gig to Morgan just because they used a premium pick on him wouldn\u2019t be smart team-management.<\/p>\n
Rhyan was stout at right guard and brought a relentless motor every week. The best opportunity for Morgan in 2025 might be to split looks at right guard with Rhyan like Green Bay was willing to do last year before the shoulder injury kept popping up. If not, Green Bay can flex some incredible depth with Morgan as a reserve.<\/p>\n
That will cause some fans to start screaming that Morgan is a bust already when that\u2019s simply not the case. Morgan wouldn\u2019t be a reserve because of his performance. He\u2019d be a reserve because of who\u2019s in place and where they\u2019re situated on the offensive line.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a clear path for Morgan starting in 2026 if the Packers remain patient.<\/p>\n
Banks\u2019 deal is a heavy financial investment for Green Bay up front. Tom\u00a0will be getting\u00a0a massive extension at some point \u2014 the sooner, the better for the Packers because the cost will only rise. However, Walker and Rhyan are entering the last year of their deals. It just so happens that the two slots where Morgan fits are right guard and left tackle, and Rhyan and Walker occupy those spots.<\/p>\n
It\u2019d be somewhat of a surprise if, after the deal with Banks and Tom\u2019s expected extension, the Packers ponied up a sizable offer for Walker or Rhyan.<\/p>\n
Walker is the blindside protector for\u00a0Jordan Love, a major role on the offense. He\u2019s far outplayed the expectations of a seventh-round pick. As a result, someone will pay him, it just may not be in Green Bay.<\/p>\n
Fair or not, the reality is that the Packers have to find out if Morgan can be a cornerstone of the offensive line. If he\u2019s not a cornerstone, is there a spot where he can be an above-average starter? No team takes someone in the first round and is content with letting them settle in as a reserve for years on end. That\u2019s a recipe for disaster and an easy way for a front-office staff to get shown the door.<\/p>\n
With the situation the Packers are in now, they\u2019re likely itching to see what they have in Morgan. They also have the self-awareness to recognize Morgan being a backup at two spots for one season isn\u2019t devastating because it\u2019s not a long-term prospect.<\/p>\n
Before the Banks signed on Monday,\u00a0reports surfaced\u00a0that the Packers would not bring back center\u00a0Josh Myers. Immediately, speculation began about Jenkins or Rhyan moving to center, with Morgan slotting in at one of the vacant guard spots. The Banks deal swiftly negated that idea. Now, it\u2019s become more realistic to expect Morgan to be a reserve in 2025.<\/p>\n
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