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Sometimes cliche sports sayings are accurate, ‘good teams don’t rebuild, they just reload.’ That seems to be the case with the Green Bay Packers. For years now, the Packers have been the cream of the crop in the NFC North. Not since Aaron Rodgers‘ first year as the starting quarterback five seasons ago, has the team failed to put up double-digit wins. But after two consecutive early round playoff exits, are the Packers still a legitimate threat in the NFC?
2013 is no doubt a season of transition for the Packers. With Greg Jennings and Charles Woodson no longer on the roster, new players will have to step up into leadership roles. But even though a few veterans have left town, it doesn’t mean there’s still not a ton of talent in place in Green Bay.
The team finally went out and bolstered its backfield in the draft this past April, and there’s a bunch of young playmakers in the receiver corps. The defense on the other hand, isn’t in as great of a place. Still, Clay Matthews has been locked up long-term, and several key additions were also made in the draft. It’s far from an elite unit, but it’s one that should be able to limit opposing teams enough, for Rodgers and the offense to outscore them.
Overall, this is not the most talented group of guys the Packers have put on the field over the past five years. It’s a young squad with much to prove on Sundays, but I think it’s a squad that’s rightly favored to win the NFC North. That’s saying quite a bit for a team that’s transitioning, and also competing with two other 10-win teams from 2012.
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