Packers head into offseason optimistic

GREEN BAY — The Green Bay Packers bounce back season ended with a dud in a 37-20 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday.

While the season didn’t end how the team hoped it would, there was optimism throughout the Packers’ organization in the days that followed.

“I do think we have a really talented roster, I do. I think Gutey (general manager Brian Gutekunst) has done an incredible job of providing us with not only great players but great people. I’m excited about our future moving forward,” said Packers coach Matt LaFleur.

One of the players that sung the praises of the organization was quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who spent a good portion of his postgame press conference on Sunday talking about the future.

No. 12 said that while Sunday’s loss stung, the team’s window was open for winning an NFC title and getting back to the Super Bowl in the near future.

Rodgers hinted that the Packers were ahead of schedule this year, saying the season was special to him because, “it didn’t make a lot of sense. We weren’t picked by most people to win our division and we found a way to not only do that but win a home playoff game and get to this spot (NFC title game). It just kind of felt like it was meant to be almost.”

While a 14-4 record in the first year under a new coach is pretty rare, the team didn’t receive a lot of hype because there were a lot of ugly wins along the way.

LaFleur’s offense showed flashes of greatness, but it was inconsistent from drive to drive. The rookie coach says he liked the progress the unit showed but that is was still evolving and will continue to do so into his second year as coach.

LaFleur said the team wasn’t able to get to the up-tempo pace it hoped to and that there was plenty of room for growth in the coming years.

The Packers’ defense improved from past seasons with the additions of outside linebackers Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith and safety Adrian Amos, but it was often a bend-but-don’t-break approach that was exhibited on the field.

For the rookie coaches that are able to turn in strong first seasons, typically things get a lot tougher in the years to follow. LaFleur expects next season to be tough.

“I know it’s not going to be easy. I know it’s not. We got to do our best to prepare our players for the grind of another season,” said LaFleur. “There’s always new challenges ahead and we’re going to have to battle through some adversity that maybe we didn’t have to experience this first season. But like I said, I’m excited, I’m optimistic — but it’s going to be done one day at a time.”

“There’s more out there for us.”

Roster moves

While the Packers’ roster likely won’t be overhauled with free-agent pickups and rookies like it was this past offseason, there are several big decisions that Gutekunst will need to make this season.

Middle linebacker Blake Martinez is one of the biggest free agents the team has after leading the team in tackles the past several years.

“It’s been really emotional, it’s been tough,” said Martinez on Monday. “It’s crazy to think that this might be one of the last times I’m in here (the team’s locker room). Obviously, I’d love to be back here and I want to be back here.”

Right tackle Bryan Bulaga, tight end Marcedes Lewis, cornerback Tramon Williams and kicker Mason Crosby are among 15 total non-restricted free agents the team has.

Receivers Allen Lazard and Jake Kumerow, defensive lineman Tyler Lancaster, cornerback Chandon Sullivan and tight end Robert Tonyan are exclusive rights free agents (players that have fewer than three accrued seasons and an expired contract). If the Packers offer these players a one-year contract and the league minimum (based on the player’s credited seasons), the player cannot negotiate with other teams.

Video cameras surrounded some of the free agents as they packed up their gear and departed the locker room on Monday. Many of the players exchanged hugs, handshakes and some parting words, possibly for the last time as teammates.

No big coaching changes expected

A big question that arose after Sunday’s season-ending loss was whether defensive coordinator Mike Pettine would be back after the defense was manhandled by the 49ers’ running attack.

Despite LaFleur saying, “We’re still working through everything right now, just trying to evaluate everything,” when asked if he would retain Pettine at the head coach’s season-ending press conference Wednesday morning, it was just a few hours later that is was announced the Packers would be bringing back Pettine.

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