By John Sarianides
Packers general manager Ted Thompson made it a point this off-season to upgrade a Packers secondary that was brutal last season.
Between injuries and inconsistent play, Green Bay’s secondary was the single biggest reason the Packers failed to reach the Super Bowl once again.
Thompson addressed the problem in April’s draft by taking Washington cornerback Kevin King in the second round and strong safety Josh Jones in the third round. Thompson also signed former Packer Davon House in free agency.
Green Bay also re-signedfree agent defensive end Nick Perry. Perry along with outside linebacker Clay Matthews form one of the best pass rushing duos in the NFL.
The Packers defense should be better in 2017.
Offensively, Thompson signed free agent tight end Martellus Bennett to a three year, $30 million dollar deal. Bennett joins arguably the best receiving corp in the NFL and he give Aaron Rodgers another weapon.
When healthy, the Packers have a top five offense on paper and this season shouldn’t be any different.
Here are three keys for the 2017 Packers.
1. Defensive Improvement: The Packers need to be better defensively. Aaron Rodgers is 34 years old. He is entering the back end of his career. The Packers can ill-afford to waste anymore of his prime years. The defense needs to improve and complement the offense.
2. Ty Must Be the Guy: I have my reservations as to whether or not Ty Montgomery can be the lead back for the Packers. Montgomery can be effective as a dual threat running back but he is not going to carry the ball more than 15 times in a game. Rookie Jamal Williams out of BYU needs to be an effective complement to Montgomery if the Packers want to have an effective running game.
3. FINISH! The Packers are once again a sexy pick to get to the Super Bowl. It will be tough in the crowded NFC but the Packers certainly have the talent to do it. The Packers must finish the deal and get to Minneapolis for Super Bowl LII.
In the End: The Packers will once again be one of the favorites in the NFC. They need to stay healthy and the defense needs to plsy well. If those two things happen, Rodgers and company will find themselves in Minneapolis the first weekend in February.