Analyst Reveals Favorite Green Bay Packers Move of Offseason

Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst was busy this offseason. There were several major roster moves made as he looks to keep the positive momentum built in 2024 moving in the right direction.

The team came into the offseason with a few glaring needs. Arguably the biggest was at the safety position. For years, the backend of the Green Bay Packers’ defense was a question mark.

Darnell Savage Jr. departed in free agency, creating an even bigger void. While his production became shaky in recent years, he was the most established option the team had at the position.

Savage signing a deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars led to Gutekunst making a major move in free agency. To replace the veteran leadership and production they were losing, the team signed Xavier McKinney away from the New York Giants.

McKinney is arguably the best pass coverage safety in the NFL and strong in run defense as well. He is versatile enough to fill several roles on defense and most importantly he is durable. Injuries decimated the Green Bay Packers’ secondary at times last season. In 2023, McKinney played every defensive snap for the Giants.

His addition is a major one for the franchise and drew praise from several analysts and evaluators. One of the people who liked the signing was Seth Walder of ESPN, who named the McKinney signing as his favorite of the Green Bay Packers moves this offseason.

“To bolster that they made one marquee free agent signing, landing McKinney from the Giants on a deal that averages $16.75 million per year and includes $23 million fully guaranteed. That’s high but not wildly high. Consider that Jamal Adams‘ deal in 2021 with the Seahawks was the 2024 equivalent of $24.5 million per year. Plus, McKinney fills a need for the Packers’ defense,” Walder wrote.

McKinney becomes one of the highest-paid safeties in the NFL, a position that has been devalued some around the league. But, that is a good thing for the Green Bay Packers, who are getting an elite player to fill a weakness without breaking the bank.

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