Packers stick to their usual free agency strategy despite Brian Gutekunst's bold statement about ramping up urgency this offseason

Generally speaking, the Packers won't get mid-level signings. They target specific players they think can play their best football in Green Bay, with long-term implications, opening the door for development elsewhere.

"The opportunities that present themselves, whether that be free agency, trade, are different every year. Every year there's not gonna be a Josh Jacobs and a Xavier McKinney out there to go get," Gutekunst added. "So we'll see what transpires with the free agency class, who gets re-signed, who doesn't, if there's salary cap casualties, if there's trade opportunities, all those. But we always operate under the kind of aggressive mindset. But we have a process that we go through and we'll see what's available. If it's right for us, we're gonna attack it. But if it's not there, it's not there."

The good

As always, there's good and bad with every type of approach. For the Packers, the good has been the opportunity for younger players. Sometimes, signing mid-level veterans will affect how many chances developmental pieces get.

Had the Packers taken a veteran left tackle to replace David Bakhtiari, for example, and Rasheed Walker wouldn't have developed into a solid and cheap offensive lineman. Carrington Valentine wouldn't have shown what he's capable of as an amazing value for a seventh-round pick.

There are examples like this up and down the roster. Gutekunst gives young players space for growth, and several of them justify the investment.

It's a draft and development franchise, and for players to truly develop, they need opportunities to play.

The bad

But there is a downside to this approach as well. Usually, the Packers tend to give players chances to prove themselves in the offseason program and into training camp. However, if no one steps up at a particular position, there's not much else the team can do.

By August, the top free agents, and even most of the mid ones, have already been signed. Moreover, it's hard to acclimate players to the team's system and overall environment getting them so late in the process.

It means that if the young players at a certain spot don't take advantage of the chances, the chances of the team addressing the need are extremely limited, and that will probably be a weak spot for the team throughout the season.

This specific offseason, it would be fair to expect a different approach—at least for the defensive side. With Jeff Hafley making the most out of his group last year, the Packers could lean more into that to make smaller additions as scheme fits.

But that's simply not how the Packers operate, and they are keeping their normal approach. Specific targets, guys they truly believe, but usually in small numbers. After all, it's always about draft and development.