Thursday Cheese Curds: 2026 Packers are a work in progress
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - FEBRUARY 24: General manager Brian Gutekunst of the Green Bay Packers speaks to the media during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 24, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) | Getty ImagesThe Packers have drawn some criticism for the way they've handled their offseason so far. Personally, most of the criticism doesn't really land; I think what the Packers have done makes sense and really couldn't have played out much differently. There wasn't much reason to keep most of the free agents who left (or those who were made to leave in the case of Rashan Gary and Elgton Jenkins), and even those for whom there was an argument for keeping (Quay Walker, for example) quickly priced themselves out of what made sense for the Packers.
That's not to say their plans are above criticism or without fault. They're leaning pretty heavily on two fairly old players to fill holes in their defense (Zaire Franklin and Javon Hargrave), and they're really banking on hits in the draft to fill the rest of their holes (at corner, for instance). There's a lot of hope required for that plan to work.
But the offseason isn't over. The Packers have plenty of cap flexibility to do what needs doing, and could still court some veteran free agents after the draft. And to that point, the NFL Draft is still on its way; even if the Packers don't have a first round pick, they'll still be adding to their roster.
The 2026 Packers are a work in progress, and that's a fine thing to be in April. Most teams will be a work in progress for most of the season. The real question is whether or not this can become a championship-caliber team by the end of the season. That still seems very possible, but there's a long way to go.
From Free Agency to Draft, Perfect Ways for Packers to Fill Remaining Holes | Sports Illustrated
There's still plenty of work to be done on the Packers' roster. Here's a good road map for what tools they could use to get that work done.
2026 NFL mock draft: Kiper, Miller, Reid, Yates on Rounds 1-3 | ESPN
Multi-round mock drafts are borderline useless, but it's all we've got for this year and next since the Packers are fresh out of first round picks.
Miami coach Jeff Hafley still cheering for Packers' Micah Parsons, just not as much | Packers News
There's a chance Hafley is going to avoid seeing Parsons, depending on when the Packers end up playing the Dolphins.I bet he's got his fingers crossed.
Packers historian Cliff Christl explores the greatness of two of the greatest Packers.
NASA's really neat Artemis II tracker | NASA
Did you check out NASA's Artemis II launch yesterday? Here's a neat little tool to keep track of what happens next.