To win a super bowl there is no doubt the Packers defense has to improve. All of your points are right on. But, with the salary cap situation that Green Bay has to live with in 2024, outside of the coming draft, where and how are they going to find new guys that are going to be substantially better?

Savage seems to play better in the box; but mostly plays deeper. Packers have a tradition of picking man coverage CBs; and having them play zone. Let Alexander play close to the WR. MLF needs to pick a DC who knows how to use players where their strengths are.

I'll be swimming against the current, again.

We dress 21 Typically, that's 5 DL, 4 OLB/EDGE types, 3 interior LBs , and 9 DBs, usually 4 safeties and 5 corners.

Under contract for next year: Clark, Wyatt, Slaton, Wooden, Brooks. Gary, VanNess, PSmith, Enagbare (who won't be available until mid-season, most likely). Campbell, Walker, McDuffie. Alexander, Stokes, Nixon, Savage,Owens, Valentine. AJ Johnson and Brenton Cox.

It certainly appears to me that most of our defense is already under contract. If I check the 2024 roster out at Spotrac, it shows that Nixon, Savage, and Owens are free agents. If they depart, it will create an opportunity to draft their replacement, but I'm not seeing a need or a plan to clean house

IMO, the most bang for the buck is to figure out how to get one more scoring drive/game out of the offense, because if we can do that, we can win with the guys we have on defense now. We will add to the secondary, quite possibly in the first round, and I'd prefer a corner instead of a safety.

No question the middle of the defense needs major upgrades. I would start on the line of scrimmage. They've got to be better vs the run. We need a big time, run stuffing big guy. Slaton is ok, he's no Gilbert Brown. He needs someone to go along with him to eat up blocks so the LB's can run free and make tackles. Speaking of LB's, no question LB is a position of need. I'm not convince Quay needs to be MLB1. I think he's a formidable 2. We need and absolute "dawg" on the inside. Baltimore has two in Smith and Queens, SF has two in Greenlaw and Warner. We need a dude that will smash your face in, help sure up the run defense. Safety, no question, there are no answers in the building right now. We won't be big players in free agency but Safety probably needs to be at the top of the list. I would add an edge rusher to the defense. Gary took a big step back after he got paid. We need a guy, that on third down, the offense is game-planning to stop. He's not on the roster right now.

Gutekunst needs to look to replace both inside linebackers. Walker is so slow to react he gets catch in the wash to much and sometimes quits when a lineman frees up and squares off at him on the second level. He is a coach killer. Both ILB’s and safeties need upgrades,

Thanks Aaron for completing the picture on this defense. Bringing in a new DC without addressing the talent gaps will yield more of the same. I take my hat off to Gutekunst on the recent draft for the offensive side of the ball. Given the draft investment on defense, we have not done as well. He tends to fall in love with guys and over drafts on defense. He needs to listen to others in the draft room when it comes to defense.

I said it in a few games, like Atlanta, that even if JB managed to make a decent play call that the tackler would whiff. One play in particular against Falcons, a GB defender had runner at LOS, never made contact, and it went for like 10 yards. Many GB defenders should get charged Uber rates for all the rides that they take.

After I have so many years of bad defense. I have regularly wondered why packers regularly seem to be bad tacklers. Meanwhile, other teams are perennial solid tackling teams.

I do wonder if it is the passiveness of the defense that drives it. So many times you see spectators on the packers defense when it comes to tackling. But I also see guys that care. I just hope MLF gets an aggressive DC that engages the players and doesn't drive futility.

I would say Ruthless fixing the Cap.
Not the Defense.
Nixon needs more time.
Savage needs to be moved.
Owens played with heart.
And Campbell has regressed
but was injured.

If you want to get back to the play-offs.
Keep the chemistry in tack.

Keep the bargains, but draft the position.

To improve, we need aggressive scheming (from a new DC), a teacher to improve tackling (a new DC and better D staff) and personnel changes (Gutes). The cap is again going to seriously constrain us on free agents. Argh! So, I can see Gutes getting serious on evaluating big payroll guys and paying Love like an elite QB. Bakh for sure is far too expensive. Campbell is likely one, but the guy when healthy is very good albeit expensive. Smith only alleviates 2.5 mil but he maintains a good edge. Jaire is an expensive question mark both in health and his ego/attitude. Stokes - far too injury prone. It's going to be interesting. GPG

The cap will seriously impede our ability to sign top end free agents. I think they will likely sign one mid-tier free agent either a slot corner or more likely a safety. I don't know that you would want to be starting 2 rookie safety's which is why I think the one free agent they sign will likely be from that position group. They have 5 picks in the top 100. I would expect 4 of the 5 to be on the defensive side of the ball..With compensatory picks they'll go into the draft with 11 picks.If they hold to that number 7 out of the 11 will likely be to restock the defense, with the remaining going to running back and o-line.

Campbell was a risky extension after he had an anomalous, career year when he first came aboard.. His body of work says he's just a guy. Starter? Yes. Plus starter? I don't think so.

Savage has about five to seven games in his career where he's flashed, otherwise, just a guy. There was one game his sophomore year where he made a break on a ball thrown to the far sideline from outside the hashes and he nearly broke up the play- in that moment, he looked like he had the range of
Nick Collins.. never saw anything remotely like that again. I was not thrilled when the Packers picked up his 5th year option.

Nixon was over-paid to retain a ST return threat on a squad that needed a bright spot to build on. He seems to have been given nickleback / slot duties to justify the salary. He is not good enough to keep that position. I would keep him as depth, but there should be better brought in.

With stokes on the mend again, he clearly cant be looked at as CB#2.. so.. we also need another corner to play opposite Jaire as well. Will they rely on Valentine or Ballentine?

There is work to be done.

If Christian Parker is hired, he is a successful DB coach and hopefully Gute will listen to his suggestions re: personnel choices. The DC needs to accompany Gutekunst while he is evaluating D. players.
I would also pay more attention to Wonderlic scores. There may have been playbook comprehension issues with some of the D.

More pieces to be added through draft and maybe F/A if theres money avail...im wondering if Van Ness is going to take a step up next year...that would be nice...for a player taken higher up in the draft its time for him to be more than a project...