Thursday Cheese Curds: Packers look to fill veteran leadership void heading into 2024

Veterans who departed this offseason will leave some big shoes to fill, but Jordan Love looks ready to step into them.

Every year, the makeup of an NFL team’s locker room changes. Some players leave, new ones come in, and the first day of offseason workouts always sees a group that is different — sometimes drastically so — from the group that left the building at the end of the prior season.

That has been very much the case for the Green Bay Packers over the last few years, as the team has consistently moved on from key veterans. In 2022, the Packers traded Davante Adams to the Raiders; last year, Aaron Rodgers finally left for New Jersey. This year it’s David Bakhtiari and Aaron Jones who have left the organization, and that veteran turnover creates a void in the locker room, but one that provides an opportunity for young players to step up.

Jordan Love stepped up on the field last year in place of Rodgers, leading the Packers to the playoffs in his first season as a starter. Now with two of the team’s longest-tenured players moved on (acknowledging that Bakhtiari was on injured reserve for much of the 2023 season), Love will need to step up and be one of the team’s vocal leaders, especially given all of the youth on his side of the football.

The defense still has Kenny Clark, Preston Smith, Rashan Gary, and Jaire Alexander around to be the on-field and locker room leaders. But on offense, the Packers have just one player who has been in the organization longer than love: Elgton Jenkins. Because of the position he plays, his tenure, and necessity, Love will be called upon to do even more this season off the field as he continues to work to improve on it.

Packers expect bigger leadership role from Jordan Love in 2024 – ESPN
The headline seems obvious, but the Packers’ decision to part ways with Bakhtiari and Jones will create a veteran leadership void, particularly in the offensive huddle. It will be Love’s responsibility to fill it.

Packers promote Bryan Engel and Nate Weir | Packers.com
The man nicknamed “Flea” now has a fancy title, moving up to vice president of player health and performance, while his assistant director, Weir, takes his old job as director of sports medicine and head trainer.

Free agency helped raise the floor at CB for Packers | Packers Wire
By bringing back Keisean Nixon and Corey Ballentine, the Packers maintained a cornerback room that should at least be competent as-is. Now the question will be whether they raise the ceiling for this unit with the addition of a draft pick or two.

Packers NFL Draft mailbag: Green Bay trading up, underrated need, edge possibility – The Athletic ($)
There continue to be rumblings about the Packers potentially moving up in round one, especially given their five picks in the top 100.

Residents Beg Michigan Mayor to Stop Solar Eclipse | 100.5 The River
“Mister mayor, can’t you just switch off the sun for a few hours so our quiet little down doesn’t get overrun with tourists?”