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Green Bay defense

Can new additions get team back to contention?

A story on NFL.com suggests the key to Green Bay getting back to contention this year will be an improved defense. They added a couple of high-priced free agents and used their early draft picks on defenders. So maybe. There's certainly ample room for improvement.

The only uncertainty I have is that most of their biggest acquisitions (top pick Rashan Gary and free agents Preston Smith and ZaDarius Smith) are all meant to provide pass rush, and that hasn't been an issue for this defense. The Packers have had a top-10 pass rush in six of the last seven years. Over that span, only five teams have had more sacks. Best the new additions will do is enable them to hold serve in that regard.

TEAM SACKS, 2012-2018
Team'12'13'14'15'16'17'18Total
Carolina39604044475035315
LA Rams52534041314841306
Denver52414152423344305
Pittsburgh37343348385652298
Minnesota44414143413750297
Green Bay47444143403744296
Arizona38473536483749290
New England37484049344230280
Kansas City27474647283152278
Seattle36443737423943278
Baltimore37404937314143278
Chicago41313935374250275
Tennessee39363939404339275
Buffalo36575421392736270
Washington32363738384246269
Philadelphia30374937343844269
Houston44323845313243265
New Orleans30493431304249265
Cincinnati51432042334134264
Jacksonville20314536335537257
Detroit34334242263543255
NY Jets30414539272839249
Miami42423931333031248
LA Chargers38352632354338247
Indianapolis32424135332538246
Dallas34342831363839240
San Francisco38383628333037240
Cleveland38403129263437235
Tampa Bay27353638382238234
NY Giants33344723352730229
Atlanta29322219343937212
Oakland25382238253113192

It's in terms of takeaways where Green Bay has struggled in recent years. They haven't ranked in the top 10 in that area in any of the last four years. Over that span, they've been a bottom 10 team in terms of takeaways.

TEAM TAKEAWAYS, 2015-2018
Team'15'16'17'18Total
Kansas City29332627115
Carolina39272122109
LA Rams26182830102
Philadelphia26263117100
Arizona3328211698
Denver2727172798
Tampa Bay2329261795
Buffalo2518252795
Washington2620232695
LA Chargers2028272095
Baltimore1428341793
Seattle2219252692
NY Giants2725192192
New Orleans2221252492
New England2123182890
Pittsburgh3023221590
Indianapolis2517202688
Minnesota2227192088
Houston2517162987
Chicago1711223686
Oakland2530141786
Miami1625152884
Green Bay2225221584
NY Jets3012202082
Jacksonville1813331781
Cincinnati2820141880
Atlanta2322161980
Cleveland2113133178
Detroit1814321478
Tennessee1918211775
Dallas1120212072
San Francisco122020759

The Packers are counting on an improved secondary changing that. They also used a first-round pick on safety Darnell Savage, and signed another safety, Adrian Amos, away from Chicago.

I didn't include Green Bay in my initial top 20 defenses. I'm figuring the pass rush might hold serve, at best, and I'm not even confident in that. It's not a given that Gary is going to step in and be a star, despite his lofty selection, and neither of the Smiths will necessarily be a game-changer. The idea that Mike Pettine is going to build a championship contender on the defensive side of the ball looks optimistic.

It will be on offense where Green Bay either succeeds or fails in 2019. If they made a good coaching hire in Matt LaFleur, there's potential for a bounce-back year from Aaron Rodgers, and another NFC North title. But I'm not expecting it to be a difference-making defense, fantasy or otherwise.

--Andy Richardson

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