The Green Bay Packers rolled the dice with the Jaire Alexander uncertainty, but it looks increasingly likely they will get away with it.
Rewind to the start of the offseason, and all signs pointed to an ugly breakup between the Packers and their All-Pro cornerback. Even Brian Gutekunst provided not-so-subtle hints with his direct and blunt responses. There was no sugarcoating it.
Then everything changed. Recent rumors indicated a reunion is on the table, and Matt Schneidman of The Athletic effectively slam-dunked that possibility into a reality on the opening day of OTAs.
Schneidman provided two important updates. The first was that the Packers have offered Alexander a revised contract, highlighting their interest in bringing him back. But just as important, the All-Pro wants to stick around.
Per Schneidman, Alexander "wants to remain in Green Bay" and plans to attend mandatory minicamp, even if his contract situation isn't resolved.
Packers rolled the dice with Jaire Alexander uncertainty, but it seemingly landed on a six
Schneidman stressed the two sides haven't resolved the situation yet. The Packers could still move on. But with both parties keen to make it work, it sure sounds like Green Bay's former first-round pick will wear the green and gold once more.
Before this surprising turnaround, and despite Alexander seemingly headed for the exit, the Packers did little to replace him.
Sure, they signed Nate Hobbs in free agency, but his arrival also helped replenish the depth chart after the free-agency floodgates opened — Eric Stokes, Corey Ballentine, and Robert Rochell all departed.
Like last year, Gutekunst gambled by avoiding the cornerback position early in the draft. But he might just get away with it.
Alexander's injury history is concerning, having missed exactly half of the Packers' regular-season contests over the past four years. But if he can stay healthy, his return would be massive for this defense. Alexander still played like an All-Pro last season.
Put him in a secondary along with Hobbs, Xavier McKinney, and Evan Williams, and the Packers would be an improved pass rush away from fielding a truly dominant defense. Has the pass rush improved? Potentially, although the team may need another signing to take the offseason work over the goal line.
With OTAs underway and mandatory minicamp just around the corner, we may finally get an Alexander decision. The forecast looks far brighter than in the dark days of the early offseason.