5 players the Packers were right to move on from in 2023
Which players were the Green Bay Packers right to move on from in 2023?
Making tough decisions is part of the job of an NFL general manager. To his credit, Brian Gutekunst has made some big moves during his time as Green Bay Packers GM.
Gutekunst chose to move on from Jordy Nelson, no matter how much the fanbase loved him. He also traded up for Jordan Love in the first round and then moved on from Aaron Rodgers. Tough decisions, but Gutekunst always does what he feels is best for the Packers.
With Rodgers departing, the Packers are going from all-in to building for the future. That's not to say the Packers don't want to win this season, but in recent years with Rodgers, there had to be a greater sense of urgency as he neared the end of his career. With Love, there's time to build.
Entering a new era, Gutekunst had more tough decisions to make. Here are five players the Packers were right to move on from this offseason.
5. Mason Crosby
The timing feels right. Mason Crosby will forever be a Packer, but there was always going to come a time when Green Bay would need to find its new kicker.
As the Packers rebuild around Jordan Love, it's a good time to start over at many positions, including kicker. Green Bay hasn't spent much money this offseason in an attempt to create a healthier salary cap a year or two from now. Part of that includes not re-signing Crosby, instead drafting Anders Carlson in the sixth round.
Replacing Crosby is the challenge, and one the Packers may struggle with. However, at some point, they were going to have to replace their all-time leading points scorer. Crosby turns 39 in September.
Crosby's numbers were good, not great, last season, converting 86.2% of his field goal attempts. He made only one of his four kicks from 50+ yards, and he struggled to hit kickoffs out of the end zone.
It's unlikely Carlson will be as good as Crosby this season, but the Packers had to move on from their legendary kicker at some point. With limited cap space and entering a rebuild, the timing was right.