The Green Bay Packers' offseason differs from that of every other team in the league. Other than practice squad players Matt Blanchard and Joe Madsen (since released), the team did not add a free agent from another team. As is customary in Green Bay, the focus is on retaining their own players and finding new ones in the draft.
2015 NFL depth chart: Packers to hold competitions at two key defensive positions
The Green Bay Packers will have training camp battles at inside linebacker, cornerback and returner.
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More often than not, the draft picks general managers regret most are those spent on a position of need rather than the best player on their board. Packers GM Ted Thompson hasn’t made that mistake often, and it does not appear he did so in 2015.
The majority of the NFL world expected Green Bay to take an inside linebacker with their top pick, No. 30 overall. Talented prospects like UCLA's Eric Kendricks were available, and few would have criticized Thompson if he'd gone in that direction. Instead, he chose undersized Arizona State safety Damarious Randall with the intention of converting him to a corner. Granted, corner is one of the Packers' needs as well, but due to the position change Randall is a long-term investment, not a short-term solution.
The same goes for third-round pick Ty Montgomery. The Stanford wideout joins a receiving corps that’s among the deepest in the league. Barring multiple injuries, he isn’t expected to contribute much on offense for at least a season. However, the Packers like him as a bigger Randall Cobb, a prospect that should put plenty of fear into opposing defensive coordinators.
With so much already set in Green Bay, where are the position battles? Here are a few to watch for during training camp:
Inside Linebacker
At the end of the 2014 season, the Packers had moved away from A.J. Hawk and Brad Jones as their starting inside linebackers. Instead, second-year player Sam Barrington had taken over one spot with Clay Matthews handling the other in certain situations. While the unit didn't keep Green Bay from reaching the NFC Championship game, it's a top concern moving forward.
Of course, the Packers passed over linebackers on the first two days of the draft. While that may not bode well at other positions, starting-caliber inside linebackers can be found reasonably often on Day 3. That’s where the Packers selected Michigan’s Jake Ryan, who expects to compete for a starting job as a rookie.
His competition will be Carl Bradford, a converted edge rusher from last year's draft class, former sixth-round pick Nate Palmer and second-year player Joe Thomas. While Ryan doesn't have the advantage in experience, his instincts and playmaking ability should keep him in the running.
Cornerback
One of the starting spots is already filled. The Packers invested a lot of money into Sam Shields before the 2014 season, and barring injury he'll man the right cornerback spot.
The left side was vacated this offseason by Tramon Williams, who signed a three-year deal with the Cleveland Browns. Also gone is the talented but oft-injured Davon House. That leaves Casey Hayward and Micah Hyde as the most experienced suitors for the job, but both have played mostly in the slot.
Of course, the Packers added Randall and second-round pick Quinten Rollins, but it's never ideal to start a rookie at corner. It's even less ideal when one of those rookies (Rollins) hasn't played the position in years. Accordingly, the advantage here likely goes to Hayward or Hyde.
Returner
While the aforementioned Montgomery isn't expected to make a dent in Green Bay's depth chart at wide receiver this year, he could become the team's top return man. Cobb, Hyde and DuJuan Harris handled those duties in 2014, but the Packers don't want to risk a starting receiver or corner on special teams and Harris is no longer with Green Bay.
The Packers will also see what second-year wideouts Jared Abbrederis and Jeff Janis have to offer on returns. Abbrederis was an effective returner at Wisconsin, and Janis' athleticism suggests he could also contribute.
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