Wednesday Cheese Curds: Are The Packers Making The Grade In Free Agency?

Free agency has come and gone (well, not really — you can still sign whoever you want, but you get it), and we’re now in the season of free agency grades.

Never mind that nobody knows how these players will fit with their new teams. Never mind that every free agent signing will be augmented by their team’s performance in the NFL Draft. Never mind that a good portion of these new signings won’t even make it to the field, either because of injury or because things didn’t work out how their teams hoped. We must have grades now!

It’s true that championships aren’t won in March, but to play devil’s advocate, I think you could argue that plenty of them are lost in March. Teams lose key contributors to other teams. Other teams put too many eggs in one basket, dooming themselves not just for this year, but potentially for years to come (Titans, anyone?). From that perspective, maybe we can give out a few free agency grades.

The thing is, the teams that usually end up grading the highest are those that spend the most money, and that feels like a mistake. John Wooden, the great process-oriented basketball coach, once said “don’t mistake activity for achievement,” and that feels like a pretty good summary of free agency. There’s a lot of sound and fury, but most of it signifies nothing.

Grade if you will, but be ready to revisit those grades when we’re playing actual football.

Packers receive league-low PFF grade for 2026 free agency moves | Packers Wire

PFF is especially hard on the Packers’ two trades.

How Quiet Were Packers in NFL Free Agency? Here’s Your Answer | Sports Illustrated

I disagree with the premise that “no matter how you slice it, the Packers have had a quiet free agency,” but you can’t deny they haven’t spent as much as some other teams.

2026 NFL free agency: Big remaining issues for 20 contenders | ESPN

20 is a nice round number, but there’s no way there are 20 title contenders in the NFL.

Five NFL storylines we aren’t discussing enough, including Steelers QB game plan, extension race | CBS Sports

This is pretty solid evidence that there are still quite a few big stories percolating out there.

What if the bar came to you on St. Patrick’s Day? These mini Irish pubs make it a reality | Associated Press

Too late for this year, but you can start planning for next year with an Irish pub that comes to you.