When the offseason rolls around, Brian Gutekunst channels his best John Locke from Lost impression: Don’t tell me what I can’t do. In a brief two-offseason span, the Green Bay Packers’ general manager proved he’s willing to use every arrow in his front office quiver to improve the team, from attempting to steal restricted free agents, cutting beloved veterans at the end of their careers, taking big swings with big-money free agent deals, and attempting to swing blockbuster trades.
In some seasons, the biggest names and the best players to hit free agency are players whose contracts weren’t slated to be up when the league year ended in March.