The 2023 season was always going to be a transition year for the Green Bay Packers after they traded Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets. Especially when they went 3-6 and traded Rasul Douglas to the Buffalo Bills for a third-round pick at the trade deadline. But since that game, the Packers have won six of their last eight games and Jordan Love has gone from question mark to star and into the playoffs.
That means the Packers will have to focus on bringing back key contributors, including Keysian Nixon and Bo Melton, who will become free agents and help propel their 2024 run. The Packers don’t have many free agents who have contributed significantly to the team this year. But the person who had the biggest impact on the 2023 team was
Casey Nixon.
Nixon is known for his contributions on special teams. Not only did he lead the NFL in punt returns the past two seasons, but he also earned first-team honors for his punt return abilities. His return ability was on full display during Green Bay’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers, where a 73-yard punt return helped set up a touchdown that restored the Packers’ lead.
Big return by Keysian Nixon, who fumbles, but the Packers jump on it. Nixon is more than just a kick returner. He also became a nickel cornerback for the Packers this season. Nixon had several pass breakups during the season, along with interceptions against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, which helped spark the Packers’ run and was the catalyst for Green Bay’s late-season surge.From a nickel and dime standpoint, the Packers could do better than Nixon. But they can’t do better than him as a returner. His ability to provide solid plays from the slot and return caliber skills make him a player that keeps the Packers from running out of the building.
They must do whatever it takes to get it back.
Beau Melton
, wide receiverIt wouldn’t be too hard for the Packers to bring back Bo Melton. Melton is a non-exclusive free agent, meaning he cannot leave the team if the Packers make a qualifying offer. Even that qualifying offer isn’t worth a lot of money, so it’s fair to assume Melton isn’t going anywhere. The Packers shouldn’t let Melton go anywhere, either. He has been a revelation for the Packers over the last month of the season as part of Green Bay’s inexperienced receiving core.
In the Packers’ final five games of the season, Melton was 17 of 25 for 237 yards and two touchdowns. That includes a six-reception game against the Minnesota Vikings, where he had a breakout game, going for 105 yards. This year marks the first time in the 2023 season that a Packers receiver has rushed for over 100 yards in a game.Bo Melton also scored a big touchdown in the Packers’ playoff win over the San Francisco 49ers to take a 13-7 lead into the third quarter. In his mind, that was the only food.
It’s a small sample size, but according to playerprofiler.com, Melton averaged 2.79 yards per route run for the Packers this season. He gave the Packers every reason to keep the former Seahawk seventh-round pick. It looks like Green Bay will because it won’t cost the Packers much to keep him.