GREEN BAY, Wis. -- When word began to circulate a few weeks ago at the NFL combine that the Green Bay Packers would be big players in free agency, it was met with plenty of "yeah, right" responses.
And when the first day of the negotiating period passed with no action, the "yeah, right" crowd could have argued that these were the same old Packers who never did much in the opening rush of free agency under former general manager Ted Thompson.
Then came Tuesday morning.
Before lunchtime, second-year GM Brian Gutekunst landed four free agents who had agreed to contract terms: pass-rushers Za’Darius Smith (formerly of the Ravens) and Preston Smith (Redskins) plus safety Adrian Amos (Bears) and offensive lineman Billy Turner (Broncos).