GREEN BAY – The spotlight often has shined brightest this season on the four unrestricted free agents Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst signed this past March – and for good reason.

Linebackers Za'Darius and Preston Smith combined for 111 tackles, 60 quarterback hits and 25½ sacks during Green Bay's 13-win season. Meanwhile, right guard Billy Turner led the offense in playing time and safety Adrian Amos has done the same on defense.

All four started all 16 games for the Packers this year and contributed mightily to the largest single-season turnaround in franchise history. But they weren't the only ones.

A 53-man roster is more than MVPs, Pro Bowlers, first-round picks and coveted offseason acquisitions. It's also the complementary veterans, street free agents and incoming rookie class who make a difference – and they have on this year's team.

"Gutey and his staff, they work tirelessly," Head Coach Matt LaFleur said. "Their effort and their detail is second to none, in my opinion, that I've been around. We're just really fortunate to have those guys on our side. They've done a great job bringing in all those names that have been key contributors for us all season long.

"They're always searching. They're combing through everything, trying to find great players. A lot of those have been a big reason why we've gotten to where we've gotten."