After big free-agency spending, what's next for Packers offseason plan?
With Xavier McKinney and Josh Jacobs added, but big names like Aaron Jones, De'Vondre Campbell, and David Bakhtiari gone, where do the Pack go from here?
Good morning!
The Green Bay Packers rode the first wave of free agency like Kelly Slater in the 1990s. As the waters settle, where do the Packers go from here? Unfortunately for them, there aren’t many options left in free agency. Where can they find a linebacker? What about the other safety spot? And do they have enough at cornerback?
Today's' edition of The Leap looks at how the Packers can still reshape their roster and one big move that could still come.
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Even after the Packers' free-agent acquisitions last week, the spine of the defense is still not complete. Who can they add at this point?
Peter Bukowski: Jason included a writeup about the linebacker market in his recap of the free-agent bonanza undertaken by Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst, and that market has been picked clean in the last few days. Luckily, newly signed safety Xavier McKinney’s presence provides a backstop for a still-unproven linebacker group. Defensive back Rudy Ford made sense for a one-year, prove-it deal even before Green Bay added McKinney because of his playmaking and range in the strong safety role for Jeff Hafley’s defense. Re-signing him would provide some continuity with the other players on that defense even if he’ll be learning a new scheme. So, will everyone else.
Linebacker looks murkier with Quay Walker and Isaiah McDuffie as the only guys on the roster worth talking about. Particularly with a shift to the 4-3, the Packers will need more off-ball linebackers or significant depth at safety to play big dime with three safeties. Free-agent linebacker Isaiah Simmons offers pedigree, but he never found a home with the Arizona Cardinals before being traded to the New York Giants for a Peacock subscription and a pastrami sandwich.
The draft doesn’t project to be significantly better. Consensus boards show scant options in the top 50 picks, though history says don’t pick linebackers early anyway. Gutekunst keeps reminding us he has draft picks to play with in a potential trade for a veteran, but looking around the league, there aren’t more than half a dozen linebackers who move the needle and those guys are either good and expensive or on rookie contracts, and in either case that makes their teams loathe to part ways with them.
We expected the David Bakthiari release, and Rasheed Walker played well in his absence. So, how does Bakhtiari’s departure actually impact the team?
PB: Green Bay doesn’t need to aggressively hunt for a tackle to fill a spot in the starting lineup. Only a handful of teams can say that across a league where offensive line play has never been at more of a premium as demand far outstrips supply.
That said, Yosh Nijman was the swing tackle on this team last year and, in that role, he’s one of the best in the NFL. As it stands, they have precisely nothing of note at tackle with NFL experience with Nijman hitting the open market. They’re excited about the mountainous Caleb Jones, but he’s never played meaningful snaps in the regular season.
This is the perfect rookie class to take a tackle in the top 100, specifically the top 50. There could be a bona fide starting-caliber left tackle at pick No. 25 and/or 41 sitting there for the Packers. They don’t have to take that guy, but it would be smart.
Compete to start at left tackle with Rasheed Walker in the near term and, if the rookie loses that battle, the team has a ready-made swing lineman in Year 1 who can compete for a starting job once again in Year 2. Or perhaps Walker and the rookie look terrific and the team decides to move Zach Tom to center in order to get their best five on the field.
Names to watch include Washington’s versatile Troy Fautanu, Oklahoma freak show Tyler Guyton, and Arizona’s dancing bear Jordan Morgan who could compete at guard or tackle. And that’s the other part that makes it so intuitive to find a lineman early: Green Bay loves to take tackles and convert them to guard.
A tackle who can’t compete in Year 1 could take a shot at guard or center for this team. Think Duke tackle Graham Barton, or the aforementioned Morgan could also fit that bill.
What’s one move fans aren’t thinking of but should be right now?
PB: Kenny Clark’s future with the Packers. The 28-year-old enters the last year of his deal set to cost Green Bay $27.5 million on the cap while also coming off his most productive season as a pass rusher since he came into the league. Getting Devonte Wyatt and Karl Brooks on the field more to take the attention off Clark paid dividends for a defense that had plenty of issues defending the run but wreaked havoc rushing the passer, especially later in the season.
$27.5 million happens to be the average annual value Chrisitan Wilkins just got from the Las Vegas Raiders, and he’s older than Clark. This was just a few days after Justin Madubuike got the bag from the Baltimore Ravens to the tune of $24.5 million annually. But each guy costs fewer than $12 million on the cap in Year 1, meaning Green Bay could extend Clark now and save money on the cap this year even while giving him a market contract.
They might not want to do that though. Quarterback Jordan Love has to get paid. They’re already giving Jaire Alexander a top-of-market contract for a cornerback. Rashan Gary got a top-10 pass-rusher deal when he signed it. Does Clark move the needle enough for them to do something they rarely do and give out a third contract to a non-All-Pro player?
Given his age, it seems like a no-brainer to me. He does so much for that defense and profiles as the kind of field-tilter the San Francisco 49ers hoped they were getting last offseason with the signing of Javon Hargrave. Interior pressure is so valuable in the NFL and few guys generate it like Clark.
If progress isn’t made in the next few weeks on a new deal, would either side be open to a trade? Given the market for players of Clark’s caliber, Green Bay could likely get a significant return for him. We aren’t that far removed from the Indianapolis Colts giving up a top-15 pick for DeForest Buckner. Given what we know now, the two sides don’t appear to be that close a precipice of that danger, but it’s also a bit surprising there’s been no reported movement on a deal that makes sense to get done for both parties.
Keep an eye on this one.