Eight Bargain Free Agents Packers Should Explore
GREEN BAY, Wis. – Since adding Xavier McKinney and Josh Jacobs, the Green Bay Packers have been quiet in NFL free agency for a week. Clearly, even with a considerable amount of salary-cap space, general manager Brian Gutekunst is in the bargain-hunting stage.
Here are eight solid bargains who could help the team in 2024.
Two Players To Re-Sign
LB Eric Wilson: Why GM Brian Gutekunst didn’t dive into a talented group of free-agent linebackers is one of life’s mysteries. Sure, whether it’s the old 3-4 or the new 4-3, the Packers are going to play with two off-the-ball linebackers for about three-fourths of the defensive snaps. For now, that would be Quay Walker and Isaiah McDuffie. However, last year’s backups, McDuffie and Wilson, combined to play 634 defensive snaps. Wilson is an experienced player – he had 121 tackles, eight tackles for losses and eight passes defensed for the Vikings in 2020 – and is a top player on special teams.
S Rudy Ford: Xavier McKinney will start at one spot and perhaps a draft pick will be the other starter. However, where’s the depth? Ford’s got speed and a nose for the ball – his five interceptions the past two seasons are tied with Jaire Alexander for No. 1 on the team – plus, he’s a quality tackler and proven player on special teams. Take PFF’s grades for what they’re worth, but he was Green Bay’s fourth-ranked defender each of the last two years. You could do a lot worse than Ford for a third safety.
Six Outside Free Agents
OT Cam Fleming: Re-signing Yosh Nijman would have been a natural, but he signed with the Carolina Panthers on Monday. The next-best swing tackle is Fleming, a fourth-round pick by New England in 2014 who will turn 32 just before the start of the regular season.
In 10 seasons with the Patriots, Cowboys, Giants and Broncos, Fleming has played in 117 games with 62 starts. He started 15 times for the Broncos in 2022, with 373 snaps at left tackle and 603 at right tackle. He gave up seven sacks, according to PFF. He started once in 2023; the Broncos’ preferred starting five played the first 16 games together before Fleming got thrown in the fire for the finale.
C/G Lucas Patrick: On the interior, the only backup on the roster is Royce Newman. The backup to Josh Myers at center would be right tackle Zach Tom, but then who would replace Tom at tackle? So, building the depth on the offensive line will be important this offseason.
Patrick started 34 games for the Packers, including 28 in 2020 and 2021, before signing with Chicago in 2022. In two seasons, he started 18 games. Among all interior blockers, he ranked 14th in ESPN.com’s pass-block win rate in 2023. That was tied with Josh Myers and just ahead of Elgton Jenkins and Jon Runyan. He was highly respected during his first stint in Green Bay.
Sticking with Chicago, Cody Whitehair had 3,500-plus snaps of experience at guard and center in eight seasons with the Bears. Michael Deiter was a third-round pick out of Wisconsin by Miami in 2019. He received extensive playing time for the Dolphins in 2019 (at left guard) and 2021 (center) and for the Texans in 2023 (at center). Danny Pinter, a fifth-round pick by the Colts in 2020, has superb athleticism and some experience starting at guard and center.
DE Derek Barnett: With Kingsley Enagbare poised to miss most of the season with a torn ACL, the Packers are short-handed on the edge. Barnett has a lot of experience playing as a 4-3 end. A first-round pick by the Eagles in 2017, he’ll turn 28 in June. While he’s been a disappointment with only 24 career sacks, he had an impressive nine tackles for losses last season – including eight in six games with the Texans. He’d immediately improve the run defense working with Rashan Gary, Preston Smith and Lukas Van Ness.
LB Zach Cunningham: A second-round pick in 2017, Cunningham while with the Texans had 107 tackles in 2018, 142 in 2019 and a league-leading 164 in 2020. In 13 games with 10 starts for the Eagles last year, he had 85 tackles and four passes defensed. He’s not a three-down player but he’s not a liability against the pass, either. He’s the best of the rest in a picked-over group.
LB/S Isaiah Simmons: Who knows how Simmons would fit in Jeff Hafley’s defense, but the eighth pick of the 2020 draft has put up some impressive numbers, including 105 tackles, seven passes defensed and four forced fumbles in 2021 and 99 tackles, four sacks and seven passes defensed in 2022. Traded to the Giants for a seventh-round pick, he had 50 tackles in 17 games (four starts) in 2023. According to PFF, he played 166 snaps in the box, 137 on the defensive line and 65 in the slot.
S Tashaun Gipson: Gipson will turn 34 during the opening week of training camp but remains a quality starter and could serve as a short-term rental before Joe Draft Pick is ready to join the starting lineup. With Hafley serving as defensive backs coach, Gipson led the NFL with six interceptions with the Browns in 2014. He had five picks in 2022. He had only one interception in 2023 but tackled well and gave up just 11 completions, according to PFF.
