Free Agent Options? Check Out These Nine with Packers Ties
GREEN BAY, Wis. – On the eve of the official start of free agency, the Green Bay Packers have holes at cornerback, defensive line and center.
Given their salary-cap problems – they are about $10.2 million over the cap, according to the NFLPA – maybe there simply is no way to make a noteworthy veteran addition. However, if they can shake loose enough cap cash from the money tree, there are some tantalizing options available with Packers ties.
Rams C Austin Blythe. Our fifth-ranked center played some center and guard for the Rams in 2017, when Packers coach Matt LaFleur was the offensive coordinator. Blythe started all but one game for the Rams the past three seasons. He started at right guard in 2018 and the start of 2019 and at center for the second half of 2019 and all of 2020. He finished 27th in PFF’s pass-protection metric in 2020. He was much better as a run blocker. Blythe is no Corey Linsley but he has started 47 games the past three seasons.
Rams CB Troy Hill. New defensive coordinator Joe Barry no doubt wouldn’t mind a player well-versed in his scheme to help with the transition. Our second-ranked slot corner started all 16 games last season, when the Rams led the NFL in points allowed. He started 35 times the past four seasons, when Barry was the linebackers coach and assistant head coach. The past three seasons, he recorded seven interceptions. According to Sports Info Solutions, he allowed a 60.7 percent catch rate, 6.4 yards per target, intercepted three passes (dropped two others) and added eight additional breakups.
Cincinnati CB Mackensie Alexander. A second-round pick by Minnesota in 2016, Alexander’s first four seasons were with the Vikings and alongside Jerry Gray, Green Bay’s defensive passing-game coordinator. Our third-ranked slot corner has 20 career starts, with 10 of those coming last year in Cincinnati, and has three career interceptions. In 2020, he intercepted one pass and broke up six additional tosses. He allowed a 61.7 percent catch rate and gave up one touchdown and 7.6 yards per target. In 2018, he had four sacks. He’s played mostly in the slot. The Packers re-signed last year’s slot, Chandon Sullivan, so maybe there would be no interest in Alexander or Hill, but Barry said, “you can’t have enough potential nickels.”
Indianapolis CB Xavier Rhodes. Speaking of Gray, he was the Vikings’ defensive backs coach from 2014 through 2019. Rhodes, Minnesota’s first-round pick in 2013 and our fifth-ranked cornerback, was selected to three Pro Bowls while under Gray’s tutelage. After a down season, Rhodes experienced a career rebirth last year with Indianapolis. He intercepted two passes and broke up 12 others. He allowed a 44.8 percent catch rate and gave up five touchdowns and 6.9 yards per target. In his final year with Minnesota in 2019, he gave up a 77.0 percent catch rate and 9.8 yards per target. His missed-tackle rate was 10.6 percent. He’ll turn 31 in June.
Seattle CB Quinton Dunbar. Our seventh-ranked cornerback entered the league as an undrafted free agent receiver with Washington in 2015. With Barry as Washington’s defensive coordinator, Dunbar transitioned to cornerback and played in 25 games with four starts during their two years together. He has 10 career interceptions, with four of those coming with Washington in 2019. Traded to Seattle last offseason, he played in six games before being shut down with a knee injury that required surgery. During the abbreviated season, he intercepted one pass (dropped three others) and allowed a 56.4 percent catch rate, according to SIS.
Titans CB Adoree Jackson: Tennessee’s first-round pick in 2017 was released on Tuesday so it wouldn’t have to pay him a guaranteed $10.244 million. In 46 games (41 starts), he has two interceptions and 31 additional breakups while allowing a 57.2 percent catch rate, according to SIS. LaFleur was the offensive coordinator in Tennessee in 2018, when Jackson notched both career interceptions. He has success as a kickoff and punt returner, too. Jackson missed most of last season with a knee injury but returned to play in the final three games. He gave up a couple touchdowns in the blowout loss at Green Bay in Week 16. At 5-foot-10, he ran his 40 in 4.38 seconds at the 2017 Combine.
Tennessee CB Malcom Butler: A Super Bowl hero with New England, Butler joined the Titans in 2018 – LaFleur’s lone season as offensive coordinator. According to SIS, Butler gave up eight touchdowns and had three interceptions that year. At officially 5-foot-9 3/4, Butler might be too short for Green Bay’s tastes.
Tennessee DT Daquan Jones. A fourth-round pick by the Titans in 2014, Jones has started all 16 games in five of the past six seasons. Last year, he had two sacks and set his career high with 49 tackles. He finished a ho-hum 55th in PFF’s pass-rushing metric, a couple spots below Green Bay’s Dean Lowry. On running plays, he had four tackles for losses, his average tackle was 1.8 yards downfield and he missed three tackles (5.9 percent), according to SIS. In 2018 with LaFleur on the staff, he set his career high with five tackles for losses. His average tackle has been at 2 yards or better the past four seasons.
Tennessee LB Jayon Brown. A fifth-round pick in 2017, Brown is our top-ranked linebacker. He’s not big (6-0, 226) but he’s made a big impact. He started 33 games the past three seasons, with 97 tackles in 2018, 105 in 2019 and 76 in 10 games in 2020. He’s not just a tackler, though. Over those three starting seasons, he recorded three interceptions, 22 passes defensed and four forced fumbles. That’s a lot of breakups. With LaFleur on the staff in 2018, he had six sacks. In 2020, according to SIS, he missed just three tackles (3.8 percent), allowed a 61.3 percent catch rate and 5.1 yards per target, and his average tackle was 4.8 yards downfield. Green Bay’s linebackers were not good in coverage; Brown would be the solution.
