Six Low-Cost Free Agents Packers Should Consider Signing

NFL free agency has officially hit the bargain-hunting phase. This is where smart general managers can find significant help at a significantly reduced price tag.

For Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst, here are six free agents who would be worth signing to bolster the depth ahead of next month’s draft.

Nose Tackle: D.J. Reader, Lions

The new coaching staff revealed by Matt LaFleur seemingly cleared up a big mystery. By changing DeMarcus Covington’s title from defensive line coach to outside linebackers coach, the Packers appear poised to return to a 3-4 defensive scheme.

Green Bay needed big-guy help, anyway, and now that need has been amplified with the need to put three defensive linemen on the field rather than two in the base defense. Looking at the depth chart, the team’s starting nose tackle would be either Jonathan Ford, a seventh-round pick in 2022 who returned to the team for the end of last season, or Nazir Stackhouse, an undrafted free agent last year.

The best of the free-agent bunch is Detroit’s D.J. Reader.

At 6-foot-3 and 335 pounds, he’s got the desired size for a nose tackle. In two seasons with the Lions, he started 32 games (15 in 2024, all 17 in 2025). He’ll turn 32 in July, and it’s possible Father Time is closing the gap.

According to Sports Info Solutions, Reader in 2025 had one tackle for loss against the run and his average tackle against the run came 2.4 yards downfield. In 2024, he had five tackles for losses against the run and his average tackle was 1.6 yards downfield.

However, after averaging 33 snaps per game last season, maybe Reader would return to his usual standard if he were asked to play only 20 or 25.

DaQuan Jones and Eddie Goldman could be options, as well.

Jones, 34, started all 28 appearances for Buffalo the past two seasons. He had three sacks and two tackles for losses against the run. Goldman, 32, retired in 2022 but came back in 2024 after a two-year hiatus. With Atlanta in 2024 and Washington in 2025, he played in 30 of a possible 34 games. For the Commanders, he had four tackles for losses against the run.

Edge: Haason Reddick, Buccaneers

Haason Reddick spent one season together in Philadelphia alongside Green Bay’s new defensive coordinator, Jonathan Gannon. In 2022, Reddick was second-team All-Pro and finished fourth in NFL Defensive Player of the Year voting by tallying 16 sacks and an NFL-high five forced fumbles.

“He would probably have 25 sacks if I didn’t drop him back in coverage so much,” Gannon said.

Yes, coverage. That’s a key element to a 3-4 scheme. It’s in Micah Parsons’ history from his days at Penn State and his rookie year at Dallas. The same is not true for Lukas Van Ness or Barryn Sorrell.

Haason Reddick (7) celebrates after the Eagles beat the Chiefs in 2023. | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

“He’s a really good cover guy, so sometimes that’s a matchup-driven thing,” Gannon said of Reddick in 2022. “He knows that when he would be dropping, like all our overhang players, there is a reason why we do that – flexibility within the defense, depending on what the offense does – that’s the kind of spacing we want to play, and it helps his teammates win some one-on-one battles. So, that’s a process with all those guys that we are figuring out now.”

Reddick will turn 32 early in the season. After four consecutive seasons of 11-plus sacks, he has only 3.5 sacks in 23 games the past two seasons. That should hold the price down. However, his pass-rush win rate of 11.5 percent last season was better than that of Rashan Gary, Kingsley Enagbare, Brenton Cox, Sorrell and Collin Oliver.

Guard/Center: James Daniels, Dolphins

James Daniels was a stud for a handful of seasons before injuries limited him to 209 snaps for the Steelers in 2024 and three snaps for the Dolphins in 2025.

Daniels, who will turn 29 early in the season, has played 3,437 snaps at right guard, 1,626 snaps at left guard and 508 snaps at center. Right now, Green Bay’s top interior backup is Jacob Monk, a fifth-round pick in 2024 whose only significant experience came in Week 18 of last season.

Offensive Tackle: Kelvin Beachum, Cardinals

Kelvin Beachum will turn 37 in June but remains a capable offensive tackle. He spent the last six seasons with the Cardinals, meaning he spent three seasons alongside Gannon. During those seasons, he played 1,044 snaps at right tackle and 487 snaps at left tackle.

Beachum might want to hold out for a potential starting opportunity. If one doesn’t come his way, he’d be an excellent swing tackle behind Jordan Morgan, who is stepping into the lineup at left tackle, and Zach Tom, who is coming off an injury-plagued year at right tackle.

Or Offensive Tackle: Joe Noteboom, Rams

Joe Noteboom started 35 games for the Rams from 2018 through 2024 before playing in 10 games with one start last year for the Ravens. He has four-position experience with 1,383 snaps at left tackle, 494 at left guard, 444 at right tackle and 180 at right guard.

He’ll turn 31 in June.

Tight End: Will Dissly, Chargers

We’ve mentioned Will Dissly a few times this offseason. The Packers’ best blocking tight end last season was John FitzPatrick, who suffered a torn Achilles at Chicago last season and remains unsigned in free agency.

Dissly, who will turn 30 in July, isn’t FitzPatrick but he’s perhaps the next best thing in free agency.

Running Back: Brian Robinson

We’ve also mentioned Antonio Gibson a few times this offseason. He’s coming off a torn ACL and should be ready for training camp. If the Packers would rather not wait for Gibson and don’t want to burn a draft pick, Brian Robinson fits the Green Bay mold as a north-south runner. Almost 71 percent of his career rushing yards have come after contact, according to PFF.

Robinson, who will turn 27 in a couple days, was a third-round pick by Washington in 2022 who rushed for 797 yards as a rookie, 733 yards in 2023 and 799 yards in 2024. He caught 36 passes in 2023. With the 49ers last year, he rushed for 400 yards and caught eight passes behind Christian McCaffrey.

He’d probably be a modest upgrade over Emanuel Wilson as a runner but wouldn’t have Chris Brooks’ pass-protecting acumen.

Yeah, But What About Compensatory Picks?

If you’re looking at this list and thinking about compensatory picks, it’s a good point.

Patience could be a virtue. Beginning on the Monday afternoon after the draft, unrestricted free-agent additions/subtractions no longer impact compensatory picks.

Moreover, the Packers are on the board for comp picks in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth rounds. A signing of less than $3.75 million might not impact compensatory picks, anyway. A modest-priced addition would cost the Packers their sixth-round pick for Enagbare, which might be worth it for the right veteran.

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