Ted Thompson would rarely sign free agents when he was the general manager of the Green Bay Packers. However, Brian Gutekunst was very aggressive in last year’s free agency. Unfortunately, none of the Packers’ free agent splashes panned out. Jimmy Graham was underwhelming, Muhammed Wilkerson broke his ankle and Tramon Williams was just an average starter. Packers fans can still expect the team to be active heading into the next season of free agency.
These are the best players the Packers should target in free agency.
DE Shaquil Barrett, Denver Broncos
With only three sacks last season, Barrett should be available for cheap. The former undrafted free agent has shown potential in his limited playing time, but he fell out of the rotation with Bradley Chubb taking over. Barrett is only 26, and he can prove to be a solid player with more opportunities, and likely will be cheap.
LB Anthony Barr, Minnesota Vikings
Even though there is a lot of history with him and Aaron Rodgers, Rodgers will set that aside for a Super Bowl run, and Barr will set it aside for money. This would be a huge risk to sign him, as Barr hasn’t rushed the passer since his college days, and that’s likely what Green Bay would ask him to do. The Packers would likely have to pay him edge money in order to get him, but if playing him at pass rusher doesn’t work out, they can always move him back to being an off-ball linebacker.
S LaMarcus Joyner, Los Angeles Rams
Joyner was franchised tagged by the Los Angeles Rams during the last offseason and, although he is a good player, his stats show that he wasn’t quite worth the money that he was paid. However, he is still a great open field tackler and does not allow the big plays, which Packers safeties allowed all season long. The Rams won’t have the cap space to keep him so the Packers can snag him for a decent price considering he is the third-best safety on the market after Earl Thomas and Landon Collins.
G Rodger Saffold, Los Angeles Rams
Here’s another player from the Rams that Green Bay should look at. A great starting guard, Saffold plays a position of need for the Packers. Similar to the situation with Joyner, the Rams probably won’t have the money to keep Saffold, so the Packers should go for him. If they don’t, the Vikings will, so pursuing Saffold would be a win-win because it means the Packers get a guard who will help them out, and it keeps a valuable player away from division-rival Minnesota.
