Top 3 Offseason Needs: Green Bay Packers

In advance of March 9, the start of free agency in the NFL, Pro Football Rumors will detail each team’s three most glaring roster issues. We’ll continue this year’s series with the Green Bay Packers, who rallied from a poor start to take the NFC North crown before being defeated in the NFC championship game.

Depth Chart (via Roster Resource)

Pending Free Agents:

• Geronimo Allison, WR (ERFA)
• Don Barclay, G
• Jared Cook, TE
• John Crockett, RB (ERFA)
• Jayrone Elliott, LB (RFA)
• Brett Goode, LS
• Micah Hyde, DB
• Don Jackson, RB (ERFA)
• Datone Jones, DE/LB
• Joe Kerridge, FB (ERFA)
• Eddie Lacy, RB
• T.J. Lang, G
• Christine Michael, RB
• Julius Peppers, LB
• Nick Perry, LB
• Christian Ringo, DT (ERFA)
• Jacob Schum, P (ERFA)
• Joe Thomas, LB (ERFA)
• J.C. Tretter, C
• Jordan Tripp, LB (RFA)

Top 10 Cap Hits for 2017:

1. Aaron Rodgers, QB: $20,300,000
2. Clay Matthews, LB: $15,200,000
3. Randall Cobb, WR: $12,750,000
4. Sam Shields, CB: $12,125,000
5. Jordy Nelson, WR: $11,550,000
6. Mike Daniels, DL: $10,400,000
7. Bryan Bulaga, T: $7,850,000
8. Morgan Burnett, S: $7,000,000
9. David Bakhtiari, T: $6,171,000
10. James Starks, RB: $3,750,000

Other:

• Projected cap space (via Over the Cap): $35,719,981
• 29th pick in draft
• Must exercise or decline 2018 fifth-year option for S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix

Three Needs:

1) Clean up the secondary: Let’s begin with one obvious fact: Anyone who watched Sunday’s NFC championship game witnessed the Falcons and quarterback Matt Ryan continuously torch Green Bay’s defensive backfield — which gave up the NFL’s most yards per attempt during the regular season — on their way to nearly 400 yards and four touchdowns. Here’s another obvious fact: Packers general manager Ted Thompson, for the most part, doesn’t venture into the free agency waters, preferring to build his club internally.

Those two opposing statements leave Green Bay with two possible offseason approaches to addressing its secondary. One option sees the club sticking to its usual formula, pinning its hopes on improvement from third-year cornerbacks Damarious Randall and Quinten Rollins, and filling in the gaps with developmental draft picks. Alternatively, the Packers could — as quarterback Aaron Rodgers termed it earlier this week — “reload” by attacking the free agent market with vigor for the first time since the Julius Peppers signing in 2014.

An offseason search for a free agent corner isn’t without precedent in Green Bay, as Thompson & Co. were suitors for Darrelle Revis in 2015. Cap room shouldn’t be an issue for the Packers, as the club already boasts more than $35MM in space and could clear more by releasing (or demanding a paycut from) Clay Matthews, Randall Cobb, Sam Shields, and James Starks. The open market should be flush with cornerback options, although a number of elite defenders — such as the Texans’ A.J. Bouye and the Rams’ Trumaine Johnson — could be facing the franchise tag.

Still, while Green Bay might not be open to hunting for a true No. 1 corner, the team should at least target a second-tier option that could lock down one side of the field, alleviating pressure on the rest of the Packers’ young defensive backfield. Logan Ryan (Patriots) jumps off the page as a near-perfect fit for Green Bay, as the 25-year-old ranked as the No. 14 CB in the league last season, per Pro Football Focus, and would serve as an immediate upgrade to the team’s current depth chart. Ryan should require a multiyear deal, so if the Packers are only interested in short-term commitments, Brandon Carr, Morris Claiborne, or Prince Amukamara could be preferable.

If Green Bay wants to get a bit more creative, it could also explore a trade for Browns defensive back Joe Haden, whom multiple teams scouted in advance of last year’s trade deadline. Haden is still only 27 years old and is signed through the 2019 campaign, and although injuries have affected his play over the past few seasons, he’d be a worthwhile project for the Packers. Fellow Cleveland corner Tramon Williams (a former Packer) was also the subject of trade rumors last fall, and could be a target for Green Bay following his likely release this spring.

The draft offers the final avenue for the Packers to acquire a new cornerback, and the club should have several options when pick No. 29 comes around. While Ohio State’s Marshon Lattimore will be long gone, his teammate Gareon Conley could still be available, as could Florida’s Teez Tabor, Washington’s Sidney Jones, or Alabama’s Marlon Humphrey. If Green Bay goes in another direction in Round 1, the team could still look at corner on Day 2, and Chad Reuter of NFL.com projects the Packers to select Fabian Moreau (UCLA) at pick No. 61 in his first mock draft of the year.

2) Reset the running game: Injuries to Eddie Lacy and James Starks forced the Packers to get imaginative at running back last year, and the club ultimately turned to converted wide receiver Ty Montgomery to lead the backfield over the final third of the season, with waiver claim Christine Michael chipping in, as well. Montgomery was successful as a back, but he struggled in pass protection and, as Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com notes, only topped 12 carries once, leaving open the question of whether Montgomery can serve as a foundational running back.

Indeed, Green Bay’s rushing attack is, in some respects, just as mangled as it was in-season. Lacy is scheduled to become a free agent this spring, and while he played well in limited action before suffering a season-ending injury, it’s unclear whether the Packers would be interested in a reunion — especially given Lacy’s weight struggles. A short-term pact could make some sense, but it’s entirely possible that Lacy could find a better offer on the open market. Starks, meanwhile, looks like a prime candidate for release thanks to his 2017 cap charge of $3.75MM and his 2016 yards per carry average of 2.3.

Ideally, the Packers would re-sign either Lacy or Michael to a low-cost deal, give Montgomery an offseason to further adjust to running back, and look for another back in the draft. Running back has been a popular target for Green Bay in recent mock drafts, as both Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN.com (Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey) and Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com (Tennessee’s Alvin Kamara) sent RBs to the Packers in their latest projections. Leonard Fournette and Dalvin Cook will be off the board by the time Green Bay’s turn comes up, but the club could target D’Onta Foreman (Texas), Curtis Samuel (Ohio State), or Matthew Dayes (NC State) later in the draft.

Outside of Lacy, Le’Veon Bell, and Latavius Murray, there’s next to no starting talent available in free agency, and the open market probably isn’t the best place to find a new back anyhow. A few interesting veterans could be released in the coming months, however, and a few could be of note to the Packers. Specifically, Jamaal Charles, Ryan Mathews, and Jonathan Stewart would seemingly fit in the Green Bay offense if released (the former two are more likely to be cut than Stewart).

3) Address the front seven: Green Bay’s defensive line is probably set for the 2017 campaign, as Mike Daniels — one of the more underrated defenders in the NFL — Kenny Clark, and Letroy Guion all played well last season and should make up a solid front next year. The second level of the Packers’ defense, however, needs work, meaning the club could look to add both edge rushers and off-ball linebackers over the next few months.

The key to the revamp could be veteran ‘backer Clay Matthews, who spent time both inside and outside from 2014-15 before moving back to the edge full-time last season. The 30-year-old Matthews struggled, grading as the league’s No. 96 edge defender among 109 qualifiers, according to PFF. But his poor play can be somewhat excused by the nagging injuries that hampered him all year long. Still, given that Matthews will count more than $15MM on Green Bay’s salary cap in 2017, the club will have to at least explore the idea of releasing him or asking him to accept a paycut.

That course of action isn’t set in stone, however, and the Packers could simply hang onto Matthews in the hope that he fully recovers from his 2016 ailments and becomes the force he once was. Alternatively, Green Bay could consider moving Matthews back to inside linebacker, where he’d probably be an improvement over the likes of Jake Ryan, Joe Thomas, and Blake Martinez, and instead focus on bolstering the pass rush through other means. Matthews might not be amendable to such a shift, however, as he’s called outside linebacker his most “natural position.”

Edge options should be plentiful on the open market, but Green Bay’s search should begin with one of its own free agents, pass-rusher Nick Perry. The former first-round pick was forced to sign a one-year, $5MM deal to stay with the Packers last offseason, but he should land a larger contract after posting the best season of his career in 2016. In 14 games, Perry posted 11 sacks (eighth-most in the NFL, and nearly equal to his career total prior to last year) while grading out as an excellent run defender. Only 26 years old, Perry should require a long-term commitment this spring, and Green Bay should be willing to give it to him.

Datone Jones, another former first-rounder, has never seemed like a great scheme fit and figures to look for greener pastures in free agency, while veteran Julius Peppers hasn’t yet decided if he’ll continue his career next season. Even if Peppers does return, the Packers should seek another edge rusher, either through free agency or the draft. Free agent targets might include Jabaal Sheard (whose versatility would play nicely in Green Bay) or a low-cost option in the Cowboys’ Ryan Davis, while the draft could produce acquisitions such as Tennessee’s Derek Barnett, Alabama’s Tim Williams, or Wisconsin’s T.J. Watt.