Green Bay Packers: 3 Free Agent ILBs to Target
By Paul Bretl
The Green Bay Packers need some serious help at inside linebacker, here are three potential targets in free agency.
The Blake Martinez era in Titletown has very likely come to an end as he hits free agency and the Green Bay Packers choose to spend that cap space elsewhere.
For a fourth-round draft pick, Martinez has been rock solid during his tenure in Green Bay. He’s been incredibly durable, rarely missing a snap. He’s often times around the football having averaged nearly 148 tackles per year over the last three seasons. And Martinez has also been the quarterback of this defense.
However, as many will quickly point out, he comes with his limitations as well. While he puts up huge tackle numbers, they frequently happen four or five yards past the line of scrimmage. Coverage just isn’t a strong suit of his and he lacks that playmaking ability having totaled just one interception and five pass-breakups over the last two seasons.
On the open market Martinez is going to get paid, but it isn’t going to be by the Packers. So this means that Green Bay will have to find his replacement either in free agency or in the draft because Ty Summers and Oren Burks aren’t going to get the job done.
Currently the Packers have just under $22 million in available cap space according to Spotrac, so they certainly don’t have the same spending power that they did a year ago. But if they choose to wait and address linebacker in the draft, they are running a huge risk if the likes of Kenneth Murray or Patrick Queen aren’t available at 30th overall.
Meaning, my hope is that they choose to address inside linebacker in free agency and these are three players they should consider targeting.