Green Bay Packers: 3 Free Agent ILBs to Target
By Paul Bretl
Cory Littleton
If the Green Bay Packers are planning to spend big money in free agency this year, then landing Cory Littleton should be at the top of their to-do list. When you think of the skill set that a modern inside linebacker has, it’s Littleton.
At just 26-years-old, Littleton is entering the prime of his NFL career, he has fantastic range, he’s explosive, makes plays, and is a reliable tackler as well. He basically checks all the boxes in what the Packers need in the middle of their defense.
Over the last two seasons, Littleton has started all 32 games and he’s totaled five interceptions, 22 pass-breakups, two forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, 7.5 sacks, and 168 solo tackles. By Pro Football Focus’ metrics, he was the seventh best coverage linebacker in 2019 and he was first among linebackers in tackling efficiency. Which measures how many tackle attempts a player has per miss.
There’s no question that Littleton would be serious upgrade, however, as I briefly mentioned already, he won’t be cheap. Over The Cap is estimating that Littleton will earn around the $12 million per year range.
The Green Bay Packers just don’t have the same spending power as they did in 2019 and in the past they have been reluctant to pay inside linebackers, but Cory Littleton appears to be worth it.