Green Bay Packers: 3 Free Agents To Stay Away From
If the Green Bay Packers want to get top worth for their dollar, they would be wise to stay away from these three free agents this offseason.
The Green Bay Packers can’t afford any missteps this offseason, as they try to get over the somewhat large hump and get back to the Super Bowl. A year after finishing the season with a 13-3 record, winning the NFC North and advancing to the NFC Championship game, it’s clear they have a lot of work to do to catch up to the likes of the San Francisco 49ers.
Despite their success in 2019, there’s still a talent gap between the Packers and the other best teams across the NFL. Thankfully, Green Bay will be able to address that in free agency.
A year after going four-for-four in free agency by signing Billy Turner, Adrian Amos, Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith, general manager Brian Gutekunst doesn’t have that same kind of signing power this time around. However, he should be able to sign two somewhat high profile free agents if he so chooses. Just as long as he doesn’t choose any of these three:
Jon Bostic
The Packers have a need at inside linebacker considering they haven’t re-signed last year’s starter Blake Martinez and appear unlikely to do so. On the surface, Jon Bostic looks like he could be a decent replacement.
Bostic racked up 101 total tackles in 2019 and appeared to be all over the field. However, the Packers should be careful with Bostic, as he’s more like Martinez than they would hope. A lot of his tackles came with the help of his teammates. He also struggled in the run game–something Green Bay desperately needs to address with whoever they sign at this position. Bostic is likely cheaper than Martinez, but he wouldn’t solve any of their woes at the position.
Jordan Phillips
Speaking of poor run defense, Green Bay also needs to shore up their interior defensive line. Outside of Kenny Clark, their other defensive linemen struggled big time last year and allowed running backs to run through hole after hole.
Jordan Phillips could potentially help the Packer’s run game as well as their interior pass rush–he accrued 9.5 sacks last season. However, he disappears far too often and is the true definition of a boom or bust player. Green Bay can’t afford to pay someone like Phillips to disappear for half a game at a time.
Next. Packers: Predicting Which Free Agents Stay and Go. dark
Austin Hooper
Austin Hooper appears to be a fan favorite target at the tight end position. Green Bay has moved on from Jimmy Graham and have a glaring hole at the position. Naturally, Hooper and his 787 receiving yards last season seem like a good fit.
However, Hooper is going to command top dollar at the position, but isn’t a special player. He’s certainly respectable, but his stats far outweigh his actual play. He doesn’t have amazing hands, athleticism, speed or route-running; he simply does everything average to above-average. For a team that needs more playmakers, Hooper doesn’t fit the bill.