Green Bay Packers Free Agent Target: IDL Michael Pierce

The NFL free agency period is almost here and one player that should certainly be on the Green Bay Packers’ radar is IDL Michael Pierce.

With the 2019 offseason additions of Adrian Amos, Za’Darius Smith, and Preston Smith on the defensive side of the ball, we saw this Green Bay Packers’ defense improve significantly from the 2018 season to the 2019 season.

However, one major issue still loomed large for much of the year and that of course, was their run defense.

On the season, Green Bay would allow 120.1 rushing yards per game which ranked 23rd in the NFL, with most of the damage occurring between the tackles. And actually those final numbers are skewed a bit lower than where the Packers spent most of the season after some solid performances in the final weeks against Chicago and Minnesota.

We all know that Kenny Clark is a monster inside but he needs some help. Dean Lowry is a nice rotational player, Montravius Adams hasn’t panned out, and Tyler Lancaster is still developing. Hopefully, we see Kingsley Keke make that Year 2 jump but that still remains to be seen.

So on top of addressing inside linebacker, tackle, wide receiver, and other positions, finding a run-stuffing defensive tackle should be on the to-do list as well. And free agent Michael Pierce is just what the Green Bay Packers need.

Pierce has spent the first four years of his NFL career in Baltimore and has played about 50 percent of the team’s defensive snaps in two of the past three seasons. During his first three seasons which included 46 games and 16 starts, Pierce would total 116 total tackles, with 11 being for a loss, three sacks, and 10 quarterback hits.

Most recently in 2019, Pierce would finish with 35 combined tackles, including two for a loss, along with half a sack and 12 quarterback hurries. Those numbers certainly aren’t going to leap off the page and grab your attention by any means, but getting after the quarterback isn’t exactly what Pierced has been asked to do either.

Instead, Pierce is there to clog up the middle of the field, eat up blocks, and slow the opposing team’s rushing attack. Which is something that he’s done quite well.

Per Pro Football Focus’ Run Stop Percentage (subscription required), which is a measurement that focuses on running plays that result in a failure for the offense, Pierce’s 9.1 stop percentage ranked 21st in the NFL last year among defensive lineman that played at least 20 percent of their team’s total snaps.

Not to mention that over his career, he has 104 total run stops. For some context, Clark over that same span has 132.

And as I mentioned previously, this is the exact type of player that the Green Bay Packers need to help take some of the burden off of Clark and to free him up a bit.

We also can’t discuss Pierce without also discussing the Baltimore connection that Green Bay has with Milt Hendrickson as their Director of Football Operations. Prior to joining the Packers, Hendrickson worked in the Ravens’ personnel department and was apart of the staff that brought in Pierce. And in his short tenure with Green Bay, the Packers have already kicked the tires on a few former Ravens’ players.

As far as what it would cost to land Pierce, given his position as a nose tackle, despite being a productive player he isn’t going to break the bank. Which is good news for the Packers who have limited spending power compared to last offseason and have other major needs to address as well.

According to Spotrac, they are projecting Pierce to land a two-year deal with an average annual value of $4.7 million. Once again, very doable for Green Bay.

While the interior defensive line isn’t a position that has received a lot of attention this offseason, adding a run-stuffer like Pierce alongside of Clark could really give this Green Bay Packers’ defense a boost and turn a weakness into a potential strength.