Green Bay Packers Re-Sign or Let Go & Prediction: De’Vondre Campbell
By Paul Bretl
Prediction: The Green Bay Packers re-sign De’Vondre Campbell
In reading the tea leaves, there certainly seems to be some mutual interest in a reunion between the two sides. De’Vondre Campbell was in Green Bay just a few days ago–which, of course, doesn’t guarantee any sort of deal will happen, but I imagine some discussions were being had.
On top of that, the linebacker position for Green Bay is very thin at the moment, with Ty Summers, Isaiah McDuffie, and Ray Wilborn under contract. Now, I do expect Krys Barnes to be back as well as an exclusive rights free agent, but he was much more effective as the second linebacker in 2021 than having to be “the guy” as he did in 2020.
And while the salary cap could be an issue, if Spotrac’s projection for Campbell’s next contract is in the neighborhood and comes with an average annual value (AAV) of around $6.2 million per year over three years, as they predict, the Green Bay Packers can absolutely make that work this season. With a $6.2 million AAV, Campbell’s likely cap hit in 2022 may only be a few million dollars.
I know that in the previous section, I mentioned how many important defensive stats were similar to 2020, but Campbell did make a big impact that goes beyond the stat sheet. The added flexibility that Barry was provided by having Campbell in the middle of that defense and essentially not having to worry about him can’t be overstated–and yeah, he filled up the stat sheet too.
Sometimes things just don’t work out, whether it be due to money or whatever the reason may be–remember, both sides have to come to an agreement, not just one. But if Campbell’s play doesn’t change how the Green Bay Packers view the linebacker position, then I don’t know what will.