3 Free Agent Returners for Green Bay Packers to Target

At this very moment, Over the Cap has the Green Bay Packers $45.8 million over the 2022 salary cap—although this does not include Aaron Rodgers’ extension, which should clear a fair amount of cap space.

The Packers need to be under the salary cap by March 16th when free agency opens and when you account for other expenses not included in that $45.8 million figure, such as the incoming draft class, the practice squad, and the final two roster spots, along with trying to retain a few of their own free agents, in all likelihood, Green Bay won’t have a whole lot of spending power.

However, there are still needs to fill, and one in particular, where a veteran presence could really help this already well put together roster, is on the return units.

Punt returns were primarily Amari Rodgers’ responsibilities, and his final average of 8.3 yards per return wasn’t that bad. But as we all know, that doesn’t tell the entire story. Rodgers looked uneasy returning punts for much of the season as he was indecisive with his decision-making and struggled to field the ball cleanly.

Kylin Hill would begin the year returning kickoffs, but that would then become Malik Taylor’s responsibility once Hill became injured. However, Hill would average just 19.9 yards per return, according to PFF ($$), and Taylor 19.4—although the blocking unit certainly deserves some share of the blame.

So with both punt and kick return positions in need of an upgrade, exploring the free agent market and bringing in an experienced veteran is a relatively easy way to provide this Green Bay Packers team with a big boost. Here are three options who could do just that, and neither should break the bank either.

Green Bay Packers Free Agent Target: Ray-Ray McCloud – WR

There has already been a connection made between Ray-Ray McCloud and the Green Bay Packers. A recent report from Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports suggested that the Packers did express interest in McCloud at the NFL Combine—and understandably so.

The 25-year-old McCloud was a 2018 sixth-round pick by Buffalo and has spent the last two seasons in Pittsburgh. During that span with the Steelers, he has 72 career kick return attempts and is averaging 22.4 yards per return–not great, but an improvement over what Green Bay had last season.

However, where he has really made noise is as a punt returner. McCloud has 81 career punt return attempts and is averaging 9.5 yards per return, including 10.3 yards in 2020 and 9.7 in 2021–which in both instances was the 11th best average in football each of those seasons.

On the offensive side of the ball, McCloud has taken 80% of his career snaps from the slot, per PFF. A majority of his targets came in 2021, where he caught 63% of the 65 passes thrown his way, but at only 7.2 yards per catch–a bulk of McCloud’s targets came within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage.

While he could provide some value on offense, McCloud’s primary responsibilities in Green Bay would come as the return man on special teams.