All-Pro LB De’Vondre Campbell Re-Signs w/ Green Bay Packers

Linebacker is a position that the Green Bay Packers just have not invested heavily into in a number of years–whether that be with free agent dollars or draft capital.

However, last season with De’Vondre Campbell, we saw what having a player of that caliber in the middle of the defense can do–although, ironically, it’s not as if Green Bay changed their offseason approach in 2021 at the linebacker position. They signed Campbell in early June — long after free agency had begun — to a one-year deal worth $2 million.

But now the Green Bay Packers are choosing to invest in that position, as they are bringing back De’Vondre Campbell on a new deal.

According to Bill Huberof SI, the Packers signed Campbell to a five-year deal worth $50 million. In Year 1 he will receive $16.25 million, then $21.5 million over the first two years, and $32.25 million over the first three years.

Essentially pick a key category among linebackers, and there is a good chance that Campbell ranked near the top last season. By PFF’s grading system, Campbell was the second-best linebacker in 2021, with only Micah Parsons finishing ahead of him.

In solo tackles, Campbell ranked sixth among linebackers, and his four missed tackles were the fewest. He would also log 53 stops — also known as plays that result in a “loss” for the offense, according to PFF — which was the fourth-most out of all linebackers, and the 6.8 yards per catch allowed was the second-fewest.

In short, Campbell was a legitimate three-down linebacker for this Green Bay Packers defense, and he thrived being Batman when in previous defensive schemes, he was asked to be Robin. The end result was Campbell being named a first-team All-Pro.

I know Week 18 against Detroit didn’t mean anything, and there was certainly some vanilla defensive play-calling from the Packers, but we really saw how Campbell’s absence impacted the Green Bay defense. According to PFF ($$), Jared Goff would complete 15 of his 16 passes over the middle of the field for 146 yards and a touchdown. We also saw the Lion receivers have success after the catch.

Without Campbell, the Green Bay Packers linebacker room was incredibly thin with Ty Summers, Ray Wilborn, and Isaiah McDuffie as the only players under contract for 2022. As a ERFA, Krys Barnes will in all likelihood be back, but he was much more effective next to Campbell rather than having to be the guy as he did in 2020.

While much of the offseason up to this point has been focused on what the Green Bay Packers can’t do rather than what they can do, as I’ve discussed before, there are plenty of cap saving moves available that will not only allow Green Bay to get under the salary cap but also allow them to keep a large portion of this roster together if that’s what they choose.