What to Know: Packers re-sign safety and special teams player Rudy Ford
By Paul Bretl
The Green Bay Packers re-sign another of their own, bringing back safety Rudy Ford on a one-year deal, according to Tom Pelissero.
There are three primary reasons why bringing back Ford made sense for the Packers. The first is that he was a core special teams member, specifically on the punt coverage unit, where he was a flier. As a unit, the Packers’ punt coverage team ranked 10th in return rate allowed, with Ford playing an important role.
The second reason a reunion made sense is the current state of the safety position, coupled with Ford providing the defense with some valuable snaps in 2022. Prior to Friday, it was only Darnell Savage who had any sort of defensive experience in the NFL, and he was also benched for a few games last season. At the position in 2022, Green Bay was short on playmaking, along with missed tackles and communication breakdowns being far too prevalent as well.
When given the opportunity, Ford was a willing tackler and run defender, ranking 19th in PFF’s run stop rate metric out of 90 eligible safeties. He always seemed to be positioned correctly as well – something that was lacking at times in the Green Bay secondary – coming away with three interceptions and a fumble recovery.
Lastly, Ford isn’t going to break the bank. His reported salary for the 2023 season will be $2.5 million, giving the Packers some bang for their buck with his ability to contribute on special teams and defense if needed. As we all know, the Packers’ salary cap situation is tight once again, and they lack spending power in free agency.
The re-signing of Ford helps the safety position, as does the addition of free agent Tarvarius Moore. However, adding to the safety room is still likely high up on Brian Gutekunst’s to-do list. Unfortunately, the free agent market at safety is slowly dwindling, not to mention that the Packers don’t have much to spend. On top of that, this is a draft class that is low on high-end talent, with only one safety making Daniel Jeremiah’s latest top-50 big board.
Another potential solution at the position could be moving Rasul Douglas there, something that Gutekunst discussed at a possibility at the NFL Combine.
Green Bay’s current safety room is made up of Savage, Ford, Moore, Tariq Carpenter, Innis Gaines, and James Wiggins.