The Green Bay Packers have a big decision to make with Rashan Gary. On paper, it shouldn't be that complicated —He's been hurt, has underperformed, and has a massive $28 million cap hit. In reality, though, they might not be ready to give up on him.
Even so, the Packers are $1.58 million over the salary cap, according to Over The Cap, so they might have no choice but to part ways with Gary, regardless of how they feel about him. That could give Barryn Sorrell a major chance to prove his worth.
Barryn Sorrell Needs to Step Up if the Packers Release Rashan Gary
While losing Gary might not be that big a blow, someone has to step up and lead the Packers' pass rush while Micah Parsons works his way back from his season-ending injury. Notably, Packers GM Brian Gutekunst believes Sorrell can be that guy:
“Really excited about Barryn,” Gutekunst said of the fourth-round pick, per Packers insider Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. “With the opportunities he was given last year, I thought he performed very, very well, especially late in the season when we needed him. I thought he did a really nice job and I think he’ll be a major part of that core group moving forward.”
Lukas Van Ness can also have a crucial role as one of the starters, but Kingsley Enagbare is a restricted free agent, so there are no guarantees that he will even be a part of the team next season. Collin Oliver could also be in the mix, but hamstring injuries limited him to just one game as a rookie.
Even if Van Ness and Enagbare are in the picture, Sorrell has a big chance to climb his way up the ladder this coming season, especially while Parsons isn't around. He played just 178 snaps as a rookie, but he still managed to log six pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.
Sorrell made 14 appearances (one start) and finished his rookie season with 15 total tackles (seven solo), three QB hits, one tackle for loss, 1.5 sacks, and one fumble recovered. Now, he'll look to adjust to whatever new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon wants from him.
The Packers have arguably the second-best pass rusher in the game, and his presence on the field will always open things up for everyone around him. Parsons will get all the attention, and rightly so, but this is a team sport first and foremost, and someone else will have to help him do the heavy lifting.