If the Green Bay Packers signaled anything with their moves during the initial week of free agency, it was that the time to win is now. The Packers invested heavily in Sean Rhyan to fill their void at center while making a couple of other notable signings, including cornerback Benjamin St-Juste and defensive tackle Javon Hargrave.
After watching a Super Bowl team crumble at the end of last season, those additions make it clear that the future is now, and the days of being an up-and-coming team in the NFC are over. It makes adding another veteran likely as the Packers head into the second wave of free agency, and they could target a bargain signing for depth, such as New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Jonathan Bullard.
Bullard isn’t a household name and likely won’t convince fans the Packers are on the verge of capturing a fifth Lombardi Trophy. What he does do is fill the need for a run stuffer on the interior and is cheap enough to be a real possibility for Green Bay moving forward.
Packers Should Keep Jonathan Bullard in Mind as Free Agency Continues
The Packers need help on the interior, but have their starters in place. DeVonte Wyatt was off to a great start to the season before a knee injury in Week 4, and an ankle injury on Thanksgiving kept him on the sidelines during Green Bay’s five-game losing streak to end the season. Javon Hargrave is an intriguing pickup thanks to his history with new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon. His addition comes with questions, though -- especially when it comes to stopping the run.
According to Pro Football Focus, Hargrave would have had the highest run defense grade among Packers interior defenders last season, and he only earned a 57.3 grade. Hargrave’s former team, the Minnesota Vikings, had four interior defenders (Jalen Redmond, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, Hargrave, Levi Drake Rodriguez) post higher run defense grades than Colby Wooden’s team-leading 46.4 grade last season. That group became weaker when Wooden was traded to the Indianapolis Colts for linebacker Zaire Franklin.
With Wooden’s 28 run stops leading the Packers’ interior defenders, Wyatt had the second-highest total with 16 stops despite being limited to 10 games due to injury. It opens the door to adding a veteran defender that could get the job done, which could lead to Bullard’s doorstep.
Bullard’s PFF grade against the run was a solid 63.9 with the Saints last season, but he has consistently performed in that regard with a grade above 60 in three of the past four seasons. Bullard also didn’t have a single missed tackle on 20 attempts and recorded 14 run stops over 15 games.
While not an every-down player, he could be what the Packers are looking for in a rotational role and comes in at a reasonable market value of $1.9 million according to Spotrac. Although it would take reps away from younger players, including Warren Brinson and Nazir Stackhouse, it also fits into Green Bay’s current timeline to win a championship.
It should be noted that Bullard didn’t sign with the Saints until last July, so the Packers could see what they have in their young tackles before targeting him later in the offseason. But if Green Bay wants to get better at stopping the run, Bullard would be a fine target.