The Green Bay Packers needed every bit of help they could get their hands on last season. Their secondary, and specifically their cornerback room, left plenty to be desired, to the point where they had to take desperate measures.
Signing Trevon Diggs right after the Dallas Cowboys chose to release him spoke volumes about Matt LaFleur's desperation for cornerback help. Now, with the first wave of free agency in the history books and no buzz around Diggs, it's clear how teams feel about him.
Trevon Diggs' Market Shows the Packers did the Right Thing with Him
Cutting Diggs was a no-brainer move. That saved the Packers $15 million in cap space, and they could've tried to make a run at him again in the offseason. He would've probably agreed to return on a low-cost, short-term deal.
Diggs is close with Micah Parsons, which may have been one of the primary reasons why he ended up in Green Bay in the first place. And, since the Packers trusted him when no one else did, it looked like a natural fit.
Instead, GM Brian Gutekunst let him test the market. There have been no takers so far, and judging by the tape, his reputation, and the numbers, it's hard to envision him signing with another team any time soon. The Packers can still get him, but his price may have dropped significantly now.
Spotrac projects Diggs' next contract to be one year and $7.5 million, but that number might drop by the day. The Packers can probably give him that much, but with most of the money based on incentives, assuming they're even interested in bringing him back. According to Over The Cap, the Packers only have $22.1 million in available cap space, so every penny counts for Gutekunst and his brass.
Also, there are plenty of reasons to be hesitant about Diggs. Character issues aside, he's clearly not the same player who led the league in interceptions and who was a pick-six machine years ago. He's dealt with injuries, and he's gotten exposed and burned with big plays over and over.
Just last season, Pro Football Focus ranked him 68th among 114 eligible cornerbacks with a 59.8 grade. He didn't get a single interception in 283 coverage snaps, giving up 16 receptions with an average of 17.9 yards per reception, an opposing quarterback passer rating of 157.2, and no pass breakups. He's a backup at best at this point in his career, and the Packers did the right thing by moving on from him so quickly.