3 Low-Cost Linebackers the Packers Can Still Target in Free Agency

The Green Bay Packers have made some splashy additions this offseason, but there are still a couple of key positions that they need to address.

The team has plenty of cap space, but with a Jordan Love contract extension looming, they can't afford to throw around many more big-money contracts. That means starting to shop for some free agency bargains to fill the remaining needs in free agency.

That's why these three low-cost linebackers are perfect targets for the Packers.

1. Zach Cunningham

Zach Cunningham's career was not heading in the right direction in 2021 and 2022 after leading the NFL in tackles in 2020, but he totally revitalized his career with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023.

It doesn't show through in the stats (a solid but unspectacular 85 tackles, 4 pass defenses, 2 TFLs), but Cunningham established himself as still being a strong every-down linebacker.

Pro Football Focus graded him out at 70.7 in run defense and 69.5 in coverage. His only weak area was pass rush (50.9) — but that's not really something you're looking for out of an off-ball linebacker. He only had 50 pass-rush snaps, compared to 479 in coverage.

Strong run defense is nothing new from Cunningham either. He earned an elite 85.1 run defense grade back in 2021, and that's a big part of why he was such a tackle machine in Houston. The coverage is a nice new wrinkle in his game though. He limited opposing quarterbacks to a career-low 5.4 yards per attempt when they targeted him in coverage.

Cunningham only managed to earn a one-year contract worth less than $2 million last offseason, so even with a slight pay raise he should still be available on a team-friendly deal.