Possible Defensive Line Free Agents.

Let me start by saying that as fans, we all have our favorite Free Agents that we would like to have as Packers. The Packers usually don’t sign the players we want and we get really mad. I think we should all step back and think this through.

We don’t know how much the team wants to spend a this position and how much it will cost to sign any given player. We don’t know the teams plan when it come to signing or or extending current members of the squad. There is so much we don’t know!

We like to think we know best. We want to upgrade our 3-4 DE so we go looking for Free Agent 3-4 DE with better numbers, or one we have heard discussed online. What we need to do in order to try and predict the Free Agent(s) the Packers may sign, is see things through their eyes.

Green Bay knows the type of skill sets they want at the position. What if they are going to tweak the scheme this year to better handle the run? That will make it even tougher for us to figure out what they will do.

Here are my thoughts on who they may be looking at based on whatI think I know about the Packers.

They like ascending players for big money contracts, guys who haven’t peaked and have their best football in front of them still. Just look at the four big time players they signed last March.

I have to assume they want to get bigger at the position to better defend the run and not get washed out by double teams. Adams was knocked out the the hole and to the ground a bunch last year. Lancaster got crushed and moved by double teams. They are in the neighborhood of 310-320 pounds, do we go heavier?

Injury history is big as well, Green Bay stays away from the often injured players.

Price tag is going to rule all decisions. They know how much they can spend.

So we are talking about a guy in his mid twenties, around 320 pounds and can be had for maybe five million per year or less. Of course they can’t have an injury history and be good locker room guys.

Michael Pierce 6’0 329 27 years old.

Could have a projected contract of 3 yrs – $5million avg/yr.

Played 14 regular season games with two missed due to injury.

He missed two game in 2018 and none in 2017.

Did have a drop in production in 2019.

I don’t know what caused the drop in production last year. My best guess is Z. Smith and Suggs both left last year so there wasn’t the same talent around him. Maybe he was asked to do somethings differently in the scheme. I watched a few of his games from last year and here is what I saw:

-Looks like Mike Daniels, short and stout.

-Got washed down a lot but stayed on his feet.

-No quick get off.

-Doesn’t disengage from blockers very well.

-Will fill his gap.

Again I’m not sure why his production dropped off from previous years. Based solely off of 2019 I wouldn’t be happy if they paid him $5 mil a year!

David Onyemata 6’4 300 27 years old.

Could be in the range of $4 million per year.

No games missed due to injury in his four years with the Saints.

They didn’t have another dominate inside lineman around him so maybe offenses were able to double him more in 2019?

-Athletic with quick feet.

-Quick off the ball.

-I like the way he uses his hands to get the O Lineman off of him.

-In their third down package the Saints rushed him off the nose.

I really like this guy! I think he’d be a good pick up if they could get him around 3-5 million a year.

Danny Shelton– 6’2 349 27 Years old. Great big fella to clog up the middle. I have to wonder what’s going on here. First round pick then traded to New England fairly quickly. Last year he had career highs in sacks (3) and second highest number of tackles (30). I like his measurable traits and he could be a great player for GB.

-Plays a lot at Nose but does play some DT as well.

-Doesn’t always get push but doesn’t give much ground either.

-Way better at staying on his feet than Adams and Lancaster.

-Anchors really well when double teamed.

Could be signed for as little as $4 million a year.

These are my top choices, I will list several others and why I don’t think they will work out for the Packers.

DJ Reader– I think his price tag will be too steep for the Packers to sign him. He will be in the area of $13.5 million per year. Don’t they’d spend that much and have to sign Kenny Clark to a long term deal.

A’Shawn Robinson– I liked him initially but the more I dug the less appealing he was. Not a lot of stats or snaps. Not sure he’s all that appealing to the Packers and with so may Free Agents along their D Line, I think there is good reason to think Detroit will try hard to re-sign him.

The Packers will need so hold on to some cash to extend Clark so that rules out some of the big time names on the market at Defensive Line. There still are some players that could really improve the D Line that’s could be signed at a very team friendly amount.