The Packers find themselves in a very precarious situation this offseason. They are awaiting word from their superstar quarterback on his intentions for the 2022 season. Meanwhile, they have to begin the task of finagling their way under the salary cap. Packers salary cap expert Ken Ingalls has the Packers currently north of $51 million over the cap. That is without Davante Adams, or any of their other free agents. Suffice to say, the Packers will not be making any splash signings from outside their own building. But last offseason showed that the priciest signings aren’t always the most impactful (De’Vondre Campbell and Rasul Douglas, anyone?). Here are 3 potential Packers free agent targets that won’t break the bank.
Edge Lorenzo Carter
The depth at the edge position in Green Bay has the potential to be scary. Za’Darius and Preston Smith both may be cap casualties. That would leave Rashan Gary with three young, unproven players behind him. Carter is still a young, ascending player, but statistically has not put up the numbers to warrant a big contract. He missed much of 2020 with an achilles injury. He had a career high of only 5 sacks in 2021, but came on strong late in the season with 4 straight games with a sack. He is the type of player who has all the physical tools, but hasn’t quite put it all together yet. Given Mike Smith’s recent track record, the Packers should take a chance and add some needed depth at edge.
WR Byron Pringle
I wrote recently about the changes coming to the Packers WR room. Pringle would give the Packers a veteran option that still represents a good value. Spotrac has Pringle’s projected contract at 1 year, $3.2 mil. This comes after a career year in which Pringle had 42 catches for 568 yards and 5 TDs. Even if the Packers do end up resigning MVS, they could still use an injection of speed into the WR room. What might also be appealing to the Packers was his impact on special teams. He was Kansas City’s primary kick returner, and ranked 5th in the NFL in average kick-off return at 24.8 yards a return.
Safety George Odum
Adrian Amos has been one of the Packers most reliable defenders the last 3 years. But Darnell Savage had a disappointing 2021 after sky-high expectations. Amos has only 1 year left on his deal – though could be a candidate for an extension to aid in salary cap savings. The Packers will have to decide whether or not to pick up Savage’s 5th year option, or he could be a free agent after 2022 as well. Regardless, Joe Barry’s defense requires good depth at the safety position – as the Packers would often play 3 safeties in dime looks. Odum would be an upgrade over Henry Black, and was also a major special teams contributor for the Colts.
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Jared is a rogue Packers fan from a Steelers family and an overall football junkie, including playing 4 years at Ithaca College. You can follow him on twitter at @JPrugar.
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