A major event on the offseason schedule is here for the Green Bay Packers and the rest of the NFL.
Free agency unofficially begins Monday (legal tampering period) and officially begins Wednesday (new league year).
Here’s a full preview of free agency for the Packers:
Free agents
Unrestricted free agents
LB Blake Martinez
RT Bryan Bulaga
WR Geronimo Allison
CB Tramon Williams
TE Marcedes Lewis
OLB Kyler Fackrell
DB Will Redmond
LB B.J. Goodson
FB Danny Vitale
RB Tyler Ervin
OT Jared Veldheer
OT Jason Spriggs
WR Ryan Grant
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Restricted free agents
FB Malcolm Johnson
Exclusive rights free agents
WR Allen Lazard
DL Tyler Lancaster
CB Chandon Sullivan
WR Jake Kumerow
TE Robert Tonyan
Cap space
$22,829,094 (per Over the Cap)
Needs
Inside linebacker: Blake Martinez and B.J. Goodson, last season’s starters, are free agents. Both could depart. Oren Burks, a third-round pick in 2018, remains a question mark. The Packers need a remodel in the middle of the defense.
Receiver: The cupboard in the passing game after Davante Adams is mostly bare. Adams, a second-round pick in 2014, was the team’s last major investment at the position. It’s time for a major talent infusion. The productivity of Aaron Rodgers’ final few years depends on it.
Offensive tackle: Bryan Bulaga is an unrestricted free agent and doesn’t look like a priority. David Bakhtiari is entering the final year of his current deal. The Packers have no in-house replacement option at either position.
Tight end: The Packers released Jimmy Graham, and Marcedes Lewis is an unrestricted free agent. Jace Sternberger, last year’s third-round pick, is a breakout candidate in 2020, but the position probably needs one more good player.
Defensive line: Kenny Clark is a star, but he needs more help, especially if defensive coordinator Mike Pettine insists on playing so much subpackage to stop the pass.
Potential extensions
DL Kenny Clark: A first-time Pro Bowler in 2019, Clark looks like a cornerstone player for the Packers defense. He’s scheduled to make a little under $7.7 million in the final year of his rookie deal. A big extension is coming.
LT David Bakhtiari: The four-time All-Pro has a big cap number ($14.7 million) in the final year of the deal. The Packers don’t want him sniffing free agency, and they could even save some money on the cap in 2020 with a new deal.
RB Aaron Jones: There’s mutual interest in an extension. Jones, a fifth-round pick playing a treacherous position, wants financial security. The Packers want a good player around long term. A reasonable deal for both sides could be had here.
C Corey Linsley: His current deal has a cap hit of $10.5 million in 2020, the final year of the deal. The Packers might want to trim that number down with an extension.
Potential cuts
OL Lane Taylor: Taylor is 30 years old, an odd fit in the offense, lacking a starting position and coming off a season-ending injury. The Packers can save over $4 million by cutting him.
Potential targets
TE Austin Hooper: He might not be a game-breaking player, but he’s young, coming off his best season and super reliable in the passing game, and he’d be a substantial upgrade over Jimmy Graham.
LB Cory Littleton: His fit in the Packers defense is just about perfect. He plays fast and covers as well as any inside linebacker in football, plus he’s young and injury-free.
LB Nick Kwiatkoski: Really impressed as a spot starter for the Bears. He’s tough, with a diverse skillset and surprising playmaking ability. He could emerge as a high-quality starter.
DL Michael Pierce: The big run-stuffer from Baltimore could be exactly what the Packers need to get better stopping the run.
WR Robby Anderson: The Jets’ speedster would be an intriguing deep threat in the Packers offense. He’s averaged over 15.0 yards per catch each of the last two years.
LB Joe Schobert: The former Badger has been a productive tackler and a playmaker in coverage for the Browns.
WR Breshad Perriman: Former first-round pick of the Ravens finally performed like a big-time talent the last two years.
TE Eric Ebron: Caught 13 touchdown passes in a breakout year in 2018 but battled injuries and an evolving quarterback situation in 2019. Could he be Jared Cook 2.0 in Green Bay?
DL Damon Harrison: Pairing the veteran with Kenny Clark could really beef up the Packers’ run defense.
WR Emmanuel Sanders: The skilled veteran could be a strong complementary piece as an inside/outside receiver behind Davante Adams.
DL A’Shawn Robinson: He could provide the big, powerful five-tech the Packers need up front.