Hearing the #Raiders and #Packers are going to be all over free agent LB Cory Littleton when/if the FA tampering window officially opens tomorrow. He is a popular target.
— Vic Tafur (@VicTafur) March 16, 2020
Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst is putting the best free agent at a need position directly in his crosshairs.
According to Vic Tafur of The Athletic, the Packers and Las Vegas Raiders are expected to be “all over” free agent linebacker Cory Littleton when the legal tampering window opens on Monday.
Littleton, once an undrafted free agent in 2016, has emerged as a playmaking linebacker with legitimate covering skills over four seasons with the Los Angeles Rams. Now an unrestricted free agent, Littleton will be a top target for several teams on the open market.
The Packers have signaled major interest in acquiring one of the top free-agent inside linebackers. Bill Huber of SI reported the Packers view Littleton as the top target at the position.
Littleton looks like a perfect match for Mike Pettine’s defense. Not only does he play fast and disrupt plays against the run and in the passing game, but he’s well-versed playing as the lone off-ball linebacker in the same coverage-heavy schemes Pettine has preferred in Green Bay. Adding Littleton could provide the finishing touch to a defense that flirted with elite status but lacked the playmaking talent in the middle of the field in 2019.
He’s also a perfect match for Gutekunst’s free-agent profile. He’s young, ascending as a player and almost never hurt, all factors that reduce the risk of spending big money and increase the odds of hitting another home run.
The problem is the Raiders, who have significantly more cap space than the Packers and could likely drive Littleton’s pricetag out of Gutekunst’s range. But if last year proved anything, it’s that Gutekunst is willing to spend to get his guy, and it’s looking more and more like Littleton is target No. 1 for the Packers in free agency.
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