After a quiet start to free agency spent working out contracts with players already associated with the team Green Bay have sprung to life adding three key components to their biggest area of need, defence. They have added much-needed pass rush in the shape of Outside Linebackers (OLB) Za’Darius Smith & Preston Smith from Baltimore and Washington respectively, and have improved their backfield by adding Safety Adrian Amos from Chicago.
Anyone who watched Green Bay last year will have noticed that their pass rush was anaemic, to say the least, and with Clay Matthews set for free agency and Nick Perry struggling to stay fit additions here are no surprise, however these moves have not come cheap. Preston Smith will earn a reported $52M over 4 years while Za’Darius Smith will earn a similar amount at over $16m per year.
Za’Darius Smith’s deal with the Packers will come in over $16M a year. No way the Ravens were going to devote $33M a year to keeping him and Mosley at this point.
The good news for Green Bay is that they can now let Clay Matthews go and cut Nick Perry making the above slightly more palatable especially as Pery will be due a big bonus if he is still on the roster in June.
Safety was also an issue last year especially after they traded Clinton Dix to Washington. Their top ranked safety last year was returning veteran Tramon Williams who at 35 was never more than a bridge and now with Adrian Amos they have not only a top 10 ranked player but have taken him from one of their main divisional rivals Chicago. He has signed a 4 year, $37,000,000 contract but that’s not too bad for a player of his calibre who is only 25 and had his best season last year with 73 tackles 2 interceptions and a sack!
So that’s over $141m headline – but given the offence was not that bad last year and of course Aaron Rodgers is still QB means they may just about be favourites for the NFC North crown in 2019. Especially as they have two 1st round picks to play with which can now be used to fill their other glaring need at Tight End Looks like T.J Hockinson or Noah Fant could be in play at no 12.
