This free agency has started off with quite a bang. While guys such as Danielle Hunter and Calvin Ridley are still on the market, Kirk Cousins has signed with the Atlanta Falcons, Derrick Henry has signed with the Ravens, and Saquon Barkley left the Giants for the Eagles.
The Green Bay Packers are one of the NFL’s most interesting teams to watch this off-season. With the restructurings and cuts they’ll continue to make, they’ll have a potential $60 million in cap space to sign and trade for more guys, in addition to the ones they already have. They cut Aaron Jones, and signed Josh Jacobs as well as Xavier McKinney. They’ll pursue some offensive players, mainly to shore up an already solid offensive line. But the main goal for GB would be to fix a shaky defense that’s in a bit of a rebuild.
With new DC Jeff Hafley, Green Bay will aim to get dominant players at each level. Hafley wants to play a Cover 5 scheme with some Cover 1 and 3 involved. That requires good physical cornerbacks and dynamic inside linebackers.
It most importantly requires a dominant defensive line that can stuff the run and get to the QB without sending more than 4 rushers.
Danielle Hunter would fit this defense perfectly. As mentioned previously, he’s the best player available in this free-agency class, and almost every team is interested in a guy who scored 16 sacks in 2023.
The Bears and Lions have both recently revealed their interest in Hunter, and now the Texans are heavily rumored to be targeting him – but are the Packers interested in him? Will he be good enough to stop the run as a 4-3 DE?
Are The Packers Interested In Danielle Hunter?
The Bears and Lions are, as multiple reports have confirmed as such. Green Bay hasn’t been rumored as much as the other teams, but they also have yet to free up the necessary cap space needed to obtain someone as expensive as Hunter.
While team fits and how good a team is play a part in where most free agents end up, at the end of the day most players want their money (or their “bag” as a lot of them call it nowadays).
Hunter will undoubtedly get his money, and deservedly so. Pass rushers are like most non-QB positions nowadays in that the top players get in between 15 and 25 million per year, and Hunter will most likely make that much.
Whether the Packers want to pay that much will be up to them, but this will come down to the highest bidder. The Texans and Bears will also have a lot of cap space, and if Hunter wants to drive his price up he could leave Green Bay in the dust. The team has a lot of holes, and they might only spend that money on someone like Chris Jones who’s better and has championship experience.
How Would Danielle Hunter Fit Jeff Hafley’s System?
Hunter is a good all around DE who should fit the system well. He’s got multiple pass rushing moves and is elite even without a great power-based rush.
Danielle can also stuff the run better than his advanced grades give him credit for. Overall, despite spending a lot of his career in 3-4 zone defenses, he can definitely play in any system as long he’s outside – he’s that good.
