The Green Bay Packers have made some significant changes on defense this offseason. Of course, the most important of these changes was the firing of defensive coordinator Joe Barry and the hiring of former Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley to replace him. Hafley is changing the Packers’ defensive scheme to a 4-3 as opposed to a 3-4, which they have implemented since the days Dom Capers held the defensive coordinator title in Green Bay.
The Packers also went through some significant personnel changes on the defensive side of the ball this offseason. Former All-Pro linebacker De’Vondre Campbell was released and subsequently signed with the San Francisco 49ers. Additionally, the Packers allowed safeties Darnell Savage, Jonathan Owens, and Rudy Ford to leave in free agency.
The Green Bay Packers Replaced Veteran Free Agents with Draft Picks and Xavier McKinney
One of the biggest moves of the Packers’ offseason was the signing of free agent safety Xavier McKinney. The best free agent at his position on the market, he very well could be the best safety Green Bay has had since Nick Collins.
However, as mentioned, the Packers let just about their entire safety room depart in free agency. In addition to McKinney, the Packers selected Javon Bullard, Evan Williams, and Kitan Oladapo in the 2024 NFL Draft. While Bullard is expected to start alongside McKinney, the fact remains that outside of their veteran free agent signee, the Packers’ safety room is incredibly young and inexperienced.
With training camp approaching, there are some analysts who wonder if Green Bay might look back to free agency to add another veteran, if anything for some extra depth and experience.
The Green Bay Packers Were Named a Good Fit for Former Minnesota Vikings Safety Jayron Kearse
One of the safeties still on the market is former Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Lions, and Dallas Cowboys starter Jayron Kearse. Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report believes that Kearse would be a strong addition to the Packers’ roster, writing:
“Jayron Kearse is another name that would make sense for the Packers. He does his best work as a strong safety working closer to the line of scrimmage. That would allow Xavier McKinney to do what he does best as a center-fielder who can lead the secondary.
“Kearse is a sure tackler with plenty of experience under a good defensive coordinator in Dan Quinn. He’s not going to post flashy stat lines or have a ton of turnovers, but he is going to be a serviceable player that would give a respectable baseline of performance while the Packers wait for their younger safeties to be ready to play.”
As Ballentine notes, Kearse is not a turnover generator. However, he has not allowed a touchdown reception in over two years and, last season, gave up a 79.6 passer rating when targeted. He also missed just three tackles all season, good for a 4.0% missed tackle percentage.
If Green Bay feels like they need some good depth and solid tackling at the safety position, Kearse would not be a bad signing at all.
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