The Green Bay Packers are heading into the offseason this year with quite a few holes that need to be filled. Before any of that happens, fans are anxiously awaiting Aaron Rodgers’ decision. Will he play for the Packers in 2023, get traded, or retire?
No one knows what the outcome of that situation will be yet, but many fans are hoping that Jordan Love is the team’s starting quarterback.
One of the major holes that the Packers will need to fix comes on the defensive side of the football. The position in question is safety, where Green Bay will likely need two new players.
Adrian Amos is set to hit free agency himself and Darnell Savage Jr. likely won’t be back either. Brian Gutekunst basically said just that in his draft combine interview. Who will end up replacing those guys in the defensive backfield for the Packers?
The Packers Are A Fit For Star Free Agent Safety Jessie Bates III
Jessie Bates III is a player who many teams will have interest in signing this offseason. For the Packers, being able to bring him in would be a dream scenario.
Bleacher Report recently ranked the top potential landing spots for top defensive free agents this offseason. When it came to Bates, they ranked Green Bay as the third-best possible destination.
The Packers have a talented defense and would be elevated by Bates, however, clearing the money to sign him might not be realistic. According to Over the Cap, the Packers could create $41.2 million in cap space through simple restructures, but those can come at the cost of future cap flexibility. But Adrian Amos is a free agent and the Packers could use the upgrade at the position.
Green Bay has already done a lot of work towards clearing cap room. The Packers have one of the best front offices in the league when it comes to working around cap difficulty.
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During the 2022 season with the Bengals, Bates ended up recording 71 total tackles to go along with a forced fumble, four interceptions, and eight defended passes. Those numbers show the kind of impact that Bates is capable of making.
Ahead of Green Bay on the list were the Cleveland Browns and Atlanta Falcons. Both teams would be great fits for him as well and could have an upper hand on Green Bay due to the cap situation.
Expect to hear Green Bay looking to make big moves this offseason. After missing the playoffs in 2022, Green Bay will do everything they can to right the ship. Adding a talent like Bates would be a nice step in that direction.
