Given the team’s salary cap situation, the Green Bay Packers likely aren’t going to have the opportunity to make a big splash in free agency as they did in 2019. However, as Brian Gutekunst has shown, this reality doesn’t mean that high-impact players can’t be added to the roster.
Over the last two seasons, Gutekunst has brought in De’Vondre Campbell, Rasul Douglas, and Keisean Nixon. All three played on relatively small contracts, and all three had a huge impact in Green Bay.
Campbell played the 2021 season on a $2 million deal. He was eventually named an All-Pro after finishing sixth among linebackers in tackles and fourth in total stops. He allowed the second-fewest yards per catch and had the fewest missed tackles, according to PFF.
That same season, Green Bay signed Douglas off the Arizona practice squad. Douglas earned less than a million dollars during that year with the Packers while holding opponents to a catch rate of 51%, along with coming away with five interceptions and seven pass breakups.
Most recently, Green Bay brought in Keisean Nixon last offseason, who, like Campbell, was named an All-Pro after being the most dynamic kick returner in the NFL. Nixon earned $965,000 in 2022 and was the only return man with over 1,000 kick return yards. He also finished with the third-best kick return average and the second-best average on punts.
“Give a lot of credit to Richmond Williams, John Wojciechowski, our pro scouting staff; they do a great job,” said Gutekunst, via Packers.com. “We have a process we believe in very much, and I think the key to that is working that process each and every day and understanding the opportunities that present themselves. It can be at any time, and sometimes you’re ready to make that opportunity work for you, and sometimes you’re not, but it’s got to be a process each and every day, and those guys do a great job of it.”
In total, that’s two All-Pros, two players on second contracts with the Packers, and potentially a third in Nixon this offseason, and less than $4 million in total contract value was spent to bring these players in.
This also goes to show that these impact players can really be found at any time. Nixon wasn’t signed until the second week of free agency in March. Campbell was brought in over the summer, while Douglas was an in-season addition.
Where the next Campbell, Douglas, or Nixon is going to come from remains an unknown, and realistically, there may not be one. It’s not as if finding this level of impact on near-minimum deals is a common occurrence, although Gutey has proven otherwise as of late. However, positions that Green Bay should be looking to add to in free agency include receiver, safety, tight end, and interior defensive lineman.
If the Packers are going to bounce back in 2023, regardless of who is under center, those biggest improvements are likely going to have to come internally from players already on the roster. If it’s going to happen, it’s going to come through jumps from players entering Years 2, 3, and 4. Free agency can help supplement a few positions; the draft will hopefully bring in a few contributors, although most rookies are very inconsistent, and anything beyond either of those things is a bonus.
