The Green Bay Packers have already signed two veteran safeties this offseason, but Pro Football Focus believes a third signing makes sense.
Brad Spielberger of PFF put together a list of one move each team should make before training camp, and the pick for the Packers was signing veteran safety John Johnson III.
From Spielberger: “Johnson didn’t have a great second season with the Browns, with his 17 missed tackles the most of his career by nearly double, but he was playing behind a porous defensive line and has bounce-back potential in him. Johnson is a rangy defender who can play all over the field and could be a major bargain this late in free agency.”
Acquiring Johnson III was something we discussed as an attractive option for the Packers as far back as February. The 28-year-old was released by the Cleveland Browns in March but hasn’t been signed.
The Packers, meanwhile, re-signed Rudy Ford, signed Tarvarius Moore and Jonathan Owens, drafted Anthony Johnson Jr. and let Adrian Amos depart at the safety position.
Could adding Johnson III still make sense? It’s certainly a move the Packers should explore, given Johnson’s familiarly in the Joe Barry defense and his success playing a split-safety system in Los Angeles. He was excellent in coverage for the Rams and has played at least 700 snaps in five of his six seasons. But given the signings of Moore and Owens, another addition at safety before training camp appears unlikely for the Packers. It’s possible Johnson III would become an option should Moore and Owens suffer an injury or the situation at safety deteriorate during training camp.
There’s little doubt that the big question mark for the Packers defense is at safety. Darnell Savage was benched last season, Ford has never been a full-time starter, Moore hardly played for the 49ers defense last season and Owens went unsigned by the Texans after starting all 17 games in 2022. Johnson Jr. is an intriguing rookie, but he only recently transitioned to safety and is entering the NFL as a seventh-round pick.
Why wasn’t Johnson III considered before the Packers signed Moore and Owens? While adding him now still makes sense on paper, it’s clear the team’s pro personnel department didn’t see the same potential or value despite Johnson III’s past history in a similar defense and the team’s need at the position.
