Green Bay Packers: Make a move on cornerback Bashaud Breeland
By Hunter Noll
The Green Bay Packers desperately need to bolster their secondary. Bashaud Breeland is young but experienced, and extremely talented. Time to make a move.
Just a few days ago, Bashaud Breeland was headed to the Carolina Panthers. A failed physical later and everything is different though. Now, the 26-year old is still one of the best free agents available, his contract expectations may be a little low however.
Just look at his former Washington Redskins teammate Ryan Grant. The wide receiver initially signed a four-year contract worth $29million with the Baltimore Ravens. After failing his physical though, Grant only procured a one-year deal worth $5 million with Indianapolis Colts. Sure, Breeland is a better player at a much more coveted position than Grant. That doesn’t mean he won’t lower his price tag a little bit.
The Green Bay Packers on the other hand, have seen multiple players leave their secondary this offseason. This has caused them to go from weak at the position, to absolutely starving. Breeland seems like the perfect remedy to this problem.
At 26, Breeland is still very young. He’s already got four years (60 games) of heavy play in the NFL to back up his experience though. The cornerback excelled as the Redskins’ number one option before Josh Norman joined the team. When Norman arrived, Breeland was overshadowed but continued to play extremely well.
He’s excellent in coverage, and has proven himself against top wide receivers. Although he doesn’t get many interceptions, he can make a big play (including forcing a fumble) to create a turnover. Breeland’s also a physical cornerback, who is a plus-tackler and won’t shy away from any competition.
In short, Breeland is exactly what the Packers need. He’s a young cornerback who still has more-than-enough NFL experience. He’s battle-tested and proven himself time-and-time again. Despite not getting the recognition, he’s one of the better cornerbacks in the league, but won’t be looking for elite money. Finally, he’s proven he can be the head of a secondary and won’t disappoint.
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The Packers are in desperate need of a leader for their secondary. Bashaud Breeland is a logic fit and, due to circumstances that are lucky for Green Bay, he’s still on the market. It’s time for them to make a move and start rebuilding their secondary.