Green Bay Packers: 3 Ways free agency affects 2019 NFL Draft strategy
3. Their needs are different
Edge rusher is a major need for every team in the NFL. You can always use an elite player on the edge to get after the passer. Green Bay hasn’t really had that serious threat for a few years as Clay Matthews declined and Nick Perry struggled to stay healthy. They fixed that on the second day of the free agency when they grabbed Mr. and Mr. Smith.
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They could use another player for depth at that spot, but it’s not the dire need it was just two weeks ago.
Adrian Amos is one of the best safeties in the NFL, and that was proven based on the grade he was given by Pro Football Focus (subscription required) last season as he graded out as the eighth-best safety in the league. After the major struggles they had at that spot last season, going into 2019-20 without an upgrade would have been a disastrous mistake. They could still use a young developmental guy next to Amos, but they don’t have to grab one early if they don’t like the fit or value.
Green Bay was a quiet team in free agency for quite a while, and they would rarely sign free agents that weren’t on their roster the previous season. The team-building process in the modern NFL requires a change to that way of thinking. Fill holes in free agency, and add depth in the draft. That’s what the Packers are doing this year, and it drastically alters their holes that need to be filled when the draft rolls around.
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