Green Bay Packers: 5 Bargain targets in 2020 NFL free agency
By Joe Kipp
Many teams tend to overspend in free agency. Here are five bargain free agents the Green Bay Packers should target in the 2020 offseason.
Searching for bargains in free agency isn’t an easy task. More often than not, players are overcompensated due to scarcity at certain positions and potential scheme fits within an organization. Additionally, signing players to team-friendly deals usually means front offices are projecting how players could perform in the near future.
For the Green Bay Packers, finding these types of bargain players will be crucial in 2020 NFL free agency. Last offseason, the Packers hit a home-run with the signing of outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith, who didn’t have much production the first four seasons of his career.
General manager Brian Gutekunst later stated the Packers had been targeting ‘ascending players’ in free agency back in March of 2019, which makes sense almost a year later. Smith exploded for a career-best 13.5 sacks and 93 quarterback pressures, which makes his current contract pale in comparison to his peers.
The Packers don’t have piles of money to spend, so finding potential bargains will be paramount. According to Spotrac, Green Bay currently has $21 million in cap space. With potential salary cap savings in cutting certain players (i.e. Lane Taylor, Jimmy Graham), the Packers could have between $30-40 million in cap room by the time free agency starts.
Heading into the offseason, the Packers have a strong nucleus on their roster. And no matter how you spin it, the Green Bay’s 2019 season should be considered a great success. Finishing 13-3 with a first-year head coach is no easy feat, especially considering the expectations at the beginning of the season.
But now it’s February, and we go back to having no meaningful NFL football for the next eight months. In the meantime, here are five bargain free agents the Packers should be targeting this offseason.