Packers need hard look at both Sheldon Richardson, Maurice Hurst

The Green Bay Packers would be doing the franchise a disservice if they didn’t seriously take a look at recently released defensive tackles Sheldon Richardson and Maurice Hurst.

If you’re just looking at what the Green Bay Packers have done in free agency to this point, the reasonable conclusion to come to would be that they are banking heavily on the 2021 NFL Draft. After a second-straight NFC Championship Game appearance, that does make some sense. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t avenues to improve the roster still.

One of the big areas many people have pointed to the Packers needing help is on the defensive line. Kenny Clark is a stud but, barring a big breakout season from 2019 fifth-round pick Kinglsey Keke next year, the likes of Dean Lowry and Tyler Lancaster present pedestrian starting options for Green Bay on either side of Clark.

As the draft is less than two weeks away, though, Green Bay now has two high-end defensive tackles to consider on the free-agent market. Over the past week, the Raiders waived former fifth-round pick Maurice Hurst, which was soon after followed by the Browns cutting veteran former first-rounder Sheldon Richardson.

Currently, Green Bay is just over $2 million clear of the salary cap. However, they could either cut Lowry and save $3.3 million or restructure Aaaron Rodgers’ contract to save upwards of $14 million, per Over the Cap. Subsequently, the Packers should be ready to take a strong look at either of the defensive tackles now on the market.

Either Sheldon Richardson or Maurice Hurst would give the Packers D-line a huge boost.

For as effective as the Green Bay defense has been at times in recent years, they’ve largely been one-dimensional. With Clark penetrating up the middle and with Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith rushing off the edge (amid a rotation, it should be noted), the options to get into the opposing backfield have been limited.

Hurst and Richardson could both answer that problem in an obvious manner. Hurst was the 19th highest-graded interior defensive lineman last season according to PFF (subscription required), three spots higher than even Clark. And while Richardson was at the bottom end of the top 50 at the position, he was still well above Lowry and Lancaster.

Adding either player would give the Packers a plus asset that makes then entire defense more versatile. The ability to generate pressure from a 3-man front would offer them versatility in how to drop into coverage or to even be able to focus on the run as well. And that becomes particularly important when you consider the weak defensive tackle class in the draft.

Figuring out what the Packers are trying to do this offseason is anyone’s guess. But if we’re talking about what they should be doing based on their needs and the current market, making a push for Hurst and/or Richardson just makes too much sense to ignore.