Green Bay Packers: Jaylon Smith comes in at crucial time
The signing of linebacker Jaylon Smith could not come at a better time for the injury-riddled Green Bay Packers.
The Green Bay Packers are undergoing difficult times early in the 2021 NFL campaign as the team is already riddled with injuries, making the acquisition of former Cowboys linebacker, Jaylon Smith, a pivotal move.
As quarterback Aaron Rodgers has seemingly indicated throughout a heart-racing offseason for Packers fans, this is the last year that Green Bay will be a strong contender for the Super Bowl. The cause for this includes not just a disgruntled relationship between Rodgers and team brass, but primarily due to the team being handcuffed from salary cap issues.
The Packers have just $6.5 million to spend in salary cap for the entire year, which prevented them from making a move to trade for 2019 Defensive Player of the Year, cornerback Stephon Gilmore, who indicated a mutual interest in joining the Pack. This could no be more difficult as, on top of the numerous injuries in Green Bay, rising star cornerback Jaire Alexander suffered a shoulder injury during the game against the Steelers in Week 4.
The hope is that Jaire’s shoulder injury will not require surgery. In the event it does, however, his season will be effectively over. Even if surgery is not needed, the Pack can expect to be without the second-team All-Pro defender for an extended period of time with the likes of star outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith (back). These are two massive holes on a defense that’s already built like, well, cheese.
The Packers weren’t able to bring in Gilmore, but they were able to sign linebacker Jaylon Smith to a one year contract, in which most of his salary will be paid by the Dallas Cowboys after cutting him from the roster earlier this week. There’s no more ideal situation than adding a player to a position group that desperately needs help and not having to pay him yourself to do so.
As if the injury report couldn’t grow any larger. It was noted that linebacker Chauncey Rivers, best-known for his stardom in the hit Netflix series Last Chance U, suffered an ACL tear which forces the team to place him on IR. As a result, this opens up a spot for Jaylon Smith (the triplet to the Smith Bros) to jump into the lineup, as head coach Matt LeFleur and company look to have him start immediately.
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As for the current situation with Alexander, we can only hope for a lightning-fast recovery, as without him, the secondary is forced to turn to rookie corner Eric Stokes to step up in the biggest way possible for this defense.