Packers Release A.J. Hawk; What's Next for the Packers at Inside Linebacker?

After 9 memorable seasons with the Green Bay Packers, A.J. Hawk has been released by the Packers. Hawk was drafted 5th overall in the 2006 draft out of Ohio State. He finishes his Packers career as the all-time franchise leader in tackles with 1,118.

So now, in the aftermath of Hawk's release, as well as the recent release of fellow inside linebacker Brad Jones, the Packers are looking pretty thin at that position. It's safe to assume the front office has a plan for filling the inside linebacker void, part of which will be using players already on the roster. But with the sudden shallowness of the inside linebacker position, expect Ted Thompson to use the draft and/or free agency to fill the gap. Here are a few players who might fit the bill.

Larry Foote (FA) -- The long time Steeler and more recent Cardinal would be the kind of short term patch Ted Thompson likes -- a short-term placeholder who can come and perform well while grooming younger talent.

Benardrick McKinney (Draft) -- McKinney is a big, tall linebacker who is athletic enough to play outside or inside. He also projects to be a late first round pick, and might be available when the Packers are drafting.

Denzel Perryman (Draft) -- Another linebacker who will probably be available when the Packers are picking in the first round. Perryman is shorter, smaller, and a bit slower than McKinney, but is perhaps the more physical of the two.

Stephone Anthony (Draft) -- Yet another prospect at linebacker for the Packers to draft. Anthony is projected to go in the third or fourth round, and could be an excellent value pick for Green Bay. Anthony has NFL size and speed, and is certainly physical enough for the role. Look for Anthony as a potential second or third round pick.

2015 Free Agency: Potential Bargains

As we all know, Ted Thompson doesn't do much in free agency. Last season, he made two notable signings (Julius Peppers and Letroy Guion), both of whom made a major impact for the 2014 team. Don't expect Ted to go hog wild this time around, however. There's a system in the NFL that if you lose more than you gain in free agency, the NFL bestows compensatory draft picks upon you. Ted Thompson guards his draft picks more jealously than a leprechaun his pot of gold, so you can bet we won't be seeing any major, splashy moves in free agency. Even last year when he brought in Peppers and Guion, both players had been released by their respective teams, so they didn't count towards compensatory draft pick considerations.

No, as usual, I expect the Packers to be church mice in the opening weeks of free agency (which, I might add, is closer than you think! March 10th is about two weeks away!), but the Packers usually find one or two lesser known players to fill holes on the Packers roster. Here's a few that might be good fits, assuming they actually reach unrestricted free agency.

Casey Matthews ILB - Yes, Clay's little brother might be a good pickup for Green Bay. Casey Matthews has not been all that noticeable yet in his young career, and it's likely that the Eagles decide to keep him, but just imagine the fun we'd have wreaking havoc with the Matthews brothers! Or imagine this: Dom Capers decides to invent a package in which both Clay and Casey are lined up at inside linebacker. Now, isn't that fun? In all seriousness, it probably won't happen, but it's still fun to dream.

Josh Cribbs KR - For years, Cribbs was one of the elite return specialists in the NFL. He has undoubtedly lost a step, but can still be a dangerous return man. Micah Hyde is pretty good returning punts, but it might be nice to have someone experienced back there returning the kickoffs. DuJuan Harris was a failed experiment there last season, so I think it's time to try something different.

Tom Johnson DT - The Minnesota Viking had 6.5 sacks last season, with only 2 games started. He will be turning 31 this season, but he seems like the kind of patch the Packers like to make. If the Vikings don't bring him back, expect Ted Thompson to come sniffing around.

Virgil Green TE - The Broncos might be facing losing Julius Thomas, which could lead to them bringing back Green. But if he hits free agency, the Packers might kick the tires. Green was one of the most athletic tight ends in the 2011 draft, but he has been buried on the Broncos depth chart thus far in his career. Sounds like the kind of guy TT might like to take a chance on.

Sam Acho OLB - Acho has been solid depth for the Cardinals these past few seasons, and he is still young (26). He could come in and provide some competition for the backup OLB position for the Green and Gold.

Rob Housler TE- Another former Cardinal. If Housler becomes a free agent, the big, sure handed tight end could see some playing time and not a small number of passes coming his way.

Free Agency: Re-signing Players

Free Agency: Re-signing Packers Free Agents

Ted Thompson has seldom made a splash in free agency in terms of signing other teams' free agents. He prefers to draft, develop, and usually re-sign his own guys, rather than roll the dice on castaways from other teams. In 2014, Thompson did dip his toes into free agency a bit, with the signings of Julius Peppers and Letroy Guion, both of whom made a significant impact on defense. But don't expect their success to make Thompson more bold in free agency. His philosophy is still to build through the draft with cheaper, younger players, rather than through free agency with more expensive, older ones.

Here is a list of the Packers 2015 free agents:

Unrestricted
T Bryan Bulaga
CB Jarrett Bush
WR Randall Cobb
QB Matt Flynn
DT Letroy Guion
CB Davon House
FB John Kuhn
LB Jamari Lattimore
DT B.J. Raji
QB Scott Tolzien
CB Tramon Williams

Restricted
T/G Don Barclay
WR Jarrett Boykin
S Sean Richardson

Exclusive rights
RB DuJuan Harris

Unrestricted free agency means that they can sign with any team. Restricted free agency means the Packers get an opportunity to match any contract offer they receive, and exclusive rights essentially means the Packers are the only team that can sign the player.

1. Randall Cobb and Bryan Bulaga
The top order of business for the Packers will be whether or not to re-sign RT Bryan Bulaga and WR Randall Cobb. Both players are in the prime of their respective careers, and are playing at a high level. That means both players can expect to get paid well (perhaps overpaid) if they decide to test the waters in free agency. While it's not Ted Thompson's way to let core players in their prime get away in free agency, he hates overspending, and if the bidding gets too high for the services of Cobb and/or Bulaga, he won't hesitate to let one or both of them walk. Last season, however, Thompson did pay a little more than fair market value for CB Sam Shields when he was set to hit free agency, so that bodes well for both of these guys to be back in green and gold next season (Prediction: Both get re-signed if the price is reasonable.)

2. Matt Flynn and Scott Tolzien
This one could be interesting. I expect the Packers to sign both players back in the offseason, but only one of them to make the final roster. It could be a training camp battle between the established
veteran Flynn and the up and coming former Badger Tolzien. Tolzien definitely has greater athletic ability and arm strength, and if he can wrap his head around the complicated offense that the Packers run, I would expect Tolzien to be the guy. But if Tolzien struggles to pick it up, the experiment could be over. (Prediction: Both re-signed to short term contracts)


3. BJ Raji and Letroy Guion
Both players have big question marks, but for different reasons. Raji is coming off of a torn bicep injury that landed him on IR before the season really got going. He was on a one year "prove it" deal, and was off to a great start before the injury. Guion had a terrific season last year as one of Ted Thompson's rare free agent acquisitions, but a recent arrest involving $100,000 cash and large quantities of marijuana in his car makes this re-signing much less of a slam dunk. From the sound of it, McCarthy would like to have Guion back if he isn't in serious legal trouble. The lack of comments about Raji from Thompson or McCarthy suggest the big guy, who was the hero of the 2010 NFC Championship game for his game clinching pick-6, may not be back with the Packers in 2015. (Predicition: Guion re-signs, Raji hits free agency)

4. Tramon Williams, Jarrett Bush, and Davon House
Tramon Williams has been a fixture at cornerback since Aaron Rodgers has been the starting QB for the Packers, but that doesn't mean he will be back next season. I expect the Packers to let Williams test the market in free agency, and if they can get him cheap, they will re-sign him. Otherwise, it might be time to say farewell to a great Packer. 

JB is still a special teams ace, and won't command much money in free agency, so I think he will be back.

Davon House is a young, up and coming talent (the kind that Ted Thompson doesn't let escape). As such, I would be shocked if he signed elsewhere.
(Prediction: Williams signs elsewhere, Jarrett Bush and Davon House re-sign)

5. John Kuhn
I don't think John Kuhn will be a Packer in 2015. He may be re-signed, but I don't think he will make the final roster. Yes, you heard me right. We may have heard our last "Kuuuuhn!" chant at Lambeau. (Prediction: Not re-signed)

6. Jamari Lattimore
Lattimore is a young and ascending talent, so early indications would be Ted wants him back. But he has had a chance to start in Green Bay, and didn't do much with the opportunity, so this may not be a sure thing. I think the Packers will re-sign him to compete for a job in training camp. (Prediction: Re-signed)

7. Barclay, Boykin, Richardson and Harris
Restricted free agents are usually pretty inexpensive to keep. As such, I think Don Barclay is a slam dunk. Sean Richardson will probably be tendered as well. Jarrett Boykin I'm not so sure about. He was supposed to take a big step up this season, but he did next to nothing all year. I don't see him back with the Packers unless Cobb is not re-signed. DuJuan Harris might be another shot to earn a spot in training camp. Though he didn't do much last year. It's possible the Packers will just draft another running back and say goodbye to Mighty Mouse. (Prediction: Barclay, Richardson tendered; Boykin, Harris: Not tendered.)





 

2015 Offseason Agenda

The 2014 Green Bay Packers are history. Despite all of the regular season blowout wins, the balanced offense, the improving defense, and the legitimate hope of a trip to Arizona to play the Patriots for the Super Bowl, last season will always be remembered for what could have been. The sting of the last 3:52 of that game in Seattle may have dulled some over the last month, but the truth is that Packer nation will now cringe every time they hear 3:52 in the same way as 4th and 26.

But the good news is that 2014 is over. That team is history, and it's time to turn the page.  That means it's time for the general management and front office to put together a new team for 2015. It's a reality in the salary cap era that each year is brand new, and like all other NFL teams, the Packers have some big decisions to make. Below is the "agenda" for the formation of the 2015 Packers, and a few things to look forward to during the offseason. Each item on the agenda will be accompanied by its own blog post.

1. Free agency -- Re-signing players
  - Make decsions on Randall Cobb and Bryan Bulaga, and several other Packers hitting unrestricted free agency

2. Free agency -- Shopping for new players
  - Look for valuable "patch" players who can come in and do a good job while the Packers develop their replacements.

3. NFL Draft

4. Sign undrafted free agents

5. OTAs/Training Camp/Pre-season