The Good, Bad And Ugly From The Packers’ Wild Start To Free Agency
The craziest free agent day in Green Bay Packers history occurred on.
In only two hours that day, Green Bay general manager Brian Gutekunst signed four free agents: outside linebackers Preston Smith and Za’Darius Smith, safety Adrian Amos, and offensive lineman Billy Turner.
From 2019 to 2021, all four played significant roles in Green Bay’s Super Bowl run.
Monday wasn’t nearly as wacky as that day in 2019, but it got close.
The Packers paid heavily on safety Xavier McKinney and running back Josh Jacobs. Green Bay also lost four key players on its roster: left tackle David Bakhtiati and running back Aaron Jones were released, while guard Jon Runyan (New York Giants) and safety Darnell Savage (Jacksonville) signed elsewhere. Jones eventually signed with—surprise, surprise—Minneapolis.
That quartet spent a combined 29 seasons with the Packers and played vital roles in numerous victories.
Green Bay has resigned return ace/nickel corner Keisean Nixon, tight end Tyler Davis, and cornerback Corey Ballentine, while linebacker De’Vondre Campbell was waived and safety Jonathan Owens signed with Chicago.