A Free Agent Craze in Green Bay?

It’s no secret that Ted Thompson builds his teams through the draft.  Until a week ago, his most notable free agent signings through seven years as General Manager of the Green Bay Packers have been defensive tackle Ryan Pickett, linebacker Brandon Chillar, and defensive backs Charles Woodson and Marquand Manuel. However, the man who seemingly despises spending money on veteran players outside of the organization has surprisingly become a busy player in the 2012 free agency period.

Rather than re-signing aging veteran center Scott Wells, who at age 31 was coming off of his first Pro Bowl season, Thompson elected to go the proven, safe route by signing former Indianapolis Colt Jeff Saturday.  Wells received a 4-year, $24 million contract with the St. Louis Rams, while the Packers locked up the five-time Pro Bowler Saturday for $7.75 million over two seasons.  Some may argue that Wells provided the Packers with an elite center, but Thompson is replacing him with another team-first player that joined Peyton Manning in creating one of the top offensive attacks in the history of the NFL – and he did it for a much smaller investment.  It’s a great move for Green Bay, as the signing of Saturday will not only immediately fill Green Bay’s hole on the interior of the offensive line, but give the team enough time to find and develop a long-term solution at center in the upcoming two drafts.

With the addition of Saturday, Thompson turned his attention to the defensive line.  A defense that ranked last in total yards and passing yards allowed per game and forced only 29.0 sacks in 2011 – tied for 27^th in the league – definitely needed to be upgraded to provide a better pass rush. Former second-round pick Mike Neal has had difficulty staying on the field and now faces a four-game ban for performance enhancing drugs.  Meanwhile, Howard Green will not be re-signed.

Enter Anthony Hargrove, who at 6’3, 285 pounds has the size and tools of a prototypical 3-4 end.  A seven-year NFL veteran, Hargrove has recorded 19.5 sacks in 102 career games with the Rams, Buffalo Bills, New Orleans Saints, and Seattle Seahawks; he posted three sacks for Seattle last season. The concern surrounding the signing of Hargrove is his tie to the recent Saints bounty case, but he is expected to significantly contribute to the Packers defense this season.

Thompson also brought back Daniel Muir, a 28-year old veteran who was initially signed as an undrafted free agent by the Packers in 2007 and spent one season with the team. Muir spent the past four seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, starting 26 games and totaling 108 tackles. He will be expected to compete at both nose tackle and end in the Packers 3-4 scheme and comes at a relatively low cost of one year and $700,000. 

The Packers have hosted several other free agents as of late.  Former Packers draft pick Dave Tollefson arrived in Green Bay Thursday night.  The New York Giants’ defensive end would most likely translate to linebacker in the Packers’ 3-4 and recorded 5.0 sacks last season for the defending Super Bowl Champions.  Green Bay is also scheduled to meet with Buffalo Bills left tackle Demetrius Bell and met with Cincinnati outside linebacker Manny Lawson, who recently re-signed with the Bengals.

Free agent periods have come and gone the past few seasons without a major splash by the Green Bay Packers. But Ted Thompson seems to realize that changes, especially on the defensive side of the ball must be made to get the Pack back to the Super Bowl this upcoming season. With free agency continuing on and the NFL Draft only one month away, it’s time to let Ted work his magic once again. In Ted we trust.