Veteran Free-Agent Contracts Packers Must Consider Before Training Camp

The Green Bay Packers have largely sat out free agency this offseason, but there's still time for them to get involved before training camp kicks off.

Thanks to a tight financial situation and the uncertainty over the Aaron Rodgers situation, they weren't really in a position to spend this offseason. The external additions through free agency were sparse.

However, signing free agents at this time of year is a much different proposition. For one, prices tend to be down. By now, free agents are mostly just hoping to land with a team. Then there's the fact that signings no longer count toward the compensatory formula.

Green Bay is a team with a few holes left on the roster even after the draft and the bulk of free agency.

Here are three players the Packers should be considering as training camp additions.

QB Teddy Bridgewater

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FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - JANUARY 01: Teddy Bridgewater #5 of the Miami Dolphins passes against the New England Patriots during the first quarter at Gillette Stadium on January 01, 2023 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Winslow Townson/Getty Images)

The Packers are putting a lot of eggs in the Jordan Love basket. It's the right thing to do. They spent a first-round pick on him, and he's waited behind Aaron Rodgers for three years.

However, every smart team has a contingency plan. There are a lot of unknowns with Love and one of them is how well he will hold up against an NFL schedule. He's only attempted 83 passes and taken three sacks in three years on the roster.

If the 24-year-old suffered an injury, the Packers would either be turning to Danny Etling or Sean Clifford. The former has already been on seven NFL rosters or practice squads since getting drafted in the seventh round of the 2018 draft, and the latter was a fifth-round pick in this year's draft.

Neither would inspire much confidence. There are two notable veteran quarterbacks with starting experience still on the market in Teddy Bridgewater and Carson Wentz. The former has already played the role of veteran backing up a young up-and-coming quarterback, while the latter has been traded or released by his previous employers when he didn't live up to the role of starter.

Bridgewater was a fine secondary option behind Tua Tagovailoa and kept the Miami Dolphins offense afloat in his absence last season.

The 30-year-old could do the same thing for the Packers and ease the burden on Love to remain healthy for the team to be competitive.

S John Johnson III

AP Photo/Danny Karnik

Cleveland Browns safety John Johnson III (43) works during the first half of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, in Atlanta. The Atlanta Falcons won 23-20. (AP Photo/Danny Karnik)

It's kind of surprising that this signing hasn't already happened.

Joe Barry needs the defense to rebound in 2022. They went from one of the best units in 2021 to an average one in 2022 despite having similar personnel. One position group that really struggled was safety. Both Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage blew coverages and gave up big plays.

John Johnson III also had a down year playing for the Cleveland Browns. He had just one interception and four passes defended, but he had allowed a passer rating of 77.1 or less in each of the three prior seasons.

Both Barry and Johnson could help each other out to make 2023 a comeback year. Barry knows Johnson from their shared time with the Rams where the latter played his best football and the former was involved in coaching some great defenses.

Johnson, 27, remains unsigned despite being a proven starter and under the age of 30.

The Packers would be wise to at least offer a one-year "prove it" deal and see if he can beat out their other options for a starting spot in the secondary.

DL Shelby Harris

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SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - DECEMBER 15: Shelby Harris #93 of the Seattle Seahawks pressures Brock Purdy #13 of the San Francisco 49ers during the fourth quarter at Lumen Field on December 15, 2022 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

Defensive-line depth is crucial, especially for a team that was terrible at stopping the run last season. Jarran Reed and Dean Lowry might not have been stellar last year, but losing them opens up a lot of snaps on the interior.

Devonte Wyatt will be expected to absorb some of those snaps. He was a part-time player as a rookie and needs to fulfill the expectations of a first-round selection.

There are still more than 1,000 snaps that were vacated by Lowry and Reed with no external options being brought in.

That's where a veteran like Shelby Harris would make sense. He has been a consistent starter for the last four years of his career. Not only can he defend the run, but he also offers a little pass rush too. He has 24.5 sacks in eight years of playing.

Most recently, the 31-year-old played for the Seahawks as part of the deal that sent Russell Wilson to Denver. His pass-rush production took a step back, but he was able to handle 562 snaps.

Even if Harris took just 250-300 this season, he would be able to play an important role.