Packers Rumors: Latest Buzz on Joe Schobert, More Free-Agency Targets

For longtime Green Bay Packers fans, the team doing business during free agency—during the legal tampering window, even!—is an unexpected delight.

But it's a brave new world under general manager Brian Gutekunst, and after the savvy executive brought safety Adrian Amos, linebackers Preston Smith and Za'Darius Smith and offensive lineman Billy Turner into the fold last offseason, Packers fans couldn't wait to see what he'd come up with this year. 

In pre-negotiation window chatter, the Packers were linked to two major positions: inside linebacker and tackle, given the expected departures of free agents Blake Martinez and Bryan Bulaga. Indeed, on Monday night, Martinez agreed to terms with the New York Giants, per NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. 

And indeed, those are the areas Green Bay chose to hone in on in its first agreements of the offseason, as the team settled terms with former Browns linebacker Christian Kirksey (two years, $16 million, per ESPN's Adam Schefter) and former Lions right tackle Rick Wagner, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo. 

Does that mean the Packers are done at those two positions? What should we make of the other players to whom the Pack has been linked this month? And what do these signings mean for the Packers' own pending free agents? 

Let's take a look at the latest rumors tied to the Packers and break down their feasibility after Monday's events. 

Packers Still Exploring Bid for LB Joe Schobert?

At the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Packers News reporters Tom Silverstein and Jim Owczarski reported that the Packers were "exploring what it would take to sign former Wisconsin inside linebacker Joe Schobert of the Cleveland Browns."

In 2019, the Waukesha native notched two sacks, four interceptions, 13 pass breakups and two forced fumbles.

Of course, the Packers were likely doing their homework at the combine and exploring all options available to them on the inside linebacker market, especially as they planned to move on from Martinez. Agreeing to terms with Kirksey on Monday takes the Packers out of the Schobert market...doesn't it?

It's true that Green Bay has some salary-cap problems. After the new cap was set at $198.2 million for the 2020 season and with Monday's moves, the Packers are estimated to have only $1.9 million in spendable cap space before making other cuts and moves, per Ken Ingalls.

That's reserving about $2.3 million to sign draft picks, $7.5 million for in-season transactions (such as extending Aaron Jones, who will be an unrestricted free agent in 2021), $1.8 million for practice-squad allocations and $1.2 million for rounding out their 53-man roster outside of their top 51 contracts. 

According to Spotrac, Schobert's deal with the Browns was for four years and $2.97 million. It's possible the Packers could work something out here by dipping into their in-season transaction reserves, but given the relatively scant inside linebacker market this year, it's quite likely another team offers Schobert more than Green Bay can. 

That brings us to the next inside linebacker the Packers have been linked to. 

Packers Will Be 'All Over' LB Cory Littleton 

On Sunday night, Vic Tafur of The Athletic reported that when the free-agency tampering window opened, the Packers (and the Oakland Raiders) would be "all over" Rams linebacker Cory Littleton. 

That was almost certainly the case at the beginning of the day Monday, but with the Packers eventually agreeing to terms with Kirksey, is there any way they could make a deal with Littleton work?

Let's set cap space aside for a moment. There is an on-field role for both Kirksey and Littleton in the Packers defense. Martinez struggled in coverage, necessitating the Packers to bring a hybrid safety in for help in that area. There are packages that could pair Kirksey and Littleton as a tandem and free up the safety. 

Per Silverstein and Owczarski, the Packers wanted to pay in the realm of $8 million annually for an inside linebacker, and Martinez reportedly wanted $10 million. Kirksey's contract appears to have hit the mark, but as Ingalls figured out, through some creative incentives, Kirksey's cap hit for 2020 is only $4.125 million on a base salary of $1.750 million. 

Still, Littleton is now arguably the biggest name left in the market, and it's difficult to envision a scenario in which the Packers could swing this financially. 

'Multiple Teams' Inquired About OT Jared Veldheer

Tackle Jared Veldheer came out of retirement and was claimed off waivers by the Packers last November. The team activated him on December 9, and that decision proved savvy in the Week 17 game against the Detroit Lions, in which Bulaga left with a concussion and Veldheer stepped in at right tackle. 

As ESPN's Adam Schefter reported, Veldheer, now a soon-to-be free agent, has expressed to teams via his agent that he'd like to play again in 2020. As a result, he received interest from multiple teams at the combine in February. 

With expectations being that the Packers planned to let Bulaga leave in free agency, Veldheer was a popular re-signing priority. But on Monday, the Packers agreed to terms with Wagner, which in all likelihood means they'll be content to let Veldheer walk. 

What is one savvy result of the move if this is what Gutekunst intended all along? The Packers are now likely to receive a compensatory pick for losing Veldheer, and they've shored up their looming hole at right tackle.