Green Bay Packers: Top 10 Free Agents to Target

As you can imagine, the Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers had less needs than every other team in NFL going into the offseason. They filled three of those holes in the draft with the selections of offensive tackle Derrick Sherrod, wide receiver Randall Cobb and running back Alex Green, but they still haven’t patched up the defensive side of the ball. Because of that, their focus in free agency will be on improving their front seven.

Being the most talented team in football last season, if they manage to improve their roster in 2011, a second title would be theirs to lose. Green Bay doesn't overpay in free agency, but they do have a few positions they must upgrade in order to repeat.

Here are top 10 targets for the Packers in free agency:

10. Antwan Barnes

I don’t know what Antwan Barnes is doing in that picture. He may be lining up to rush the passer or that could be some odd sack celebration. Speaking of sack celebrations, he had plenty of success getting after quarterbacks in 2010, recording 4.5 sacks in limited action over just 11 games.

Green Bay has plenty of bodies on the outside, but they don’t have any pass rushers that offenses really need to worry about across from Clay Matthews. Erik Waldon, Frank Zombo and Brad Jones are good enough to get playing time without being a liability, but not one of the three recorded more than four sacks last season.

Barnes is a great athlete and would excel working across from Matthews as a situational pass-rusher.

9. Michael Spurlock

Yeah, I know the Packers just drafted Randall Cobb who can return, but that doesn’t mean he should return. Cobb is too valuable of a weapon on offense to stick at returner. He can line up out wide, in the backfield and even in shotgun.

If Cobb progresses quickly, he could replace Donald Driver out wide next season so Green Bay will need to find another return ace eventually anyway. They might as well add one while they’re on top.

The 28-year-old Michael Spurlock averaged 25.7 yards a kickoff return last season and scored one touchdown; he can punt return as well. Jordy Nelson only averaged 22.5 yards a kick return last year and Sam Shields just 21.5. They need an upgrade, and it won’t be hard to find one.

8. Travis LaBoy

Travis LaBoy looks like a Packer linebacker, doesn’t he?

Again, the Green Bay doesn’t necessarily lack talent at the outside linebacker position, but they do lack talent in the pass-rushing department. The 29-year-old LaBoy has recorded 15 sacks over the last three seasons. He isn’t a pass-rushing fiend, but there are no pass-rushing fiends at outside linebacker in the 2011 free agent class.

LaBoy is arguably the best pass rushing 3-4 outside backer in all of free agency; not saying much, but still, he’s better than what the Packers have at the moment. If only Justin Houston would’ve fell a few more picks in the third round, right?

Adding Barnes or LaBoy would not only fill a huge need, but they would come very cheap.

7. Justin Bannon

Cullen Jenkins is a free agent and unlikely to return while Johnny Jolly keeps getting in trouble with the law. The Packers will most likely need two new defensive ends that can either start or play major minutes in 2011.

The 32-year-old Justin Bannan would be a very solid rotational player. He played much of his career on the dominating Baltimore Ravens defenses so he knows what it takes to shut offenses completely down.  Bannan can play in a 3-4 and 4-3 defense so he has plenty of options, but the chance to play on a contender at his age would be a golden opportunity.

He started all 16 games for the Denver Broncos last season recording 35 tackles, one sack and four passes defended.

6. Adam Vinatieri

Look at those guns.

Mason Crosby is a free agent and must be replaced. Replacement is probably a better option than re-signing Crosby as well. He only went 22-for-28 kicking field goals last season and being a championship contender, the Packers need better than that.

At 38 years old, Adam Vinatieri is still one of the best kickers in the entire NFL. Running out of time at his age, he may want to hop on to a team virtually guaranteed to be at least conference championship bound like the Packers. 

Last year for the Colts, Vinatieri only missed two field goals the entire season going 26-for-28 also hitting all 51 extra point attempts. It was actually his second best statistical season as a pro.

5. Shaun Ellis

Another option at defensive end except this one is starting caliber. At 34 years old, Shaun Ellis is nothing but a short term solution, but with the Packers in win-now mode, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Ellis has a bit left in the tank and could give Green Bay one, maybe two productive seasons.

He recorded 36 tackles and 4.5 sacks last season for the Jets. In his career, Ellis has recorded 72.5 sacks so he’s one of the top pass rushing 3-4 ends in the league.

Ellis has played in New York his entire career so he may want to just retire there. Of course, he’s been there so long and failed to win a Super Bowl so he could want out to play for a contender as well—not that the Jets aren’t contenders. He may just want another contender.

4. Justin Blalock

Daryn Colledge is a free agent and could be upgraded regardless. If the Packers don’t re-sign him, which would be the best option, they’ll have to find his replacement. Green Bay did select Utah guard Caleb Schlauderaff in the NFL draft, but they chose him in the sixth round so there’s no way he can be expected to step in from day one.

The 6’4”, 329 pound Justin Blalock has started every game he’s played in since his rookie year back in 2009 for the Falcons. Blalock is only 27 years old, but he’s already started 62 games in his career. He is very well-rounded not stronger as a pass or run blocker.

Not only would Blalock fill a need for the Packers, but also it would hurt Atlanta who is sure to be in Green Bay’s way on their path back to the Super Bowl.

3. Eric Weems

Once again, it would be in the Packers best interests to start a returner next season not named Randall Cobb. Eric Weems is another option at the position and is the best in free agency. Not only is he the best in free agency, Weems is one of the top return aces in the entire league.

He was a great returner in 2009, but he took his game to another level last season. Weems averaged 27.5 yards a kickoff return, 12.8 yards a punt return and scored a touchdown doing each. He also didn’t fumble once in 2010.

Weems averages an incredible five more yards per kickoff return than Jordy Nelson. Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense would start five yards further down the field three to four times a game: That’s huge.  Plus, he’s another talented player taken from the Falcons.

2. Stephen Bowen

Stephen Bowen is the best of the three defensive line options, but he still should be paired with one of the previous two. Bowen finished the 2010 season strong in the first major starting action of his career. He took over for an injured Marcus Spears at midseason and made the most of his opportunity.

At just 27 years old, Bowen would be a short- and long-term solution for the Packers. He really didn’t put up huge numbers in Dallas, but he didn’t have a massive nose tackle like B.J. Raji playing next to him either.

Bowen recorded just 22 tackles and 1.5 sacks last season, but in a 3-4 defense, defensive ends jobs aren’t to rack up huge numbers. Their job is to help the linebackers behind them rack up huge numbers, and he did his job last year in Dallas.

1. Harvey Dahl

I just made Harvey Dahl the No. 1 target for the Oakland Raiders too. What can I say? Dahl is the best guard on the open market by far.

Yet another Falcon, that isn’t why Dahl, Weems and Blalock are top targets. All three fill a major need for the Packers. They all just happen to be Falcons which is another positive about the possible additions.

Dahl is known for being one of the nastiest offensive linemen in the league, if not dirty. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing though. In the trenches, offensive linemen need to play dirty sometimes in order to protect a team’s star quarterback and running back.

Dahl may be too expensive for the Packers taste, but if they decide to break out the check book, he would be a huge addition and really help open up running lanes for James Starks, Ryan Grant and Alex Green.

David Daniels is an NFL Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report and a Syndicated Writer. Follow him on Twitter.