The Green Bay Packers are a mystery team heading into training camp. No one knows what to truly expect from them given how much inexperience they have across multiple positions on their roster. But, most of that inexperience is on the offensive side of the ball.
Jordan Love, who has 83 regular season passes to his name, will be throwing to almost exclusively first and second-year players. While the upside is there for that group, the uncertainty has some people ranking the team’s skill position groups pretty low.
The defense, at least in some regards, is totally opposite. Their pass defense, led by star cornerback Jaire Alexander, is among the best in the NFL. However, even their strongest area has some flaws.
As we get closer to training camp, preseason games and eventually the regular season, something has to be figured out with the safety position. Green Bay would be doing itself a disservice by sticking with how things are.
Right now, Darnell Savage Jr. is projected to start with either Rudy Ford, a backup from last season, or Jonathan Owens, a free agent signing this offseason. Fellow free agent signing Tarvarius Moore could also factor into the mix.
That group isn’t overly encouraging, which is why it should come as no surprise that signing a safety has been suggested as one move the Packers need to make before training camp. The suggested target? Former Cleveland Browns standout, John Johnson III.
“We’re a broken record here, but the Packers simply cannot continue to pour draft resources into their defense and consistently perform as a mediocre unit. And that’s what could happen once again if they enter the season with major question marks at safety.
Johnson didn’t have a great second season with the Browns, with his 17 missed tackles the most of his career by nearly double, but he was playing behind a porous defensive line and has bounce-back potential in him. Johnson is a rangy defender who can play all over the field and could be a major bargain this late in free agency.”
Turning only 28 in December, Johnson certainly has some more good football left in the tank. Also, he has already put together some impressive seasons in his six-year career, something the current group of safeties that the Packers have can’t stake a claim to.
With Adrian Amos now on the New York Jets, the Packers are lacking a veteran to bring everything together as the last line of defense. Johnson would be able to fill that void and as PFF noted, it would be a steal to get him at this point in the offseason.