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Which AFC West free agents should the Green Bay Packers take a look at?
We’re BACK with another look at players from around the NFL who are slated to become free agents, and who may also be a fit with the Green Bay Packers. Previously, we took a look at players from the East divisions of both conferences and now we’re on to the West, starting with the AFC. Come along now, children!
The Denver Broncos signed D.J. Jones to a hefty $30 million deal three years ago, and Jones hasn’t quite lived up to expectations, but he also hasn’t been anywhere near bad, which means a team may be able to sign him for a bit less. In the last year of his contract, Jones had 42 tackles, 1 sack, and 3 passes defensed while seeing 40% of defensive snaps. Coming from one of the league’s best defenses, Jones has been effective enough in stopping the run that I think he would be a great signing as a rotational piece for this Packers defense.
Shocker, but I keep gravitating toward defensive players. Joshua Uche was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs in the middle of the 2024 season, and for the life of me, I cannot figure out why he’s barely played for them (6 appearances in 12 games). He might have an awful attitude, he might secretly stink, who knows! Uche’s breakout season came in 2022, when he got his first sack of the season in Week 8, and finished the year with 11.5 sacks. This happened while seeing just 38% of the Patriots’ defensive snaps, the highest share of snaps in his career. He’s definitely a depth piece, and I don’t think he’ll command a high amount of money at all. Plus, we’ve seen what he can do...kind of! This seems like a signing that would be low risk, potentially high reward.
We’ve seen a ton of Keisean Nixon playing in the slot for the Packers over the years, and that’s been fine, but we also saw a resurgence from him when the team had him playing on the outside later this season. Think of Nate Hobbs as the reverse-Keisean. He’s fine when he plays outside, but the slot is where the magic happens. In 11 games this year, Hobbs recorded 49 tackles, 5 passes defensed, and 1 pick. He’s an under-the-radar player who I think can turn into something pretty special on the right defense. Jeff Hafley, your time is now.
NOW HERE’S A GUY. Packers fans have seen a ton of Khalil Mack over the years, and he caused them a lot of heartbreak in his time with the Bears, a sentence we can’t say about too many other players in the league right now. Now, it’s time for him to suit up in green and gold, because...PACKER....
