The NFL franchise tag deadline has passed, and the Green Bay Packers front office was watching closely. With an abundance of players fit to be Packers pending to be free agents, the day could have gone a lot worse from the Green Bay Packers perspective.
Top Tier Tag Candidates Enter Free Agency
There is multiple positions the Green Bay Packers will be looking for help in free agency for. Namely the key position of safety. Under the rule of a new defensive coordinator, it has been laid out that an upgrade is due in the safety room.
The New York Giants Star Safety Xavier Mckinney is the tip of this iceberg. Many people expected the Giants to attempt to retain him via the franchise tag and explore a long term contract, fortunately for Green Bay this is not the case as Ian Rapaport reports.
Despite the strong season racking up 116 total tackles (second most for the New York Giants) and leading the Giants in interceptions, they have decided to pursue a new dynamic for the defense. The Green Bay Packers did not have a safety within 15 points on Pro Football Focus’ overall player grade, and the Packers leading tackler Quay Walker totaled only 2 more total tackles than Xavier Mckinney. Now the highest ranked safety available (after the Buccaneers have come to terms with All-pro Antoine Winfield Jr.) in free agency is likely already on the Green Bay Packers radar.
Xavier Mckinney also has ties to the Packers: the man who recruited him to the Alabama Crimson Tide, Derrick Ansley, is now on staff with the Green Bay Packers as a pass defense coordinator. Could we see him recruit Mckinney at the next level?
The second highest rated candidate would be Washington Commanders Kamren Curl, another tag candidate. Though with the passing of the franchise tag deadline it is clear he will likely not be a member of the Commanders come the 2024-25 NFL season, as foreshadowed by his very own tweet.
While he says “peace” to D.C, it is possible he gives his greetings to Green Bay, Wisconsin. Curl is an extremely instinctual pass defender with good tackling techique. His career missed tackle percentage at 7.8% makes the Green Bay Packers safeties look like college kids, most notably former 1st round pick Darnell Savage’s being a whopping 17.6%. Kamren Curl has been mostly under appreciated as a 7th round pick on a defense that was once filled with first round talent, a change of scenerie could be exactly what he needs to get his name on the map.
Notable Releases
Not only did the tag deadline include quality players surviving the tag, but it also came with some notable releases.
Safety Quandre Diggs has had an impactful career for the Seattle Seahawks alongside Jamaal Adams, but as of March 5th both of these players have been released. Diggs may be coming off a down year, but the former Detroit Lion could very well have more in the tank.
Diggs racked up 14 interceptions through three consecutive seasons from 2020-2022, earning pro bowl nods in all three. That type of ball production is hard too teach, a team like the Green Bay Packers would benifit greatly from. The Packers were second to last in the league in interceptions with only 7.
Aside from safeties, the Miami Dolphins released cornerback Keion Crossen and linebacker Jerome Baker. Crossen is a notable athlete, scoring a 8.37 Relative Athletic Score during the 2018 draft process, still showing flashes of elite agility today. It is likely with the right coaching that Crossen could be a servicable slot corner in a position the Packers are likely looking for depth, particularly with the expected departure of starting slot cornerback Keisan Nixon.
With free agency around the corner, expect to see the Packers searching for upgrades on the defensive side of the ball. Luckily for Green Bay, there seems to be an abundance of options for their positions of need.