The new league year is just over a week away, meaning big headlines as free agency commences. Most of the early free-agency excitement will involve their current players for a team like the Green Bay Packers. As of this writing, Davante Adams‘ status is still up in the air, and the industry eagerly waits for Aaron Rodgers to decide his future.
For the rest of the roster, needs and strengths will coalesce as the cap-strapped Packers make big decisions on who to bring back and who to let walk. One of the groups with the biggest possible variance is the cornerback room. Green Bay has spent over a decade investing heavily in the position. It finally looked like a strength in 2021. Yet with star corner Jaire Alexander entering his fifth-year option deal and breakout player Rasul Douglas set to hit free agency, the future of the Packers’ cornerback room is anything but certain.
The Packers have invested premium picks on defensive backs for years, including multiple years of double-dipping in the first and second rounds. Most of these investments were as successful as $DOGE. But with his first-ever draft pick in 2018, Brian Gutekunst struck gold, landing Jaire Alexander AND an additional first-round pick.
Alexander was a bit of a surprise pick because he didn’t meet the Packers’ usual size thresholds. But he’s been the best corner in Green Bay in a long time. By his third season, he’d become one of the best lockdown corners in the league.
Just when he’d finally become a household name, his fourth year ended early due to injury. The Packers signed Rasul Douglas from the Arizona Cardinals practice squad to fill the void. Initially, a combo of first-round rookie Eric Stokes, the former practice squad Douglas, the polarizing Kevin King, and Chandon Sullivan didn’t inspire confidence. Stokes eventually put together an excellent rookie season, while Douglas became a star capable of game-winning splash plays. King was good in a smaller role. The corners mostly held their own while missing their best player.
Alexander worked through his injury and managed to play in the Divisional Round. He’s healthy entering his fifth year. The Packers exercised the fifth-year option on Alexander’s contract, a rare move by the franchise. That appears to be the first step in getting something done long-term. CheeseheadTV’s Aaron Nagler reported that Alexander’s reps met with the Packers during last week’s scouting combine to begin talks on an extension for the star cornerback.
Reps for Jaire Alexander met with the Packers yesterday to talk extension per an honest to goodness source. Nothing imminent, but decent chance something gets done prior to the start of free agency.
— Aaron Nagler (@AaronNagler) March 4, 2022
Even with little cap room, an extension for Alexander feels inevitable. Green Bay, a draft-and-develop team, wouldn’t easily be able to part with an elite cornerback. And while nostalgia shouldn’t be a factor, Gutekunst likely wants to keep his first-round selection in town.
Should negotiations break down, Alexander is still tied to Green Bay through the 2022 season. It’s hard to imagine a scenario where No. 23 doesn’t play for the Packers this season. But if he is traded or released following the season, cornerback becomes one of the team’s most significant needs once again.
While Alexander’s return feels likely, Douglas’ future is much more uncertain. The good news is that he wants to return, and the team wants him back.
Douglas said he was open to returning to Green Bay after the season, adding that he’d only want “probably a little bit more” than his previous veteran-minimum deal. “Nothing crazy,” he told the media.
The Packers’ staff would also love a reunion. “Rasul was another great addition to our 2021 team. We’d love to have him back,” Gutekunst said at the combine. “He’s been in this league for a little while and had some success. Obviously, he had the big splash plays, but he also did stuff on special teams and in the run game that maybe don’t make the headlines. Again, we’d love to have Rasul back.”
The biggest questions are what kind of deal Douglas could get in free agency. He will get some lucrative offers and could sign with another team. Spotrac projects that he could earn around $9.2 million in free agency, and teams always want as many good corners as possible. But given Douglas has only had one season of true playmaking, some teams may be wary of making a long-term offer.
If possible, re-signing Douglas should be a priority for Green Bay. The Packers have an emerging star in Stokes and could likely get King and Sullivan back affordably. Strokes had a great rookie year, but a consistent group of Alexander/Stokes/Douglas looks better than a group of Stokes/King/Sullivan and a draft pick. Even with little cap space, a premium position group like cornerback is exactly where Green Bay should spend their money.
Jaire Alexander is a homegrown talent, and Rasual Douglas had his best year in Green Bay. Retaining both players long-term will lead to an excellent secondary for years to come. Depending on how they handle free agency, the Packers will either have one of the deepest CB rooms in the league or a bare cupboard.
