Whatever you think of Brian Gutekunst, the Green Bay Packers general manager, has been excellent at plucking lesser-known veteran players from other teams.
While not every pickup has worked out long-term, Gutekunst has gotten tremendous value with non-household names on cheap deals. In the past few seasons, Rick Wagner, Christian Kirksey, De’Vondre Campbell, Randall Cobb, and Rasul Douglas played major roles for the Packers. And 2022 saw another slate of valuable players, including Jarran Reed, Keisean Nixon, and Rudy Ford, playing significant roles for the team.
The Packers signed Ford immediately before Week 1, and he has been a revelation. Ford has been the team’s best safety since becoming a core defender in Week 10. Unfortunately, when the guy you picked up before the season is outplaying your first-round draft pick and traditionally reliable veteran, you’ve got a problem.
In what was supposed to be an elite secondary, the safety position is in a dire state this season and may look even worse in 2023, thanks to a lack of meaningful acquisitions this past off-season. It’s too late to fix the safety room this season, but it’s a vital priority for the Packers next season.
The Packers only have three safeties signed through 2023: Darnell Savage, Vernon Scott, and rookie Tariq Carpenter.
We’ve covered Savage’s struggles plenty this season, but the Packers have already exercised the former first-round pick’s fifth-year option. Green Bay would owe Savage money regardless, so he’ll be with the team in 2023.
Joe Barry finally dabbled with Savage as a nickel, and while Savage has looked better there, he still hasn’t been great. With Keisean Nixon proving to be a solid slot corner, Savage has primarily stayed in his traditional safety role. However, the Packers benched him in favor of Ford against the Philadelphia Eagles. Savage would later enter the game as a dime corner, but he quickly suffered a foot injury that would sideline him against the Chicago Bears.
Savage is a puzzle piece that doesn’t quite fit anywhere. The best hope is that whoever the Packers’ next defensive coordinator is can find a way to utilize him.
Vernon Scott is still a relative unknown and has spent the season on injured reserve. Tariq Carpenter is a seventh-round rookie drafted to be a special teams guy and has yet to play a snap on defense. There isn’t much experience currently set to be on next year’s roster.
Adrian Amos will be a free agent in 2023. Generally one of the most reliable veterans on Green Bay’s roster, I believed Amos could be someone to bring back in 2023. But Amos has regressed tremendously and hasn’t been his reliable self. As is the evergreen statement of the season, the entire defense hasn’t lived up to expectations, but it might be the simple case of time catching up with the veteran. Barring a dramatic comeback over the final quarter of the season, it’s hard to imagine Amos playing in Green Bay next season.
Ford should be a prime re-signing candidate for the Packers in 2023. Originally tapped as a key component of Rich Bisaccia’s special teams unit, injuries forced Ford into a significant role on defense. Ford thrived in this role as one of the few reliable defenders the Packers have. Ford is one of the few reliable tacklers, and he’s been a playmaker.
Ford has been part of four turnovers in the past four games, including two interceptions against the Dallas Cowboys. Chances are, if the ball is turned over, Ford had some part of it. Ford has quietly put up a respectable 79.6 PFF grade and was their highest-rated defender against Philadelphia.
Can Ford (whose name I’ve learned is actually Jonathan) keep up the great work? Like Rasul Douglas and De’Vondre Campbell, Ford is a player that’s been around for a while but never found massive success until coming to Wisconsin. Douglas and Campbell both had All-Pro years and earned lucrative contracts, but both regressed in 2022. Ford hasn’t played quite to that level, so he may be easier to sign to a team-friendly deal.
Another rogue option would be to consider moving Douglas to safety, where we took snaps during the off-season. Players switching positions isn’t super common, but it’s not unheard of. The legendary Charles Woodson made the switch when needed and added to his Hall of Fame career.
Regardless, the Packers need to prepare for the long-term vision of the position, and that means adding outside talent this spring. An early draft selection seems inevitable, and it would be wise to find someone experienced in free agency, but Gutekunst has been known to go against the grain.
As always, the Packers will need to make tough decisions this off-season, but one of the few no-brainers should be the need to rebuild the safety room. With a defensive coordinator change likely, it’s a good time to build the room with the future in mind.
