OTAs are always a fun time of the year. Fans and coaches get to see the highlights of the newcomers and get a little taste of the NFL again after a few months off. The spotlight is always on the trending storylines and player absences. In the past, the Green Bay Packers storyline would always be, Where is Aaron Rodgers? But now the headlines are about Jordan Love.
But don’t let the mania around Love distract you from what’s happening in the secondary. There has not been super-exciting news during the offseason, but a big domino fell this week. Adrian Amos is officially gone.
Amos, who was Green Bay’s starter at safety for the last four seasons after coming over from Chicago, signed a deal with the New York Jets on Tuesday. The Packers seem to be continuing the trend of not adding veterans to inexperienced position groups. Don’t expect some other veteran addition in the coming months. Amos was always a guy the Packers could rely on. He never missed a game in his four years in green and gold and had over 350 tackles and seven interceptions. He wasn’t extraordinary, but he was a solid player.
So who do the Packers have left in that group now that their steadiest presence joined Rodgers in New York? Well, they have the ever-so-consistent Darnell Savage, a bowling ball in Rudy Ford, and some guys they signed as free agents, including Tarvarius Moore and Johnathan Owens. (Fun fact: Owens is married to Olympic gymnast Simone Biles.)
Anthony Johnson Jr. is a seventh-round rookie out of Iowa State who was a stud in college. Dallin Leavitt is a special teams guy, and Tariq Carpenter has officially been switched to linebacker. Innis Gaines is another player who has been with the Packers for the past two seasons but has struggled to see the field. Micah Abernathy and Johnathan Abram made some plays last year for the Pack, but they are long gone. So that leaves the Packers with six guys in camp who could actually line up and play that safety position.
- Darnell Savage
- Rudy Ford
- Tarvarius Moore
- Jonathan Owens
- Anthony Johnson Jr.
- Dallin Leavitt
The Packers kept two of these guys on the roster last year and only maintained a total of five safeties on the roster. Green Bay cut it pretty thin at the safety spot last year, keeping only Amos and Savage as established starters — or even capable players.
While they will feel Amos’ loss, the Packers seem to be content with their current group.
Darnell Savage
The Packers picked up his fifth-year option, and this really seems to be the make-or-break season for the former first-round pick from Maryland. He’s been streaky and inconsistent over the past four years. Now the Packers need him at his best more than ever. It’s time to find out if he can finally put it together and play a full season at a high level or at least stay healthy.
He will be the guy at starting free safety for the Packers assuming there are no drastic changes. The Packers toyed with playing him at corner. But now with a better-established corner room, I’d expect him to stay at his natural position on the back end.
Rudy Ford
Ford seems to be the guy for the Packers. Since picking him up from the Jacksonville Jaguars last season, Ford has made big plays. The Packers love what he did when he really came on strong at the end of last season. Ford always seemed to be in the middle of every big play. He’s gotten all the first-team reps, and the Packers seem to be prepared to line him up as their starting strong safety on Week 1.
Tarvarius Moore
During OTAs, the Packers had Moore lined up next to Ford at the other safety spot. He could be tentatively penciled in as the third safety on the depth chart. Moore does not have as much starting experience, but the Packers targeted him early in free agency. Getting him in green and gold was a priority. He fits more of the typical strong safety role as he’s better at stopping the run and playing low than he is at covering vertically.
Jonathan Owens
The Packers signed Owens from the Houston Texans, where he started every game last year. Granted, the Texans were bad, and Owens was not great. But he played solid minutes and was not a complete liability. Owens could play and be passable for the Packers if they need him to be, but I doubt he is the first choice among Green Bay’s coaching staff. I see him making the roster out of camp due to his experience but don’t get your hopes up if he’s starting Week 1.
Anthony Johnson Jr.
The rookie in the group, Johnson has made some plays in camp. He has a good shot at making the team after his plethora of experience playing defensive back in college. He had really good grades and numbers in his final season at Iowa State. While you may think that he’s just a seventh-rounder, Green Bay got a heck of a steal nabbing him as late as they did. He won’t be expected to start right away because the Packers seem to be giving those first-team reps to the veterans, but don’t be surprised if Anthony Johnson is playing significant time for the Packers by the end of the year. Remember his name.
Dallin Leavitt
Leavitt is one of special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia’s favorite players. Leavitt played for Bisaccia when they were both in Las Vegas, and Leavitt has made a living as a special teams ace. As long as Bisaccis is coaching, expect Leavitt to be on the roster.
The Packers could very easily retain all of these guys, but keep your eye on Tarvarius Moore. The Pack’s eagerness to sign him and then have him running with the 1s right away is a good sign for him and his playing time.
With Amos gone and no veteran signing on the horizon, this will certainly be a different Packers safety room than in years past, for better or worse.
