The initial wave of free agency is dying down, but that doesn’t mean there still isn’t work to be done.
The biggest names are generally signed by now. However, teams can still make savvy, cost-effective moves between now and the start of the regular season.
The Green Bay Packers made an early splash by signing Xavier McKinney, the top free-agent safety on the market. Not only does McKinney provide a top-tier player at one of the team’s biggest positions of need, but he also fits perfectly into new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley’s scheme. The biggest question at safety is: Who will play next to McKinney?
The opening week of free agency saw lots of movement in the safety market, and there aren’t many appealing veteran options available. Despite having a few promising options I’d like to see in Green and Gold, the draft class isn’t particularly deep. What’s the team to do? It’s simple — re-sign Rudy Ford!
With Darnell Savage and Jonathan Owens moving on to other teams, bringing back Ford keeps one of the team’s few solid in-house options to start next to McKinney.
The Packers initially signed Ford just days before the Jacksonville Jaguars released him at the start of the 2022 season during final roster cuts. At first viewed as mainly a special teams player, a combination of injuries and poor safety play helped Ford grow into a bigger role on defense before becoming a nine-game starter at safety in 2023. Ford went from playing 43% of defensive snaps in 2022 to 73% in 2023.
Ford has been the closest thing Green Bay’s defense has had to a ballhawk over the past two seasons. He hauled in three interceptions in 2022 (two in Week 10 against Dak Prescott) and led the team in 2023 with two.
Not only did Ford lead the Packers in interceptions, but he was also their highest-graded safety in the regular season. He also led the team in pass breakups and tied the team lead in tackles. Ford had the lowest passer rating allowed for qualifying safeties, a 30.1, good for a 40.9 completion percentage.
Ford was quietly sturdy when called upon and was always willing to do what the team asked of him. His sound fundamentals and savviness put him streets ahead of most of the team’s 2023 safety room.
Green Bay’s safety room would always need upgrading, with 2023 seventh-round pick Anthony Johnson Jr. the only known quantity returning in 2024.
Signing McKinney alleviated that considerably. Green Bay’s pursuit of the top safety on the market seemed like a pipedream, but Brian Gutekunst and Russ Ball accomplished it.
The team might feel confident going into the season with McKinney and Johnson as the starting duo, but it doesn’t leave much depth. The Packers probably needed to re-sign one of their free agents to build the room.
Savage is headed to Jacksonville, and Owens is on his way to Chicago. So that really only leaves Ford, who, based on each player’s level of play, is probably the best option anyway.
The veteran free-agent market for safety is drying up. It was a buyer’s market after a flurry of initial movement, as apparently, the entire league decided to remake their safety group. Therefore, the multitude of available options kept prices reasonable.
While it seemed like Green Bay could double dip to get two serviceable starting safeties, they instead broke the bank for the top option and are content to wait things out. With only a few proven quantities out there, Green Bay would be best served re-signing Ford.
A Week 1 starting duo of McKinny and Ford sounds pretty solid overall. With Ford, you’re getting consistent play, good instincts, and a well-known locker room presence. Beyond that, bringing Ford back doesn’t necessarily need to change the team’s plans at safety the way an outside free agent might.
Although the draft class isn’t stacked, a player like Minnesota’s Tyler Nubin would fit in Green Bay like a glove. But the Packers don’t always like to throw rookies into starting roles right away. Ford could start initially until Nubin or another rookie were ready for the role and provide valuable backup and special teams ability. Ford has shown a willingness to do what the team needs and may not feel disgruntled about a rookie stealing the show the way an outside hire might.
What’s clear is that the Packers still need bodies in their safety room, and their options are dwindling. Bringing back one of their own guys in Ford, who played better than many realized, seems like the ideal solution.
