The Green Bay Packers may have swung and missed on a trade for a tight end on Tuesday, but according to one NFL insider, the team could be close to adding an impact player on the other side of the ball.
The Packers reportedly tried to trade for Las Vegas Raiders TE Michael Mayer on Tuesday to replace breakout star Tucker Kraft but couldn’t close the deal. The team settled for adding TE Josh Whyle and defensive lineman Arron Mosby from the practice squad to the active roster, but Green Bay is apparently in on one prominent free-agent defensive back as well.
According to The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman, the Packers are considering making a run at former Los Angeles Chargers star Asante Samuel Jr.
“According to a source, the Packers are looking into the possibility of signing free-agent cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. Samuel, a 26-year-old 2021 second-round pick of the Chargers, who was recently cleared for football activity after undergoing spinal fusion surgery in April, according to ESPN,” Schneidman wrote on Tuesday.
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Samuel, a Florida State alum, looked to be a star-in-the-making during his first three seasons in L.A. He recorded 163 tackles, 35 passes defensed, six interceptions, and a fumble recovery during that span before missing 13 games last season due to a shoulder injury.
After spending the last six months recovering from spinal surgery, Samuel is reportedly a hot commodity among CB-needy teams.
“[Samuel] plans to make free agency visits as soon as this week,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler recently reported. “Samuel is in touch with several teams.”
Adding a player of Samuel’s caliber would be a big boost to an imposing Packers defense that ranks fourth overall (286.4 yards allowed per game) and ninth against the pass (197 yards allowed per game).
Green Bay’s top three cornerbacks — Keisean Nixon (355), Nate Hobbs (198), and Carrington Valentine (196) — have all played 195 or more coverage snaps, and adding a veteran like Samuel who is strong in coverage and can switch from zone to mean with ease could be an excellent card for the Packers to keep in their back pocket come playoff time.
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