Packers Have Reportedly Contacted Connor Barwin

Like I said when Julius Peppers left, Connor Barwin would be a nice replacement…

The Green Bay Packers have actually contacted Barwin, according to a report. Look at them burning up the phones!

Barwin was formally released by the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday, a move we expected for weeks. And you know what that means…

If the Packers were to sign Barwin, he wouldn’t count against the compensatory draft pick formula because he’s not technically an unrestricted free agent. It’s exactly the kind of player Ted Thompson loves to sign (other than undrafted projects who might pan out three years from now).

Barwin will be 31 this season, which makes him six years younger than Peppers.

He turned in 34 tackles and five sacks with the Eagles in 2016. Those numbers were down, as Philadelphia transitioned from a 3-4 to a 4-3 defense and Barwin was moved from outside linebacker to defensive end. Clearly, the transition didn’t do him any favors.

Like Aaron Kampman when the Packers transitioned the opposite way, Barwin was somewhat a fish out of water.

In 2015, Barwin had 54 tackles and seven sacks. The previous season, he hit career highs with 64 tackles and 14.5 sacks.

It’s highly unlikely Barwin will return to that 2014 level at this point in his career, but he could be a solid rotational player for the Packers. One important thing to note is Barwin has played all 16 games in every year of his career except one (2010).

That’s great insurance to have around when you’re counting on guys like Clay Matthews and Nick Perry.