Safety Morgan Burnett signed a relatively modest three-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday. The deal will pay him $14.5 million, an average of $4.8 million per season.
Could the Green Bay Packers have afforded that? Yes, they could have. They reportedly have $20 million in cap space.
However, like we’ve seen with other veteran free agents — notably Casey Hayward and Micah Hyde — in the past, the Packers didn’t bother to make Burnett an offer.
From Bob McGinn: The Packers are $20.33 million under the salary cap, but Green Bay never entered the bidding for Burnett, and he became the first safety in this year’s free agent class to get a multi-year deal.
Clearly, the Packers decided early on they weren’t bringing Burnett back. There appear to be two primary reasons for that.
First, Burnett hasn’t played a full 16 games since 2012. He missed four in 2017. Second, it appears the Packers are ready to turn the position over to Josh Jones, who they drafted in the second round in 2017. Kentrell Brice and Marwin Evans will likely also find roles, as long as they’re healthy.
There are also veteran options still available on the free agent market, if the Packers are interested in adding to the group. One name that surfaced immediately after Burnett signed was former 49ers safety Eric Reid.
Reid was a Pro Bowler in 2013. In 2017, he had 67 tackles, two interceptions and four passes defended in 13 games. What Reid is most known for, however, is being the other guy who first sat with Colin Kaepernick for the national anthem.
He may find himself in the same boat as Kaepernick — not getting signed — because of it.
Bring in Reid, he’s 26. All the Packers linked arms,during the Anthem should they all be cut?
Plus he’ll come cheaper than Burnett, which is always good for a Green bay GM, Clearance Sale!!!
Yeah, keep that dudes attitude out of Green Bay please!
Man do I hate that picture. Let’s celebrate because we’re playing not to lose!… Ooops! If that were Nick Collins who made that that interception he would have tried to take it to the house and at least gotten the offense in field goal range. That means the Packers make the Super Bowl with #36 on the team. But no, we get stuck with limp dick Burnett who goes down when he has at least ten yards of open field in front of him. You may argue that Peppers told him to go down, but Burnett can make his own decisions. Peppers should have shut his mouth and started blocking. I guess you can take the player out of Chicago, but you can’t take the Chicago out of the player. I think the team should be forced to watch this game every year to show them how not to play. Like a bunch of bumbling pansies.
This ^^^^^^^^
The most pathetic 5 min. of football in NFL history.